Who is the Next Generation of Flower Buyers?

Episode 103: Do you ever think about the next few generations of flower buyers? We've all heard that the success of the brick and mortar flower shop might be in question. YOU have the opportunity and responsibility to encourage your next generations of customers.  Vonda and Lori sit down with Leighton and Campbell Martin, Vonda's granddaughters',  to hear about some of the experience they've had with flowers. This episode will put a smile on your face and plant a seed for growth for your upcoming young consumers.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Why do you think people it made people so happy?

SPEAKER_04 0:08

Because we were giving them like a gift that we put love into.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Welcome to the business and pleasure of flowers.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

We're your hosts, Vondola Fever, and Lori Wilson, and we believe that business and fun are a perfect combination. Kind of like us, Vonda.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Here we are in the last couple weeks of 2021. And here at Flower Click, we're looking ahead and working on our strategic plan for 2022. And I know once you turn the calendar, you'll be doing the same. So we want to just plant a little seed and ask you to think about encouraging a younger audience. Because so many times we look ahead and go, okay, well, we know we need this, this, and this, but we're not looking past that and starting to encourage the next generation or two generations of flower buyers. So let's listen to the interview. So let's listen to the interview with our special young guests. Lori, we have some really special guests with us today.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

We do, and I'm very, very excited because I'm looking at them right now. They're with you. And unfortunately, our clickers can't see them. No, because they are probably, I'm gonna say it, and I might get some negative feedback, but I'm pretty sure they are the cutest guests we've ever had.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

I would say so too, but you know, that might hurt somebody's feelings because we've had a lot of people on here. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

The cutest guests under the age of 15, let's say that we can give them that for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

So, as we mentioned, we do have a couple of very special guests today. Let me introduce them. We have Layton Martin. Hello, Layton. Hello, and Campbell Martin. Hi, Campbell.

SPEAKER_03 2:08

Hi.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

How are you girls doing? Good. And Vonda, how are they related to you? Well, these are my granddaughters. So they have been brought up with exposure to flowers, I would say. What are some of your greatest memories with grandma and flowers?

SPEAKER_04 2:26

Oh, and we were in the garage, we made like flower arrangements. Yeah, for fun. Do you remember why we were doing them? Nope.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Oh, they were for like our house and stuff. Yeah, but we were talking about colors.

SPEAKER_04 2:39

Neighbors?

SPEAKER_02 2:40

You did? Yes, it was a project we were doing in the garage, and we were filming it and thinking it would be really great to share with other schools because we were talking about the colors of flowers and which flowers were primary colors and secondary colors. Then we were talking about different types of flowers, you know, which they each have a favorite of their own. But it was a lot of fun, and it was a winter day and it was cold outside, but inside the garage was beautiful, and we were able to really enjoy um just playing with flowers, right, girls?

SPEAKER_03 3:16

Oh yeah. I remember when we went to Doran's. And what did we do at Doran's? We made flowers. Well, not made flowers, but like put arrangements together.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

You did, and then you took them where?

SPEAKER_03 3:28

We put it in our house. And neighbors again?

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Yeah. We took them to a lot of neighbors, remember? Yep. Oh yeah. And I, if I remember correctly, Layton, you were helping Aunt Ellie do something when we were at Doran's.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Take pictures. Oh, I remember that. I was there, and you you were you were behind the camera with her by the computer, and you would click the button. Yeah. You have quite an eye for it. Yeah. Thank you. I have a question about your memories as far as arrangements being in the garage and creating arrangements and taking them to neighbors. And my question is, do you guys remember when you took them to the neighbors? How did they respond? Like, were they surprised? Were they excited?

SPEAKER_04 4:22

Were they ran up and kissed Campbell and chased her around?

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Yeah. So do you do you think you learned at that time just how happy flowers make people?

SPEAKER_04 4:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

Yes. Yeah. Did it make you want to do it again sometime? Yes, definitely. Yeah, it's fun, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Why do you think people it made people so happy?

