Clean Up the Crap & Keep Going: A New Year, A New Word

Episode 315:  In this special anniversary episode, Vonda, Lori, Ellie, and Kami gather to celebrate six years of Business & Pleasure of Flowers. They share heartfelt (and hilarious) holiday stories, reflect on how “Amplify” shaped the past year—including the tariff pivot—and brainstorm what Flower Clique’s Word of the Year for 2026 should be. The episode wraps with proud, goosebump moments: member wins, community connections, and the impact that keeps the team energized for what’s next.

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

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:01

The whole time in the background are like, it's a rock! It's a rock. And then my dad's like, it's a damn rock.

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Welcome to the business and pleasure of flowers. We're your hosts, Vonda LaFever.

SPEAKER_04 0:19

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

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Here we are, Lori, with a very special episode for our Business and Pleasure of Flowers.

SPEAKER_05 0:36

We've got the whole gang here. We've got Cammy and Ellie. Got the whole the whole crew. Woo-hoo! Hello. Okay, ladies. Happy anniversary. Happy anniversary. Happy anniversary.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

It is number six. I know we're starting to work for number seven.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

What's funny is like I was thinking about that we were doing this like last week, and I was like, oh yeah, year seven. We're on it. And I didn't realize. So we're on year six.

SPEAKER_03 1:10

No, like year seven. We just finished year six. We are moving forward to heaven. So we're right. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

No, we just finished year five. Four.

SPEAKER_02 1:20

So we have completed, we have completed year six. Can I just And you said you were gonna do this for like two years, Laura?

SPEAKER_05 1:28

Two years. I just need to remind you and Vonda, Ellie and Vonda, on the phone that night in that corner over there, which I'm pointing. I said, I can give you two years. And now we're on seven.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

You can pretend it's six though if you want. It makes you feel better. I can get two more.

SPEAKER_03 1:51

I know, but we we brought him back in. I mean, we swapped him in at the wedding. I'd have to say he would suck.

SPEAKER_05 1:58

So we went to Rome and he started learning to design. Oh, can I tell you over Christmas he designed? He made a bouquet. He made his mom was here. Oh you guys sent us the box of flowers. Yes. And we have this rooster that was his dad's when he was a little boy. It's a vase, but it's in the shape of a chicken or a rooster. I don't know which one it is. And it was one of the things he wanted from his mom's house before she moves. It's just this chicken rooster. Anyway, it now sits on our kitchen table. And I put a little wreath around him. Oh, and little Bailey put little ornaments so it looked like chicken rooster has little eggs. Mark made an arrangement, put it in chicken and chickens. And he said, Look, Vonda would be proud. I would be very should have taken a pick. Well, I didn't because Vonda would not have been proud. I am proud just that he blessed his heart. And his mom oood and odd. And every person that walked in, she said, Look what Mark made. You know, he helped with the wedding in Rome. I love anyway. I was laughing so hard, but it was cute. That's adorable. Let's teach a man to fish. Exactly, but he acted like he knew what he was doing. Yeah. You know, stepping into his power. I am. I know. I was proud of him too. And I was just excited that he went over there and got him out of the bucket and he put the hydrangea in first because he knew it needed a little stability, and then just started throwing stuff in.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Nice.

SPEAKER_05 3:42

And I just didn't touch it. He listened, Lori. And you didn't touch it.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

That's most important.

SPEAKER_05 3:47

I really wanted to. So anyway. So Ellie, how was your Christmas?

SPEAKER_02 3:53

It was great. We bopped all over. We were in Florida, went up to Atlanta, went to Iowa. So yeah, it was good. It was lots of family and friend time. Yeah. Lots of different climates. Yep. I packed my big long winter coat, didn't wear it once. What? Not even in Iowa. I did around.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

Nope. Nope. She needed it in Iowa, but that day we did not go out when it was minus six. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Feels like minus 15.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

Didn't go out. Didn't need to go outside. Yeah. Perfectly good inside.

SPEAKER_05 4:27

What was your favorite gift or moment during Christmas?

