The Fresh Bunch

Send us Fan Mail In this special LIVE episode of the Fresh Bunch, we're taking you to Orlando, FL at the Signia Hotel for AIFD 2026. We were invited back for a second year to record a special podcast live, on-site during the American Institute of Floral Designers annual convention.  Listen in as Ryan is joined by 3 special guests and a live studio audience as they discuss all things AIFD, wha...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to our Fourth of July Roadtrip Special! Mimi catches up with Mike and Mommy from the road as they talk about everything from the current state of the floral industry and summer heat domes to the surprisingly important topic of America's best rest-stop Buccee’s—and even the history of FedEx. Meanwhile, Ryan is at AIFD setting up the Partners Table, Jimi is testing out...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we're joined by our cousin from Canada, Karl of Greenpark Nursery. A grower by heart and a businessman by necessity, Karl shares the values that have shaped his family business: attention to detail, an unwavering commitment to quality, and the philosophy that if you wouldn't want to see it in a wedding bouquet, it shouldn't leave the fa...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, longtime BFF of the show, Ogbanna "The Hip Hop Florist" Coates, joins us for an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship, culture, flowers, and community. Ogbanna shares his journey from working in mass-market during COVID to recognizing the power and necessity of flowers in people's lives. Fueled by creativity, music, and a vision...

Send us Fan Mail It's World Cup week, and we're bringing the excitement from the pitch to the flower cooler! Join Coach Mike (on his birthday, no less!) as he welcomes two passionate fútbol fans for the ultimate World Cup of Flowers showdown. We're assigning floral positions, building dream lineups, making bold predictions, and debating which blooms deserve a spot on the starting ro...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch , we're exploring the powerful topic of Legacy . In light of the recent loss felt throughout the floral industry & Ortega family, we invited several friends and industry leaders to share their perspectives, experiences, and reflections. Willie Armellini opens up about the unique pressures and responsibilities that come with being part of a leg...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch is a very special tribute to one of our original hosts and a beloved part of the Jet Fresh Flowers family, Fern “The Fern Show” Ortega. Known for his unforgettable intros, contagious laugh, incredible energy, and surprise rap and song moments, Fern brought joy and personality to every episode and to everyone around him. More than a podcast ho...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, the crew welcomes floral powerhouse Amy McCord AIFD, CFD, founder and CEO of Flower Moxie and now author of the visually stunning new book, Blooms Everyday: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging . Amy joins Jimi, Pinky, Ryan, Mimi and Joel to talk flowers, creativity, confidence and the journey behind creating a floral book designed for both flower lover...

Send us Fan Mail This is a very special Mother’s Day episode of the Fresh Bunch.  Full of laughs, flowers and behind-the-scenes floral chaos. Jimi’s jokes are back, Mimi grabs the reporter jacket and microphone, and there may even be a surprise appearance from Mike… you’ll have to tune in to find out. We hear from all kinds of Fresh customers sharing what Mother’s Day looks like from their side of...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch , we’re covering ground from Washington, D.C. to Doral.  We discuss a few events that happened in the floral industry in April.  But first, we get some motivation from Head Coach Mike, who breaks down big floral holidays the best way he knows how—through sports analogies and classic movie-style monologues. It’s how his sales team stays focused when the...

Send us Fan Mail Sweet ears of the podcast realm—this week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re casting with the incredibly talented Jessica Rauls, founder of Gather Flower Studio and curator of beautiful floral varieties. Full of giggles, stories, and floral stardom, this episode blooms from Jessica’s “florally viral” Powder Puff Rose reel that first connected her with Mike. Mimi had to challenge Powder Puf...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by Rebecca Merritt, Founder & CEO of Beyond Merritt Events. Rebecca’s firm delivers creative direction, strategy, interior design, branding, room planning, and extraordinary florals for corporate, agency, and private clients across the country. Ryan first met Rebecca at the Orchid Dinner at the New York Botanical Garden, where the two...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by the one and only Floral Wizard, David Kaplan of Above All Flowers. With decades of experience and a global network of growers, David truly has his finger on the pulse of the floral industry. David shares what’s happening across the world’s growing regions—from wrapping up the Catkins (pussywillow) season to the highly anticipated start...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we welcome two very special guests — Valentina Armellini, the new Marketing Manager at Chrysal USA, and Kyle Armellini, Terminal Manager at Atlanta Armellini. The married couple shares the story of how they met and how they each navigate the unique challenges of today’s floral industry from two different sides of the business. From logistics and trans...

