It’s been 10 very eventful (and event-filled!) years since I officially launched Love ‘n Fresh Flowers in January of 2009.  I was talking to a dear flower friend the other day and reminiscing about how it felt back then to open up my heart to a business idea that seemed so exciting and yet so terrifying without any solid florist training or experience.  I just had a dream back then.  I knew essentially nothing about the floral industry. What I did know was that I wanted change.  I knew I wanted to get back to something more tactile than the paper-pushing I had been doing as a corporate cog.  I wanted to do work that mattered.

I saw a niche that begged to be filled in the floral market (making blooms grown right here in Philadelphia elegant and desirable for weddings), and I decided to just go for it.  I quit my corporate job and started a flower farm (waaaaay before that was a trendy thing to do).  Almost immediately I got asked to do flowers for a wedding.  I’m not going to lie here: I had no idea what I was doing for that first wedding.  None!  I have the proposal for that very first wedding laminated and tucked in my bookcase at my office.  I pull it out on occasion, glance over the numbers and the naive promises made therein, and remind myself how very far I’ve come.

A Need for Professional Florist Training

Back in 2009, I was a self-declared floral professional stumbling around like a kitten with her eyes only half open.  I really should have gotten more professional florist training before launching my business, but I was a) in a hurry and b) couldn\’t find a program teaching sustainable design techniques and on-trend styles.  Instead, I poked and prodded wherever I could, trying to get more knowledge specific to the immediate marketplace here in Philly.  I even pretended to be a bride and visited one of the big shops to ask about pricing, something that bothers my conscious to this day.

I got lucky though and pieced together enough information to bootstrap my way to running a successful floral business.  The key was to connect to experienced pros on a personal level via two great organizations. At Longwood Gardens, I was able to take floral design classes that taught the fundamentals and mechanics of solid design.  And through the Association for Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG), I learned a lot about business and managing events through informal mentors like Neil and Carol Caggiano and Mike and Polly Hutchison.  Through my membership in the ASCFG, I’ve also fostered utterly irreplaceable friendships with flower farmers and florists across the country that have fed my soul and been a critical sounding board when shit hits the fan in my flower dream machine.

These connections, the generous transfer of hard-won knowledge, the occasional moment of tough love, and the shared tears have made Love ‘n Fresh not only possible, but a highly successful business pioneering a new way of doing that business.  In 2009, the floral trends seemed stacked against me (farm flowers were relegated to mason jars and considered as cheap as the dirt they came from), but my hodgepodge cohort of floral colleagues that were willing to equally exchange best practices and anecdotes meant I could gather what I needed to buck the odds.

I’ve had a lot of leadership roles in these past ten years.  I’ve just started my tenure as President of the very same ASCFG.  I’ve gone back and been the teacher for floral design classes at Longwood Gardens.  And I’ve taught hundreds of students at workshops, classes, clubs, and conferences of all kinds.  And yet, I’ve never felt like I’ve matched what was given to me.  I’ve wrestled with how to send out into the floral world what was so generously imparted to me.

At the same time, I’ve watched this once stuffy and FTD-infused industry evolve and transform into a vibrant, animated, but often chaotic whirlpool that churns with the latest list of the Top Ten Pinterest Worthy Bouquets per The Knot or Our Favorite Florists on Instagram per the NY Times or the Top 62 Floral Designers in the nation per Martha Stewart Weddings.  Not to mention the latest podcast or online course giving glossy generalizations to inspire more creatives to take the leap into flowers.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve been honored and humbled to be included on some of these lists, podcasts, and courses!  But what these all have done is create a frenetic pace in our industry that can’t be sustained.  There’s a race to get noticed – to be part of the trend – to glean just enough soundbites – to grab market share at dire costs – rather than build a solid foundation for this new floral revolution.  It’s like a 9-year-old kid in a Spiderman costume running around the living room at 11 PM on a sugar rush.  Ironically, while the focus in the floral world here on the East Coast has shifted noticeably toward more sustainable flowers since I started (hooray!), we’ve somehow managed to lose sight of how to build sustainable businesses and, more importantly, an industry that can sustain us all for the long haul.  There\’s a decided lack of professional florist training.  The existing florist training options are generally still part of that old guard, focused on foam and ratios.  I can understand why there\’s not a stampede to join AIFD for florist training.  

