First & Bloom

Tulips in Portland 🌷 These gorgeous, get well tulips shipped yesterday and arrived today. Want to send flowers to someone special and help me with a new product test? 🙋‍♀️ Don't forget! I'm offering an amazing deal on First & Bloom right now. $35 + tax + delivery, and I'll ship local tulips like these, two bunches. These beauties are grown by in Preston, WA.
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Happy Monday, everyone! 💫 Today, I had a brief but eventful visit from my friend .flowers. In preparation for her upcoming sustainable farewell workshop with .creative, she and I ventured into the woods behind my house for moss. It's hard to see in the picture, but I'm showing my muddy leg and elbow. While crossing a small creek bed, I slipped on the mud and fell in. 🤣 It was a rather comical sight. I was grabbing brush, and Lori was pulling me up with a stick. We had a good laugh! Florists will go to any length to get the good stuff! 😉 Also, Lori brought me these beautiful daffodils from her yard, which are now behind my kitchen sink in a vase.

Part 3 👉 For years, I've been wanting to make an impact on the floral industry in a big way. Let's jump right into it. My second major goal for 2024 is to launch a USA grown and sustainable product line on both Amazon and my brand site. Not everyone is going to be ok with this concept, and I accept that reality.  
While I don't have exact numbers, with certainty, I can tell you millions upon millions of fresh flowers are sold on Amazon every year. Entire companies are dedicated to selling exclusively on Amazon and making millions. If you weren't aware of the magnitude of flowers sold on Amazon, shop "fresh flowers" and you'll see what pops up. The vast majority of these flowers are imported.  I believe the 230 million Amazon users in the United States should have the option to choose between imported flowers and domestic. 💐 Unbeknownst to the average Amazon customer, they choose from the selection available to them.  It's just like any other major grocery store or online retailer. I call this the "mainstream." You know when people say they've never seen the flowers you're selling before? That's because they see the same 10-15 varieties of flowers at grocery stores, Costco, FTD, Teleflora, and so on.  It's just like that on Amazon.  I believe all customers have the right and desire to know their options.  By entering the "mainstream" flower market of major retailers, only then can the local and sustainable floral communities chip away at the unbalanced majority of imported flowers sold in the US every year. 
It's taken me a long time to come around to this concept, but I'm finally here and fully committed.  I have worried a lot about what some people would think of this decision and my choice to sell on Amazon.  I'm here to tell you that I'm an Amazon customer.  Amazon is not all bad, and I take the negative and positive with a grain of salt. If this bothers you, it might be a good time to unfollow me now because I need all the love, support, and positive energy imaginable from today forward. 
Again, thanks to all my supporters and followers. Please send me your 💪 !!!

Sunshine came in the form of purple, double tulips today. My 💜 melted when I picked up these beauties from . They are so gorgeous! I kept one bunch for myself and gave another to a friend who had a double mastectomy this week.
Did you know tulips are excellent shippers? Kept cool, they need no water for days. When you cut the stems and add to fresh water, they will perk right up. Tulips also react to sunlight. I have never used any of the tricks associated with tulips. Give them fresh clean water and let their personalities shine!
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Part 2 | Yesterday, I gave a brief recap of the last ten years of First & Bloom.  Now, it's time to share some exciting news about how I've evolved.  I decided there's going to need to be a Part 3... 
If you know me, you know I love e-commerce.  Having a strong background in online retail, I understand how websites work and how customers respond to them.  I built my last three sites and have worked with several different platforms and even attempted to build a mobile app that evolved into a proof-of-concept marketplace (on Shopify). One thing I am not is a coder.  It's not entirely necessary anymore.  Most websites for small business can operate and function very well on many of the mainstream platforms seen today. In fact, Covid pushed these platforms to remarkable levels, enabling the small business owner to achieve amazing self-sufficiency. A website is like virtual real estate.  It puts a stake in the ground, sort of speaking.  It's the customers' first impression and should operate smoothly, even if it's simple. More than ever, the backend mechanics of a site are crucial. Backlinks, SEO, and how a site is discovered on search engines are very important. Thinking like the customer is critical. Every decision I make puts the customer first.  It doesn't mean I don't set boundaries for myself, but customer experience is crucial for the longevity of any business.
Last fall, I made some really big discoveries about how I wanted to evolve in 2024.  One, I found I love helping other small business owners.  I am an entrepreneur to the core. I love new business ideas and figuring out how to make them grow. I've made a lot of mistakes in my past and want to help influence business owners to make fewer.  Failure is inevitable, but it's what is learned from failure that takes a business to the next level.  So, I've been doing business consulting the last few months and LOVE it!!  I've helped revamp two fellow flower friend's sites and have three more businesses on the horizon.  If you are interested in learning more... reach out!!  I would love to talk more! 
Final words to part 2 in the comments below... couldn't squeeze it all in. 😁

Hey there! It's me, Tammy Myers, the owner of First & Bloom. It's been a minute and time to reintroduce myself. Launching a decade ago (yes!), I've seen a lot of change within the industry. I've seen many advances in how flowers distribute within retail and wholesale channels and how customers are sourcing their flowers. More unique varieties of flowers are popping up in grocery stores, typically only available through the professionals and at far cheaper prices, too. It's hard being a florist. In fact, it sometimes feels like everyone is their own florist with so many DIY tutorials and influencers sharing ideas. What hasn't changed; though, are some of the institutionalized practices the floral industry will not let go of.
I've been a local and sustainable florist since 2015. One day, while working on flowers for my son's preschool holiday party, I realized I was cutting floral foam on my kitchen counter with a bread knife. Rubbing my fingers together, I noticed a dry film on my hands from a foreign substance after processing flowers with no idea of their source. I had an epiphany. After that, I never wanted to use floral foam again and know where my flowers came from. Since then, I've maintained my promise to sell primarily USA grown product and built a reputation within my community for unique, high quality, and organic designs. I also don't use any preservatives in water, as proper processing and temperature control is key to long-lasting florals. While I've covered almost everything in floristry, I slowly learned my true passion was local delivery. I love the quick turnaround of ordering flowers online and over the phone. As much as I stress about big holidays like Valentine's Day, I love the rush of business.
Outside of work, I'm a country girl at heart. I live with my family in the Snoqualmie Valley, an active volunteer for my son's soccer club, an occasional gardener, love sunsets, a diehard coffee drinker, and my all-time favorite drink is a lemon drop shot. I am a huge country music fan, and if I have to choose between fun with friends and chores, I'll likely choose the friends!

Stay tuned for Part 2.... Tammy's 2024 plans. 😘