The Floral CEO

What if you could build a consistent sales pipeline without immediately spending money on ads?
In this episode, Jeni shares how she has built relationships that have turned into a powerful referral sales engine for her floral business. She explains why transferred trust is such a valuable asset and how a recommendation from someone a potential client already knows, likes, and trusts can make it much easier to close the sale.
A strong referral pipeline is not built by begging people to send business your way. It is built by delivering an exceptional experience, becoming memorable, supporting other businesses, and creating genuine relationships before you need anything from them.
Jeni shares both conventional and out-of-the-box ways to build those relationships. She talks about creating a networking schedule, having coffee with new “friender” connections, hosting small industry gatherings, celebrating other vendors’ accomplishments, remembering personal details, and publicly highlighting the people doing incredible work around you.
She also explains the power of referral-generating generosity. This can include sending clients to trusted planners, photographers, rental companies, caterers, and other florists; making personal email introductions; creating a preferred vendor guide; leaving thoughtful Google reviews; sending handwritten thank-you notes; and dropping off flowers to show appreciation.
Jeni also shares why your personal social media accounts can be an overlooked referral source. Sharing your accomplishments, creative work, behind-the-scenes moments, and business milestones helps the people who already know and trust you remember exactly what you do.
One planner or vendor relationship can create an enormous financial impact. Jeni shares that one referral relationship generated approximately $160,000 in business in a single year, while another planner relationship generated roughly $90,000.
The goal is not to chase every wedding professional in your market. It is to consistently show up, invest in people, be generous, and find the relationships where both businesses can grow together.
In this episode, Jeni talks about:
  • Why transferred trust makes referred leads so valuable
  • How referrals can help you close clients faster
  • Why providing an exceptional experience is the foundation
  • Creating a repeatable networking and relationship-building schedule
  • Meeting new vendor friends without making it feel salesy
  • Hosting intimate industry events or flower nights
  • Celebrating vendors’ milestones and accomplishments
  • Remembering personal details so people feel genuinely seen
  • Publicly promoting planners, venues, photographers, and other vendors
  • Leaving meaningful Google reviews
  • Tagging vendors strategically in social media content
  • Sending handwritten notes and personal thank-you emails
  • Creating a preferred vendor page on your website
  • Making personal referral introductions instead of simply forwarding names
  • Referring projects that are too small, too far away, or not the right fit
  • Inviting trusted vendors into styled shoots and creative projects
  • Carrying an emergency kit that helps the entire vendor team
  • Making it easy for people to describe and recommend your business
  • Dropping off extra flowers as a thoughtful relationship-building gesture
  • Using personal social media to keep your business visible
  • Why sharing your accomplishments is not bragging
Key takeaway
A referral pipeline is not built by repeatedly asking people to send you clients.
It is built by becoming the person people naturally want to recommend.
Build real relationships. Make people feel seen. Send business their way. Make their jobs easier. Share their work. Celebrate their wins. And continue showing up long before you need the referral.
Action step
Choose three people in your local wedding industry and take one thoughtful action with each of them this month.
That might be:
  • inviting one person to coffee
  • leaving one thoughtful Google review
  • sending one handwritten thank-you note
  • creating one personal introduction
  • highlighting one vendor on social media
  • dropping off a small floral arrangement
  • sending one qualified referral their way
Do not ask for anything in return. Simply begin building the relationship.

What is The Floral CEO?

Struggling to turn your floral design talent into a profitable, scalable, and stress-free business? Welcome to The Floral CEO® Podcast—the ultimate audio destination for wedding and event florists, flower-shop owners, and creative entrepreneurs who want to book bigger budgets, price with confidence, and lead like a true CEO.

Hosted by Jeni Becht, award-winning wedding florist, event designer, and floral business coach with 25 + years in the industry, each weekly episode dives into:

Profitable pricing strategies: markup formulas and minimums fine-tuned for weddings & events

Magnetic marketing & local-SEO hacks: social posts, blogs, and Google tricks that attract high-budget couples and planners

High-converting sales funnels: inquiry replies, proposals, and follow-up scripts that turn curious leads into dream clients

Streamlined systems & smart outsourcing: workflows, templates, and hiring tips that free you from the design bench

CEO mindset & sustainable growth: leadership habits and eco-friendly practices that keep both you and your business flourishing

Jeni pairs real-world success stories with actionable strategies you can implement today, so you’ll spend less time hustling and more time designing breathtaking bouquets, installations, and arrangements.

