Why Professional Certification? With Renee Tucci AIFD, CFD, PFCI

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

From discussing the advantages, both personal and professional, of obtaining these credentials to sharing a few fun stories, this episode emphasizes the importance of continual learning and growth in the floral industry. Tune in to discover how attending the AIFD National Symposium can elevate your floral design career and open doors to a blooming future.

Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

So I have a question for the two of you. What is the most out of all of the AIFD symposiums you guys have attended? What is the most memorable?

SPEAKER_02 0:15

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

SPEAKER_01 0:20

And we believe that business and fun are a perfect combination. Kind of like us, Vonda. Good morning, Lori. Good afternoon, Vonda. Oh, I guess it is afternoon. I missed the morning of the morning. We have been on 77 meetings. And I feel like we have. Seriously. Well, started early.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Early for sure. We have a very special friend back. I wouldn't say Renee Tucci is our guest anymore.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

I could say she's a friend.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Of course she's our friend. She's not a special guest. She's a special person, but she's not a guest anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. I'm a clicker. So, you know, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

We love when Renee comes back. And you're such a busy little beaver, Renee. I feel like every time we ask you, you're like, oh, I want to come, but I can't.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

I'm sorry. I have a lot of irons and a lot of fires, but that seems to be how I thrive. So you do. Well, thanks.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Thanks for coming on the pod today. I was looking on Facebook last week and noticed a lot of our Flower Clip members and you, you had a big the Buckhead Right school thing, or what was that?

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Yeah, you're pretty close. So I teach at Bucks County Community College, and this weekend before last, we had our our big student flower show. Uh this was uh our third year doing it. The first year was 2021. So coming right out of COVID, and it's a way for our students to get to show us what they've got, which it's just so incredible to be part of the educational platform that we have at Bucks because so much of what we do is is a lecture in the beginning of class, and then we create something and then they mimic it. But at the flower show, they get to just create from their soul. And every year they blow us away. And it was such an incredibly successful event that we're already planning for next year. It's getting bigger and bigger every year. How many students did you have participate then? I think we had 48 that were participating in one way or another. We had eight slots in our designer of the year contest that they could have competed in. We had 47 different showpiece entries spread across 13 different classes. So they could pick which class they wanted to exhibit in. We had volunteer shifts all throughout the weekend when they could just help with general event stuff, or they could help. We had a make and take room. So we had kids' classes and adults' classes. The entire event was free for the community, and we saw a really big turnout. So it was great.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

I saw a lot of our members who are up in that area came and posted pictures. Yes. We had great support from the floral industry. Was it a dream? That's so cool.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

I love that. Um, last week, when I was looking at all that, my daughter, who is in Austin, texted me, and there's a high school there that is doing, they do like rotations of high school kids. What do they want to do when they grow up? Anyway, she has a girl that comes in and observes what she's doing, which is working in a hospital, and she texted me and she was like, Hey, this girl really loves the floral industry. Do you have any ideas of you know how she could get into it? She works at Old Navy right now, but she's real passionate. And I was like, Well, have her reach out to Renee Tucci and move to Philadelphia. Really wants to know how to be a florist, but other than that, get a part-time job at a flower shop. That's honestly that's really that's really do it. She's like, really? Honest again, that is the best way. If she really loves it, then she'll be great. If she doesn't, then she can go back to old Navy.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Yeah, that's really good advice. I mean, we get that question all the time. And I I tell our students, you know, it's gotta be both. It's gotta be in-stop, like real life experience coupled with the things that you learn in the classroom. And and when they come out of our program, they only have 120, 130 hours under their belt, which if you think about it, if we work a 40-hour work week, that's like three weeks of work. I mean, it's it's nothing's in the grand scheme. Yeah. So it really is just the beginning. Yeah. And, you know, get yourself in a shot for sure.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

