Journey of a Floral Professional: Interview with Brent Leech AIFD, CFD
Some floral careers span a single shop. Brent Leech's spans nearly every corner of the industry: shop owner, wholesaler, educator, event designer, and now staff development at the Arizona Flower Market in Phoenix, where 200-plus deliveries go out on an average day. In this episode, Vonda and Lori sit down with the longtime AIFD member and National Board representative to trace that journey — and pull out lessons on hiring, DIY customers, and why education runs through all of it.
A career that started with keeping flowers alive
Brent's story begins with loss. His father died when Brent was 11, and the family home filled with plants, dish gardens, and flowers. He wanted to keep them alive as long as he could, which sparked an interest in growing and grafting. At 16 — wanting a greenhouse job that didn't exist, and a car that required one — he landed at a flower shop in the Sterling–Rock Falls area of Illinois and worked there through high school and junior college. At just over 21, he and his sister Melody bought a shop in Polo, Illinois (population 2,500), combining flowers with her wedding cake business. It's also how he met Vonda: Melody introduced herself at Vonda's newly opened Dixon shop and offered to come fluff Christmas trees on her lunch hour.
Wholesale, teaching, and a three-year notice
Before selling the Polo shop, Brent earned his AIFD credentials — a goal set after attending the American Floral Art School in Chicago with Jim Moretz and meeting AIFD legends at the 1982 Symposium. A part-time job at Triton College turned into 24 years of teaching across northeastern Illinois, including five as a student AIFD chapter advisor. "There's nothing better than when you can take a student who has never touched a flower... and you watch them get it," he says.
Two-plus years in wholesale taught him botanical names and where flowers actually come from. Then in 2002 he and his wife launched JBL Designs in Geneva, Illinois, grew it past what he could run alone, and sold it to his downtown competitor — who promptly hired him. "Just try it for a few months" became nine years. And when the family's ten-year plan pointed to Arizona, Brent gave the shop a three-year notice, even returning after the move to train his successor on the Christmas installation.
Inside the Arizona Flower Market
In Phoenix, a tip from AIFD friend Brian Vetter led Brent to a family-owned operation unlike anything he'd seen: wholesale and retail under one roof, with an indoor greenhouse. The company created a staff development role for him — training new hires, coaching the production team toward 25 arrangements in 25 minutes, and filming for the market's YouTube channel and in-store screens. Deliveries run 200 to 250 a day, pushing 2,000 on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
The eye-opener for shop owners is the DIY center. Customers buy retail-priced flowers from the market cooler — 25 roses, a vase, greens — and assemble their own arrangements at a staffed table with tools provided. On Valentine's Day the table is packed all day. Rather than fighting the DIY trend, the market guides it, and customers "just think that it's so special." Wholesale buyers still shop the same floor at trade pricing; the public simply sees retail.
Where the great employees come from
Lori asks the question every Flower Clique member is wrestling with: how does a company this size find employees who stay? Brent's answer is schools. A nearby high school runs a full floriculture program with a working, student-run flower shop on campus — two or three current market employees are graduates, one with 16 years' tenure. He also works with local FFA chapters, hosting groups and running workshops on their campuses. "That's a group of untapped talent," he says — hungry young people who soak up everything. If you're struggling to hire, your local horticulture programs and FFA chapters may be the pipeline you haven't tapped.
The five-minute message
Lori gives Brent the stage: five minutes with the entire industry listening. His answer comes straight off the cuff — treat people the way you want to be treated, customers and staff alike, and "educate, educate, educate." Teach your team and your customers the elements and principles first; the trendy techniques come easy once the basics are down. Everything gets easier when everyone's on the same page.
And his favorite flower? The calla lily — strength, stability, serenity. He's told everyone at the market: when his time comes, he expects 400 of them, minimum.
Key takeaways
- Recruit from high school floriculture programs and FFA chapters — students who learn design, buying, and management young become long-tenured employees.
- Don't fight DIY customers; serve them. A guided DIY option at retail pricing can become a traffic driver, especially at holidays.
- Master the elements and principles before chasing trends — basics first makes every technique easier.
- Educate your staff and your customers alike; it makes every part of the business run smoother.
- Leave well: generous notice and goodwill turned every chapter of Brent's career into an open door.