Ep. 141: Twisted Willow Flowers: A Family Floral Story
From Summer Job to Wedding Legacy In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 141), we're visiting with Amanda Theodoropoulos of Twisted Willow Flowers in Princeton, New Jersey. What began as Amanda's teenaged plea for a summer job unexpectedly blossomed into a thriving floral design business that now supports two households - hers and her mothers. In this episode, Amanda shares how she and her mom transformed a small-town flower shop into a sought-after wedding and event studio. From working alongside her mom (who bought the shop on what Amanda remembers as a whim) to navigating the leap from retail to luxury weddings, Amanda takes us through the twists, risks, and family bond that shaped their journey. You’ll hear about late-night design sessions, tough decisions, unexpected turns—including setting up a wedding just four days postpartum (she doesn't recommend it)—and the deep joy she still finds in flowers after all these years. Join us as we chat with Amanda about: How her high school job led to owning a flower shop with her mom The leap from retail floristry to exclusively weddings and events Balancing artistry, family, and business growth Building relationships with planners and other vendors Their client process, from first inquiry to wedding day The emotional highs and lows: favorite parts of the work and the heartbreak of floral waste Looking ahead: workshops, mentorship, and the future of Twisted Willow Flowers This episode of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast is brought to you by: Madrid Flower School You can find show notes and more episodes of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast at botanicalbrouhaha.com, and you can find the BB Podcast co-hosts on IG @botanicalbrouhaha and @hey.nataliegill. This episode of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast was produced by Joel McGee. Original music by Landon McGee.
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Ep. 140: Juliana Grew Up in the Shop—Now She Runs It
From Chopping Stems to Calling the Shots In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 140), we're visiting with Juliana McWilliams, owner of Sweet Memories Flowers in Visalia, California. Julia grew up in her mother’s shop, where she began experimenting with floral design at just 11 years old—using leftover materials and eventually reverse-engineering corsages when customers began asking for them. What started as childhood curiosity evolved into a full-fledged career, as she eventually stepped into ownership of the shop herself. Rooted in family legacy and shaped by years of hands-on learning, Juliana has built a floral business that blends tradition with innovation. From navigating the challenges of COVID and shifting to a home studio, to reviving the retail shop with a simplified, intentional retail model—including her now-signature grab-and-go cooler—her story is one of evolution, resilience, and heart. Join us as we chat with Juliana about: Learning floral design without YouTube (aka creative problem-solving as a kid!) The challenges and beauty of growing up in a family business Navigating the transition from daughter/employee to shop owner Taking bold steps during Covid-19 to help her business survive and return strong Developing a simplified retail model with a highly effective grab-and-go cooler The importance of community, mentorship, and continuing education Respecting traditional floral mechanics and learning from older generations Links mentioned in this episode: Max Owens Chapel Designers Sinclair & Moore Bloom Trust Co CamFlor This episode of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast is brought to you by: Madrid Flower School You can find show notes and more episodes of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast at botanicalbrouhaha.com, and you can find the BB Podcast co-hosts on IG @botanicalbrouhaha and @hey.nataliegill. This episode of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast was produced by Joel McGee. Original music by Landon McGee.
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Ep. 139: Inside Tulipina: Building a Global Floral Brand with Kiana & Nate Underwood
In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 139), we're visiting with world-renowned floral artist Kiana Underwood and her husband and business partner, Nate Underwood. Eight years after their first appearance on the Botanical Brouhaha podcast, we invited them back to reflect on the massive evolution of their business, Tulipina—from planting bulbs on their New York farm to becoming a global floral powerhouse with a 10,000-square-foot studio in Lake Como. They open up about building a business in Europe, navigating the luxury wedding industry with integrity, and finding balance between creativity, family, and ambition. It’s a powerful conversation about values, resilience, and the courage to dream big while staying grounded. Join us as we chat with Kiana & Nate about: Life changes since their first podcast appearance, including an empty nest and evolving dreams Moving to upstate New York and establishing a second home and business in Italy Behind the scenes of building Tulipina's European presence post-COVID The challenges and opportunities of working in the "luxury" floral market (although Nate isn't fond of the word luxury!) How they structure their business to support creativity and profitability Why they don’t do design renders—and how they protect creative freedom Honest reflections on industry dynamics and staying true to your values Kiana’s design process from ordering flowers to wedding day improvisation Favorite projects, including the epic Paris Opera House wedding Thoughts on what luxury and success truly mean—and what’s next for Tulipina Links mentioned in this episode: Rachel Birthistle | The Lake Como Wedding Planner Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey Color Me Floral: Stunning Monochromatic Arrangements for Every Season (by Kiana Underwood) Tulipina's Floral Fantasy: Magnificent Arrangements and Design Inspiration from World-Renowned Florist Kiana Underwood The Paris Opera House wedding This episode of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast is brought to you by: Madrid Flower School You can find show notes and more episodes of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast at botanicalbrouhaha.com, and you can find the BB Podcast co-hosts on IG @botanicalbrouhaha and @hey.nataliegill. This episode of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast was produced by Joel McGee. Original music by Landon McGee.
