The Business & Pleasure of Flowers
Join Vonda LaFever and Lori Wilson as they share expert advice, insider tips, and a whole lot of fun on all things floral. While everyone loves flowers, running a floral business can come with its fair share of challenges that might make you lose sight of the joy it brings. In this engaging and informative podcast, Vonda’s wealth of floral expertise pairs perfectly with Lori’s background in teaching, sales training, and life coaching to deliver valuable insights you can use right away.
From industry trends and the flower shop of the future to overcoming obstacles like boosting sales and building a stellar customer service team, they’ve got you covered. Discover how small shifts in your mindset and approach can create big transformations in your business and life.
Hit subscribe to put the pleasure back into your life, go back to loving flowers, find fresh inspiration, and bring the joy back to your business!
The Business & Pleasure of Flowers
Lori and Ellie's Icks and Picks and Interview with Holly Haveman, CF, with Highlights of the 2024 Great Lakes Floral Event Expo
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Episode 213: Join Lori and Ellie in this episode as they candidly share their "icks" - those things that totally gross them out - and their favorite new products they have recently discovered.
They then move into an exciting interview with Holly Haveman, CF, the Chair of the 2024 Great Lakes Floral Event Expo (GLFEE). Join them as they delve into the details of this upcoming event, which will be held in Grand Rapids, MI from March 1st to March 3rd, 2024.
During the interview, they discuss the highlights of the GLFEE, including workshops, keynote presentations, and networking opportunities. They also share their thoughts on who should attend the event and the potential takeaways for floral industry professionals.
Whether you're a seasoned florist or just starting out in the business, this episode provides valuable insights and information about the 2024 GLFEE. Don't miss out on this exciting event!
Learn more about GLFEE
Great Lakes Floral Association
Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist
And then throughout Saturday and Sunday, there's a mixture of business and floral demonstrations. This year I'm just so excited because they really are workshops that will enhance your knowledge and what you can bring back to your business.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to the Business and Pleasure of Flowers. We're your host, Vonda LaFever and Lori Wilson.
SPEAKER_01And we believe that business and fun are a perfect combination. Kind of like us, Vonda.
SPEAKER_02Hello, Ellie. Hi Lori, how are ya?
SPEAKER_01I'm just living the dream, Ellie, is what I'm doing. How are you? Same, really. Yeah, yeah. When this airs, you are either going to be out of the country or will have just gotten back. Because I have no idea when this sucker is gonna air. But are you packed? No.
SPEAKER_02That's a joke. I haven't unpacked from the holidays, Lori. One thing about me suitcase is always full. Either it's going or it's coming home or it's leaving. Yeah. No, I haven't unpacked, so I have to unpack. And tomorrow I plan to pack because then I won't be panicked Sunday because I leave at like 4 a.m. on Monday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So we'll get there. It's okay. And I think you and I have had this conversation our unpacking the way we do that. We go two ways. We're all or nothing. We either get home and like completely unpack at that moment, or it could be months, and we just live out of a suitcase. And so you just never know.
SPEAKER_02I know I literally just pulled this one. I mean, it's clean. I overpacked for the holidays. I pulled this out. I've just been shopping out of my suitcase. Yeah. But to be fair, I had two suitcases, and the other one is unpacked, the one that had random stuff in it. So one of two isn't horrible. You have no judgment.
SPEAKER_01There is this is a judgment-free zone. Uh Tyler would say otherwise, but I didn't invite Tyler to my podcast today. So that's true.
SPEAKER_02But he would say, Lori, you don't have to live with her. Well, that's true.
SPEAKER_01That's true. I don't care. I do pref you every time it comes to roommates, so it doesn't bother me. You know that's true.
SPEAKER_02That's true. You love me for who I am, and that's what matters.
SPEAKER_01So poop on Tyler. Okay, so you and I pre-recorded an interview that Holly Haveman, who we love earlier.
SPEAKER_02She's great. Yes, to talk about. What do you guys call it? Great Lakes Florida.
