SAF Next Gen Recap with Ellie LaFever and Lori Wilson

Episode 137: The  Society of American Florists (SAF) Next Gen Conference was held in Miami on July 31 and August 1st and 2nd, and was a BIG hit! Vonda interviews Lori and Ellie to find out what they felt the biggest difference was in this conference over others they have attended, besides the ages of the attendees.  The both come away energized and exhausted.
Join in to hear why.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

And one other thing that I did not see at this conference was ego. Would you agree? Uh-huh. I mean, really, everybody was just like, they've let down that veil. They've let down that barrier. They're their authentic selves. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Welcome to the business and pleasure of flowers. We're your hosts, Vonda LaFever.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

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

SPEAKER_01 0:40

I am so excited to be here with you again, Miss Lori. Like I mentioned in my last podcast that you would be back this week and we would talk a little bit about your exciting event that you and Ellie attended down in Miami. So welcome, Ellie. We're glad you're here.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Hello. Hello, ladies. How's it going?

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Good. So you guys were at NextGen Conference this past weekend in Miami. And obviously, when this airs, it'll be just like a a week ago that you guys got home. So I have a few questions for you. All right. So I'm going to start with you, Lori. Okay. So first give our listeners an idea of your schedule, like when you arrived. Because I know most conferences that you and I especially have attended for SAF with the Prophet Bill Ass and everything are packed with things that have to be done even before it starts and then during the whole conference as well.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Right. So thankfully, um, when we were looking for flights and scheduling this trip, Ellie and I, um, mostly Ellie, I'll say 2%, mean 98% Ellie in the schedule. It was um the the conference technically started on Sunday. So it was a Sunday through Tuesday, but flights were significantly cheaper if we came in on that Friday. So she and I flew in on Friday, which gave us Friday evening and all Saturday to really go over our presentation. Um, because you know, remember, we're virtual, so we try the best we can, but it's so much better when you can be walking around in the same room with the person you're getting ready to teach with. So it was great. I think, and Ellie, tell me if I'm wrong, but I don't know how many times we were like, God, this is like the most relaxing type of convention we've ever been to.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Yeah, and I think we needed that relaxation in the beginning because you know, once we got into Sunday and Monday and even Tuesday, it was hit the ground running, packed with info and conference sessions and all of that good stuff. Um, but really I think as a, you know, we we spoke on Monday and to have Saturday to like lower our cortisol levels, like we hadn't been getting up early for a flight or anything. So it was nice for us to really get our brains wrapped around exactly what we wanted to say and the impact we wanted to have at the um session that we taught. And it really made a big difference. And I think it's something that we've learned a lot about as a company, is it's important to take time um to do that, to have that.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

And I remember Saturday late afternoon, we had gone back to our room because we sat out of the pool and we just, you know, I had my book, my tendencies book, and like we're just talking through scenarios because I think a big part of any presentation is giving them the statistic, but then sharing some sort of story to go along with it. And so that's kind of what we were doing throughout the day. And at one point, when we were back in our room, Ellie made the comment. She's like, I'm so relaxed. Like, you know, we start tomorrow, and it's just like we were truly excited to present instead of hesitant and panicky, like, oh, am I gonna remember whose light is what?

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Instead of reactive mode. We just really have the time.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

And I think people operate differently, but for us, it was critical, and especially even by the pool, that's where our great idea that's where we yeah, we came up with the stories, and I was like, okay, we're gonna embarrass me and tell that story, right? As far as the uh day to day starting from Sunday all the way through Tuesday, there was always something you could be doing, but it didn't feel so oh, I gotta get to the next class, I gotta get to like there was a whole lot of hanging out in the eight. You know how at AIFD, like the one day we didn't go to anything, we sat outside and were interviewed. There was a lot of people congregating between just relaxed and just talking. So, anyway, that was the feel of the whole time.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

So you felt there was a lot of networking time built into the conference itself.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Absolutely, and also the other thing with that is because it was small, relatively small, 160 people, you saw the same people 10 times a day. And you had you didn't just have one conversation with them, you were able to dig deeper and deeper a little more each time and get to know them personally. And to me, I feel like that was totally invaluable because a lot of big expos conferences, you see them once, you get their business card, and then you're out and you never talk to them again. And the magic happens where you can really not just have that initial conversation, but get to know them personally and get to know their why and their why they're there and what they're trying to achieve, and you know, have those common interests and collaboration, room for collaboration.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