SPEAKER_02 4:35

It can be funny, sad, emotional. So it's funny. Okay. Well, this is, I actually have another story, but this isn't the story. Okay. Got it. So I'm sure you've seen this on TikTok. I haven't, but I got two nieces that are in that age. Yes. And Tyler and I really wanted to bake chocolate chip cookies. We were going to do it in Florida, but we didn't. And so we're like, we brought all the stuff to Iowa. We're like, we really want to make like these bakery style chocolate chip cookies. And Leighton was like, have you seen the thing where you bake as a group, but one person is blindfolded, one person has headphones on, one person everyone has a bit of a disability of this sort. Right? Yes. So we did that. And it was the funniest thing ever. Ever. I was blindfolded. Oh. Campbell had her mouth taped shut. Oh. Tyler had his hands, his wrists taped, and Leighton had noise-cancelling headphones with music blaring. So I couldn't see anything. But Layton talked like what? Doesn't have chocolate chips. And then Campbell was making me do all of the hard things, like all the things that she could have done, even though, yeah, it was really funny. It was a good core memory. How my sister-in-law Erica said we need to do it. They were delicious. You know what they tasted like? Was State Fair cookies? Ooh. Like, you know, when you get the giant bucket of them that has like a hundred cookies, they tasted like that. They were good, don't you think, Mom?

SPEAKER_03 6:15

They were good. And you know how you usually cream the butter and the sugar to start with? Well, they forgot to do that. They threw it in the middle of the country. Tyler was in charge of the directions, first of all.

SPEAKER_05 6:24

Because Tyler can't do anything but just read.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

But usually he's so good at re following directions, but he didn't and yeah. They still turned out they were they were really good. That's how it was telling. What did you learn from that? Well, life's more fun when you bake cookies. Well, that's true.

unknown 6:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:44

It was much more fun than if we were to do it regularly. Teamwork, communication. Yes. I couldn't see anything. The other thing was a lot of the things I was doing, it almost felt too easy. Cause I think I don't know. I like knew where the sink was and I knew by tactile. I knew how to do a lot more than I thought I was going to. So you relied on your other senses a lot more.

SPEAKER_03 7:09

Yeah. Wow. So that was fun. Kami, I could see all three of your girls doing that. I think that would be that we need to try it.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

I'm hoping you recorded it because I have not seen that on TikTok or in Singer had his meta glasses and was recording it. No.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

And I like scooped the cookie dough into oblivion. Like I the tray was there. And just flopped on the counter. Yeah. Yeah. Things like that. It was it was funny.

SPEAKER_05 7:37

That's hilarious. Great holiday. Back to it now. That is so fun. Cammy, what about you? Did you have a great mm core memory or gift or yes, actually.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

So I wouldn't say it was as entertaining as that. Maybe a little heartfelt, I think, with the girls being 16 this year. You know, three 16-year-olds, and they all have little jobs now. Yes. Which means they have money now. Yes. And it was really heartwarming to see them without any prompting from us buy gifts for each other and for Matt and I. I actually feel emotional talking about it because I love seeing their generosity and I loved seeing them just take their own money that they've worked hard for. And even like they got me too much, you know? So it just like it just the sweetest. And even my Abby doesn't make quite as much as the other two. And she got her dad like this little pickle that she got off of Amazon that says, You're a big deal, Dill. My Uncle Mama comes out, Dill, you're a big deal. And he like put it in present. You know, it's just those are just the sweetest. It was so cute. But giving gifts is always my favorite. And with them being 16, we had so much fun giving them gifts. And I I mean it's like Matt and I just can't wait for them to open their presents. And then we just kept going back. We kept buying more. That's one thing. Like we we don't regret it because they're sweet kids. They're good kids, but we're like, oh my gosh. We just like kept going back and buying more and buying more and they're stocking for like over the time. It was, but it was fun. It's good to give good gifts. It's fun.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

Very sweet.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Yeah. That was a good Christmas. I try to treasure all those moments. Yeah. Yeah. Because it does. It goes by fast.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

So it really does.

