Who's the Boss? The Next Generation: Derek and Holly Zschokke from Glassing Florist

Episode 129: Up next in our "Who's the Boss" series are mother and son, Holly Zschokke, 2nd generation owner of Glassing Florist in Inver Grove Heights, MN and Derek Zschokke who will be the 3rd generation. Lori and Vonda have know Derek for over 10 years and have watched and waited for this transition. Both Holly and Derek share important insight on each of their positions in the passing of the ownership role as well as some really good suggestions for anyone making this transition in the future.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

We are inextricably intertwined business and family. And I wanted that to be not just me and my parents' family. I wanted it to include Liz and I and the kids.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

Welcome to the Business and Pleasure of Flowers. We're your hosts, Vonda LaFever and Lori Wilson.

SPEAKER_04 0:27

And we believe that business and fun are a perfect combination. Kind of like us, Vonda.

SPEAKER_03 0:37

Hey Vonda.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Hey Lori.

SPEAKER_03 0:41

Long time no see.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

I know, boy. It's been a long run, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 0:45

It has. It's been not even 24 hours. Um, but we're in the second podcast in our series, Who's the Boss? Right?

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Yes. Exactly. And today you're the boss because you're taking the lead.

SPEAKER_03 1:01

Ooh, I love to be the boss. Actually, you know I don't like to be the boss. You don't. I'm not a boss. So we have some special guests. Last week we talked about who's the boss between a couple, husband and wife. Um, and this time I'm super excited because we've got Holly and Derek Zazaki on. They have glazing florist, and we were just with Derek 24 hours ago, too, at the Prophet Blast. Hi guys, how are you? Hey, hi, welcome.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Glad to be here.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

You both look super excited to be here. So thanks. I know you're taking one for the team. Um, so Derek and Holly, you have glazing florist in Minnesota, right? Um tell us, one of you, whichever one, Holly, we'll start with you, a little bit about the history of your shop.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Well, our retail business was started in 1940 when my parents were married. I think dad had been working in a shop before my grandpa actually grew flowers and sold them to retailers prior to that. So officially retailed start date is 1940. Um, when Bruce and I were married, we started working for them. And then in 1990, we purchased the business from them. So we're on uh 82 years here. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

So 50 years they owned the shop before you and Bruce bought the shop. Correct.

unknown 2:41

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

So did you you worked in it growing up, I'm assuming?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Yes, I did.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

And did Bruce have any prior experience?

SPEAKER_01 2:48

He did some delivery for them on holidays and then started as a delivery person um when he we were married and uh started to do some of the bookwork and things to help my mother out. So that's kind of his area. It's kind of interesting that we as a couple have flip-flopped. My dad was the creative one and did all the purchasing, and my mom, you know, talked to people and was, you know, accounts payable, accounts receivable. And Bruce and I are the exact opposite. So it has worked. We've worked together our whole married life. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

And now you guys are at a point where you're ready to hopefully venture out into some retirement. And you and Bruce have four children, Derek being the oldest. So Derek got first dibs.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Derek was the one with the interest.

SPEAKER_03 3:49

Right, Derek was the only one with the interest, right? So, so tell us a little bit about how that came about.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

So when I went to college, my interest was and plan was to come back and work at the flower shop. Before I went to college, I worked, I worked in the greenhouses, I worked, I guess when I was little, I worked in the fields, uh, worked in the greenhouses, you know, did processing, bucket washing back when buckets were washed with bleach.

SPEAKER_06 4:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

You know, things have changed. Um, and processed flowers when we hit palms with a hammer. So, you know, I've been in the shop um from my earliest memories, and and mom was cleaning some things out recently and found a desk in the barn that was my desk in the corner of the design room where I used to sit as a kid and occupy myself while she worked.

SPEAKER_06 4:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

So it's kind of always been part of my life. And so college, business administration degree, the plan was to come back and and be the next generation in the shop. None of my other siblings are really interested in it. Um, so we haven't had any kind of you know family struggle about who gets to take the flower shop. I've got two brothers that are in IT, they're not interested. Um, I could see myself maybe working with my sister someday, but for now, she's not not actively involved in the in the business and she's got other employments. So our intent is that my wife and I will buy and take over the shop and get into the next generation.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

So let me ask you, what do you think it was growing up and your connection in the flower shop that made you want to be the one to come back and run the business? Can you pinpoint anything?