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Ep. 138: Building a Heart-Led Floral Business with Janelle Gerestein
In today's BB Podcast episode (No. 138), we're visiting with Janelle Gerestein—better known as Janie of Flowers by Janie—a Calgary-based floral designer whose career spans over two decades and multiple continents. From her early dreams of becoming a wedding florist to launching a successful business in Bolivia, then rebuilding from scratch in Canada, Janie’s story is a testament to resilience, creativity, and community. We're excited to dig into her business strategies, her signature seasonal workshops (flowers + desserts = genius!), and how she weaves purpose into everything she does—including donating wedding florals to women in transitional housing. You’ll walk away inspired by her thoughtfulness, practical insights, and generous heart. Join us as we chat with Janie about: Starting a floral business in Bolivia (and its unexpected success!) Rebuilding her business from scratch after moving to Calgary Scaling up with strategy: from 100+ weddings to a curated 30 The importance of knowing your numbers and setting minimums Hosting wildly successful flower + dessert workshops Hiring and working with family, freelancers, and a marketing intern Winning the Bloom Trust Co Flowering With Purpose grant The intersection of faith, generosity, and business values Educational experiences and favorite workshops from around the world Designing flowers for mountain weddings This episode of the Botanical Brouhaha Podcast is brought to you by: Madrid Flower School You can find show notes and more episodes of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast at botanicalbrouhaha.com, and you can find the BB Podcast co-hosts on IG @botanicalbrouhaha and @hey.nataliegill. This episode of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast was produced by Joel McGee. Original music by Landon McGee.
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Ep. 137: How iBuyFlowers Helps You Buy Farm Direct
In today’s BB Podcast episode (No. 137), we’re visiting with Wilfred de Wit, founder and CEO of iBuyFlowers where florists and event planners can shop online for wholesale flowers directly from 100+ farms in both the US and abroad. Will shares his background in the floral industry and the challenges he witnessed, leading to the inception of his company. The conversation covers the importance of transparency, ethical sourcing, and customer education. Will also talks about his hopes for the role AI will eventually play in personalizing orders for iBuyFlowers customers. If you’re looking for a company who believes in building strong relationships with their growers and customers, this episode will be insightful. Will’s goal is to educate his customers about the benefits of ordering directly from growers, which can significantly improve the quality and longevity of their flowers. Special Offer for First Time iBuyFlowers Users: Get $100 off a first order over $200. To claim this offer, use Voucher Code: ibfmdpcbotanical100 You can find show notes and more episodes of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast at botanicalbrouhaha.com, and you can find the BB Podcast co-hosts on IG @botanicalbrouhaha and @hey.nataliegill. This episode of The Botanical Brouhaha Podcast was produced by Joel McGee. Original music by Landon McGee.
Do you own a flower business or dream of starting one? Are you looking for practical floral design tips? Ever wonder how other florists run their businesses? Or maybe you’re a farmer florist building a flower farm and floral design business at the same time? You’ve landed in the right place!
At the BB Podcast, we serve floral designers, farmer florists, flower shop owners, and aspiring florists by diving into practical tips and insider information from real working florists, floral educators, flower growers, and floral industry vendors to help you find the tools you need to start, run, and grow your flower business.
We like to mix it up! Do you prefer hearing real-life stories or diving into specific flower business topics? Either way, we’ve got you covered.
Listen to our storytelling episodes featuring floral professionals sharing the details of starting and running their flower businesses. So many stories just waiting for you to dig in and learn from those who are doing what you want to do!
Browse our topic-specific interviews where you can expect everything from conversations on marketing, staffing, and floral software to pain points like finding your mojo or listening to your intuition in business.
Amy McGee, Botanical Brouhaha founder, brings years of relationship building with floral designers, farmer florists, and floral professionals to the table and invites you to pull up a chair for the conversations where you’ll learn and be inspired by the nitty gritty transparency of the questions she asks.
The BB Podcast is co-hosted by Natalie Gill, owner of Native Poppy.
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