Finding Purpose through Flowers w/ Kevin Coble

Award-winning floral designer Kevin Coble AIFD has spent nearly four decades transforming flowers into meaningful experiences. In this inspiring interview, he shares insights on building client relationships, growing a successful wedding business, mentoring future designers, and finding purpose through floral artistry.

How we Bloom podcast is an oasis of flower ideas. Host Sharon McGukin of  Smithers-Oasis North America interviews floral guests who dare to do things differently. We listen, learn, explore new opportunities and that's how we bloom!

Transcript

KEVIN 0:03

It's through flowers that really gives you even more of a sense of purpose knowing that you're doing something that you love, but it's really reaching and resonating with your clients.

Sharon 0:17

Welcome to How We Bloom, an oasis of flower ideas. I'm your host, Sharon McGukin, AIFD, AAF, PFCI, Today we have as our special guest Kevin Coble, AIFD. Kevin is the owner of Le Fleur, a unique retail floral art studio in Memphis, Tennessee he established in 1993. This floral artist is nationally known for his rich floral interpretations can be interestingly imaginative and eclectic, or simply beautiful and bountiful. Kevin's luxurious style is easily identified, and his shop is known for its gorgeous weddings. Kevin has generously agreed to join us today to share some of the secrets of his success. Welcome, Kevin.

KEVIN 1:12

Good afternoon, Sharon. Thanks so much for allowing me to join you today

Sharon 1:17

We are so glad that you are here, and I know what a busy schedule you have, so I realize that you're doing us a great favor to take time. So we'll just get right to it. I wanted to begin with what initially led you to flowers. What inspired you to open a flower shop?

KEVIN 1:36

To be honest, it just happened one little freak thing going to lunch from a business job that I had at a local bank, and then I just decided to pull into this little flower shop and ask if I might be able to learn this trade, and it developed from that point. It was actually a couple of weeks before Mother's Day, and that's been a long time ago that they actually hired me on the spot with no training or anything. I guess they were just so desperate that they had no, no idea if you could sweep the floor, I guess it was a good thing. I actually just gave notice at a local bank where I was working, and I was taught how to wire roses, if you can believe such a thing. That's how long it's been. And that was my job for Mother's Day, just to wire thousands of roses for arrangements. And it has all bloomed into what it is today, and I just feel like I'm blessed to be able to be a part of the floral industry

Sharon 2:43

And do what you love and love what you do.

KEVIN 2:46

Absolutely I'm

Sharon 2:46

so glad you followed your heart, as are many brides through the years. Do you consider your shop, a full-service florist, a specialty store, or a wedding floral design business. How would you describe your company to our listeners? Actually, it would be all three of those. I really believe that there is a need, and there has been a need for so many years, and that's where I feel like I've filled that void with a great staff of people behind me to, share the love of floral design. When I first started in the business, it was challenging, very demanding, a lot of hard work, many hours. But I, over the years just felt like that is what was really giving me the boost, the energy to just really want to be a part of the industry and to do what I love to do as of today as I have developed into a what I feel like a well-seasoned floral designer. We do attract a lot of high-end clients, which is very nice. We really are there for them to support them through all of their emotional needs, be it birth or death or lifetime celebrations. I just really have found my purpose within the industry, knowing that I'm doing what I love, as you had said previously. It may be stressful at times and very demanding, but the result after a long day always lets me know that I'm partly responsible for making someone's dreams come true or someone's broken heart become less painful, or maybe even a simple stem in a bud vase saying, "I love you," which maybe develops into, a new beginning, you might say. Just being able to give flowers a sense of personality maybe through my design work makes me happy, makes me smile. So I guess in general I've just found my purpose in life, and over the years I just am so grateful. And don't you love how customers begin to include you like a member of their family their life events, and you just have that satisfaction for being able to be there for someone else in a way of beauty.

