The Bingo Card Check-In: Progress, Perspective, and a Little Industry Tea

Episode 316: In this episode, Lori and Vonda flip their 2025 Bingo Cards and reflect on what actually got done, what didn’t, and why that matters.

From surprise home projects and travel wins to the realities of burnout, distraction, and the importance of being “bored,” the conversation turns thoughtful, honest, and relatable. They also look at Flower Clique’s business goals, where progress was made, and where clarity and systems still need work.

The episode wraps with a little industry “water cooler” talk—what conferences are coming up, where the team will be teaching and learning, and why getting out of your shop and into the room still matters.

A candid conversation about intention, reflection, growth, and giving yourself permission to adjust—without guilt.

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

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

I would argue define success. Pressing for what kind of success.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

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

SPEAKER_01 0:14

And Lori Wilson. And we believe that business and fun are a perfect combination. Kind of like us, Vonda. Hey Lori, how's it going? It's going. I know it's in the afternoon, and we're not good at afternoons. So we were supposed to have recorded on Friday. Mm-hmm. And then we moved it to Monday morning, which is today, but now it's three o'clock. It is it, we're not used to this. No. Today was not uh as Cammy said, it is a Monday. It is a Monday. And usually it's a meeting Monday, which means we're like one meeting after another. But this time we had a lot of things to record, and we've just been digging in with Valentine's Day, you know, a month away. And it was like, oh my gosh. But I wanted to tell you about my weekend. Okay, I'm ready. Because I don't usually have something like do you have updates with money or something like that? But this weekend, I went into the closet to get something, just to pick something out of my closet, right? Yeah. Yes. And the whole shelf fell. Like and I'm like trapped in my closet. Oh no. Okay. I uh, you know, I gotta get out of here.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Adolf closed. And this whole shelf with all this row of clothes and all the boxes that were on top of me. Oh my god. And I'm like, hmm, okay. I'm in a pickle. I'm in a bit of a pickle. So I just kept moving stuff until I could get out of there.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

So, you know, I got out. But then I'm like, I gotta fix this, right? Yeah, yeah. So that I took everything out of my closet. You know how that goes. I moved in 10 years ago, which a lot of people are, that's not that long. Well, it is a long time because you just keep pigeonholing things here. Yeah, sure. So I cleaned the whole thing out, tore down both rows of shoves because there was two, you know how you have your shorter clothes. Yeah. Cut everything out of there. Wow. Yeah. I was at Lowe's yesterday, and I'm like texting my son Tyler, okay, if I get this, what else do I need? Are these screws gonna work? These are gonna work. Yes. I kind of had an idea what I needed to do, but so you kind of created your own closet system. I did instead of the wire ones, you know, that are in there. Yes. So I got heavy-duty hangers, I got boards that put on the wall so that the hangers go on and it can hold a thousand pounds. So if I get no more broken shelves, no more getting stuck in the no, I could do I could do chin-ups on this thing, let me just tell you.

SPEAKER_00 2:59

I want to see that. I'll I'll show it to you sometime. I did that yesterday morning and then the afternoon put everything back. So it was really, it was really satisfying, like donate or put back in.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Donate or put back. So how were you how the pile percentages in donate or put back? I would say a little over half I kept. Really? Yeah. It was impressive. Well, Lori, you know how it is that you want to keep things that were your mom's. Yes. Oh, yeah. So I had mom sewing things and I had quilt blocks that were cut, you know, stripped on paper.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

So I'm like finding out if the church has a quilt club to donate to.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

