Presenting

Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 47 Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com 47 F reelancing has long been a backbone of the fl ower industry, and it has grown exponentially as a career-style choice for many designers and as a labor source for many business owners—including wedding and event fl orists as well as cut fl ower growers and product manufacturers—in the post COVID years. As this segment of the labor market grows, and as wedding fl oral trends delve deeper into the lush, large installations that require many hands, ensuring your systems of hiring and managing freelancers is more important than ever. I've been a full-time traveling freelance fl oral designer for the last two years, working for fl orists in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Colorado, Texas, and all over the Midwest, designing luxury weddings, climbing endless ladders and scaff olding, wrangling Smilax, schlepping buckets and helping design some truly incredible fl ower installations with some of the greatest designers I've ever met. One thing I've learned is the importance of adaptability. Walking into a shop, studio or design facility can be a daunting experience, especially when you are working with a large team to undertake a task list a mile long. Often, I fi nd myself making a "wish list" of communications that would make my job easier and allow me to perform at my best for each client. is wish list will empower not only the freelancers but also everyone hiring freelancers. We're all on the same team. My Communica o W h L t 1. "CLEAR IS KIND. UNCLEAR IS UNKIND." This quote about the importance of communication in building relationships and of speaking and leading with clarity and truth, from author and leadership guru Brené Brown, is applicable to so many things in our personal and professional lives, and it pertains to freelancing, as well. On most of my travel gigs, I have no context of what I'll be walking into until I show up. I make it work (it's my job to be adaptable), but then I have to spend time at the beginning of each job wrapping my mind around what will be expected of me. A little work in advance on the part of the employer can go a long way to ensuring that freelancers don't waste time on the job. Preparing a checklist in advance or even a general mood board will allow the freelancers to walk into a job with the right mindset. One of my clients had a video of a lush English rose garden that he sent us the day before we arrived, to ensure we all would be on the same page about how the installations should feel. Watching that video on the plane was such a great way to get my head in the game and understand what vibe we'd be creating that week. Another client begins each job with a general design meeting. ere is a master binder there Matthew "Coach" Blind and Molly Lucille hanging a foliage installation at an event by Knox Floral Designs in Carmel, Ind. Aspen Branch Design; Aspen, Colo.

• Cover