That's basically I said she needs to know how to wash buckets, she needs to know how to sweep the floor, like she needs to know all of that stuff I said, but also follow Renee on YouTube. I said she's a rolling girl. So, anyway, it's you know, because I gotta figure out. I think a lot of young people love flowers. The girl kept telling my daughter, she goes, I just want to learn to make bouquets, making bouquets, making bouquets. She kept saying that over and over. I was like, Well, there's a lot more to it than just make bouquet. But like, if that's what gets her into it. What I said, I was like, I love she wants to learn that. That's so cool. And I was like, here's a YouTube channel, send her this link.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

And oh thank you. It's funny you brought up the YouTube channel. I wish I had more time to put more videos up. I really loaded that thing up during COVID. Yes, you because I had nothing else to do. And I haven't gotten too much back to it in the past year or so. But interestingly enough, I have one video on there that's how to make a baby's breath garland. And I just looked last week because I did a garden club presentation about garland making, and so I looked at that video. And most of my videos have anywhere from like, I don't know, uh, 1,000 to 10,000 views, something like that. This baby's breath garland has 101,000 views. You know, it's nothing in the viral YouTube one. No. What is it about making a baby's breath garland that so many people Oh, that's crazy. I guess it's like a D DIY project that a lot of people know about, but I get a lot of engagement, comments on it. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

And that's such a throwback. I learned to do baby's breath garlands when I was starting in the business that many years ago right now. And so when people are doing that and you're doing it, it's like, yes, you kind of know mechanics. I mean, because if you do a baby a baby's breath garland, you can do a garland out of anything, you know? That's right. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Yep. Now you need to not worry about YouTube as much. You need to uh do a TikTok channel. Short look.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Lori, you know, I hear you talk about TikTok every week because I am a kicker and I listen to all of the podcasts. Yes. I I cannot do it. I cannot take on TikTok. I just I don't have the bandwidth, uh, but I really appreciate it as an art form, and I know that I need to embrace it because it's coming or it's here or whatever. And I just already here. I know.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

I just give you anxiety, the whole thing gives me anxiety.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yeah, so Laura, you just tell me when there's things I need to know about.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Well, I'm learning now how to decorate a Christmas tree because you know, I don't know. And so I'm saving all of these TikTok videos for these. The most of them are florists showing like how to do tree covers, and but I get super frustrated because they do it in you know less than 60 seconds and make it look like it's so effortless. And I'm like, wait, what? And I have to back it up. Like, how did they make that people? It's not realistic.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

No, it's not don't really won't, which is why I haven't gotten back to making new YouTube videos because it's not only just like conceptualizing the idea of what I want to do, then I have to source and gather all the materials for the video. Yeah, I have to set it up, set up my equipment, my audio, my video, my lighting, film the thing, clean up afterwards, yeah, do the post-production, get it up.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

I mean, it's not as easy as it no, not at all. And at COVID, we couldn't go anywhere. So why not do YouTube videos?

unknown 8:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Well, speaking of you being so busy, one of the things that really keeps you busy is AIFD, the American Institute of Floral Designers, which you're coming in, you are the president elect, and there's a lot to be done with that. I mean, before you even step up to be.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Yeah, yeah. I am the national president elect. So in July, when the year turns over for us, Lori Lemmick will hand the baton to me. So buckle up. Ready or not, here we come, right? Yeah, it's a really huge job that I take very seriously. But you're right, it does take a lot of my time. That is all volunteer leadership.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

So, what are the first things you have to do in July whenever she passes that baton to you? And the little AIFD baton and says, All right, here you go. What's what do you have to do?