Yeah, that's what I loved. One of the things that I thought was really great on Monday, it was after we presented, but for during lunch, like it was, you know, out in the atrium, like grab your sandwich chips. But when you walked in to the room where all of the tables were, it was a different, like a dining room area. The um two SAF people were standing at each door and they had a basket, and you pulled a number and you had to sit at that table number. And so, you know, it was really great. At first, I was like, Oh, I can't sit by Ellie, and then I was like, that's okay, because I was fortunate, and I think every single person at my table had just attended our presentation. So we had this huge conversation, you know, how I loved counsel and all of this. It was just really, really great. And then we saw the, you know, I saw them again that evening when we were out, and now we're on a first name basis and we took pictures, and it was just a lot more intimate than anything I had ever been to. I mean, Vonda, you've been to hundreds of these. I haven't been to hundreds of these, but it was a very different feeling.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Yeah, it was great. I that was the word that you know I saw in the recap email from Society of American Florists is just the energy was so great. Um, I guess that would be one word that I would use to describe it as just good energy. The other thing that I think I'm proud of, um, and it's more of a stereotype that other generations give us. It's like we're always on our phones, or we're, you know, we're not like talking on the phone, we're we're texting. And so you when you think of that, you think of, oh, how are they all gonna interact with each other? Are they gonna, you know, be at the table by themselves on their phone instead of talking at the lunch table with everybody? And I think that was the opposite of what happened. Everybody was so interactive. And if you know, there was a balance of people who were very outgoing, and then there were people that were there by themselves for their first time, and you really didn't see anybody alone, you didn't see anybody not talking to anybody. It was incredible. I was very proud of that. And I think Society of American Florists and NextGen, the committee, like Nicole did an amazing job of connecting people and introducing people, and just it really made all the difference to see those people in real life together. You know, of course, there's a Facebook group for NextGen, but in real life is really it was great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

It was. And I did really hear some great reviews, rave reviews, let's see, on your presentation, as as people are going through Instagram or Facebook and seeing what SAF is posting and some responses. So that is pretty cool. But I think that's a different podcast, Miss Lori and Ellie.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

I think you're gonna take that on and we're actually gonna have some of the next genners come on with us and love that. I think that's great.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

That's great. But Ellie, I want to ask you as the second generation of the industry, you're a true next jenner, right? What did you think? Because you have been to so many floral events. You started attending wholesale events when you were 11 years old, going to AIFD symposium. You know, I would say you're a seasoned floral convention attendee. So, what's different beside the age of the attendees?

SPEAKER_00 9:38

So to backtrack a little, I think going into the conference, I was like, oh, it's another conference, like it'll be great, but you know, you have this idea in your head of how things go in the past, and like you're exhausted at the end of the day instead of energized, and all these things that personally to me I felt. And I had this little intro prepared for the presentation about how, oh, I grew up in a flower shop and my family's in the industry, and it's amazing to see blah, blah, blah. But before that, the day before, when everybody in the room introduced themselves, everybody in the room went around, introduced themselves, and I heard I'm a second generation in the industry, I'm third generation, I'm fourth generation, and you realize, wow, like I am not alone. I am not just the youngest one at, you know, maybe they weren't going to the conferences with their parents, but they've been in this world just as long. And I think for many people, um, in two ways. So the people that have been in the industry that like Nicole's shops been around a hundred years, and you know, all of that, like to see that there are people like you, that's your common ground to build upon, right? You already have that in common. You don't have to explain yourself, you don't have to tell them explain the floral industry, like all those people you already have that foundation with, and then that just is a jumping off point to build your connections with everybody. But for the people also that were first timers to see these people have been around a long time, like, wow, maybe I should stick around in this industry.

SPEAKER_01 11:17

Kind of a light bulb go off, and they would say is something like, gosh, I guess this isn't just a job, this can be a career. Is that what the transition was with the people?

SPEAKER_00 11:25

I mean, I could have I mean, I think no one outwardly said that, but if if I were there for the first time, I would look around and see all these people that have grown up in this and stayed in it and been like encouraged to maybe, and that leads me to my next point. Um, and I might be jumping ahead, but for people who want to send an employee or part of their team, but are like hesitant, this is a retention element. Like bring them, show them how everything works, right? They're not just in their small town doing their day job, it can be so much bigger.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

And that's what's encouraging. I think that's what we have to do as an industry is yes, you as a second generation others, third, fourth generation, young people coming in, we have to encourage others. And you're right, if you have somebody who is in your shop and has been there, even if it's not long, I know you've talked about this, Lori. It's you know, make them feel like they're an important part of the team. And by doing this, it certainly does encourage them and make them want to come and to do more.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Right. I don't know how many times when I met an employee of a shop and I would ask them, because you know, I talk to a lot of employees in in our world, and they were there independently, right? Like my boss and me. Every one of them I made sure and told them, Do you know how lucky you are? Your boss must adore you. You know, they see something in you, or they would not have spent this money to bring you in. And and like Ellie said, I was so amazed and encouraged by some of the people that were there by themselves. Like we'd all be in the presentation, and when it was QA time, and I thought a lot of people probably aren't gonna raise their hand because they're by themselves. It was the exact opposite. Like they stood up and boldly asked their question or comment, and I was like, this generation is amazing, like they they're secure, it's very, very cool. So I was I was very encouraged seeing those types of things.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