KEVIN 5:25

Funny that you say that because I have a lot of friends within the industry, and they have customers, and I actually feel like I have clients which I bond with through their family gatherings and through things that where I'm even a part of the gatherings. I'm asked and invited over for dinner and different things like that. I'm not just a person that's doing flowers for them. I'm actually included, and It's really special to know that you can reach that point through flowers that really gives you even more of a sense of purpose knowing that you're doing something that you love, but it's really reaching and resonating with your clients. I know a lot of times it's about the dollar amount, but sometimes at the end of the day, it's really just about how your heart feels after you've been able to do something for a client. You've really touched an emotion, which I know flowers do. You develop that over time, I think. I can remember back in the beginning When you really had to make all of the dollars to pay the expenses to run the business. Now it is the same, but it's really not the same. I deal with a lot of high-end clients, and it's just rewarding to me that they appreciate me to a point to where they pay me but in return they get so much more than just what they would get from just an average floral designer or an average flower shop. We just go really beyond just a flower shop. We are more family-oriented, We reach out to their needs, and we fulfill those, and it's so rewarding at the end of the day to know that. And if the purpose of life really is service to others, I feel like flowers help us to achieve that. They do absolutely. Really the purpose of life becomes much clearer when we remember how much good we can bring into the world through flowers. I love being able to share joy and give hope and help others get through days that feel heavy or knowing that flowers speak emotionally without words. And sometimes even the smallest kindness of flowers becomes like the light that somebody needed to get through a tough day. And I'm the person that's there to do that. I get so much satisfaction out of those things. I think you and- I will agree that we see flowers as rather than an expenditure for a family at major events, it's an investment in those events because flowers create a part of the memory. You're right. I really believe that my purpose on earth is to be a part of the floral industry. When I go home at night if I even go home some nights, because some nights I'm here all night. But I do that because I love what I do, and I know that there's a timeline that has to be achieved But you take that on when you develop these relationships with your clients, knowing that it has to be perfect that day. You get one shot at some of these events and one shot only, and if you fail at that you really have made a mistake. You've taken on more than you can handle, and a lot of times we do that. But we somehow come through achieve success. Delegating so much to a lot of my staff is, I guess a part of me that I know that they can handle that, otherwise I would not do that. The toughness gets easier, and when we step back and see the overall result, we know that we are about to make a large amount of people very happy at their event. And then the follow-up afterwards, all of the calls and the appreciative notes it just makes you feel so good inside, knowing that you've really done something that got noticed from a lot of people. That was appreciated from a lot of people. Absolutely. We do a lot of large weddings, and a lot of weddings that are not as large, But we have lots of people that entertain so much just weekly, not just on a weekend. Some years, for example this year, our wedding percentage is a little bit down. Last year it was so high, But this year it's a little bit less. We probably only have 25 to 30 weddings for this year on the books. Which is still quite a few. I like to always say it's not just about the quantity, it's about the quality, it's about the client. Because one wedding could even total more than three or four weddings. It balances out that way. But then we're already beginning to book so much for next year that we know next year's gonna really blow it out of the water. It's just gonna be huge, really huge. It's just like some of the siblings they're a year or two apart and we know that those girls are not gonna get married just one right after another because the parents always tell me, "We've gotta have a year to recuperate here," or to re- gain more finances or whatnot. I just know we do a great deal of event and wedding business. It's very fun. It's hard work. A lot of people don't really understand the demand including the client. And you can't just turn down everything other than them because it takes it all. It takes the daily bread. It does take all of that in addition to the larger events. Did you begin to focus on weddings early on or did that just evolve over the years? I'm asking for the listener that's saying- "How do I get my customers to invest more in weddings and how do I attract larger weddings? And you and I both know it's doing a great job and working hard at it and word of mouth and you have a bride who's very happy with the beautiful wedding and she has 10 bridesmaids and there's a percentage of those that will be your next bride. Absolutely. But did you have that intent or did just the special events, wedding design grow on its own? I think it just grew on its own. It just evolved over time. I am very fortunate to be in an area where I have been included with a major amount of clients through the Memphis Garden Club. And through those relationships with those ladies it took off somewhat early to a point to where I was even afraid can you handle this? Can you do this? Can you do that? So in your mindset, you have to say, I can do this. I want to do this, and I wanna make each event be beautiful regardless of the dollar amount," knowing that there are some clients that cannot spend as much as others, but knowing that day is just as special for that bride as the client that can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars versus the one that can only spend thousands of dollars. Each one is individual, and I think early on, knowing that everybody's not going to be the same, you treat them all the same, you just have different budgets to work with. Because the days are special for the client that does have a lot to spend and even the ones that don't. The end result is they're married, they have beautiful flowers regardless of their needs. They're thrilled and I'm thrilled that we were able to provide the service that we needed to for them. And then in the end it just results into another client from that one and another client from that one. Some of our events may have 7 or 800 guests, and you really have to pull out all the stops. And a lot of them all know each other, so you have to be different. You can't do the same thing over and over. You have to learn how to adjust. And that all comes within the selling point, which I love the interviews with the clients. I love all that. I really make that connection with them. And I'll be real honest, I really deal mainly with the mothers of the bride. I may see the bride once, and that's it, and it's always "whatever my mother says."

