The Local Marketing Shifts That Built Demand for Her Flower Farm with Brooke Palmer

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Grow Your Local Business
Episode: The Local Marketing Shifts That Built Demand for Her Flower Farm with Brooke Palmer
Host: Leslie Presnall
Date: March 31, 2026

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Overview

This episode features an inspiring conversation between Leslie Presnall, local marketing expert and host, and Brooke Palmer, a former teacher turned successful flower farmer and owner of Jenny Creek Flowers in Ithaca, New York. Brooke dives into the practical local marketing strategies and mindset shifts that transformed her flower business—from a side hustle to a highly in-demand operation with sold-out workshops and a growing team. The discussion is packed with specific tactics for standing out, embracing authentic selling, building community recognition, and layering business growth without overwhelm—offering actionable wisdom for any local business owner.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brooke Palmer’s Success Story: Doubling Revenue and Selling Out Events

• Immediate Results:
  • Brooke doubled her farmstand revenue this year through strategic partnerships and crop planning.
    • "I've been really doubling down on the local aspect and on my partnership with [the bakery]. ... I'm selling out like multiple days a week." (03:25–03:44)
  • Rolled out five seasonal ticketed events, all of which sold out quickly, building waitlists and high demand.
    • "I used the sold out event promotion... I sold out like every single event so quickly with waitlist, like creating this demand." (03:25–04:44)

2. Transitioning from Side Hustle to Full-Time Flower Farming

• Brooke’s Journey:
  • Started flower farming as a side hustle while teaching.
  • Managed farming around her teaching schedule.
    • "I farmed before 6:30am and after dinner and on the weekends, and I planted my field out during spring break." (07:44–08:26)
  • Made the leap to full-time after realizing she was turning down opportunities and wanting to pursue her dream.
    • "I decided to take the leap and I figured I can always go back to teaching. But it's. I only have this one dream, this one time." (08:27–09:10)

3. Standing Out Locally: Differentiators and Brand Identity

• Year-Round, Four-Season Farming:
  • Grows 20,000 tulips in her farmhouse cellar through harsh upstate winters.
  • Offers 100 weekly tulip subscriptions in winter, creating a colorful ritual for customers.
    • "People go crazy to have something beautiful and colorful in winter..." (10:34–11:47)
  • Strategic pickup locations to facilitate customer access and foster cross-promotion with local businesses.
• Exclusive, Intimate Events:
  • Rejects the typical large, public festival-style farm model.
  • Offers ticketed, small-group experiences like flower workshops and wreath-making, focusing on education, connection, and scenic beauty.
    • "My farm events are really different. They're ticketed, they're kept small on purpose. ... It's just kind of this sort of retreat setting for people, mostly women." (12:17–13:17)

4. Community Recognition & Opportunities

• Local Celebrity and Partnerships:
  • Increased visibility leads to recognizability in the community ("you're the woman who grows all the flowers, right?").
    • "I went to Target a week ago and somebody gushed over me..." (13:40–13:55)
  • Invitations to handle flowers for major local events and festivals.
    • Example: Provided flowers for a significant annual music festival and a major local fundraiser.
    • "It's things like that where I feel like people have reached out to me and it feels really affirming..." (13:40–15:25)
  • Builds a screenshot “feel-good file” of positive feedback for motivation.
    • "I literally take a screenshot of every single comment like that, and ... if I'm having a discouraged day, I'll just run through it." (16:10–16:28)

5. Localized Marketing Strategies That Work

• Show Local Landmarks:
  • Posts photos and videos featuring well-known regional landmarks with her flowers to trigger recognition and belonging.
    • "I've been really committed to capturing video and images of, like, the places where we all live." (17:01–17:52)
    • "When they see that, they're like, oh, wait, this is relevant to me... just because they recognize it." (18:55–19:17)
• Content Focus:
  • Avoids appealing to other flower farmers; focuses all her messaging on serving her specific local customer base.
    • "I made, like, a very conscious decision... that that's not really what my business is about. And I'm going to keep it local." (19:30–20:56)
• Seasonal, Relatable Email Marketing:
  • Writes emails themed around local seasons and relatable experiences (e.g., “mud season”).
  • Prioritizes email for selling; social primarily for awareness and connection.
• Marketing Consistency and Layering:
  • Did not try to master all strategies at once—focused on one area (e.g., winter tulips, then workshops) before layering in the next.
    • "I've tried to take things one focus at a time." (23:21–25:12)

6. Mindset Practices for Growth

• Maintains a daily “mindset book” ritual to set a positive tone.
  • "Every day when I drink my coffee, I write in my mindset book." (23:21–23:28)
• Schedules marketing/admin time consistently to maintain momentum.
• Uses tracking tools (like spreadsheets and visual progress bars) to monitor goals and celebrate achievements. - "I like had a column for what percentage I was sold out for every single ticket I offered. And then when I sold out, it turned to green." (25:01–25:12)

7. Work-Life Balance and Sustainable Growth

• Structures business and crop planning to match lifestyle goals.
• Uses blocks of uninterrupted time for admin/marketing ("Wednesdays are kind of my sacred admin day." (28:10)).
• Recognizes and honors slower business windows for rest.