Ready to scale your florist business and reclaim your life? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast app. 🌸

Connect & learn more:

Website & free resources: http://floralceo.com

Instagram & Facebook: @‌thefloralceo

Turn your passion for flowers into the six-figure floral business you deserve—one episode at a time.

Website- floralceo.com

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  Uh, friends, I today had a wedding, and it just made me think so much about the relationships that I've built and how that those have become just, like, this little referral kind of sales engine. So I wanna really dive into how can you create your own referral sales engine? Because in my business, the only advertising I pay for is Minnesota Bride.

And I actually... I it was funny, I met with a client and they were talking about really wanting to build their business, and they were meeting with different coaches. And a- another coach told them to go buy Google ads to drive, and I'm like "You don't even know if you have a website that converts.

Start building a community that wants to send customers your way. Then you can build data if your processes are working. You can build data if your website is working." these are free ways to really cultivate people who already hopefully trust, and respect this other person who is referring you.

But also that barrier to entry when that trust is from transferred is huge. Transferred trust is such a huge asset in our business, in being... the ability to close a client faster. You can... Whenever you can borrow trust that somebody's already placing because they know, like, and trust and respect you, you wanna capitalize on that.

So how can we build a referral sales engine? I wanna talk about some conventional ways, but I also wanna talk about some unconventional ways. And I feel like when anybody is thinking about referrals, they feel gross that you're begging people to send customers. I don't beg, ask. I, I don't even really ask.

I don't have to ask because I know that I do an exceptional job when I'm working with a client, I know that they're really happy with the work that I'm doing, and I know that I am responsive, I take care of them, and that makes people want to sell- send people your way. When I buy something from somebody and I have an exceptional experience, I want to send people their way.

Like my hair person, I love her. I absolutely love my hair person. For one, if you haven't seen me before, I have red hair. I have, um... I do not have natural red hair. I have dirty blonde hair, and red hair is a science. And my hair person is a total rock star. For one, she's a total badass. She's always got these rock star nails, and she's always looking like she just walked out of a, Cosmo magazine shoot.

And she's super kind and super caring, and she knows all about my children, and she's really great at conversation, really empathetic. But my hair is always great. And I have had some bad red hair experiences, you guys. If anybody is looking for a hair person, I send them to her because I love her.

Actually, my friend Nora, like, sa- said something to me, like she hadn't gotten her hair done forever, and I went and bought her a gift card for Christmas to get her hair done with her, because I love both of them so much that I wanted them and I... to have, have fun together, and I wanted to support my hairdresser, and I wanted Nora to get her hair on, point and feel good about it.

So when you provide a good experience, you're naturally creating a sales engine. You're naturally, like, fueling people to want to tell people about you. But how do we create other ways? Of course, we want to have an exceptional experience, but how can we really build relationships? So one thing that I think is really interesting is creating a networking, checklist that you want to accomplish.

I want to, at least once a quarter, go to some type of networking event. I want to, at least, maybe once a month, connect with a new planner. I want to go to coffee. I want to have virtual coffee. I want to connect with somebody who is in the referral pipeline. I wanna build a deeper connection.

'Cause when people get to know you, you're probably lovable as shit. I mean, you're probably so lovable that why wouldn't people wanna do business? If you're not making it salesy, you're not making it gross, you're really just wanting to build a genuine relationship, I n- am pretty reciprocal about referrals.

So if today was a really great example of that. I send to this planner that was the planner that I helped her book the clients today. I have sent her numerous clients. I would say I sent her three or four just in the last probably, like, three, four months. And I make sure I strategically do this, you guys.

I actually send a email introducing. I'm on my call with my bride, and I'm going through everything, and then we get to a point that I'm like, "Do you have a wedding planner?" And they're like, "Oh no, I'm actually, we're in the process of looking," and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you know, and starts talking about it.

Or, "You know what? I haven't really been considering that." And then I know the complexity of their wedding, and I'm like, "You need a wedding planner. You- that is crazy the amount of stuff that you're gonna have to put out and manage. I really think that it would be a great idea for you to do so. And I actually know somebody that I think is perfect."