SPEAKER_00 5:33

I don't know that I can. Um yeah, it just felt it felt like it was what I wanted to do, right? It it was I was always in it. Um, and part of the story that mom left out was they owned another flower shop before they came and bought this one. And I would ride to work with dad every day, and maybe not every day, but pretty frequently, and do whatever he was doing for the day, whether that was you know book work, which is what he's good at, um, or handling flowers and processing flowers, things that that he had to do to make the business go. Um, didn't really get involved in the people management side of things. They kind of leave the 10-year-old out of that. But for the most part, I was I was there, I was around, and I liked I liked being with my dad and I liked watching what he was doing. And I don't know, maybe it's an emulation thing as as younger, but it's just always what I plan to do. And I don't know that I can point to a specific moment where this is one of the things.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

I can see the respect you have for your father. I mean, I've been to events that I've seen the two of you together, and that's why I wondered if that was a lot of it, Derek. Sure. Yep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Well, suffice it to say, he does not have a knife in his hand.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Dad or me? Yes, you I have one in my pocket, but it's not a florist knife. Um, no, I'm not a designer. So that flip that that happened between the last generation and my folks um is not gonna happen again. Um you know, I can fix something that I broke in the van on the way to a funeral delivery, you know, make it look balanced and get it back to where they might not notice that something was broken out of it. Uh, but for the most part, I can do a dozen roses. Um, I've won a number of bets with designers who didn't think that I could. And I can I can whip out a mean dozen roses, but that's that's about it. And I really to this point I don't have any interest in it. Um, Tim Farrell was saying this weekend, maybe that's changed, maybe not yet. Maybe that'll change. All right, fine, Tim. Maybe it'll change. But I don't see that in my future. I really enjoy the business side of things. Um, I enjoy the numbers. Of course, you and I, you know, having worked together, work with flower shops on crunching numbers and getting the numbers where they need to be. That's the part that I enjoy. And then I I do enjoy the marketing side of things. People, I really enjoy being out and interacting with people. I was out talking with the funeral director today for a little while. You know, those are the things that I really enjoy in the business. Um, I kind of also enjoy the challenge that is our people in the shop. So I maybe I'm jumping jumping ahead on on some of your questions here, but that's one of the things that I I enjoy as well.

SPEAKER_03 8:14

So right now, Holly, you and Bruce are still helping out um until you decide you don't want to. Um, who is the boss right now, Derek? Do you defer to your parents or who makes those big decisions, those daily decisions right now? You answer first.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

Well, she's the boss right now, that means. Right? Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

At the moment, um, I think we kind of share it. You know, like I was doing all the flower ordering for the last 10 years and happy to turn that back over to Derek. And the ways and means have changed in the last 10 years since he did it. You know, we're happy to hand over the hiring and the dealing with employees to a certain degree. I mean, it's an important thing that you need to do as an owner, but you know, that has changed over the years as well. Um, hiring, you know, when people don't show up, that never used to happen, you know. And uh demands and things, it's it's it's an interesting thing, but it's something you get to a point where you're you're kind of done with that. And so I think we're still sharing.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

We are still we are still sharing, and uh my answer to the question would be they have given me the latitude to make any decisions that I feel are important to change. So as I came back, and and our transition back into meeting mom mentioned I've been away from the shop for 10 years, I was consulting for five years with florists, and then I was five years in a corporate position, and both of those experiences gave me a lot of knowledge, an experience that I never would have gotten here. And I'm really thankful for both of those experiences and what they're gonna do for making me a better leader in the flower shop. There are some things that I've come in and felt were really important to start making changes and identify those, and they're they've been really cool with hey, if you feel that that's important for us to do, go for it. Let's go for it. The first several months, though, my plan has been to just kind of lay back and observe and figure out okay, what are we doing? How do things work? Why do they work this way? And is it okay that maybe it's not the perfect process, but it's still it gets it done and it's and it works in this environment. Um, so not a lot of changes have been made, but you know, they're starting to we're getting there.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

My question that is I didn't send you, but is in my head, so I'm gonna ask it.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Here it comes.