8. Embracing and Enjoying Selling

• Overcame “ick” feelings about sales messaging, especially during high-volume times such as Black Friday. - "What I had to do with my beliefs was just get really clear and be like, I'm not like Best Buy, like offering a Black Friday sale. Like, I'm the flower farm that these people love..." (29:12–29:35)
  • Created bundled offers and leaned into multiple-email sales campaigns without fear of unsubscribes.
    • "Not only did I make, like, thousands of dollars, but I sold... I like, went past that goal, like, in that week." (29:35–31:07)
  • Recognizes that repeat messaging is welcome by target customers and okay to let non-ideal customers leave.
    • "If you do like that person, if you are going to buy from them... then you don't have the ick. So it's like, your people who do want what you have, they are going to buy from you." (31:27–32:50)
  • Began to confidently sell directly on social as well, after seeing how customers responded positively to clear calls-to-action.

9. The Power of Personal Experience and Community Connection

• Hosting workshops and events deepens customer loyalty, creates special memories, and fosters community. - "Now I'm like, it's a shared season... they're catching their breath on my flower farm." (34:38–35:36) - "I've kind of... worked in my way of, like, how do I build in educational points but not make it, like, mentor. That's not what they want." (35:46–36:11)

10. Endorsement and Takeaways from the LocalPreneur Academy

• Brooke credits her ongoing success to Leslie’s LocalPreneur Academy, emphasizing the value of local-specific marketing, group support, and the benefit of lifetime access for evolving business needs. - "Everything that you need in marketing is in it, but, like, in a better way, because it's about your local community." (36:27–37:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"I've been really doubling down on the local aspect and on my partnership with them... selling out like multiple days a week." — Brooke Palmer (03:25)

"I went from dipping my toe into doing some ticketed events to... I sold out like every single event so quickly with waitlist." — Brooke Palmer (03:36)

"I have really committed to... being the face of my business. I have really committed to that in the last year." — Brooke Palmer (13:55)

"I've been really committed to capturing video and images of... the places where we all live. ...It resonates with people, and it creates this, like, we belong here kind of feeling." — Brooke Palmer (17:01)

"I made, like, a very conscious decision... I'm going to keep it local." — Brooke Palmer (19:30)

"Every day when I drink my coffee, I write in my mindset book." — Brooke Palmer (23:21)

"It wasn't about figuring out how to market all the things at one time. It was like, I'm gonna focus on growing this thing over here, then I'm gonna move on to this thing." — Leslie Presnall (25:27)

"My winter is really busy. ...I think that I just transferred [the time discipline] over when I went full time." — Brooke Palmer (26:37–28:22)

"What I had to do with my beliefs was just get really clear and be like, I'm not like Best Buy, like offering a Black Friday sale. Like, I'm the flower farm that these people love..." — Brooke Palmer (29:35)

"They want my flowers, and if I just offer my flowers to them, they're going to want them." — Brooke Palmer (31:07)

"If you do like that person... then you don't have the ick. So... your people who do want what you have, they are going to buy from you." — Leslie Presnall (32:50)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Doubling farmstand revenue and event sell-outs: 03:25–04:44
• Brooke’s teaching-to-farming story: 07:44–09:10
• Standing out with winter tulips and exclusive events: 10:34–13:17
• Community recognition moments: 13:40–15:25
• Landmark-based local marketing: 17:01–18:55
• Focusing all content on local audience: 19:30–20:56
• Keeping marketing simple and focused: 23:21–25:12
• Work-life balance and time blocking: 28:10–28:38
• Overcoming sales and email “ick”: 29:12–32:50
• Importance of local workshops: 34:38–36:11
• Endorsement for the LocalPreneur Academy: 36:27–37:13

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Where to Find Brooke Palmer

• Website: JennyCreekFlowers.com
• Social: @JennyCreekFlowers

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This episode is a must-listen for any local business owner seeking practical, motivating steps to stand out, foster loyal demand, and grow a business that supports both personal fulfillment and robust community connection.

Transcript

[A]

You are listening to the Grow youw Local Business podcast where local marketing expert and life coach Leslie Presnol shares the strategies and the mindset to help you reach more people in your city and bring in a steady stream of clients. All right, let's dive in.