She was actually somebody that I've done a ton of weddings with, and I know a lot of different planners, and based on the, the couple or the bride's personality, I can usually pair up with somebody who I think is gonna be a good option for them. So I then will go and send that email once she said, "Yeah, I'd love to talk to them."

I'll do the referral intro email, and I usually get back, "So excited to talk to you." I not only do this with planners, you guys. I did this with the linen company. I have done this with photographers. I have done this with other videographers. I've done this with, oh my God, a caterer before. Just the list goes on.

So when you build relationships by building in, like, a coffee schedule. My goal is this month I'm gonna reach out to and try to at least have coffee or build a relationship or something with at least, like, one new I- I call it friendor. So vendor friend. And that could be a goal. Set a goal that I want to have one meaningful conversation where I am building a relationship with somebody who is going to be in my referral sales engine.

All right, another thing If you have a studio that you can invite someone in, host a little, like, flower party little get light bites and a cute little flower-inspired, like, mocktail-y thing, cocktail-y thing, and just have people come and, like, have your rentals out. And, 📍 just make it "Hey, vendor friends, like, I'm gonna just host a little industry friends' night at my studio."

And I have seen this done multiple times and I always... The photos of it look super cute. I've gone to a couple of them just to support the person. So invite people in. That's a way for people to get to know you, get to know the things that you have, the things that you offer, and it helps develop relationships because people are also trying to develop relationships, and this is just creating a conduit for that All right.

Another thing I know that we don't do this, but celebrate, when somebody does something, tell them good job or just respond to them. That is building relationships because they, somebody feels seen. So i- i- when somebody like says they launched a new website, they win an award, they open something, they get published, they're celebrating a business anniversary, whatever it is, send a meaningful email if you have their email and you see them announce something on Instagram.

"Hey, just a little, I wanted to send you a quick note and just say I'm proud of you. It is so amazing and I just think that you're... I really look up to you in your business and just am in awe of everything you've accomplished, and I saw you just had your a- anniversary, and I just wanted to say congratulations."

Who wouldn't feel fucking amazing if they got that? Who wouldn't feel great if they got such a nice email like that? Or even today, another flower friend like that I know and I actually I just saw her picking up some locally grown flowers, and literally she posted like she had some car issue that her rental truck was leaking out fluids and like on the highway and it like...

And I just sent her a message, "Oh my God, this must have been so stressful. It looks like it turned out amazing." And she's like, "Oh my God, it was so stressful." And like, we just had a little bit of back and forth. I was trying to say like, "Good for you for making it through this because that looked like it was an absolute shit show."

Yes, that is a flower friend, but building relationships with flower friends will also fill and build your, referral sales engine. And when you are really cultivating friends with flower friends, like they literally might be booked a day and maybe they just send the referral your way, because that happens.

There's a flower friend locally here that like just had twins and like is trying to kind of shift her business and is going to be scaling her business down. She sent somebody my way because I've really tried to, you know, if anybody asks me a question anytime, I'm helpful, I'm supportive, I wanna be there for people, and that of course is creating a relationship Another thing to really try to do, and this is hard when you're not a super detail-oriented person, or maybe you have ADHD.

But if you remember something about them or if some personal thing is shared try to remember those details. Like I... The wedding planner I worked with today, she has two children. Her children are very similar in age to my children, and I know, like, what sports their, her kids are in, and I know about she has a part-time day job.

And, I kn- I know her, and actually today we even talked about how long we knew each other, and it was so funny 'cause we were like, "I'm pretty sure we both knew each other before we were pregnant with our first kids." So I think we've known each other for, like, 15 years. And I know another vendor friend, I've known her, like, I think 17 years.

Those kind of things are really im- important in, in building relationships, because when somebody feels seen, they're way more apt to want to help you, because they feel like you're human, you care. You're not just in it for a referral, you're in it for actually building a relationship with them. All right.

Some other ways to build your, um, sales engine of referrals. If you're on a wedding day, and let's say somebody did a kickass job at something It is really easy to let's say for an example, Linen Company, and I've done this a bunch of times. Linen Company brought stunning linens. They're so beautiful, and, like, you just, ooh, when you look at them.

