Interview with Ken Senter AIFD: Wedding and Event Business impacts from Covid

Episode 037: Vonda interviews Ken Senter AIFD, owner of the Senterpiece in Houston, TX about his floral journey and those who have inspired him through the years, such as Buddy Benz, Jim Johnson AIFD and Frankie Shelton AIFD and the challenges he faces from the effects of shutting down large gatherings. Ken also shares great words of wisdom for other in similar situations.
You don't want to miss Lori's wrap up at the end!

More about Ken Senter's business:
https://www.senterpieceflowers.com/

More about the podcast:
https://www.thebusinessandpleasureofflowers.com/

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

Transcript

Lori 0:00

Good morning, Vonda happy almost labor day.

Vonda 0:10

Good morning, Lori. And by the time we air this program, it will be right after labor day.

Lori 0:17

it will be the day after labor day. So I will then pretend, I'm going to say, how was your labor day Vonda?

Vonda 0:25

I think it was great.

Lori 0:26

I think it was great. I'll let you know. So fun interview today. You had the pleasure of interviewing Ken Senter that you're going to talk about. I've met him a few times, but I want you to kind of set up the interview and then I'm going to tell you a story that you don't even know. it's an all too familiar tale that you've heard before,

Vonda 0:50

but okay, well, I'm looking forward to hearing that Lori , you and I have talked in the last few weeks about really wanting to talk to somebody in a different segment of the industry. And that segment is the wedding and events industry, which has been hit really hard with the lockdown with COVID and 10 people, or less than 25 people now , 15 and depending on the state, there's so many different limitations. So people are adapting, they're pivoting. And I wanted to reach out to someone who I knew would be straight up with us. No sugarcoat, there's no benefit for him to say, you know, Oh no, it's just fine. Right?

Lori 1:35

He's not trying to sell something.

Vonda 1:37

No, he's not. And it's just, he's so genuine. And I knew that Ken Senter would be able to help us out and help our listeners to really feel like, yeah, that's where I am. And not feel like I'm doing something wrong because my wedding and event business has tanked. And I don't know why.

Lori 1:54

or I just happened to sign up all of the wrong brides.

Vonda 1:59

Right? So true.

Lori 2:03

So tell people who he is for those who do not know.

Vonda 2:07

for those who do not know Ken Senter, Ken has a degree in floriculture from Texas a and M university. He is a very active AISD member. He's been a member of AIFD for over 42 years. He's a certified evaluator and judge, and he's the second vice chair for the AIFD membership committee, which is pretty cool. He loves to help people, which you will hear this interview. He's designed at the white house a couple of times. He's taught in the U S Mexico, Canada, Indonesia. So he's been all over, right? Wow. And there's a few other things, but I think the other important one is he's the founder of the Jim Johnson cup. You're going to hear him refer to Jim Johnson in our interview. So I'm really excited to get going on this one.

Lori 2:54

How long have you known Ken? Like how you'd met him through AIFD?

Vonda 2:59

I've met him through AFD in 2015. He did a segment of our program at AIFD symposium. So then I get to know him a little bit better. Marie Ackerman introduced me to Ken before that. I kind of, you know, in the past thing . Kind of how I knew him.

Lori 3:18

So I don't know if I ever told you my story of how I met him. My first meeting with Ken and his wife, Donna, we all live in the Houston area, different suburbs, but you know the same area. And this was three years ago, maybe four. I can't remember. I went to the allied florists of Houston meeting. I knew some flower shop owners in the industry and they were telling me about, and they're like, you should come see what it's about. I went and I was meeting people and I was a little, you know, I didn't quite know where I fit in. Cause these are all designers are all employees of flower shops and they were there for a bit to learn how to create things.

Vonda 4:02

And it was probably about design and that's not usually you're expertise, right.

Lori 4:06

I felt a little out of my element. Yes. Okay. So anyway, I had to stand up and give like a little five or 10 minute talk. I think it was about customer service. So I did, and it was great. People were so nice, so kind and ask questions and I'm like, okay, I can hang with these people. Anyway, when it was over this man came up to me and he introduced himself and he said, you're friends with Vonda, I am too. How's she doing? And it was one of those moments I've told you. It's so funny. I have these all the time where I wish I did have the T shirt on that said, yes, I'm Vonda LaFever's friend. That's how he introduced. He's like, how's Vonda . It wasn't like, I want to get to know you. It was like, I'm going to use you because I want to know how my friend Vonda is doing. That's so sweet , but he was so kind and welcoming. He probably doesn't even remember that. And listening to your interview with him, I made some notes. And one of the things I put down is his voice for whatever reason is very soothing to me. So I think if he had not been called into this industry, he should have either been a therapist or in some sort of pastoral role because he has that tone of voice and that calmness that I kind of stop and lean in because it's so opposite of mine. He's probably a very, very good teacher.

