Putting together a wedding quote without doing a consultation is like trying to fill in a crossword without the clues. You simply don’t have enough information. 

You are going to get emails all year long that say ‘Hi I’m Sarah, can you give me a quote for my wedding flowers?’ and the answer is ‘not without a consultation’.

In this week's episode El shares the 3 key reasons you need a consultation as part of your wedding flowers process, how to structure your consultations including the when, the where and the timeframe, how online scheduling software will change your life and how to craft your consultations to put YOU in the drivers seat of the conversation and your client at ease that they are safe in your exceptional florist hands. 

Ok, I know, it's mid November. Which means it's time to get planning on 2024 if you haven't already. 
In this episode El shares the goals she's set for 2024 and also why she KNOWS they're a sure thing. She covers setting an intention/word for the year ahead and shares her intentions for 2023, what she's achieved and what she's setting up for 2024 and how you can to. 
If you want to live your life at cause for it, in the driver's seat of it and taking responsibility for you experience it - get on to planning it! That starts with setting goals and mapping out a plan of action to get there. 
And if you need help with this - book in a Problem Solver Session with El to help get yourself set up for 2024 or download our Ready Set Goals resource to get started!

When you run a business, especially in a creative space, it can be easy to allow self down and imposter syndrome to creep in. And you might be unexpectedly blocking yourself from doing things. 
In this episode, El shares how this manifests for her, and how you can stop it in it's tracks and take control of it to put you on a path you deserve. 

If the only thing stopping you is you... then get out of your own way and allow your beautiful self to succeed and achieve your wildest dreams! 
When you invest in yourself, you invest in your future and your business. So don't allow the negative self talk to block you from moving yourself and your business forward. 

Generally when you decide to start a floristry business, you're thinking about flowers, you're thinking about weddings, you're thinking about celebrations, you're thinking about creativity and colour and texture and line and form and you're NOT usually thinking about the businessy things.
When El started her business Maple & Wren, she had pretty much the same intentions. Only... she also had a background in a bureacratic corporate environment and now, as she steps into her CEO power, she's finding some of those skills and strategies more useful than ever before.
In episode 12, El shares the 5 key things she's taken from her corporate era and implemented into her business to bring it to a thriving and flourishing state that works in flow with her life.
Want more of this in your business? Enrol in our upcoming Masterclass 'How to Nail a 5 Figure Floral Order' Tuesday 31 October 2023 live online and start implementing this today! 

This week we interview the Instagram Queen herself Brooke Vulinovich.
I met Brooke around 8 years ago when I first started my business. She was killing it on Instagram then and she's still killing it on Instagram now as the owner of Social Club Community! 

Brooke Vulinovich is the Instagram Sales Coach who transformed her passion for social media into a life of freedom and adventure!

From turning her FIFO husband into a househusband to embarking on an unforgettable European summer holiday, Brooke's expertise in maximising Instagram sales has reshaped her business and life.

With a deep understanding of Instagram's power as a sales and marketing platform, Brooke has unlocked the secrets to success.

Having worked with global brands including American Express, Mazda, Dermalogica and F45, Brooke's remarkable journey has inspired countless individuals to achieve their dreams. She's committed to sharing her knowledge, helping you revolutionise your business, and gain the freedom you deserve.

There's a free cheat sheet too right here to help you Maximise Your Gram Sales: https://socialclubcommunity.com/maximise-your-sales-ebook/

Let's face it - noone likes to be rejected. But rejection is a part of business and it's a part of selling. Noone in the history of business ever has had a 100% conversion rate.
In this episode El shares her experience of rejection when it comes to wedding and event floristry clients, how she handles it in her business Maple and Wren, how to not take it personally and what steps to take to move on and focus.

In this episode, you'll hear about one great tactic and that is to have a templated email ready to go for when clients give you the 'thanks but no thanks' so you don't have to spend another piece of your energy on it. You can find this email and a whole lot more in our Workflow and Email Template Bundle now available in our online resources at Maple &  Wren Floral Art Academy for just $97! Download yours today! 
https://mapleandwren.ac-page.com/templatebundle

Why is it so hard for business owners to take a break? Often when we start a business, it can be difficult to take a break and there are a lot of reasons for that. But many of which... we've actually created ourselves. 

Taking a break from your business is imperative for creativity, rest, inspiration and for the love of life! In this episode El shares how she schedules and plans time off from her business and the strategies she implements to ensure it doesn't feel like a massive deal to step out. 

She's not kidding. Incase you didn't know - El has no formal floristry qualification and for a long time she let that hold her back and mean something about her as a florist. But not any more. 

In this episode, El shares her journey to creating a multi-six figure floristry business to show you that there is more than one way to climb a tree, there are many directions you can take and whether you're qualified or not, you'll likely still have to do alot of this work to create a profiting business.  
When it comes to floristry, doing the cert III or cert IV qualification is a decision only you can make, but it's not an absolute necessity. You can absolutely get work and create a flourishing business without formalised training. 
However, you should always be learning, always be open to new techniques, skills and ways of working, open to evolving your style and mechanics and building your skills in floristry and business to push you further towards your goals and out of your comfort zone. That's the spot creativity really comes to life. 

If you're wondering what the heck you actually do with yourself over the off season or how you're going to make money in your business in the winter months when the weddings are few and far between - then buckle up!

In this episode, El shares with you how she spent the off season 2023 and the key activities that keep cash flow coming in during those winter months. 
She also introduces you to the concept of ACTUALLY TAKING A BREAK something alot of small business owners find it difficult to do (hence why we've put it in capitals). 

Don't forget to sign up for our upcoming masterclass How to Nail a 5 Figure Floral Order - Tues 31 October 2023. In this 2 hour live online business masterclass we'll equip you will all of the logistical knowledge that goes in to making large scale wedding florals booking not only a reality for you and your business, but a walk in the park to execute!
Enrol today to start leveling up your floral business: https://www.mwfloralartacademy.com.au/5-figure-floral-order

In this episode El interviews Ashley Matkovich, founder and CEO of Fusion Biz Co, Perth's leading business networking community for kind-hearted powerhouse female entrepreneurs established in 2016 with almost 500 members.  Ash has revolutionised the business networking scene by building a thriving network where meaningful conversations and genuine relationships come before sales and referrals. Ash is passionate about making real human connection sexy again, in an increasingly disconnected world. When she's not facilitating juicy convos and getting businesswomen to open their hearts, she is running around after her 2 little girls.  She is also a FIFO wife, wine enthusiast, recovering people pleaser and closet spiritual junkie!

El and Ash talk about the power of networking for small business owners and why at it's core networking can feel so intimidating. 
They also discuss the secrets to longevity in business and Ash gives her top tip for small business owners. 

This is a beautiful and heartfelt episode full of nuggets of gold you absolutely don't want to miss!