SPEAKER_00 9:37

I'm already doing the work to prepare for that. Uh, the biggest job that I have this year as president-elect is to set all of the national committees up for next year. So I'm gonna be starting that process in two or three weeks where I'll be getting in touch with all of the current standing committee chairs and talk to them, talking to them about who um might be falling off their committee, who might be coming on. I'm trying to sit in on as many committee and regional meetings as possible so that I have an understanding of everything that's happening with the organization because it is monumental. It there's so many layers to AIFD, it's pretty incredible. You don't really realize it until you're involved with it. So, I guess to answer your question, I just need to know everything that's going on and then just keep tabs and communicate with all the different people who are doing the good work of spreading our mission of education and leadership and help them complete their goals.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Okay. Both of you, Vonda, I'm gonna lump you in on this. Can I ask the two of you a question about AIFD? Just very honest questions here. Because I talk to a lot of florists. Many of them don't own flower shops, many of them are brand new to this industry, which is very cool. And quite frankly, many of them don't even know about AIFD, they don't really know that world. Why? Why are you guys so involved and passionate in AIFD? Like, what is it about it that you feel it is worth so much of your time, Von de LaFever? So much of your volunteer time on this planet to be part of this.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Well, you know, when you find your people and like they just get you, I mean, that's that's what I found with AIFD. Like, I didn't have that really growing up. I was kind of an outsider and I just found myself growing in the floriculture industry. And when I got to AIFD, I was like, oh my gosh, these people are drinking the Kool-Aid just like I am. Like, these are my people. They nerd out over the same things I nerd out over. And it it's just such a blessing to me to be among this group of individuals who are respected and educated and take it very seriously, but can also have like a whole lot of fun and support each other like it's no one's business. Like, really, just such a supportive group.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

That's a question I get asked a lot, Lori, is like, why are you putting so much time and your own money into that? Right? It's not like you just go and everybody pays for you to be there. I would echo what Renee said. It is you find your people. But I just remember years ago going to educational events as a young designer and watching and thinking that person had so much knowledge. Not just the knowledge, but the way they shared it openly and with excitement, you know, that enthusiasm that draws you in that you're like, oh my gosh, I want to know more. And it was Kearney Bershward, name that nobody probably ever remembers, said to me, You need to be AIFD because you know, you know a lot now, but it gives you that license to learn around people who are as a passionate about this in the business as you are. And I'll never forget that because he like told me the steps to become a member. And and once you, you know, really get into that, you're like, oh my gosh, this is where I want to be. This is where I want to spend my vacations, right? This is how it's a personal fulfillment and a business fulfillment at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

License to learn. I love that. That's gotta be on my tombstone. I'm a I I love to learn, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

I just thought that was great.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

So you said you need to be AIFD. Can you, either of you, define that? Because again, newer generations, less seasoned designers, florists, influencers, whatever, a lot of them are like, what does that even mean? What do you mean I need to be AIFD? You mean just belong, become certified? Like there's a lot of cloudiness in that area. Even I have a real hard time trying to explain it to people. So I always like, you know what, let me let you talk to Vonda. Let me schedule on her calendar, you know, and I just defer to her. But for people listening, what does that mean? Why is it important moving forward to be in this industry and be certified AIFD or what talk talk about that part? Renee will back okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

All right. So they're under the AIFD, American Institute of Floral Designers Umbrella, so to speak, there's essentially two levels that you can get certified at. The first level is CFD, certified floral designer. And you can achieve that either at the in-person testing of our yearly symposium, or you can achieve that by going through one of our education partner schools that we have all over the country, all over the world, actually. And in fact, the school that I teach at at Bucks, it's an AIFD education partner school. So the students that go through our program, once they finish, um, they they could take the uh online test after they finish our program and they can become certified uh CFD through that channel. And basically, a CFD designer understands the principles and elements of design and can use them to create an aesthetically pleasing floral arrangement. And that will be with good mechanics and proper balance and beautiful color harmony and all the things that we study. Okay. The next layer up, I would say, that's when you get your AIFD certification. You can only achieve that at the AIFD symposium, which happens every summer. But that's really the next level when you start to see floral artistry happen. So you'll still be using the fundamentals and principles and elements of floral design in everything you do, but then you're going to start introducing um techniques that we study and uh things like uh grouping and weaving and reflexing and bas and really elevating uh design to a higher tier. So it's basically taking a mom and pop flower shop arrangement, which there's nothing wrong with those arrangements. I love them, I make them all the time, but adding another layer to it to uh make it a little more special. And to do that with good mechanics and while not throwing off all the principles of the design, uh it takes practice. And that's where the certification comes in.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