So I'm just finding happy homes for things. Oh, that's a great idea. Happy homes. You know, we're going through that right now with my mother-in-law, who moved to an independent living place, and my sister-in-law and her and brother-in-law, and then the neighbors are doing an estate sale for her nice, which is incredible. All of them deserve all of the things because it is a daunting task when you've lived. She's lived in that house for 45 years, and and you've been in that house. It's organized. It is like it's super organized, neat, tidy, all of the things. However, I've been getting videos from my sister-in-law, and I'm like, where'd all that stuff come from? Yeah. But it's hard because they are telling my mother-in-law to stay away because emotionally, oh, it's too much. And that's where the neighbors are so good at coming in. Because he he's kind of a dealer on like Facebook Marketplace, and he loves to go to garage sales and get so he knows all of the what's good and what's not, what'll sell. And he's like, we gotta just let her be somewhere else because the emotional attachment is too hard. What that whoa, total. I'm glad I'm not there. I would be bolly because every little thing reminds me of some little thing. And like my poor daughter, you know, she is one box of crap away of being a hoarder. There's no way she could be there. She would just she just cries anytime we send her a video of grandma's house. No one because she's like, no, I want all of that. And so I'm like, Bailey, 800 square foot apartment. You can't 3,500 square foot house. You can't, yeah. So I'm proud of you though. That's that's inspiring. I felt really good boot doing my building. That was what I felt really, you know. I have to do a good building project, so it was a builder. It was work. Builder. So that was, and that wasn't something on your bingo card. It was not on the bingo card, and that's what we're gonna talk about today, right? The bingo cards. It is okay. So here was our assignment. You and I were supposed to pull our 2025 bingo cards, but not look at them because if I'm being completely transparent, I have not looked at mine in probably the last half of 2025. I would pay six months. Yeah, I had it in a drawer and then got busy. I don't know what I've done on my bingo card and what I haven't. Okay. And so you I told you don't look at it. Have you looked at it? No, it's the back.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

I have the back.

unknown 6:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

I got a note on it because I haven't been ignoring that.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Right. Right, because we're okay. On the counter, you're gonna turn it over. No, we're gonna talk about I kind of have a little funny stomach feeling because I'm like, I just don't feel like it went the way I thought it would go.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

Okay, one, two, three. I have two, remember?

SPEAKER_01 7:04

I have two, one for work and one for home. I should have put them all together, but I wondered. I didn't know where the work one was. Oh okay, okay. Well, well, well, okay. So here's it's kind of a good news, bad news situation. Okay. Okay. More bad yeah, I'm I am doing really hard. Are you doing good? Yeah. I'm not. Oh, wait, there's one. Oh come on, Lori. Here's one, two, I got two. Okay, well, let's just go. So w one of the ones a quick, take a vacation abroad. Well, went to Rome. We had clocked that one. Yes, we did. That one's done. Mine says Rome. Bingo! Bingo! Nope, that's just a spot. Okay, okay, okay. All right. What's another one you have? I have Netherlands and to go to Notre Dame, and I did that. I knew I was going to the Netherlands, but I did go to Notre Dame as well. Yes, yes. What else did you have? Uh explore retirement states. You did that! We got one in under the wire. We went to one, went to Arkansas and Table Rock in the prairie. We got those two in November. So I did do that. You slipped that one right in. Slipped right in. Um all right, which one do you have? A cleaning lady. Oh, you did, and you did it. I did it. Kept her so far. I've kept her. She's very good. Laura, she's doing a good job. Yes. Okay, well, here's one. Create more content for flower click, like presentations and ideas and things. I feel like I've done it. I think you really have done that. Your ideas never stop. Yeah, I was gonna say, I feel like I can safely check that one out. I have got 25,000 Google Docs that would prove me right. Yes. Um, okay, that's all right. Mm-hmm. What about you? Paint the pool deck.

unknown 9:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

It was on my card because I've been trying to do that for three years and I did get it done. See, that's why I put things on here that are kind of random. Because if it wouldn't have been there, I wouldn't looked at that in the summer and said, Oh, yeah, I've got to do that because it's on my bingo card. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Okay, so here's where mine starts going downhill. Uh-huh. And I want you to think back because I was doing this for a while. Okay. Because you even commented. Dress for success at least three times a week. I think you did that. You what? You did it. I don't think that no, you didn't. Three times a week, you easily did that.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

I didn't give yourself credit for that one. Check that out.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

