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An Incredible Experience: The Impact of the Arizona Retail Florist Travel Grant

Each year, through our Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant, a retail florist is given the opportunity to attend an exciting in-person educational conference or event. Recently, Caroline Naylor, AzMF of Razzle Dazzle® Flowers & Gifts, attended the SAF Miami 2024 Conference with support from this fund. 

Razzle Dazzle® Flowers & Gifts is a fully family-owned and operated business in Mesa, Arizona, run by Caroline and her two sisters, Clara and Marcella. All three sisters attended the convention and were able to ‘divide and conquer’ to participate in as many classes and educational sessions as possible. They are also celebrating their 20th Anniversary of opening their shop in 2024! 

The Arizona Retail Floral Education Travel Grant was created to provide support for traditional retail florists in Arizona, like Caroline and her sisters, as they pursue floral industry educational or design events outside of the state of Arizona. The grant is open to owners, managers, and employees of traditional retail florists with a brick-and-mortar storefront in Arizona and was established from the defunct FTD District 8K with additional initial funding provided by Ken and Lynn Young of Phoenix Flower Shops. The fund continues to grow with contributions and support from Arizona floral businesses. Each year, we are so grateful for the opportunity to support retail florists through this fund and hear about their incredible educational experiences at industry events. 

Read more about Caroline’s memorable and enlightening experience below!

By Caroline L Naylor, AzMF of Razzle Dazzle® Flowers & Gifts

I want to express a dinner plate size dahlia THANK YOU to the Arizona Travel Grant program and the American Floral Endowment for making an incredible experience possible!

Attending the Society of American Florists 2024 Annual Convention in Miami was unforgettable! My first memorable experience was standing outside the airport waiting for transportation to the hotel when I was swamped with the high humidity level to the point where I could not wear my glasses and still see. Being a native Arizonan, my first inclination was to turn around, get back on the plane, and return to Arizona to escape the brutal humidity in Florida. I persevered and was richly rewarded with many choice experiences in the following days. The transformative experience for me began with a standout moment when the keynote speaker Gregory Offner presented me with a signed copy of his book “The Tip Jar Culture – How To Re-Engage and Reignite Your Workforce” onstage!  I love books and especially appreciate copies signed by the author, so I was absolutely delighted.

In his keynote address on Thursday August 8, 2024, Mr. Offner shared three principles of engaging experiences he learned and observed from time he spent as a dueling pianist in bars (Take A Sip, Fill Out A Slip, Leave A Tip) and he chose me to help demonstrate the “Fill Out A Slip” principle when he invited me to come up on stage while he played my request of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond on the piano on-stage.  Several of my previously un-met flower friends from throughout the world sang along just as if we were all in a piano bar! 

Although I was literally blinded by the light at the time, I soon learned that everyone in the audience was a “Keeper” as I had the opportunity to meet multitudes of flower friends during the remaining days of the conference as so many people approached me during the remainder of the conference and said “Hi, Sweet Caroline” so I had opportunities to meet many more fellow florists as well as industry leaders than I ever would have dreamed possible because I am actually a shy introvert.  

I read my gift copy of “The Tip Jar Culture – How To Re-Engage and Reignite Your Workforce” on the plane ride home and was able to glean much deeper insight into the underlayment of each of the three principles, techniques, and best practices he elucidated in his book and my sisters and I are examining and researching ways to successfully deploy some of the strategies and techniques he outlined for the enrichment of our current team members as well as future team members we will bring onboard.  This was extremely beneficial information to obtain as a small business owner. 

The convention was not just a place to learn—it was a hub of inspiration and networking. All three business partners in our shop (three sisters) were able to attend the convention, so we took the opportunity to divide and conquer the information offered by each attending different classes, and then we participated in a creative collaboration each night to discuss and implement the various new ideas that had been sparked and discuss new professional connections and benefits that will shape our business in the years to come.  

We all greatly appreciated being able to participate in the “Trends and Challenges” roundtable, where professionals from all sectors of the industry gathered to discuss how we can improve industry collaboration to share “That Flower Feeling” with as many consumers as possible to benefit not only the consumers but also florists, wholesalers, and growers from across the country.  I felt particularly fortunate to have a seat at what I considered the POWER table with industry leaders such as Chief Economist Dr. Charlie Hall, Dr. Marvin Miller, AAF, of Ball Horticultural Company, Chris Drummond, AAF, PFCI, of Penny’s by Plaza Flowers, and Kristin Gilliland of Gardens America among others who provided me the opportunity to absorb keen insight as our table delved into emerging market trends, the future potential of floristry, enhancing floral business operations, shedding light on the evolution of our industry and how to stay competitive in today’s business environment.  

Thanks to the Arizona Travel Grant from the American Floral Endowment, I was able to attend this incredible convention; without this support, attending the convention across the country would have been more challenging, and I would have missed so many valuable learning opportunities. 

The knowledge, skills, and connections I gained will not only enhance our small retail floral shop and my professional development but also benefit my local community in Arizona and will surely influence my work for years to come. Once again, thank you to the Arizona Travel Grant program and the American Floral Endowment for making this incredible experience possible.

Applications for the Arizona Travel Grant are due on October 1st each year. The grant must be for an industry event in the coming year—for example, applications received in 2025 will cover the cost of travel in 2026. You can learn more about the grant and apply here.