Gina Thresher, AIFD, EMC, of From the Ground Up Floral
The Society of American Florists’ membership includes all segments of the industry — and that community is the heart of SAF. This bi-weekly feature spotlights SAF members sharing inspirational stories, professional insights, and the opportunity to form new industry connections.
Gina Thresher, AIFD, EMC, started her journey in the floral industry in 2008 when she was getting married. She describes herself as being one of those “crazy DIY brides” during her wedding planning, so she took a basic design course to make sure she was doing things the right way. She ended up loving the work so much that she continued to take classes and get certifications. In 2008, she started her floral design business for weddings and events. Thresher has been featured and published nationally and internationally and she’s excited to continue her floral journey by opening a retail shop soon.
“Going on ten-plus years and I still love every aspect of my job,” Thresher says. “I now enjoy teaching, speaking, and social media-ing. Most of all, I still adore weddings.”
Biggest Challenge
In wedding work, there’s a challenge with almost everything, Thresher says. But, those challenges are what keeps her and her team engaged.
“I think it’s so important to stay flexible,” she says. “There have been times where we have had to ‘MacGyver’ some solutions onsite at events or weddings, but the clients are never the wiser. We never panic. There is always a solution.”
She recalled a wedding setup in which a vase broke at the bottom, leaving it without footing. “I gave myself about five minutes to freak out,” she says. “It was a holiday weekend. No other florist friends were at their shops, so I couldn’t phone a friend. I immediately went to the kitchen, found a bread plate and proceeded to use a large amount of waterproof tape and card board to make an improvised foot.”
Secret to Success
Thresher has found success by being “resourceful” and seeing “everything as an opportunity,” she says.
Future Goals
“I have had couples tell me working with me is very easy and straightforward,” Thresher says. Even so, she is focusing on getting her wedding sales streamlined.
Thresher is also beginning to grow cut flowers on five acres with her mother. And, she started a vlog (video blog) as a hobby in hopes of refining her skills enough to potentially earn money from it.
She is also excited to apply for her certification in the Professional Floral Communicators-International, the service mark of the floral industry’s finest floral educators.
Why SAF?
Thresher joined SAF in 2022 to learn about the business side of the floral industry. She’s found SAF’s business tools to be the most helpful resource and used those resource to create her business plan.
Thresher was recently featured on SAF’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Do you know a member who should have a chance in the spotlight? Email Stephanie Brady, project manager for SAF.
Stephanie Brady is the project manager for the Society of American Florists.