SPEAKER_03 9:33

Fondo, what about you? Well, the cookie making moment was awesome. But oh, I bet you were cracked. We were just dying. Eric and Sarah and I were just the bystanders. We're just having the best time. But I think whenever we meet and go to Iowa, it's just the game time and it's the family time. It's fun to see the girls open presents and all that. But mostly it is we eat together. We're at the table playing games then. And and Ellie even had a checklist of all the games we needed to play because we had so many we wanted to go through. But it was fun and watching the family play the annual video games. What's that video game, Ellie? Every year. Fusion frenzy. Gosh, it's hilarious. And to watch them play. So yeah, just the family time and watching all of it.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Staying up late. I think we all stayed up till like 2 a.m.

SPEAKER_03 10:24

Well, I didn't quite make it till two. I did make it to midnight, but you guys yeah, you and the girls too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Yeah, we were on the teenage schedule. Yes, you were. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 10:34

Yeah. How about you, Lori? Oh. Same. I had a house full as you and I were talking earlier. I'm telling you, I am one of those weird people that nothing brings me more joy than when every single bedroom in my house is full. I love it. I love it so much. And that was what was happening. You know, my whole upstairs was full. And so I would wake up and Mark was always the coffee maker, you know, and and I would go out and there was already one son up or a daughter or a grandma, and somebody has to go get my dad because mornings are his time here. Anyway, it was just always a little bit of chaos going on. And so I was in my element. But Christmas morning, Cammy, to your story, it was kind of the same. I was overwhelmed because all my kids I felt like just lavished me. Yeah. And I'm like, this is crazy. Like, this is too much. And it just wouldn't stop. And I'm not saying these were big, right? But just so much that I felt I've never felt like that before, but the one thing that my daughter always does something to send me over the edge. And she reached out to my uncle, who is moving to be near my cousin and my aunt Sondra, who Bonda knows so well, passed away, my mom's sister. And she was an artist. And I have tons of letters with envelopes that she wrote on, but her whole house was filled with artwork that she had painted of the farm that they grew up in and those types of things. And so my daughter reached out to my uncle and said, Is there any artwork that you could give to my mom? She would love to have a piece, blah, blah, blah. Because I had mentioned anyway, Christmas morning, there was this big box, and it was the last present, and it was hidden in the very back of the tree. And I opened it up, and it is a framed picture of a painting that I grew up loving. And I have it now. And my son was videoing me, and I had no idea. And I just pulled it out, and I was in disbelief that my uncle had sent it to my daughter, and I had no idea. And it has her signature on the back, and it's the farm, and it's I just remember her and my mom talking about all these stories. And it's sitting over here and it's gonna hang in my office. And I mean, I just started sobbing so much so that my dad is sitting there going, What the hell's wrong with her? Why is she crying? What's going on? What happened? Just going in my husband. Aunt Sondra painted Aunt Sondra, is she dead? Did she die? So in the midst of me crying, I'm all laughing. It's just, you know, it is for the moment. So this is all on video.

SPEAKER_06 13:53

What a moment.

SPEAKER_05 13:54

Did Sondra die?

SPEAKER_00 13:57

That's so thoughtful of you, though. That is so thoughtful. Wow.

SPEAKER_05 14:02

Oh, I mean, but I like lost it. Oh, yeah. Just lost it because I never thought, and I never asked him because I thought that'd be too presumptuous. But my daughter reached out to my cousin who reached out to my uncle, and he happily said yes. And he gave her some choices. Which one do you think she'd want? Would she like this? Does she want more than one? Does she want this? And he said, she said, so anyway, that was and basically that one was your favorite. No, that's what's crazy. I'm like, how did you know the one by the pond? Like, this is what when my grandma always talked about the pond and blah blah blah. And she's like, I don't know. I just liked it. Wow. Crazy, crazy. So anyway, it's just I know.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Well, so it's just those that's so special. Yeah. And I'm picturing some wallpaper and paint that goes. I know. I'm like, Ellie, come on. We gotta design your office based on that painting. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:02

It's beautiful. It's beautiful. It's very cool. I'll send you a picture of it for inspo and we'll design around it. Yes. We also did the anthropology rock. Oh, nice. Explain to Vonda what that is.