I get excited about linens, you guys. Like, I, I think a linen can make a wedding, and I often start, when I'm planning out my workshops, I start with li- finding a linen or, something like that, that I'm just really super inspired by. So when you go through and, you know, you're, you see something really cool.

Or a sign company or something like that, or one of those they make the interactive really pretty, like, pop-up with, you put a champagne wall on it or whatever. Post a picture of this and just tag them, you gotta tag them, and say, "How cool is this?" Or, "Look at the great job they did."

Or, "I'm just blown away by this thing." Or if a photographer tagged you in some photos or whatever, sharing them in your stories and just talking about how this photographer crushed it, how they captured the day, how the rental company elevated the design, how the planner just solved this problem.

Whatever it is call somebody out and let them be seen You want peop- people to know how human you are, how much you care, and that is a way to do it especially with tagging them on social media. Another way, if you realistically have relationships with other people, go on your social media in your stories and just say, "You know what?

I wanted to hop on here quick, and I wanted to tell you..." And I'm gonna give an example, 'cause he listens to my podcasts periodically. "I wanna tell you about my friend Tim Thornburg. He is an amazing videographer. His work is so inspiring. It captures details so flawlessly. The videos he puts together are stunning.

And you guys he has done the last two business bouquets and branding video work component part of my workshop, and they are so good. I would just love for you guys to check it out. Here's his tag. Check out his page. If you guys are looking for a videographer, you have to check him out." Like, how cool is that?

How is somebody not going to feel good about that? Same thing, planner. "Hey, you guys. I am working with my friend Meredith from Bride Support today. We're doing another wedding. I absolutely love working with Meredith because she's always just, like, so calm and is so organized. You guys are not gonna have to worry about any details because my girl Meredith has got you.

So if you're looking for a wedding planner, my girl Meredith from Bride Support is somebody you have to check out." Amazing. Venue. Just you're at the venue, shoot a little vi- video. You guys, I'm at Essence Event Center today, and I just absolutely love Essence because not only is it historic, it has all of these stunning details that I'm just so in love with, and I'm so excited for you guys.

If you are looking for a venue or you are another vendor friend and are coming here, you guys, you wanna do weddings at this, this venue because it is absolutely stunning. My favorite part of being a florist doing a wedding here is they have all these cool hooks embedded in the ceiling that are super fun for installs.

How cool is that? And that could just be literally in your Instagram stories. You could do a Canva graphic calling somebody out, any of those things. All right. Another thing, this actually just happened, which I thought was really i- interesting. I, for Minnesota Bride, they do two kind of parties every year announcing their new issue, and I usually do one of them and donate some flowers, and then they give you in-kind marketing for doing that.

And the publisher actually went in and did a Google review afterwards. And it was a very thoughtful, laid out, and talked about, like, how I'm always willing to be helpful, and my work is always stunning, and on and on. Very specific. And then she sent me an email that just said, "You know, I really appreciate blah, blah, blah, you know, you doing the, um, you know, Minnesota Bride Best Of, and just to let you know, I went and did a Google review just to show my appreciation."

Everybody loves Google reviews, you guys. Who doesn't g- love a good, good five-star Google review? And when you do that, like, that's outside of the box, because not only if you go and send y- the follow-up email, of course that's the icing on the cake, but they also are going to be able to you know, get that notification from the actual Google review.

And so you could have two communication, you know, touch points going their way, which is absolutely huge. All right. The next thing is when you go in and tag vendors, take them strategically. Make sure that you are tagging them in, the, the photo that they really contributed to the experience, but then follow that up in your description, maybe even by talking about their contribution to that.

So let's just say you have a cake person. You guys, cake people can send you referrals. Rental companies, I have gotten multiple referrals from rental companies. Then you go in and just say "I absolutely loved this wedding. One of my favorite parts of this wedding was the linens from Linen Effects.

They were absolutely stunning. I love how they curated blah, blah, blah, how all of it came together." You're not only tagging them, but when they share it they see all the warm fuzzies that you wrote about them. So that's amazing and something that, you know, is definitely going to get on somebody's radar pretty easily, because you're out there talking nice things about them.

The next thing that I think the world does not do enough of is handwritten thank you notes. You guys, it's like one of my favorite things to get a handwritten thank you note from one of my clients. I just absolutely love them. But You can send that to a planner that you worked with. You can send a handwritten thank you note to a venue.