While mulling all of this over, a lot of ideas came to my mind.  There’s clearly a problem here.  I’m a natural-born problem solver; nothing makes my brain twitch quite like searching for solutions!  I could start my own podcast and get gritty.  I could create my own online course.  I could write a book.  (Clearly, I like writing…hopefully someone’s still actually reading this!)

But no.  I’m not going to hide behind a glowing screen.  I’m not going to generalize and make sweeping statements in a podcast that can be heard in every time zone.  I’m not going to be a static picture on the dust jacket of a book.  Frankly, I’m not interested in helping everyone with broad strokes of advice.  I need to make this personal and powerful.

I want to help just a select few to start – a select few right here in my own region – and build incredibly honest relationships that support and sustain.  And I don’t want that relationship to be singular.  What made Love ‘n Fresh Flowers successful was the professional friends/peers I gathered around me at the beginning of my journey that have been there every day since when I needed them.  They are my safety net, my sounding board, my hive mind, my drinking buddies, my cheerleaders.   They are my cohort.

Floral Cohorts

In 2019, we\’ll be launching an entirely new way to train to be a professional florist here at Love \’n Fresh Flowers!  We\’re calling this new format Floral Cohorts.  If you have dreamed of entering the floral industry or if you have already started but feel a bit lost, joining a Floral Cohort will give you a home base for learning all the fundamentals you need to stride confidently along your creative path.  This is the perfect learning experience in particular for aspiring floral freelancers and small event design start-ups.

So, what is a cohort exactly?  Cohorts are common in graduate school programs where they are used to encourage a more dynamic, collaborative, and supportive learning environment to carry students through their intensive graduate program.  We’ll be adopting this same format for a small-group learning experience based out of our flower farm in Philadelphia.  Each Floral Cohort will be capped at 10 students who will complete the program together over the course of 10 months.  These 10 students will become peers; flower friends for life!  They will be your support network that steers your floral endeavors to success.

While I already teach plenty of dynamic floral design workshops at the farm, they provide only a limited time for students to interact, both with each other and with me.  I  wanted to create a more long-term format that would not only teach critical skills at a professional level and increase knowledge, but also build lasting relationships and a community of sisters in stems so we can foster a healthier and more sustainable floral industry in our region.

Sure, there are plenty of ways to tackle florist training through online videos and courses!  But those online options do not provide you with face-to-face friendships and peer-to-peer support that will last long after the course work is done!  Floral Cohorts are about far more than just flowers.  They are about holding space for one another; for fighting the good fight together to spread more beauty throughout the world in a way that allows you to thrive on a personal level as well.

You’ll earn a Certificate of Completion at the conclusion of your Cohort series to validate your professional florist training.  This certificate carries a valuable stamp of approval to open doors to more freelance design opportunities and full time positions with respected event designers in our region and around the U.S.  And you’ll get street cred with established event florists you may have been wanting to collaborate with or befriend.

Have I piqued your interest?  I truly hope so! This concept is one that I feel fervently is needed right now.  We all need more connections.  We all benefit from training. We all need to learn how to compete fairly.

Oh, yeah, I had better mention right here and now:  this is no #communityovercompetition pitch.  I’m all about competition!  But it needs to be fair competition where everyone got the same rule book in advance and there’s no loaded dice.  Respectful competition that acknowledges how hard we are all working to pay rent.  When customers pick you because you found your niche and you’re making a tidy profit while sticking to your creative guns, that’s when you’ve really got a sustainable business on your hands!  That’s what we’re after here!