SPEAKER_03 15:15

I have no idea what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_05 15:17

So, Vonda, on TikTok, there is a prank. So, do you know the store anthropology?

SPEAKER_03 15:23

Yes, I do. I do know that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 15:26

Okay, thank you. So sometimes they have some things that look a little weird and they're like $500. And you're like, why? Well, I don't know. That's just so there is a prank that's going around on TikTok where you just wrap up a rock from the outside and you give it to somebody and they're in on the joke, and they open up and they're like, Oh my god, it's the anthropology rock. How did you get this? He's been back ordered, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so Bayley and I did this. Who received it? I was the receiver, Bailey, because that was much more likely, you know. And I opened it up and of course acted it out. And she was like, I know. I ordered it back in July. Like we have the whole thing. The funniest part was again, my dad, 91, and my mother-in-law, 93, the whole time in the background are like, it's a rock. It's a rock. And then my dad's like, it's a damn rock. I move rock back when I was in school. That's just a damn rock. Why didn't she get a rock? I mean, on and on and on. He thinks I got a rock. It was so funny. Mark finally figured it out because then he's like, wait, have I seen this on Instagram? And anyway, I was like, that's so funny.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Oh, that's so funny.

SPEAKER_05 16:53

That was the highlight that in the we kind of had a woo this time. A lot of laughter, a lot of tears. Anyway. Okay, ladies, our anniversary. Back to our anniversary. Seven years.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Seven years, not six years.

SPEAKER_03 17:15

Not seven. Six years complete, moving on to seven. That's right.

SPEAKER_05 17:20

Our year six, our word of the year was amplify.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 17:27

And I think we did, we amplified. We started off strong, amplifying to the world about flower click, email campaigns, social media. We were moving in a shaken. And then we kind of, I'll say myself, I think kind of did a bit of a pivot because tariff world, the T-word came into play. And Vonda, you can speak, you were like, wait a minute. We gotta check in on our members here. We gotta stop a minute.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

Yeah, we amplified to our members at that point. And then I was gone, and you and Ellie did a special podcast on on tariffs, and then we really concentrated on amplifying our members, right? And then fourth quarter, then here we are amplifying outward again. So we kind of did the ebb and flow, right?

SPEAKER_05 18:21

Right, right. So I think we did use that word a lot. I mean, we utilized everything that means.

SPEAKER_02 18:29

I also think that we don't have to throw that word in the garbage this year. Like we still plan to amplify. I think we all plan to build off of working that muscle. You know, we started that muscle for sure. Now we'll continue to strengthen that muscle in addition to whatever our new word is. Okay. Which is what? Well, that is a million dollars.

SPEAKER_05 18:55

That is why the four of us are here today. I don't know. What do you think the new word should be?

SPEAKER_03 19:02

Well, I have one in mind, but I've already used this word in a focal points blog post because it is my word, but I really do think it could work for flower click. But maybe we want a different word. Throw it into the hat.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

No wrong answers. Let's let's have a little brainstorm, a live brainstorm sash. Okay, I'm throwing in the hat elevate.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

I knew it.

SPEAKER_05 19:29

You knew it would be, but I am gonna say when I put into chat GPT, what should FlowerClick word for 2026 be elevate? Did it really?

SPEAKER_03 19:54

No way. Interesting.

SPEAKER_05 19:57

But I will also say when I put in to chat GPT, based on how what you know about me, Lori Wilson, uh-huh, Lori Diane Brock Wilson, what should my 2026 word be? It said elevate. Oh. So either there is a glitch in my chat GPT, or I'm just elevating the hell out of everything.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

It's interesting. And Kami, you'll have to tell us what yours was because you're the one who said, let's put it in.

