Behind the Scenes: Lessons from Working with Top Video and Design Teams

Episode 252: In this episode, host Lori Wilson PFCI sits down with her co-host Vonda LaFever AIFD PFCI CFD and friend Julie Poeltler AIFD PFCI CFD  to discuss their recent collaboration with a top-notch video production and design team. Join them as they reflect on their experience at the Benz Institute on the Texas A&M Campus in College Station.

From overcoming challenges to embracing highlights, Julie and Vonda share what they learned from working with these talented teams and how it has impacted their own approach to their profession. Tune in to hear about the wonderful lessons and experiences gained from this collaborative endeavor.

Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Let me go to the next question. Julie, what was, if you had a high point of the whole thing, what would that be or the best part of your trip?

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome to the Business and Pleasure of Flowers. We're your hosts, Vonda LaFever.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

And Lori Wilson. And we believe that business and fun are a perfect combination. Kind of like us, Vonda.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

Hello, Vonda LaFever, and one of my favorite people in the world and guest, Julie Poulter. How are you? I'm very well, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_04 0:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

And you? I'm just fabulous. Fabulous. Great seeing the two of you. The reason I have you two here today is you guys have had a bit of an event this week. And by this week, I mean last week because this will be next week. So everybody figure that one out after you've had a cup of coffee. You guys were at in college station at my neck of the woods. We were oh that's right. I forgot about that. Yes, I was not invited, but no, you weren't. That is okay because it was not my cup of tea. Um I'm not quite sure what the heck you guys were doing. But I know it had something to do with flowers. You were at the Ben School of Design at AM, right? Bill McKinley. Yes. And he asked you guys to come. Was this for AIFD or was it for Texas? I just have no clue what you were doing. So, Vonda, you start. What exactly what were y'all doing?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

We were doing videos for two purposes. One was for AIFD because they're in the process of revising their AIFD online courses. Oh, really? Starting to get together. We figured I think to since 2012, since those were produced. And so they really do need to be up to it. They're starting that, but also ICEV, which I didn't even know what was, right? They're the a company that is redoing videos for the Texas high school curriculum. Isn't that correct, Julie?

SPEAKER_05 2:30

I understood it. Anybody that would purchase from their online classes.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Okay. Because I actually had to look that up. And it said every day, ICEV aims to create engaging solutions and dynamic curriculum to provide all learners with focus and preparation needing for a successful transition from K through 12 to post-secondary studies to career success and lifelong learning. So that was kind of interesting to me because I thought it was just for high schools. But as you mentioned, it's not. It's like the high schools can purchase this right to use in their curriculum. Well, I don't know if it's a purchase. I I should not have said that.

SPEAKER_05 3:14

Like here in our school, there are some online classes that kids take for high school. And I don't know if they're purchased or that how they do that through the districts. But but I did find out, they probably told you this, Fonda, is that they have had over 5,000 views of people doing the online classes of theirs.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

Wow. 5,000. Isn't that cool? That is cool. I do know that Barbara and Wendy, who we were speaking with, they're instructors in the high schools and the ag programs. And floor culture is part of the ag program in the high schools. And there's really nothing for them to use in that program. And you have some guys in there who are teaching the ag program who have to talk about a floral design, who are clueless. They don't know how to make any croissage bootney or anything. So that's why this is going to be utilized in the high schools in those ag programs. That they're saying, we are so excited because all of the educators that they were filming, which were us, right? You and I and and the other four that were with us, they said what we're seeing is excitement. We're seeing passion. We're seeing, oh my gosh, it could be fun to be in the floral industry, as well as teaching those, you know, skills. That's what they thought about us. Us four that were us five that were there. That's what they said about us. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, they were because you've got somebody teaching normally who's just like, yes, and you do this and you do that.

SPEAKER_04 4:44

And you like fair feel or that's sure.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

Well, and you know, Vana, when you were telling me who always there, like you three and Renee Tucci, and who were the other ones? I can't remember who you were saying. Jack Gallagher, John Hosek, and yeah, all of those different personalities teaching and different teaching styles, that's exactly what I thought. I was thinking, as somebody who would watch it, how fun. Because every one of you have a different style. So if somebody got bored watching one, well, just wait a few minutes because somebody else is going to pop up, right? And so you might like theirs. And so that's really important. It would be horrible to have just one person teach the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Like you said, different styles of teaching. And but I would say each one of the persons that we just mentioned, that personality is going to be engaging to whoever blocked it. Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

Well, not why he picked you guys. All of you have such experience in teaching design. So anyway, okay, so you did it. I was confused on the lap over of how you got there because Vonda, you went on Monday, and then you kind of lapped over with Julie a little bit, and then you came back. I thought you were coming back later, but you actually got back earlier, but you said Julie was still there. How did the whole thing work logistically?