And one other thing that I did not see at this conference was ego. I mean, really, everybody was just like they've let down that veil, they've let down that barrier, they're them they're their authentic selves. Yep, and a lot of times that's not the case.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

No, it is not.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

So that's what I honestly, it was that's what was so great. It wasn't just like, tell me what you do, tell me how I can help, and like, yeah, wow, that's huge.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

That really is huge, yeah. For people to come to a convention without their ego, because we've all seen that many times. It's like, oh, I want you to know how important I am. And so taking that out of the picture is pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

Yeah. One thing that really kind of caught me off guard, and I mean that in a good way, is when we were at our lunch tables, I can't remember, maybe there's like 10, 12 of us, you know, at each table. And they were talking about the tendencies and they were sharing what and how they've um been promoted within the industry. And there was a handful that are now like assistant managers or managers. And I have never heard anyone in any of these conventions, I've never heard a manager bring up in mental health. And one of the guys was talking and he said, you know, that is at the forefront. You know, how are how I'd love to know how everyone else here is addressing when their employees struggle with mental health because it's so important. And he just went on and on, and I about like I got a lump in my throat because I was like, ah man, you are such a nice person, like it's what a great human you are. But they worked, and then other people are like, Yeah, yeah, huh?

SPEAKER_00 15:41

Is that Sam talking about Tanner? Oh, Tanner, yes, Tanner and Sam were both really great.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

Oh, so great, so great. It was, and I don't know, it just made warmed my heart because I'm like, you guys get it, it is all mind, body, soul, like everything has to be working, you know. And then he talked about how he tries to be super hyper aware of if their employees are struggling or having a bad day, and he has told them all everyone needs a mental health day, you just have to talk to me, you know. And then anyway, it was I was just encouraged.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

That's great, that's really great. Yeah, so the other thing I think was really cool that I was so excited you guys were gonna see, and that was the tour of the flowers coming in. I mean, to me, that is like, oh my gosh, everyone in this industry should see that. So I kind of wanted your input on was that impressive, or was it I was thinking it was too impressive.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

I think Ellie and I both agree we're very glad we went, but in full honesty, there were times we weren't sure we were gonna get there because you had to get up so early, and that was our last night, and everybody went out, and we were like, Oh no, oh no, how are we doing this? And believe it or not, Ellie is the only reason I got up because she was like, I gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta do this.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

And from a personal point of view, I think that should just speak volumes because if I can get up when I really do not want to get up in the morning and get myself to the like it the conference energized me instead of exhausted me. Of course, now I'm exhausted, but I think there's a that that was the key takeaway for me. It it really did energize me.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

Yeah, it was it was fun to see Ellie with age-appropriate people, like you know, Ellie always has to live in our world when it comes to work stuff. I mean, there's probably a few people, but for the most part, she's she has to hang out with the elderly, you know. So now we're elder for me. It was so cool to see her sparks going off. She's like, You guys are my people, like, oh, this is so great. So it was cool, it was really cool that we got to see that. Don't you think it was amazing?

SPEAKER_00 18:18

And Armelini was generous enough to my great buses that took us there and great people on the buses. Um, we had David personally explaining the process and educating us on how it all works.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Yeah. So one of the things that David Armelini said on the bus was when you get that your box of flowers that you have ordered, it has probably been physically touched 17 times before it gets to you. Wow. And I was like, that's crazy. So if you know, our people are like, my box is a day late, or my like, I wish everyone could walk through what we walked through because really you leave going, how in the heck do I even get my box? Like, I'm amazed when they're on time. That's pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

That's when they get to Miami. So before they get to Miami, they've gone through a lot of things.

SPEAKER_02 19:23

That's exactly what he was saying. They were showing us how they take a bouquet. So let's say it's a flower click box. They take a bouquet out and they go bam, bam, bam, hit it. And if there's bugs, it goes into like what like a four-hour detox. Yeah, like fumigation. Crazy. And so he said, Out, you know, they only do it to one, maybe two in the box, but that's why you might have one that looks a little like it's been through the ringer. That's why. It's a little shaken up. That it's a law, like you know, the government's doing that, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Right. Well, let me just ask you, because I know we're gonna try to keep this at time, but Ellie, what was your biggest takeaway?