Vonda 5:44

That's what I was just going to say. He is a good teacher because of that. He listens and he is calming. You don't like it crazy. Right ? I'm a little bit more high energy and have a different way to teach. He's just so into listening and understanding and making sure our messages clear. Right?

Lori 6:00

So let's let everybody listen to your interview. I'm excited because he really does have a great perspective right now.

Vonda 6:11

Hi, Ken. I am super excited to be here with you.

Ken 6:14

Thanks for having me on today. I'm so excited to be here with you.

Vonda 6:18

No, I follow you on social media and love your work. It's just lush and beautiful. You and your wife, Donna, have a wedding and event business in the Houston area. How long have you been in business?

Ken 6:30

The centerpiece as we know it now, because there have been two centerpieces one when I graduated from college, which I'll talk about. And then now years later, Dawn and I started it in 1994. So about 26 years in the Houston area.

Vonda 6:46

So you haven't always drawn on that segment of the industry.

Ken 6:50

Oh my God. There's so much Vonda.

Vonda 6:51

Tell me about the journey . That's great.

Ken 6:54

All right. So in 1969, 51 years ago, I got a job my junior year in high school at a flower shop and I just kind of liked what I was doing and it was fun and interesting. I mean, I just fell in love with the business.

Vonda 7:08

And that was when, when you were in high school,

Ken 7:10

junior in high school, 1969. And then four years later, I was still working at a flower shop here in Houston. And the owner of that shop thought that I had something more to give, like maybe further myself besides just working in a retail flower shop. And she was really big into education. So she thought I should go to Texas a and M there was a degree program in floral design, just starting. So she took me to lunch at a gentleman's house on my birthday, April 2nd. And the man unbeknownst to me was buddy bins.

Vonda 7:40

Oh my gosh. Are you kidding?

Ken 7:43

So, buddy, for those of you who don't know, buddy is kind of the father of our floral education industry in 1952, the year of my birthday, buddy wrote a book and published for the first time ever the principles and element of floral design that we use today. And that day at lunch, my birthday, he gave me one of the original books from 1952 and signed it just the prize possession forever,

Vonda 8:05

forever is right .

Ken 8:06

But buddy also decided that I should further not just work in a retail shop, which is a great experience and it's a great place to start, but wanted me to know that this industry of ours is so big that there are so many facets to it, whether you're in education, working in wholesale houses or growers or greenhouses all the way back down to mass markets and to retail shops. Right? And so buddy really helped get me into Texas a and M and this was 1973 and pre Jim Johnson. That's how I called my years at A&M. In 1975, I graduated from Texas a and M with a degree in flow culture. And my last year at a and M was Jim Johnson's first year as a professor. I guess what I want to say, one thing for sure is that as we make our journey, there are always people that help push you and guide you. And I think mine, luckily were pretty powerful people, the buddy Benz's of the world and Jim Johnson, but it's what you do with that information. You know, it's kind of like the new thing. Now, when you go to Starbucks and somebody pays it forward and pays your coffee and you pay the coffee behind you, that's how I feel. I need to give my life to the people that want more in education in our industry and maybe need a little push or they need somebody to come to.

Vonda 9:17

You had the perfect examples of someone who is doing that because like yourself now they so believed in education and helping people. And that was her passion, right? That there was no other reason that it wasn't anything that's going to get them any better.

Ken 9:34

Right. There was nothing to gain for them. So that's kind of how I live. My journey now is helping people, especially locally, but anywhere around the country, especially through the social media and Facebook now, and the PFGE so locally, if anybody needs education or needs that little push, I try to be there to help them. So I stay very active in our industry when somebody is having something in our community, we go to all of them, everybody at our shop and see who's out there and see who needs a little push and a little help and something we can do to help forward their education.

Vonda 10:05

It's the support that you constantly give to others out there. And I think most of the time, people don't realize that you just showing up you being Ken center, right? It's that name? They're like, Oh, he came to see me, somebody who's just starting. I think it really does make a big difference when there are icons in the industry who are there to watch them and say, it's important that you're doing what you're doing and going up and speaking to them because it does help them on their journey.

Ken 10:34

I hope so. That's what I'm trying to get accomplished.

Vonda 10:37

Yeah. And I think you're doing a really good job at that with the COVID shut downs and different regulations. What are you finding in business that are being your biggest challenges now?