SPEAKER_04 4:52

Because we were giving them like a gift that we put love into.

unknown 4:56

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

That's a perfect answer. That is the absolute perfect answer. It was an unexpected gift, right? Yes, yes. That you actually created with your own hands. I know you didn't grow the flowers, Campbell, like you were saying, but you guys created the designs. And so that's kind of your first I don't want to say your first memory of flowers, but the first time you realized how cool it is to actually give flowers to someone.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Yeah. Yeah, I love that. So do you do girls like flowers yourselves? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 5:37

And do you have a favorite flower? The dragon ones. Snap dragons. And what do they do? Like when you like squeeze them or something, they like snap at you. Yeah, they're pretty cool, aren't they? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Little dragon mouth. And what was yours?

SPEAKER_04 5:54

Uh sunflowers.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

And sunflowers, why?

SPEAKER_04 5:59

Because they're yellow.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

And my favorite color is yellow. Perfect. And they make you smile, don't they? Because they're so bright and colorful. Do you have flowers in your home sometimes? Never or all the time?

SPEAKER_03 6:14

All the time.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Is it because you like to get flowers or somebody else in your house liked flowers?

SPEAKER_03 6:21

Somebody else. Our mom.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

And does your mom like to put the flowers together in the vases to design them?

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yes. I didn't know that. I didn't know your mom likes to design flowers.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

That is so cool.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:38

She loves it. So what special occasions do you see flowers at?

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Um churches. Like like other people's houses, like when we go there. And sometimes like stores. Or like funerals. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:01

When you say stores, what other stores have you seen flowers at?

SPEAKER_03 7:05

Um Trader's Go's, Hybee, Trader Joe's.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:09

Um like like a flower store account. Like Doran's, like like that kind of.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Dorne's is a wholesale flower shop, so that's a big one. What if your friend's moms owned a s owns a flower shop, Leighton?

SPEAKER_04 7:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Who is that?

SPEAKER_04 7:25

Uh Brielle Thady.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

And the name of her mom's flower shop? Plaza Flores. There you go. Yeah. Have you been in her flower shop? Yeah. There you go. You have?

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Do you think all of your friends love flowers as much as you guys do? Or no?

SPEAKER_04 7:43

I don't think. Probably not as much. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

Yeah. Yeah. Do you think it's because they you've grown up around flowers and maybe they haven't, right?

SPEAKER_04 7:52

Yeah. Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

So my question to you both, because this is an important question. What would you say to your friends if they ask, like, why do you like flowers so much? What how would you answer that question to try to show them that they should like flowers?

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Why do you like flowers or how? She's saying why. If your friend, what's your best friend's name? Kendall and Charlotte. If Kendall and Charlotte they ask you their why do you like flowers so much?

SPEAKER_03 8:27

I would say that I grew up around them. And my grandma worked at a flower shop. So but why do you like them? They make people happy. Because some of them are cool, like the snapdragons. And they smell good. And they're pretty. Those are good answers. How about you?

SPEAKER_04 8:52

Like um, they make people happy, and you can like give them as a gift, and people like love them and like know how much work you put into like arranging them in a certain order for their liking.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

So is that what you would tell to your friends?

SPEAKER_04 9:07

Yeah. And they're vibrant and pretty and stuff, like that? And they're colorful. Good answers, Lori.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Great answers. Very, very good answers. So have either one of you ever ordered flowers yourself? No. No. Have you ever gone to help pick out flowers for someone?

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Yes. Yes. At like like for birthdays.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Mm-hmm. I bet for your mom's birthday?

SPEAKER_04 9:36

Yeah. Yeah. Mom's and sometimes dad's and like graduations. Mm-hmm. For our parents, like friends.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

Oh yeah, because they went because the mom and dad went to like a party once and they brought, I think there was like flowers there.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 9:52

Stuff.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

So what occasions you would just said? You said birthdays, what else?

SPEAKER_03 9:57

Birthdays, funerals, when we're traveling, baptism.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

Yeah, those are good. Baptisms, yeah. Weddings. Mm-hmm. No, those are all a really good. Can you remember any other stories about flowers? Or about w working with your mom with flowers? Because she does flowers sometimes too.

SPEAKER_04 10:16

Yeah. Get like arrangements from Costco when we go through. Then we'll help her like pick them out, and then we'll see her like cut the stems in the sink, and like sometimes we'll help her like arrange them in the pot or the vase.

SPEAKER_03 10:29

Because on the counter she like cuts the stems, like she said, and we help like put them in the vase. And we fill the water up too.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

Yeah, I think the big question like Lori was asking is how can we get other people love flowers the way we do?

