Behind the Stems

This episode started as a conversation about mindset — and turned into one of the most grounding, clarifying, and honestly relieving conversations I’ve had in a long time. I’m joined by Giorgio, a mindset coach who works with high-performers, creatives, business owners, and people who feel like they should be doing better… but keep feeling stuck anyway This isn’t an inspirational pep talk. It’s a practical, honest conversation about how humans actually work — and how much lighter business becomes when you stop believing every story your brain hands you. If you’re a wedding florist, creative, or business owner who feels capable but stuck — this episode is for you. You can find Giorgio on Instagram here: 👉 https://www.instagram.com/giorgiogenius (Highly recommend a scroll — his perspective is as grounded as it is clarifying.)

I recorded this episode in my robe (again), slightly over-caffeinated and fresh off scrolling a comments section that honestly made my eye twitch. I saw thousands of people yelling at the head of Instagram because their posts weren’t getting views and it sparked something I think a lot of business owners need to hear: You are not entitled to success on social media. In this episode, I unpack the quiet entitlement, resentment, and victim mentality that sneaks into our marketing, especially when things feel slow. I share the three simple mindset frameworks that have helped me build multiple businesses on Instagram over more than a decade, even through burnout, dips, and seasons where posting felt like the last thing I wanted to do.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Yen from Sonder Studio. We talk about what actually happens when you move from freelancing into business ownership, why “just vibing it” works… until it really doesn’t, and how Sonder Studio grew quickly without having a plan, then had to slow down, reassess, and rebuild in a way that didn’t destroy their nervous systems. Yen shares her journey from corporate finance to floristry, the mental health reckoning that pushed her to change paths, and how freelancing during the post-lockdown wedding boom shaped her skills, confidence, and boundaries. We get into what it’s really like running a partnership, the growing pains, the constant communication, and why clearly defined roles matter more than talent. We talk studios, systems, SOPs, bump-in chaos, allocation, and the unsexy backend work that actually makes creative businesses sustainable. There’s a very honest conversation about freelancing resentment, ownership of creative work, and the moment you realise that being “on the tools” isn’t the same as leading a team. We also dive into Yen’s overseas wedding in Vietnam, from six-hour market runs up a mountain to flying her team in so she didn’t have to flower on her own wedding day and what planning a wedding taught her about logistics, delegation, and letting go.Check out Sonder Studio on Instagram 00:00 – New Year check-in + last-minute wedding chaos Talking holiday boundaries, surprise bookings, and saying yes when the vibe is right. 03:00 – Weather, wind, and why florists fear it more than rain Real talk on outdoor ceremonies, risk, and on-the-fly engineering. 05:00 – Yen’s origin story: from corporate finance to floristry Mental health, fulfilment, and realising creativity can be a viable career. 09:00 – Learning through freelancing (and surviving post-lockdown weddings) Building skills fast, putting your hand up for everything, and discerning who you work for. 12:00 – Meeting Jules & why Sonder Studio became a partnership Strengths-based roles, shared values, and deciding to build something together. 15:00 – Defining roles (after learning the hard way) Why “just vibing it” leads to 10pm studio nights — and how they fixed it. 18:00 – Partnership communication & mindset growing pains Weekly check-ins, capacity conversations, and unpacking internal limits. 21:00 – Client consults, confidence, and breaking tasks into learnable steps How to grow into roles you don’t feel ready for yet. 24:00 – Using AI + systems to reduce mental load Meeting recordings, memory support, and tools that actually help neurospicy brains. 27:00 – Moving fast as a business (and what it cost) Overbooking, exhaustion, and the moment they knew something had to change. 30:00 – Getting featured in Vogue (and what actually changed) Validation, client shifts, and being “new” but not inexperienced. 34:00 – Freelancing vs business ownership: the mindset shift Why running the job is the work — even if you’re not making every arrangement. 38:00 – Creative ownership, resentment & where the line actually is A very honest conversation about credit, labour, and leadership. 42:00 – Systems that changed everything (allocation, bump-outs, SOPs) Why clear plans = calmer teams + less stress for everyone. 46:00 – Studios, space planning & Sydney logistics realities Pre-making, bump-in restrictions, and why space fills faster than you expect. 50:00 – Yen’s overseas wedding in Vietnam Markets, mountains, flying in her team, and planning without infrastructure. 56:00 – Doing flowers for your own wedding (or not) Pressure, delegation, and letting others create for you. 58:00 – Final reflections: sustainability, slowing down, and building properly What they’re prioritising now — and what they’d do differently next time.

I recorded this episode in a hotel-grade robe, drinking what accidentally turned into garlic tea, which honestly feels on brand for how this year is starting. This episode is for the wedding florists who know they should be showing up on camera… and are still hiding behind bouquet shots, pretty installs, and silent Reels. You’re not lazy. You’re not bad at marketing. You’re just avoiding something that feels mildly terrifying. I get it, I hated talking on camera too. I had braces, a lisp, zero confidence, and a deep fear of public speaking. But learning to show my face became one of the highest-return decisions I’ve ever made in my business. In this episode, I break down why face-led content actually works, especially in floristry and why posting “pretty flowers” alone just doesn’t cut through anymore.

I’ve been a wedding florist for over 15 years, booking $20–40K+ weddings… and I don’t have a van, a cool room, or a fancy logo. I'm talking through the things I don’t think you need to invest in when you’re growing your floristry business (even though everyone tells you that you do), and the things I genuinely believe are worth your money early on. This is very much based on my own experience, what worked, what didn’t, and what I wish I’d known sooner. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, behind, or spiralling about where to spend your money right now, this episode is your permission to simplify, focus, and stop pouring cash into things that don’t actually move the needle.