You can send a handwritten thank you note to your client thanking them for having them, you know, having you be a part of their special day, and on and on. There are so many ways that thank you note can be impactful. It could be thank you notes that you get your logo on. It could be just a flowery thank you note.

That thank you note is gonna go a long way, and I would love for you to be able to capitalize on all of, that, that glow. You already worked with them. You already showed them what a badass you are, and then you show them you have kickass follow-up, and that you really care, and you see them. And if a handwritten thank you note is a stretch, send them an email.

Sending a quick email, "You know what? I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed our being at your venue. I absolutely loved," insert certain detail on it, "and I am so grateful to be a part of Doug and Becky's special day, and, um, like it was really... I really appreciated you helping me get the trash," or, you know, whatever.

Some personal thank you, just making it personal, saying their name is even more awesome. But those are really things that resonate with people. All right. Another thing that you can do that really is a referral I call it, like, referral generating generosity. Create a preferred vendor list on your website.

Literally create backlinks, do all the things. Create a page that you're talking about your favorite photographers, you're talking about your favorite venues, you're talking about your favorite videographers, you're talking about your favorite cake people, you're talking about your favorite rental companies.

And then you can go into your social media, and this is something to post about, "Hey, everybody, I wanted to just share some of my favorite vendor friends. The, this list is not all of them 'cause, of course, I have lots of love for the wedding community, but here are a few of the favorites that I've worked with, um, that I wanted to share in case you were looking for someone in that category."

That's it. All right. Next thing is, again, with flower friends. Send leads-

That are too small, too far away, unavailable, maybe like it's just not your jam. Connect that client with somebody else that needs that might be a great fit for them. I sometimes will send referrals to other florists that I'm just like, "Oh, my God, holy... I can't... Like I have another wedding.

I'm not gonna do a barn wedding with baby's breath, but I know this florist loves to do that." Whatever it is. And often when I'm doing referrals, especially with planners or if I'm, introducing a cake person or if I'm introducing a linen company, I'm really making that personal introduction instead of just forwarding a name on because I feel like then I'm being seen by that other person 'cause they know, 'cause they see the email with my client on them that I'm introducing them.

Then making sure that you're really inviting whenever you have an opportunity. And I know I'm kind of an anomaly because I do put styled shoots together, my workshops, editorial projects, open houses. It's different the, with me a little bit. But as a florist, you are completely in control to, to put together a styled shoot if that is like really calling you to do something.

That's how I even started to do this, is that I was really called to do these certain creative projects and went out of my comfort zone and did it. You can do the same thing. When you are doing that or when you're even getting invited, even ask, "Hey, what other vendor friends are you looking for?"

Because you could be bringing in somebody just like that is looking for a little bit of a boost that might be a great fit for the project and maybe is super excited. All right. Another thing that I also do, and this is out of the box, but I have a, a rescue kit. Like, I have a... It's called my emergency kit, and it has a million things in it.

And do you know how many times that that kit has saved somebody else's ass and not mine? Because I've had safety pins, I've had scissors, I've had stain remover. I've had, other items like literally I had, uh, what was it? Kling. And Kling helped this acrylic thing stick on a stage once. Huge difference.

I have gotten safety pins for the planners before. I've... I mean, you guys, there's so many things. Having an emergency kit and thinking strategically that this isn't just about helping you, this could potentially help somebody else. All right. Now, making sure that you're really... I, I love to make it so easy for someone to refer 'cause they can really explain who I am.

I actually have asked, and I would task you to do the same thing. If you were to describe me to somebody else who is a potential client, how would you describe me? And I have had people say, "Jenny is a total badass." That I've had people like, and I'm like, "Oh, thank you," that is very straight to the point and is really strategic in how she's spending your money.

She does large installations. She is great at color. She does elevated weddings. She cares about every detail. And take that language and so that you can really understand what is important to other people and what other people see you. And then use that to really tell your story so that even when you're networking...

Like I met a guy at, through WPA who does, um, LED dance floors. And he just had a really great elevator pitch. He was just like, we're this full service, but, uh, you know, our specialty is these LED dance floors that are really cool." And, you know, he kind of got me engaged in, like, really understanding what an LED dance floor is.