SPEAKER_01Gliffy. Gliffy. Gliffy. Every time I see, I think of Glee, the show, the TV show that I used to be obsessed with. Me too. God that show. Anyway, it's a great one, and we will get to it in a little bit. But first, we have to talk about some super important things because I have a whole list of things that I need to talk to you about. There are some things that have been driving me absolutely crazy lately. First, you know, my every night obsession with TikTok. Yeah. It is what puts me to sleep at night. It is my evening activity. I no longer watch TV. Um, football season's almost over, so I don't watch a lot of football anymore. Thank goodness. I know, I know. But I go to the talk for my downtime. Now, as much pleasure as TikTok brings me, it brings me a lot of icks. That's why you and I are here because we're gonna talk about some stuff. Here's some things. First of all, what gets me to scroll faster than anything is when I hear the phrase, oh god, I can barely, I can just I cringe when I hear it. Hot girls don't gatekeep. Oh has that ever showed up on your FYP?
SPEAKER_02You know, I'm not a big TikTok girly, but I've heard that Instagram too, because they you know they go back and forth videos. That's true. I've heard those two things separately, but hot girls don't gatekeep.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it's it's the influencers, it's the people that are trying to sell product. Um, for sure. No particular marketing, okay. Hot girls don't gatekeep. I can't stand when they say I'm not gonna gatekeep, or they could say hot gekeeping.
SPEAKER_02Gatekeep in general, like so chill. Everybody is sharing everything, nobody's gatekeeping. Exactly. Nobody said you were gatekeeping, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Clearly, you're not gatekeeping because you're telling us every single thing you have.
SPEAKER_02You're you're literally an influencer. Yeah, influencing is the opposite of gatekeeping.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. So stop telling me you're so cool because you're not gatekeeping and link and bio, link and bio, link and bio. So anyway, those two things, and then here's the other word I cannot stand, and I don't know why it gives me the ick is the word girlies.
SPEAKER_02I can't, I just said that to you. You and my daughter says it too, but it's all you don't like it, huh?
SPEAKER_01I can't stand it now.
SPEAKER_02It's been overdone on the TikTok. Uh well, probably because yeah, your saturation of TikTok it's gotten to you. Girlies, it's yes, and it's uh it just what can we say instead? I'm not a TikTok girls queen. Girl is fine. Girl, I'm not a TikTok girl.
SPEAKER_01Girl, I've period. Here's the thing. I don't think I mind it in person. It's when it's the person behind the camera. I think it's more the attitude of the person saying it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know what I mean? That makes sense, that makes sense, but also I can see it's annoying, and that probably if I didn't use it, I would think it's annoying. So I support you in that one.
SPEAKER_01You're a little more authentic when you say it, you're actually referring to us as women, the people that influence you anyway. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I also think it's kind of like you refer to yourself as a girly if like you like or dislike something, or if like that identifies with you. Yeah. I'm this type of girly. Like, I'm not gonna say like I'm a slack girly. Yeah, right, right, right, like it's not like a business term, anyway.
SPEAKER_01Yes, oh which leads me to my other one you just brought up that has been traumatizing me. Let's say I am an influencer and I just bought a new coat, okay? And I'm showing everyone my coat, and I'm referring to the coat as a her, and I am telling you guys, oh, we love her. Oh gosh, we love her. Oh gosh, she is beautiful. I'm like, that is she doesn't have a beating heart, she is a coat.
SPEAKER_02It it's that does bother me with clothes, but there is a certain food influencer that I follow who's a man. Yes, and I've unfollowed him, but then refollowed it, you know, one of those things. And he refers to the food as you're like a pasta. Yeah, like look at how beautiful she is. Like I can't. It's pasta, you're eating her. Yeah, don't get so weird.
SPEAKER_01Some of those, I mean, mute them. I keep them muted because I want to see actually what they purchased, because maybe they have great style or great food or the recipes, but I just can't hear what they say.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and like it's just it's not necessary. It's not necessary.