Ken 10:50

Being a wedding and event business, we really taken a huge hit. The retail shops, luckily have some daily business. And unfortunately their sympathy work has really increased our wedding business for the most part is just shut down for five or six months. We probably here at our shop do three to five weddings every weekend. And now we're doing maybe three a month. Wow. So people are nervous. I do see a rebound of it coming back slowly. We are starting to book more weddings even for this fall short season, smaller weddings, two words that Dawn and I are focusing on is just wisdom and compassion. Because every bride that has had a dilemma to either postpone or cancel her wedding, they're running scared like us. We're running scared financially because it does make a major impact. But if you just live by the rules of your contract and you have no compassion, you're not a very, I don't think a wise business person. So the wisdom is that we have to try to somehow take care of our business and talk about the deposits or the retainers or , or what we want to give back to a bride or when they cancel and the reason they canceled the postpone . But then the compassion part read all the social media and some of the sites that event people have. Some of them are very compassionate. They just want all their money. The bride wanted her wedding flowers and it just didn't work. So I think the compassion part goes a long way in what we at the centerpiece do. But I also think that the hardest part, Vonda, for us as a florist is how do you pull your shoes on every day in your pants and get back up there when you come to the shop and there is no business, how do you market, how do you want to go forward? There's a phrase that Phil Aloda uses a lot in its 10, two letter words. And he says, if it is to be, it is up to me, those 10 words, two letters, I almost said to myself every day , right now, if it is to be, it is up to me, it's up to me to get up and go and let's go, you know , if I don't do it, who's going to do it

Vonda 12:36

True. Yeah. Those words of wisdom. I do love wisdom and compassion though, because you can draw on the wisdom you have as a business person and what you've learned over the years from really back to buddy bends and Jim Johnson and all the people in between there, right? It's the wisdom. And the compassion kind of go hand in hand because with the wisdom, you know how to treat people. That's the compassion part, the wisdom you're saying is business. But I do think the wisdom is about compassion and how people return the love and caring that you give to them that does come back to you.

Ken 13:11

It does. And hopefully in the business that you obviously, you didn't get it right then because the wedding was postponed, but she has nine bridesmaids. And one day, hopefully we'll come back and support your business.

Vonda 13:21

So you've kind of been on pause for five or six months.

Ken 13:25

What a great way to look at it. We have, we've been on pause. Yeah, we have since March 13th here. Wow .

Vonda 13:33

You usually did some corporate work as well. Right?

Ken 13:36

We take care of three country clubs here in town. Most of their floral needs our largest account is still really not open yet. And we do a huge Christmas installation and I'm not even sure if they're moving forward with their Christmas plans.

Vonda 13:48

Yeah. I've heard that time and time again. It's like, what do we do at Christmas? You know, I usually have 60 installs. Am I going to have any of them ? Even if they're in somebody's home, do people want you in your home? Are they going to have Christmas things? Do they want to decorate? There's a lot of uncertainties out there right now.

Ken 14:02

There are.

Vonda 14:02

So what could you offer our friends who are listening? Some words of encouragement, suggestions of things that maybe they could do at this time, especially if they're in your shoes where they're doing wedding and event business.

Ken 14:16

Just keep plugging. Just keep putting your face out there. Keep promoting. Even through social media, if you are able to produce a smaller wedding, photograph it, get it out there. Show the world you're still opened. The flowers are still beautiful. You know, life is moving on. My thought is that people are still so nervous with this COVID that they think the whole world is shut down and stop. But when they see things happening and they do see a small event and beautiful flowers, you know , maybe they'll say, you know what? Maybe I should step my foot out . Let's go get moving a little. Because I think that's what it's going to take in these small baby steps where people see that the world is moving on and we're safe.

Vonda 14:50

Have had many of your weddings pivot to small backyard events, or maybe it's too hot in your area. But to make them smaller venues that they're still having the weddings, are they shutting down the wedding?

Ken 15:02

No. So many backyard weddings. That's where they've gone to what we call retainer weddings. They've used up whatever they had in their retainer to create a beautiful backyard wedding, maybe an Arbor in the bouquets , maybe one arrangement for the dining room table and the boots and massages . But all the other things that you would have done for a normal wedding is gone. The big hotel, weddings,

Vonda 15:23

With all the centerpieces, right. And everything else. I recently spoke with someone who said that they are using that retainer and they're trying to get it to do more saying, you know, you're going to be filming this and you're sending this out to everybody who would be coming. So let's go over the top and spend more money to make sure it looks beautiful for everybody who's virtually visiting the event.

