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Exotic Flowers Boston Celebrates Happiness Happens Month

Posted by Rick Canale on Thu, Aug 11, 2011

Happy Boston Flowers

August is Happiness Happens Month Worldwide. Not that we need a month to tell us the benefits of being happy, but take a look at this press release and see how science tells us how flowers make us happier and healthier.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CONTACT: (Rick Canale, 617.524.4456)

New University Research Proves It Can Be Better to Give Than to Receive
Gifts Say More About Us Than We Know
(Boston, MA) – Happy birthday, congratulations, thank you, I love you, thinking of you. Each day, thousands of gifts are exchanged by people in Boston who want to send thoughtful regards to deserving friends and loved ones. According to research from Rutgers University, the presents we pick to convey our special messages say a lot about us.

Rutgers University researcher Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., director of the university’s Human Emotions Lab, explored what the gifts we choose say about who we are and whether they affect how we are perceived. The research reveals that those who send flowers, in comparison to other gifts, are viewed as successful, caring and emotionally intelligent people. More specific findings include:

  • Both men and women who give flowers are perceived as happy, achieving, strong, capable and courageous people;

  • Men and women in Boston and the entire country come across as more emotionally intelligent; they give the impression they can effectively express their feelings and take time to understand the feelings of others;

  • and Female floral gifters are viewed as more appreciative of beauty and nature. Boston Flower Buyer

 

 


“Our findings show that you can influence and change what people think of you in a significant way through the gifts you give,” says Haviland-Jones. “That news is particularly important to those interested in enhancing friendships and romances, even business relationships.” Whether in Boston or Belgium, flowers prove to make happiness happen.

Discovering the scientific power of flowers is not new to Haviland-Jones. Previous Rutgers University research conducted by her team found that flowers create instant delight and happiness, and increase enjoyment and life satisfaction. Specifically, upon receiving a gift of flowers, the female study participants responded with true smiles and reported positive moods that lasted for days. The presence of flowers also led to increased contact with family and
friends.

“Flowers have evolved to activate positive emotional responses from people,” says Haviland-Jones. “Each bloom has the potential to put a smile on our face and sway our opinion of a friend, colleague or loved one. That’s powerful.”

M.J. Ryan, award-winning author of the Random Acts of Kindness book series and The Giving Heart, uses cutting-edge science to bring out the best in people. In her books, she teaches individuals how gratitude and generosity can result in greater happiness, health and feelings of human connectivity.

“Gift recipients experience compelling connections with givers, and the positive link is particularly evident in the exchange of flowers,” says Ryan. “In my everyday work with individuals, CEOs and leadership teams at some of the world’s top global companies, I see the powerful implications of gratitude and appreciation.”

According to Ryan, a simple call to your local florist can make a big impact beyond conventional gifting occasions. Some of her favorite, unexpected gifting opportunities include surprise recognition for a job well done; an “I miss you” gift for an out-of-town family member; and an advance “thanks for hosting us” gesture before visiting a friend’s house. Ideal for all your Cape Cod and South Shore visits.

“A successful person is not necessarily someone with a lot of money and material goods, but rather someone who is in tune with people and knows how to touch their hearts,” says Ryan. “I can think of no other item besides flowers that evokes such positive feelings and perceptions for both the giver and the recipient.”

Ryan has coupled her expertise on the power of gratitude with her love of flowers to create Random Acts of Flowers, a list of her favorite reasons to send a floral gift.

“I see flowers as a way to capture special moments and emotions in life,” says Ryan. “People truly and fondly remember when they get flowers, and you will continue to feel thanked throughout your relationship long after you send them.”

Here are Ryan’s Top 10 Random Acts of Flowers:

  • One Who Makes a Difference: Think of the carpool mom, scout leader, local volunteer or apartment doorman who makes an everyday difference in your life. A surprise bouquet from Exotic Flowers is a convenient, informal way to say “Thanks for making my life easier.”

  • Wedding Arrangements:When asking a friend to join your wedding party or expressing thanks to a shower hostess, ask your Boston florist to help make it special by delivering an arrangement in advance of the big day.

  • Best Friend Boosts: Send a celebrational bunch of Exotic Flowers to a best friend who lands a dream job, a sibling who receives a promotion at work, or a friend who reaches a personal milestone. Show them you care about their success.

  • A Moment of Calm: Help someone dealing with a hectic time in their life relax with a tranquil gift of flowers. Your Boston florist can give you ideas on soothing colors and styles, and help you deliver that “moment of calm.” The recipient will be impressed by your thoughtfulness.

  • Life Lessons: Surprise your child’s teacher or tutor with an eye-popping arrangement for his/her desk. Ask your child to put his/her favorite teaching moment on the gift card to make a memory that lasts a lifetime.

  • Lifeguard Reward: Send flowers to thank your baby-sitter or pet sitter as a surprise thank-you for safely guarding your most prized possessions.

  • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Welcome a new family or delight an elderly neighbor who does not get out much with a colorful flowering plant or fresh flowers for their kitchen. It’s a great way to break the ice, meet a friend and show you care.

