Botanical Brouhaha Podcast

In Part 2 of this two-part podcast episode, co-hosts Amy and Natalie visit with Sarah Daken and Tom Precht of Grateful Gardeners  and Floraponics , who transitioned from careers in law and neuroscience to flower farming. Tom discusses their innovative aquaponics system and the challenges they've faced in securing funding. The couple emphasizes their commitment to sustainable practices and the syst...

In Part 1 of this two-part podcast episode, co-hosts Amy and Natalie visit with Sarah Daken and Tom Precht of Grateful Gardeners  and Floraponics , who transitioned from careers in law and neuroscience to flower farming. Sarah shares her journey from legal burnout to finding joy in growing flowers with her husband, Tom. Tom discusses their innovative aquaponics system and the challenges they've fa...

In this episode of the Botanical Brouhaha podcast, Amy and Natalie talk with Anna Stouffer, owner of Urban Petals in Greer, South Carolina about her transition from a working in a law firm to becoming a successful floral designer. Anna shares her journey, starting with wedding floristry and eventually adding a retail component to her business. She discusses the challenges of managing both aspects,...

In this podcast episode, Emily Patrick, owner of Carolina Flowers , shares her journey from journalism to flower farming. She discusses the challenges and successes of starting and running her flower farm, including her approach to business, design, and financial management. Hosts Natalie and Amy engage Emily in a lively conversation about the evolution of Carolina Flowers, sustainable practices,...

In this episode, we visit with Imelda Ramos, owner of Cali Wholesale . Imelda shares her journey as the founder of a woman-owned company from starting as a small wholesale flower business to expanding her business and her footprint at the flower market. She discusses the importance of team training, effective communication with customers, and the challenges of sourcing flowers. Imelda also highlig...

In this podcast episode, Sylvia Bustamante Gubbins, the founder of Madrid Flower School , shares her inspiring story of starting a new career in floral design at 48 and following the dream to open a flower school. As Sylvia continues to grow Madrid Flower School, she's introducing new educational opportunities for floral designers to study the art and business of floristry. With the recent additio...

In episode 120, we have the pleasure of reconnecting with the incredible Francoise Weeks , whose hands weave magic with woodland designs. She's back with a treasure trove of wisdom in her new book, Wonder of the Woodlands: The Art of Seeing and Creating with Nature . It's a visual feast over 200 pages long, and trust us, it's a must-have for your collection. Francoise's zest for life is contagious...

In this episode, Natalie & Meg, co-owners of Native Poppy , take us behind the scenes of their retail shops in San Diego, where they've created an immersive experience for their customers. In an effort to explain the price gap between flowers bought at locally-owned flower shops vs. large grocery store chains, they speak about the unique characteristics of their shops including the extensive train...

In this episode of the Botanical Brouhaha podcast, Amy McGee and Natalie Gill, the co-hosts, interview Marsha Parker, a seasoned teacher with a passion for history and culture. Marsha shares her experiences teaching around the world and her personal battle with cancer as a 3x survivor. She discusses how these experiences influenced her floral business, Refined Gatherings, which specializes in crea...

In this podcast episode, flower farmer and author Lennie Larkin of B-Side Farm discusses her experiences in the flower farming industry, her book Flower Farming for Profit,  and her educational initiatives for other farmers. She talks about her transition from other careers to farming, the financial aspects of the business, and the importance of strategic planning and efficiency. Larkin also refle...

In this podcast episode, Amy and Natalie visit with flower shop owner Stacy K Ercan of  Stacy K Floral in Rochester, New York. She shares about her shop expansion and business model which includes a collaborative space with a coffee counter, retail offerings, and a subscription service. Stacy also talks about how her background working with tents, events, and trade show exhibits helps her have an...

In this episode of the BB podcast, Amy and Natalie talk with Lucy Hunter about her 20+ year career in landscape design and her newest book The Flower Hunter: Creating a floral love story inspired by the landscape . Lucy shares openly about her past burnout, her shift towards flower design, and her return to the landscapes that inspire her creativity. This conversation delves into the impact of age...

