What Happens When Your Wildest Dreams Come True? Just Ask This Flower Farmer

Erin Benzakein:

“The flowers are different. Just keep going, just keep going.” So I just kept getting back up, and after every failure, which there are thousands of them, and just kind of dusted off the embarrassment and just got back up and kept going. And then we have been… I mean, we’re coming up on 15 years. So I heard you say before like, “There is no such thing as an overnight success. It’s usually like a decade in the making.” At least.

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

It is so much hard work. And you just keep… basically you just got to get okay with sucking and failing. Right?

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

Because you’re so bad for so long, you just got to keep going. So don’t lose heart if you’re not good yet, just keep getting back up.

Marie Forleo:

Hey, it’s Marie Forleo and welcome to another episode of MarieTV and The Marie Forleo Podcast. And I got to tell you, I am so excited about my guest today. Oh my goodness. So first of all, she’s a force of nature. Second of all, she’s got a new show on the Magnolia Network and I saw the first episode and it’s amazing. Third of all, she is a B-School grad. If you have ever wondered if you have what it takes to take your somewhat impossible dream and make it real, you are going to love today’s show.

Erin Benzakein is the founder of Floret Farms and is one of the nation’s leading farmer florists. She’s the author of three books, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, which won the American Horticultural Society’s book award, the New York Times Bestseller Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers, and most recently, Discovering Dahlias. She’s received the Martha Stewart American Made Award for floral and event design and has been featured across countless books, magazines, and websites. Growing Floret, a series from the Magnolia Network, is streaming now on Discovery Plus.

Oh my goodness, Erin, thank you so much for making time to be here. I have to say I have your books in front of me.

Erin Benzakein:

Awesome.

Marie Forleo:

Oh my goodness. They are so gorgeous. I’m losing my mind, and I have to tell you, our entire team is obsessed. We’ve been obsessed with you for years. This morning, I watched the first episode of your show on the Magnolia Network and I was literally like, “What?” And I could not wait to talk to you today. How are you doing?

Erin Benzakein:

So good and so busy. It’s the middle of the growing season. It’s just, it’s flat out, we’re just running right now.

Marie Forleo:

Yes you are.

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah. Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

So. Okay. So for folks that don’t know your story, take us back to the beginning. What was your first memory of flowers and how did that seed plant what has grown into this incredible mission and business and career that you have today?

Erin Benzakein:

So when I was little, I would go visit my great-grandmother in the summertime and she was very ill and laying in bed all the time and would tell me stories of their farm that they used to have and the garden that she used to grow. And then she’d send me outside into the little tiny garden beds around their house and have me pick bouquets and bring them inside for her. And those were the happiest memories growing up. And she nicknamed me her little flower girl. So when she passed away, I actually brought home some of her ashes and planted them in my very first garden.

And I planted a double row of sweet peas in her memory, just like wanting to bring Grammy into my new life.

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

And those flowers bloomed so abundantly. I mean, I picked them, I filled our house with them. I gave them to the neighbors. I gave them to everybody I knew. And it was at the same time I was trying to figure out like, what did I want to do with my life? What was my calling? What was I put here to do? So it was this really important time. And Grammy was with me, or her memory, along that journey. Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

So first of all, I love sweet peas. I never even knew what they were until a few years ago when I started spending more time in California. And there’s a farmer’s market near my house there. And they are the flowers that I get constantly.

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

It’s like the best $5 that I spend every single week. They bring me so much joy.

Erin Benzakein:

Totally.

Marie Forleo:

So much happiness. I’ve put them on Insta … I’m like, “I don’t care. You’re going to see sweet peas again and again and again.”

Erin Benzakein:

Exactly.

Marie Forleo:

Because these things are amazing. So I know that you also had a pretty transformative experience when you actually kind of sold your first bouquet. Can you tell us about that?

Erin Benzakein:

So I was trying to figure out like, what the heck am I going to do for a business? I have two small kids. I wanted to do something creative. I wanted to be home. So I was trying out all these business ideas. And it’s so funny to me that the flowers were blooming in my yard, but it didn’t even occur to me that that could be a business. So someone ordered a $5 jar of sweet peas and I was so freaked out and nervous. I’m like, “Okay, my first order.” So I drove 45 minutes away with my little jar of flowers. And I was trying to ding dong ditch and just drop the flowers on her front porch and just drive away. But she caught me.

Marie Forleo:

Yeah.

Erin Benzakein:

And I was so nervous. I just pushed them into her hands. And she started crying, telling me about her grandmother. Then I started crying, talking about Grammy. And it was like this thing happened. It just, seeing the power that those, like that simple little jars that have on another person and how quickly we were connected in that moment and our hearts were just open and we were just, we were so present. I just, I knew right then this is what I’m supposed to do. Something with flowers. They’re too powerful. This is what I’m supposed to do with my life.