SPEAKER_03 11:01

How have the employees responded to this transition? Um, if you give them a directive, do they look at you and go, Who do you think you are? You're not the boss of me, or how has that been?

SPEAKER_00 11:14

I have not gotten that kind of response from anybody. Um, however, we're a relatively small team, and they all understood the excitement about from my parents, I think, about me coming back. Liz came back into the shop first, my wife, and then now I'm in. I I started back last October, so it's been seven, eight months now. So I think the I mean, I'm not gonna go out there and start barking orders at that point.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

It's not your personality either.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Yeah, you're right. Um, and I'm gonna talk to them in a way that lets them know that I respect them and what they do, and especially with creative people in the design room. I need I know I've been around, I know that you need to be very careful when asking for creative changes from creative people because that's their art, right? I'm not a creative person, so it takes a lot of work for me to say to approach that person, understanding what it means to them to have this non-creative person come critique my stuff. Um, so I try and approach it from a way that um doesn't offend. Um everybody's heard that you correct or critique in private and praise in public, and yeah, absolutely. Um, I agree with that. I haven't had anybody push back now with respect to who do they think is the boss, when they have a problem, who do they go to? Right? It and it depends on what it is. Um, I've I've got I've got pretty firm grasp on the purchasing. So if I'm here, they'll come to me for purchasing. Delivery when they have a problem, if I'm here and she's here, they're they probably are gonna come to me. And then I would say the two or three people that I've hired, you know, so they so as as we've kind of turned some of the team on the people that I've hired are more apt to come to me with a problem. Sure. And the people who have been here a little bit longer are more apt to go to mom or dad with the problem. So I think that changes as and with hires, with hires, but as the team, I don't want to turn any more of the team over. We've got a good team, and we want to keep the people that we've got. So I've just tried really hard to be respectful to them and help them understand that you know they are valued to us, to me, um, and that they do a great job. Any opportunity I get, I try and encourage in that way.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

So, Holland, you were ready for this change?

SPEAKER_01 13:38

You know, I think didn't 2020 make us all ready to change something or other? And I mean the timing of just coming into retirement age, about that time and all the changes we went through in two years, it made me more than ready.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

And I think it's really good for your business because you are ready, right? And Derek is excited to get in there and make some changes and to to elevate the business to another level. You know, I think that's that's cool. A lot of people don't have that opportunity, right? They're tired, they're ready to retire. And some people are closing, others are trying to sell, others are just plain tired and not doing anything. And this is just really kind of a blessing for both of you, you know, as far as the timing.

unknown 14:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Keeping the family business going is really neat. Um, you know, it may come to a point where it's not going to be anymore. I fully understand that because I've seen so many friends of my parents' business have closed their doors or sold to someone that didn't make it. Um, you know, you never know what's going to happen in the future. But for now, this is this is exciting. We're really happy about it. And we're we're happy to help, you know, maybe not on quite such a constant level, but you know, it'll happen.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

Yeah. And Derek, I do believe that you stepping away for the amount of time you did and had those other experiences in corporate and you know, consulting, I mean, that definitely will help you and guide you through some really tough times that you that might be ahead of you because you can kind of fall back and go, okay, I had this experience here and I can draw from that. And and I think we all do grow and we step outside of where we grew up, I guess, and get different experiences that'll make you better.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Yeah, and in in working for you know, working with other shops in that consulting arrangement. I've seen good and bad. I've I've learned a big list of what not to do, but also a lot of little pieces from a lot of little different shop owners that um big and small, that are, hey, this works, this really works, that really works. And you've seen that too, I know, but and try and put that all together and really run a shop well. Um, you know, those are experiences that are gonna make me a better flower shop owner. And then kind of some of the big business ideas that come with corporate life that I had no idea until I spent some time there. I mean, I stepped in it two or three times in my first couple weeks, um, got my manager in trouble, and I but just by stuff that I said, I I don't know. Right, I didn't know that I was supposed to say that. Um, and I I learned, you know, I learned where to step and where not to, and um who to talk to and who to just say hi to, and all of those things. So, yeah, there were a lot of lessons learned in both of those environments. Um, I think one of the biggest ways that I learned in the corporate environment is how to deal with a corporate customer. That I had no eye, no concept of what their environment was until I was in that environment for a while. And here I thought I knew how to sell to them. I had no idea. Now that I've been there, understand how a purchasing card works, how do expense reports work, and all of those things that they have to do that I had never had any exposure to.

unknown 17:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

So now you can go out and grab some more corporate business.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Sure, yeah. Because of that. Bring it up.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

Yeah. So you, I know you haven't been like technically the boss for very long, but from the time you started to now, what is something that you are doing that you're like, oh I remember this. I do not like this part of the job.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

The part that I least like about being the job, I don't have to do yet.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

Oh, what is that?