[B]

I hope you're ready because there are so many good nuggets that you're about to get out of this conversation. It's one of my favorite things about doing podcast interviews with my students from inside the LocalPreneur Academy because you just don't know what's going come up. You don't know the parts that they've taken away, what's resonated with them, the mindset just that they've had.

[C]

And so it's just all the juicy

[B]

good stuff comes up and Brooke is sharing it all. So I am interviewing my student, Brooke Palmer. She is the owner of Ginny Creek Flowers in Ithaca, New York. She is a former teacher turned flower farmer. She's been building her business for the last five years and now she is selling out. She is selling out her local workshops. She has a wait list. She has so much demand, she's hiring. And even if you are not a flower farmer, do not skip this episode. There's so much in here that applies to any local business owner. We talk about what it actually looks like to stand out locally, even if there are other people in your city who are already doing what you do. She is even sharing some of the exact local marketing strategies that she's learned from inside the academy that have helped her reach people in her city that you can literally go out and apply today. And she's getting really honest about the mindset shifts that she has had to make around selling because she used to avoid selling, just like most people that come to me. She used to avoid it in her emails, in her social media, and now she's really embraced selling like she really enjoys it. And now she'll send an email and

[C]

make thousands of dollars. So you've got to hear how she

[B]

just made that shift. And one of my favorite things about Brooke is she did not try to learn and do everything at once. She committed and constrained down to her local marketing plan. She stayed focused on it and she just didn't try to master everything at once.

[C]

And she's going to talk about how

[B]

she just layered different things on as she went to really grow faster. And she's really a girl after my own heart here. Because one thing that she also does is she continues to invest in herself

[C]

as the business Owner.

[B]

She prioritizes her mindset, coaching, learning, and she doesn't wait until a less busy season. She's a farmer. She doesn't wait until she's not growing something or until things calm down. She works this into her weekly routine, her daily life, because she just knows the importance of this and it's all paid off. So we're just gonna jump right in.

[C]

You're gonna hear that I was having

[B]

her share some of her wins right at the beginning, and I was planning to share those in this intro, but

[C]

we just started talking. It was so good. I was like, you know what?

[B]

We're just.

[C]

I'm recording now. We're just gonna roll with it, so let's just dive in. So we can just start here and just casually, you can just tell me like the results that you've gotten and we can. We'll just start there. And this unofficially.

[D]

Unofficially started unrecorded.

[C]

Yeah. Okay.

[D]

There's two big results that I've gotten. One is that I have doubled my, what I call farmstand revenue this year. So I keep grab and go bouquets inside a flower cooler, inside a bakery, and it kind of functions like a farm stand. And I've been really doubling down on the, on the local aspect and on my partnership with them. And we've crop planned for like a certain amount of flowers and we just keep going, going so far beyond it. It's awesome. Like I'm selling out like multiple days a week and like driving in there more. So that's a huge revenue boost. It's been really exciting. And the second thing is that over the last couple years while I've been in this program, I went from dipping my toe into doing some ticketed events to really rolling out my, like spring through winter events. So I do five events and I used the sold out event promotion, whatever approach that you taught, and I kind of took it on and made it my own. And then I just, I sold out like every single event so quickly with waitlist, like creating this demand and people wanting to like, get in my, my workshops. So it's been an awesome year. It really has.

[C]

So good. Okay. I actually love how you just said it. I might just keep that in. Okay, we'll just start the episode with that. That's so amazing. So how are you as a farmer? And we're going to get to like who you are and you can introduce the farm and all of that, but how are you able to keep up with that much demand and that much product?

[D]

Well, you know, I so I. It's really about forecasting. Right. Like, what am I going to sell at the farm stand, what am I going to sell through my weekly flower shares? What workshops am I going to offer and what are my recipes? And then we sort of crop plan for all of that and bump it up in case, you know, there's an issue or like, I need extras. But right now I have a year round part time employee and she's amazing and she's been here for about a year and a half. But I'm actively hiring right now for my second part time employee because my farm's growing and like, we need to be cranking out more flowers and you know, not at like a hugely crazy hire number where, like, everything's different, but just, we just need to bump it up because the demand for my flowers and workshops has been growing so much.

[C]

Amazing. So how many years have you been in business now?

[D]

This is my fifth year.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

And so I was like, I did it as a side hustle for three years and then I took the leap. So I guess I'm like in the second year of full time flower farming.

[C]

And so every year are you growing more to keep up with the demand?