And now I'm helping put together this event in March, and I am trying to get them to do an LED dance floor because I think it would be dope. And I think that it would, especially in purple, would be really cool for it. So you never know when, like, that, that loop is gonna come together. So you wanna make sure that people really can explain what you do well.

And so positioning yourself, and really even when you're, you're going around and giving your, your elevator pitch, which is something that, like, we've recently did in the Floral CEO Mastermind is perfecting your elevator pitch. "Hi, my name is Jenny with Green Goddess Floral, and I am a wedding and event florist.

I specialize in colorful, elevated weddings and large installations, but I also do a ton of cultural weddings." sums up my business. You know, and the cul- the cultural weddings, I would only mention that if it was kind of, like, seemed like it could be somewhat relevant. So that is another way.

Making sure that you're really crystal clear on, how somebody would talk about you, because that's how you're gonna get referrals, guys. I have people say "Jenny is really thoughtful. Jenny goes the extra mile." I have a lot of people talk about the co- my color cu- the color palettes I put together, the colors in general.

Like, I rock color. And you know what? It was funny, 'cause today we were talking about, like, 90% of my weddings are color. I am not stuck in white wedding ville, because color is what I put out there, and color is what I'm drawn to, and it's inspiring to me. Like, I love curating beautiful color palettes. And it's something that has been that way for years and years.

So it could be that same thing for you. You need to just make sure that somebody really knows how to describe you, and... 'Cause that's, like, how they're, they're gonna start that referral kind of process, is making sure that they can really just explain what you do. All right. Another thing I think is really, giving, Opportunities, really opening up opportunities.

Like today, when I went to my venue, I had some extra flowers. They actually were not the right color for my wedding, but they were beautiful Dutch hydrangeas and I hated them to go to waste. So before I left, I quick- quickly made up a really pretty purple kind of Dutch hydrangeas, some green sedum. I had some basil that was a little bit too lavender for my wedding but was really pretty.

And I made a quick hand-tied bouquet up, threw it in a little cylinder vase, and I brought it with me to just say, "Thank you. I appreciate you," to the venue manager. So if you have an opportunity, you have extra flowers, or maybe you grow flowers, 'cause I know a lot of you guys that listen grow flowers, use that as an opportunity to use some of those flowers to do referral bidding.

You're just sharing, "Hey, I I literally am just wanting to say thank you for sending me referrals," or, "I just wanted to show you what kind of work I do." Or, you know, just anything that makes them really, like, notice you in a way that kind of can't be ignored. Um, I actually, when I started really growing flowers, did a whole kind of launch on where I went out, I rebranded my business, I started growing flowers, and I went and dropped off, like, some really fun arrangements at a bunch of different wedding planners and just was like, "Hey, I just wanted to show you what I could do, and I just wanted to show you gratitude for, you know, I really look up to you, and I'd love to work with you, and whatever comes of that, but I really just want to know you, that I see you, and I think you're amazing."

How cool is that? All right. Then another thing that I think that we often overlook is really, like, our personal social media. These are people that hopefully already like you. Hopefully they trust you because you're friends or related to them or know them. So this is, like, an immense opportunity for you to be in front of people who easily know people that need flowers, have people that are getting married, whatever it is.

So on a quarterly basis, I try to do some type of personal... This is your personal, you know, not your business, 'cause if you're posting quarterly on your business, we have bigger issues. But your personal Facebook page, Instagram page, "Hey- I don't know if you remember me, but I do flowers. So if you know anybody, here's a few of the pretty things that I've made recently.

Do a recap. Here are a few of the things that I have, um, made, blah, blah, blah. Hey, everybody. I just got published three times in Minnesota Bride. I'm so excited, and I just wanted to share. Here's some of the images. I mean, like, how cool is that? How cool is that to just be like... A- and I think people think it's, like, goading or, like, you know, "Hey, I think I'm so cool."

It is pretty cool if you got published three times. It is pretty cool if you did your first wedding. It is pretty cool if you did your first hanging installation. It is pretty cool to share five of the coolest things or 10 of the coolest things that you did. People love beauty, and share it. Share the beauty you are creating because people, it...

Your Facebook feed is filled with Trump being a dink and some terrible thing happening to somebody, and sh- Temu, and a million other things. What a joyful surprise to have flowers. And share something that, like, one of your, you know, like, God, look at what my friend that I went to high school with did.