Yeah, I think the key is, as you mentioned, it's taking the elements and principles of design and not only knowing them, but knowing how to utilize them. Because you can get the book knowledge, but then we see it all the time. I see it all the time. I'm like, oh, that doesn't have balance. Oh my gosh. You know, I see I see that there's problems with this design. And if you just would look at that with the eyes of those elements of design, of principles and put them all together and go, yeah, okay, that makes sense. But I think that's what a lot of designers kind of try to elevate themselves. Like you're saying, you know, first you have to have that base before you can become elevated. They don't start with that good, strong foundation. Anything you do, you build a house, you have to start with a foundation and move up from there. I think a lot of what I see, I'm like, you missed the foundation. You you tried to elevate before you had your foundation.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

Yeah, that's perfectly said, Vonda. A lot of um designers that are new to the industry, they're good instinctual designers and they can see color really beautifully and they can bring different materials together that go really well. But that only takes you so far when you're trying to do some big things or some really artistic things. You you'll have to go back to the foundations to support those.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

So if I'm CFD already and my goal is to be AIFD certified, am I just to be on my own practicing, practicing, practicing? Like, how do I start learning? Going back to you, Renee, all of these cool different ways to design to test for that.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

You know, by engaging in programs like the one that I teach at, you will not only find yourself practicing all of the time, which is critical in growing your skills, but you'll also be introduced to folks who can mentor you. So as an AIFD designer, we take an oath every year. We renew it every year at every induction ceremony, saying that we pledge to mentor designers who are interested in pursuing the accreditation. So if anyone is interested in anything like that, you can go to AIFD.org and go to the little find the designer button and try to find someone either in your area that you can meet face to face with, or even someone like me, feel free to email me and you know you could send me some pictures and I can send back some critiques. I I will say when when I tested, I spent 14 months preparing for it. And every month I, in the Philadelphia area, I'm really lucky. It's a hotbed of incredible designers around here. So every month I met with a different designer, and sometimes I would show up with the finished arrangement and they would critique it. Sometimes I would show up and they would have a surprise package waiting for me, and I would make something on the spot. It was different with every mentor, but it really helped just hearing all of those different opinions and suggestions helped me find my style.

SPEAKER_01 20:16

Okay. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

Vonda, do you have anything to add? I do think just the mentorship. I think that is the key. And over the years, just like Renee, she was mentored and she's now passing that along and doing that for others. And, you know, that's what I do. People send me pictures. I'm not in that hotbed with so many designers in my area, but I have many people send me the pictures. You send them the critique, they try to do it again, the encouragement, but you know, it's that tough love. It's like, oh, that's so pretty. Well, you can't just be saying, Oh, that's so pretty. You have to really give them constructive criticism. And having been on the membership committee for over 12 years, I was um pretty well versed in how to give directions on you know what they can do different. And I can't tell you the pride you have when someone you have been mentoring actually passes, you know, go to the accredited AIFD situation. You're like, oh my gosh, proud mama here, you know, so to speak.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

Absolutely. Well, segueing to something else because of mentoring, a great way to meet mentors would be to go to symposium, right? Sure. Sure would, Marvin. You like that? I'm really crazy. Yeah, it's pretty good. I flunk it up a little bit ago when y'all were talking. But it's true because you walk into symposium and you are surrounded by fabulous designers and fabulous teachers. You know, I I have yet to meet a person at symposium that didn't want to share their skills, even with me. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, don't share it with me. Right. I mean, we're just so excited to share. Share their knowledge. And I think that's very cool when you show up there. So talk to us about Symposium.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

You're absolutely right. And it going to Symposium, I mean, it just introduces you to a world of designers that especially if you're following them on social media, it's like, oh, I could never meet this person. But it really brings together a global group of designers. I mean, last year in Orlando, I was in the workroom with Tom De Hauer, who is like world renowned, and he was the most generous and incredible person, human being, designer, educator. I mean, I was like gobsmacked during his presentation. And he's just a normal person. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like us. But prior to that, I had him on such a high pedestal. So I still do, but now I understand like it's just going to symposium will expose you to a group of people that you think are out of reach, but they're really not. We're, as I said before, it is the most supportive group of people you will find.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Yep. That's uh Ditto. I mean, you're always surprised when you meet those top designers, and you're just like, oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

