Reflections of 2023
Recorded the day after Christmas — technically day one of the twelve days of Christmas, as Vonda points out — this final episode of 2023 opens with the great pecan pronunciation debate (pe-CAHN? PEE-can? pe-CAN?) before Vonda switches horses entirely. A sunrise reflected in her window during Bella's morning walk gave her the theme: reflections. Fittingly, "Reflections" is also the announced theme for AIFD Symposium 2025 (2024's is "Emerge"). So instead of the planned topic, the hosts walk through three areas every flower shop owner should reflect on before hitting reset for 2024.
Rock stars and superstars
First, Lori shares her own reflection. At Flower Clique's virtual Christmas party, the screen filled with the team — "beautiful, bright, vivacious women in funny hats" — and it hit her how much the company had grown beyond anything she'd dreamed when she first said "sure, I'll do it." That led her to an idea from a book she's been reading: the difference between rock stars and superstars on a team. Rock stars are solid, deeply skilled, and love their wheelhouse — nurture them, support them, and keep them there, because moving them into the unknown will freak them out. Superstars need to fly around and try new things (the hosts agree Lori is one). Both are equally important, and a great team needs both — but not all superstars. Worth asking about your own shop: who are your rock stars, and who are your superstars?
Reflection one: how did you handle the economy?
Vonda names the year's biggest challenge-turned-opportunity plainly. After roughly 30 years of stable prices, costs jumped — and they are not coming back down. Meanwhile business dipped from the COVID boom back to pre-pandemic numbers, and shops that didn't raise prices out of fear of losing customers may now be at risk of losing their businesses instead. The reflection question isn't meant as a downer: how did you handle it, how are you handling it now, and what would a reset look like? Lori's practical add: stop avoiding your numbers the way we all avoid the itemized credit card statement. Review them weekly, in small chunks, so you always know where you stand. And remember the warning savvy owners gave during the pandemic — "these aren't real numbers, this won't last forever." Those who heeded it pivoted better; now the job is pivoting again in the new normal. Looking ahead: Valentine's Day 2024 falls on a Wednesday, which is encouraging — but only if you actually market. Remind customers what flowers do for mental well-being; we proved it during COVID, and they haven't stopped needing it.
Reflection two: your hiring process (maybe you're the problem)
Staffing shortages come up in two to three member conversations a week for Lori — so if you feel alone in this, you aren't. Her prescription is to reflect on the process itself. Write out your entire hiring pipeline: the exact wording of your Indeed ad, your interview process, your onboarding, what you're actually looking for — skill or will, discernment or just a warm body. The hosts recall Dr. Nicole Price's advice from a past episode: set new hires up for success from the first conversation by painting the reality of the job. Flowers are beautiful; the work is hard, and pretending otherwise creates the no-shows that drain your managers. And here's the part that might sting: "people don't want to work anymore" is the easy way out. Some don't — but plenty do, and as Lori puts it, channeling Taylor Swift: maybe I'm the problem. Not you personally — your process. But since the process belongs to the person in charge, that's where the reflection starts.
Reflection three: have you been good to yourself?
The last look in the mirror is personal. Everyone has weeks of skipped walks, dark mornings, and abandoned gym routines — Lori confesses she can't remember her last workout, and her husband keeps threatening to get rid of her equipment (which only activates her inner rebel). Her hard-won mindset shift: you don't have to wait until Monday to reset. Vonda's dietitian said it best years ago — if you mess up today, start again tomorrow. Ate the French fries? Tomorrow's a new day. Your life, your body, your spirit, your choice: you can start any day you want.
Key takeaways
- Identify your rock stars and superstars — nurture the first in their wheelhouse, give the second room to fly, and value both equally.
- Price increases are permanent; if fear kept you from adjusting, make repricing your first 2024 reset — and review your numbers weekly in small chunks.
- Valentine's Day falls on a Wednesday in 2024, but the sales only come if you market what flowers do for people.
- Write out your full hiring process — ad wording to onboarding — and be honest about painting the real job, not just the pretty one.
- Resets don't wait for Mondays: mess up today, start again tomorrow.