Explore every episode of the podcast Behind the Stems
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable ties, sandbags, sanity: A wedding florist’s guide to wild weather | Ep 22 | 01 Nov 2025 | 00:39:20 | |
Episode vibe: Who it’s for: Listen if: you’re tired of winging it, sick of soggy blooms and ready to be the calmest person on-site no matter what BOM says. Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy.
| |||
| The Comparison Trap (and How to Climb Out of It) | Ep 21 | 29 Oct 2025 | 00:25:37 | |
I want to dedicate this episode to one of the most painful things we experience as florists, comparison. In this chat, I’m breaking down what’s actually happening when comparison hits and how to shift it from something that drains you to something that drives you. We’ll talk about why that jealousy might actually be clarity in disguise, how to stop designing from imitation instead of intuition and why your competitors are secretly doing you a favour. If you’ve ever felt triggered by another florist’s success, stared too long at someone else’s bouquet, or muted half your feed just to breathe again… this episode’s for you. By the end, you’ll walk away with a calmer mind, a clearer sense of direction, and a reminder that someone else’s win doesn’t take anything away from you, it just proves what’s possible.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy.
| |||
| Cult Status: The strategy behind brands people are obsessed with | Ep 12 | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:24:04 | |
Okay flower lovers, this episode has been a long time coming! Between being sick, a week away in Sydney and a bunch of tradies installing a new fence (hello, constant drilling), I’ve been dying to record this one for weeks. Inside Wildflower Academy, we just kicked off a brand new module called Cult Status and I’m so excited to bring a taste of it to the podcast. If you’ve ever watched a cult doco and thought, “Why am I so obsessed with this?”… you’re not alone. Weirdly, that obsession has everything to do with great branding and marketing. In this episode, I’m diving into the five core strategies I’ve studied (and used myself) to build a brand that doesn’t just get followed but creates belonging. I’m talking “you’re the first person I reached out to” and “I’d change my wedding date for you” level obsession. You’ll hear:
This is your permission slip to stop chasing trends and start building a brand people feel connected to. You don’t need a million followers. You need 20-30 dream clients who are obsessed with you. 🌼 Links + Things I Mentioned:
| |||
| The secret marketing moves of booked-out Florists (That have nothing to do with Instagram) | Ep 11 | 14 Jul 2025 | 00:15:16 | |
Are you tired of performing for the algorithm just to stay visible? Feeling like every free moment has to be spent on reels, stories or filming content? You’re not alone, I feel it too, there's another way! In this episode, I break down three powerful, data-backed marketing strategies that top florists are using right now to stay fully booked without burning out. We’ll cover: 🤝 Why referrals aren’t random luck, they’re scalable, strategic and 80% more effective than ads. 🎧 The surprising ROI of podcasts and how one 30-minute episode can outperform 75 Reels. 🌸 How to use styled shoots as a trust-building, SEO-boosting, booking magnet (even without a viral moment). If you’re craving a more sustainable way to grow, one that feels soulful, spacious and off the scroll, this episode is your permission slip. Hit play, take notes, and start marketing like the grounded, passionate creative you are. 💌 Loved this episode? Comment below what you're going to shift in your marketing strategy | |||
| Doing your friend’s wedding? Listen to this before you ruin the relationship | Ep 10 | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:23:02 | |
Almost every florist starts their wedding career with a friend or family member saying, “Can you do my flowers?” You’ll hear: | |||
| These thoughts are keeping you broke in business | Ep 9 | 29 Jun 2025 | 00:28:38 | |
What if the biggest thing affecting your pricing isn’t your spreadsheets… it’s your stories? In this episode, I’m digging into the invisible forces that shape your pricing as a wedding florist. We’ll talk about how your beliefs, environment, and identity silently dictate what you feel “allowed” to charge and how to rewire that from the inside out. We’re covering: → Why charging based on emotion keeps you stuck in survival mode → How your environment quietly becomes your ceiling → Why your brain filters out abundance and how to start noticing it again → What changes when you start quoting from facts, not fear This episode is about more than money. It’s about power, perception, and building a business that supports the life you actually want. Ready to raise your standard? Inside Wildflower Academy, we help florists like you build a business that’s not only sustainable, but exceptional. Think: stronger systems, elevated pricing, better clients, and a creative business that actually feels good to run. If you're ready to stop second-guessing your worth and start showing up like the CEO of your own studio, join us here: https://www.wildfloweracademy.co/offers/sJokzLYc/checkout | |||
| Selling flowers while the world burns | Ep 8 | 21 Jun 2025 | 00:29:12 | |