In this podcast episode, Amy & Natalie conclude Season 7 with a Q&A session centered around listeners' questions. Natalie shares insights on pricing strategies, staff payment, and the benefits of an a la carte menu in the floral industry. She also discusses the challenges of balancing motherhood and business. And, finally, Amy and Natalie emphasize the importance of networking, reviews, and open d...

Floral designer Carrington Winkelmann, owner of The Farmer & I in the Texas Hill Country, shares her journey from college days dreaming to starting her own flower business with her flower farming husband, Grant. She discusses the challenges and rewards of running a business, including managing inventory, managing client expectations, and pricing her services. Carrington shares her dream for the fu...

In this podcast episode, a seasoned rooftop flower farmer (yes, you heard that right - she farms on rooftops) shares extensive experience in agriculture. Joanna Letz, owner of Bluma Flower Farm , discusses the transition from traditional farming to rooftop farming, the unique challenges it presents, and the logistics involved. She also talks about her business, which includes a variety of offers s...

In BB Podcast Episode 111, Abby Daigle, owner of Stems Floral Design & Event Styling in Austin, Texas shares her journey from growing up in the events industry at the venue owned by her family to starting her own floral business. She discusses her love for weddings, the services her company offers, and her business model, which includes a showroom for full-service wedding clients and important rel...

In this podcast episode, we visit with Rachel Nafis, owner of Psalter Farm Flowers , an urban flower farm in San Diego. Rachel shares a behind the scenes look at her unique business model. She grows flowers in her neighbors' yards and then supplies San Diego shops and florists with her local grown flowers. Rachel discusses the challenges and rewards of farming in an urban setting, the importance o...

In Episode 109, Botanical Brouhaha Podcast co-hosts Amy and Natalie welcome guest Graeme Corbett of Bloom & Burn back to the show. They discuss Graeme's shift towards working mostly with British-grown flowers and he reflects on his decision to scale back the number of weddings he accepts while incorporating more teaching into his business model. They touch on what led to Graeme's decision to move...

In the first episode of Season 7, Amy and Natalie ( Native Poppy  founder) share what led to the strong bond between them which ultimately led to Natalie becoming the co-host of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast. Setting the stage for their new podcast format, Amy and Natalie dive into their hopes for the podcast including a shared desire for more laughter and deeply honest conversations around topic...

After taking a few months off to rest and reflect, the podcast is back! And we have a new co-host you're going to love! The first episode of Season 7 will drop on September 6th and we couldn't be more excited to hit the ground running. We've missed our chats!

Overcoming the fear of starting and financing a new business idea Learning the basics of business startup Testing the popup concept The importance of packaging at a popup Bringing the skill of fashion buying to a flower shop The power of asking questions Building a team Becoming a mother while running a business LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 107: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising  Gansevo...

Today's Guest: Yasamin Salavatian  Topic: Brand Communication in True You Fashion If you're struggling to find the words to convey who you are and what you do, today's episode is for you! We can't wait for you to meet Yasamin Salavatian , Yasi for short. She describes her expertise like this: "I partner with you to bring words to your vision, leading you to differentiate your brand from the sea of...

Today we're visiting with Amy Dunlap, owner of Stemz, Inc. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Amy never could seem to avoid the draw of flower shop jobs in high school and college. After studying horticulture in college and getting a Masters degree in Agricultural Education and Communication, she opened a home-based floral design business to service weddings and events and eventually bought a build...

Today we're visiting with Tina Sharpe, owner of Living Fresh Home Goods & Flower Shop in St. Jacobs, Ontario. Tina has woven together a business model uniquely built on her life experiences - first managing garden centers and greenhouses, then studying floral and interior design, and ultimately finding the love of her life, moving her business to the charming Village of St. Jacobs, and restructuri...

Today we're visiting with Brittany Sarhage, owner of Rudy's Flower Truck in St. Louis, Missouri. Brittany embodies the courage and tenacity most of us wish we had. She started a flower truck business with no prior experience in the industry and has continued to steadily grow the business while caring for both her customers and her city. Join us as we talk with Brittany about: How she came to own 2...