SPEAKER_01So, okay, share with me yours. I confess mine.
SPEAKER_02Well, this is kind of last minute. I have an in and an out list, which I'll probably post, but it's long. So I was looking to see if there's anything in there that's also an ick, but I think my biggest thing lately is when somebody uses a utensil, like a fork or a knife, okay, for something that is not meant to be used with a utensil, like you're supposed to use it with a with your fingers. For example, French fries. Don't use a fork and dip them in ketchup and eat the french fry. Like it grosses me out so bad.
SPEAKER_01What's that?
SPEAKER_02People do that. You they do that one. With a French fry? Yes, if you have like something that you already are using a fork for next to the french fries, and then they just stab the french fries. But it happens with other things too. One of the things that I saw that you're supposed to do with like a big salad is use a big spoon because if you think of like a chopped salad, it's like really hard to use a fork. Yeah. Because it's like so little, and like a big spoon actually is like a shovel and it's like helpful. I can't do it just because it gives me an ick, even though it would be helpful. So just like using the wrong utensils for the wrong foods is disgusting to me for no reason at all.
SPEAKER_01No, I used to have a friend back in the day when I lived back when my kids were very small, and I lived in Texas the first time, and I I cannot even remember their names, so that tells you how far removed they've been from my house. But she used to make lunch for her husband every single day. He would come home from lunch, which probably was a red flag, but whatever. He loved Cheetos, but he was like OCD, couldn't stand them. So she would give him these little plastic tongs as part of his utensils. She would lay them out, she'd make him like a sandwich, Cheetos, like the whole thing. And I remember being over there for a playgroup or something, and she's like, Oh, I've got to make my husband lunch. And we were all like, What? What? And she made him his lunch. He came over and was like in this little side room, and somehow I like I had a toddler toddle over, and I had to go get it the kid, and I peeked in and he had these plastic tongs, and he was eating his Cheetos with his tongs. And I was like, huh, that's weird. That's pretty smart, but it's weird. It was just weird. I that's exactly what I thought.
SPEAKER_02I thought you were gonna say he used like a plastic glove.
SPEAKER_01No, no, like a glove. She said she had like plastic utensils for him that he had to have because he loved his Cheetos, but he would not touch. Yeah, you would think you just don't eat the Cheetos. Yeah, I don't know. I just here's what I do know they're divorced. So I didn't know that. Well, I don't know who got the tongs in the divorce. I don't know. I don't know what happened.
SPEAKER_02Well, I don't know what this happened. Can we talk about some things that I don't know if you have any, but I have a few. I hope you have a few. Things that this year, or maybe like you know, over the holiday or before that you've discovered that you like are loving right now. Yes, yes, things that are helping you, things that are you're doing that you're like, this is bringing me so much joy. You know, maybe it's something you bought, maybe it's a habit, maybe it's yep. Do you want me to go first? Or do you want to go? Okay, so I have a big list, but I'll go quick. First of all, because I've been having some back issues that are now, I don't want to say chronic because I'm getting another mattress tomorrow, but I thought it's a whole thing, Lori. I'm not even gonna go there. Not even gonna go there. But I've been taking a bath and I think Cammy does this, a bath every night. Every night.
SPEAKER_01She does.
SPEAKER_02It's not a whole thing, it's a 20-minute bath. During that time, I do my whole skincare routine. I lay in the bath with tons of Epsom salts, and it's a quick thing. It puts me to sleep faster than anything else I've ever I don't take melatonin anymore. Wow, I just take a bath and it's so calming, and it's just like your little 20 minutes apiece to conclude the day.
SPEAKER_01Anyway, wow amazing. I would recommend it to anybody if you have bathtubs to mess up when you travel.
