My passion for this industry started over 15 years ago. And it was when I worked with my first flower that I knew that I wanted to be apart of this industry in every way possible. That passion hasn't gone away one bit, if anything it has increased. I see where I can be and what I could be doing and that frustrates me. But I was told by a good friend...(SHOUT OUT TO NAT NAT!) that I can only get out of my job what I put into it, and that I need to work with what I got! and I Am reminded that I have a lot more then some people and I need to be thankful for what I have...but I will never loose sight of my dreams and I will never stop striving for better.
Today was a very trying day at work. I am very passionate about my job, not just what I do, but the company as a whole. Because we are a small company when times are slow everyone feels the crunch, and when times are tight we all band together and work through it. But today It was revealed to me that we didn't have a team player on board, and that really made me mad. People would ask why? and I have the answer. I have been with Kent for 8 years and what effects the store effects me; and I take things personally, and I feel that, that store is as much mine(Lora, Laura, and Phylis) as it is his. And if there is no Kent's then that means there is no job for Jeremy. So during times of financial strain we bind together and we do what we can, we watch what we spend out of the company account, we watch our hours. If it is dead slow we will all volunteer and go home. Because we only have he health of the company in our best interests. We all need the money but if there is no money to be had then we are all S.O.L!! So when I approached a fellow employee, and mentioned to this person that if it stayed slow that they could go home. This person goes behind my back and talks to another employee and tells them that they are not leaving because they need the money. OK! for one...Kent is gone for the week so when he is gone, either I or Lora have authority! so do not Undermine me! and secondly! thanks you for showing your true colors! When I am loyal I am loyal, and I will have your back 200% and when I've invested so much time and energy into something I take it personally. And I took this very personal.
Tomorrow I am going to go in with a positive attitude and do my job the way that I know and I will let God reveal all the things that I have seen. And I don't have to do a thing! just sit back and wait. Like my late grandmother used to tell me all the time "Son, you have to just call on the lord and wait on time" and that what I am going to try and do from now on. I might get discouraged, but God has a bigger plan for me. A plan even bigger then I can imagine! so for now....
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Really?
I am sitting here on my sofa wondering what I could be doing right now. I could totally be working on some of my projects that I have to do but I am totally not motivated. I have a couple wedding bids that need to be planned and typed...but yet again, not motivated. I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately, wondering what I want to do with my life. I have applied for numerous jobs nationwide and I have to say that I am getting very discouraged. But I have to tell myself that I am talented and that the right opportunity will come along. I have to wonder though...Am I good enough for the jobs that I'm applying for? or is the timing wrong? Or is God trying to tell me something?
I couldn't imagine that God wants me to stay here where I am not happy, and not living up to my potential. My talents aren't being utilized to their fullest here where I am, and I know that I would be much happier in a larger city, where I can make more money and do what I really love to do; DESIGN! I feel like my day is filled copying a picture or making things that I really wouldn't put my name behind if I were the owner of the store. I understand that even in a larger city, I may not be doing million dollar arrangements, but my talents and skills would be utilized and appreciated.
I also feel that my growth is being stunted a lot in my current position, for example; just the other day a woman called the shop and ordered an unusual and unique arrangement, I did something very cool, yes! it was off the wall, but it was very unique and outside of the box. The woman received it, called and complained....She brought it back in, said that it was ugly and that she felt like it wasn't a "bouquet". My boss proceeded to tell her that this is the look that we do at the shop, and she said she would prefer an arrangement in a vase....or get this....A MUM plant!!! Really??? lady, a mum plant? that's different an unusual? give me a break! so yea...I need to be in a place where the general public doesn't consider a mum plant as being different!
And please don't get me wrong, I am not bashing Kent's or Columbia. I love my job, and I love my hometown. Kent has been so good to me and he is an amazing boss. I love him like my own family. And everything that I know is here in Columbia, my family, my friends and my home. But there is a whole world out there that I have yet to see. I have never been one to accept mediocrity, and I don't intend to start. My issues aren't my boss or where I work, my issues are with the amount of money that I am not making, and the people that call themselves our customers.
so...yea....REALLY??
I couldn't imagine that God wants me to stay here where I am not happy, and not living up to my potential. My talents aren't being utilized to their fullest here where I am, and I know that I would be much happier in a larger city, where I can make more money and do what I really love to do; DESIGN! I feel like my day is filled copying a picture or making things that I really wouldn't put my name behind if I were the owner of the store. I understand that even in a larger city, I may not be doing million dollar arrangements, but my talents and skills would be utilized and appreciated.
I also feel that my growth is being stunted a lot in my current position, for example; just the other day a woman called the shop and ordered an unusual and unique arrangement, I did something very cool, yes! it was off the wall, but it was very unique and outside of the box. The woman received it, called and complained....She brought it back in, said that it was ugly and that she felt like it wasn't a "bouquet". My boss proceeded to tell her that this is the look that we do at the shop, and she said she would prefer an arrangement in a vase....or get this....A MUM plant!!! Really??? lady, a mum plant? that's different an unusual? give me a break! so yea...I need to be in a place where the general public doesn't consider a mum plant as being different!
