From Cringe to Strategy: The Evolution of My Instagram
My first post on Instagram was a latte.
Heavy filter. Border. The classic caption: Coffee
Stunning.
I added a close-up of a yellow gerbera, a selfie with some fake flowers at Spotlight (#flowers), and a pic of my shoes on some tiles.
I was hooked.
When I started my business, I actually already had an account called Film and Foliage.
I was borrowing a friend’s old camera, learning photography, and using it to document my progress, posting pictures of flowers and plants to see if I improved.
I tried to come up with a cool, clever name when I unexpectedly became a business owner… but I gave up and just used the existing handle. I guess it stuck.
Over the years, I’ve been genuinely amazed at what this little app on my phone can do.
I used to think:
“To run a business, people used to pay for newspaper ads, radio jingles, flyers, or go door-to-door. I can press a button and broadcast my work to thousands, maybe millions, of people. From a phone. Wild.”
I loved Instagram for the inspiration. The connections.
The way it stored my memories like a photo album.
(Okay, a slightly cringey photo album. But still)
I invested a lot of time into it.
Experimented with ideas. Lurked other florists.
And yes, I liked the validation of a like or a comment.
Who doesn’t?
Every time the app added a new feature; Stories, reels, DMs, music.. I resisted.
I’d complain.
Then forget what it used to be like.
And get on with it.
The underlying feeling was always the same:
“I’m so grateful for this tool that lets me grow my flower dreams”
One time, a photographer friend said to me,
“Ugh, it’s all videos now. I don’t want to make videos. I used to just post a photo and it worked!”
I laughed.
Thinking… dude, it was easy for you. Your product was made for Instagram.
Meanwhile, florists like us were chasing photographers for gallery links and trying to capture fleeting flower moments on our cracked iPhones.
Now it’s your turn to work for your content.
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Last year, I decided to take Instagram super seriously.
I hired help.
Posted every day.
Experiemented.
I watched my audience grow from 15k to 70k in just a few months.
I became addicted, not to the numbers, but to the feeling of control.
I could post a caption and reach millions of humans.
Talk on stories and watch sales notifications come in live as I chatted.
Share a thought and spark mindset shifts in florists across the world.
Collaborate with creatives I’ve never met in person.
A few minutes of content = huge ripple effects.
It felt like playing a pokie machine… but with incredible odds.
I knew if I kept putting coins in, I’d eventually pull 10x, 50x, even 100x return.
Not gambling, strategy.
It was simple.
But not always easy.
I felt the burnout too.
The fatigue.
The spiral of “what should I post next?”
The weeks where I wanted to crawl into bed after market runs, not show up on camera.
One thing I hate doing.
Hitting the same challenge twice and not changing anything to prevent it.
So, I built systems.
I made tools and frameworks so I could keep showing up when I was tired, busy, or uninspired.
I tested them on myself.
Then I tested them on florists.
They worked.
Inside Wildflower Academy, we unpack the real, behind-the-scenes strategies that help florists show up online with clarity and confidence.
✨ Craft captions that make dream clients feel truly seen
✨ Stay consistent without burning out
✨ Work with the algorithm, instead of fighting it
It’s all about helping you refine your voice, share your magic, and connect with the people who value what you do.
Join Wildflower Academy and surround yourself with the tools, guidance, and community to help your business bloom—beautifully and sustainably.
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