Training: Week 2 Heading into 3

These days are moving faster now. Week two was pretty informative with a lot of class time and book learning. They did go back and have me do more of what I did on the first week to get me better fortified with the training. That was much appreciated since the training program comes fast and furious.

I was able to work on larger vase arrangements and used new plants and different types of fillers and flowers. It was nice seeing how unique arrangements could be when just slight tweeks are made and a stem or two are added.

One of my trainers made this beautiful arrangement here for a wedding show that was in town. Standing there watching her make this arrangement while I stuck stems and roses into a vase showed me that I needed to make sure I paid attention to what these fine trainers are teaching me. What I have started to noticed and learn is that you can teach people how to make an arrangement, but it takes someone with imagination and appreciation to actually become a good designer.


Unique and Fun

So after week 2, I was given a larger palate to paint my pictures.  They started to let me work on some wedding bouquets and some sympathy arrangements.  Arranging vases is a fine art but to fill up a large spray or casket piece, that is entirely different. Filling in holes, spreading the canvas, and adding highlights where you want the eye to focus is a great skill to learn. These trainers have helped me improve in these areas tremendously and I feel stronger and more confident with each passing day. 

My finished bouquet

Mine versus the trainers. Can't tell the difference huh?

Casket Lid Pillow

Large sympathy wreath

Large side piece

Casket Spray

We have been a little saddled this week though. A couple of orders have gone awry changing the training schedule up.  We have had to scramble to get merchandise into the stores to prepare for the holidays and even had to unload a couple of delivery trucks.  Such is the life of a small business owner. Nothing is ever set, the schedule is never concrete and the thing you should always strive for is flexibility; with yourself, your staff and your vendors.  This week has been a fine example of it here and I actually enjoyed the experience.

Just a small portion of the unloaded truck

Spend an entire day making these wreaths sell ready. My hands smell like pine and hurt like the dickens.

Next week will be getting cut short because they said I am ahead of schedule and a quick study.  Yay me!!! That means I can come home a day earlier and see my family sooner.  Call this guy one happy camper.  My next post will be after signing the papers and getting the keys to the shop. Then the real work begins. Till next time friends, do stop and smell the roses. You'll notice you can't help but smile.

They did let me have a little bit of fun.

The Beginning of the End

I finished my first week of my training at the corporate office and training stores.  Am I tired? Am I feeling a little overwhelmed? Are my hands cracked and stained all sorts of colors and shades of weird? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding yes.

I know I am not home with my kids and doing the day to day thing so a lot of people assume it is nice to have a little bit of a break from the daily chores, honeydo lists, and shuttle service duties commonly associated with parents that have kids my children's age, but to be honest, I enjoy doing those things and I am not getting any rest being up here away from them.

I worked all 7 days this week. The entire time I am moving around, working on arrangements and learning the business. It is hard not to notice how cramped my hands are getting, how sore my back is, and how I miss that old seat in front of my desk at the old job, but then there is some customer that walks into the store needing an arrangement for a special occasion, You can instantly see how much that occasion, be it their birthday, their anniversary, or even their recent loss, overwhelms them and it just moves them to even talk about it.  I can see that they are there for more than just flowers. 

It puts what I am learning and how I approach my new career into perspective.  I can see why my time here is important. I have always been good at selling all sorts of products but I don't know how to cater to personal occasions. So I will keep learning and honing the skills required for my new craft. I just want to learn how to best lighten, brighten and capture special moments in peoples lives.

What I have learned in just one week has been pretty good, at least I think so.

I never thought tying a bow or just making a bow would be so hard. My first few attempts were pretty dreadful but after an entire day and evening just working on it, I think I have made improvements.

Pretty terrible right?

At least it looks almost like a bow.

Much improved.

Now making small rose and carnation arrangements in vases was a task. No two plants, roses, flowers, or fillers are the same. It's like a snowflake. Each arrangement you do is different. The key to making one look better to be able to detect the subtleties in the bends, creases and lines of each piece to fill them in better.  It took me a while but these finally were presentable enough to make it on the sales floor.




Starting off small.

Getting bigger and bolder

My pumpkin creations have been a hit. I even sold one the moment it hit the fridge!!

Someone snatched up this wicked witch for Halloween.

 

 

 

Some of my other foam arrangements below.

 

 

I also learned how to create corsages and boutonnieres. Of course with homecoming over and no real occasion to need these we had a huge excess of them at the store so we decided to give them away at random. If you don't know how much flowers still mean to people, give them a free arrangement to take to a party. Their eyes will light up and it's almost like they won the lotto. One guy came in and bought just a small arrangement for his mom's 80th birthday and a few balloons.  The arrangement was also a Tom original but when I gave him the free corsage to give to his mom, he was just overwhelmingly grateful which in turn made me just feel all warm inside. Maybe I should call my mom to tell her I love her... Nah...

 

That in a nutshell is how my first week went. A lot of hard work but extremely fulfilling. I learned a lot and even grew a little bit as a person. What more can you ask for at the end of the day right?

