Interiorplantscapers have been attending the OFA Short Course for over 30 years.  I should know, I was one of those early attendees.  I have many fond memories and a lot of gratitude for everything I learned back then. Lots of great seminars and education and all with the guidance and excellent work of the OFA staff.  With staff from Ohio State available as a background resource, the Educational Program and huge Trade Show covers all areas of horticulture, not just interiorplantscapers.  Florists, Growers, Garden Center owners,  many OSU alumni, show up every July in Columbus, OH for camaraderie, learning, new products and to connect with their vendors and friends.

For us , interiorplantscapers, the seminars and mini trade show are concentrated into Sunday, July 12 (owners and managers), and Monday, July 13 (technicians and others wanting tech training).  Program Chair Rich Batcho of Batch O’ Blooms and his committee have put together a program well thought out .  It covers a lot of territory and all this by some of our most well known experts.  On Sunday, the Terrific Trio of Vicky Cate, Kathy Fiedw, and Lynn Griffith will cover "Greening Your Green Business" ,How to Find and Keep your best Employees with Kathy,  and 7-10-14 Frequency Modules by Vicky. Holiday elves from Engledows, led by Lael George will show off the latest and greatest in Holiday Decor and a mini trade show of key vendors will be present as well.Then, on Monday, July 13, Kathy, Vicky, and Lynn will cover pertinent topics techs need to know.  Lynn Griffith will also be reviewing Disease and Nutrients. 

You get the idea , and if you are into other aspects of horticulture there is always the Monster Trade Show and a wealth of other seminars.  It is a cornucopia of hort.  Check out the registration and other pertinent information at www.ofa.org or www.ofa/sessions.aspx . 

The main thing is that educational sessions are a super valuable resource and one every company needs.  Don’t miss this great opportunity.

While traveling last month, I found myself in the Smoking Room at the Atlanta Airport (yes, Virginia, I still smoke).  I couldn’t help but overhear the phone conversation of a man seated across the way.  He was obviously under great stress as he called one relative or friend after another begging them to meet him at his destination’s parking lot with $40.00 so he could "get my truck and pick up my kids".  One after another obviously turned him down.  His frustation was palpable.  I finished ny cigarete and gathered up my belongings.  Then something compelled me to reach into my bag and pull out two 20 dollar bills.  I walked over to him, pressed the bills into his hand, mumbled something about "life just should not be that hard", and walked to my gate.  It all happened in an instant and I gave him no time to respond except to see the look of sheer amazement on his face.  Yep, Life should not be that hard.

Now, periodically I reread Jeffrey Gitomer’s "Little Black Book of Connections", and I was surprised to read today on page 135 a similar story about his encounter years ago at the Dallas Airport.  He noticed a guy he had causally met at the Sportswear tradeshow  he had just attended, swearing at an American Express machine that had eaten his card.  He walked over, reintroduced himself and gave the guy $100.00 and his card.  Two days later he got a check for the money.

Turns out hthe guy was the President of his company, needed the service that Jeff’s company then provided and the result?  A few months later he got a contract for $750,000 worth of business!  Now, I don’t think my 20 bucks will harvest that kind of storybook ending, but I do know I felt good about it all that day and every time I think about it since then.  Call it good Karma, helping a stranger in distress, whatever, every little bit helps.

Now, I’m not here to preach, but in this crazy world of today, we need all the Good Karma we can get, and, hey, if by some fluke, it results in a $750,000.00 order, so be it.  Now go out there and get ‘em, Tiger…and read Jeff Gitomer’s book.

Whew!  I have now started unpacking the last of the hundreds of boxes I brought out to Nevada and boy, am I tired of it.  Never, ever, again do I plan to move.  The realy funny part is that half the stuff I thought was so terrific that I paid someone to haul it cross country is just old stuff I should have pitched.  Oh well.  At least the two cats made it out here except it has been two weeks and one of them spends most of the day under my bed.  Don’t you wonder what they do all day?

Anyway, I’m back and should have some good posts in the next few weeks.  Meanwhile, log on to www.interiorplantscaper.com and see what this new industry chat room is all about.  Good place to go to ask questions . 

Reminder.  It is time to register for Calscape.  Check out pia@piagrows.org for information.  It is here at the beautiful Flamingo in Las Vegas and airfares have been coming down due to slower travel demands.  I can’t wait to see as many of you as possible. 

Steve Foster of Foster Plants in Miami, FL has put together a new interactive web site just for interiorscapers.  May I suggest you check it out and register. www,interiorplantscaper.com.  A great opportunity to ask questions, give or get solutions, and just connect with others who do what we do.  See you online.  Barb

The term "Social Media" refers to the FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter web phenomena.  Conversations everywhere are now liberally peppered with phrase like "tweets" and "blogs" and "followers".  When I first heard the  term of "follower" being used, I thought it referred to a cult of some kind.  Just might be I wasn’t so far off.  Twitter, in particular, has become very "in" and cult like.  Either you get it or…you don’t. 

I decided to find out about this new way of interacting and see what implication it holds for doing business.  I googled Twitter, How to do Business, and was astounded as the pages went on and on.  Try it, you will be amazed.  There was some very general info and, while free for the downloading, it was still not specific enough.  I need a tutorial, examples, and specific ways a local service business such as a plantscaper, could benefit.  Most of the help asked for $$ to buy downloadable information and promised that even individuals could jump on the gravy train and reap buckets of cash in the process.  Just buy the book.  Ah, but which one?  I could spend lots of $$ and lots of time and not be any further along.

At the end of a week of frustration, I called friend MJ Gilhooley of Gilhooley Consulting.  Along with her Media Consulting Business, she also works with our own Green Plants for Green Business and is completely familiar with our Industry, Associations and a host of InteriorPlantscape Companies.  She gave me enough information for me to understand that this a whole new proposition.  Graciously she has agreed to write a short piece for my Inner Circle Newsletter about these new avenues and she assured me that yes, indeed, it opens up a whole new way to get and keep business even if we are local and service oriented.  We agreed that this is an old animal(relationship building) in a new costume(social media). 

I firmly believe that for those of us who take the time and trouble to get the right info and implement, we will be much more able to survive as this shark tank economy rolls along.  I will try tyo get as much info as possible and pass it along, but I am still trying to program my Blackberry.  So, I suggest you contact MJ (513)575-0290 and find out what she can do and how much she charges to do it.  Just might be the best $$ you will spend this year (along with Joey Pouches of course.)  Now go get em……..