SPEAKER_00 20:14

My biggest takeaway personally was that there are people like me in this industry, and I think if you are somebody who, you know, is young the younger generation, or even if you're not, even if you own a shop and you've never been to SAF, you need to go. You know, no matter what age you are, I think this is how you discover that you are not alone and that you have this amazing support system and resources, no matter what age you're at. And if you are listening and you're like, dang, I really wish I would have sent my employee there. We are having, I think Nicole's putting something together at SAF in Orlando next month. Um, we're having a happy hour. I'm sure we're gonna have, you know, lots of time together. That would be a great thing. If if you have the resources to bring somebody with you, if you're planning on going, I would highly encourage you to bring them with. And then they're gonna get to know everybody and have that face-to-face. And then next year they're gonna be ecstatic to go to the next gen conference. So my biggest takeaway is just that it is it is incredibly valuable. I see great value in attending.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Okay, Lori, how about you?

SPEAKER_02 21:37

There's so many, but you know, from my perspective, because you know, I'm not next gen, I was there because I was a presenter. I was so impressed.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

You are at heart.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

I am at heart, absolutely. I know I got a sweet little DM from Nicole, and I somehow I'm gonna be grandfathered in as Next year I'm gonna come as a chaperone. You should be grandfathered because you were I'm gonna always be the chaperone there. But what I really loved is you know, Laura Weaver, Kate Penn, the whole staff was there, and they worked their rear ends off to make sure this was a great program because they knew the the next gen group, like they knew this was important to them. And so seeing that teamwork between the two SAF and next SAF next gen, it gave me hope that maybe next gen will start rubbing off on some of the older people. Like, hey, maybe we need to lighten up the load of curriculum a little while so we can go have a drink by the pool and get to know each other.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Like does that make sense? Yeah, it totally does. But what you were saying about the staff at SAF is great, they are fantastic and all that. And they also wanted to make sure this was totally successful because they understand the necessity of this for our floral industry, yes, industry right. If we don't nurture our next generation and encourage them, we're not gonna have a strong yeah, we're not gonna do it.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

100%. I had a couple conversations with some other speakers around my age, and that was we all felt the same way. We're like, man, these people, they're amazing. And if we don't nurture that and encourage it, they're gonna go do their own thing, and they're not gonna join AIFD, SAF, any of those things.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Because you know, and just on the note about SAF, I think I loved getting to know the team so great. You know, by the end on Tuesday night, I was hugging Amanda and we were just having fun. Everybody, they they are so nice, they care so much. I feel like in a lot of ways, they are similar to us, where they're a small team, also women. They have a really great synergy in the way that they they work and the way that they're mission driven. And that's not unlike us.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Yeah, that's true. That's so true. Well, I am so glad you went, had a wonderful time, and I'm sure when we go to SAF in Orlando, we're gonna not see Ellie as much, Lori.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

I think I know, I know that that was, you know, you I'm gonna go ask, you know, what's been inspiring you, but I will start with myself. It for me was so inspiring to see all of these age-appropriate people with Ellie embrace her and her embrace them. And it was like, oh my gosh, this is so cool. I mean, it was like Ellie, a whole next level Ellie, just because she was getting fed energy from people her age.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

So that was just awesome. So anyway, Ellie, what's inspiring you right now?

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Besides the event, I would say I think another key difference that I saw is I'm not like a technical florist, right? I kind of felt like I was, you know, I I love marketing and branding and all that. And like the people that I met are also really good at marketing and branding. And they have that, right? That was kind of the missing piece for me. It was like, you know, oh well, on the side I do, you know, graphic design, photography. It was like a side thing, right? It was like I do that and I do it for obviously for flower click, and that is so important to us, but to actually get inspiration from other people in the industry with marketing, branding, photography, like social, all of that. Um, that to me is super inspiring, and it's gonna fire me up to be to be better at our social game and marketing and all of that.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

And what's inspiring me is to listen to the two of you and all you've gotten from that. I am so inspired by Ellie being energized by the next gen because she needs to be fed, and we can't always do that. And for her to have those connections is just so inspiring. Yeah. So thank you all for joining me, Ellie and Lori. And it was fun for me to be able to interview you for once, Miss Lori, and bring Ellie on for that. So we'll look forward to um to next week. But everyone consider Orlando at the SAF conference coming up in September. We'd love to see you all there.

SPEAKER_02 26:53

Goodbye. 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_01 27:13

We look forward to seeing you next week. So please come back and join us and discover how a bit of knowledge and one small change in your mindset can take you to new levels in your life and business.