Ten Top Podcasts for Every Floral Creative
If you’ve been a reader of mine for a little while, you’ll know of my true, deep love for a good podcast. My love for a great podcast undoubtably springs from the fact that I’m usually in my car driving for over an hour each day - with my Studio in Liverpool, and my home in Manchester, I certainly have the spare time to invest. Overs the year I’ve listened to many a podcast, and today I’m thrilled to be sharing with you my top ten podcasts for floral creatives. Now before we dive in, know that not all of these nuggets of joy on my list are truly focused on the floral industry - granted, quite a few are, and they’ll keep you up to date on trends, industry figures and happenings. But others you’ll find are more geared towards helping those in a creative business, and others still maybe don’t fit neatly into either category, but I’ve included them for you regardless as I’ve a feeling they might just be good for the creative soul.
Each of the podcasts below have provided me with great value over the years - whether through industry trends, marketing ideas or just good ‘ole life advice. Treat each one as a gorgeous little treasure chest, a sweet opportunity for learning and for joy and for possibilities. As ever, be sure to let me know your favourites in the comments below or on IG.
In probably my all time favourite podcast, Guy Raz dives deep into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies, exploring the founders behind them, the germination of their ideas, the challenges they faced, and the nitty gritty of exactly how they brought their ideas into fruition. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists — and the movements they built. Raz has a talent for infusing stories which could be cold and corporate with a healthy does of humanity - you certainly never feel like you’re listening to a business lecture. My one tip? Be sure to give every episode a go - don’t be tempted to skip episodes, entrepreneurs or businesses that you might think you’ll have no interest in, or that seem boring from the outset - some of my favourite episodes have been those which feature industries or founders which I think I’ll care little about, or have little in common with. Trust me - HIBT is focused on the business, but it’s also wholly human and relatable too. I think you’ll love it.
Ok, so I might be ever so slightly biased with this second mention, as the founder, Scott Shepherd, is a friend of mine whom I’ve known for nearly a decade now (we met in Atlanta on my very first teaching tour of the USA) but I’d include The Flower Podcast based solely on it’s own merit. The Flower Podcast is about flowers and so much more. In every episode Scott sits down to speak with trend setters, floral creatives, photographers, wholesalers, growers - every aspect of the floral industry is included in this industry wide podcast. I think that the real joy of this podcast is found in Scott himself - his warmth and knowledge shine through in each and every episode. I’ve had the pleasure of featuring in two episodes of The Flower Podcast, which you can check out here and here.
The Business of Fashion podcast, or BoF as it is affectionately known, is an extension of one of the World’s most popular fashion websites. I’m a member of BoF and renew my subscription each year to keep abreast of trends, industry insights and social media news, as I think there is such a strong correlation between the business of fashion and florals - there is much we can learnt from the fashion industry, and much we can implement into our own business practices. The great thing? Regardless of whether or not you’re a member of BoF however their podcast can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone. Particular favourite episodes of mine include listening to Kim Kardashian discuss how she leverages her vast social media following for her business - she’s certainly not as stupid as you might think - and Serena Williams on the importance of planning and diversification, especially when it comes to translating her success in one arena into many more.
If you are based in the USA and have not heard of Mornings with Mayesh then you’ve got a whole wealth of industry support here, just waiting to dive into! MwM is a fun get together with flower friends to discuss what is currently happening in our flower world, what flowers you need to check out, and answer your floral related questions - ranging from flower care, floral design, flower business, and marketing. Hosted by the lovely Yvonne Ashton, one of the great things about Mornings with Mayesh is that as a listener, you get to direct the show by sending in your questions thoughts and ideas for the show. You can listen to my recent episode of Mornings with Mayesh right here.
Now, I get that this inclusion might feel like a real curve ball, but hear me out. Land of the Giants is a new narrative podcast about the five technology giants – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google, or FAANG – and how they dominate our lives, for better and for worse. Why include this on a list of podcasts for the floral creative? Simply because we’re all in the business of selling - whether we’re selling our flowers, our artistry, or our services - we’re all selling something - and no-one does that better than FAANG. There is a lot to learn from these huge corporations - and whilst not everything LoTG covers is fascinating, it is fascinating to know of Amazon’s secret customer service mantra “delight the customer” or how Netflix sees it’s colossal debt (estimated to sit at around $15 BILLION DOLLARS). Well worth a listen if business, or entrepreneurship fascinates you.
6 - Slow Flowers with Debra Prinzing -
Listen to the Slow Flowers Podcast and hear from leading voices and influential pioneers. Join host Debra Prinzing each week as she and guests discuss the vital topics of saving domestic flower farms and supporting a floral industry that relies on a safe, seasonal and local supply of flowers and foliage. You will not be disappointed by Debra’s passion for the Slow Flower movement, not to mention her knowledge, humour and kindness that flows through every episode. You can listen to my episode of Slow Flowers right here.
7 - Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield -
If you’ve ever had one of my fortnightly wholesome newsletters, packed with completely free floral resources from me (you can sign up here if you’re interested in joining our tribe), you’ll have experienced something that Amy Porterfield taught me. Online connection is what Amy Porterfield does. Expect interviews, mini execution plans, and intimate behind-the-scenes secrets from her biggest launches… all tied together by Amy’s mission to make EVERYTHING you listen to as actionable and profitable as possible. Everything Amy teaches can be applied to any style of business - whether you’re a floral designer, a flower farmer, or just starting out in the industry. One not to miss.
Amy McGee of Botanical Brouhaha and Maggie Bailey of Bramble and Bee interview a variety of guests about all things related to flowers and the floral industry, and they do it all whilst being literally two of my most favourite people in our entire industry. In each episode floral industry leaders share their stories and discuss anything and everything related to the business side of floral design, wedding and event design, flower farming, flower wholesaling, and floral education - a real wealth of information. I consider Botanical Brouhaha to be a gorgeous, welcoming place - a wonderful community in which you could start gathering information, stories and resources, especially if you’re new to the industry. I guarantee you will fall in love with BB just as much as I have. You can listen to my previous episodes on Botanical Brouhaha here, here and here.
The Bottom Line feels like a very British podcast to me- and quite rightly too given it is published by BBC Radio 4. The Bottom Line offers no-nonsense interviews with entrepreneurs from all walks of life, and covering all aspects of business life too - with everything from licensing, importing, exporting, accounting and more. One not to miss if you’re interested in developing your grasp of business in all it’s forms.
Although admittedly a relatively new podcast to me, I’ve quickly become a fan of the Viva La Floral Live podcast. Hosted by the lovely Anahit Hakobyan, I’m always impressed with the warm, conversational tone that she sets for each and every one of her guests. The line up of guests spans industry leaders worldwide too - not one to miss, and you can listen back to my conversation with Anahit here.
Okay, okay, I know I said there would be ten recommendations only, but after the dumpster fire that we’ve lived through in 2020, you certainly don’t need me to tell you that life and business can be difficult, and that is exactly where my secret weapon known as ‘Dear Sugar’ comes in handy. A ‘favourite podcast’ list from me just couldn’t be complete without mentioning this little gem from WBUR, hosted by the legendary Cheryl Strayed (of Wild fame) and Steve Almond. Dear Sugars has absolutely nothing to do with flowers, but everything to do with the struggles of being human. It’s the perfect antidote to a myriad of life’s problems when things get just a little too tough. I know, I know - it’s a curve ball but give an episode or two half a chance before you write me an email about it’s inclusion on this list. I promise it will lift you up more than Snowdrops in the Spring. Trust me.
Enjoy.
Joseph
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