Sharon 14:44

It's Good Southern girls.. "Whatever my mother says." It works out really great. So I just really love the business period. And you love making each girl feel like a princess. Oh gosh, it's so fun. It's really fun. It's really fun. We do have a lot of planners in town and I work with all of them. And I mainly let them try to take care of a lot of the rentals and those types of things. But most of the planners in town they don't get involved in the floral, so I'm able to just do my thing. I meet one-on-one with the clients, and then the planners may appear at one of the meetings and they'll just sit back and listen and just know that the relationship that we have with one another the end result's gonna be great it's fun to even have a bride that just wants a traditional wedding, but it's even more fun when they allow you to get out of the box a little bit. And in those consultations, do you sell your clients a color harmony or a look or a style instead of- giving specifics so your design team has more options regarding color and expense because when you book a wedding a year in advance, it's hard to know if peach lilies are gonna be prevalent on that day or in the budget or maybe you need to switch to peach roses. So you can't really promise the bride specifics because you can't guarantee that they'll be available on that day. Exactly. Early on, I tried being more specific with the bride, learning that was so not right. Developing the skills to control or handle that interview with the mother of the bride for that first visit to give them the confidence to know that you're capable and know what you're doing and have the skills, the techniques, and the staff to take care of that is so important. But I try to sell color now. It's mainly color. And I do welcome any inspirational pictures that they may have because it gives me a little bit of a sense of what they like, if they like it a little bit more lush garden style or a little bit more contemporary. It helps a little bit just to have that photograph maybe or this, that little snapshot of what they're thinking in their mind. And I'll be honest with you and tell you from the first interview to the time of the wedding, it's all changed. It's all changed. And then you get to a point to where it's so different and they look at it, "Oh, it's just what I wanted." That's what they say. "Oh, it's just what I wanted." I wanna go If you only knew where your mother and me took this whole flower inspiration." It's just they're in school, they don't care. They just wanna make sure that it's pretty. They wanna be there to have a great time with their friends and their 20 bridesmaids. at the end of the day, selling color is really what I feel like is most important. I agree with you. You mentioned delegating to your very refined staff. Are you good at delegation or do you have to make yourself do that? Because a lot of times we as hands-on people, have a hard time handing it over.