What do you do when the world feels too heavy to sell your work? This episode was born from a quiet message inside my new Instagram broadcast channel, The Secret Garden Club: "It feels inappropriate to post or promote right now, but enquiries are low. What do I do?" I’ve been there; Flashbacks to COVID lockdowns, glued to the news, second-guessing every caption. If you're in that place too, this one’s for you. In this episode, I’m sharing: → A personal story from the early days of lockdowns and how flowers sold more when everything felt uncertain → Why understanding the real reason people buy flowers can change your entire approach to marketing → How to show up like a lighthouse, steady, safe, and softly visible, instead of a spotlight shouting for attention → The quiet power of creating art from pain (and yes, we talk about Taylor Swift) → The evidence that proves businesses who stay present in hard times grow faster on the other side If you're craving a permission slip to market with more empathy and less pressure and a reminder that your work still matters, especially when it feels like everything is burning, this episode will feel like a warm cup of tea and a gentle nudge forward. Links & Resources: 🌸 Join Wildflower Academy — community, strategy, and steady growth for florists who want to build a business that lasts (price increasing soon!) If you loved this episode: - Please take a moment to rate & review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it helps more florists find the show | |||
| How my CRM made me thousands (and saved me from a wedding disaster) | Ep 7 | 17 Jun 2025 | 00:27:31 | |
Let’s talk about the least sexy part of your business... Your systems. | |||
| Shake the Tree! How I Make My Best Money Moves in Winter I Ep 6 | 13 Jun 2025 | 00:20:45 | |
You know what’s scarier than a quiet inbox in winter? This episode is your no-fluff, no-excuses pep talk to stop hibernating like a bear and start using winter as your business glow-up era. I share: The moment I realised her income wasn’t capped (and how I proved it to my accountant 👏) Why cutting costs isn’t the same as growing smart How winter became the season I made the most money, booked the dreamiest clients and built a multiple 6-figure floral coaching platform What florists get wrong about slow seasons (and how to fix it) And how not to get left behind while everyone else is planting seeds If you’ve been feeling stuck, slow, or spirally, this episode is the kick up the butt you didn’t know you needed. 💸 Ready to turn your slow season into your strongest one? 👉 Inside Wildflower Academy, you’ll get instant access to the Shake the Tree training, our brand new session on making money moves during your quiet season (and not wasting another month waiting for spring). 🌸 You’ll learn how to: Find the hidden income already sitting in your business Create offers and opportunities before the next enquiry rolls in Make winter your most powerful, profitable, momentum-building season yet ⚠️ Heads up: Wildflower Academy doubles in price at the end of June. 🎧 Tune in. Get fired up. Then go shake that damn tree. 👉 Join Wildflower Academy + Watch the Training Now | |||
| The Business book that changed everything in my wedding floristry biz | Ep 5 | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:21:29 | |
In today’s episode, I’m sharing the story of how I went from proudly avoiding the “business side” of floristry… to falling head-over-heels for systems, strategy, and automation, all because of one unexpected book: The 4-Hour Work Week. This book completely shifted the way I saw my business. I stopped thinking I had to do it all manually and started building a business that actually worked for my brain (hello, undiagnosed ADHD). Spoiler: it involved a lot less panic-quoting and a lot more Dubsado. 💡 Inside this episode, I talk about: → Why I avoided business tasks for years → The moment I realised my quoting system was costing me bookings → How Dubsado completely changed the way I work with wedding clients → The 4 principles that helped me take control of my backend → What “liberation” actually looks like when you run a creative business 😎 Want to build a system that works for you, not against you? Join me for The Smooth Operator Workshop A 5-day live experience where we’ll set up your Dubsado together. No tech overwhelm. No guesswork. Just one streamlined system that saves you hours and helps you book dream clients without burning out. 🎟️ Early bird is open now and the first 10 florists get my Floral Calculator free! Click here to save your spot | |||
| From stuck to booked out: Sophie’s 75K floral business leap in just one year | Ep 4 | 06 Jun 2025 | 00:30:17 | |
In this episode, I’m chatting with Sophie, flower farmer, wedding florist and longtime Wildflower Academy member, about her incredible growth over the past year. From feeling stuck, scared to post, and unsure if floristry could ever be a "real business"... We talk about:
Whether you’re in your first year or fifth, Sophie’s story is the reminder we all need: | |||
| What I put in my proposals to increase bookings (Without being pushy) | Ep 3 | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:17:33 | |