SPEAKER_02Yes. So what I did last night, it was because it was super late and I didn't have time for the whole bath thing. I just took a quick shower. Yeah. Which I do kind of often, but that does give you kind of the same. The next thing is so I'm an Apple girl. And uh Apple the fruit. Sorry, Apple the product, apple the product the tech. So I have this, you know, the flat keyboard. Yes, I have that that's basically as thin as a piece of paper and you know, cardboard. Yes, not to talk trash. I got you can't see me on camera, but I'm presenting this 90s keyboard to Lori, and it has a built-in cushion, and it's one of the keyboards that you know is the chunky noise, super satisfying, and it has this little elevation point, so your wrists and it has a curve to it, it's ergonomic. It's just uh the best. Like I will never go back to this flat piece of cardboard again. So, especially if you grew up like me, like playing business and you're always typing on a keyboard, and even you know, into high school, and you obviously were a grown adult in this era of these keyboards. It is like it brings me so much joy every day. I just got it yesterday, but is that Apple or is it uh just an awkward? It's Logitech. Logitech. You might so it's like a $70 keyboard, it's not like a cheap one. I will. It's wireless and Bluetooth, but it's so great.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_02And it has an emoji, because like I have the Apple, the MacBook Pro, and I like tapping the emojis at the top at the touchbar. It has an emoji button, you just push it and all the emojis come up on your screen. Wow. So I'm not really missing anything, and it has like the the number pad.
SPEAKER_01It does or doesn't have the number pad. Does it fun? Because there are days or evenings that I am throbbing down in my bottom thumb, like all the way down. And I've often wondered if it's this keyboard, but there's a couple things while we're on this.
SPEAKER_02There's also a rollerball mouse, which I'm still getting used to, but basically, this is your whole track pad. I'll I'll show you offline.
SPEAKER_01That's crazy. You just find the coolest stuff, just the coolest stuff.
SPEAKER_02But you have to struggle yourself, yeah. We have to be ergonomic.
SPEAKER_01The things that I wrote down for what I'm loving right now, wrote down possums and lions, and farm animals, farm animals, okay.
SPEAKER_02That's great.
SPEAKER_01Is that the uh it's because I just keep watching the videos of the cutest animals? Yes, and I'm learning so much. And possum, yes, they're ugly, I know, and they look terrifying. But did you know they do not get rabies? That is a myth, it's a myth. The other thing is the sad thing is they only live like three to four years. I had no idea they don't live very long, they eat all of our bugs, they are immune to like a lot of poisonous snakes and spiders, so they can kill all of those things. Anyway, I'm just interested.
SPEAKER_02That's their purpose. Yeah, so you're basically a possum advocate. Yes, I am because I feel the possum community probably loves.
SPEAKER_01I am learning a lot about them because we find them in our backyard a lot, like baby ones. That was my next oh, oh, a live ones, live ones, yes, live ones that like the mamas walk our fence, the tops of them, and sometimes their babies fall off. They like lose one here and there, just a straggler, I guess. And we have found them, and then my dog's freaking out. This has happened a couple of different times, and so we have to kind of feed you go get it, yeah, because my dog is a big baby. Pick it up. Well, we've scooched them, we kind of try to scooch it out of the gate, like a snow shovel, I would imagine. We try to get it out. I mean, I don't want to kill it, but the sad thing is sometimes they are just too young, they're not gonna be able to it's it's that right.
SPEAKER_02So that was my question. If they only live three years, and this is a question I've always wondered like, where are all these animals? Like, where do they go to die? You don't see them everywhere. Do they just go? Is that all the ones that get hit by cars? It's like yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I mean it's their time when it's their time to go, it's their time to go. But it's crazy. How many people have them as pets? Really? Yeah, that's the thing. I keep seeing like in their house. Like pet raccoons and pet pockets. I wonder if they're like I just don't know what that's meant to be. I really don't.