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Well, Julie, Julie, you came in first. You and Janet were first, right? Yeah, that was bonus. We had Bill all to ourselves for a Sunday, and it was like great.

SPEAKER_05 6:23

Wow. We oh, you could ask him any questions and he had time for us, and he would direct us in a certain area, and it was just wonderful. And then Janet and I just fed back and forth and and and enjoyed each other. It was such a great day, Sunday. We got everybody else coming in. He just didn't have that one-on-one with Bill. Because once he got filming, he was upstairs in Bonda. I don't know if you ever saw Bill, but on Sunday, he was in and out of our room all the time.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Yeah. Wow. Yeah, we did see him, but to answer that question more so, Lori, is that it was organized that you had a half an hour to prep and then you had a half an hour to shoot. And it was staggered. So if if Julie would do a shoot, then maybe I would be in between her or Janet, because then that gave her time to prep for her next one or to bring it up into the area that we were filming. So it was it was truly from eight o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the evening. That there was every half hour there was something scheduled. So it was it was moving and a shaking.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Did you guys know like weeks ahead of time what you were gonna be teaching? Or do they just give you the script as Julie's doing hers and go, okay, Bonnie, you're next. Here's what you're teaching.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

No, we were supposed to have it a couple weeks, two to three weeks ahead of time. What?

SPEAKER_05 7:41

Oh, I I can receive mine on Sunday night, and uh I left Saturday. Yeah, yeah. Nice, so we had a little time. I looked at that email and went, I don't have time to study, I'm winging this. Yeah, and I was I sucked at it too.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

No, it was something you couldn't wing. And once you got there, you just like to dig in because oh my gosh, I learned so much. I learned so much.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

I cannot believe give me examples. Like, what did you learn? Give me examples of what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_05 8:15

Go ahead, Bun.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

And then I'll answer that. One thing that I learned is that when they rewrote the AID book of terminology, the whole book, there are no longer secondary principles or elements of design. What? It's done differently and organized and used different terms. And so then when you go to get behind the camera and then you're thinking in those lines, because that's where we have grown up, right, Julie? That's what we've always known. And so you go to use one of those terms and you're and you have Mr. McKinley, Bill, behind the camera going like this, you know, cut, cut or stop. And then he'll say, No, let's let's try that again, because that is no longer this and this and that. And then you're trying to remember that when you're trying to talk, and then you mess it up again. So you're like, no. No, why'd they change it? I mean, there was reasons for it because otherwise, all the educators who rewrote the book or edited that book wouldn't have done it. But it's just that that's what's in our mind, right?

SPEAKER_05 9:22

Yeah, and that was like an eye-opener. So we had a prompter, and I really thought he would put that terminology on the book. Finally, after my pocket square boutonier, I said, everything that's on that sheet you sent me, you put on the prompter. You define everything, you put every definition on the prompter for me because I'm not gonna say it like I would normally say it. I would have him put it on the prompter so I could say it professionally. Yeah, that was smart because you it just like my hardest thing is to, and you would ask me that question was to be so technical. Yeah, that was hard for me.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Agreed. But I think we both understood why. Yes, is that this is for students who are learning the proper terminology. The course for AIFD, same thing. You know, we want to make sure we're getting the exact information. And not only was Bill listening, those other ladies behind the camera, my gosh, because I was saying something and then they stopped me and they said, I don't think you defined that term. And then Bill would say, Yes, they did. She did, blah, blah, blah, blah. But you know, you had all these ears listening to make sure that all the correct information was there. And you know, Lori, when we do our videos, we don't do that. I mean, we do, we have you and Ellie, or else we have Julie listening when I am, or I'm listening to Julie. But it was a whole different team.

SPEAKER_05 10:54

Those ladies and gentlemen were the kindest people, they were so nice to work with, they were so nice.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

They were, they couldn't have been better if they really we did have one little incident when I was there because you know that room was so tight. Oh, it was tight, and there were lights and there were cameras and all this kind of stuff. And I'm not sure who was doing the side camera. That gentleman was so kind, and his foot got caught in that light, you know, with those wings on it. Oh no, and it it fell and hit me right in the face. And I was like, I'm like, Am I bleeding? Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, Bonda. That thing hit me like right beside the eye, and I had a bump on my head, and and there was and we're just like, I'm like, Am I bleeding? No, okay, let's keep going. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

Can you see the bomb cover it with my bangs?