Ever feel like you're sending beautiful quotes or moodboards… and hearing crickets? In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly what I include in my visual proposals to boost conversions and build trust without feeling like I’m “selling.” Whether you're sending a Google Doc or a beautifully designed PDF, this approach will help you turn interest into commitment faster and with less effort. We’ll cover: → What a visual proposal actually is (and how it’s different from a quote or mockup) → Why it matters if you want to book dream clients with ease → The 3 proposal mistakes that are killing your conversion rate → Why your proposal should be a reverse mullet (yes, really) → The 5 things I include in every single proposal to turn it into a strategic sales tool This episode is packed with mindset shifts, sales psychology and practical takeaways you can implement straight away even if your proposal is just a Canva doc and a dream. Want to go deeper? Join Wildflower Academy to access the Powerful Proposals module and learn the tools to transform your proposal into a strategic sales asset that books more dream clients with ease. ✨ Price doubles July 1st, so now’s the time to lock in the current rate (and stay on it for as long as you're signed up) | |||
| More weddings ≠ More money | Ep 20 | 21 Oct 2025 | 00:31:06 | |
When I first fell in love with floristry, I was obsessed, completely consumed by it. I wanted to learn everything, do everything, say yes to every opportunity. I thought being busy meant I was successful. But somewhere along the way, I built a business that was running me instead of the other way around. In this episode, I share how saying yes to everything led to exhaustion, anxiety, and, ironically, less profit. I talk about the moment I realised that more weddings don’t equal more growth and what actually does. If you’ve ever felt like your business is thriving on the outside but draining you on the inside, this one’s for you. Inside Wildflower Academy this month, we’re diving into this exact topic in a module called The Floral Empire Architect where I’ll teach you how to design a business that gives you freedom, not fatigue. Busy isn’t the goal. Fulfilled is. | |||
| What to post when there's no fresh photos coming in: Raw content that converts | Ep 2 | 01 Jun 2025 | 00:15:45 | |
This is your permission slip to stop overthinking your content and start showing up as the version of you that dream clients actually want to hire. In this episode, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes moment from a wedding that nearly broke me; locked gates, mean rangers, pouring rain and one very messy (but kind of perfect) video that reminded me what kind of content really lands. We’ll talk about: → Why “messy” behind-the-scenes content is often your most magnetic → The 3 types of Instagram posts that are actually working right now How to turn your camera roll chaos into bookings → The real reason your best content is still sitting in your phone This one’s for the florists who: → Are too busy/tired/stuck to figure out what to post → Want more visibility, but don’t want to feel fake online → Are sitting on gold and just need the nudge to use it Grab the Free Swipe File: 5 Posts for Wedding Florists That Will Blow Up Your IG By Next Week No fluff. No guesswork. Just swipe, post, and let it do the talking. | |||
| From "Flower Lady" to CEO: How identity shapes our Success | Ep 1 | 30 May 2025 | 00:13:21 | |
In today’s episode, I’m sharing a story I’ve never really told before, the quiet decision that kept me playing small for years and what finally helped me shift into the identity of a real business owner. | |||
| Stop attracting nitpicky clients: How to get couples who trust your creative vision | Ep 19 | 03 Oct 2025 | 00:31:53 | |
Are you tired of couples handing you a shopping list of specific flowers and expecting you to magically source every single one, even when it’s out of season or unavailable? You’re not alone. So many florists feel stuck working with clients who micromanage their designs, but it doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode, I’m breaking down why this keeps happening and, more importantly, how you can change it. We’ll talk about how your marketing might accidentally be inviting picky, controlling clients (without you even realising it), and how to shift into authority-driven marketing that shows people you’re the expert from day one. I’ll walk you through how to lead your consultations in a way that stops couples from dictating flower varieties, and how to build real trust so clients feel confident letting you take creative control. If you’re dreaming of couples who say, “I trust you, do your thing!” and who get excited about your artistry rather than the exact flower list, this episode will help you get there.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| From panic ordering to profit ordering: Why you don’t make money when you sell your flowers | Ep 18 | 30 Sep 2025 | 00:12:15 | |
Ever wheeled a market trolley piled high and felt that little knot in your stomach? Same. This episode is a calm reset before busy season: I’m making the case that profit doesn’t happen when you quote or invoice, it happens when you buy. If you’ve been panic-ordering “just in case” stems, this is your sign to shift into profit ordering so your designs still feel generous while your margins finally make sense. We're going to get practical: how to design with function in mind, use every part of each stem, and swap strategically when availability or prices flip. Your one-question filter to take to market: “Is this stem paying me back, or just filling a bucket?” Links & goodies: Come say hi on Instagram and tell me your biggest “just in case” flower weakness 🌸 | |||
