I want to tell you about the time renowned chef Marco Pierre White told me my flowers were terrible. Actually, he didn’t say that, he said they were “shit”. And why it was one of the best pieces of business advice I’ve ever received.
Because there’s something really important about understanding your own processes and systems, and not being swayed by clients or other people when you know how you work best. This matters far more than most of us realise.
The Marco Pierre White Story
This was very early in my flower business. At the stage when I was beginning to deliver weekly bud vases to rural pubs. I had a series of small contracts and I was building up experience.
And there was a new restaurant opening in our area. A Marco Pierre White restaurant. Which, if you don’t know, Marco Pierre White is a legendary chef. The youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. Known for being brilliant and absolutely uncompromising.
And I really wanted that contract.
So I went in to speak to the manager about the possibility of supplying flowers. And when I got there, I realised they were busy getting ready to open. They were behind schedule, and there was definitely a sense of panic in the air, and I knew the last thing they would want to talk about was weekly flower deliveries.
So I just started helping. I remember picking up a brush and sweeping. I was cleaning. Whatever needed doing. I know it might sound a little strange, but I was thinking of every way I might have the opportunity to get to know them, to be helpful and maybe gently discuss flowers as I was doing that. I spent several hours there, just gently mentioning flowers only a couple of times, but it was enough, and at the end, the manager said “Right, we have to give you the flower contract now!”
Which was brilliant. My first proper restaurant contract. I had a few local pubs at that stage, and this was the next step up and I was so excited.
But then the manager gave me a brief. Very specific about what he wanted the flowers to look like. Right down to the detail. The colour mix. The varieties.
And I knew the design wasn’t good. It was a strange combination. The colours didn’t work together. The varieties didn’t make sense for the design of the restaurant.
But in his defence, I think he was possibly just naming the flowers he knew. Maybe looking to take some form of control. And I so wanted the contract that I was looking to please him rather than actually suggesting which flowers would be right for the spaces.
So I created exactly what he asked for. Even though I knew it wasn’t right.
And then Marco Pierre White himself came down to the restaurant. He saw the flowers. And he asked who did them.
And then they contacted me and asked if I would come in to meet with him.
I went in. I was really nervous. I was welcomed into the restaurant—it was closed at the time, with the staff in the background getting the next service ready—and I was taken over to a table, where Marco Pierre White was sitting. And he is one of those people with an extraordinary aura about them. You know when they walk into a room, they kind of take up all the space. He invited me to sit down at the table. And brutally, he gave me one of the best pieces of business advice I’ve ever had.
It was incredibly harsh. But it was amazing.
He basically told me the flowers I’d created were absolutely shit. And he asked me how I could be happy and comfortable to put my name against those flowers.
He’s widely known for his language in the kitchen and it was no different. He didn’t shout. But he was very serious. And honestly, it was pretty scary.
But I took it in the most positive way. Because he was absolutely right.
I said “You’re completely right. I was trying to please. I did what the manager asked for even though I knew it wasn’t the right design.”
And he said “Why would you take advice from somebody who knows nothing about flowers? Why would you put yourself in that position and your name against work you are not happy or proud of?”
And that question completely changed how I thought about my work.
What Changed
I loved the fact that he took such incredible interest and gave me this direct feedback. To care that way. Particularly so early in my business. It was pretty extraordinary.
He knew what he was talking about. He was sharing his own experience and learning. I very much saw it as him being very generous.
From that moment, I realised it didn’t matter what a client said to me or a customer said to me. I had to do the very, very best job for them. And in doing so, I had to use my creativity and my understanding of flowers to be able to do that.
So whenever somebody was very specific after that, but I knew it wasn’t the right design, I felt comfortable to be able to push back. And also to explain why. Not just be pigheaded about it, but actually to explain why this would work better for what they were trying to achieve.
I suggested what I thought would look better for the restaurant. And Marco said “Exactly.”
And that exact design of arrangement was then replicated throughout all his restaurants. We went from supplying that one restaurant to over seven of his restaurants for several years. Until I stopped creating weekly contracts to focus on wedding and event flowers.
All because I learnt to trust my process and not compromise it.
The Pinterest Designer Story
Fast forward to very recently. I’ve been working with an incredible graphic designer—Emma—on a number of different projects, including Pinterest.
And I gave her a really mediocre brief. Entirely my fault. The brief was not strong because I was really struggling to understand how to brief her for Pinterest specifically.
I showed her what I’d been creating previously. I gave her details about my audience. I explained what I was hoping to achieve with the pins and the overall account. But I wasn’t able to communicate the style I wanted.
And I think also because it was a new thing for her as well, she kind of went with what I’d given her.
And the outcome wasn’t working. Neither of us were happy with it. And it was absolutely my fault because I’d given her a bad brief. And also because I didn’t ask her about her processes and systems.
