Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jodi McShan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jodi, thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?
As with many businesses, COVID has affected our business in unexpected and surprising ways. From supply chain issues to workforce, it has been a trying couple of years on many levels. No one expected COVID to change the world (and our industry the way it has), but it has been eye-opening and allowed for a new discovery of the beneficial effects of flowers. After Dallas shut down last year, we immediately got busier – when people couldn’t travel or see loved ones, flowers were the perfect way to express love and care. With time more and more people adapted to working from home, and they discovered what science has already taught us – flowers and plants help increase your mental health!

The growth in business was welcome (as all business owners can attest), but then we had a whole new set of issues. With airlines cutting back on flights, international shut downs, port issues, and production issues, everything from containers to flowers ended up being more complicated to procure. We are fortunate to have long-standing relationships with our suppliers and farms and have been able to adapt and move forward by modifying shipments, changing featured items, and paying the increased costs. In the flower industry, it has truly been a worldwide effort to keep things moving and trying to keep items available for customers. However, each day brings new issues – farms that did not have a strong workforce at the start of COVID are now having production issues because the flowers were not planted and/or pruned last year, foam is almost impossible to find, and containers are stuck on containers/not being produced locally/being trucked cross-country.

We are so fortunate to have a creative team who has taken each obstacle in stride. Our design team continues to create new products that highlight the beauty of flowers and creatively uses the products available at the time. We are truly blessed to have such a strong, creative group of individuals who love to bring joy to our customers and community.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a third generation florist in East Dallas. My grandparents founded McShan Florist in 1948, and it has been a family tradition since then. We provide flowers, plants, and gift baskets to the metroplex on a daily basis – celebrating weddings, funerals, birthdays, new babies, anniversaries, just because, and many many more. We are honored to be able to serve the community for this time, and we love being able to bring joy to Dallas.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Consistency is key in building your reputation. It takes years to build and a moment to destroy. We consistently stand behind our products and operate by the golden rule. We aim to treat our customers and team how we would want to be treated. And remember… the customer is always right!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Everyone is connected online, and we definitely get customers from the internet; however, we continue to grow the best and have the most customer loyalty through word-of-mouth marketing. When someone sees a delivery made to a friend, asks a co-worker where to get a gift, or even hears about us through community events we support., that is the best marketing we have. We strive to continually give back to the community through our work with first responders, schools, and other community organizations.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mcshanflorist.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcshanflorist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dallas.mcshanflorist/
• Other: https://www.seewhatyousend.com/florists/mcshan-florist-dallas

Image Credits
April Barnes Photography