| The day I threw my bouquet in the bin (and what it taught me about floristry) | Ep 17 | 26 Sep 2025 | 00:12:03 | |
Fifteen years ago, I was a stubborn, purple-haired, 20-something-year-old florist-in-training who thought I knew better than my teachers. (Spoiler: I didn’t… but I also kind of did) In this episode, I’m sharing the messy, unfiltered story of:
If you’ve ever felt stuck between wanting to create your style and needing to deliver what a client asks for, this episode will hit home. 🎧 Listen in for a candid reminder: you’re both an artist and a service provider and knowing when to be each is where the magic (and the big bookings) happen.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| Stop competing on price! 10 reasons couples will choose the more expensive wedding florist | Ep 16 | 20 Sep 2025 | 00:36:13 | |
I’m back in your ears, newly married, slightly bumbly and recording with a rolled ankle and a very full heart. Today’s mini-masterclass is for every florist who’s convinced bookings = being cheaper than the studio down the road. Spoiler: couples don’t buy with spreadsheets; they buy with feelings and justify it later I’m walking you through 10 specific reasons couples happily choose the higher-priced florist, things like response speed, brand positioning, referrals, friction-free booking, clarity, trust, and pricing psychology with real examples from my own studio (including this month I booked $68k in florals without a single consult). If you’ve been lowering your rates to “be competitive,” this episode will reset your brain and your booking flow. Try this today (quick wins): - Turn on an instant enquiry auto-reply that sounds excited and personal - Cull 9 photos from your grid and keep the 3 that scream “premium” - Add one higher-tier option to your proposal so “best” is easy to choose Loved this episode? Share it with a florist friend and tag me. If you’re ready to build a premium on purpose brand, this month inside Wildflower Academy we’re deep-diving into client experience, pricing psychology, and enquiry systems that book at your real rate. Come join us! | |||
| Why generic coaching doesn’t work for wedding florists (and what does) | Ep 15 | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:25:37 | |
This week I’m sharing a story that made my whole week. One of my Wildflower Academy florists sent me an email after we rebuilt her proposals together, she’d been sitting in the 4–5k range for years, and within a couple of days she booked her very first $12k wedding. Cue happy tears. It got me thinking: why did she get that breakthrough with me, even though she was already in a big-name coaching program? The answer is simple, most advice out there just isn’t specific to wedding florists. And our world is… different. In this episode, I talk about:
If you’ve ever felt like coaching or courses just don’t quite fit the reality of your business, this episode will help you understand why and what to look for instead. ✨ Want to dive deeper and get support designed specifically for wedding florists? Come join us inside Wildflower Academy it’s where you’ll find the tools, strategies, and community to build the business (and the lifestyle) you actually want | |||
| The $9 jacket that changed how I price my wedding florals | Ep14 | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:11:37 | |
It started as a rainy-day wander through my favourite secondhand store… and ended with a denim jacket, a $9 price tag and a full-blown business epiphany. In this episode, I share the story of how one surprise moment in a curated vintage shop flipped the way I think about pricing in floristry and why breaking down your costs line-by-line isn’t just exhausting, it’s keeping you from booking your dream clients. You’ll hear:
If you’ve ever felt pressure to “justify” your prices, this one’s for you. Mentioned in this episode: | |||
| Florist Burnout: How to keep going when you’re ready to quit | Ep 13 | 09 Aug 2025 | 00:19:58 | |
This week, I’m getting real about the burnout season so many florists are in right now. If your bookings have slowed, clients are hesitating and you’re wondering if your business has a future, this episode is the pep talk + practical game plan you need. I’ll share the same three simple shifts I gave a florist in a strategy session this week, the ones that’ll help you:
Whether you’re in a slump, feeling stuck or just need a little florist-to-florist pep talk, this episode is here to help you find your footing again. Links & Resources:
| |||
| People Pleaser Ash and dealing with Leadership Anxiety | Ep 23 | 14 Nov 2025 | 00:29:48 | |