Like, that's really cool. And I've had people, you know, because I periodically do this, I've, I've posted videos of the farm. I've, I've, um, you know, posted, like, things, like, in my family and, you know, like, sometimes there are things that are struggles, and then I've pushed through them. And sometimes they're just, like, joy and sharing.

And I've had people, like, and I've seen them. They were like, I just wanna tell you that I, like, I'm just, like, I think it's so kickass everything you've done. And, you know, I really admire everything that you've been through and that you've pushed through, and you've done that." But, like, nobody would know any of that shit if you didn't post little bits And I know that if that person has somebody that h- needs wedding flowers, they're probably going to think of me because they think I'm a badass and I'm cool and, like, I do beautiful work.

I, whenever I post Like, my year-end recap. I do a year-end recap as one of them. Like, look at the cool, 10 cool things that I made this last year or whatever. Or when I do, um, you know, like when I've been published and I've done a little like kind of, um, video of or whatever, or, I won an award for editor's choice on a bouquet or whatever.

I have gotten more comments on those posts ti- I mean, it's crazy. Like, double saying instead of like, "Look at my cute, adorable son who's up to no good and just lost his front teeth." double if not triple. And, you know, the same thing, like I've done some farm recap videos. Those get double if not triple the views.

And I, you know, I've had so many people like text me and be like, "I just really wanna come to your farm sometime, it looks so fun." Or I've had people even when I've posted on my personal, like they're just like, "Hey, I just love flowers and your work is so beautiful. And if you ever... I know I'm not a florist, but if you ever need help," blah, blah, blah.

I mean, like, how cool is that, that people are sharing that? And so I, I know that a lot people, especially here in Minnesota, people try to be humble. And I say this with, without humility, because I don't think there's anything to be ashamed about being proud of what you do. I am immensely proud of my work.

I am immensely proud of everything I've accomplished. I'm proud of my children. I've, I'm proud of the life that I have now. I'm proud of the business and where it's at. The work I do is so beautiful and inspiring and like, I only have bigger plans. Like, how is that not something to share? That somebody actually has a good fucking life.

Instead of when I see people, and honestly, I usually, uh, bl- like mute or block or unfriend, 'cause I just don't want that energy. Like, when somebody's just like living this everything is shit sandwich, like, "Can't believe this guy did this, and can't believe that guy did this, and this sucks and that sucks."

Like, we have enough of that. Like, be the light. I am the storm of my life, and like, I want everybody to know that they can be that same thing Like I want people to be inspired. I want people to know things are possible. And you can have that same impact. Like i- in your... You could impact one person by just showing them like what's possible, and they almost like immediately think you're the right we- wedding florist for me.

Or you know what? I wonder if they would do flowers for my my mom's birthday. Or like, oh my God, that thing was so cool, and then all of a sudden one of your friends gets engaged. And they're like, "Oh my God, my friend Becky," one of my Facebook friends, "like she's an amazing florist. She just did this like recap post of these cool things she made, and you have to meet her.

Like I just lo- I think it's so beautiful. Let me send you her Instagram page." How is that like gloating? Like I just created potentially a wedding out of just being who I am and just sharing that. There is no shame in sharing. It's not gloating. It's not being, ostentatious. It's, it's just being you and sharing who you are, and you should be proud of that I'm proud of that.

And if somebody doesn't like that, they can just unfollow me. They can just unfriend me, and my life will be no different. My life is 10 times better being enriched by sharing, and what sharing has actually brought me, and what sharing has done and impacted other people. So I hope these ideas were helpful.

If you have any other ideas, I would love for you to send me a DM, because I always love to hear what other flower friends are doing. These are things that I feel are just little tidbits that could make a difference in you making that next big planner connection, that next big, breakthrough in your business, because one planner can make a huge difference.

I have had a single person from a referral standpoint make $160,000 difference in my business, you guys, in one year. One year, $160,000. I have had another planner make a $90,000 difference in my business. You never know when you will hit the golden nugget, and you just gotta keep showing up and figuring out who is your human, because especially if they're on their way up to the top just like you are, you can build businesses together.

So thank you for listening, flower friends, and you have an amazing flower-filled day