Talent BY JULIE MARTENS FORNEY EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Christina Brown


Podcasts I listen to: “Planet Money and The Indicator from Planet Money — they’re both NPR pod- casts. I also enjoy Freakonomics, which applies economics to everyday things. It makes you think about different con- cepts and consider every possible side of an issue. It’s made me think about changes I make to our website. For instance, if I offer only 10 designs for a holiday and eliminate customization, I might lose clients. If I’m losing just one client versus paying overtime to custom- ize, it’s worth it. If I’m losing 10 clients, that’s a huge loss over a client’s lifetime.”


Owner Roses Are Red and Violets In Bloom Melbourne, Florida


> “If a grocery or big box store carries it, we don’t,” says Christina Brown, owner of two florists on Florida’s Space Coast. She curates a fresh product mix that’s a standout — not just because it’s uncom- mon in the mass marketplace, but also because every stem is handled with pre- cise care to ensure longevity. “Our repeat business is due to long-lasting flowers,” she says. “It’s important for each design to look good 10 to 12 days after purchase.” Brown has been in the floral industry


for 14 years. “I approach the business from a horticulture and science side more than a design side,” she says. “People buy flowers; they don’t buy art. Our job is to make sure the flowers look good, while being able to pay the bills. We can do that without a time-intensive design or sacrificing vase life.”


The call we never get: “‘The flowers don’t look like the picture on the website.’ We take our own photos, so our arrangements look exactly like the photos — or better. We don’t move stems when taking photos. Each photo looks like what’s going out the door. Good lighting (two $80 light boxes), an iPhone and one glass table with a neutral background gets the job done.”


My bridal show superpower: “When I attend a bridal show, I contact every venue I work with regularly and ones I want to work with. I offer to bring an arrangement with my card in it for their table. It doesn’t cost that much — it might retail around $85, so it’s $15 to $20 in materials, and I usually get the vase back. I design and photograph these arrangements to fill any holes in my port- folio in terms of trends, colors, etc. By the time brides get to my table, they’re not going to shop anywhere else for flowers.”


14 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | November/December 2023 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


FAMILY TIME After working for other fl orists, Christi Brown decided to buy a fl ower shop so she could have a lifestyle that makes time for family: her son, Jerry, and husband, Les.


Finding work-life balance: “As an owner, I’m always on call and may have to run to the shop. I work mostly remote running the business, logging 10 to 15 hours a week. That’s an inten- tional choice I’ve made so I can spend time with my family. Another choice? Focusing on simple weddings that my driver can drop and dash (bouquets, bouts, corsages and arrangements). I’d love to open a third shop, but I know what it would cost me. At this point in my life, I’m not willing to pay that price — but maybe later.”


Julie Martens Forney is a contributing writer for Floral Management.


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