I mentioned global, but we have so many in the United States as well, and that are members of AIFD. And just every one of them is so jazzed to be there and so jazzed to see you. And did you see this over here? And did you see what this tester made and what that student made? And and it's just even the little things of like the displays in the hallway, like everything just everything, everything overwhelmingly wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

It is I would think for a designer walking in is similar to Disneyland. Like just looking around. And even for me, it is overwhelming, you know, and I don't really grasp the amount of skill it takes. I I appreciate it, but I can't quite fathom it. But to even walk through and see all of those designs, one thing I love is after they tested and then they put all of the designs out that is so cool to be able to walk around and see the men and women that toiled and sweated over all of that. You're like cold cold sweats for sure. Bringing out in hives, just all those.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

And like, how did they come up with these designs? I will tell you, it sounds like an exaggeration, but going to my first symposium in 2010 in Boston literally changed my life. I did not anticipate what I was going to see, and it opened up such a world for me that I didn't know was there. And I decided right then and there I needed to make a change. I needed to get serious about what I was doing and to find myself at going down a more artistic path. At that point, I did not think I was going to get certified. I just thought I would go to symposium forever, whenever I could. You don't have to be a member. You can just go and enjoy the eye candy and love it. That is fine. Um, it wasn't until four years later when I was with a group of people who uh saw something in me that I didn't see in myself and encouraged me to do it that I took the plunge, but it did change my life. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

Well, I totally agree. I mean, when I became certified, I was living in Iowa and I was like one of four people in the state of Iowa who was AIFD members. And I just remember, wow, this is like a big deal. I'm coming from Iowa and I'm going to San Francisco, California. Woo-hoo. Well, it was like a big deal. Yeah, it's like carry. I mean, that really was like one of those things. I think the big thing was connections too. I think that would be uh what really makes a difference is because you walk away making those connections from symposium that you can pick up the phone and say, you know what, I'm trying to make a baby's breath garland, you know, and how you know I see your video, Renee, but can you give me some insight that how did you do this or do that? I think you feel like you're comfortable making those calls or you know, emails or you know, text, whatever, because now that connection's been made and you're and there's a friendship. You're you make friendships for life at your first symposiums. It's it's really eye-opening. It you know, when you look back too and you go, wow, that is great.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

So I want to talk about opportunities there. I want to talk about volunteer opportunities mostly because I know it takes a village to run symposium. I know because I saw that firsthand. Um and I also know because some of our members have taken advantage of that to be volunteers, especially in the back room, in the design room, for a couple of reasons. Number one, because it maybe they needed a little help out with the symposium fee. And number two, talk about hands-on learning. You know, so what are some volunteer opportunities to sign up for in symposium?

SPEAKER_00 27:22

Yeah, it's a great question. So I guess I'm gonna address the ambassadors first because you did mention this. There is a special tier of symposium registration that they call the ambassadors. And I believe you can register for half the price of attending symposium. But by doing that, you are committing to being an ambassador, and that means that you will work and do general event support throughout the week for, I believe it's something around 35 hours spread out over seven, eight days, something like that. So you're giving up your free time to work, and in exchange, you're getting reduced registration. But again, these people were nerding out together. It's not work, it's play, it's love, it's what we eat, live, breathe. We love it. So they're in the workroom, they're learning, they're absorbing, they're helping us. I mean, we couldn't do it without our ambassadors. So that's a great way to see symposium, especially if it's your first time. Other ways to volunteer are to um get involved. There's a student competition. Well, just assisting designers.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Sometimes it's just setting up the actions, right? Whether the meal functions, yeah, helping set tables, a lot of hands to do all of the preparations besides the flower room and you know, the partners, which we bring in all of our industry supporters. And so there are just many different functions that we need a lot of volunteers to make it run.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