SPEAKER_02I don't I just don't know. Yeah, that's interesting. Did you know that pigeons are trending? Are the pigeons are pigeons are in? Are they pigeons are in? Pigeons are in. They are using in fashions like an accessory, like a live pigeons at my no people have been photographed with them. Yeah, pigeons, like just they're in right now, which is the opposite of what most people think of them. Yeah, so I just don't think I'll have to Google the pigeons. Justice for the pigeons and the possums.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, pigeons and the possums and all of the animals. When people ask me why I'm on this on the TikTok, it's mostly because of the animals and the funny dogs. There's so many, so many funny dogs in the world that just make me giggle, and it just brings me so much joy. You're saying, What what am I loving right now? That's the kind of stuff that brings me so much joy.
SPEAKER_02That's good. Is there anything offline that's bringing you George?
SPEAKER_01Oh, offline? I don't know. You know what? I have a lot of friends coming to town this weekend. Again, this is this is preemptive, but my football team's in the playoffs, my NFL team. They're coming to the Browns. Yes, the Browns are playing the Texans in the playoffs here in Houston. We have Ohio people flying in. We're all going to the game tomorrow. I'm wearing a jersey that you and Tyler got me. I'm so excited. I can barely stand it. I'm so excited. Yeah, yeah. So I have no idea who's gonna win. But it's anybody staying with you? Yep. Yep, you've got some people there all coming tomorrow morning. There's like a big Cleveland Browns group that's gonna meet down there. So I'm excited.
SPEAKER_02Wow, that's gonna be the best day.
SPEAKER_01It is, and so you know, it's funny because I was telling Vonda, you know, one of the my goals in 2024 was to do more weekend trips. Like it's so silly that I don't we don't go more places on the weekends, and so I'm like all of a sudden we have like these little opportunities, and this isn't like a trip trip, but like we're going to go do stuff, like gonna go, and it's like this is this is what I was talking about, like and then in a couple weeks we're going to Austin, and we're just like gonna go do a bunch of stuff.
SPEAKER_02So that's good to like schedule things out too, yeah, to it, and then you can't back out, can't back out.
SPEAKER_01You always you don't regret once you get there, exactly. Then and speaking of that, then you and I or I'm gonna see you here before long. We're gonna be in California and then in Grand Rapids. So we have our little speaking engagement, so it's gonna be fun.
SPEAKER_02Yes, which segues into our conversation with Holly. She has a lot of good information that she's sharing with us. So we hope you enjoy. Take a listen.
SPEAKER_01Hello, Ellie Lafever and Holly Havman. Hello, hi there. I'm so excited to have you two as my guests today. I'm flying solo. Vonda is MIA. I mean, I knew she was gonna be MIA, but she's MIA today. You kicked her out. You have us two. Yeah, she was happy to be out. So uh every once in a while, we take a week. So I got my other partner in crime here, Ellie. Ellie, how are you?
SPEAKER_03I'm doing great. I'm so happy to be here. I listen to you guys all the time, and it's fun to see your faces but hear your voices and be part of the Flower Click podcast.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, we had you come on here last minute, so thank you for that. Thanks for being flexible and adaptable and all of the uh words there. We wanted you to come on because we wanted you to talk about this Great Lakes floral exhibition. Yeah, the Glyffey. Yeah, like Great Lakes.
SPEAKER_03The acronym has changed over the years. Um, to make it easier. But yeah, Great Lakes Floral and Event Expo happening in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the first weekend of March.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and just so our listeners Know what I don't want to talk about your street cred here. So you are co-owner and like marketing brand manager of Kennedy's flowers. You got it, absolutely, right? You're in Grand Rapids. Is that right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, right where Glyffy's taking place. So lucky for me, it's in my backyard.
SPEAKER_01Right in your backyard. You grew up in this industry, just like Ellie. Right. And then you went away. You grew up in the industry, went to college, and then you went out into the quote unquote real world for a while.
SPEAKER_03You're right. Yeah. I am a flower child at heart, and then went to school, went into the medical device industry of all things, traveled the world, worked with flowers abroad, and came back to our fabulous flower industry back in 2017 officially.
SPEAKER_01Wow. And then when did you start working or volunteering? I know you're not work working with Glyffey.