In this episode, I’m talking about something I never thought I’d have to learn: how to be a leader. Not a corporate manager, not a clipboard-wielding supervisor… just a wedding florist who suddenly had people relying on her and absolutely no idea how to direct them. For a long time, I felt like I was doing it all wrong. I hated the idea of telling people what to do, so I over-explained everything. I didn’t want to come across as bossy, so I softened all my instructions. And then I wondered why people didn’t know what I meant. Every drive home was a spiral: was I too much? Not enough? Did I make someone uncomfortable? Did I make sense at all? It took one uncomfortable moment for me to realise the truth I’d been avoiding: I was the bottleneck. My team wasn’t confused because they were incapable. They were confused because I was trying to lead in a way that kept everyone comfortable… except myself. So I started asking better questions. What would actually help my team do their best work? And what do I love or hate when I’m freelancing on someone else's wedding? From there, everything started to shift. I stopped trying to be liked and started trying to be clear. I stopped filling the silence with explanations and just said what needed to be said. And for the first time, leading a team didn’t feel heavy, it felt supportive, collaborative, and surprisingly simple. This episode is the behind-the-scenes of that turning point: what changed, how I changed, and how it made every wedding week run smoother than ever. If leadership has ever felt awkward, overwhelming, or just not your thing, I think you’ll feel really seen in this one.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| When the Plan Falls Apart: How to Lead, Pivot, and Problem-Solve Like a Pro Florist | Ep 24 | 23 Nov 2025 | 00:25:05 | |
I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes story from a scorching hot Redleaf wedding where the entire ceremony location changed the day before and how I pivoted the design without any stress (or crispy flowers). I also answer a Wildflower Academy member’s question about what to do when a venue gives you incorrect information, the client wants something physically impossible, and you have to make a call on the day. We chat about:
A short, practical episode that will help you stay calm, flexible, and in your leadership energy — no matter what the wedding day throws your way.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| The Birth of The Bunch Cruncher | Ep 26 | 12 Dec 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
I’ve been starting my mornings with coffee, headphones, and a blank page, just writing instead of scrolling. One morning, a single journal prompt cracked something open in my brain and sent me straight down memory lane. This episode is about the years I wore my chaotic creative energy like a badge of honour, especially at the flower markets. No recipes. No plan. Just vibes. And while it looked romantic from the outside, behind the scenes it was costing me money, sleep, confidence, and my nervous system. I’m sharing the moment I realised that “winging it” wasn’t intuitive or artistic, it was just expensive. How cutting out imported flowers forced me to face my avoidance of systems. And why learning to plan my flower orders didn’t kill my creativity… it actually made me a better designer. This is a story about spreadsheets I swore I’d never use, the mindset shift that changed everything, and the principle I live by now: creativity thrives within structure, and profit needs planning. If you’ve ever felt like systems weren’t “you,” if flower ordering gives you anxiety, or if you secretly worry you’re losing money even when you’re booked out, this one’s for you. (And yes, this is also the story of how The Bunch Cruncher was born.)
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| I am a delicate wilting flower (Surviving heat waves in wedding season) | Ep 25 | 04 Dec 2025 | 00:21:58 | |
In this episode, I’m talking about how I survive insanely hot wedding days as a florist who is, admittedly, a delicate little flower who wilts the second the temperature hits 30.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| The Story You’re Telling Yourself That’s Costing You $10K Per Wedding | Ep 27 | 17 Dec 2025 | 00:27:47 | |
For years, I told myself I didn’t want high-budget weddings. I said they were boring. But the reality was they scared me and I was avoiding doing the hard work In this episode, I unpack the stories that kept me stuck under $10K weddings and the mindset shifts that helped me move into higher-spend work, work less, and enjoy my business again. If this hits close to home, I’ve left a free resource for you with 3 simple caption tweaks to help your marketing start attracting higher-budget clients Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| The Things I Didn’t Buy (and Still Booked $30–40K Weddings) | Ep 29 | 01 Jan 2026 | 00:27:03 | |
I’ve been a wedding florist for over 15 years, booking $20–40K+ weddings… and I don’t have a van, a cool room, or a fancy logo. I'm talking through the things I don’t think you need to invest in when you’re growing your floristry business (even though everyone tells you that you do), and the things I genuinely believe are worth your money early on. This is very much based on my own experience, what worked, what didn’t, and what I wish I’d known sooner. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, behind, or spiralling about where to spend your money right now, this episode is your permission to simplify, focus, and stop pouring cash into things that don’t actually move the needle.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| Turns Out We Were the Drama: Creativity, Control & Building a Business That Actually Fits with Josh Jay | Ep 28 | 30 Dec 2025 | 01:35:14 | |