SPEAKER_00 11:47

And then I didn't even realize that, like, you kind of the old saying, Oh my gosh, that's gonna leave a mark. Yes, you know, so after I got home, took my makeup on, I'm like, okay, well, you have a bruise here, and you have I really had a distinct line down the side of my face with a I was really laughing because I'm like, oh my gosh, I mean and when I went in the next day, the guy goes, I wondered if you're coming in with a black eye this morning.

SPEAKER_03 12:17

Nope, I'm okay. They didn't make you so that was report like a like an injury report.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

No, we didn't. It was all fine, but they were they were so kind, like you said, they were so kind of stern.

SPEAKER_05 12:28

Um when they knew you were struggling, man, they would say something that you're doing a great job. I mean, they were so kind.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Yeah, that was what I was gonna ask you guys when you were struggling, because you know, we all get in those, we've all been there when you're filming, you just you start struggling and you can't get out of it. Did they have any ways of getting you out of that struggle? You know how a lot of times we just have to like stop and walk away and then come back. Did they have any tips for that?

SPEAKER_00 13:00

They would stop, and when I was doing it, the guy behind the camera, I don't the main camera, so kind, he would just go, Okay, take a deep breath. Come on, let's just let's go. Yeah, it's okay, you're doing great. And then they would all, like Julie said, they were just encouraging. But he he did that to me a couple times. Okay, let's take a deep breath. It's okay, you got this.

SPEAKER_05 13:23

Yeah, and the one time I was struggling on the AIFD one for asymmetrical, and it was first thing in the morning, and I was nervous before I even got there. It's eight o'clock in the morning, Julie. I was like, oh my god, and I was just all twisted up still. I just got myself all worked up. Finally, I just said, Bill, you need to come up here with me. I gave up the ship. I said, You need to come with me. I said, This has got to be technical, and I can't do it. I'm having troubles. And Bill, boom, he was right there. They got on my mic, they got him up, and we were both in black and we were on the road. Yeah, perfect.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

Yeah. But Lori and I talk about that a lot is how sometimes people learn better with two behind the camera anyway. So that was probably a real learning situation for everybody.

SPEAKER_05 14:10

You're right. And they also told me they could see me just relax, boom. But they saw my shoulders go down. They said, You just you just about two minutes into it, you were just fine. Yeah, and we just rolled. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:23

Sometimes you just need someone up there to bounce a couple things off of, and it just makes it so much easier.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

I had him join me for one too, my crescent, because it was the same type of thing. I had to define, I think there were five, the three elements and and two principles that had to be done specifically the right way. And I'm like, hey Bill, come on up. Yeah. Yeah. So it worked out great. So it was really.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Let me go to the next question. Julie, what was if you had a high point of the whole thing, what would that be or the best part of your trip?

SPEAKER_05 15:01

Oh, I I I just think the to be asked, I guess I didn't know what I was getting into. Yeah. And I thought, okay, this is video work, everything's gonna be on the prompter. You just go be your well, that was a big surprise. And it it was like, oh my god, but to be asked to do this, I thought that was a really a high point.

SPEAKER_04 15:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:25

Because I don't think they're gonna ask me back.

SPEAKER_04 15:31

Oh, that's funny.

SPEAKER_03 15:33

I can't wait to see the bloopers. That's what I was.

SPEAKER_04 15:35

I've got the most bloopers.

SPEAKER_03 15:37

That's always the best part. That is yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

What about you, Wanda?

SPEAKER_00 15:41

Yeah, I think that too. I mean, you feel really honored to been have been asked, and I think the high point was to be able to work with Julie and Renee and Janet and Ken and John and Bill, and to have all of us together and to watch each one design and the designs they were asked to do. But then also we had this little checkoff sheet that we were supposed to do designs for stills, and just to watch everybody design. And yeah, oh my gosh. Just to me, that's just fascinating to be right in the same room and watch that happen.

SPEAKER_05 16:16

And you know, Lori, I asked Vonda at the photo shoot, I said, Did you have anything to do with Bill asking me to do this video? And she goes, No. And I said, Really? Because I really thought Vonda had put my name in there. And she goes, No. So to be asked by Bill after all these years, for him to know, I don't even, you know, my design work, my design stuff, I don't know. I said, that was yeah, Adonna to be asked.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Yeah. But let me ask you, Julie, haven't you done an air program for the SAIFD chapter in um when he was at Kishwaki for teaching style?