SPEAKER_05 20:40

I know. That's why I was like, I'm gonna say what it says.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

Well, let's just be honest. We use ChatGPT for a lot of things, both personal and work. It's a great tool, right? So it holds a lot of information. And I like your prompt, Lori. You said, knowing everything you know about me, right? What would you say my word of the year for 2026 should be? So I did it personally and I did it for flower click, knowing everything you know about flower click for work. What should my word be? I I don't want it's not elevate. I'm gonna tell you that. For flower click, it told me our word should be focus. Now, I want to say it said not growth, not innovation, not connection. Those are already happening. Focus is the right call based on everything you juggle and all the florists you support. It really peps me up when it tells me why. It said you do so many things well. And it's like it even said stagnation is not the risk for you all. Like that, like we're never worried that we're gonna become stagnant. No, that we need to focus, is what it told me. And then for personal, it also built me up and said, My word is decisive. It said, I need to be more decisive. It said, you Don't lack wisdom, you don't lack compassion, you don't lack competence, but you need to be more decisive. I was like wow. Okay. I think that's a good one. I mean, I think I'm gonna take it, I'm gonna own it. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 22:13

I like it. So your personal word. Yes, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

So for me, when I also typed in both to Chat GPT, also I already have one in my head that was my personal word of the year. But for FlowerClick, our 2026 word of the year said it should be magnetic.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Interesting.

SPEAKER_02 22:35

You're no longer pushing, you're attracting. FlowerClick has moved past prove-it mode. Oh. You don't need louder marketing, you need pull. Ooh. When done right, people come to you. Signals maturity and ease, not hustle. Magnetic doesn't feel frantic, trendy, or hustle-coded. It feels grounded, confident, assured, and premium. Magnetic. If you want alternates, you can try anchored, intentional, or elevate.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

Maybe I should ask for alternatives and see if that's alternative.

SPEAKER_02 23:19

Yeah, so we have some good options. We might need to sit on it for a second.

SPEAKER_05 23:24

An alternative I got to elevate for flower click that kind of goes with magnetic that I wrote down was guide. Just the word guide positions flower click as a compass. You're very strong in education and onboarding language, meaning because everything I put into chat DPT is that type of thing. Use if your focus is direction over destination. We are set ourselves as you want to follow us for direction. I think if we each took the word that our chat DPT gives us, it tells us so much. Vonda, what did yours say about you? So my personal one is clarity.

SPEAKER_03 24:13

Okay. Okay. And then if the one for flower click, again using that same prompt, Cammy, simplify. Well, simplifying what floors sell, it just simplifies, shows what we do all the time. Simplifying inventory usages, what simplifies signals externally, we've already figured this out for you. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. This is a design to sell, not to stress you out. I mean, it's things that we already do, right?

SPEAKER_02 24:44

I was gonna say one of our taglines is like tools to simplify and elevate your business.

SPEAKER_03 24:50

Right, right. So that's probably since you just gave me that the other day, it's probably pulling that kind of thing, because I was using that for something else. It really talks about leverage, work once, benefit many times, confidence, replacing guesswork with proofwork. Those are the type of things that I have. I think we think about it. Okay. So when Lori and I have our bingo card and our word of the year podcast, we will unveil what Flower Click was decided. Yeah. How's that?

SPEAKER_05 25:24

We will next week. Yeah. Speaking of bingo cards, because I was on JetFresh's podcast this week about bingo cards. They had me do a little recording about the bingo card. And they are going to, or Ryan said he's going to do, they're gonna make a giant jet fresh bingo card for 2026 and like put it on their wall. And I was like, we need to do like a giant flower click bingo card. Like we do our institual one. We did that last year.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

We did do that last year.

SPEAKER_03 25:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:57

Where is it? It's not a physical one, but it was like a digital version of that. We asked every employee to submit one thing they wanted on the Flower Click 2025.

SPEAKER_05 26:09

Well, we need to go on the meeting on Winway's Day.

SPEAKER_03 26:17

We'll go over that.

SPEAKER_05 26:18

Yeah. And yeah. That would be really, really fun.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

I forgot what I entered though.

