The Business & Pleasure of Flowers

Description:  Lori has fun interviewing Vonda and Ellie before Valentine's Day to learn a bit about their personal preferences in terms of design styles and favorite flowers to recounting their most memorable Valentine's Day stories.   Vonda and Ellie also share tips and guidance for new employees navigating their first Valentine's Day in a flower shop, which is also a really good r...

Episode 266: In today's episode Lori candidly shares a heartfelt update on her father, Lenny, with Vonda and listeners. Lori takes us through the emotional journey she faced while simply trying to accomplish a task over the phone, reflecting on the conflicting roles of being both a customer and an expert in customer experience and sales. Through her personal experience, Lori emphasizes the im...

Episode 265:   Lori and Vonda guide you through personalize and  essential steps to a successful Valentine's Day in your flower shop. They emphasize the importance of having a properly educated and trained team to ensure everything runs smoothly. From preparing flowers to optimizing your website layout and effectively communicating shop policies, they provide valuable insights to help you mak...

Episode 264: In this episode, Lori kicks things off with an inspiring lesson from Lenny, setting the tone for a creative and productive conversation. Then, she and Vonda dive into a unique and exciting way to tackle goal-setting for 2025. Instead of the traditional vision board, they’re introducing a fresh, fun approach: a Bingo card for your goals! Why Bingo? It’s simple, engaging, and far less d...

Episode 263:  In this special episode, Ellie and Kami join hosts, and team members, Vonda and Lori as they look back on the past year and share personal highlights including wins, challenges overcome, surprises, and insights gained. Listen in as the team reveals unexpected answers and discusses the significance of choosing a word to guide them both personally and professionally throughout the comi...

Episode 262: In this episode, Vonda and Lori delve into the concept of observing your surroundings without allowing them to deeply affect you. Do you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the news or situations around you? Join us as we explore why some individuals are able to simply observe and let go, while others tend to absorb information and let it deeply bother them.  Sponsored by: Flower Cli...

Episode 261: Ellie LaFever, PFCI joins Lori and Vonda again in this episode to delve into trend predictions for 2025 sourced from Pinterest. Ellie shares key insights on upcoming trends and the three discuss how some of these trends can impact the floral industry. Join the conversation as they explore the latest trend predictions and give them your "love it" or not. Pantone Color of the...

Episode 260:  Vonda and Lori discuss how common negative narratives surrounding sales projections and the economy can drain our motivation and energy. They provide insights and strategies on maintaining a positive mindset to navigate challenges and strive for success despite the discouraging external factors. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives on overcoming setbacks and staying focused on your...

Episode 259: In this episode, Lori and Vonda are joined by Bill LaFever, President of the Bill Doran company, to dive into crucial issues impacting the floral industry. Bill sheds light on the recent advocacy efforts in Washington DC, led by the Society of American Florist (SAF), to advocate for the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). He emphasizes the significance of the GSP i...

Episode 258: In this episode, Vonda and Lori are joined by Ellie to discuss the powerful connection between exceptional customer experiences and effective sales training. As instructors of SalesPrepSchool, they delve into the highlights and key upgrades of the newly launched SalesPrep 2.0 by Flower Clique. Sales Prep School is a flexible associative learning system tailored specifically to the flo...

Episode 257: Vonda is on her own in this week as important personal business takes Lori away for a much needed day off. With Thanksgiving this week, Vonda looks at the  saying "If everyone put their cross in a pile, you would take your own as it's known to you." The episode delves into what this saying means and how and why it relates to each of us. She also challenges you to start...

Episode 256:  Vonda and Lori sit down with special friend, Renee Tucci AIFD CFD PFCI AAF, President Elect of AIFD, to discuss the importance of foundational education in floral design and how it is the key to growing and developing your personal and professional skills. They explore the significance of becoming a Certified Floral Designer (CFD) and a member of the prestigious American Institute of...

Episode 255:  Vonda and Lori as they sit down with Ryan Freeman, President of Strider and a seasoned expert in the fields of SEO and online marketing. Ryan sheds light on the overwhelming landscape of SEO, cautioning businesses against making quick decisions and falling for fear-driven sales tactics. With a focus on the importance of making informed choices, Ryan answers Lori's questions, tal...

