Patience Pickner AIFD, PFCI, SDCF : Featured Designer

For those that have been graced by the charisma and innate ability to make anybody enjoy themselves, you know how awesome Patience Pickner AIFD, PFCI, SDCF is to be around. Along with her great personality she is a great teacher, presenter and overall designer. Patience has already started 2014 full on taking up the mantel of the new South Dakota Floral Association President, a current 2014 Mayesh Design Star Finalist, doing design presentation and classes and running 2 successful businesses.

 

Floral.today got the great pleasure of meeting Patience our very first AIFD Symposium in 2010. As the new kid on the scene Patience and Jenny Berlings AIFD, PFCI, AAF, SDCF made sure to make quick friends with floral.today and to this day are still great friends. We are more than excited to bring you Patience Pickner AIFD, PFCI, SDCF this week, so enjoy her interview and make sure to get to know this wonderful lady.

 

As the new South Dakota Floral Association President how excited are you for your term? What can you tell us about the South Dakota Floral Association for people that are non-members?

P. I’m very excited to be El Presidente, SDFA is an amazing organization with a rich history of lifting the local florists up through education, networking and family like advise and encouragement. I look forward to continuing that tradition. SDFA is in it’s 19th year, it was founded by several state florists who believed in the value of education. We have two conventions a year, regional hands on seminars, as well as we are definitely a family!

 

 

As the owner of The Picket Fence and The Other Side of The Fence you have experienced many different aspects to the floral industry. How have you seen the industry change in the last 5-10 years and what do you see in the next 10-15 years?

P. It’s decidedly a tougher industry to make it to the top in, tougher than when I first purchased the store 17 years ago… it seemed like money flowed pretty readily… the drop shippers and mass marketers hadn’t yet gotten their piece of the pie. It’s a whole different ball game now. To be the best you have to educate yourself, you have to always be looking for the new trends and design styles. Our customers expect more, they have access to pinterest and all the websites and they are more educated, which is a good thing. We as florists need to WOW them with our artistry and degree of customer service, these are things that may not be able to get anywhere else but their local floral shop.

 

When it comes to staying active, you seem to have a hand in a lot of cookie jars. From the American Institute of Floral Design, to the South Dakota Floral Association and as far as a 2014 Mayesh Design Star Finalist, what are some of the most memorable or exciting of your experiences so far?

P. Wow, I’ve been a pretty lucky girl… so many experiences! What I really truly love is when I am doing a program and I can feel the connection between myself and the audience, or giving a class and I know what I am saying is going to help the attendees to be better florists and business people. I love this industry , I’m so passionate and paying it forward. Of course being inducted AIFD and PFCI was pretty darn amazing! I totally have to mention the whole Mayesh Design Star Finalists, being chosen and then the video shoot with Beth and Tony, we’ve got a pretty amazing industry, and I’ve been blessed to meet a lot of wonderful human beings! This year I was honored to asked to join the FITZ Design Team, what an amazing group of designers! Working with someone with the brain power and insight of Dan Fisher is pretty dang cool!

P. Right now I’m very excited about my website and blog florgasm.com, I am in the works with a wonderful friend of mine, Ace Berry TMF. We met in LA at a Teleflora presidents meeting and have been best friends since. We both are so passionate about flowers, education, lifting other floral artists up and really absolutely everything that has to do with the floral industry. The website is still in the planning stages, but check it out! If you are ever in need of a design program that will have people laughing, learning and enjoying every single second, give us a call!

 

  

Give us the scoop to being a 2014 Mayesh Design Star Finalist. What have you had to do so far and what does the whole competition required you to do?

P. Being a Mayesh finalist means that I and two other designs where flown to LA, where Mayesh is based out of. We each did 3 videos of our choosing, these videos are being released throughout the year and in November the total views for each of will be tallied. That along with a couple other criteria will decided the winner! Very exciting stuff, super honored to even be in the running….truly! So, youtube, then Patience Pickner, then watch my February Valentines video, May Wedding video, and August Repurpose video. I so appreciate all the support I’ve gotten!

 

Patience's Video Links!

May 2014 - Floral Perspective: Victorian Weddings with Patience Pickner AIFD, PFCI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7fa9hy-xJc

February 2014 - Floral Perspective: Valentine's Day Roses with Patience Pickner AIFD, PFCI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIBpTyKBzlA

Entry - Patience Pickner AIFD Mayesh Design Star entry 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpTjzJqEJy0

 

What are a few of your goals that you are working on checking off the list right now?

P. Goals… to really spread education opportunities in the state of South Dakota and surrounding states. To be a great spokesperson for our industry, to let consumers know that  flowers are an important part of our lives. To continue to do stage programs, to encourage the younger generation to follow their passions where ever they may lead you. To promote FLORGASM and to just enjoy this beautiful gift God has given me. I truly LOVE what I do, I could not imagine doing anything else.

 

 

With all the demonstrations and design shows you have been doing, what are a couple of your favorite so far and what do we have to look forward to this year or in 2015? If you could present on any topic, what would that topic be and why?

P. Baisch and Skinner has always been an exciting place to be, the showroom, product, owners and audience are amazing. Of course I love North American Wholesale Florist Inc, SHOUT OUT to my peeps! Every program I’ve ever done has been rewarding, it’s thrilling to make that connection, get that first laugh, see the “AHAA” on the faces of the audience.

P. One program I’m working on for Team Florgasm is how to be more profitable florist. I truly think that we as floral artists are afraid to charge for your artistry. We need to collectively move past that. There are so many ways to increase your profit from ordering correctly, to selling what you have, to design styles, containers that increase the bottom line, pricing, merchandising etc etc etc. I also adore talking about Commercial Designing Vs. Competition/Certification Designing.

 

If presented with the chance to take a class or get a one-on-one with anyone in the world, whom would it be with and what would you hope to get out of the experience?

P. I’ve truly been blessed, I’ve been lucky enough to take classes from and work with some of the most amazing designers. Having said that  European design really intrigues me. I want to learn MORE! Also Ikebana draws me in. I don’t know who I’d choose, that’s a tough question. I guess anyone fun and passionate who wants to share their artistry with me! 

 

Keep your eye out for this one people! It was great to have Patience take a second and show floral.today some love with all the things she has going on. Floral.today wishes Patience good luck in the 2014 Mayesh Design Star Competition and with the success of florgasm! As someone whom has been touched with the kindness and greatness of Patience, floral.today is telling you right now to always surround yourself with good people like Patience. Thanks you again Patience for all your doing for the industry.

Until next week,