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32 Feature March | 2023 I order flowers two to three weeks in advance, so my relationships with the farm sales reps are very important. Around this time, I typically get a text from Alisha, at ree Sisters & Co., one of the local wedding planners with whom we work closely." 12:30 p.m. Time for lunch. "Most of the time, I eat at my desk," Guerrero admits, "but I try to do things that are not shop related. I pay personal bills, read the news or scroll through social media." 1 p.m. On Tuesdays and ursdays, Guerrero blocks time for wedding consultations. "Having a consistent but flexible schedule ensures that I don't take too many," she informs. " Years ago, I let couples pick any time they wanted for consultations, but that caused me to book far too many consultations and not have enough time to create thoughtful proposals. Setting a few boundaries with my time has allowed us to take weddings that are aligned with our goals." 2 p.m. "Our shop has a large showroom, with lots of gifts and goodies, so we spend a lot of time doing setups and refreshing," Guerrero states. "ank goodness for a great team because refreshing the shop takes an army. Also, this is a good time for me to work on proposals and quotes." 4 p.m. is is when Guerrero usually works on things outside of shop business. "Education has always been important to my family, and that didn't stop when I got a job," she says. "My mom, who has owned the business for more than 30 years, has always encouraged me to continue to learn and lead. I learned from her example that it's important to serve on industry boards and committees. Currently, I am the president of the South Central Regional Chapter of AIFD and a trustee of the AIFD Foundation. I'm also on the board of the Texas State Florists' Association. ese groups all play an important role in strengthening our industry through education." 5:30 p.m. Time to lock up. "I know what you're thinking: ' You didn't mention making any flower arrangements,'" Guerrero says. "As much as I love flowers, I don't get to spend much time in the design room on a daily basis. As a business owner, I have so many other things on my plate. We have an amazing team of designers, and I still get the privilege of traveling to teach other florists." Pros and Cons of Being in the Retail Flower Industry "There are lots of wonderful things about being a shop owner and an involved floral industry member," Guerrero assures. "We have such a wonderful close-knit and giving community in the floral industry. If you attend an industry gathering where you don't know someone, you will surely have some amazing friends by the time you leave—in addition to the new ideas you were hoping for. This industry always provides something new to discover, a beautiful new variety to fall in love with or a new trend that takes your breath away. On the flip side, creating beauty isn't easy, as all florists know. You have to work hard every day and wear a lot of hats." Best Marketing Strategies Social media is great, Guerrero emphasizes, and Google Ads are imperative, she adds, "but the very best thing you can do is exactly what you say you are going to. If you tell someone that you will email a proposal within a week, then get it to them within a week. If you say you will call a customer back tomorrow, call her back tomorrow. That kind of reliability shows that you are a professional who cares about your customers and industry colleagues. When you do that, you get incredible recommendations that you don't have to pay for." Most Successful Business Strategies "Get to know people you admire," Guerrero advises. "We can all do great things, but having people who you can look to for inspiration, advice and help can make things so much easier for you. Sometimes we feel like we have to come up with solutions to problems on our own, but if you reach out to your community, you will realize you don't have to reinvent the wheel with each new challenge." Guerrero (right) and her mother, Sandy Blanco

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