[D]

That is a good question. So in some ways I am, and then in some ways I'm not. So one of the things that I'm really focused on is, right, sizing my farm. And I don't want to have a huge team of people. I don't want to be like, you know, managing lots of adults. So there are some places where we're growing like all of our filler flowers. Like, let's do more of those. These are like the easy things that fill out bouquets. But then other things, like the amount of dahlias I grow, which is kind of my big event crop. Like, we've hit our perfect number. And it's the same thing. In the winter, I grow tulips inside of my farmhouse and we've hit the perfect number. I've gone, I've increased for four winters and now when I look to next year, I'm like, I think we're at this sweet spot right now, which is really exciting because I'm also trying to create a business that works for my lifestyle.

[C]

Yes. Okay, you'll have to tell us about that. Okay, so we're, we're just going to officially roll with this now. So we're just recording now. So you mentioned, I do want you just tell us about your farm and just how you got started. So you mentioned this was a side hustle. For a little bit. Tell us about that transition and how you were able to go full time.

[D]

Okay, great. Do you want me to give you like my quick farm overview and then.

[C]

Yeah, all of it. I want all of it.

[D]

Okay. So my flower farm is called Jenny Creek Flowers and it's in upstate New York. And I was a teacher and gardener for over 20 years before I transitioned into flower farming. And for the first few years of my flower farm, I taught 10th grade English and I farmed before 6:30am and after dinner and on the weekends, and I planted my field out during spring break. I raced home during lunch in the spring when tulips were in bloom, and I would eat my peanut butter and jelly on the way so I could harvest for 20 minutes and then get back to classes. The bell was ringing. It's like squeaking in.

[C]

I love it.

[D]

And I got to a point where I wasn't. My revenue was growing, but I wasn't. It wasn't where I needed it to be. But I recognized that I was saying no to a lot of opportunities and so I decided to take the leap and I figured I can always go back to teaching. But it's. I only have this one dream, this one time, and I had some momentum. So it. Things have just been so wonderful in the two years that I've devoted full and I've been really able to grow all of the main aspects of. Of what we do, which is our weekly flower shares. Those have all grown quite a bit. My farm stand bouquets and then my. The events that I offer.

[C]

I love it. So I actually just recorded a podcast sharing my story. And I was a teacher too, so I get it. Oh, I can't wait to hear I get it. Or I. I understand like working before you go to work and then coming home and working and I didn't get to work. I didn't get to come home and work, but I was definitely working in the lunch breaks, like all the things. So I do get that. And there, there's definitely a time like we just gotta hustle and get it done. One of the things I shared in that podcast is I knew worst case scenario is I could just go back and be a teacher. And so it was like, oh, okay, I'm. I really am just living worst case scenario right now as a teacher. So that was something that just gave me that confidence to be able to. To just go full time in my business.

[D]

Yeah, exactly. And not only that, but it's like if I ended up back in the classroom, it would Be so much easier than being a teacher and building a business. I was like, nothing can be harder than what that was.

[C]

I tried to do both.

[D]

So true. There's no way it's gonna be a mistake.

[C]

So true. Okay, so know, one of the things that you have done really well is just really intentionally setting yourself apart from the other flower farmers in your area. Can you just tell us like some of the ways that you've done that?

[D]

Yeah, I feel like I have sort of two ways that I do that. And that was really important to me because when I came in and looked around and I saw like, there's some well established farms, there's other smaller ones, but I felt like I had a vision and that if I just kind of played it out right, I could make it work. So the first big kind of differentiator is that I'm a four season flower farm. Even though we were in almost the, I don't know, single digits and teens most of the winter. And that's because I grow about 20,000 tulips in my farmhouse cellar all winter long. So we send out about almost 100 weekly subscriptions to people for 10 weeks of the winter, January through late March. And they get this bouquet and it's kind of their weekly ritual. And then we also have a farm stand where we sell a lot of those tulips. So that's like my biggest kind of niche that I've, you know, been building sort of a reputation for. And it's been really wonderful. People go crazy to have something beautiful and colorful in winter when it's just gray or white and miserably cold.

[C]

Yes, yes. Are you delivering all of those? Like, personally, we don't.

[D]

We. So we collaborate with spots to do strategic pickups. So my flower farm is a pickup and bakery is a pickup. And then I have two other places where people can choose to pick up. And then I leave flowers on the counter for those places and it just becomes this nice way that we can also share in social and kind of tag each other.

[C]

I love it. Okay. So.

[D]

And then the second way that I differentiate is through having these ticketed events. So I never want my flower farm to be the kind of place where it's like bouncy houses and petting zoos and a big parking lot. And like, I went to all of those when I had a kid. And they're lovely and they like, they really serve a purpose. But my farm events are really different. They're ticketed, they're kept small on purpose. We are on a dead End road with a really beautiful long view and golden hour comes in. And so it's just kind of this sort of retreat setting for people, mostly women. I offer a PEU pick in June and then we do these summer flower workshops where I lead a design lesson and give a tour. And they can either pick and design or they can pick off the flower bar from what I've picked for them. I do growing garden education classes and then I do my wreath workshops.