SPEAKER_00 17:37

That's book work. Oh um, the the discipline of book work is something that is just not going to be a strength for me. Um and dad is still here, and dad still loves doing it. So as long as dad is around and loves doing it, I am more than happy to have him participate in that in that way. Uh, however, I do need to get in and get a little bit dirty and figure it out so that I know what's going on. He produces financial reports every month, month, and and distributes them to us and we look at them. Um, but we need to know a little bit more of how that particular sausage is made, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:19

Yeah. So your dad is still the boss of the books.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

He is still the books. Um, I had to go buy something yesterday and he wasn't in the shop, and so I wrote a check. I spent 15 minutes making sure that everything was right on this check that I wrote in QuickBooks and printed correctly and didn't, you know, because if if check numbers are out of sequence, if you burn a check and check numbers are out of sequence, Lord have mercy. Um I make it sound worse than it is. He he's good at it, he's really good at it, and there's I have a lot to learn there. So that's the that's part of the business that I dislike the most.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

So, what do you like the most? What was your when you thought, okay, I'm going back in to the family business. Um, I'm gonna leave my job, which was hard to do. You had a great job. Um, but what was that draw that every time you thought of it, you thought, I cannot wait for this?

SPEAKER_00 19:13

It's been a challenge. Growth. We've not been on a real strong growth trajectory. Right now, we're seeing good growth in average order value, but ticket number is declining. So I want to grow that ticket number. Um, and I'm hungry to grow that number of tickets. Frankly, I need it need to to really make the business take off and really take care of our family and continue to take care of their generation. So we need to grow the business. Um, I'm eager to grow the business and grow it profitably. So also um looking at the numbers on the bottom line, labor cogs, try and keep those things in line. Um, and I guess the other thing that I really enjoy is cracking the nut of purchasing. Um I have tried to find new ways to new ways to buy. We've been buying, we talked about this weekend, um, or this week, buying more out of Miami and just finding new ways to buy at volume, save money, but still have what you need, and that's the hard part of it. I can buy inexpensive high-quality stuff, but doing that and and having what you need to fill your orders, that's where that's where it gets challenging. And that's been fun. It's hard. I wouldn't say I'm great at it, but that's your challenge.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

So, Holly, let me ask you, what are your most proud moments in the years of owning the shop?

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Well, I think um when you have customers come in who say, Well, your mom did my parents' wedding and you did my wedding, and you have to do my daughter's wedding, you know. So kind of cut back on weddings. Uh, it used to be my favorite thing, and we did over a hundred a year.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

But um we cut back on that, and actually, it's not just me cutting back on it, it's just a different market out there, I think. More people in it or something. But to have those people just say, we always come to glazings, you know, the customers that come in and like just rave about this is just where we always go, you know. And I I really appreciate that, and I really take that as this is important, what we're doing, you know, because it means a lot to people. Or you did my grandpa's funeral, and it was so beautiful. You know, those are really proud moments for our business, I think. And of course, as a family, to have the next generation coming is huge. I'm very happy about that. That Derek and his wife would be interested in carrying on this business is really makes me proud.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Yeah, and loyalty. In customers, it's hard to continue on. And it sounds like you have done that with glazings, you know, when people are coming in and say, you know, I've I've gotten flowers here for years and they just keep coming back. I mean, that's that's cool. The loyalty in that. And then also the loyalty, you know, with Derek and his family coming in and you know, wanting to carry on the family business is pretty special.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Right. I think Derek was pretty smart in uh when we had a need for a salesperson last fall who suggested Liz and he was not working here at the time, but she came in first, and I remember him saying, Mom, we went out for dinner last night and we talked about the shop. And I'm like, Yes! He says it's working, so yeah, that's um that is good because you're gonna share a lot of stuff and it spills over into your time away from the shop, but it kind of has to, I think.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Yeah, I agree. And I was gonna echo that sentiment, and one of one of my satisfactions or proudest moments is kind of thinking ahead of time and trying to encourage my wife to be involved because I don't I don't want this to be my job, right? I mean, we live here on the property that we are inextricably intertwined business and family, and I wanted that to be not just me and my parents' family, I wanted it to include Liz and I and the kids, and so for her to be here and working and involved, it's made it a lot more exciting transition for me. Two days a week, I get to go to work with my wife, and it's not a good thing for everybody, but that's a good thing for me.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