I’m joined by Josh Jay a former wedding photographer turned business coach who somehow went from hating structure to becoming obsessed with helping creatives understand money, energy, and how business actually works. Josh started shooting weddings ridiculously young, built a seriously successful photography career, and then did the plot twist none of us expect, he fell in love with the business side of things. Not in a spreadsheets-for-fun way, but in a “how do we make this work for creative brains?” way. We talk about his journey from shooting weddings across Australia (and beyond), to realising that most creatives aren’t bad at business, they’re just trying to run it using systems that were never designed for them. We get into:
It’s honest, a little chaotic, and full of those “oh… that explains a lot” moments. If you’re a creative who’s ever felt lazy, behind, or broken this conversation might change how you see yourself.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| Florists! Stop Hiding. Your Face Is Your Best Marketing Tool | Ep 30 | 05 Jan 2026 | 00:45:31 | |
I recorded this episode in a hotel-grade robe, drinking what accidentally turned into garlic tea, which honestly feels on brand for how this year is starting. This episode is for the wedding florists who know they should be showing up on camera… You’re not lazy. I get it, I hated talking on camera too. I had braces, a lisp, zero confidence, and a deep fear of public speaking. But learning to show my face became one of the highest-return decisions I’ve ever made in my business. In this episode, I break down why face-led content actually works, especially in floristry and why posting “pretty flowers” alone just doesn’t cut through anymore.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| From Freelance to Founders: Building Sonder Studio Without Burning Out | Ep 31 | 06 Jan 2026 | 01:21:25 | |
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Yen from Sonder Studio. We talk about what actually happens when you move from freelancing into business ownership, why “just vibing it” works… until it really doesn’t, and how Sonder Studio grew quickly without having a plan, then had to slow down, reassess, and rebuild in a way that didn’t destroy their nervous systems. Yen shares her journey from corporate finance to floristry, the mental health reckoning that pushed her to change paths, and how freelancing during the post-lockdown wedding boom shaped her skills, confidence, and boundaries. We get into what it’s really like running a partnership, the growing pains, the constant communication, and why clearly defined roles matter more than talent. We talk studios, systems, SOPs, bump-in chaos, allocation, and the unsexy backend work that actually makes creative businesses sustainable. There’s a very honest conversation about freelancing resentment, ownership of creative work, and the moment you realise that being “on the tools” isn’t the same as leading a team. We also dive into Yen’s overseas wedding in Vietnam, from six-hour market runs up a mountain to flying her team in so she didn’t have to flower on her own wedding day and what planning a wedding taught her about logistics, delegation, and letting go.
00:00 – New Year check-in + last-minute wedding chaos 03:00 – Weather, wind, and why florists fear it more than rain 05:00 – Yen’s origin story: from corporate finance to floristry 09:00 – Learning through freelancing (and surviving post-lockdown weddings) 12:00 – Meeting Jules & why Sonder Studio became a partnership 15:00 – Defining roles (after learning the hard way) 18:00 – Partnership communication & mindset growing pains 21:00 – Client consults, confidence, and breaking tasks into learnable steps 24:00 – Using AI + systems to reduce mental load 27:00 – Moving fast as a business (and what it cost) 30:00 – Getting featured in Vogue (and what actually changed) 34:00 – Freelancing vs business ownership: the mindset shift 38:00 – Creative ownership, resentment & where the line actually is 42:00 – Systems that changed everything (allocation, bump-outs, SOPs) 46:00 – Studios, space planning & Sydney logistics realities 50:00 – Yen’s overseas wedding in Vietnam 56:00 – Doing flowers for your own wedding (or not) 58:00 – Final reflections: sustainability, slowing down, and building properly
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| Instagram Is a Free Money Machine (If You Stop Being Mad at It) | Ep 32 | 09 Jan 2026 | 00:26:58 | |
I recorded this episode in my robe (again), slightly over-caffeinated and fresh off scrolling a comments section that honestly made my eye twitch. I saw thousands of people yelling at the head of Instagram because their posts weren’t getting views and it sparked something I think a lot of business owners need to hear: You are not entitled to success on social media. In this episode, I unpack the quiet entitlement, resentment, and victim mentality that sneaks into our marketing, especially when things feel slow. I share the three simple mindset frameworks that have helped me build multiple businesses on Instagram over more than a decade, even through burnout, dips, and seasons where posting felt like the last thing I wanted to do.
Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| You’re Not Stuck, You’re Just Believing the Wrong Story - with Giorgio Genaus | Ep 33 | 13 Jan 2026 | 01:39:15 | |
This episode started as a conversation about mindset — and turned into one of the most grounding, clarifying, and honestly relieving conversations I’ve had in a long time. This isn’t an inspirational pep talk. If you’re a wedding florist, creative, or business owner who feels capable but stuck — this episode is for you. You can find Giorgio on Instagram here: (Highly recommend a scroll — his perspective is as grounded as it is clarifying.) Want help applying this to your own floristry business? Wildflower Academy is where we do this work properly, blending mindset, strategy, and real-world systems so wedding florists can grow without burnout or constant comparison. Inside the Academy, you’ll learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll feel right at home in Wildflower Academy. | |||
| This Is What's Damaging the Floral Industry | Ep 34 | 21 Jan 2026 | 00:24:29 | |
Okay, so this episode started as a casual drive to a friend’s house… (You’ve been warned.) In this episode, I’m talking about the moment I nearly got kicked out of a floral Facebook group — all because I didn’t join the pile-on when another florist launched a $16 DIY wedding flower ebook. The thing is, the reaction to that ebook said way more about scarcity, fear, and misdirected blame than it did about DIY brides. So in this chat, we unpack: – Why a florist selling DIY resources is not your competition This is not a polite episode.
If this episode hit a nerve or made you realise you’ve been leaking energy worrying about things you can’t control, this is exactly the kind of mindset + strategy work we do inside Wildflower Academy. It’s where wedding florists learn how to:
If you’re ready to stop spiralling and start building with intention, you’ll love it in there. Alright. Talk soon! | |||
| Wild Flowers and Wild Focus. Flower Farming with Luen Free | Ep 35 | 28 Jan 2026 | 01:48:08 | |
In this episode, I’m sitting down with Luen Free — flower farmer, former DJ and radio host, and one of the most thoughtful voices I know in the local growing space. We talk about Luen’s path from nightlife and DJ booths to permaculture-style flower farming, and what it really looks like to build a values-led business that actually suits your nervous system, your energy, and your brain (especially if you’ve got ADHD). This conversation weaves through:
We also get into roses, dahlias, local growing, pricing, creative energy, and why not every “successful” business model is worth copying if it drains the life out of you. If you’re a florist, grower, or creative trying to build a business that feels aligned, not just profitable, this one will land. Find Luen
If this episode resonated, especially the parts about energy, boundaries, seasonality, and building a business that works with your brain, that’s exactly what we do inside Wildflower Academy. The Academy is where wedding florists learn how to:
You don’t need to do more. Come join us: wildfloweracademy.co | |||
| What's working for me on Instagram right now | Ep 36 | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:19:58 | |
I accidentally started a third Instagram account. And no, this is not something I ever wanted to do. In this episode, I’m sharing a very honest, behind-the-scenes snapshot of how I’m using Instagram in 2026, why marketing feels so different to even a few years ago, and the exact systems I’m using to grow multiple accounts without letting social media take over my life. This year, I’m running:
So I’ve had to get very intentional about boundaries, leverage, and low-effort strategies that actually work. In this episode, I walk you through the three main strategies I’m using right now, what they are, why they work, and how you can steal them for your own business. Feel free to steal as much or as little of this as you like. And if you want to go deeper into creating repeatable content series, there’s a full training inside Wildflower Academy called The One Where We Create an Iconic Series - it’s one of my favourites to teach, and I’ve loved watching members apply it lately. If this episode was useful, I’d love to hear:
Leave a review, leave a comment, or come say hi over on Instagram @academywildflower I genuinely love hearing from you! | |||
| The Content Series That Actually Books Weddings with Jade from Willow & Sage Botanics | Ep 37 | 08 Feb 2026 | 00:50:13 | |
In this episode, I’m chatting with Jade from Willow & Sage Botanics, an Auckland-based wedding florist who stumbled into flowers during COVID, ditched retail (because… no), and built an incredibly intentional brand by doing one bold thing: she committed to a 52-week design challenge. | |||
| My 3 lazy Instagram strategies (and why they work) | Ep 38 | 07 Mar 2026 | 00:19:43 | |
Okay, confession: I started a third Instagram account. I'm not proud of it. But it forced me to get really ruthless about how I'm spending my time on social media, and the three strategies I landed on are working well enough that I wanted to share them. In this episode I'm sharing exactly what I'm doing on Instagram in 2026. Trial reels — Instagram's tool for getting your content in front of people who don't already follow you. No ads required. I'm batching simple 7-second clips, slapping on a trending sound and a hook, and letting Instagram do the heavy lifting. It's a numbers game and it's working. Welcome messages — When someone hits follow, I send them a warm automated DM via ManyChat. Not salesy, not spammy, just a genuine hi. The unexpected perk? It reminds me there are real humans behind every follow and some of the conversations that spark from it are genuinely lovely. Turning your Instagram into a TV show — This is the big one. The creators growing fastest right now aren't treating Instagram like a content dump or a portfolio. They're running it like a series. There's even research showing people need to consume around 75 minutes of your content before they buy and a series is the fastest way to get there. I'm picking five repeatable formats and rotating them. Less brain fry, more consistency. If Instagram has been feeling like it's eating you alive, this episode is for you. Leave a comment and tell me which one you're going to try first, I'd love to know!