To learn more about how a Floral Cohort works, the florist training you\’ll receive, and how to apply to join one, click over to the Floral Cohorts page on our website. If you\’re serious about your flower dreams and you\’re within driving distance of Philadelphia, please consider joining. 

\”Dear Jennie, I just wanted to write you a quick note to say thank you for providing such an amazing workshop. At first I was hesitant because of spring expenses/budgeting but then I realized that out of all expenses, this specific workshop (The Business of Local Flowers Short Course) should take priority. It was so great and I applaud you for giving us honest, genuine, and thoughtful content. Truly I look to you as an inspiration business woman and am just really grateful. I can\’t thank you enough for sharing your wisdom and answering my endless questions — which were only because you have been the only person who can actually answer them! Warmly, JennyRae\”
@FlowerWellNY

\”Jennie, what a day! I\’m super grateful for your willingness to engage so deliberately with all of us. Your empathy and rawness make for a powerful teaching potion. There were no distracting frills – in a great way! – just concrete, abundant conversations about your experience. And so full-disclosure! I can\’t thank you enough for sharing all that you\’ve learned along your flower journey. I left feeling inspired, equipped and as though I had gained meaningful altitude on my farming business as a whole. Thank you so much! ~ Alison\”
@FlowersmithFarm

\”I took Jennie\’s Wedding Master Class back in 2015. I was two seasons into my business and I was eager to learn more. Taking the class was the best possible decision I could have made. It completely changed the way I ran my wedding business and it made my job a lot easier and more organized. When you take a class with Jennie, no question goes unanswered. She\’s an open book and has the kindest heart. The master classes are kept to small groups and every voice is heard and answered. This year I went back to take her Business Short Course. The course really got down to the nitty gritty about running a profitable flower farm. Business basics are never the fun side to flower farming, but it\’s the most important. Investing in classes like Jennie\’s are something I never regret. I always leave with a notebook full of valuable information and a head full of new ideas and determination. ~Jamie\”
@Jayflora_Designs

\”Thank you so much for your hospitality and for another great class. I am so glad I was able to attend and get another boost of knowledge and insight from Jennie and the awesome classmates. What I love about Jennie\’s classes is the unique dynamic and openness she creates as she imparts her wisdom. She challenges each of us to think about our situations and businesses intentionally and I always go away with many reflective questions to ponder and answer for myself. ~Susan\”
@ArcolaTrailFlowers

\”The Business Short Course was truly a course about the business side of flower farming. Jennie offered insight on such a broad range of sales outlets based on her own experiences, both good and bad, and how to determine which would most benefit your business. She also provided guidance on technical aspects like pricing and bookkeeping. The relaxed atmosphere made for open discussion among everyone there. I have a lot of questions going into my first season growing, and am working on such a small scale that it\’s hard to relate to true flower farms. This course has helped me to focus on goals that are compatible with my size. I\’m still more than a little nervous about this season (I mean, what if nothing grows??), but I feel more confident now that I am starting it with a better defined plan and these systems in place. ~Ali\”
@TwoBuddingFlorists

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I\’ve been asked several times about creating online workshops because they can initially appear more affordable and more flexible. There are no travel costs and you can squeeze the course into your other daily obligations. However, my answer will always be the same: No. And I believe the above student quotes are a testimony as to why.
The online course format is not the right fit for me as a teacher. I don\’t teach to make a quick profit off my years of experience. I teach because I really like making a direct personal connection with each student. When we are in person in a small group setting, together we problem-solve on specific questions each student has. Eye contact and touching the same tool or looking over the hand-outs together make for a tactile and focused learning experience. This connection is what fuels me as a teacher. An online class format is too impersonal for my teaching style.
I realize students who come to my classes have a major additional expense in traveling to get here, but I feel pretty confident that is a worthy investment as I watch nearly every student go on to grow their own business so beautifully from there, using many solutions and mantras specific to them/their farm that we developed together in the class. I am also convinced that tackling a workshop in-person as one dedicated, un-distracted chunk — instead of in ten minute spurts between transplanting zinnias and making dinner — is far more effective and a better \”bang for your buck\”. Leaving the farm or shop to learn is such a valuable experience and the way to get fresh perspective!