I was doing that. I was doing that. No happen. Look at you. And I would I would argue define success. Dressing for what kind of success? Like I successfully dressed to go walk to the mailbox. To go take the dog to the dog park. I was I was perfectly dressed for many occasions of leisure. I really like that. I like that. And what successful were things like that. I'm gonna make a little asterisk next to that one and say, I think I did do this. I was fully clothed. I took a shower. That would have been every day that you weren't fully clothed. Yeah, for the most part. As far as uniforms I know, that's true. From the waist up, I was true. So anyway.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Okay. All right. Go.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

I have one that says two trips to Tyler Martin. You did that. And I did that. That's my son, Tyler, who lives in Indiana, who it's hard to get to. I have to fly in, I have to drive an hour. But I love, love, love going and seeing my two youngest grandchildren. And it's always something that I really want to do, but it's it's hard to like get in there, you know, with everything else going on. So I went in May and I went before Christmas. So could have sworn you went another time. That was before 2025. Oh, here's decrease my scrolling time. Oh I did not. I in fact increase. Well, I think at the first of the year, though, you like deleted your apps, didn't you? I did. I did. Well, like adding them back in. Again, I'm gonna have an argument to this for work. All I do is scroll for ideas, and and I'm looking and I'm constantly doing things like that. And I had this conversation with my daughter the other day about my love-hate relationship with social media, Instagram and TikTok, and all this stuff. And I'm like, you know, so much of mine, I am looking at content floral related, like what can I bring? You know, what inspires me for this? And like, okay, let me just put a little challenge out there, Lori.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

What about the goats and and the animals? I mean, Amy, I that is my downtime. Okay. That is like my that's not necessary. No, no, that is not necessary. I'm gonna argue it is necessary. Here we go. Okay, mental yes, that's true. It is your mental health. Uh mental health, yes. Okay, yeah, I'm gonna give you that. Okay, all right, yours. Eat healthier. Oh, I have to do that one. I did not. I thought yeah, here's the thing. I don't know that we even tried. Come on. Let's be honest. You're right. Do it between you and me. Nobody you and me in the fence post. Nobody else was listening. I don't think any, I don't think we even. I have no memory of writing that yet. I did. Did you have that on there too? Yes, yes. Prioritize my health. Yes, I know. But maybe, maybe we'll push that again onto the next one.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Yeah, that one we could do a rollover. I like that idea. Some of them do need to be a rollover.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

Yeah. One I'm bummed about, and I didn't keep track, but I know I didn't read this, is I wanted to read at least 30 books. I know I didn't read 30 books. I maybe maybe read 12 in one year. Not great. Well, you wouldn't have found that on my bingo card. For sure. Not. Well, that's why you didn't write. You could roll that one over. Yeah. Yeah. I will. Finish, finish that. Finish that. Right. Mm-hmm. I head down, take a break during the day. Oh. You didn't, you weren't very good at that either. I'm better at that when it gets dark quicker because little Bella needs to go for a walk while it's still light. And I come back and I work until later, but it's yeah, that's hard. Do you remember this one? Because you were impressed when I explained it to you. Do you remember that I wrote that I was gonna try to be bored more? I was not bored.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

I was never bored.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

No. No. I remember when you wrote that and it explained more well. Yeah, I explained it really well. And on how the importance of that's when a lot of your inspiration can come. You can get to a space where you can be bored. I will say when we were exploring our retirement states, which we're not going to retire in those areas, but when we were one of those days we were on this beautiful hike, no cell service, no nothing. You know, it was just waterfalls and hiking and just fall day. I wouldn't necessarily say I was bored, but there was zero distractions except for just the beauty and the the leaves, you know, crinkling, that kind of thing. And that I could feel like wheels turning. And it's almost for one of those moments you feel like this cloud that's in your head of anxiety and crazy move away. And like, oh wait, that's a really nice, clear thought.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