SPEAKER_05 26:24

I forgot last year. That's why we need to print it out and have it on my wall or have it somewhere where we can use.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Yeah. We'll talk about last year's and then we'll have everybody do it for this year. And we can print them out. So my personal word from Chat GPT is different than the one that I've thought of on my with my own brain. The one that they wanted, or he, she, Nova said it should be is anchor, which I thought was good. I like the word anchor, anchoring into your lane, into your authority, into your expertise, into rather than trying to spread myself, then anchor into things. The one that I thought of is energy. I want to bring a lot of energy. I'm reading a book right now called Good Energy, which is really about like cells on a metabolic level. It's more of like a science book, how it relates to nutrition and health. But just good energy, good energy, lots of energy, that for 2026. With that, I know that everybody, I'm sure you've seen the sentiment online of like, this is like the biggest Monday of the year and all of that. Over the weekend, we did so much refreshing at our house. We rearranged the living room, we put down a new rug, we vacuumed, I rearranged my office. Like I was feeling so ready for today. And I was gonna wake up, I was gonna go for a walk, and then I was gonna do my little journaling and do all these things, right? I was gonna have a great Monday pre-podcast. So I opened my eyes a few hours ago, and Roma sleeps at the foot of our bed and I always pull her up to me, and she wasn't coming up, like she was just staring at me. She normally she's asleep, so she was awake. So I went to grab her buns back end to pull her up, and my hand was wet. Oh no, my hand was wet, like she wasn't like giving herself a bath. I'm like, so she's like wrapped up in this blanket, so I like lift the blanket a little, and I do not like what I see. Let me tell you. Somebody had a little diarrhea. Oh no, no, but couldn't get up. Oh, poor Roma. And I mean, when I tell you this area of the bed, it was unbelievable. Unbelievable. She wouldn't get up. Surprised her nose didn't wake up. She was embarrassed. I wouldn't get up either. It didn't sm that's a weird thing. It didn't, I don't know. We don't need to get into the details. Ellie, I kind of want to know the details though. Like how? So embarrassed, you guys. She wasn't even, it wasn't even. Oh, she's humiliated. She's humiliated. She wouldn't even like move. And then the second I turn my head, she gets up and goes to her other bed quick. Like she wouldn't get up for me. But like when I turn my head, I take her downstairs. She won't get up. And then I realize that she's kind of messy down there. So I go to the bathroom to get like some toilet paper. She's gone. She's left. Like she is so embarrassed. Anyway, all that to say, we don't need to get into detail. I had to give her a bath and we have to wash all of our bedding and hopefully, I mean, probably get new bedding. Like it's the morning. We're light the whole bed on fire. Like when I tell you my entire morning was thrown. Oh. And she's just staring at me like, why are you publicly shaming me? And now you're walking about it on the podcast. Yeah. But you that's just to say, like, it wasn't the energy that I wanted, but it was energy. It was it shot out of bed with energy. Yes, you did. And it's a metaphor for you gotta keep going.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

I clean up the crap.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 30:35

Clean up the crap. Clean up the crap crap and get on with it. Yes. You gotta move on and wipe a butt, wipe up a butt and move on. And it is what it is. Poor thing. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Do you think she's sick? There's a free sample from Costco of like a greeny. Oh, wow. And I think it was too big. And I think she ate, yeah. We don't need to go down this rabbit hole, but all that to say, it was a little kismet and life goes on. Clean up the crap and move on.

SPEAKER_03 31:09

Well, then that wasn't really a good word for you, energy, because little did you know how much energy you were gonna need this for sure that it wasn't the other you had hoped.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

But the other thing is Tyler and I were laughing about it when we were cleaning up good energy. We weren't in a bad mood or just like you didn't sort of. Yep.