SPEAKER_05 16:50

Not there, just I've done it, not for him. I've done it for like the Jim Del Prince. Okay. I thought maybe you had done it. That's why I'm like, why did he have me on his radar? I don't know. I was very grateful for that. That was very nice.

SPEAKER_02 17:03

I do have a snare. I have another question for the two of you, just hearing you, because you both have similar answers there about your best part of the trip. I'm curious, uh, you guys watching everyone else design, which you both loved. Did either of you walk away getting inspired for new ways to design? Like, did you learn a new, like, ooh, like Vonda? I'll I'll speak to you and then I'll speak to you, Julie. Like, did you learn a new, like, oh, I'd love to design something like that for flower click or a new way to design? Whether it's a mechanic or a new trend or a new something from being around all of those people. You can even call it inspo, inspiration. Is there anything that sparked something new that you walked away going, next photo shoot? I want to try this for flower click, just out of curiosity.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

I would say I didn't give a spark from some type of design that was being seen, but I did learn a couple of different techniques. Like Renee did this leaf that she did with raffia that was really cool, you know. So it was like that wouldn't be something we would necessarily use for flower click for a photo shoot, but it would be something demo-wise that would be kind of cool to do, and there's something I could use. The other one was just that simple technique she did, because I do it differently, is where you use um the waterproof tape, Julie, and it to wrap your bouquet, your hand-tied bouquet, and then she flipped it around and did it completely the sticky way on that, and tied it off and used her lilygrass, used that to hold her lilygrass. Oh nice. There were just a couple techniques that I was watching the designers do that I was like, oh, well, that's really cool. Yeah, you know, I love that another way. So that those were two specific. I mean, if I thought of it longer, I mean I was watching John and I'm like just yeah, intrigued in Ken's designs. What he did a great waterfall, and Janet's was too. Anyway, yeah, it was just it was inspiring.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

Yeah, just inspiring. Yeah. What about you, Julie?

SPEAKER_05 19:29

The first day Janet was working on wiring techniques for croissage work, and Bill brought out this little, this little piece of wood, and it had 12 nails, and you could bring your wire around each one of those nails, and it made your actual bracelet right on your arm. It was the coolest thing, and it was like I took a picture of it and everything. I was like, oh my goodness, that that little that little character was wonderful. And then Janet just made me laugh. Also, we had a sheet of things that we had to do, some still shots, and we had holidays to work on. And Janet, she would pick up one when she had five minutes, and she goes, Oh, I'm gonna do this vegetative, or I'm gonna do this, or I'm gonna, and she had like four of them. I think she six of them done before she left. I only did one because I'm like, I don't get it. So uh she was so funny is she would just pick it up and just do it. So it was great. Didn't you love her Easter one? It was adorable. She went into the top room, brought up this dish, because I'm gonna do this in Easter and I'm gonna do this nest and I'm gonna do this. I mean, she wasn't even worried about a project. I think she was having more fun with doing the standalones. She was funny, she was very oh so that was cool that she did this nest in a bowl for Easter. She made a nest out of uh some twigs and some lily grass, and then she hobbyed all these little elements together in little groupings. That was pretty. Yeah, everybody had some fun stuff to do. So if you had a picture of every one of those, you would have like 15 new designs because they were all great, they were all wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 21:06

Out of the whole thing, like when you guys got back on your plane and were flying home, and your brain was just going back to every single thing that happened. What was your biggest takeaway from the week? Like the main thing you're like, wow, that happened. Like, what was your biggest takeaway, Julie?

SPEAKER_05 21:29

It sharpened my pencil. Oh yeah. It it just sharpened my pencil to be a little bit sharper with my focal area, to be a little bit sharper with my with my line to tidy this up and remember how many different lines I had into one design where I thought, okay, I've got a line design. That's all I would commentate on. Now I remember, okay, you had this grass, Bill pointed out, you've got this grass, you have a line here, and they're all stacked. And so it's just defining all the things that you learn. But I sort of pushed uh on the back burner so it brought it forward and it really, like I said, sharpened my pencil. So I'm a little more aware, a lot more aware.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Yeah, I love that. I think that's so true, Julie. And when you're saying sharpen your pencil, what I found is that I need to really watch each word I say and say it with intention. It needs to be so correct when you're teaching. There you go. Like yesterday, I was getting ready to do um something for our sales prep school, do the um styles and common flowers, all that. And I found myself on the design styles looking up each one of those terms that I was talking about to make sure that what I was saying was exactly what it needs to be and shouldn't be like, oh, it's kind of like this, it's kind of like that. It's let's know, you know, what is very good. Yeah, what is a pave? It's short stem flowers placed closely together with little variation in height. Instead of saying it just kind of takes a path through the thing, you know, it's like you sharpen your pencil, you have to be specific. The other thing that I would say is, and you probably would agree, what a great industry we're blessed to be in, and how we have such great relationships and friends. Like you said, we were humbled to be there, but you walked away going, Wow.