[C]

I love it. Okay, so with like, I know you have found like these really unique ways to, to like really be like this local go to flower farm. What opportunities have come your way now in your community since you were able to do that? Like how has that helped? Like other people knowing about you?

[D]

Yeah, I think like a couple things that have happened that have been really nice. Okay, so I'm like a really small version. I went to Target a week ago and somebody gushed over me and she's like, you're the woman who grows all the flowers, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So I feel that there's those experiences happen, which is like really sweet. And I never imagined that that would happen. And a lot of that is because you have encouraged me to show my face and be the face of my business. And I have really committed to that in the last year. Like I don't go nine grid squares without it being me so that people get to know me and I show myself in stories. But then on like a bigger level, my town has this really large like 20 year old music festival and they've asked me to do the flowers, you know, for their behind backstage, for the musicians and for the green rooms. And so like, that's just such an honor to be. I mean I was a teenager and started going to that. So to be, you know, asked to do that is really wonderful. There's this wonderful fundraiser that happens in June that's to support food security and all the kind of local restaurants and breweries and things basically like set up like they're all little shops and you get to, you know, you have a ticket to eat everything and drink everything. And they've asked me for the last couple of years to do the flowers for that, those events. So it's things like that where I feel like people have reached out to me and it feels really affirming and exciting, you know, that they think of my business in that way.

[C]

And it really is. I mean we love the big stuff. But to me the most special thing like is when you are in Target or like you walk into the coffee shop and somebody comes up to you. Like, we just had an event here, which I don't get out in. You know, I'm behind a computer screen all the time, like, working with people all over the world now, which I love. But I got to go to a local event the other day, which I'm like, I don't get to do this nearly enough anymore. And I walked in, and people were kind of like, can I take your. My picture with you? I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, I love this. Like, to me, like, that is truly what it's about. Just, like, the relationships, like, when people just recognize you. I love that. Like, to me, that is the definition of being the local. Go to is just like, when people see you and they know you, it is.

[D]

And then, like, they send me a DM and they're like, I'm obsessed with your flower. I'm just like, oh, I just, like, love it. And I literally take a screenshot of every single comment like that, and I keep it in a. So that, like, if I'm having a discouraged day, I'll just run through it and be like, just stay the course.

[C]

I love that. I have one of those, too. Yeah. Just when you're like, nothing is working for sure. Everyone hates me. It's like, let me just open my phone and see all of this.

[D]

It's so meaningful for people when they share that. It really is.

[C]

Yes. Okay. So you have, like, the very specific ways that you are different and that you stand out and you are that local go to person. Now, can you tell us some of the ways that you went out and marketed yourself? Like, what are some of the things that really worked well for you on the local level?

[D]

I would say, like, this winter especially, I've been using your advice around showing the landmarks. So in terms of marketing on social, like, I've been really committed to capturing video and images of, like, the places where we all live. And every single time I've shown that and sort of associated myself with that, it's been crazy. Like, it's. It's, like, so obvious now that I've been doing it that it resonates with people, and it creates this, like, we belong here kind of feeling. So that's been really wonderful. And I think what that's gotten me really is local followers, which, you know, to me is the entire function of my social media is, like, just for local people to find out that I even exist.

[C]

Can you give us some examples of local landmarks that you share?

[D]

Yeah, well, so the big expression here is Ithaca is gorgeous because it's filled with waterfalls. Like, I don't know, there's like, 20 waterfalls in this area. They're really beautiful. So I've done some videos where I'm, like, showing the waterfall and showing my flowers. Or, like, I've, you know, when my husband's been driving, I've captured, like, you know, this sign, like, going into Ithaca, you know, the stoplight intersection, and then the bakery where I sell flowers out of, like, showing the bakery and kind of showing myself loading in flowers. And it's. At first I was like, this is so silly. But now I'm like, actually, like, that's exactly what people want to see. And they want to, like. So when they think about me and they associate it there, there's that local connection that I would have to use so many words to make. Instead, I can just use this visual and kind of make that connection for them. Yeah.

[C]

And it stops their scroll because they recognize it. You know, like, I'm in Baton Rouge, and we have, like, our giant state capitol. It's like the tallest state capital in the country, and we have Tiger Stadium, and we just have these, like, recognizable landmarks as well. So it's like people using those. If people are scrolling, think of how fast people scroll.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

When they see that, they're like, oh, wait, this is relevant to me. Like, it's like a little trigger goes off in their brain just because they recognize it and now they're connected to you and they're going to associate it with you, like, all the things. So, yes, I love it. Tell us more.

