Diana Culver was raised in a flower shop. Her parents opened their San Diego business, Magnolia Florist, in 1983, and she grew up learning every part of the operation. Years later, she built a successful wedding and event company of her own, reinvesting every dollar back into growth.
But one reality lingered. After decades in the industry, her parents retired still renting their shop’s space and their home. The realization caused her to reconsider what she was creating. “It shifted my focus from building arrangements to building assets,” she says. “From serving customers to securing a legacy.”
That shift drives her mission and the Society of American Florists’ newest on-demand course, Building Wealth Through Real Estate, now available on the Floral Education Hub. Culver, a floral professional turned real estate expert, designed the course specifically for florists, growers and wholesalers who want to rethink how their work supports their future.
“Our industry has long been labeled a labor of love,” Culver says. “But I believe it can be a labor of legacy.”
In under 30 minutes, Culver walks through why real estate ownership can be a powerful, wealth-building tool in a seasonal, margin-tight industry. Every floral business pays for space – whether it’s a storefront, warehouse, greenhouse or home studio. The question she challenges viewers to consider is simple: Whose wealth are you building?
The course begins by reframing rent not just as an expense, but as a lost opportunity. Over time, those payments can build into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ownership, on the other hand, builds equity — an asset that can appreciate while you continue running your business.
Culver guides participants through a realistic self-assessment by reviewing credit, evaluating savings, separating business and personal finances, and identifying which ownership goal makes sense — a first home, rental property or commercial space.
Recognizing that many floral professionals are self-employed, the course also outlines loan options that reflect non-traditional income, including bank statement loans, SBA programs, and other financing pathways. Culver encourages users to start conversations with lenders as an info-gathering step, not a commitment, so they understand what’s possible.
Perhaps most importantly, the course addresses an important and relevant topic in the floral industry — succession planning. What happens when you’re ready to slow down or step away? Ownership creates options, whether that means leasing out a building, selling a property, or passing an asset onto the next generation of your family.
“What we own, what we build and what we teach others to do – that lasts,” she says.
Building Wealth Through Real Estate is free for SAF members and $12.95 for non-members.
Kate Delaney is the director of education for the Society of American Florists.