Ken 15:43

We haven't been quite that fortunate where they've paid the entire balance in full. And they want me to go ahead and use all the money and flowers like you just mentioned so they can get a gorgeous wedding of flowers and make it feel special. I think more during the retainer and small elopement , small backyard wedding. at least they're doing that right ? They are, at least we are moving.

Vonda 16:03

I think that's probably what you're saying in wisdom and compassion is that we're thankful we have this and how can we get them through it? Because we wouldn't want to be in their situation.

Ken 16:11

No , no . They're not doing it on purpose to you. Right . They didn't cause this to happen.

Vonda 16:16

It's not personal for sure. Right .

Ken 16:19

So I think that's where we all have to be a little more compassionate.

Vonda 16:21

Yeah. Agree. My other question is, do you have any suggestions for business owners, not just a flower shop to find more pleasure or fun or laughter in their situation,

Ken 16:34

You have to love what you do. You have to come to work excited. You know, I know this sounds so cliche is , but when I get up in the morning, I am literally excited to come to work and it's the people. But mainly I think it's the flowers and Vonda, good friend, probably of both of ours. I talked to two or three times a week on the phone just to get feel her infectious passion. And that's 96 year old Frankie Shelton.

Vonda 16:59

Oh my gosh.

Ken 17:00

One of the major icons of our industry. But when you talk to Frankie, she loves this industry so much. She's just exciting to talk to because you get excited. When you hang up that phone, you're ready to set the world on fire. And I hope at 96, I'm still going that strong.

Vonda 17:15

Right. And can share your passion enough to get somebody like you sparked interest again to do it every day. Wow. Love that. So Ken, let me ask you, what is your favorite flower?

Ken 17:30

My favorite flower. So when I opened the original centerpiece in 1976 in college station, Texas, my business card and my logo were the protea cynaroides, which is the King protea.

Vonda 17:42

Oh my gosh.

Ken 17:43

And I think even today I do love the King protea, but I think just the protea species in general, because they're all so different. You know, roses are the same, but they're all just maybe different colors. Proteas can be so different in shape and texture and the message they convey from soft textures to hard textures . They're just a beautiful variety of flowers.

Vonda 18:03

Most of you cannot see how I'm smiling because my favorite flowers, the King protea, and I did not know that Ken, that we share that same love for protea. They are the textures and even the colors, all the different varieties they are. They're just amazing.

Ken 18:19

Plus the flower that no one had seen in the retail industry in those days. So

Vonda 18:23

Yeah. In 76 and then last year, a couple of years ago, SAF , the protea growers were the marketers of the year, right? Yeah. That's really something. And then of course our one podcast question that since Lori isn't here, I have to ask you, and that's the one thing that's giving you life right now that makes you get up in the morning, like you said, and get out and do things

Ken 18:47

Well on a personal note, our son, Donna and our son bought a home a half a mile from our house. And so at least once a week, my son and I get out and go play Frisbee golf. But that's very personal. But just spending time with family that in our crazy fast paced floral world, sometimes we didn't do that as often as we should have. Now, if we stop and reflect in the six months that we've been off, it is family. That's the most important thing. Having the time just to spend with Donna with our son, Dylan is probably the thing that keeps me going right now.

Vonda 19:18

That's what your love is. I get that it's time that we didn't have before it makes us really reflect on what's going to happen when we do get back up to 80% hundred percent, right? It might take a little while. Are we going to still go, wait a minute. We got to pause to have time with our relationships as well

Ken 19:36

As Don and I sit here and reflect, do we want to be that busy again? Because I'm enjoying this time where I've had more time with our son and exercising and walking in the morning, like you said, when we have that pause, do we want to not hit the reset quite so hard and do three to six weddings every weekend, two to four weddings. Good. You know , would that make my life balanced a little more? I think that's the keyword is trying to find this balance. Now that we've been off work for six months, you kind of see what one side does the relaxing side. I'd like to work a little more than what I'm doing right now. But I think I need to not try to go so strong and heavy and just enjoy life a little more.

Vonda 20:13

Yeah. That's absolutely true. It makes us realize that there's more to life than just flowers, even though flowers are our life. Well, thanks Ken. I appreciate you being here. It was great time together,

Ken 20:24

Vonda I had a great time. Thank you so much.

Lori 20:26

Thank you . So Fonda , one of my favorite parts of this podcast is listening to the two of you name drop , like the famous people. Cause I'm like, who's that? And I'm trying to Google it. They'll say, Oh, and so, and so, you know, buddy bins , and you're like, Oh, you're kidding. You have a book signed.