Was that on your second day you were there? Yes. It's always interesting because we used to have people come up to a lake house, and the first day they were just like still just so anxious, anxious, anxious. And then that second day, because it was exactly what you said, that's when I worked at McDonald's. So the second day you could see people become more restful and kind of in tune with what happened.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

Yes, yes. And it was also the same day that morning we started with an art museum. Oh, yeah, beautiful art museum and quiet and the phones aloud, and just all of the things that I think kind of set me up mentally. And it was, it was, it was beautiful, and I think about it a lot because I'm like, how can I get to a place without having to drive to a different state? Yeah, right. To literally feel that fog leave where I can get clear thought inspiration of wow. And it's similar. I've told you in Ellie this so many times. I've even written a blog about it on when I'm on a ski slope. Yeah. I never think more clearly when I'm on the top of a mountain getting ready to go straight down. And I have these blogs that just get written in my head as I'm going of customer service or how we should treat people or leader. Like that's when everything gets cleared. And that's what I think I mean by be bored. It's when all of the other crap is away from me, and I just let my mind. Well, that's why we've talked many times about shower thoughts because it's a little tiny glimpse that's moments. Right. It's that moment that you're like, okay, okay. 100%. Yeah. Our problem is by the time we get out and get back over here, I've completely forgotten that shower thought because too many variables have happened. And I I think a lot of us are that way. I think a lot of women are that way. Not because we're all ADD and flighty. That has nothing to do with it. It's just distractions are coming at us at all times. It could be kids, mommy, I need this, mom, I need that, or the phone is ringing, or you know, your employee calls, I can't come in now. Like so many distractions all the time. Totally agree. And we let them. We let and haul up on there, it says, let them be bored. You have to let people just be and then so I will take that and put it on my 2026 because the one time I felt it, it's like, oh freedom. Wow, I feel inspired. I could do this. I want to write this. I want to, you know. It's like that book I got you for Christmas. Exactly. Right here. When you wonder, you're learning. Yeah. I mean, just the title alone. You know, it had taking time to be able to wonder. And that's what you don't have time for. Well, I don't make time.

unknown 19:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Right. Because we feel like, well, we gotta do all this other stuff. And we do. We do. I mean, someone's gotta do it. So anyway, okay, so let's look at flower clicks. Oh, overall, oh gosh. Was there anything on there that surprised you I don't even remember? I have to pull that back up, Lori. Okay, okay. While you're doing that, just to recap, we had all of our employees send in something they wanted on that that had to do the business. Was that right? Yeah, one was increase the number of flowers are on Business and Pleasure of Flowers Facebook page as well as our business page. Increase the number of flowers. Followers. Oh, followers. That makes sense. Flowers, that'd be easy, but followers. Okay, okay. Yes. Got it. I feel okay. We did that. Okay. Add 10 new members to your email marketing program. You did that. Did that. We did that. I added another one today. Yes, you did. Uh cross-train employees, multiple team members needed for every task. We are so bad at that. Yeah. We had a free space too, so that was good. We got them all in. It's good. Yeah. Not that we're we're not physically bad at doing it. We just keep forgetting to cross-train. Not even forgetting. It's just there's we're so busy.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