SPEAKER_03 10:48

Um, well, we could deliver them flowers and then they might like them and they want more, and when they start wanting more, then they'll like them. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Do you think the more exposure they have, the more times they see flowers, is that what you're saying? Then the more they'll like them?

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Yeah. So when we deliver some flowers to them, they might like put them in their house, and then they'll like the colors and stuff, and then they'll um enjoy them and they'll start to like them.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Yeah, that's a great answer. So, do you think we should just make little tiny bouquets and just walk up and down the street to every house we see and just just give it to them and see what happens. Wouldn't that be fun? Yeah. If it wasn't cold and snowy outside.

SPEAKER_03 11:36

Yeah. And there is new neighbors, so we could give some flowers to them.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

That's a great idea. New neighbors. What a way to make a friend, right? Is just to take a cute little bouquet over.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

That's a great idea.

SPEAKER_03 11:53

So I remember making croissages with Ellie. And what did you do with those? Um, I made one for myself and we took a picture.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

And did you make them for your wrist or were they ones for you to pin on? Um, they're the ones for me to pin on. Did you ever may make any that go on a wrist? No. And were they fun? Yes. Were they hard?

SPEAKER_03 12:18

No, they were fun. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

That's very cool. You know what? That's a really good story. Um, Vonda, you and I have talked about that. Like back in the day, like every Eastern, every Mother's Day, every woman at church had a type of corsage on. And that just doesn't happen anymore. Maybe we need to do some sort of marketing strategy and try to bring that back.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

That's really a great idea. We've talked about that before. Leighton, what do you think? If you and Campbell made a corsage for your mom and Grammy for Easter or Mother's Day, do you think they would like them? It's a great idea. Yes, I think they would love them and enjoy them. And do you think if you brought a friend with to make those, would that be a fun thing to do or not? Uh yes. Could you see one of your girlfriends doing that? Yeah. And do you think it would be a surprise to their moms if they sent did flowers for them?

SPEAKER_04 13:15

Yeah, I think they would be very excited. Campbell, what about you?

SPEAKER_02 13:20

Yeah, I think they'd like them. Do you think it would help moms and grandmas to appreciate the flowers a little bit more? Yes. Yeah. What about your girlfriends? Would they think, oh my gosh, that was fun, and I should do flowers more often? Yeah. Probably. Yeah. What we're trying to do is figure out a way for young ladies your age or like your cousins who are boys to want to send flowers to their moms or to special people. And that's kind of hard to do. Any ideas? Nothing I could think of.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

You know what just popped in my head because I've been having so many conversations with shop owners having employee retention problems. I'm like, it's they're never too young. You start on young. Both of these girls, late and especially you, because you know the process of taking a phone and taking a picture for social media. Like, don't discount your granddaughters, your nieces, your nephews, people that actually have a true love for flowers in this industry. They can help you out.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Now, if I still had a flower shop, would you, Leighton, because you were doing camera shots and doing some beautiful stage pictures, would you come into the flower shop and do social media posts for me? Yes, I would definitely help you. One of your friends does that already, right? Yeah. Have you ever seen her on Facebook? Yes. She does some Facebook Lives, doesn't she? Yes, I think so. This is our friend that we just talked about a little while ago. Brielle, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Okay. Somebody posted something on social media saying, send me the last picture you have on your phone. And I think I didn't do it, but like 80% of the people, it was all their their pet. No, I mean, I think you guys have a real handle on the important what flowers do for people. Um, you are at an advantage because you have grown up in the industry, but because you have so much knowledge, you can share it with your friends. And our our hope is that the younger generations will realize the effect flowers have on people, whether you're just trying to make friends, welcome a new neighbor, send sympathy, whatever it is, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:50

Yes, yes. So, my question then, girls, is what about flowers for boys? Do you think your cousins would like flowers? No, no, but probably deep down. Yeah, I think that's with most men. They're like, nah. But then they get them, they're like, ooh. Our our girl cousins probably would. Well, that's a good point. Yeah, a really good idea. So who do you know that would like flowers?

SPEAKER_04 16:13

Probably mom, friends, yeah, just girls. Just girls, grown-ups, adults, whatever. But boys deep down.

SPEAKER_03 16:22

Teachers. Teachers probably would, wouldn't they? That's a good idea. I gave my teacher flowers for I don't remember what it was, but it was I think it was for like Teachers Appreciation Day. And what did she think?