Marie Forleo:

And so you didn’t… it sounds like, wow. So you had started just selling these little bouquets because you had them, but no idea what this thing could become. One of the other things that I admire about you so much, you and your husband and your whole team, you guys have such an incredible work ethic. And obviously, you know me, that’s a huge part of my history and my family, and it’s a balance, right? It’s like I have this drive and this passion and this mission, and I love what I do, but I also never want to overdo it because I want to be here for longterm.

Erin Benzakein:

Right.

Marie Forleo:

Where I’m going with you right now though I think when people start to really see what you’ve created, they see the show, they see these incredible books, I’m like, “Y’all, Erin didn’t start out this way.”

Erin Benzakein:

Nope.

Marie Forleo:

It’s not all sweet peas and dahlias. And, you know, her and her husband, you guys, you had a tremendous amount of debt. Right? That’s how I started my business. Can you tell us a little bit about what those early days were like? Because I think there’s many people in the audience that either they’re in that stage right now or maybe they’re just getting out of it and it’s important to be able to hear that side also while you see like, “Oh, she’s got a show on Magnolia.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah. No, it started in my backyard and it stayed in my backyard for years. Really just me fumbling along, making a thousand mistakes, not making any money, killing so many plants, just really sucking at it for a really long time. Nobody wanted to buy anything. It wasn’t like we were an overnight success. I was cramming this idea down people’s throat and nobody was into it.

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

It actually took me a really long time, but I just kept at it. And Chris would always say to me when I would lose faith, like, “I don’t think this is it. I don’t think I’m supposed to have a business. I feel so uncomfortable. This freaks me out. I’m so bad at this.”

He’s like, “The flowers are different. Just keep going, just keep going.” So I just kept getting back up, and after every failure, which there are thousands of them, and just kind of dusted off the embarrassment and just got back up and kept going. And then we have been… I mean, we’re coming up on 15 years. So I heard you say before like, “There is no such thing as an overnight success. It’s usually like a decade in the making.” At least.

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

It is so much hard work. And you just keep… basically you just got to get okay with sucking and failing. Right?

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

Because you’re so bad for so long, you just gotta keep going. So don’t lose heart if you’re not good yet, just keep getting back up.

Marie Forleo:

Yeah. And I love just hearing that, you know, you and your husband, you were like, “You know what? We have choices about this debt, right?”

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

It’s like, “We could declare bankruptcy. That’s one choice.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

And that’s not a bad choice at all. But y’all were like, “You know what? No, we’re just going to handle this. And we’re going to sell as many flowers as we possibly can…”

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

“…pay this off and then start, you know, growing from there.” And I just, I thought that was amazing.

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah. Debt was a giant motivator. That’s really where the business came from, and what gave me the courage to keep going, because we had to pay off the debt and we used the money we made with flowers to do it, but it took us a long time.

Marie Forleo:

Yeah.

Erin Benzakein:

But we just kept at it. And I’m so glad we did.

Marie Forleo:

Yeah. And, you know, I remember when I first started that the scarcity around money is part of my own story with my mom and all kinds of, you know, deep, deep stuff. We’ve talked about this before, but that was a great motivator.

Erin Benzakein:

Absolutely.

Marie Forleo:

Because it kicked my butt. So it was like both the mission and this heart thing. But then also just like girl’s got to survive.

Erin Benzakein:

Exactly. We got to pay the mortgage. Let’s do this. Yup.

Marie Forleo:

Yes. Yes. And keep it together. One of the other things I love that you basically shared with like the number one thing that people email you, because of course they see these books and they see this farm. Even someone on my team is like, “Oh my gosh, you know, I want to go visit the farm.” And I didn’t get a chance to tell you. I’m like, “Ain’t nobody going to see the farm.” So the fact that all these customers, all of these fans, all these people like, “Please can I come see the farm?” And you’re like, “No.”

So here’s where I want to go with this because you know this because you’re a B-Schooler and we’ll talk about that in a little bit. But I try my best for myself and also for anyone that comes through the doors at B-School to say, “You know what? You hold the reins in your business. You get to design this thing in a way that’s both going to be of service to the world and to have a great mission, something that you believe in with your heart. And it also gets to serve who you are as a unique soul and who you are and how you want to live.” And I love that. You’re like, “I actually live here with my family.”

Erin Benzakein:

Exactly.

Marie Forleo:

“I don’t want all kinds of people coming to the farm.” So can we talk about just the power of saying no and the power of deciding who you are and who you are not when it comes to your business?