And please don't get me wrong, I am not bashing Kent's or Columbia. I love my job, and I love my hometown. Kent has been so good to me and he is an amazing boss. I love him like my own family. And everything that I know is here in Columbia, my family, my friends and my home. But there is a whole world out there that I have yet to see. I have never been one to accept mediocrity, and I don't intend to start. My issues aren't my boss or where I work, my issues are with the amount of money that I am not making, and the people that call themselves our customers.
so...yea....REALLY??
Sunday, September 6, 2009
great things...
Hello all, I was just walking my apartment looking at how nice, neat and clean it is. I cleaned for 4 hours yesterday and it is spotless, and It makes me smile just looking at it. It's amazing how the little and simple things in life can make us happy. And yet we are always striving for something new and exciting to fill some make believe void that we have inside of us. I believe that all the happiness we need is already within us, we just have to channel it. But that is not to say that we shouldn't strive for new things, but not for the sole purpose of being happy. As I digress, the purpose of this post was to share some exciting news (well to me at least) I applied for an awesome job yesterday and I would hope that you all would wish me luck.
The Job I applied for is located in Los Angeles California. It is with a Company named Teleflora, A huge pillar in the Floral Industry. The Job is in the Marketing and Product design department. I know that I wouldn't be working with flowers very much at all, but It is another side of the business that I would love to be apart of, and besides I feel that I have some really great ideas for some new products and some marketing tools that they can use. And I also have a lot of valid input, and opinions of some of the products and marketing tools that they already currently use. I want this job for a number of reasons; for starters I would be seeing the floral industry from a different perspective. I also would be employed by one of the largest players in the industry, and the opportunity to grow and do so many different things within the company is endless. And lastly I want this position because I feel that I need it, I need it to become more rounded and experienced in this industry. My main goal is to get the job, but I will settle for at least an interview, because just because this position may not be for me, there will be something else that comes along with Teleflora. To me being apart of such a staple in this industry would not only be an honor, but a great opportunity to meet some of the best people this industry has produced. So feel free to Google Teleflora, read up about how great of a company it is, and wish me luck!
The Job I applied for is located in Los Angeles California. It is with a Company named Teleflora, A huge pillar in the Floral Industry. The Job is in the Marketing and Product design department. I know that I wouldn't be working with flowers very much at all, but It is another side of the business that I would love to be apart of, and besides I feel that I have some really great ideas for some new products and some marketing tools that they can use. And I also have a lot of valid input, and opinions of some of the products and marketing tools that they already currently use. I want this job for a number of reasons; for starters I would be seeing the floral industry from a different perspective. I also would be employed by one of the largest players in the industry, and the opportunity to grow and do so many different things within the company is endless. And lastly I want this position because I feel that I need it, I need it to become more rounded and experienced in this industry. My main goal is to get the job, but I will settle for at least an interview, because just because this position may not be for me, there will be something else that comes along with Teleflora. To me being apart of such a staple in this industry would not only be an honor, but a great opportunity to meet some of the best people this industry has produced. So feel free to Google Teleflora, read up about how great of a company it is, and wish me luck!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
It's just flowers
Today was one of the most stressful days of my life. The day I turned in my capstone project for my MBA doesn't even hold a candle to how stressed I was today. My boss was being a Major spazz, and when someone around me is spastic that puts me on edge. I am very responsive to the emotions and mood of those around me. So I can't be at ease when someone around me isn't. I have been off work now for about 3 hours and I am still jittery and I still have a pounding headache and my job doesnt have to be this stressful. But at the end of the day its just flowers. We aren't doing rocket science or saving a life here, we are just making the world a brighter place one flower at a time. But it is not necessary to get stressed out over it.
On a happier note, I am starting to really focus on "Jeremy Estes Designs" If I Can book at least 6 weddings for 2010, I can cut my hours at kent's and start doing more things on my own. And if all goes to plan, I can have my own space by spring 2010. I need to do my own thing for myself no one else. I am being hindered by the negative sides of retail, and my creativity is being stunted as a result. If anyone has a need for fabulous flowers for a party or wedding hit me up! I need the exposure!
Well I hope all is well with the rest of the world, and I will hope to talk to you all soon!! take care and love long.
On a happier note, I am starting to really focus on "Jeremy Estes Designs" If I Can book at least 6 weddings for 2010, I can cut my hours at kent's and start doing more things on my own. And if all goes to plan, I can have my own space by spring 2010. I need to do my own thing for myself no one else. I am being hindered by the negative sides of retail, and my creativity is being stunted as a result. If anyone has a need for fabulous flowers for a party or wedding hit me up! I need the exposure!
Well I hope all is well with the rest of the world, and I will hope to talk to you all soon!! take care and love long.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Getting Ready for Autumn
School is back in session and the weather is getting a bit cooler, and football season is getting underway. The holidays are coming quicker then we think. So I have a couple tips and idea's to help get us ready for the holiday season. My purpose for creating my blogspot account was to share with the world my passion and love for Floral materials, and to hopefully inspire someone with a tidbit of information.