KEVIN 17:58

Let me say this. It takes time for you to develop that relationship with that staff member. Yes. But sometimes even though you feel like you maybe should have made that arrangement, and then you see the end result, the product that was produced by that person- you go Wow, that's better than I even imagined." And so that just really builds that confidence in myself to say all of these people are on staff for a reason, to help. And I try to include them in meeting some of the clients. Most of them, we all know them anyway, but just to give them a sense of knowing that we're all here for them together as a team. It's not just one person. One person cannot do all of this, as you well know. It just takes a team, it takes an army, a small village of people. And I'll go back to something that you reminded me of so many so many times many hands make light work." Absolutely. And I remember that and have always remembered that from so many years in the past. I have always kept that in my mind. You will totally exhaust yourself to a point to where you're not able to even function if you don't have others helping you. I'm very appreciative and very thankful for the loyalty that my staff gives to me. We work really hard. We really do. And I know a lot of florists work really hard, but a key thing is just to have those people that you can help pull things together through delegation. And it's, for their benefit that they get to enhance their skills. I also try to remind myself often that if I take too much on myself, I've taken away somebody else's opportunity and we need to allow their skills to grow. So I find delegation a really important part of growing a designer. it's very important, but it is hard in the beginning to let go a little bit. After being in the industry for nearly 40 years, I'll say this, the older you get, the more appreciative you are to know that there's someone there that can handle that. And at the end of the day, the client really doesn't know how it's going to look. I'm the one that has sold it. But they're not going to remember those things. And if I had to tweak a stem, it's just one little something. But giving that person the ability to shine and for some client to say, this was all beautiful," and them to take some of the credit it's really rewarding, to my heart. Yeah. I agree. And then you do all this organizing and getting ready and being prepared, worked on it for so long, and then suddenly the time is here. At what point in that process do you just "put your head down and get it done?" You know on Friday, if the wedding's on Saturday, that your head should have really been down earlier in the week. Since Wednesday. And sometimes things do come about, maybe it's a funeral, maybe it's some other event and you may have gotten behind a little bit. But you know that the next day this all has to happen. So you really sometimes it's kinda nauseating sometimes knowing that you're in a state that you are knowing that you have to make this happen tomorrow. But the end result and I have employees that say this, when you're quiet, talking about me, we know the pressure's on and we know we have to be there to help, to pull me through so we can all shine together to make the event the best it can be. it's just very important to understand that. It really is important. And a team is the most important part of it because "teamwork makes the dream work." Absolutely. And we can't accomplish things without our network of- people that surround us. Speaking of that, I know you are very encouraging to young designers who want to

Sharon 22:17

to enter the industry and you Try to help them to begin to gain those skills. I recall that you even sponsored an AIFD Southern Design contest where you bought them a trophy, and you were so encouraging in that endeavor. What other advice can you give newcomers who would love to come into the industry, but they don't have the skills, and how can they go about developing those? I'm gonna use someone as an example, that was a graduate from Mississippi State University. I saw her potential at a design program early on, very early on, 20-plus years ago. And I went up to that person and I said, "I would really like for you to work for me one day." And she's still here today after all those years. Can we name her? It's Aisha Crivens, AIFD. I love Aisha, thank you for naming her.