When Someone Protects Their Process
And then Emma did something really brave and brilliant.
She proactively came back to me and said essentially “Listen, this isn’t how I normally manage projects. This is how I manage projects.”
She took full control. In the best possible way.
She explained that she’d needed to take a step back and go through her usual process. That skipping straight to designs wasn’t normal for her and she’d missed the part where she gains clarity.
She asked me all the questions she needed to know. She came back with an incredible overview of what she was going to create. Her reasoning behind it. Her ideas were perfect.
And then she created 20 pins. And she absolutely nailed it.
She also explained very clearly that she prefers to understand feedback rather than have edits made directly, which hands up, I had been doing with the first set. Not because it was difficult to lose control—well, maybe a little—but because I had been creating them for ages myself. And that understanding, that level of feedback is a hugely valuable part of her process, because that’s how she understands how to refine and ensure she is happy with the work she is producing. And missing that feedback and edit step means she doesn’t get the chance to do the problem solving that’s needed to get to a superb result.
And I completely respected that. Because she was protecting her process so she could do her best work.
The whole point of this is you have to understand your processes. The way you work best. So you can do the very best for your clients.
Why This Matters So Much
After my experience with Marco Pierre White, I became much more confident and stronger in understanding the importance of my own processes. And actually, if you are facing Marco Pierre White with his bluntness, then you can pretty much face anyone after that.
Being able to ask the right questions. To listen and take on board everything that was being said. And to then offer advice.
Because I realised that was why my clients were appointing me. That was the value in my service. Not to give them their exact brief, but to deeply understand what it was they wanted—often more than they realised—and to then reply with a design concept that works perfectly.
And this I have continued through my business to today. In all the processes that we have, I do what makes sense for our audience, with the view of making sure we’re supporting them in the best way, but also what makes sense for us, so we can deliver what’s needed.
There are many systems and processes that we use that take inspiration from others or perhaps what is deemed normal. But then we adapt to make sure they work for us. And often this is an evolving process. In some cases it continues to evolve.
A Recent Example
Just in the last few days, I had a message from someone in the six-month programme who was frustrated initially with the way I’d organised the delivery of part of the programme.
I knew she was frustrated. She was very gracious about it. But I could tell.
And then a few days later, she sent me another message. Thanking me for the way I’d structured things.
She said she’d felt marketing was a big weakness for her and she’d been disappointed that she’d have to wait a while to reach that pillar. But now she was grateful for the structure because it had forced her to really focus on each stage. That she would have rushed through otherwise to get to where she thought she needed the most help.
She realised that when you want to really conquer something, it needs breathing space to settle. Time when you lie awake at night thinking, or when you’re out on a walk. Letting it sink in. Allowing yourself to revisit and scribble more notes. That’s when the magic happens.
She said she’d been an interior designer for 30 years, but thanks to spending proper time with the early modules, she’d discovered things about herself that made her sit up and think “Wow.” Things she never would have realised without that breathing space.
And that’s what happens when you protect your process. Even when it feels like someone wants something different. You’re protecting it because you know it creates the best outcome.
How to Communicate This
So how do you explain your processes to clients without being difficult?
I think it basically comes down to understanding why they’re important yourself. And then it’s quite easy to communicate them from there.
You listen. You understand what they’re trying to achieve. And you explain why your process will ensure the outcome is great for them.
And you really know that you have control. Although sometimes it can feel deeply frustrating if things aren’t working, it’s almost always because you haven’t put clear boundaries in place.
And just know that’s normal. Everyone goes through that. And then you take a step back and give yourself grace, so you can focus on calm steps forward.
For You, Your Process
If you’re thinking “I don’t really have a formal process”, that’s okay. You almost always have a process, even if you don’t realise it yourself. Even if you haven’t formally identified it.
And it doesn’t have to be rigid. It can be flexible. The most important thing is that it works for you. To ensure you achieve the very best for your clients and customers. And that you enjoy the process.
Because this is when you do your best work. Your referrals increase. You get the right clients. And so the circle continues and amplifies.
And your way of doing things won’t always work for other people. And that’s okay. Because you will have a very specific client or customer base that works for you and your offerings. And this is all part of it.
So start noticing. When do you do your best work? What conditions need to be in place? What questions do you need to ask at the beginning? What space do you need during the work? What feedback process works for you?
These are your processes. They’re already there. You just might not have named them yet.
A Final Thought
Marco Pierre White was seriously harsh. But he was right. And he gave me permission to trust my own expertise.
Emma was really brave and nothing but incredibly professional. She protected her process so she could do her best work.
And that participant in the programme initially felt frustrated. But the process and steps I’d designed created exactly what she needed for real transformation.
Your processes exist for a reason. They’re how you do your best work. Protect them. Explain them. And trust that the right clients will respect them.
Until next time, with huge love.
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