[D]

Yeah. Well, the other thing. This is a. This is a really big decision that I had to make. It's really common. So, like, in my industry and flower farming, it's really common that flower farmers start to speak to other flower farmers on social. Or like. Yeah. You know, in their email. And I. I made, like, a very conscious decision that while I could do that and I could get more followers or more email lists or whatever, that that's not really what my business is about. And I'm. I'm going to keep it local. And I even recently was on a. Was on a Dalia summit, and I got all these Dalia followers. And I was like, what I could do right now is just put out a week of Dalia content. And instead I was like, that's not what I want to do. And I doubled down and I made one of these reels that I'm just sharing about right here, where I was like, it's really about the tulips and the bakery and the weather and that it ended up being maybe my best performing ever. And it was just that reminder where I was like, I'm, I really am here for my local community, that I'm growing local flowers. And so that's really, that's something that I think is like, it has to be there if you want to stay true to your local community, is you just have to make sure that's who you're talking to all the time and not like the other people who do the thing.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. And I think that's, that's every industry. I mean, I, I hear like my pelvic floor therapist falling into that. Like, oh, I'm getting all these other pts following me or hairstylists, estheticians. It's like, oh, I'm getting all these other people in my industry. And you know, I think that's naturally going to happen because of the type of content you're putting out there. But the way you combat that is focusing on your people, like who you're talking to, who you're selling to and putting out content for them, localizing it, like doing all the things that you are doing and not letting yourself get confused. Because I do see people do that too. They're like, but wait, like I have all these other people in my audience now. Like, do I need to create content for them? So it really is like, what is your, your end goal here? Like, what. Who are you serving? And, and I think that's a really important question to ask. And then that drives like, what type of content you're putting out there. Because if it is to get the local clients, then you want to keep talking to them.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And then I do, you know, that's kind of social. But then I do. I primarily rely on email marketing to sell things. And then that's really where I feel like I'm using kind of seasons and seasonality and things that we have in common here. Like it's mud season is kind of the joke in between winter and spring because, like, it's just muddy and it's awful, you know, and so like kind of playing on, like, what are the seasonal shifts that happen that we all know about? As part of kind of my relationship building in my email newsletters.

[C]

So social media events, email marketing, those are your platforms to go out there market. Am I leaving any out?

[D]

I don't think so.

[C]

Okay. So unless you're just some superhuman, you probably didn't start with all of these things just working like gangbusters. Right. So can you walk us through your process of really, like, doing the work to make these things work? Like, what was it like to stick with it when it wasn't giving you the return that it wanted? Or maybe you were getting crickets. Like, how are you evaluating and tweaking things and just, like, picking yourself up and going again until you started selling out?

[D]

Well, so I would say the first thing is that every day when I drink my coffee, I write in my mindset book.

[C]

I love it. A mindset book.

[D]

And it's like, it's so. I don't know, cringy. I don't know, but it works. It's like I'm. I'm, like, setting this pace for my day, right. I'm setting the intention for my day. The other thing that I do is I set time in my schedule to do the things that I need to do to grow my business. So, like, I do my marketing on Mondays, and. Right. I. It's like I have these blocks of time. And so part of that, to your point where, like, you know, if it's slow going or whatever, because it's scheduled in, I don't even have to be thinking necessarily, how's it going? I just think, like, what's my goal right now? And now it's the time to do it. So then I just sit down and I just do it. But the other thing is, I've tried to take things one focus at a time. So, like, a couple years ago, I was very focused on marketing my winter tulips. And then I kind of got that dialed in. And then, you know, I shifted to marketing my workshops. Right. And so then that was, like, a big focus. So. So it's like other things were going on, but I knew what my focus was. And then I was really working on my promotion plan. And, you know, I had my spreadsheet, and I was like, every time it was in my calendar, I'm sitting back down, like, did I do this? Did I do that? Like, you know, checking tickets I gave myself. I mean, I, like, had a column for what percentage I was sold out for every single ticket I offered. And then when I sold out, it turned to gre.

[C]

So fun. Dopamine.

[D]

I totally did that. And I was like, okay, there's like, four left, or whatever. So, yes, I think it's, you know, I guess it's a combination of all of those things.

[C]

Yeah. Okay. So what I'm hearing is you had it on your calendar, and no matter how it was going, you are committed

[D]

to doing it 100%.

[C]

That's what I heard. Okay.

[B]

And you practice constraint.

[C]

It wasn't about figuring out how to market all the things at one time. It was like, I'm gonna focus on growing this thing over here, then I'm gonna move on to this thing. Then I'm gonna move on to this thing. It's like mastering kind of one thing at a time. So. Good.

