We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Jacobson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

At French Florist, we want to change the culture of buying and gifting flowers in America, by getting Americans to appreciate a flower’s ability to literally improve and enhance a life. We believe that flowers are vital to our happiness and our ability to connect better with others. Sure, we buy them on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day but we’re missing how valuable and important they are in our daily lives. In Europe, people buy flowers for themselves and others weekly. They see flowers as nourishment and we believe that attitude can be adopted here. So we’ve completely changed the way flowers are bought and sold to make sure that the customer experience is so incomparable that our consumers want flowers in their lives on a continual basis.
Most florists operate like vending machines: you place an order, it gets fulfilled, and that’s the end of the story. But we believe flowers are sacred. They’re proof that life can be beautiful, even if just for a moment. They carry emotion, memory, and meaning.
Where the industry tends to race to the bottom—cheap stems, faster fulfillment, cookie-cutter designs—we chose to go the opposite direction. Our arrangements are not rushed. Every stem is designed with intention. Every note that accompanies a delivery matters. We invest more in design, in sourcing, and in training our designers like artists rather than operators.
We also dared to build our own proprietary operating system for our flower shops—something most florists would never dream of. We took a deeply fragmented industry and created a platform that supports both artistry and operational excellence. That’s been the quiet revolution behind the scenes—and it’s allowed us to scale without compromising soul.
If consumers get the best flowers sourced from all over the world, that are handcrafted with bespoke designs by expert designers and the experience overall puts them and their intentions first, then we believe flowers, as the incredible living things that they are, can become a fixture in our lives.

Michael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I never planned on being in the floral industry. My background is in finance and technology systems design—but a few years ago, I stepped in to help my uncle sell his flower shop in Los Angeles. What I found wasn’t just a struggling retail business—it was an entire industry that had lost its heart. Flowers had become an afterthought, more transactional than meaningful.
That changed my life.
I decided not to sell the shop. Instead, I rebuilt it—brick by brick, system by system—into what is now French Florist. Today, we’re one of the fastest-growing floral companies in the U.S.Our mission is simple: to help create a more loving and compassionate world through flowers.
We source farm-direct flowers, design each arrangement in-house, and deliver with an elevated experience that makes the recipient feel something. Our clients include some of the best hotels, high-end real estate firms, celebrities, and individuals who believe in thoughtful giving.
What I’m most proud of is we’ve created a company that blends art, technology, and compassion. We’ve created jobs that matter. We’ve helped franchise owners reclaim their passion. And we’ve sent millions of arrangements that quietly changed someone’s day and made them feel loved. That’s the work I want French Florist to be known for.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots happened early in our journey. We were operating like a traditional flower shop—taking phone orders, doing everything manually—and we kept hitting a ceiling. No matter how beautiful the arrangements were, we couldn’t scale the chaos.
So I made a risky decision: we paused all growth efforts and rebuilt the entire backend of the company from scratch. We developed our own software system to manage everything from ordering to design to delivery. It was a massive undertaking—one that many thought was unnecessary. But I knew we had to build infrastructure if we ever wanted to do something meaningful at scale.
That pivot changed everything. It allowed us to streamline operations, improve quality, and eventually build the foundation for our franchise model. It also taught me the difference between momentum and leverage. Sometimes you have to slow down to move forward faster.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

It’s simple, but not easy: exceed expectations every single time.
We don’t rely on gimmicks or massive ad spends. We rely on what happens after the flowers arrive. When a customer’s jaw drops—when they say, “I’ve never seen flowers like this before”—that’s when the real marketing starts. And making sure the flowers received exceed the expectations from the flowers ordered. So many people order flowers online and when they receive them, they’re not what they thought they ordered. The flowers aren’t as vibrant. The arrangements are not as thoughtful. We work tirelessly to make sure the experience and the result will turn, what is now, an occasional purchase into an ongoing one.
Word of mouth has been our greatest growth engine. But we amplify it through thoughtful, hyper-local campaigns, creative storytelling, and a brand identity that people remember. We also obsess over client service—not just good support, but the next-generation of hospitality that makes people feel seen and cared for.
Ultimately, our strategy is human: build something remarkable, and treat every interaction like it matters—because it does.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.frenchflorist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frenchflorist
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchflorist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/french-florist/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FrenchFloristLosAngeles

Image Credits

French Florist