SPEAKER_05 23:29

Yeah, such a short time and how much how much you could laugh and just just that everybody working at the same level. It was just wonderful. Yeah, yeah, it really was.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

You know, and I don't don't yell take this the wrong way, but but I and I don't think you will, because I I think you guys believe this too. It's a great feeling when you have an opportunity, you know, how they say surround yourself with people smarter than you. Um, and it's when we have that opportunity to be in a space, not that they're smarter, but you know what I mean, to build those people that are constantly challenging us, and they would say the same about you two, like that is such a great week when when you have those moments. Uh we uh Vonda and Julie, because you are educators and we we spend a lot of our time in those weeks being that main teacher always in everything. So when you have those times where you're around people and get to be taught every once in a while, and you're like, oh, this is so great.

SPEAKER_03 24:46

Yes, you know, to to get our cup filled.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

We talk about that so much, it's it's such a great feeling, and it sounds like you guys got to do that. And what a blessing, what an absolute blessing and honor that Bill asked you guys to do that. And I have no doubt he knew exactly who he wanted to ask when it was time to do this. So I'm I'm excited. My other question, and you may not know the answer to this, is do you know when this is going to be ready and how people are gonna be able to access it?

SPEAKER_00 25:21

I don't know. I would guess you could go to the ICEV website and at some point, because it will have the classes listed, and when they get it up and ready, I would guess that's something you can register for, right? I don't know how it works, but I would say go to the website and take a look.

SPEAKER_05 25:39

You guys have them on a podcast would be great.

unknown 25:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:43

Oh, yeah. Because that that information that they have, I would just be fascinated what they do, not only in film, because I think they do other things besides floral, but it would be interesting to what other subject matters they do and and how they do it. And I think that would be sort of fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

Yeah, yeah. When you Google it, it's just like we prepare the next generation of skilled workers.

SPEAKER_04 26:06

So how is that?

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Yeah. Yeah. Change your learners' lives. Yeah, book a demo, engage students. So, yeah, very, very cool. So well, thanks for giving us all this information. This is very exciting. I do want to share one important piece of information that I think is very important. It is the third week of October, and this is the second October in two years that I have not purchased a bag of candy corn. So it's not Lent, it's not Easter. Well, I don't know, it's not intentional. Oh, really? My my candy corn peanut addiction usually of October. And last October, I was intentional. This October, it was kind of by accident.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

And I well, I've only done one. I've only done one bag, which is pretty rare. Yeah one bag with my peanuts.

SPEAKER_02 27:15

Yeah, and I have done none bags, so I just share that with the world so they can think it's amazing. Yeah. Well, you're welcome.

SPEAKER_05 27:24

How about you, you, Julie? You're not a candy corn lover. Uh it's okay. It I gotta have it with peanuts and you know a little chocolate. How about peanuts?

SPEAKER_02 27:32

Oh, I wouldn't just eat a plain. I am not a psycho.

SPEAKER_05 27:34

I would only have it with MMs, raisin, candy corn, and dry roasted peanuts. What really put it all together like a little grot mix? It's wonderful. Yeah. Just try it. Don't don't judge me back. Just try it and get back to me. Text me. See what I like.

SPEAKER_03 27:52

Back back in a what is this combo of which you speak? What? Raisins?

SPEAKER_05 27:59

Yes. MM's. Okay. Dry roasted peanuts and candy candles. Yes. Mix it up and give it a try.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

Well, now I'm gonna have to go to the Walmart.

SPEAKER_05 28:12

Or if I get it in the mail. Now I've got to have your address on mail at all. Gosh! Now I'm my butt and the candy corns gotta be really fresh. Don't buy something, you know. Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_03 28:23

You guys know my mom would literally squeeze the bags in the store to check her candy corns. She did not care. She would be squishing them. Oh, this is a bad bag. She'd go to the next. Oh, this is a good bag. That was her bad thing. So anyway, that is what I'm gonna have to go get me some candy corns, I guess. Thank you for asking. All righty.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Thank you so much for listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoyed spending time with us because we enjoy spending time with you. If you did, make sure you hit that subscribe button or add the Business and Pleasure of Flowers to your Google morning routine or your flash briefing on Alexa.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

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