Vonda 20:46

I know, but now our listeners can't see this, but I have flowers, creative design. And this is Jim Johnson, William McKinley, bill McKinley and buddy Benz .

Lori 20:59

So these are your rock stars.

Vonda 21:02

These are my rock stars. These are all Texas a and M people. This is Ken's world.

Lori 21:06

Now bill McKinley . I've met him, right?

Vonda 21:10

Yes, He's an instructor at Texas a and M.

Lori 21:12

didn't he make a cameo in our presentation.

Vonda 21:16

He did . Yeah . In our flower shop in the future, he came to our drive up window.

Lori 21:19

he was driving a fake car. Yes, I did learn when I went to allied florists of Houston things, Jim Johnson, I mean his name was brought up every single meeting cause they do the Johnson cup. It's a very big deal. I also loved the, he mentioned the woman, Frankie Shelton,

Vonda 21:37

Frankie Shelton. So inspirational, such wonderful people.

Lori 21:43

And they're all teachers. They had that infectious passion, which is what you have and what Ken has. And I thought that was cute. I love to hear the two of you get really excited.

Vonda 21:55

I didn't even realize we were doing the name dropping thing. I was having a good floral conversation.

Lori 22:02

The other thing that really spoke to me is his perspective on weddings and events. Right now, he was so real and so raw in the reality of it. But what I liked is that he said he and his wife Donna focus on two words through this whole thing for the last six months. And it is wisdom and compassion, which are both near and dear to my heart. Right. I feel like we live in such a great world right now. There's not everything. Isn't just black and white. It's been black and white. We've always known if this happens, then this happens. And now we don't know. So when he talked about you can't live by that contract right now, you have to take other things into perspective. And he even went on to say these brides, they want the big wedding. They're devastated. It's not like they're coming back, I changed my mind. I want my money back. Some brides, may be that way. But I believe like, I think Kimberly's, those are the minority.

Vonda 23:09

true. That is so true. The other word that he used towards the end that really worked into wisdom and compassion was balanced. I even put it into, when I was listening, it was like, here we have wisdom and compassion, but we also have to balance the reality of I'm trying to run a business. So I'm taking that balance and trying to put in wisdom and compassion and knowing I still have to live right. Donna and I, this is our livelihood. It was so good because you could feel the emotion in his voice.

Lori 23:44

You could, it was also funny because as he was saying all of these words, I'm like , I think he's listening to our podcasts because I feel like we've talked a lot about, you know, the new normal and how do you balance in balance looks different. Now I liked that. He is saying he doesn't really want to go back. I mean, of course they want more business. They want things to open up, but he's like , I enjoyed my walks with my son every morning or my frisbe golf. Like I love that he is, even though we're six months in, he still is appreciating, right . We still have this time. But look what I still get to do. I think there was a great interview. I feel like it would be good for anyone, even somebody brand new in the industry or somebody that's been here quite a while .

Vonda 24:29

So I think our takeaways from Ken were wisdom, compassion, and balance.

Lori 24:35

And my last takeaway is he said, keep plugging, keep plugging, keep showing your stuff. Even though your stuff may look different. A lot of our flower clique members have been doing that. Cause we've been talking about this show, how you're doing a backyard wedding show, how you're doing eight socially distancing, baby shower, like show yourself to show the rest of the world. Look , we're still open. We can still do stuff. It just might look different.

Vonda 25:03

Yeah , absolutely.

Lori 25:05

Okay. Well I know one more thing and I know, I know I walk the line between entertaining you and embarrassing you, but I just have to get this out there when he was talking about how he wakes up every day and is like, alright , I'm going to go. I'm just going to keep plugging. All I could think of in my head was Dory from finding Nemo , the lost fish. And she's like, just keep swimming, just keep swimming. What do we do? We swim. And I'm like Dory and Ken Senter have the same philosophy. And now I have it.

Vonda 25:45

love that. Oh my gosh, you don't embarrass me, Lori . Really? You don't, sort of , at least you can laugh about it, but , and that's called the business and pleasure, pleasure, entertainment of flowers.

Lori 26:00

We have certainly enjoyed our time together today. And we look forward to being with you guys again, if you have any questions, concerns, comments, anything we would love to hear from you. You can always emailLori@flowerclique.com. Also, if you enjoy our little podcast, go ahead and click that subscribe button. That's very helpful for us and you can even leave a review and we hope you join us next week. Yes . 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.

Speaker 1 26:43

[inaudible] .