SPEAKER_05 31:31

These are little blips. Yeah, not a big deal. Okay. It's just yeah, crap happens. Podcast title. Yes, podcast title. So okay, Lori. That was fun. So, well, and I was gonna say, so my chat GPT word told me my word is elevate, which is not the word I wrote for myself. And it said, why it fits you because you elevate people, you elevate conversations, you elevate people's confidence spaces, all just like you, Cammy. It makes you, oh, look at what everything I do. It gives you permission. What this gives you permission to do in 2026 is to say no to things that don't rise to your standards, to choose refinement over more, and to lead from wisdom, not hustle, whatever that means. So I like the word elevate, but I feel like it also is on here because of symposium. Elevate symposium, but you know what I have been playing around with since I guess New Year's Eve is the phrase letting go. And I've gone back and forth with a couple of other phrases, but this is the one that yesterday at church really kept coming back at me. And it's for me letting go of like past hurts, letting go of things that are out of my control, letting go of things that I want to control that maybe I need to just step back and let somebody else do. Like lots of things in my life, and I'm not a control freak, but there are things that I feel like are God is even showing me. There's some things you need to let go. And I don't like that phrase, but I feel like maybe it needs to be my phrase. And so for right now, I'm kind of scared to say that that is what I'm gonna use for 2026 cautiously, but I'm using it as a positive to look at things and say, what can I let go?

SPEAKER_03 33:56

And what do I not? So well, and I think a perfect example of that is something that happened in November when somebody asked us to do something, yeah. And you're like, I really want to do it, and I'm like, you can't, you cannot, or right, and you that and you had hard let go of that because you want to do that.

SPEAKER_05 34:16

Letting that go, that desire to please even. And Tammy, you and I have this conversation a lot. It's like letting go of that. Do I really want to do the presentation, or do I just have a desire to please the person? Like I have to really think through this because my and I'm gonna say this, but I don't want it to sound arrogant in any way, because I honestly I truly don't mean it this way, but my time is valuable in a lot of ways. My my time on this earth is valuable, my time on this planet is shorter, and I'm getting ready to be a grandma. So I really want to start thinking what I'm gonna want to spend time seeing a baby, and I need to spend more time with my dad. He's not here for very like things like that. And so letting go, oh, that's hard because I don't really want to do it. You know, I wish I did. I did I did want to just nah, I don't want to do that. But I like to do a lot of those things too.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

Yeah. So anyway, that's that's a good one. That's good, Lori. And you're right, it won't be an easy one, but it's it's a good one.

SPEAKER_00 35:40

So just to clarify, you're saying it's let it go. That's your that's the phrase. Letting letting go.

SPEAKER_05 35:48

Not let it go, not just ah let it go. No, letting go.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

That's brave.

SPEAKER_05 35:54

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I haven't thought of a word on my own for flower click. That's I'm gonna need to keep thinking about that. I don't know, but I like magnetic. I did too. That one counts. That's kind of fun. That is fun, yeah. You know, and that kind of incorporates a lot of the other things that we've said, those underlying words, too.

SPEAKER_03 36:18

So I think to wrap it up today, Lori, you had all these questions we maybe could ask for our anniversary. But I think what I'd like to end on is what impact we have made that we're the most proud of when you came up with that question, reflective goosebump moments that we've had. Maybe whether it was something that one of our members said, because we have so many testimonials that we get from our members. Is it a program, an email, or a moment that we're most proud of, or a time that you realized, oh my gosh, this really matters. What we're doing for shops really do matter. And something whether it makes you emotional or it just makes you really proud. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 37:06

Well, I mean, I'll start. There's so many, first of all, little moments. I mean, every little screenshot that any of us put into our Slack all staff channel of an email or a text from one of our members about like, I love you all so much, you know, or thank you so much for everything you do, or just getting a little gift in the mail at Christmas from one of our members and the card. I mean, the gift was fabulous too, but just the card saying the sweet, kind words that they did that means so much to me. And as it does, you guys are like, wow, that's incredible and so so thoughtful. I'm not gonna say every single day because that's not truthful, but every week Cammy and I get something, whether it's a text or a Facebook message or an email or a phone call from somebody talking to a new shop that's just becoming a flower click member, and then passing them over to Cammy for the setup, and then hearing Cammy say that they're like, oh my god, they're so excited to be a part, like those kind of things. I I don't I don't know. It's all all of the stuff together for me, that just makes me feel like we're doing something really, really good here.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