  • Fresh Squeeze: Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to say “I love you.” Research shows that people like to receive flowers when they least expect it. Send a surprise floral hug to make your romance spontaneously blossom. Or, on your birthday, send flowers to your mom to thank her for all she’s done for you.

  • Delivery is in the Details: Show your appreciation to your hair stylist who always manages to fit you in during a pinch, or your doctor who spends those extra minutes to show he/she cares.

  • Declare You Care: Send a bouquet from Boston's Premier Florist to celebrate a friend who has recovered from an illness or a new mom on her first day back to work. It will be a beautiful reminder of your support and friendship.

“Flowers are the perfect expression of gratitude and appreciation, and they deliver a message with sincerity and care,” says Ryan. “The new research shows that these positive characteristics also are attributed to the giver. Giving flowers is an act of kindness, and the results are anything but random.”

# # #

Research Methodology

Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., of Rutgers University, and her research team investigated the personal and perceived impact of gift-giving. The study recruited 150 ethnically diverse female study participants, who had a median age of 47. Participants studied 12 personal profiles (six men and six women), including contributions to work, charity and family, with the sole variable being the types of gifts they give – flowers, gourmet food or luxury items such as jewelry. Each profile was evaluated on positive and negative emotion, aesthetic appreciation, emotional intelligence and achievement.

About Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D.
Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Rutgers University and the director of its Human Emotions Lab. An internationally recognized authority on the role of emotional development in human behavior and nonverbal emotional signals and response, Haviland-Jones has published several books on adolescence and emotion and is co-editor of the Handbook of Emotion, for which she won a Critics Circle Award.

About M.J. Ryan
Inspirational author and coach M.J. Ryan co-created the best-selling Random Acts of Kindness book series, The Happiness Makeover, This Year I Will… and several other books on giving and gratitude. An expert in human fulfillment and giving, she makes speeches and holds workshops throughout the country on positive emotions and enhancing quality of life. Ryan’s advice has appeared in more than 1,000 newspapers and magazines including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Family Circle and Cosmopolitan. Her television appearances include The Today Show and CNN

Tags: Press Release, SAF, Flowers for Emotional Health

Boston Florist to Miss SAF Growth Solutions in Dallas

Posted by Rick Canale on Wed, Jun 22, 2011

Retail Florist

The 2011 SAF Growth Solutions is a three day conference for retail florists to explore current retail trends, consumer shopping preferences, how to find growth opportunities, attracting today's shoppers and increasing the average sale. The conference speakers and facilitators provide practical and proven ideas that improve productivity and increase profits.

Exotic Flowers in Boston has been a florist member in good standing with SAF (the Society of American Florists) for many years. Exotic Flowers believes in the importance of SAF's mission to represent the floral industry and promote its growth. One of SAF's goals is to share the joy of giving and receiving fresh flowers. Exotic Flowers in Boston has been doing just that for over seventy five years.

Boston BegoniasExotic Flowers is not only a proud member of SAF, but also Teleflora and FTD. Through these organizations Exotic Flowers can send flowers worldwide. Our participation in these organizations enables Exotic Flowers to serve not only our Boston residents, but flower buying clients throughout the world.

The staff at Exotic Flowers in Boston is a bit disappointed in missing the conference. Not only does the staff at Exotic Flowers learn from its colleagues; the staff at Exotic Flowers and Lombardi Florist in Roslindale network to build upon our online relationships.

For example, when a client in Boston sends flowers to Princeton, New Jersey; the client can breathe easy. Exotic Flowers has a great relationship with Monday Morning Flowers and the owners Kevin and Georgianne Vinicombe will treat Exotic Flowers' clients the same way they treat their own. These florist to florist relationships are the primary reason our clients choose worldwide delivery over companies like 1-800-Flowers and Justflowers.

BusinessClinic RickCana7395

Tags: SAF, Teleflora, FTD, Worldwide Flowers

Open Letter to our Floral Colleagues - by Rick Canale

Posted by Rick Canale on Thu, Jan 06, 2011

Rick Canale2010 has been a year of many honors and accomplishments at Exotic Flowers. Sonny Canale celebrated his 52nd year at the helm of Exotic Flowers and Lombardi Florist. We delivered over 10,000 gifts to our clients and provided jobs for more than twenty local residents.

2010 was also a year of personal accomplishment for me as well. I was invited to judge the Floral Management Marketer of the Year competition and the Outstanding Varieties Competition at the Society of American Florists (SAF) Convention. I was also asked to participate in a panel on social media at the SAF convention as well. These invitations are considered some of the highest honors in the floral industry. My exposure and contributions in these fields have also led to more invitations.

My colleagues had recently asked me to help lead the newly formed Massachusetts Professional Florists Association; to serve as a member of the SAF members committee and to serve again on a social media panel at the SAF Growth Solutions Conference in 2011.

Canale FamilyBelow is my letter of response to these invites.