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch , we’re joined by Paul and Tony Guerrie, cofounders of Flower Buddy. The two brothers share how they went from working in tech to building a business together in the floral industry. The conversation goes beyond flowers and into what it really looks like to start and grow something from the ground up—especially when you’re doing it with fa...

Send us Fan Mail This week, The Fresh Bunch hits the road for one of the most iconic events in horticulture—the Philadelphia Flower Show, “Rooted.” 2026 Joined by Freshie Christine Guenther of Wild Flower MD, Mike and Mimi share highlights from their unforgettable trip, diving into the creativity, passion, and stories behind the nation’s largest and longest-running indoor flower and garden show. W...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we sit down with visual interdisciplinary artist Maurice Harris of Bloom & Plume. Maurice Harris is a Los Angeles–based artist. Recognized from his TV projects “Centerpiece” and “Full Bloom”on HBO Max, he pushes boundaries beyond his floral art.   His photography transports viewers through vibrant color and bold composition, while his popular soci...

Send us Fan Mail We've had a busy 2 weeks here at Jet Fresh. SAF's Next Gen Live in Raleigh, NC, the New York Botanical Garden's annual Orchid Dinner in NYC, Fleurs de Villes latest show unveiled in Miami, and the WFFSA (Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association) conference all fell within the same 2 weeks.  So the team divided and conquered to make sure each event was a...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re Talking Tulips with the incredible team from Bloomia. With Ryan, Joel, and Casey away at SAF NEXT GEN, Mimi jumps on the 1’s & 2’s and does her best to keep the tech running, while Mike and Jimi the Tulip help deliver an episode packed with energy, insight, and big floral news. We’re joined by Werner Jansen;CEO of Bloomia and Bill Prescott,S...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Fresh Bunch , we sit down with Adam Havrilla, Creative Director of Elite Flower; accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD); Chairperson of Professional Floral Communicators – International(PFCI); and an Illinois Certified Floral Designer with more than 20 years of experience in professional floral artistry. Known for his original, ar...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Valentine’s Eve, Freshies ❤️ This week on The Fresh Bunch , News Anchor Mimi is back reporting live from Jet Fresh Cash & Carry, chatting with local Miami floral pros about the real story behind Valentine’s Day. We’re talking about how V-Day steals birthday thunder for florists, why burgundies and darker, moodier tones are dominating this year’s designs, and how to to wo...

Send us Fan Mail The Fresh Bunch is officially in full V-Day Countdown mode. The Freshies are gearing up for Valentine’s Day, and Mike introduces Fun & Fresh —a two-week, daily activity series created to ease the holiday stress and keep the energy high for customers and employees alike. Ryan, Joel, Jimi, and Mimi walk through the full schedule for both weeks, plus we hear directly from Fresh c...

Send us Fan Mail Snow Days & School Days: SAF Next Gen 2026 Edition This week on The Fresh Bunch , we’re talking all things winter and NEXT GEN with SAF President Lori Wheat, AAF, third-generation owner of Lafayette Florist in Colorado, and Eileen Weber, AAF, second-generation florist and co-owner of Lake Forest Flowers in Illinois—both speakers at the upcoming SAF Next Gen Conference in Ralei...

Send us Fan Mail  On this episode of The Fresh Bunch, we’re excited to welcome the incredible team from Choice Farms for a high-energy conversation centered around WFFSA and the future of the floral industry. We’re joined by Freddy Melero, Director of Sales and Procurement at Choice Farms and current President of WFFSA (Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association), who shares how stepping...

Send us Fan Mail WELCOME TO EPISODE 200 OF THE FRESH BUNCH PODCAST ! This is a massive milestone for us, and just like our 100th episode, we’re celebrating with a special video podcast you can finally watch on YouTube! Episode 200 is all about the rebrand, the listeners, and the incredible flower community that has supported The Fresh Bunch this year. This episode is dedicated to YOU — our Freshie...