KEVIN 23:18

She really has developed such a design style since we met. it's, It's very important to have that person that you know you can lean on when you need a question answered maybe with design or, "What do you think about this?" or, "What do you think about that?" And it's not just a designer that has the answers to those questions because I look at some of my staff that doesn't design, and I say, what do you think about this?" or, "What do you think about that?" Because that maybe is a mind of a client that doesn't really know the business and doesn't know how things work through the industry But when you have a design person that's working right there with you day after day it just develops. You just learn a lot about a person that way. You really do. But as far as a young designer my first thought is maybe to try it out first before taking that giant leap. The business is tough. It's very demanding. Glamorous on the outside looking in, but very demanding behind the scenes. So maybe try it out first just for a summer or through a few events or that type of thing. Don't commit yourself until you really know. There are many that really don't get it, and those of us that are in the industry now, we didn't get it either, but now we get it, and now we know what the demand is. We get all of that. I say "pressure is a privilege. That's true I thrive in that environment, so it makes it easier for me. I think I would become stagnant if I didn't have a continuation of something going on day after day A day with nothing is nice. It's less stressful, but I'm always touching a flower anyway. It's a little boring, too, isn't it? It's a little bit boring. It really... So it makes you wanna go back home to what you really love. Yes, I agree. I do love the floral industry. It's really given me a great purpose over the past hundreds of years, you might say. And you have added a lot of beauty to a lot of people's lives. I want to go back to Aisha for a moment, 'cause I've watched her grow through the years in tandem with being a team with you, and that's a perfect example. You invested in her because you saw that she had the potential. I would encourage anyone listening to this podcast, if there's somebody in your life, somebody that you could pull in and allow them as a young person to explore. I know Donald Yim told me that he went to his aunt's shop to clean buckets, and now look at Donald today. He's so successful. You never know who's standing beside you that has the opportunity to stand on their own. I want to congratulate Aisha for using the skills that you've mentored in her, and I want to thank you for being that mentor, and I want to encourage others to be that mentor. Each time we've ever mentored somebody and helped them, I think we grew more because as you reach out to help somebody else, you're expanding your reach. That's very true. If you have a love for flowers, that's one thing. I would, I would like to encourage not just younger people, but even middle-aged people that have that mentality that they really wanna be a part of the industry to just branch out and your children are grown, they're out on their own, you're just bored at home. Branch out and do what you love to do. You never know. We have one person on earth that really knows, and that's God, and He puts us all in places to where it makes things happen. It really makes things happen. I agree. Have strong faith in what you do. Love every day to the fullest. Don't be afraid to reach out if you have a passion for floral design. If you feel like you can do that, try it and see. I have many garden club friends that they are so talented. But they come here on a day when it's crazy and they go I can't do this." They wanna start an arrangement on Monday, and it's still going on Saturday- to where they have to replace flowers just to keep the design going. I think I know who they are. It's so funny to watch, but they are so talented. And I get a lot of inspiration from them. I was gonna ask you where you got inspiration now. And so that's one of your outlets. It is one of my outlets. I guess an inspiration is you just love the beauty of flowers. Yes. You really just love the beauty of flowers. It's amazing to know how far the industry has come since I've been around. Loving every minute of it. You just can't get enough some days. We attend seminars and workshops and AIFD national symposium, and we gain so much valuable information. We just thrive on that kind of, I want more, I want more, I just look forward to more in the future, knowing that our industry is ever-changing, and just to be a small fraction of that really inspires me each day to come to work, and that wanting more- we had a lot more opportunities to go to educational events than people are having right now. So I'd like to mention, if you're listening to this podcast, if you go back through the list of podcasts at oasisfloralproducts.com/podcast, there is a podcast about principles elements of design, floral techniques. This past week's, Podcast was on using floral adhesives. If you go back through, there's a lot of information that you can use as training as you're beginning to grow your skills. So be sure you take those opportunities. And Kevin's social media presence with the designs that he's done is so inspiring. I said to Kevin, "I just love that you're posting so much on your social media." And he goes, "You know that's, Aisha." I do. I was gonna give her all the credit. I do the work, and she does the marketing part. Every day she says, "I need a photo. I need a photo." And then some days it's Oh, we haven't done one in two days. We need a photo."

Sharon 29:52

I'm glad she's keeping on it because that allows you to inspire others

KEVIN 29:57

Let me say this. Since that has been going on here in the the last I don't know how long it gives my mother a lot of hope it really does. She's so sweet. She just, she loves everything through the business. She just loves seeing it all. She loves flowers and gardening and she's just a highlight of my life, actually. And that's probably where you learned that love of flowers. I'll go way back. Younger in my day we didn't have flowers on the table all the time, it was a special occasion when we did. I'm fortunate now to have clients that have weekly deliveries and and that's just real inspirational to me that they just enjoy flowers all through the week, every week. And then we've, we're seeing now that some of their children are doing the same thing. And it's like younger people enjoying flowers on a weekly basis it's real encouraging to know where the industry's headed

Sharon 31:01

Yes.

KEVIN 31:01

That's one thing too that a lot of people don't realize, that flowers aren't really expensive. It's really sometimes a luxury, but there are so many different varieties of flowers that you don't have to have the most expensive. I'll say this about a carnation. A lot of my garden club people, they hate that flower. They hate that flower. But it's so long-lasting and the fragrance is there. And the multitude of colors and now the varieties too all of the different varieties on the Dutch market and all. It's just really, They need to revisit. I love a carnation. They just really need to revisit. I used to think the a white carnation was just the best ever. You mentioned that they, flowers are more expensive now, but so is food.