" I have thought long and hard about your proposal. I am honored, flattered and grateful.
Your invitation has paid me the highest honor - the respect of my
peers... and more importantly those who I aspire to. Having grown up in the flower business, I have always known how hard it is to make a career of this business. I do my best to give back to an industry that has given me and my family so much.
Of course, everything comes back to family. At this time, I must
respectfully decline your invitation. I do not feel I can give the
commitment SAF deserves. Please know, I do not feel this is a
permanent answer. I will continue to do everything I can for the
growth of our business as a whole.


Respectfully yours,

RickCanale"

Sonny & Rick Canale

 

Tags: Family Business, SAF, Rick Canale

Why was Exotic Flowers the only Massachusetts Florist at the SAF Convention?

Posted by Rick Canale on Tue, Sep 28, 2010

Rick Canale of BostonSeptember, 2010 - Orlando, FL - 126th Annual SAF Convention

by Rick Canale of Exotic Flowers in Boston

I just got back from the SAF Orlando floral convention in Florida. The convention celebrated its 126th anniversary this year. 289 people from 35 states and four countries attended the event. Fifteen percent of the registrants attended for the first time.

The numbers from the show exhibit a small sliver of the floral industry.

  • 5500+ — individual cut flower/foliage stems, plus potted and bedding plants. (representing 238 entries) filling tables in the Outstanding Varieties Competition.
  • 200+ — people celebrating American Floral Endowment’s 50th anniversary at its Annual Fundraising Dinner.
  • 43 — business and industry experts speaking in Orlando.
  • 40 awards, honors and special recognitions being presented.
  • 17 — top designers competing for the Sylvia Cup.
  • 3000 — dollars in Sylvia Cup prize money donated by Smithers-Oasis.
  • 59new items in flower care, design, add-on sales and more, ready for show-and-tell at the Premier Products Showcase.
  • 19formal and informal networking opportunities for attendees.
  • 20growers and suppliers donating fresh product and hard goods for convention floral designs.
  • 50SAFPAC Golf Tournament Sponsors.
  • The highlight of my trip however was three-fold.

    One - the people. Floral industry members are some of the hardest working and kindest people there are. I was able to have coffee with industry leader Mark Nance AAF of Bloomnet. I chatted with Floral Management 'capo' Amanda Long. And it was great getting pats on the back by industry icons Stan Pohmer and Teleflora Chairman Tom Butler AAF, PFCI.

    Two - I served as a judge for the 2010 Floral Management Marketer of the Year Contest and also served as a judge for the Outstanding Varieties Competition.

     2010 Outstanding VarietiesLeft: This year's winner is magical.

    Three - Educational Sessions

    I was honored and thrilled to participate in an engaging panel with two marketing muses. Our job was to present "Finding the Right Social Networking Strategy for Your Business,". Along with Georgianne Vinicombe of Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Company and Mandy Majerick, AIFD, PFCI of HotHouseDesign Studio.  What an engaging response from the attendees ! It was great. Renato Sogueco, CIO at SAF put together a great panel and executed the session flawlessly.

    It was a joy to see industry heavies, Brian Wheat of Lafayette Florist, Paul Bachman of Bachman's of Minnesota, Paul Brockaway of Conklyn's of Virginia, Don Coleman of Mayfield Florist and Kathy Dudley of The Bloomery in Butler PA all in the audience. 

    Just seeing a full audience engaged in our session was worth the time trip alone. 

    My only disappointment at the convention - why was I the only florist, grower or wholesaler there from Massachusetts? Massachusetts is one of the largest consumption states of fresh flowers in the United States. We even boast the most recent Florist of the Year. Yet me, Rick Canale of Exotic Flowers in Boston was the only Massachusetts representation. Too bad for Massachusetts and too bad for Boston florists.

    Tags: SAF, Rick Canale, SAF Convention

    Boston Florist to Judge 2010 Floral Management Marketer of the Year Contest

    Posted by Rick Canale on Tue, Sep 14, 2010

    Floral Management Marketing JudgeBoston, MA - September 2010

    Rick Canale, the Managing Director of Exotic Flowers, Boston's Premier Florist and www.exoticflowers.com has been chosen by the editorial staff at Floral Management Magazine to serve as a judge for the 16th Annual Marketer of the Year Contest.

    Floral Management Magazine is published monthly by the Society of American Florists (SAF), the Association provides marketing, business and government services for the entire floriculture industry. Floral Management Magazine is a member benefit of SAF.

    A $5,000 cash prize, sponsored by Design Master color tool, Inc., as well the the opportunity to be on the cover of the October 2010 issue of Floral Management.

    What Makes a Winner?
    Judges look for unique, innovative and successful marketing efforts. It can be a single campaign, or a series of promotional and advertising efforts over the course of a year or more.

    Rick Canale won the contest in 2008 and has been asked to return as a judge for this years contest. Rick is one of seven judges from the floral and media industry.

    "I am proud to serve the industry and my peers. This year's contestants inspired me in my own flower shop. The contest is a great opportunity for the floral industry to implement some marketing savvy in their own operations. I cannot wait to see the results at the SAF Convention in Orlando. " - Rick Canale

     

     

    Tags: SAF, Rick Canale, Floral Management

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