I think we've done better because I think at the beginning of the year, probably whoever put this on here did some looms or some green panels. Yeah. Yeah. This is how you do this. This is how you do that. Yeah. So I think it hasn't gotten everybody cross-trained, but it are those little tasks that are like, oh no, no, I can do that because you have this for me to watch.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Right. I think that helped. Yeah. Over the weekend, I was doing progress reports just because I can do them from my laptop while I'm watching a football game. You know, it's gotta be done. But as I was doing it, I was thinking, if I got killed in a car wreck, who would do these? Like nobody, I don't know. I guess Ellie technically does know how. She doesn't know my method because you know I have my own little way and what I send it. And for those that don't know, people that are in our prep school courses, which are incredible, the owner of this shop can email me and say, hey, I decided a new employee. Can you check on their progress? And you do that's quarterly. So they they're doing it a lot of times. I can log in and I can do that. But a lot of times around the holidays, when they get new employees for the season, we're looking at that. It's not hard, but it hit me. I need to record this. Someone needs to know. And I'm just laughing because you and Loom are not friends. No, I hate Loom. I'm not. I will do it in a Zoom and you'll have to figure out how to put it in Loom. Okay. But I'm like, you know, no one's questioning on that. And that is such a simple thing. It's not rocket science. Right. It's doing that and then showing them the Google Doc that I with my email that I send out that kind of lays out everything. Super simple. Why haven't I done it? I don't know. Now we know. One of those things you need to do. One of those things. It's just one of those things. So anyway. Anything else on the group one that surprises you? Yeah, well, this one I think we did well.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Establish clear service guidelines and boundaries, setting clear expectations for member interactions and service offerings. We always have a challenge with clarity on people coming to be members who like, oh, what is Flower Click? We're still working on that. Um, but I think we've had progress, let's say.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Yes, I agree. Well, one thing that's been so great is and Ellie knocked it out of the park on this was in our members-only website for Flower Click. Okay. Members can access, there's almost like an a la carte menu, too. Of if you need this, it's this. If you need this, you know, this is what you get. If you need additional, I mean, it's very cut and dry. And I know Cammy said she uh has had so many members say, oh, thank you for that. Yeah, exactly. Because that's all they want to know. Just tell me what is it, and if I need something else, I can just go right there and look. And so that was something we needed to do for a while, but we just weren't sure exactly how to do it, but we did that one. Woohoo! We did it, so we did it.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

I was really um happy with that, and we've asked all of the team members to send us new ones for this year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

All right. So I will be real honest with you. I have not filled out my 2026 bingo card. I haven't had time. Nope, nope, no time. There's a couple things in my head that I know I want to put on it. I'm not sure what exactly, what exactly I'm gonna do. I know I'm gonna move over the be board more. I know I'm gonna keep exploring retirement states. I mean, mindful of that. The one thing I really, really want to do. I don't know if I put on my card or if I did write it down as an actual goal because I know I've said it before and I would I really, really want to learn how to play pickleball. Do it, do it, girl. I know you sound like Mark. He's like, nobody is stopping you but you. Just sign up and go do it. So I feel like I would that would be a fun outlet for me. Agree to learn, and and it's something I could do. So that's something that sounds silly, but I think I want to try that. But I don't want him to go with me. He's like, Yeah, let's do it. I'm like, no, that's not it. You golf, I'll do this. You golf, let me do this, let me understand it. And then maybe you couldn't come in because he's one of those that's always just naturally can pick stuff up. I don't want that next to me. No, I get it. No, you it's something I want to do on your own first. And then then you can maybe come along later. Okay, so new things for this year we talked about for the pod. At the end of the pod, we were gonna do hot goss, hot gossip, hot gos. The team. I think it'd be fun if I don't know if we do it every single podcast or a couple of times a month. It's just kind of talk about like what are you hearing around the virtual water cooler of the industry, or what do you what are you gonna be doing in the for the industry? Um, you know, and this kind of came about because I was looking at our schedules and we're both gonna be doing stuff, but not necessarily together. So I thought, let's let's kind of talk about it. I think we should. And usually I'm not a person who talks around water cooler. No, you're not real gossip. You know, you usually like to know the scoop. Well, the first thing is Ellie will be at next gen, yep, representing flower club. Well, um, it is the 21st and 22nd that week, uh 23rd, whatever, somewhere around there. 23rd to 25th, I think, of February would be next gen, and Ellie will be there. So if you're in that under 40 age, this would be a group. We're gonna under oh 45, sorry. Oh, they're kind of going over. Yep, we're too old for it, no matter either way, either way. And then the following weekend, Audrey, Christoph, and I are gonna be in Michigan at Glyffey, Great Lakes Floral Expo. Yay. I'm teaching a class uh all about customer service. I'm very, very excited about this. And so I know some of our members are gonna try to be there, which I can't wait. My class is called Services Synergy, Building a Customer First Dream Team. All customers from me sharing some click secrets. I love it. I'm also excited because there's some other classes, you know, the going to these conventions. I uh love going to all the other sessions. So fun. One of the sessions I'm super excited about is our buddy Ryan Freeman from Strider. What's fun? He's gonna be teaching a class called From Scroll to Sale, what research reveals about the next generation's flower preferences. I think that sounds really interesting. Of course, we got Derek Myers, CPA, pricing for profits. If you haven't sat in on one of his classes, I highly suggest, and wouldn't you agree, that you do. He really, really, really has been helpful to so many people in this industry. Let's see. I mean, there's just a lot, and there's so many hands-on workshops, but anyway, I'm excited. There's a lot going on, yeah. Well, then the following weekend you get back, and but you're not coming to this one because I'll be getting back.