Sharon 31:47

and so

KEVIN 31:47

is. And so is gas. Everything. And so is clothing. So when-

Sharon 31:50

would be unrealistic to expect that one part of the market would stay the same in price it's an affordable expense

KEVIN 31:58

It's so important that you make that comment because sometimes we have to let somebody know that this arrangement is $20 more from three years ago, but so is everything else. Yes. So is everything else. And it doesn't have to be a huge arrangement if they want flowers on their table every week. It doesn't have to be that. It could just be a smaller version of that- Yeah of what they used to receive or what they used to get, or they can cut outdoors to supplement it. And we always try to encourage that, too. A lot of the foliage is outside in their gardens. Yes. You can purchase the blooms from us, but cut some of the foliage from your garden They enjoy that. And a lot of them being the garden club ladies they understand that. They do. And I will say that I'm very blessed to have this group of ladies that have made me an honorary member of the garden club. There's a couple of guys that are honorary members and we enjoy their company and we enjoy helping them and giving them fresh ideas as well. They do arrangements for some of the museums in town, and we've even been asked to teach a workshop and do the arrangements so they can get an, a different approach to that arrangement so they're not the same every week. And you see sometimes that some of the arrangements are from beginners and s- some are from really well-seasoned people that have been members of the garden club for a long time. So I think the workshops are great, that we can go in and give some inspiration, and honestly, it... I learn something every day. There's every day I learn something new, every day. And I think that's- what's so rewarding about the industry. I love that group, the garden club presentations are so much fun to do 'cause they're fun, and they're interested, and they love flowers. love a glass of wine and a piece of cheese and a They turn it into a party every time. It's a party every time.

Sharon 33:58

I love to party with people. How about you?

KEVIN 34:00

It is a party every time. They get there 10 minutes late, and then they're there for two hours later, still trying to make it because that bottle of wine is gone and they're a little bit... Anyway, it's so much fun though. They're happy. They're very happy. Yes. It's very fun though. Oh, well-

Sharon 34:17

I have so loved you talking with us today, and I know you have an appointment coming up, so I don't wanna keep you. But I wanna ask you one last thing. What is your superpower? What do you consider is your strength that just makes it all work?

KEVIN 34:34

Wow. What a tough question. Gosh, Sharon, I don't even know.

Sharon 34:42

I would say your superpower is your love of people. You've been so great to be with us today, but in closing, is there any specific tip that you would give a florist who specifically wants to grow their wedding business?

KEVIN 34:57

Well,

Sharon 34:59

I think you have to be dedicated to the industry, dedicated to the client. Treat them with the utmost respect Be very honest. Don't beat around the bush. Tell them exactly what it's going to be. If that were to not be a price point, possibly if that were part of the conversation that they needed to be in respect them in that light, guide them along the way. Show them your expertise because they do not have that. And as you develop being a great event planner, designer always know that you need to reach out and learn every day. Keep current with the trends design styles colors. All of these things just lead to that successful designer, planner. Being hands-on I think is so important. I do not ever book any event that I am not on site with. They want to see you there. I could have fifty of me there, but if I'm not there, it's not the same to the client. They're asking every one of those people, "Where am I? Where am I?" I guess you just have to, really make that client part of your family In light of what you've just said, I would say that- your superpower just being present Okay You are present with your clients. You are present with- your staff, and you're very

KEVIN 36:29

I am in love with what you do. That's your superpower. Okay. I want to thank you so much for being with us today, Kevin.

Sharon McGukin 36:38

To our audience, Smithers-Oasis North America, and I want to thank you for joining us today. If you've enjoyed this episode, pLease share it with a friend and be sure to hit subscribe. You don't want to miss the inspired solutions our upcoming guests will share with you for your personal or business growth. If you have topics or guests you want to hear, please message me. We'd love to hear from you. Until next time, I'm Sharon McGukin, reminding you that like the unfurling petals of a flower, we grow by changing form, soaking inspiration in like raindrops, absorbing energy from others like warmth from the sun. This growth opens us up to new ideas, and that's how we bloom.