Episode 656: Follow the Blooms with Host and Producer Katie Lila, and Bloom TV Network’s founder & CEO Monica Michelle
April 3rd, 2024
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There’s HGTV and there’s the Food Network, but have you checked out the Bloom TV Network? Today, we’ll meet Monica Michelle, creator of the floral-centric streaming platform and Slow Flowers member Katie Lila, host and producer of the new series “Follow the Blooms,” which begins at the flower farm and ends with a beautiful installation for the public to enjoy.
Today, we’re getting a peek behind the scenes of Bloom TV Network’s exciting series called “Follow the Blooms,” which debuted on March 7th with new episodes dropping every Thursday through April 25th.
The host is Slow Flowers member Katie Lila, owner of Flowers for People in Spokane, Washington. A few years ago, after a career doing everything in the floral space, Katie started collaborating with creative teams to produce pop-up artistic floral installations in a Spokane gallery environment, inviting photographers and the public to be part of the experience.
And then she learned that Bloom TV network, the new online streaming platform for all things floral, had announced a call for creatives to submit their pilot concepts to be considered for the network’s programming lineup.
Katie saw the potential opportunity to turn her public floral installations into a show – and she teamed up with DittoFilm Media in her community to film three pilots that they submitted to Bloom TV. Like a fast-paced floral party with a race to the finish, Katie brings the viewer along for the ride as she comes up with a venue, brainstorms the design concept, seeks out flower farmers whose seasonal blooms will bring the concept to life, and then with a design team, a floral installation is brought to life. And the viewer “follows” the blooms from field to floral art piece.
Fast-forward to June 2023 and Follow the Blooms was launched as a bonafide series in production for Bloom TV. Katie and her crew asked if they could film one of their eight episodes at the Slow Flowers Summit, which we held at Bellevue Botanic Garden. Of course, we said yes, and it was a whirlwind moment during the busy Summit – I’m glad we documented the experience because it was a bit of a blur. We’ve been anxiously awaiting the series release ever since.
The Summit episode includes a large, interactive “paint by flower” mural, the creation of which invited our attendees to participate. The film crew also visited the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market and JARN Co. Flowers, a member flower farm owned by Tracy Yang and Nick Songsangcharntara – we “followed” the blooms from both spots to the Summit where Katie’s installation became a reality.
When you see a sneak peek of the series, you’ll be swept up in Katie’s joyful approach to life. She’s determined to get everyone involved in her big schemes, including friends, family members, and strangers, and it all ends up in an explosion of blooms.
We’ll also learn more from Monica Michelle, CEO and founder of Bloom TV Network, and I’m delighted that she was able to join Katie for our conversation today.
Monica Michelle has an extensive background in marketing and entrepreneurship, and has spent her career implementing new ideas, and building online communities across multiple industries including the medical industry, food industry and now in the world of media. In 2021 she developed a new niche media model meant to elevate creators, serving as a launchpad for individuals interested in expanding their brands through the power of streaming TV. In January of 2022 she launched her first streaming tv network, building from the model to create “BloomTV,” where an array of floral focused content was housed for streaming, as well as broadcast to over 615k homes in the state of Colorado.
In 2023, Monica co-founded a sister network based on the same model called “Made TV” that is designed specifically for makers and artists of all kinds, with the mission of helping them to share their creations and crafts with a wider audience. She believes that connection is key, and that through innovative ideas that combine technology with education, people can all experience life in full bloom.
Monica will share her story of how the seed of an idea blossomed in to a digital platform for video content. Through her goal of “restoring Eden,” Monica’s mission is to help spark inspiration and beauty, connecting people to each other and to the planet through nature’s most beautiful creation – the Flower.
A few program notes, Bloom TV is a subscription-based platform with packages that start at $12 per month or $99 per year. However, right, now, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial and watch Follow the Blooms, along with countless hours of other great floral content, so check it out.
I was so happy to catch one of our Slow Flowers members, Spokane area farmer-florist Loreen McFaul of Daisies in May, featured in one of the episodes. Congratulations on being featured, Loreen! Loved seeing your blooms in that special episode about the Spokane Lilac Festival Parade.
And in another episode, Katie uses dried flowers grown by Beth Mort of Snapdragon Flower Farm – Beth is a past guest of this podcast, so it’s great to see her flowers play a role on Follow the Blooms!
On Wednesday, April 10th, you’ll want to log onto Flowers for People on IG, to join a live conversation about the Slow Flowers Summit episode. Then on Thursday, April 11th our episode will air! Can’t wait to see the full story of the Slow Flowers Summit on Follow the Blooms!
You also heard Monica mention a new call for creators who wish to participate in their upcoming Bloom TV Network Earth Day programming. The Earth Day campaign invites floral creatives to submit a video tutorial showcasing sustainable practices within the floral world. Submitted videos will enjoy a prominent spot on the Bloom TV platform from April 22nd through May. Submission deadline is April 18th or sooner – and you can find the details here. Who knows? You could become the next Katie Lila!
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.
Thank you to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Visit them at seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.
Thank you to Longfield Gardens, which provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. Their online store offers plants for every region and every season, from tulips and daffodils to dahlias, caladiums and amaryllis. Check out the full catalog at Longfield Gardens at longfield-gardens.com.
Thank you to Rooted Farmers. Rooted Farmers works exclusively with local growers to put the highest-quality specialty cut flowers in floral customers’ hands. When you partner with Rooted Farmers, you are investing in your community, and you can expect a commitment to excellence in return. Learn more at RootedFarmers.com.
I’m so glad you joined us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Music Credits:
Drone Pine; Gaena; Floating Whist
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue
Lovely
by Tryad
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
In The Field
audionautix.com