Funny thing is, after having made a ton of arrangements and other stuff, I found this one to be my favorite. Simple and easy. Just like me.

Day One: Into the Hornet's Nest

As of my last post, you all know I have taken on the venture of owning a flower shop.  For this past month, I have been in and out of the store to learn from the owner the ins and outs of running the business. The thing is, the shop is a franchise owned store and before I can really take over the business, they require me to go through their training before I can get their approval.  So off I went.

I do need to go back and mention that their training program is vigorous and time intensive and... in Iowa.  It will require me to be away from my loving family and the comforts of my house for an entire month and be in the cold and foreboding atmosphere that is shoot, I don't even know what Iowa's state motto is.  It's Iowa...

So yesterday I drove up in my truck because it was only a 13 hour drive vs. a 5 hour flight. I weighed the option of a little longer travel time versus a car seat that is shaped to my rear end and it seemed a no brainer. I got in late last night to my hotel and everything was closed as far as restaurants go.  It was Sunday and it is Iowa so I just a granola bar and went to bed. 

I woke up early this morning to go to the training facility and met Rita, my personal everything on this trip.  We spent a little bit of time with introductions with other staffers at the office, and the casual stuff that most people do when they have nothing else to really say and then we went straight to work.  We skimmed over the training regimen and what we really do in the business and even some plant and flower care procedures. 

The training facility or what I like to call Gitmo.

Notice my first official name tag?

Soon after that, we went to one of the company owned stores. And that's when it happened. I was trough to the lions and had to start working on flowers all of the sudden.  I guess Rita doesn't believe in baby steps or coddling new franchisees. She is one to just rip the Band-Aid right off.  She had me processing flowers, logging in orders, and stripping roses on a scary machine for a guy that has and wants to keep all of his 10 fingers. After that, it was sleeves of flowers.... first roses, then mixed roses, then mixed bouquets and then and then and then I believe I blacked out a little bit.  When I came to, my back ached, my hands bled just a little and the coolers were full of decent looking arrangements.  I do jest and this wasn't as hard as I am making it out to be but it was a full day of work and I felt more competent in the process so it was a great learning experience. And my fingers did bleed a little bit. Rose thorns are sharp dang-it!!

12 rose red and assorted sleeves. A Tom Production

Mixed flower bouquets. Less thorny but more time consuming.

Basic Rose Sleeves.

Deluxe mixed bouquets.

Rita was really great as an instructor and she was very encouraging and quick to praise. I only wish I had her as my 7th grade English teacher.  I might have learned to grasp the English language better.  Well, that is just my first day in a nutshell. I have had two drinks of the finest bourbon Iowa has to offer, Templeton Rye, and ate at a really awful Asian/Italian Noodle shop to unwind my day.  Now on to tomorrow...

Walking in Head First

As the joke goes: A man walks into a flower shop after noticing a sign hanging in the window that says,"Say it with flowers". He walks up to the counter and orders one rose. The clerk asked, "Only one?" To which the man responds, "Yes, I'm a man of few words."

I guess I may have a lot more to say since I have recently decided to buy the entire flower shop.  

I felt it was time to go into business for myself after working the corporate machine for the past 11 years. Don't get me wrong; I did enjoy my job. I made a lot of friends and even met my lovely wife there.  It was a great place to work, but during my last year there I just felt I was missing something in my life.  I needed a change and decided to take the summer off to figure out what would bring me the most fulfillment.  I concluded that I should own a family run and community oriented business.  I missed working in sales and the relationship building process so I decided to go back to my roots: working at a store and satisfying complete strangers. 

Why a flower shop? Well, have you seen the look on the faces of people who receive flowers? It's just a look of joy. People hardly shop for flowers with a frown and people who receive flowers are genuinely happy to greet you at the door.  It's something that truly does bring cheer.  For memorable moments, special occasions and even during times of illness or heartache, flowers says it all.  

"Happy Birthday"

"Thanks for the 10 years of marriage"

"I'm sorry for some of those years of marriage"

"Hello Beautiful"

"I just wanted you to smile"

 

"And you thought I was awesome before... "

 A simple gift of flowers can be the start of long conversations or the perfect gift for times you can't find the words. The gift that welcomes in newborn life and the gift that helps say goodbye to those whose life meant so much.  I really don't know of a better company to own or one that would be much more fulfilling.  When a person establishes a relationship with a florist, the florist will be there for all the big events in that person's life: birthdays, anniversaries, births, retirements, illnesses, and the heartfelt losses.  The florist even gets to experience the important "just because" moments in people's lives.  A simple gift of flowers indeed.

Fortunately, I have been able to spend time watching the current owner and her great staff work their magic. I'm thankful that her well trained staff will all be staying after the transition. As you can see by the photos throughout this blog, they are a fun, talented and creative bunch to work with.  Each time I step foot in the store, I feel better about the decision I have made and where my life is heading. I hope the readers of this blog will follow me on this wonderful new opportunity in my and my family's life. I'll make sure to keep the conversations flowing with hopefully thoughtful bouquets of words. 

Keeping it blooming till next time my friends,

Tom