Right. You also put your kids to work last week.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

Yeah, well, they're selling lemonade, they haven't paid the bank yet.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

Well, do you remind them that you charge interest the longer they'll wait?

SPEAKER_06 24:03

I do.

SPEAKER_03 24:04

So, but no, that's part of the appeal, right? I mean, your kids are too yes, you get to work with your wife, but your mom's still there too, your dad's still there, your kids. It's it's pretty cool. I've heard Ellie, you know, talk many times about growing up in a flower shop and seeing her mom work really hard, and it gave her permission to know, hey, I can be a mom and work too. So, you guys, you and Liz and Holly and Bruce, you're all modeling for your next generation. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

So it was really great to see Liz really kind of getting into everything at SAF. I mean, she was really engaged in what was happening, and that was exciting for me to see because I knew how excited you were, Derek. Yeah, you know, I was like, yes, this is gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

It's fun, it's fun. Um, and I you know, I see where she's at on the learning curve too, and the things she gets excited about, and I have to be careful to not not squash some of those things because I think oh, that doesn't work because this and this and this, and that's one of my negative traits is I tend to see the holes and things.

SPEAKER_03 25:17

No, you no, you don't. Yeah, I'm kidding, sorta.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

I'm just gonna keep zipped up, Lori. So yeah, I mean, we've we've been to some vendor shows, we've been to some market gift marts and stuff that um, and she's excited. I think if there's an area of the business that she will own in the transition, it would be you know, kind of display and merchandising. Right, and um, and she's excited about that, and so she came home with an accent decor sitting right over there, accent decor catalog, and uh all the stuff that she saw Tim was using in the show. She wants to, you know, now flip she's flipping through and she's looking at all this and dog earning pages, and and she's excited to try and get some different stuff because the buyer he just buys utility containers, right? Because I see dollars and cents, and I'm not that creative person. She may not be a designer, but she is a creative person, and so she wants to see more of the creative-minded stuff in the shop, and so that the designers have something better to work on. Um it's exciting.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

So either of you have any suggestions that you would want to share with people listening, um, if they are maybe a second generation uh working for their parents, getting ready to maybe take over. Guys, have any advice?

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Well, I think you know, you have to expect that there are going to be changes. There need to be changes. I mean, in our what 30 some years of owning, we've changed things. You have to keep up. Our industry has changed a lot. So I think that's one you know, little warning. Yeah, yeah. The line of we've always done it this way. It it's okay for some things. Like to me, if you're gonna cut a rose, you need a knife. But and um, you know, I've made some concessions here and there, and then you know, yes, we've always done this this way, but sometimes things change.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

Yeah, it's really good advice, Holly. And it's it's hard a lot of times for our generation to pass it on and go, maybe they do know better than we do, right? Maybe it's going to make a difference in the sales in the next generation because it's not always going to be the same. And although you have changed over the years, you you know it's great to pass it off to somebody who's willing to just take it to that next level, which is exciting for both of you. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