SPEAKER_03I think I got involved almost right away. It's like I said, it's right in our backyard, and it's such an amazing organization. It went from being the Michigan Floral Association to the Great Lakes Floral Association to kind of encompass some of those surrounding states for Michigan. And it's a strong regional convention. Absolutely. Like after I've been to some others, it's fabulous. So I'm so happy that you guys are gonna come be part of it officially.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, this is our first. It's a big deal, so we're excited to be a part of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. And I've heard about it for years, the Great Lakes floral. I mean, it's it's it's a big deal. And my question is, why is it such a big deal? Like all over the United States, people talk about the Great Lakes floral. Like, why is it such a thing?
SPEAKER_03It is a fabulous convention. It's all things from like all day. It starts with Friday, like all day classes, hands-on. So you can kind of either enhance your business knowledge or floral design skills. And then throughout the Saturday and Sunday, there's a mixture of business conventions and floral demonstrations. And this year I'm just so excited because they really are workshops that will enhance your knowledge and what you can bring back to your business. There's also friendly design competitions, so you can grow your own abilities through competing. And honestly, it's an excellent networking opportunity. I didn't realize how blessed I was to have this fabulous convention in my backyard until I got more involved in the industry. And it's impressive. So for anyone who hasn't attended, it's worth a trip. Grand Rapids is a cool city. We have some really strong floral business presence here as well, Kennedy's our flower shop, being one of them. I know when I travel, I always love to go to different flower shops and see what's going on. And you know, you can get a lot of knowledge in that way. In general, it's very well attended too. So anyone who goes, I challenge you to make a new flower friend. And that's part of the fun, too. It's like you learn and you connect with people, and then you can bring that back to your own business. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I am so impressed at the amount of content.
SPEAKER_03It's extending to Monday for sure this year. So Friday are those all day classes. Saturday and Sunday are two like jam-packed days with really, like you said, impressive content. I would say bring a couple people from your team if you're able to and kind of divide and conquer. That's how we've always handled it in the past. Because you know, you can't be two places at once, which is challenging. And this year, something that we did do differently was we are repeating some business sessions so that if you go to one on one day, you can go. If you miss one of the sessions, you can catch the repeat segment. But they're still they're not all doubled. So you will still have to kind of divide and conquer that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and there's something for there's something for everyone, like really the the scope of different knowledge.
SPEAKER_03So no matter what role you have in your business, really like you guys cater to everybody in some way, which I press like get there's like a whole pass that you can get to kind of bring many people of your team, and we've been doing that for years, and like our office team comes for business and marketing sessions, and like to see the floral demos to get inspired as well. My design team almost comes in total and just soaks it all up, and then our gift store team sometimes they even come for fun too, just because it's it's inspiring.
SPEAKER_01Everyone's gonna absorb something. I want to back up because I I want clarification on the Friday sessions, yeah. Because I think for some people looking at it, it might be a little daunting. Like, what do you mean I'm in class from 9 30 to 4 30? So, for example, I'm looking on here and Derek Myers, who I love, he's a great guy, so smart, one of my favorite people. So he crockett Myers, he is doing a business session, right? Turning flowers into dollars, which I'm like, well, that sounds amazing. Are you telling me that class is literally from 9 30 in the morning till 4 30? He's going to be presenting.
SPEAKER_03It is. It's like a little, you know, kind of an intense day almost. It's not over intense, but it is a full class day. Yeah, college day. You know, it's 9 30 to 4 30. I think you get like an hour break for lunch or something like that. So it's not straight through, and you know, you have kind of breaks, one break in the morning, one break in the afternoon, something like that. But what I love about Derek, specifically, he's so great. I mean, obviously, anyone who's been to his presentations understands he's a fine guy, but he takes the important things like numbers and makes them less daunting. And then he's also our page that you guys are all about taking care of yourself. And I've got some of my best tips from him, like, oh, write down your 10 goals, or I'm kind of thinking he might do something a little bit with visioning just when I read this, which is imagining preferred futuring kind of. So he will be excellent, no doubt. And the other one.
