Consulting & Coaching

If you are part of a floral marketing department who needs a promotions advisor to help capture your story and communicate it to the perfect audience in an irresistible way... you've come to the right place.

In 2002 Marco Bernardi of the Italy's SanRemo Flower Market planned to bring an entourage of exporters and their gorgeous floral products to exhibit in an industry flower show that was canceled at the last minute. Mr. Bernardi commissioned Dottie to produce a private flower show in Maryland with multiple wholesalers and their retail clients. He also trusted her advice on organizing three additional shows around the U.S. within the same timeframe. Dottie produced the Maryland show, found the perfect people to produce a show in Kansas, another in New York, and got the San Remo Flower Market a distinctive position in another "invitation only" multi-wholesaler show. The private SanRemo Flower Market shows were such a success they are still being produced for floral retailers in wholesale houses around the U.S.

Dottie is a global consultant whose "always outside the box" perspectives can help get your company, organization, products noticed.

If you are in transition and looking for the missing links to create the perfect balance, bring synergy, and offer a fresh perspective to your floral business, Dottie Harrigan can help you see the broader scope of your scenario and bring clarity to your situation.

Dennis Graffe and his wife Betsy manage floral departments for three supermarkets in Tennessee. They met Dottie while attending the World Floral Expo in Miami and called on her to examine why they were so exhausted and frustrated with the work that they actually loved. Dennis and Betsy worked long hours, couldn't enjoy their families like they wanted, never had time for themselves, and were unsatisfied with their income. They were ready for a do-over.

After several phone consultations, exchanges of emails and sharing of information via physical mail, Dottie created a game plan for Dennis and Betsy with a list of priorities for them to focus on. Dennis and Betsy chose to work the plan on their own - without Dottie as a coach month to month. Less than a year later Dennis called Dottie, as he was preparing to move into his new office space, to say: "Thank you".

Dennis had completed most of the 10-12 actions from Dottie's "To-Do" list and obviously had made tremendous progress:

• His commute had gone from one hour twice a day to less than 40 minutes a day giving him more time with his family.
• His health had improved tremendously and he was feeling vital, strong, and energetic. He had opened another floral department in a brand new store that gave him an opportunity for higher end (higher profit) products.
• He had tripled his sales from the previous year.

Dennis and Betsy still work hard but you could hear in Dennis's voice that they were once again enjoying their work, satisfied with the outcome, and living life fully.

Dottie helped Dennis and Betsy understand their situation, pivot fast, get launched in a positive new direction, and experience their desired results quickly. Dottie says that Dennis and Betsy are the perfect example of how to "Embrace Life, Follow Your Passion, Live Your Dreams, & Create Magic"!

If you are a floral business start-up wishing you had a consultant with an insider's point of view or a business development coach with real life experience to help you with your new venture, your wish has come true.

Dottie spent 10 years in traditional retail floristry - from apprenticing to owning a flower shop. She ran an independent design firm for over 20 years, and has been sharing her experience and expertise with those who want to make floristry their livelihood through her business consulting and coaching practice for eight years.

When Yasmine DeSouza came to her with the dream of retiring from her job and starting a floral design company, Dottie was able to help her:

1. Choose a niche that would align with her desired future lifestyle and personal goals.
2. Develop a marketing plan to communicate with that niche.
3. Determine how to prepare for her dream while continuing to fulfill her current job.

Having worked with Dottie, Yasmine now understands the value of choosing a niche group of people and serving their needs through the medium of flowers. If she changes her mind about the way she wants to live before she retires, Yasmine can simply identify a new niche and repeat the process she learned from Dottie to create the second career of her dreams.

No matter where you are on your journey Dottie's understanding of the floral industry, insight into it's possibilities, and reverence for her clients' dreams and visions make her the perfect consultant/coach to share your endeavors with.

You are invited to contact Dottie at dottie@flowerhandlers.com and set up an appointment to discuss the possibility of working together.

Dottie Harrigan — 17601 Queen Anne Road — Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 — 301-249-1669 — dottie@flowerhandlers.com