The Floral Hustle

  📍

Hello flower friends. I wanna talk to you about networking. Um, this week I actually did a couple layers of networking and actually I've been talking a lot and so that's why my voice sounds so hoarse. Um, I've been talking to my kids' school, I've been talking to, uh, doctors for my kiddos, just like. I've been talking at networking events.

I've been talking and connecting with people on the phone. I mean, like networking is a constant evolution, but you have to become unafraid of networking. You have to almost like jump in to the deep end of the pool and just be like, I, I know. That this networking in my business pays off. Do you always have the energy board?

Do you always have, I mean, the balls to do it because you're putting yourself out there, you're being vulnerable and to so many people, that is just frankly scary. And I think every time that I'm going into a networking opportunity that I add value to these people. It is my job to add value. So if I don't, how am I going to add value to these people?

And I add value in so many different ways. I add value with, of course, potentially my floral business could serve them potentially as a coach. I could help them potentially as a friend, I could help them. I mean, there's so many different things that networking can accomplish, and when I look at what, like networking accomplished like this week.

I networked with a photographer and I got, they were doing Mother's Day Minis, and so I went and set up some of my silk flowers. So I am networking, getting my silk flower business out there. I'm getting on this, uh, photographer, specifically on her Instagram, tagged on her Instagram, and then in all of her marketing materials I'm getting tagged in, she.

For doing the flowers for her. Uh, I got a Mother's Day mini session, so I'm gonna be used in all of her marketing. So there's my face gonna be used in all of these, and I have adorable children. So it's like, here I am getting, you know, this opportunity that has so many layers. But then, uh, she'd messaged me and.

She is, you know, we're newer, um, I would say friends slash uh, acquaintances or work acquaintances. And she did a different photo shoot that I participated in, that I actually invited her in because I wanted to be in her circle 'cause she does beautiful work and she is kind of in the cool kids club. So I want to, you know, inch over in any way possible.

And so I, she messaged me wanting these chaos drapes. And so right away I messaged my friend Nora. I know she wants to do chaos drapes. That's the drapes that are like stew all over the fricking place and look like chaos, hence the name. And they're very trendy right now. And I wanted. You know, I'm thinking of networking for my friend Nora, too.

I want her to have really good pictures of this. I want her to be able to get her work and I want her to be in this club. So I put those two networking opportunities together. And it was just funny because we're, we're setting up there and like I'm talking to Nora and I'm just like, I'm so glad you do this.

She's like, Jen. You were a networking like wizard, and if you thought I should do this, I should do this because I know you know how to network and that this is a really good opportunity for me. So she thanked me for, for having her involved. And then I, my photographer friend, also super grateful to be, you know, involved in collaborating with me and, and grateful that I'm doing this and helping her.

And. Like I just, there is so much value in little collaborations, but then I went to a very big networking event. There is a thing called the STAR Awards, which is ia, international Live Events Association, which is kind of a wide range of event professionals, but very much heavy on kind of corporate. Uh, non-profit, you know, things like that.

It's not wedding specific, but it is the craziest party of the year. The theme was area 51, people go all out. Like, I did not get, the theme was as weird as the theme was. Um, they, it was like a whole nother level of weird, but it was like just this crazy event. But I got to see. A ton of people and just check in with them and say hi to them.

And then I got to hang out with, um, one of my other cultural decorator friends. Got to hang out with my friend from, uh, the Essence Event Center that I host a lot of my workshops. Uh, at that I've a really good relationship. I got to see like three or four photographers that I haven't seen for a while. I got to talk to someone about being part of this.

Um. You know, opportunity that we're trying to found a WPA chapter right now, uh, like I just connected with all these people, but how do you get unafraid to go to those things? And I really thought, like, what are things that make me kind of fearless going into those things? And I think one of those things is I know that I'm inevitably always going to try to be adding value.

I am not just taking from people, I am adding value. If people I also think don't like me, that is their choice. They don't have to canoodle with me. I don't have to canoodle with them. There are people that I just am not in alignment with and I don't associate with those people at these type of events. I get drawn to people who I know are just really good humans.

I know that they put out good work. I know that they actually work in their business and not are just these like people who are, it's, it's like the mean girls a addition of high school, but in, you know, in event space. Like there are those cliquey people and I just choose not to engage with them. Like, I know I'm an awesome human being and that I will add value to whoever I have relationships with.

And so people should want to network with me, not only from a standpoint of, you know, connection on, Hey, I can help with wedding flowers if you know someone, or I might be able to connect, but like I've made connections, networking to host events, to host workshops. To collaborate on style shoots. I mean like so many different things.

So like it always isn't just about me booking a wedding, it's about deepening my relationships in this market with a variety of people, developing relationships that add value to them, and also add value to my business. So if you are fearful going into a marketing event. Just know that this is the path to growth.

Networking is the path to growth. And so if you are afraid, what are you afraid of? Really clearly dive into are you afraid of being rejected? Are you afraid of not being in the Cool Kids Club? Because honestly, that's what held me back for so long. I was like, I am not in the Cool Kids Club. I'm in my own cool kid Kids club that I could give two shits about being in this little like micro cliquey group that often happens in the wedding industry, especially because I know that the people who are my people.

Like, I'm going to have deeper relationships with them because they're not surface level. So when I stopped being afraid of networking, I stopped being afraid of being rejected, of not being in that group. I knew that I am pretty awesome and if, if they want me to enhance their life and vice versa, like I'm here for that, but I'm not here.

To like be shamed. I'm not here to feel like I'm not cool enough to be around these people because even the Cool Kids Club in any market, you're still fucking cool. You still belong in that group. But that thing is like, I fundamentally have a problem with that group existing. 'cause I think everybody is cool.

I think everybody has unique value and. There aren't terrible people running around, especially in the winning industry. We work really hard. We all like are driven in trying to run a business and I just know that fundamentally the people that I network with inevitably, uh, are just going to be better off.

So if you are being afraid, if you are really hesitating in. In going to a networking event, this is y my permission to you to not care what those people think. To not care about the cool kids club. You need to care about growing your business. That is why you are going, that is why you are showing up. And that's inevitably what's going to make the big difference.

Those connections, reconnecting. There's not very many opportunities to go and reconnect with somebody that you met at a event. And creating that space for that is so important because I had a new wedding planner, well, I mean a new wedding planner to be, that works for a very big wedding planning company.

And she sent me three weddings and I asked her, are you going to be at ia? I would love to meet you and introduce myself. And I saw her and I went right over to her and I said, 'cause her face is in her signature. Hi, I'm Jenny with Green Goddess Floral. I just wanted to introduce myself in person and say, it's so great to meet you.

And I just really appreciate you reaching out with those clients recently. I'm super excited to work together like. I wouldn't have just naturally had that opportunity unless I put myself out there at a networking event. So if this is you, put your big girl panties on, it's not that scary When you get there, make sure you actually talk to people when you do go, because if you just sit in the corner, which honestly I have seen so many people do, that is not helpful either.

You need to go to talk to people, and if that is. Terrifying because that's the word that I've heard from people. You need to think, I'm not scared of anything because I am here to grow my business. And these people are not scary. They're humans just like me, and it's my job to show them why they want to know me, why they want to be a part of, of my bubble, of my business, because inevitably.

You want to add value to them just as much as they add value to you. And if you approach your business like that and you approach networking like that, success is inevitable. You guys, thank you so for so much for listening, flower Friends, and you have an amazing flower field 📍 day.