SPEAKER_01I agree. Awesome. Um the other one is Renee.
SPEAKER_03Yes, Renee Van Rems, another fabulous fun flower guy from our industry, one of my personal mentors, and he is so retail savvy. He he is all about making things beautiful, but making them practical. And um he's definitely gonna bring that into the business because you know we were talking and he's like, Oh, all these things from Instagram, they're gorgeous, but they're jam-packed with all these like high-end flowers, and you know, how they're not realistic at all. So he's gonna break it down, and no doubt anyone who attends his session is gonna walk away just chock full of incredible information that they can take to their store and apply it.
SPEAKER_01I want people to understand just the Friday alone is literally you're attending an entire workshop.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, worth the trip. Definitely. The Friday classes are additional, like you do pay for those separate from your weekend pass. Any of the hands-on classes you do pay for additionally. So the following mornings and Saturday, there's I think three classes that are offered. They were it's hard to pick, you guys. Like they everything looks so good. So many.
SPEAKER_02And so many. I know. I'm like, well, I I've got to make my schedule. I know.
SPEAKER_03I was reading through it and kind of like noting for my team, like, okay, I think this person should go to this and this, and you know, but yeah, I still want them to have choice. So it's like I kind of have who I think would benefit most, like, you know, for our business, but also for their growth. And then I kind of present it to them, let them take a look and pick two. But that's one thing that we do at Kennedy's is we do pay for the classes for the team if they want to attend, but they need to jot some notes down and share them with the rest of the team.
SPEAKER_01So absolutely. That's a good strategy. Yep. As long as they're bringing it back and sharing with the team, that's genius. So I absolutely think this is worth bringing your team to if possible. Uh I feel like one of our flower click members from the Carolinas has attended the Great Lakes. I mean, they come from far away. It's worth this. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And Grand Rapids in college, we did a trip when I was an interior design major. Because Steel Case is there, yes, right? So we went to Steel Case headquarters and all that. And Grand Rapids is amazing. It's such a cool city. So I'm excited to go back. And if somebody's never been, Michigan in the winter kind of sounds a little daunting.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you never know what you're gonna get, but it's so fun, LA too, because like this Glyffey has so much going on. Like Friday night, there's a mixer. So if you get there early, like definitely go mingle. It's from eight to ten or something, and it's just so much fun. Like last year, we did this bingo where you got to like you know, meet other people and then cross something off. If you're one of the first people to win, you'd get a drink or something. I mean, social people like me and Lori will be eating it up.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I don't even need to drink there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um, but you make friends, and Saturday night is the banquet, so that's amazing. Like, I would highly recommend getting a seat there. At first, we didn't do that, and now we totally do, and it's so nice to see everyone get their awards and to just like enjoy the evening with your flower friends, and then a lot of times if you're feeling social, people go out afterwards, and then Sunday there's that luncheon in the middle of the day, which it's covered with your ticket, and actually, Dr. Bree Dr. Bree J. Jones Coughlin, thank you. She is going to be the keynote speaker, which is cool. We heard her at SAF next gen, and she talked about attachment styles, which is one of the business sessions. So I'm I'm so excited. Oh, she absolutely these business sessions are really practical, but then some of them, like you guys, your leadership style one or Dr. Bree Jones about attachment style, they are gonna help people with their personal development, which is so key for life, you know, and what you can bring back to your business. So I'm super, super excited about everything.
SPEAKER_01I am too. I have to tell you guys a funny story about your schedule here. So I was looking through it the other day, or I think I told you, Holly, that Ellie and I were trying to figure out our plane tickets and stuff. So I was looking through there. One thing, Holly, you don't know about me is I have four different pairs of prescription glasses. Different ones for computer, one for walking, one for driving. Like just it's a sad.
SPEAKER_02Are they all different prescriptions?
