Behind the Scenes at SAF: A Conversation with Amanda Jedlinsky
Vonda and Lori welcome one of their favorite SAFers: Amanda Jedlinsky, Senior Director of Content and Communications at the Society of American Florists. The conversation starts with a peek at SAF's own team retreat — a mostly remote staff coming together to laugh through the fishbowl game and quietly meditate over watercolors — and rolls into what florists can expect from this year's SAF Convention in Phoenix, why the supplier expo isn't the sales-pitch gauntlet people fear, and the case for leaning into education right when the industry feels most uncertain.
Team building lessons from a remote team
Like Flower Clique, SAF runs largely virtual — which makes intentional connection a discipline, not an accident. Amanda shares two habits any shop or remote team can steal: a dedicated "fun" chat channel on Teams for prom photos and new puppies, and a weekly Friday "rose, thorn, bud" meeting where anyone can share a high, a low, and something they're looking forward to — work-related or personal — plus a built-in moment to recognize teammates who came through. The payoff shows up when it counts: at events, when everyone is running flat-out for members, the team has each other's backs. Vonda's point lands for flower shops too — downtime together is where you learn what you can count on from each other before the chaos hits.
From newspaper reporter to flower farmer to SAF
Amanda isn't a "flower child" who grew up in the industry — her path is better described as karma. A newspaper journalism major, she spent eight years as a reporter in Roanoke, Virginia, then moved with her family to a 20-acre farm in Ohio, where she spent five years growing and selling cut flowers. Then the job found her: her husband spotted a posting for a role that wanted someone with journalism experience who knew flowers — a dream job she didn't know existed. When SAF asked for a writing sample, the only relevant clip she could find online was a story she'd written about florists on Valentine's Day, in which she had interviewed someone at SAF. Four years in, she now produces SAF's magazine (six issues a year) and digital newsletter, helps plan convention education, and works alongside the marketing and education teams — including the popular ultimate round table, which brings retailers, wholesalers, growers, and suppliers into one conversation with experts like chief economist Charlie Hall and, at times, SAF's lobbyist Joe Bischoff. As Vonda notes, hearing the wholesaler and grower perspective is eye-opening for retailers — suddenly the five-cents-more carnation makes sense.
What to expect at this year's convention
The convention returns to the hosts' favorite Phoenix resort (lazy river included), and this year's programming was built around one theme: navigating uncertainty while sustaining growth. Charlie Hall keynotes on the economic outlook, followed by an idea exchange on turning insights into action; a second exchange covers employee perks that work. Vonda is teaming up with Tim Farrell — friends and colleagues for 30 years who have somehow never presented a program together — on sympathy design: pricing it right, growing the business, and fresh design ideas for both traditional funerals and celebrations of life, since sympathy remains one of the most sustainable growth areas for retail florists. New this year: the supplier expo kicks off day one, right after a lunch featuring Talmage McLaurin's flower trends forecast; first-timers get an exclusive early preview of the expo floor; and sponsors have donated serious giveaways — think a year's software subscription and 300 free roses shipped to your store. Lori's advice for first-time attendees: don't skip the first-timers reception, where SAF's volunteer leaders make a point of welcoming newcomers and checking in on them all week. And reframe the expo — it's not salesy; in Amanda's words, it's inspiration and finding solutions for your business.
"You can't afford not to attend"
To the florist with sticker shock, Amanda passes along what a multi-year attendee told her: the convention has never not paid for itself — there's always an idea that earns the money back. Attendees have gone home and reorganized their wedding-flower cooler workflow, found new suppliers who cut costs, and built peer networks they lean on all year. Her practical tip, borrowed from a past speaker: before you leave, write down your top three takeaways so they don't evaporate on the flight home. And while pulling back on spending may make sense in some corners of the business right now, education isn't one of them. Vonda adds the intangibles — how do you put a price on inspiration, on connections, on the energy of a room that no online class can replicate? Lori says it plainly: she comes home from SAF re-energized for another year. Details and registration live at safnow.org under the events tab. Asked what she'd fix with a magic wand, Amanda doesn't hesitate: stability — so everyone can get back to building their businesses instead of bracing for the next change.
Key takeaways
- Borrow SAF's remote-team rituals: a fun chat channel and a weekly rose-thorn-bud check-in build the trust you'll need in crunch time.
- Industry events pay for themselves — attendees consistently bring home ideas that recoup the cost of attending.
- Write down your top three takeaways before you leave any conference, or they'll disappear when you get home.
- Treat the supplier expo as inspiration and solutions, not a sales gauntlet — and first-timers, go to the first-timers reception.
- Uncertain times are the moment to invest in education and connections, not cut them.