I mean, a lot of and there's on-site volunteer stuff that you like you find, oh, I have an hour to kill I can find something to do. And the best place to find yourself, if that's the case, is in the blooms over area. So every year, whatever city we go to, we call it blooms over Orlando, blooms over Palm Springs, Blooms over St. Louis, wherever we are. And basically we take our excess flowers and we turn them into little bouquets or arrangements, and uh we donate them to the community. So there are plans in place before we get there for groups to come and pick up these flowers, and then they're sometimes delivered to, you know, hospice or hospitals, police stations. But it's sort of a pedal it forward kind of thing, and just sharing the bounty that we have at Symposium because uh there is always an abundance. Our incredible partners always provide us with an abundance of flowers. So that is an excellent way to volunteer to spend a little time in the Bloomsover area. It's very fun, very easy. You just throw in some bouquets together. It's nothing complicated. It's incredibly rewarding. And the past few years, I think that they have kind of given like buttons for like every 30 minutes worked in blooms or something like that. And you get a button, and then whoever had the most buttons at the end of the week got a prize or something like that. So there are some incentives to working there as well.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

And I think last year in Orlando, the volunteers did almost 2,000 bouquets. It was incredible. And a lot of those were going on to meals on wheels, I think, wasn't it this year? And so that's really cool. They have different, like you said, organizations they go to, but it's truly incredible how many that our members and just attendees are whipping out. I'm just like, oh my gosh, it's just very fast.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

One funny story. When we were cleaning up after the partners, you know, you're not supposed to throw away the flowers because of that, we're donating them. Well, there was one group that did not know that this wasn't their fault, it was totally accidental, but they were putting stuff in the trash. And um, there was a group of us that were flipping out, like, no, you're not supposed to. So, anyway, we grabbed the trash bags, we saved the flowers, we bring them back. Vonda and Julie and some other guy, I can't remember who it was, Vonda, with you. They're literally pulling flowers out of trash bags and going. Vonda's like, watch what I can make, and just woof, we can just like the other the guy's like, Well, watch what I can make. And we were like, I'm videoing it. I was like, Okay, these are trash. I think that was Kristall. Yeah, that's in the bottom. And so we were having like trash can bouquet contests, they were beautiful flowers, don't get me wrong, but one more trash bag, and all of those got made into these beautiful arrangements that you got sent out, but I'm like, Bonda was not happening, we are not wasting flowers.

SPEAKER_02 32:01

Right, that's right. Well, Renee helped procure all those flowers last year, and so we know how important each one of those stems is.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

We were it was Ellie, myself, and the accent decor ladies were not allowing people to be like, they're not throwing away these flowers, and we were like so. I have a question for the two of you. What is the most out of all of the AI F D symposiums you guys have attended? What is the most memorable moment either of you have while attending? I know that's gonna be hard to this. Renee, I'm gonna start with you because I can see Vonda going. Ah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Well, I have two actually. One is my very first symposium in 2010. Ron Mulray is local to the Philadelphia area, so I knew him and he was involved in the Body Flower Buffet, which creates um corsages and boutoniers for everyone to buy and wear to the formal dinners. And then all the m all the funds raised from that go to help support the students. And my very first year, when I knew no one, he dressed me up and my friend Shannon Tole, he dressed us up as cigar cigarette girls, and we walked around in these outfits with these trays, like an old-timey cigar cigarette girl, except our trays were covered in corsages and boutineers, and I was very scantily clad. But Ron said to do it, so I did it. So that is why I can see it. I can see it. And then two, three years ago, as part of the Teleflora team, and actually Vonda was on there with me, we did a whole team main stage program. The whole team was on the stage, it was really incredible. And I was paired with John Hosek, and he convinced me to dance the tango on the main stage in front of hundreds and hundreds of attendees. And the only reason I didn't fall down is because he is an incredible dance partner and he carried me literally. And everyone got such a hoot out of it. And when I look back on that, I can't believe that I did it, but it was such a fun time. It was so good. You guys were so good. I I came out with a rose in my mouth. Yeah, you know, very tangles-esque. I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

I loved every single bit of it. That was one of my favorite shows that I've ever seen there. Okay, Vonda. I'm Lori, you've got me on the spot. I really can't think of anything.

SPEAKER_02 34:32

So you'll have to.

