10thingsIlearnedfromBachman’sJaclynNelsonInternship:anopportunitytolearnaboutanindustry,andlife.AstheschoolyearwrappeduplastspringmyfriendsthoughtIwascrazyformovingtoMinneapolisforthesummerwhereIknewnobody.MaybeIwascrazy,buttherewasareasonwhyIdidit.Ithasbeenmydreamforyearstobuildmyownfloralbusiness,anditisactuallyhappening.Thismeansthatthislastsummerwasprobablygoingtobemylastsummertobeabletolearnonsomeoneelse’sdimebeforeIgraduateandstartmybusinessfulltime.Bachman’staughtmewaymorethan10things,butIfiguredweallhavebetterthingstodothanreadatwentypluspagepaperoneverythingIlearned.BeforewediveintowhatIlearnedallowmetowalkthoughwhatIactuallydidatBachman’s.BeforeshowingupatBachman’smysupervisortoldmethatIwouldstartbybeingtrainedonthePOSorPointofSalesystem.Ifiguredthatthesystemwouldbefairlyeasytooperate.Iwaswrong,thereareapproximately22stepstoplaceanorder;whichmeans22placestomessup.AfterthreemonthsofoperatingthesystemIstilldidn’thaveitmastered.EachweekIwouldspendtwodaysworkingtheretailcounter,meaningusingthePOS,wrappinggifts,andtalkingtocustomers.TheotherthreedaysoftheweekIspentworkingthefloralstation.WhenworkingthefloralstationIhelpedcustomerpickoutflowers,arrangethem,andfillorders.EachdaywasdifferentbecauseIneverknewwhatcustomerwouldcomethroughthedoor.ThissummerIdiscoveredIlovedtoworkwithpeople,andnotmuchisbetterthanseeingsomeonelightupasyouhandthemflowers.PeopleskillsareaskillthatIwillalwaysbestrivingtodevelop,butthissummerIlearnedsomuchaboutworkingwithpeople.Solet’sgetstarted!

1. BehumbleAttheageof13Itaughtmyselfhowtomakeacorsageandboutonnieretoselltomyfriendsforprom.I’vebeenatthisalongtimeformyage.NaturallythefirstdayatBachman’sIwastaughthowtomakeacorsageandboutonniere.ItwouldhavebeensoeasyformetojusttellthemIknowwhatIamdoing,butyetIlearnednewtechniquesIhadn’tseenbefore.Stayhumbleandlearnsomethingnew.

2. Don’tbeafraidtoask.Seconddaytoworkwalkedintheemployeeentranceandgotlost.Askedforhelpandmadeanewfriend.Also,attheendoftheinternshipIrealizedtherewereseveralthings’thatIhadnotbeenoffered,forexampleatourofBachman’sproductionfarm.Ihadn’tbeenofferedatourbecauseIhadn’tasked.Simplyaskingcanopensomanydoorsandtheworstthatcanhappenisbeingtoldno.(Afterasking,Ididgetatourofthefarm.)

3. Listenandasktherightquestions

Peopleoftentimesdon’tknowwhattheywant,ortheyassumewe,florists,knowwhattheywant.Iquicklylearnedtheimportanceto

FuneralPiece

listeningandaskingtherightquestionsafterhavingaconversationwithacustomerinwhichweweretalkingabouttwototallydifferentthings.

4. Fail

Failfast.Failforward.Failcheap.OverandoveragainIamtaughtthatinlife.Ifailedtoinputorderscorrectlymanytimes,butifIhadn’tfailedIwouldn’thavelearnedhowtooperatethePOSsystemcorrectly.ManytimesIhavelearnedthatifIhadn’tfailedIwouldn’thavelearned.

5. Yourdaydoesn’tmatter

Flowersareoftenassociatedwithhappiness.Whetherisitanewbaby,anniversary,orasymbolofhappymemorieswithsomeonewhohaspast,peoplecometoafloristtobecheeredup.Nopressure.Basically,youhave5-15minutestobrightensomeone’sday,andtheydon’tcarehowyourdayhasgone.

6. Sitbysomeoneatlunch

It’salittleweirdatfirst,butjustdoit.Simply,sittingbysomeoneatlunchandaskingthemabouttheirdaycanmakeworkevenmoreenjoyable.It’shardtogettoknowpeopleinsuchalargecompanyifyoudon’ttalktopeople.

7. Attitudeiseverything

Okay,it’snoteverything,butyourattitudecanmakeahugedifferenceonhowaproblemishandled.FromthewordsofthefamousCaptainJackSparrow“theproblemsnottheproblem,myattitudeabouttheproblemistheproblem.”OftenIremindmyselfthatwhentryingtofixaproblem,andattitudemakesahugedifferenceonhowtheproblemgetsresolved.

8. Mechanics,Mechanics,Mechanics

OverandoveragainIwastaughtlessonsbysomeofthebestfloristsintheindustry.90%ofthelessonstaughtwereonproperfloralmechanicsandhowtomakesurethattheflowersremainqualitythroughouttheirlife.Mechanicsarethefoundationofafloralarrangement,andmustbedonecorrectly.

9. BrandEverything

Iamnottalkingaboutlivestock.Bachman’sbrandsjustaboutanythingtheycan.TheirfamouspurpleandgreentouchabouteverythingfrompurpledeliverytruckstoBachman’sbrandflora-lifepackets.Idon’tthinkitispossibletoleaveaBachman’sstorewithoutatleastoneBachman’slogoonsomething.

10. Iamonly20

ModernStyleVaseArrangement

OverandoveragainIwouldgetfrustratedwithmyselfwhenIdidn’tknowsomethingorcouldn’tdosomethingaswellasthefloristnexttome.ThenIrememberedIamonlytwentyandonlystartedlearningaboutthefloralworldsixyearsago.IwasworkingalongsidepeoplewhohadmoreexperiencethanIamoldandwhatanhonoritwas.

ThesearejusttenofthemanylessonsIlearnedthissummerfromBachman’s,butthesearelessonsthatwillbeusedthroughouttherestofmylife.MostimportantlytherearemanygreatpeoplewhoworkforBachman’s,andIthankthemallforguidingmethissummerinlearningtheselessons.Listeningtotheirstoriesandlearningfromtheirpastexperiencesisanhonorthatnotmanypeoplemyagedon’tgettoreceive.ThankyouBachman’sformakingthissummergreat.

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