[D]

Yeah. Because it gets overwhelming, and then you don't do any of it.

[C]

Well.

[D]

Right. Like, once you layer something in and you can rinse and repeat, it's not hard to layer in another thing. In fact, I feel like over time, you can layer something new in faster. Like, better and faster. But to try to do a lot of things at once is definitely a recipe for overwhelm and discouragement. It really is.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so. And this kind of. You've kind of answered my next question, which is, as a flower farmer, I know typically you guys are, like, seasonal businesses, and I know that gives you time of the year to kind of work on bigger projects and, like, get better at marketing and, like, build your email list, like, all these other things, but you do a lot, like, all the time.

[D]

My winter is really busy.

[C]

Like, you just grew to 20,000 tulips in the winter, when I feel like most flower farmers are not. So I guess my first question is, do you have a slow season? And if not, like, how do you. How do you find your time to. To do all the things?

[D]

So I have two slower times, which are December. Like, the last three weeks of December. I try to get my wreath workshops done by the first weekend of December.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

I could go longer. I could do another week of them, but, like, I need a break.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I have a few weeks in December where, like, nothing is blooming. And then July, the. The entire field is planted, and we have our farm stand bouquets, but I don't have any flower subscri gyms. And so that's also kind of when we can, like, take off early and go swimming and, like, you know, go out to lunch and all those things. So I do have those slower times. But then in the winter, I have. Well, all year, really. I have. Wednesdays are kind of my sacred admin day, where I have my blocks of time mapped out. And I have one block where if I have to do some farming, I will. But mostly I'm sitting at my computer and I'm doing anything from ordering seats to, like, my marketing plan. And that is. I think that the fact that I have it every single week on repeat lets me get a lot done that I don't necessarily need a whole season to do because it's just kind of a through line.

[C]

Yeah. Okay, so it sounds like you've just gotten really good at calendaring.

[D]

I. I think so. I think that time is probably one of. I, I think because my side hustle required that.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Where I literally from like 5 to 6:30, I had like seven things I did and then I used my lunch short. You know, I think that I just transferred that over when I went full time. Like. Okay. I just have to keep working time as a, as like a real resource.

[C]

Yeah. So. Okay, so this is something I want to know because I want to know how your beliefs have shifted around selling. Because this year I know you had a really big Black Friday, or I guess that was last year technically now, especially compared to the year before. And that's just because you started selling.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

So could. Yeah. Could you just tell us like, walk us through that mindset shift and I guess, like, what did that selling look like?

[D]

Yeah, it's funny. So I found before this Black Friday sale, I would have said like, I'm comfortable with selling because I've been able to do my email launches and like, I'm like, I can write a five day sales launch and like do it and sell things, but I still felt a little bit of ick when it came to Black Friday just because it's so spammy, like out there.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So what I had to do with my beliefs was just get really clear and be like, I'm not like Best Buy, like offering like a Black Friday sale. Like, I'm the flower farm that these people love to get flowers from and they are going to be buying things whether they sort of like it or not. Like, I know that most of them are in the shopping, you know, seasonal ritual. And so I just had to get in the belief that like, they want my flowers. And that's actually a better thing for them to buy than like, I don't know, maybe some like something that's planned to break. Yeah. In seven months. So that was like, the first thing was I was like, I. It wasn't like, how do I do it? It was just like, I can do this and it's gonna be. And they're gonna like it. And so then I created. I never do this, but I created like a bundle offer where I offered my spring and summer flower subscription. So that would be 12 weeks of flowers. And I gave a little discount to anybody who wanted to get them both And I did do a. I did a five. I did five emails, maybe over, like seven days. Not only did I make, like, thousands of dollars, but I sold. I already had a goal to bump up my flower share numbers. And I, like, went past that goal, like, in that week. It was crazy. Like, it was just, like, so obvious to me that they want my flowers, and if I just offer my flowers to them, they're going to want them.

[C]

Yes. Yes.

[D]

And then I went into the new year with this, my first share, the spring share. Like, I didn't even need to sell it. Like, it was sold. Which was just an awesome feeling because that was one less marketing piece that I would have to figure out and not have competing, you know, offers that I was trying to sell during spring.