| |||
| The Magic Book Everyone's Asking About | Ep 39 | 15 Mar 2026 | 00:14:54 | |
So my comments have been absolutely wild lately and I owe you guys an answer. If you saw my recent carousel about my business journey, you'll know I mention a book that changed the way I thought about business. And now I have dozens of comments all asking the same thing: I've been avoiding answering because I don't want you to think it's some magical solution that's going to make you suddenly good at business. It's not. So in this episode I'm finally answering the question properly, the book, the honest truth about it, and everything else that's actually made a difference in how I run Wildflower Academy. Because here's the thing. After that first book I read hundreds more, listened to hundreds of podcast hours, and spent thousands and thousands of dollars on coaching and courses. Every single one taught me something different. There is no one magic book. And if someone tells you there is, they're selling you something. I break down all the books that have actually stuck with me, what I took from each one, and, more importantly, the stuff that no single book will ever teach you but that will actually move the needle in your business. | |||
| She Books You Without a Quote and She's Not Sorry with Chloe from Your Day By Chloe | Ep 40 | 25 Mar 2026 | 01:44:01 | |
Six years in, Chloe from Your Day By Chloe has planned and styled some of the most beautiful weddings in NSW and I interrogated her. About quotes (she doesn't believe in them), about petal tosses (she's over it), about florists who send a stranger on the day without a style brief (we don't talk about those people), and about eggs as a wedding trend (yes, eggs, stay with us). This episode is essentially a masterclass in what happens on the other side of your inbox. Chloe breaks down the actual difference between a planner, a stylist and a coordinator, walks through her entire process with florists from first booking to wedding day, and gets candid about commissions, referral fees and where her thinking has shifted over the years. We also get into how florists can actually get on a planner's radar, and spoiler, a cold DM isn't going to do it, but a bunch of flowers to the door just might. There's a conversation about whose job it is to source the vessels, what to do when the planner-florist dynamic is genuinely not working, and why Chloe would rather see one enormous impactful arrangement than flowers on every surface just for the sake of it. Plus trend chat, a passionate takedown of pearls on vegetables, and what Chloe thinks is quietly about to have a very big moment in wedding styling. Find Chloe's beautiful work on Instagram at @yourdaybychloe and thank her for her generous insight into the mind of a wedding planner. | |||
| You're Not Too Creative to Niche, You're Too Scared | Ep 41 | 29 Mar 2026 | 00:21:43 | |
If your website has 57 different inquiry pages, your calendar is full but your bank account isn't, and you've nearly started a retail shop, a wreath business, a ceramics side hustle and a workshop series all in the same year, this episode is going to make you a little bit uncomfortable. Good. Because here's what I actually think is going on. The multi-passionate, jack-of-all-trades, chaotic creative identity that you're holding onto so tightly? A lot of the time it's not a personality trait. It's a very convincing way to avoid the boring, uncomfortable, unglamorous work that would actually grow the business you already have. And I know this because I lived it for an embarrassingly long time. In this episode I'm getting into all of it, what my business looked like before I niched down (busy, chaotic, not profitable, website was a disaster), the moment I finally went all in on weddings and started saying no to literally everything else, and what happened when I did. I went from 80 weddings a year to 20 and made more money. I stopped working summers. I started showing up to my friends' birthday parties. I went to the US for a month. I started a flower market out of my warehouse just because I wanted to. I booked a $30–40K wedding with no quote, no call, no back and forth, just a deposit.
If your business feels stuck and you keep watching other florists fly ahead, it's not because they're more talented than you. It's because they sat down and did the unsexy work. This episode is your invitation to do the same. | |||