I'll say too, I think one of you gave my address to Austin and Kayla, who sent that card was so sweet. I've got it on my desk and it mean because well, he sent me a sweatshirt that basically is his store logo and said I'm part of their team. Yeah. That melted my heart. I immediately put it on. I was like, and to say their growth, they owe their growth to us, and we're just as much of a kind of was such a thoughtful gift. And yeah, you're right. But another thing that came to mind when Vonda asked that question is recently in our members group when Andy went on that vacation with his family, and you guys have been telling me to do it, and I just want you to know I'm going, I'm taking that vacation, and I'm going with my family, and we're going on a cruise. And to see everyone going, Andy, I'm so glad you did this. And I've been telling you for years, go. Yeah. And it's like to see the members like rooting for each other and supporting one another, and I can tell they have side conversations. Their relationship is not just through us, it's like each other. Right. I was like so warmed by that whole same. And and we all were legitimately happy for him. And and then other people were like, I've got to do that, I've got to make time for myself. And and it was just, I don't know, just the the community, which usually is what Lori talks about, right? That's her period. I was like, that's something I'm super proud of that that remember to have.

SPEAKER_05 40:25

And yeah, side note on that whole thing that when he was on that cruise, we had a bunch of company, of course, here. And my husband was like, Why are you on your phone? I was like, one of my customers is on a cruise, and he and his wife are Snapchatting me every 15 minutes, the play by play, and I am here for it. And then Bailey got sucked in, my daughter, because she was here, they were giving me every play by play, every move they made, every dance they did. We were celebrating them every step of the way because they had not had a vacation in 15 years. Yes, and we were so happy for them. And I'm like, I have never even met Andy face to face, and I feel like that he and Billy Joe are close friends. Yeah. And I just love them so much. And he's like, I signed up for two more cruises. Let's go together. You know, I think we love them at last. Yeah, it's so sweet. Those are the testimonies.

SPEAKER_01 41:33

Yeah, it is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:35

I would say mine is that when you look at our Slack channel, especially like the Leeds channel, where we have new inquiries and new people that we're talking to, we always want to help them. That's our first instinct.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:50

And I think our capability to be flexible, I think when we started, it was like, this is our tier of services. This is exactly what we do. We don't do anything else. We don't bend from this because in a way that did help us scale for a few years, right? I mean, things were flying everywhere. We had to have a little structure. But now I feel like we're at a point where all we want to do is help the person. And we are able, thanks to Cammy and the team with all of the web, like we're able to kind of meet them where they are in a way, most times. And I'm really proud of our whole team that we're able to do that, that we're able to like think outside the box a little, step outside of our lines and be able to help people. Cause that's really that's why we're here.

SPEAKER_03 42:40

That's why we're here. I agree. I think that's it. I'm most proud of our team and how every single person on this team cares about our members and the industry. I mean, people they don't even know. To me, it's such a witness when I feel like I grew up in the business, but I really didn't, but I've been in it for so long that I look at our team and it's like, gosh, they really do care. Everyone. And it just is so heartwarming. And then when we have others who are like we're out presenting somewhere, we're SAF or AIFD or a Profit Blast or wherever, and they're like, oh, we just so appreciate everything you do. Or even if they're not members, they'll say things to Laura like, we really learn from your podcast. We learn, you guys know so much. Those kind of things just warm your heart, right? And they drive us to do more to reach out and help more people. I mean, you hit it, Ellie. We want to help people.

SPEAKER_02 43:39

Well, here's the 2026.

SPEAKER_03 43:43

Happy anniversary, everyone.

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Happy anniversary.

SPEAKER_05 43:47

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_03 44:05

We look forward to seeing you next week. So please come back and join us and discover how a bit of knowledge and one small change in your mindset can take you to new levels in your life and business.