Talent BY JULIE MARTENS FORNEY EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Emily Torres


the Insights page gives tips on improving posts. Also, see what’s trending online, and consider how you can make it relate to your business. I ask myself, ‘How can Kennicott connect to that?’ If you can add your business to a trend, why not make a post about it? Using trending audios is an easy way to gain exposure.”


My go-to app: “Monday.com. It’s a project manage- ment website that’s super helpful for staying accountable in the tasks you have and also keeping on top of every- thing. It allows a workspace with people in your company for communication and collaboration. You can tag coworkers for their involvement in a project, set deadlines and receive emails when tasks are updated. It’s a great tool for when you have a lot going on and need to stay organized.”


Marketing Coordinator Kennicott Brothers Company Chicago, Illinois


> “When I step into the cooler on Monday mornings, it smells so good and is very peaceful,” says Emily Torres. “It’s like having a garden in your office.” Based at Kennicott Brothers in Chicago, Torres joined the marketing department three years ago as a student intern, a po- sition that shifted neatly into a full-time job. “I’m part of a smaller team, so we get to dabble in different aspects of mar- keting. There’s always something new to take in,” she says. Helping with social media, Torres


aims to get more engagement on socials for the company’s 14 locations. She leans on Instagram and Facebook as Kennicott’s primary channels. Posts that engage well for them? “Fun-themed holiday posts always perform well, as does posting about any seasonal changes,” she shares. “We also target smaller holidays,


like Galentine’s Day or Girlfriend’s Day, and find it’s a good way to engage cus- tomers. Day of the Dead is also growing in popularity and offers a meaningful opportunity to highlight marigolds.” Mini-events, such as Pantone’s Color


of the Year, provides another occasion suited for planning posts. Her best tip for successful socials? “Identify your brand voice. That will help you create a cohe- sive look on your posts, which makes you stand out from the crowd,” she says.


What surprised me about this industry: “It’s a hidden path you can follow for a career. I had no idea about flowers, except that they were pretty, you could buy them at the grocery store, and florists exist. It’s so impressive all that goes on behind the scenes. And the people — so nice and friendly! Everyone is really kind and engaging, even competitors. It’s very genuine and like a breath of fresh air.”


My favorite part of the job: “Engaging with florists and seeing their passion and creativity firsthand. I espe- cially love attending the floral events Kennicott sponsors and watching design- ers bring flowers to life in unique ways.”


Social media habits that work: “Knowing your audience is a key to get- ting engagement with posts. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to figure out what they like. On Instagram and Facebook,


12 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/August 2026 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


How I keep up with trends: “On site I visit the cooler daily to see what’s new and check in with our loca- tion manager weekly to see what’s upcoming so I know what to promote in our Chicago posts. Our farms’ Instagram posts keep me informed about new varieties and provide insight into what our audience is looking for in flowers. Browsing the Discover page of Instagram also helps me see what our industry is doing. It’s a great way to catch on to new, growing trends.”


Advice to live by: “Everyone tells me that the industry is always changing. There’s so much science behind it, which drives the change. In this way, flowers are new. But flowers are also a universal love language—they’re how everyone around the world celebrates. Years ago, one of the Kennicott brothers proved that if you give someone flowers, they’re going to smile. Always remember that this industry has a very powerful product: flowers.”


Julie Martens Forney is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.


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