SPEAKER_01 34:33

I mean, what about your main stage? That has to be a pretty well, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

I that was fun. That was great. It was a pretty cool moment. It's not as cool as is dancing with John Hosak. Come on. Well, I mean, that was a memorable moment, but the memorable thing was. The memorable moment of that is, and we were just going through it with Bill McKinley, where he was the delivery person with the steering wheel coming up to the drive-up window. And just seeing Bill was hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

He pretended he was in a car and he was fake driving up to a fake drive-in window in front of this main stage, and he just was like, beep, beep. Just kind of pretending.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

Yeah, that was pretty hilarious.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

It was hilarious.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

I think I suppose so many fun, interactive.

SPEAKER_01 35:21

Well, and your whole family was on there with you. Yeah, my whole family was there too. Anyway, and I got to be the caller. I was behind you on the backstage, and I was the caller on the phone. So claim to say that was my memorable moment.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

So anyway, there's a there's a lot of them. There are. There's just so many. Yeah, so many. So then, Renee, the question will be for us is why should someone attend AIFD symposium? You're you have a number one? Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

You just gotta invest in yourself. It is not free, but it is a worthwhile investment for all the reasons we've already said. But if I just could bullet point them out, the the education that you're gonna walk away with, the network that you're going to create, the new friends you're going to make, not to mention, we go to some pretty nice places. So there's some lounges and pools that you could find yourself in, and there are meal functions that are over the top, wonderfully decorated. So you walk away with incredible inspiration. And how often do we get to just attend events these days? I mean, so often we're schlepping buckets and setting them up and then leaving like little wedding ninjas. But like to just get to attend an event and feel special is such a treat. It's a an incredibly worthwhile investment in yourself.

SPEAKER_02 36:50

Yeah, I think that's really so well put. And that's why years, you know, I would just save during the year for symposium because it really invigorated me for a whole year. I took things away from symposium that it would, it was like maybe two or three little ideas, but then I could expand on those. And it was just like, okay, I'm ready to go back next year. Because you, like you said, you're investing in yourself, but it just drives you forward for the whole year. It's it just amazes.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

Yeah, and I don't know about you, but I can't even take it in when I'm there. Like I have to photograph everything and then a week after I get home, go back through the pictures and relive it because you're taking in so much, it's sensory overload from the minute you get there to the minute you leave that by going through those pictures, you know, every few weeks, you're reminded of, oh my gosh, yes, I saw that. I I want to try that, or I want to try this piece of that, or I want to make my own version of this, or it's just the gift that keeps on giving.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

I would say even if you're not a designer, if you're a business owner, if you own a flower shop, but you're not like the designer, we have a lot of flower click members that, you know, they're not designers, but they have it's definitely worth coming to because I had you guys, there were business classes. There were some really good classes that I thoroughly enjoyed. The very first time I ever went to AIFD, there weren't a lot of business classes. I mean, it seems like they're peppering in a few more of those. But the main stage classes are just incredibly entertaining, whether you're a designer or a business person, and you walk away so inspired with new trends and new ideas. You don't have to design, but you can come back and tell your whole shop, including your designers, all about the ideas. So I think it's for everybody, not just a designer. You know, I think employees, anybody that aspires to be in this industry would benefit. Perfectly put. So the last thing I want to touch on, there are scholarships. I know we've mentioned it before. So if they're interested, who can they reach out to? Just go to AIFD.org.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

The the biggest place to find an AIFD scholarship is through the AIFD Foundation, which is sort of a sister nonprofit to AIFD. Uh, however, their deadline was October 15th. So we are beyond that. But a lot of regions offer scholarships as well. Like, for example, I'm in the Northeast. The Northeast region offers a scholarship. And the deadline for that is I think February 1st. So I would suggest getting involved in your regional area first and connecting with some of those folks, and they can kind of let you know what's available and shepherd you on the way. And I know a lot of people, and I'm happy to introduce anyone to anyone. So if anybody has questions about anything, connect. Renee Tucci at Gmail. Great idea. Thank you so much so much, Renee. We always love having you back on. Oh, it's a pleasure to be here. Thanks, Lee.

SPEAKER_01 40:07

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. We look forward to seeing you next week.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

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