As times have presented themselves to be tough the past 2 years, we can not let money or the lack thereof prevent us from enjoying everything that the Holidays have to offer. Fall is upon us and there are some simply ways that we can enjoy our autumn without breaking the bank. It is always a tradition in most family's to go out and purchase pumpkins and set them around their home, and then closer to Halloween pumpkin carving is a Fun family past time. Buying pumpkins from a retail store can be a bit expensive, even Wal-mart. Buying Pumpkins locally, from a local grower (whom often times have more then they can maintain) can prove to be cost effective and you are supporting an independent farmer, and boosting his buying power in this struggling economy. But for those family's that aren't on a budget and can decorate for fall and Halloween, I will share the big trends in Fall and Halloween colors. There are a lot of Traditional Black and White items being shown for Halloween this year. Traditional Halloween in my mind goes back to those old black and white movies of Dracula, that sticks out in my mind, and that makes me think HALLOWEEN! So if you want to be in the new! and the happening, go classic and get black and white, and like clothing and furniture, black and white never goes out of style.
For those that can not let go of color, Plum and Shades of pink are also hot to mix in with the other beautiful fall tones(Oranges, Reds, Greens, Etc) And lets not forget the color that is sweeping the nation, GRAY! Gray is so hot right now, so mix it in any way you can. And most colors pop off of Gray beautifully, so why not Paint the door to your home gray! and see how beautiful that fall wreath or swag looks against it. And a note on that, a door adornment doesn't have to be a tradition wreath, wall pocket of swag. We can be very creative when it comes to how we present our door, because the door is the first impression of the house. If the door has some creativity and some edge, then that says a lot about the homeowner and the rest of the house. A simply idea for the upcoming season, and for any season really. Go to you local craft store, (some small retail store sell them too) and buy you one of a couple of those over sized letters;they can dictate you initials, or you can just pick something random, like and "F" for fall, or you can Spell out the word "FALL". Once you have you desired letter(s) then you can either buy them in the finish you like, or paint them accordingly to the season or the colors of your home. If you paint your door gray think about how fabulous those letters would look in Orange! or Yellow! Affix the letter(s) to the door in you desired placement, and to them you can add ribbons, leaves, or any other fall treatment that you see fit, or they can stand alone which I think would make a great statement!
I hope that I have inspired someone to do something cool and different this upcoming season, and I will do my best to post another segment about thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve. It will be probably either later this month or early October because my schedule is going to get very hectic in the next couple of months...One last thing while its on my mind, there is nothing wrong with being ahead of the game. Plan you holiday decor and festivities now so that you have more time to spend doing all the wonderful and fun things that Fall and winter have to offer!
As times have presented themselves to be tough the past 2 years, we can not let money or the lack thereof prevent us from enjoying everything that the Holidays have to offer. Fall is upon us and there are some simply ways that we can enjoy our autumn without breaking the bank. It is always a tradition in most family's to go out and purchase pumpkins and set them around their home, and then closer to Halloween pumpkin carving is a Fun family past time. Buying pumpkins from a retail store can be a bit expensive, even Wal-mart. Buying Pumpkins locally, from a local grower (whom often times have more then they can maintain) can prove to be cost effective and you are supporting an independent farmer, and boosting his buying power in this struggling economy. But for those family's that aren't on a budget and can decorate for fall and Halloween, I will share the big trends in Fall and Halloween colors. There are a lot of Traditional Black and White items being shown for Halloween this year. Traditional Halloween in my mind goes back to those old black and white movies of Dracula, that sticks out in my mind, and that makes me think HALLOWEEN! So if you want to be in the new! and the happening, go classic and get black and white, and like clothing and furniture, black and white never goes out of style.
For those that can not let go of color, Plum and Shades of pink are also hot to mix in with the other beautiful fall tones(Oranges, Reds, Greens, Etc) And lets not forget the color that is sweeping the nation, GRAY! Gray is so hot right now, so mix it in any way you can. And most colors pop off of Gray beautifully, so why not Paint the door to your home gray! and see how beautiful that fall wreath or swag looks against it. And a note on that, a door adornment doesn't have to be a tradition wreath, wall pocket of swag. We can be very creative when it comes to how we present our door, because the door is the first impression of the house. If the door has some creativity and some edge, then that says a lot about the homeowner and the rest of the house. A simply idea for the upcoming season, and for any season really. Go to you local craft store, (some small retail store sell them too) and buy you one of a couple of those over sized letters;they can dictate you initials, or you can just pick something random, like and "F" for fall, or you can Spell out the word "FALL". Once you have you desired letter(s) then you can either buy them in the finish you like, or paint them accordingly to the season or the colors of your home. If you paint your door gray think about how fabulous those letters would look in Orange! or Yellow! Affix the letter(s) to the door in you desired placement, and to them you can add ribbons, leaves, or any other fall treatment that you see fit, or they can stand alone which I think would make a great statement!
I hope that I have inspired someone to do something cool and different this upcoming season, and I will do my best to post another segment about thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve. It will be probably either later this month or early October because my schedule is going to get very hectic in the next couple of months...One last thing while its on my mind, there is nothing wrong with being ahead of the game. Plan you holiday decor and festivities now so that you have more time to spend doing all the wonderful and fun things that Fall and winter have to offer!
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