SPEAKER_01All different, all different. These are computer. I didn't know that either. These are computer only, the big old woman glasses here. These are walking and talking, so it's a whole thing. Anyway, I'm telling you this for a reason, I promise. I didn't have my computer glasses on when I was looking at my computer, and I'm looking through the schedule, and I see that at the same time as our leadership style, there is a class called Treat Your Business like Carl. And I'm like, Carl, and I'm just perplexed the entire time thinking our competition, we're up against some guy named Carl, and I'm like wandering, and then I'm unloading my dishwasher the whole afternoon. I'm wondering who the heck is Carl, who the heck's finally I go back to my desk and I'm just like, Carl, Carl, Carl. Finally, I put on my regular glasses, and then I realize it says treat your business like your car exclamation point, not that so anyway. There is no Carl that I'm aware of that we're competing against.
SPEAKER_03Maybe we'll meet one, you know.
SPEAKER_02I yeah, maybe that's your goal, Lori.
SPEAKER_01Treat your business like Carl Carl runs a good business.
SPEAKER_03That was why it's so funny because growing up, when my grandma started to lose her hearing, you know, she would hear one thing kind of like Carl, and then our whole conversation would just shift to whatever grandma heard.
SPEAKER_02So, you know, it's good enough to do that with your reading skills, but that's exactly yes, that's exactly what we'll do. We'll just smile and nod. Oh, there's Carl.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so Shirley Lyons is teaching that class, and she's actually great. I've picked up a lot of gold nuggets from her. She did come to the Glyffe many years ago, but I did remember what she taught, and I thought it was great content. So we invited her back. And I think, you know, she's kind of sharing an owner's manual type thing about how to keep your business running smoothly and also keep it sellable. So uh we'll definitely have some good tips in that Carl class.
SPEAKER_02Speaking of the classes, I know we've been talking a lot about how there's so much. I just wanted to like briefly talk about, or I just wanted to give the titles of some just so you guys all have an idea. We have The Business of Creativity, which is that class by Renee all day. We have Learn How to Pedal It Forward with Stephanie Brady, treat your business like your car, as you said, as you said, using your financial statements to make more money, brand practice by Derek Woodruff. I love that title. There's of course amazing design classes. One about midnight foam is in the know. We've got Corsage and Pocket Squarecrafting. Why is sustainability blooming? What's your leadership style? Of course, that's the one that Lori and I are teaching. As well as camera, Canva Cash, the recipe for flourishing online. Oh, excited for that. Yeah. Um, there's event classes, there's advertising, there's hiring and finding great people. I mean, there's so much. I know you'll plug everything at the end, but glf e dot com. That will give you all the curriculum and the the itinerary.
SPEAKER_01So and the dates. Let's give the dates. When is this? We didn't even talk about that. It's March 1st through 3rd, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you got it with 48 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes, and 31 seconds.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for the countdown.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02There you go. I love the website.
SPEAKER_0148 days from now. Yeah, great website. All right. Well, thank you, Holly, for popping on. And like I said to you when we were before we got on here, I want you to come back this summer because listeners, Holly is a world traveler too, and she has figured out the life work balance, how to do it in a positive way, how to develop healthy boundaries between work and life. And hopefully she's gonna come back and teach me these things in my old age. Well, yeah, the business and pleasure of flowers.
SPEAKER_03Resonates very much.
unknownExactly.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. Is there anything else that listeners need to know about this event?
SPEAKER_03Well, like you said, glfe.com has all the information. And I would highly, highly recommend if you're curious, make the time to come. You will be investing in yourself. And if you're able to bring even one teammate or several teammates, it is so worth it. Everyone just goes on and on, like you said, about this convention, and it's worthwhile. It lives up to the hype. And I'm so excited that you two particularly are gonna come. But I hope this reaches someone else who it will change their life. Love it.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. And is there any cutoff dates for registration or deadline?
SPEAKER_03No, I think you can't up to the day.
SPEAKER_02Perfect. Yeah, a lot of people are last minute, so block it off. And we will include the links to registration and the website in the show notes so you guys can click on that and talk about it.
SPEAKER_01Great. Thank you so much for having me. 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_00We 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.