Also, I believe the online format can never be truly personal and effective for all students. The course has to be filmed before the teacher even knows who is going to sign up so it\’s nearly impossible to know what the actual \”audience\” will be. Even with \”live\” feedback sessions built in, there are thousands of students all over the world begging for attention, and it\’s impossible to meet everyone\’s needs. Or at least that was my experience as a student of a few online courses who wished my questions had been one of the handful chosen to be answered.
In contrast, when we host a professional Master Class here at Love \’n Fresh, as soon as student registrations start coming in, we gather their bios and ask them what specific questions they are looking to have addressed. I spend a lot of time reading those bios and questions and try to tailor the course to each intimate group of ten students. During the class, we have each other\’s full attention and we don\’t finish until every question has been answered.
Every student and every teach have their own style in the educational process. All are valid!! This just happens to be mine. When you pick a class, course, workshop or conference, do more than just look at the price tag. Consider your learning style and what\’s comfortable for you. In the end, whatever money you invest in your education should be well spent.
Want to join me for a class this spring? The full schedule for Master Classes is here. The full schedule for Floral FUNdamentals is here. Registration for both is available in our Online Shop.
XO,

FOR YOUR NEW LOVE

Why give that New Spark an old boring gift like roses or chocolate for Valentine\’s Day? Instead, give them four weeks of lush, wild, European-style, hand-tied bouquets through our organic Flower CSA. Go the extra mile and promise to pick the bouquet up each week and stop over to make dinner together. Trust me, this gift is bound to get you moved into the \”keeper\” column.

FOR YOUR ANTHRO LOVE

Two words: \”flower crown.\” Really, that\’s all you have to say to the woman in your life who loves Anthropology and the squeals will ensue. But don\’t delay. There are only a few seats left in this popular and oh-so-fun floral design workshop at our farm this spring. Your love will get to make all sort of flower jewelry, including a crown, and drink botanical cocktails in a setting straight out of the pages of Kinfolk.

FOR YOUR GARDEN LOVE

Does your partner or mom do a great job of nurturing you and your family every day? How about some plants to nurture in the garden and to make beautiful backyard bouquets all summer long? Then our Plant Share is the perfect choice. This one-time share in our Flower CSA gives your love 30+ healthy, happy, organically-grown plants for starting their very own cutting garden for bouquets all summer long!
FOR YOUR FLOWER-OBSESSED LOVE
Have you been listening for months, even years, to your love say how much they would really like to ditch their cubical for a career in the beautiful world of flowers? Are you realizing this is not a passing phase? Want to do something hugely helpful and make a statement about how much you believe in and love them? Our floral Master Classes are just the ticket. Surrounded by the beauty of our flower farm, they\’ll learn so many invaluable skills for starting their own floral business.

FOR YOUR HARD-TO-PLEASE (BUT OH-SO-ADORABLE) LOVE

Never quite sure what that love of yours wants but know that they adore flowers? Purchase a gift certificate from our shop and let them pick out their own floral treat. Gift certificates are sold in increments of $25. Throw in a copy of our glossy photo journal EPHEMERAL to hold the gift certificate between its pages and make a beautiful presentation. Select how many you would like and then we\’ll send one beautiful card for the total amount to your love. Be sure to include a mailing address in the instructions/notes section when checking out.
~
You and your loves can feel extra warm and fuzzy knowing you\’ve hit a home run for Valentine\’s Day AND supported our little flower farm on its mission to change an industry and support a healthy environment (biological, economical and social) here in Philly. Make sure to send your love a link to our video so they can see the beauty of our farm.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

GO GET YOURSELF SOME #locallove TODAY!

xoxo