What does it mean to feel both content where you are and called to something more?

In this episode, host Val McNichols sits down with Jen Cavender of Nectar & Bloom for a thoughtful conversation about creativity, intuition, and building a life in floral design that feels aligned.

Jen's journey began on her family's produce farm, where she grew and sold flowers alongside her sister. Though she later pursued poetry and academia, she eventually realized that flowers could hold both artistic expression and career. Today, she's not only a floral designer but also the creator of Tarot of Flowers — a tarot-inspired floral deck and guidebook born from symbolism, storytelling, and a deep love of meaning-making.

Jen shares how synesthesia and the idea of "translation" shape her work — how she translates what she sees, senses, and feels into floral form. She also opens up about imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and the tension between wanting to do everything and learning to let some things go.

The episode closes with a live Tarot of Flowers reading — find out what card Val pulls and what the message reveals.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and pull up a chair for every episode.

Visit the link for show notes and video podcast:
https://www.mayesh.com/blog/beautiful-people-jen-cavender

Ever feel like Instagram is working against you instead of for you? You're not alone.

In this episode, Yvonne Ashton, Ali Zimmerman, and Ana Romero from the Mayesh marketing team get brutally honest about Instagram's biggest frustrations—from the 90-second song limit and shadow-banning to the verification process that feels impossible, the collaboration caps that hurt our industry, and the scheduling limitations that disrupt workflow.

But we're not just complaining—we're sharing real solutions, workarounds, and strategies that help us navigate these challenges while still building community and reaching florists.

If you've ever wondered whether you're "doing Instagram wrong" or if the platform really is just this difficult—this episode is for you.

Topics covered:

• The link-in-caption paywall problem
• Why new accounts don't get features immediately
• Video quality compression issues
• The 5-person collaboration limit
• Scheduling Reels challenges for seasonal businesses
• Algorithm changes and shadow-banning anxiety
• Practical workarounds: Edits app, Repost feature, autoresponders
• What we'd fix about Instagram tomorrow

Join the conversation and remember: you're more than your engagement rate. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and pull up a chair for every episode.

Visit the link for show notes and video podcast:
https://www.mayesh.com/blog/instagram-confessions-marketing-team-spills-the-tea

What does it mean to build a creative business on your own terms?

In this episode, host Val McNichols sits down with Glory Barbaris of Wildflower Hill Co. for an honest conversation about intuition, identity, and staying aligned with your values.

Glory's path to floral design wasn't traditional. From tech to nonprofit work to wedding styling, she taught herself the craft and let emotion guide her business. She shares how she's learned to work only with clients who truly fit, set boundaries with confidence, and trust that not all money is good money.

As a Nigerian immigrant and Black woman in the floral industry, Glory shares her perspective on Black Excellence and what it means to her personally, and how those ideas shape the way she shows up in her work and career.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and pull up a chair for every episode.

Visit the link for show notes and video podcast:
https://www.mayesh.com/blog/beautiful-people-glory-barbaris