Episode 254: In this episode, hosts Lori and Vonda are joined by special guest David Register, the Executive Vice President at FernTrust, Inc. located in Seville, FL. David provides insights into the cut foliage business, discussing the products they are known for and the impacts of multiple hurricanes on the industry. The conversation also delves into what can be expected for Valentine's Day...

Episode 253: Lori provides an insightful look into the less glamorous aspects of being a manager that are rarely discussed. She shares interesting and surprising insights about the challenges that managers experience and often keep to themselves. While there may not be definitive solutions to these issues, Lori and Vonda emphasize the importance of building resilience as a manager. They highlight...

Episode 252: In this episode, host Lori Wilson PFCI sits down with her co-host Vonda LaFever AIFD PFCI CFD and friend Julie Poeltler AIFD PFCI CFD  to discuss their recent collaboration with a top-notch video production and design team. Join them as they reflect on their experience at the Benz Institute on the Texas A&M Campus in College Station. From overcoming challenges to embracing highlig...

Episode 251: Lori and Ellie reflect on Flower Clique's first in-person staff retreat, which prioritized team bonding and relaxation. The retreat featured a session on 'Sparketypes', which provides insights into team members’ personality archetypes, such as Mavens, Makers, Scientists, and Performers. These insights aim to enhance personal fulfillment and team efficiency by aligning r...

Episode 250: Customer service can be a challenging field, especially when emotions come into play. In this episode, we delve into the complexities of customer interactions, particularly when dissatisfaction or complaints arise. Lori shares a personal experience from the customer side and talks about what went wrong and shares strategies and verbiage to defuse tense situations.  In the floral indus...

Episode 249: Join Lori as she sits down with Kami Martin, the Director of Membership, and Audrey Kristoff, the Product Manager, from the Flower Clique team. Discover how their roles contribute to the success of flower shop owners and Flower Clique members. Kami delves into her expertise in website management, discussing the intricacies of merchandising, while Audrey sheds light on the advantages o...

Episode 248: In this episode, Ellie, Lori, and Vonda share their experiences from an 8-day business trip focused on product development for Flower Clique. From photo shoots to creating videos for Sales Prep School, and even hosting an educational show at Bill Doran in Omaha, the trip was filled with challenges and obstacles that seemed almost comical at times. Vonda and Lori have always emphasized...

Episode 247: Vonda and Lori are on the road and picked a great rewind for you. It's a rewind from last summer of Episode 185:  Join Lori and Ellie as they sit down with our good friend, Sam Bowles, the General Manager and Creative Director of Allen's Flowers in beautiful San Diego, CA. Get ready for an inspiring episode that will leave you motivated and eager to take your floral business...

Episode 246: Join Lori and Vonda in a heartfelt conversation as they reflect on their recent experience designing wedding flowers for a personal wedding. Though they don't typically work together in this capacity, their shared dedication and admiration for the special couple shine through. Listen in as they share  takeaways and tips that are food for thought for anyone working in the industry...

Episode 245: Today's episode is short and sweet as we share a brief history of Labor Day and highlights a valuable lesson that continue to resonate today. Learn  the important highlights of origins of Labor Day and the impact of the labor movement on workers' rights. Discover the power of unity, collective action, and standing up for justice as we reflect on the lessons gained from this...

Episode 244: Join hosts Lori and Vonda as they delve into a collection of mind-altering quotes by Wayne Dyer. Discover quotes that may resonate with you with a simple "yep" and others that challenge you to truly ponder and potentially transform the way you view certain aspects of life. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the profound impact of words that have the ability to inspire c...

Episode 243: We recap the exciting session at Camp Clique last week and delve into a thought-provoking discussion with industry experts Bill McKinley AIFD from Texas A & M and Abby Chick, shop owner of Blakemore's Flowers in Harrisonburg, VA. Join us as Bill and Abby share their insights on incorporating sustainability into floral design. They answer burning questions such as: What design...