[C]

So we actually just had this conversation on our coaching call today and about the ick with emails and what I told them. I was like, think about anytime you get the ick with. If you get a lot of emails from somebody, if you have ick, it's because you. You've already decided, like, this person isn't for me. I'm not gonna buy from them. And then you end up unsubscribing. Like, that's the only reason you get ick. It's because you're never gonna buy from them. You're like, this person isn't for me. But if you do like that person, if you are going to buy from them, if you like what they're sitting, then you don't have the ick. So it's like, your people who do want what you have, they are going to buy from you. Like, I just don't believe you can send them too many emails. And the person I was coaching was like. I told her, I was like, oh, yeah, I get people unsubscribing for my emails. Every time I send them, I have people responding back and they're like, please unsubscribe me. Like, I don't know how to get off your email list. Like, you said too many emails. And she told me that she loved getting all of my emails. I'm like, how is that true? Like, you just had different thoughts. So it's like, we just have to keep our focus on the. On our best people who want to hear from us and be okay with letting those people who do get the ick, letting them go because they were never going to be our customers anyway.

[D]

It's true. No, it's really. It's really, really true.

[C]

And when we stop ourselves from sending the emails because we're worried about the ick people. We were making decisions in our business based on our non best clients who are never going to buy from us versus the people who do want to hear from us because they were going to buy. We, like, take that opportunity away from them.

[D]

I think that's really, really true. And. And it's interesting too, because, like, to connect it to social. So one of the things that I've been telling myself is, like, I don't sell on social. Like, that's been like a belief of mine. And then this last winter, as I was noticing how people were, like, excited about my tulips, and I started to get questions like, wait, do you have tulips at this bakery? And when are they there? Yeah. And then I started to show my flower cooler there, and people were like, I had no idea. And so now it's rolled into this thing where I realize I need to be showing them that. I need to be telling them that and reminding them that. And the more I'm doing that, the more the tulips are selling at the bakery, which means people are actually liking my farm more. Even though I was telling myself that I shouldn't be selling on social suck. Actually, like, working really well for my business. And it's. And it's not, you know, I'm not doing it in a way that I don't think it's giving anybody the ick, so.

[C]

Right. Okay. So I know you've already talked about your classes and workshops, but I want to know. And they're selling like crazy. But how. How does having this type of experience just overall, like, impact your connections, like, with your audience and with your local community?

[D]

It's amazing. Like, what the way that I look at it is, like, I feel like I used to have, you know, tulip season or peony season or dahlia season, and now I'm like, it's a shared season. Like, my farm is this place where people come. And it's not like, I'm not just growing the dahlias. Like, I'm like, opening them up to people. And, you know, they're really like, everybody's stressed out, right? Like, everyone's busy and people are coming alone or they're coming, like, with their friend. And then they're telling me, like, you know, her daughter was just in a car accident and is home with a concussion, and it's her first time that she's gotten out of the house or, you know, someone's just got toddlers. And so, like, everybody's coming for these different reasons, and they're taking in all this beauty, and they're catching their breath on my flower farm. And it's like something that, like, I'm like, I'm not even doing this. I feel like I'm just.

[C]

You are. You are doing it.

[D]

Give them this opportunity. But I mean, I guess compared to just like, buying a bouquet of the market, like, it's just.

[C]

It's the experience. Yeah.

[D]

Yeah. Because then they have. They have photos. They have. They're learning things. Right. Like, I'm a teacher, so I've. I've kind of. I think I've worked in my way of, like, how do I build in educational points but not make it, like, mentor. That's not what they want. And it's just been really beautiful to have. To have people here, so I can't wait for it. It's my favorite part of the year. 100%.

[C]

I love it so much. Okay, so is there anything else that we haven't talked about that you want to make sure that we talk about or that you share any takeaways you've had from the academy or coaching together?

[D]

I would just say if somebody was interested, like, if someone's, like, checking out your program, I would say that everything that you need in marketing is in it, but, like, in a better way, because it's about your local community. And I think that between, like, the Facebook group where you can get feedback and answer questions, the coaching calls, like, all of it. And I feel like it's been a couple years for me, but I still go back in and, like, like, look at the modules, and so I just feel like it is such. It's. I mean, I love your program, and it's really well put together and the fact that you have it for lifetime. So as you're building, you're building your business and evolves, you can just keep coming back in and getting what you need.

[C]

Thank you so much. I'm just so honored to have you as part of our community. And just to the fact that I do get to continue to support you, that is one of my favorite parts of lifetime access because I get to see you guys from every level. You know, from just starting out to. To getting fully booked to six figures and. And beyond. So I'm just excited to see what you do next.

[D]

Thank you.

[C]

Okay, so tell us where we can find you.

[D]

Yeah, so you can find me online at JennyCreekFlowers.com or on socials at JennyCreekFlowers.

[C]

Amazing. I will link that up in the show notes. All right. Brooke, thank you so much for being here today.

[D]

Thank you so much for having me on.

[C]

Hey, if you enjoyed today's episode, I want to invite you to check out my program, the LocalPreneur Academy. This is the only program for small business owners who want to become the local go to in their industry with a steady stream of clients. You can find more [e-mail] and I'll see you inside.