How to Survive the Biggest Floral Holiday of the Year
#american grown #CAGrown #flowers4mom #origin matters Guiding Principles Mother's Day 2015 Sun Valley Holiday
Before joining the ranks at Sun Valley, my best guess for "The Biggest Floral Holiday of the Year" would have been that fateful day in February in which all romantics (or hopeful romantics) can earn extra points for sending flowers to their sweetheart. However, I have become enlightened--Mother's Day, by far and away, takes the LARGEST slice of the floral holiday pie.
And why?
Simply (and logically) put by one of my fellow team members: "Not everyone has a lover, but most people have a mother."
This logic has been dictating every waking (and sleeping) hour of our team members at Sun Valley. All teams are literally working around the clock--sunup to sundown and back to sunup again--to get these beautiful flowers for mom picked, packed, and shipped.
For the floral industry, this holiday is about teamwork and communication. On the farm, we are all striving to work together, hang tough, and abide by our guiding principles, which help us remain cohesive, productive, and sane. These principles are as follows:
1) Be the best that you can be
2) Treat others how you want to be treated
3) Inspire others and always keep learning
4) Treat team members with respect
5) Keep our workplace safe and clean
6) Delight and amaze customers
7) Foster a team culture
8) Instill opportunities for all
9) Continuously improve and innovate
10) Always remain humble and gracious
A strong foundation in these principles is what helps us get through this crazy holiday. Let's be honest, working all day, 7 days a week, for 3 weeks straight will put even the most cheerful, patient person a little on edge. But when we step back and remember that "Hey, we're in this together," and, "Hey, I'll sleep when I'm dead!" things seem easier. Teamwork and communication make this company operate like a well-oiled machine, and each moving part does its job to help the whole.
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| Team members catching some Zs while they can! |
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| Smiles help! |
But it doesn't stop there. We must pass the baton! Trucks full of flowers are leaving our warehouses in a steady stream, taking our treasures to all corners of the United States. This is the hand-off to all the flower professionals, florists, and designers out there who make doubly sure that everyone can have the power of flowers this Mother's Day.
Together, we can make some mamas smile.