SPEAKER_00 29:13

We'll just be getting rested from that.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

And so Bill McKinley and Julie Poe are probably be joining me at Illinois State. Oh, yes. We'll be in Peoria, and I am really excited about that one too. Um, my program is called Pretty Doesn't Pay the Bills. Oh, I love it. So it should be kind of fun. We all love great design, but it doesn't keep our doors open. So we're gonna dig into that just a little bit. But that's gonna be a great lineup.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

I mean, Gregor Lurch is coming and doing a mainstage program and a hands-on. Um, Tom Bowling will be there. Uh Kelsey Thompson will be there as well. I know I'm missing somebody. Oh, Kevin Yoviseker is coming. I know, I know. I'm super excited. So a lot of people, Janet Gallagher and then Doug Bates, too, is gonna be there.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Oh, I'm loved. Well, Doug will be at Glyphy also.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

Yeah, that's right. He will.

SPEAKER_01 30:06

So yeah. You know what I'm excited about? One of our members, actually, two of our members are speakers at Glyphy. Nice. She's the owner of St. Ignace in blue. We've got Jedadiah. Oh my gosh. He's gonna be speaking, doing bridal hand-tied mechanics, owner of floral designs. Hatomi is gonna be there. She's not there, but we love Hatomi. I'm gonna sit on that. She's doing design. Amy Balster. You have a good lineup too. Oh my gosh. I just as excited as everybody else, you know, going to Jacob McCall. Oh, Jacob's gonna be there. Nice. Yeah, yeah. I think he's doing a main stage called holiday traditions reinvented. All right, very excited. Maybe he'll show you how to decorate your tree. Oh, maybe maybe I can convince him to come to my house. Oh, you know who's gonna be there? Your friend, Helen. Helen Miller. Yes, nice, good. She's teaching, she's teaching phone-free every day.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Perfect. You're gonna have a lot of stuff. You you and Audrey will have a great time. I mean, we'll be there teaching, but still, there's so much to learn while you're there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

I told Audrey we're gonna have to go to separate, we can't go together because there's too many. Divide and conquer. Divide and conquer, exactly. So, you know, it's that time of year, just it's convention season, it's coming up between now, all the way through the end of July. So everybody just start looking at your calendar and see what you can go to. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 31:40

Get everybody signed up and go somewhere and get yourself ready. And also make sure you sign up for AIFD convention. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:51

Elevate should and elevate yourself. And that's gonna be in Orlando. Orlando. It is July 2nd through the 5th. Yeah, you know, we're getting our newsletter out this week, and we a lot of times we've put where we're going, you know, and we took it out over the holidays. We were gonna, I need to add that back. Yeah, yeah, because there's a lot of lot of stuff going on because even I think it's the first week, and then June is Florida State. Florida State. Oh, right, yeah. And then of course, SAF convention, which is usually June. That should be August. Except usually August. And I think it's Amelia Island this year.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

So a lot of great things. So okay, we better get back to work and quit gathering around the watercolor girl.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

We do, we do quit quit the hot dogs. Okay, back to work. Back to work. 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_00 33:04

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