SPEAKER_02 16:39

She liked it. Yeah. I bet she was surprised too, wasn't she? Mm-hmm. I think that's a part of it, is just surprising somebody with flowers.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

Well, you girls have done a great job on here. I'm I'm hoping that everybody that's listening got inspired. I'm sure they were have been inspired by you. Um, and maybe it's causing them to rethink some marketing strategies, right, Vonda? Like, ooh, maybe I'm missing a whole market of the younger generation. What can I do? What can I add to my shop, or what can I put on my social media that might appeal to them?

SPEAKER_02 17:14

I think that's the thing, Lori, is we have to think what we can do as shop owners and as individuals, what we can do to encourage the next generation to come into our shop. This is our future. Oh, for sure. Leighton, Campbell, this age is our future. And what we need to do is get them exposed to flowers and the beauty and the joy that they bring. Really, as we go into the new year, I think I really want to encourage everyone listening today to think of ways that you can bring that exposure, whether you're going into a classroom or you're bringing people into your store. I know years ago, when I had the flower shop in Dixon, Illinois, we would actually have classes, Mother's Day and Christmas, and it was a certain age group, I think it was eight to twelve, that it was a very minimal cost to come in and make something special for your mother. And it went over so well. And what I noticed is over the years, those were the young people that would come in and order their flowers for homecoming and for prom and order flowers for Mother's Day. So it really was doing what our overall goal would be is encouraging the next generation to purchase flowers.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Yep. No, I agree. I agree. It's it's um it's worth a shot. We have a flower shop, a local flower shop here, um, and they do one um kind of a mother-daughter class around Mother's Day, like the week before Mother's Day. And it's always, I think they actually do three different ones, and it's you know, sign up because you can only have a certain amount of people, and they they fill up very quickly. And I I I love it because it is it's planting the no no pun intended, but planting those seeds very early on about the beauty of flowers and how happy they make your mama.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Leighton and Campbell, let me ask you if there was a class that a local florist did flower arranging, would you go? Yes, yeah, I know this afternoon we are going to Michael's and doing a class on what?

SPEAKER_04 19:32

Resin rings, and so what does that mean? It's kind of like this like gel, and you can like put designs in it with in a mold.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

Okay, so that's something that's fun to get together to do. Yeah, and so flower arranging could be the same kind of thing, yeah. And you and your friends would go, yes, and especially Campbell would go, wouldn't you, Campbell? Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

Well, thank you, girls. Thanks for coming on here. Was that is this your first podcast, or are you guys podcast regulars?

SPEAKER_02 20:00

No, no, this is our first one, but probably not your last one, right? Yeah, okay. So is it your last one or not? No, no, I was a little bit worried, Leighton, that you never wanted to be on our podcast again. And Lori, you know, we would probably like them to come back.

SPEAKER_04 20:22

Yes, I know you do.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

Yes. So I'm gonna ask you guys a question. It doesn't even have to be about flowers. My question is, and Layton, I'll start with you. What is something that's very inspirational to you right now? Like, what is something that uh makes you really happy right now? It can be something you're thinking of or something you're doing, something you're eating, anything.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

People that bake and make cool crafts with like paper and stuff, like origami.

SPEAKER_02 20:57

And so why is that inspirational to you?

SPEAKER_04 20:58

Because you because I like to craft and I love to bake. So do you watch YouTube?

SPEAKER_02 21:04

Yes. And what do you find out on YouTube?

SPEAKER_04 21:07

There's like something called cloud bread, it's like fluffy bread that's colored.

SPEAKER_02 21:13

That's kind of cool. Yeah. So is that your newest project right now? Yes, and so that's very inspirational.

SPEAKER_01 21:19

Yes, okay, great, love it. And Campbell, what about you?

SPEAKER_02 21:24

A new game that I learned. What game did you learn? Solitaire. Oh, and it's not the usual solitaire. This is a really hard one, and you caught on so fast, I was like, oh my gosh, she's really got that. Yeah. It was fun, wasn't it? Yeah. What I really like too is that you're always out there willing to learn something new. And that new game was not easy, but you like took on. So I'm glad you were inspired by that. Thank you, girls, again, for being here.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

You're welcome. You're welcome. Well, girls, you come back anytime, okay? 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 22:21

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.