Jim Relles of Relles Florist shared his family’s story during an episode of “Yes! We’re Open,” a series produced by KVIE Television.
Talk about a star turn: A 70-year-old family florist in Sacramento, California, is one of several local businesses featured in “Yes! We’re Open” a KVIE public television series spotlighting entrepreneurs and the organizations they create.
The 7-minute segment highlighted Relles Florist’s founding in 1946, by Ross Relles Sr., and gave viewers an inside, candid look at what it means to run a flower shop as a family.
“Family is so important to us,” said Jim Relles, who took over the business in 1970 with his brother Tom after the father passed away unexpectedly just a week before Valentine’s Day; Jim still works 14- to 16-hour days. “As challenging as it is, I’m having lots of fun.”
The episode also shined a spotlight on Jim’s children, Alicia and Colby, and their passion for the business, along with the sometimes-challenging work of transitioning the business from one generation to the next.
KVIE approached Relles about the show last spring. “They started filming around Mother’s Day,” Alicia noted, adding that producers interviewed not only the family but also staff (a longtime customer even narrates the show).
“We complied old photographs and solicited customers and friends for their old photos and my Dad spent a lot of time discussing the history of the business,” she said. “It was a lot of work for a six minute or so feature, but we were delighted to be part of this show.”