From a second generation perspective or third next, we'll say next generation perspective. When I ask why do we do this this way? And the answer is because we've always done it that way, I want to light a fuse under it. Because if if the only reason that maybe it is the best way to do it, and frankly, frankly, often it is, but why but but tell me why. Um, and if you don't know why, let's figure out why that's the best way to do it. That's kind of my uh a little bit of a bull of it bull in a china shop when it comes to that stuff. I really don't like the we do this because this is way the way we've always done it, or it really happens a lot with our salespeople. They'll say, Well, that's because so and so told me to do it that way, and that's because the person before, and that's because the person before, and that's because somebody had some weird quirk that they didn't want to do it the other way, and so they changed it, they changed it, and uh, and so you know, we have stuff like that um that we work through. But my advice for somebody who thinks they may come in as the next generation get out of the shop, and I know not everybody's gonna have the advantage that I had of being a foral consultant for a couple hundred flower shops around the country, but get out of the shop and work for somebody else. Um, the experience of working for somebody who wasn't my parents um taught me a lot. It taught me how much my parents were willing to put up with um because in a corporate world or you know any other environment, they don't put up with that. And it taught me how to not that my parents are bad leaders because they're not, they're great leaders, but it taught me what is expected of leaders. Um, and so I can take what I've learned from my parents and I can take what I've learned from the corporate world, and I can take how I want to be as a leader and kind of mash all of those together and hopefully be a good leader for the people in our shop. I don't want to be the boss with the negative connotation. Right. I if somebody calls me, hey boss, that's fine, I can deal with that, right? Um, because it's it it can be used as a term of endearment, but I don't necessarily want to be he's my boss, he tells me what to do. Um sure, I want to be I I want to be at the top of the food chain with the buck stops here, but I also want them to want to follow, right? I want to treat people so that they understand that we're all in this together, we all have the same goal. Um, I need cost of goods to be down so that I can continue to pay your paycheck.

SPEAKER_06 30:50

Right.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

I need to get sales to increase, not because I'm greedy, but because I want to be able to support everybody who's here and everybody gets to stay. So work for somebody else, and I think you get a whole different perspective on how the world works. Yeah, it brought me back here with a lot of a lot of perspective.

SPEAKER_03 31:10

So I ask every guest we have on this podcast before they leave, I ask them a question, and I'm gonna ask you guys. Uh, it does not have to be part of this industry, it could be any answer. There are no wrong answers. But Nolly, I'm gonna start with you. And the question is, what is inspiring you right now in your life?

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Well, that one wasn't written well. I couldn't think about that one in advance.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

The first thing that pops in your mind.

SPEAKER_01 31:45

I think beautiful things in the beauty of the world inspires me. The created world. Yes, and that leads me to our creator. Yes, you know, I am still in awe of beautiful flowers coming in the door, and I never lose that, you know. I mean, I think that's just the biggest part of it, and seeing an arrangement that just works together, you know, whether I made it or someone else made it, I enjoy it. And then I think it spills over into the team when the team works together well and you can enjoy working. I mean, that's our goal for our employees, is to be able to enjoy working here together. They're not working next to their best friends, maybe. That's fine. I can't do that. But to treat each other the way they would like to be treated, it it should work, you know, and that's that's great when it does. Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_03 32:46

That's a great answer.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:48

Von is a good one. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Yep, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:51

That is love that, Holly. Derek, what about you? What's inspiring you?

SPEAKER_00 32:58

Uh the thing that popped into my head right now is my kids. You know, I'm in the throes of parenting with four kids from 10 years old to two years old, and helping them learn and grow up and develop and mature into adults that can make make wise choices and become productive members of society. It's a task. You guys told us plenty of times this week when we were together. A lot of people tell us it'll be over in the blink of an eye. It feels like it's a really long road right now. Where we sit. Um, but it is, it's an it's one of the most important things that Liz and I have done as as a couple together.

SPEAKER_03 33:40

So that's a perfect ending to this podcast. That's that's wonderful. So thank you both so much for coming on here. I know this probably isn't your favorite thing in the world to do, but uh we sure enjoyed having you.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

That's been fun. Um, enjoy any time I get to spend with you guys. Um, you you've both been good friends to me over the course of the last 10 years. So um anything I can do to help you guys out, I love it.

SPEAKER_03 34:09

Thank you. We appreciate it. Great to be with you. Bye guys.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

All right.

SPEAKER_03 34:13

Thank you so much for listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoyed spending time with us because we enjoy spending time with you. If you did, make sure you hit that subscribe button or add the business and pleasure of flowers to your Google morning routine or your flash briefing on Alexa.

SPEAKER_04 34:32

We look forward to seeing you next week.

SPEAKER_02 34:34

So please come back and join us in discovering how a bit of knowledge and one small change in your mindset can take you to new levels in your life and business.