In episode 120, we have the pleasure of reconnecting with the incredible Francoise Weeks, whose hands weave magic with woodland designs. She's back with a treasure trove of wisdom in her new book, Wonder of the Woodlands: The Art of Seeing and Creating with Nature. It's a visual feast over 200 pages long, and trust us, it's a must-have for your collection. Francoise's zest for life is contagious. We're fortunate that she not only inspires us through her floral artistry, but also with her determination to overcome fear in order to live a life worth celebrating. In this conversation, she sh ..read more

In this episode, Natalie & Meg, co-owners of Native Poppy, take us behind the scenes of their retail shops in San Diego, where they've created an immersive experience for their customers. In an effort to explain the price gap between flowers bought at locally-owned flower shops vs. large grocery store chains, they speak about the unique characteristics of their shops including the extensive training their team undergoes to become skilled floral artists and the seasonal art installations that transform their spaces into magical environments. This level of detail and dedication comes with si ..read more

In this episode of the Botanical Brouhaha podcast, Amy McGee and Natalie Gill, the co-hosts, interview Marsha Parker, a seasoned teacher with a passion for history and culture. Marsha shares her experiences teaching around the world and her personal battle with cancer as a 3x survivor. She discusses how these experiences influenced her floral business, Refined Gatherings, which specializes in creating floral experiences for cancer survivors and others facing health challenges. The conversation explores Marsha's transition from teaching to floral design, her dedication to creating meaningful ex ..read more

In this podcast episode, Amy and Natalie visit with flower shop owner Stacy K Ercan of Stacy K Floral in Rochester, New York. She shares about her shop expansion and business model which includes a collaborative space with a coffee counter, retail offerings, and a subscription service. Stacey K also talks about how her background working with tents, events, and trade show exhibits helps her have an edge when bidding on events in her community. She discusses employee motivation, financial strategies, and the importance of diversifying revenue streams. And finally, she reveals some of her s ..read more

In this podcast episode, Amy & Natalie conclude Season 7 with a Q&A session centered around listeners' questions. Natalie shares insights on pricing strategies, staff payment, and the benefits of an a la carte menu in the floral industry. She also discusses the challenges of balancing motherhood and business. And, finally, Amy and Natalie emphasize the importance of networking, reviews, and open discussions about industry topics. A special thanks to Madrid Flower School for collaborating with Botanical Brouhaha in 2023 to bring Season 7 to fruition. This episode of the Botanical Brouha ..read more

Floral designer Carrington Winkelmann, owner of The Farmer & I in the Texas Hill Country, shares her journey from college days dreaming to starting her own flower business with her flower farming husband, Grant. She discusses the challenges and rewards of running a business, including managing inventory, managing client expectations, and pricing her services. Carrington shares her dream for the future, which includes housing all parts of her business with her husband on one piece of land where they could also offer agritourism experiences. She emphasizes the importance of having a clear vi ..read more

In BB Podcast Episode 111, Abby Daigle, owner of Stems Floral Design & Event Styling in Austin, Texas shares her journey from growing up in the events industry at the venue owned by her family to starting her own floral business. She discusses her love for weddings, the services her company offers, and her business model, which includes a showroom for full-service wedding clients and important relationships with industry vendors. She also talks about her team structure, hiring process, and industry role models. And, Abby shares an interesting perspective on centerpiece mockups which she fi ..read more

In Episode 109, Botanical Brouhaha Podcast co-hosts Amy and Natalie welcome guest Graeme Corbett of Bloom & Burn back to the show. They discuss Graeme's shift towards working mostly with British-grown flowers and he reflects on his decision to scale back the number of weddings he accepts while incorporating more teaching into his business model. They touch on what led to Graeme's decision to move to the Kent countryside with his partner and how he's adapted to a slower pace of life. They also talk about the impact difficult life experiences can have on business operations. Graeme shares ho ..read more

In the first episode of Season 7, Amy and Natalie (Native Poppy founder) share what led to the strong bond between them which ultimately led to Natalie becoming the co-host of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast. Setting the stage for their new podcast format, Amy and Natalie dive into their hopes for the podcast including a shared desire for more laughter and deeply honest conversations around topics that impact flower business owners. They introduce their guest, Rachel Bridgwood, co-owner of Sweet Root Village, who will facilitate Circle Weddings Fall 2023 with her business partner Laur ..read more

After taking a few months off to rest and reflect, the podcast is back! And we have a new co-host you're going to love! The first episode of Season 7 will drop on September 6th and we couldn't be more excited to hit the ground running. We've missed our chats ..read more