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah, that has been… So I’m a pretty extreme introvert. I’m very, not so shy, like I’m driven, but I am freaked out by people and definitely crowds. I’m happy to work with the plants. I love sharing. I love teaching. I love all of that like putting it out, but the in-person exchange is kind of terrifying and that is the number one email we get, “Can I come to the farm?” And early on, we just decided like we have to honor ourselves. We’re not going to open the farm up to the public, and they can get a virtual farm tour on our website. We will make videos and we will take pictures and share, and we will share a lot, but in a way that is healthy and good for us. Yeah

Marie Forleo:

Yes. And I love that too. And I also love, can you share with people? Because you’re like, “I have a flower farm, but I no longer sell the flowers.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

So I have a personal question about that, but just so people understand the revenue streams and what the business model is. Can you share?

Erin Benzakein:

So our business is actually now kind of three, I wouldn’t even call them baby businesses, but it’s three businesses in one. So one arm of it is education, where it’s books, our online course, where we’re teaching. A lot of it is free. Some of it is paid, but that’s like a big part of our business. The other is our seed company. So we actually sell flower seeds, so many flower seeds to people all over the world so they can grow the garden of their dreams. And then there’s the farm itself where we grow the seeds and we learn all of the stuff that we teach. So the farm is kind of the base for both of the main businesses, but it also earns some money because we grow the seeds here, not all of them, but a big portion of them. So it’s kind of a complicated big thing. It’s gotten bigger over the years, but it’s not clear cut and straightforward.

Marie Forleo:

So question for you. What do you do then with all of those flowers? Because I’m watching the show and I’m my like…

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

“Oh my god.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

“Erin’s got them 24 acres.” Which we’re going to talk about that transition in a minute. So you’re doing it for the seeds and obviously for the research and the development and that whole piece of the business sounds fascinating to me too. So then what do you do with all these blooms, especially now that we’re in growing season?

Erin Benzakein:

So for the first 10 years of business, we sold all of those flowers to grocery stores. Our biggest customer is Whole Foods. We did tens of thousands of bouquets and bunches every season. So we were in the business of fresh flowers, but as our business grew and changed, it’s like we have a global audience, how can we best serve them? So that’s when we transitioned from local fresh perishable into seeds. So now all those flowers, we actually let them bloom, we let the bees pollinate them. They then set seeds and we collect those seeds and then sell them. So the flowers aren’t going to waste, they’re just turning into something else, like so much possibility.

Marie Forleo:

That is incredible. And every time… when the books came, I literally, Erin, I was gobsmacked. I sat here and I looked through all of them. I learned so much…

Erin Benzakein:

Right on.

Marie Forleo:

…in such a short amount of time. And it’s just like, it’s the most magical, what you are creating, what you have creative, what you put out into the world, it is just, it’s mystical and magical and heavenly. Truly, truly, truly, truly. So let me take us back. When you took B-School, you were still a small farm…

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

…selling bouquets in bunches. Did I get that right?

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

Okay.

Erin Benzakein:

So in, I think it was 2013 or 2014, I was about five years in to selling bouquets. And I was in the garage making, I mean, in my bouquet career, I’ve made about 40,000 mixed bouquets by hand myself with either Chris or the kids. I mean, so I was in the garage making these bouquets going, “This can’t be all there is to my life. I want more. I have more to share. I love flowers, but there has to be something more.” And I had discovered you not long before that. And just something just kept coming back to me like, “You need to, you need to go here. You need to, you need to do something for yourself.” And at the time, we were just on the end of paying off our debt. I had no extra money. So it was such a massive stress, stretch to enroll in B-School. I was so freaked out about it. I’m like, “Okay, if I do this, I am going to do every single freaking homework assignment. I’m going to be your best student. I’m going to go all in.”

Did I ever. I mean, I took everything I learned in B-School and applied it, totally transformed our business. Then I started teaching in person workshops. The book. I pitched the book after that, the first one, second, third. The seed company came from there. You had us do this homework where we were looking at what we were currently doing, what people wanted from us, and where did it overlap. What you wanted to do and what people wanted, that was really what you should start looking at. It hadn’t even occurred to me that there was more possibility out there. Our business took off after B-School.

So the first four years after I took it, I audited the class and redid the entire thing start to finish for the first four years. And then since then, I retake it every time it’s offered. And then I audit little portions. Like, “Okay, we need to go deeper into our website or I want to get better with copywriting.” So I audit it now in portions, but I’ve retaken it every year since, and it still has so much value. I don’t even know how you made it. It still blows my mind. You are the gold standard. I’m always like, “What would Marie do?” So I mean, it completely changed my life, completely changed our business. Really, what you’ve created and what you do is unbelievable really.

Marie Forleo:

Well, this is a mutual admiration society, because, by the way, thank you so much for those kind words. But you did the work. On our team, we always were like, “What about Erin?” When we hear someone, they’re going like, “Well I can’t really do it. I have a wedding company.” I’m like, “You know … ” I was like… And we have so many incredible B-Schoolers, but to talk about you for a minute here, this idea of just investing in yourself and believing in this flower farm and having the courage to go, “Okay, there’s more for me.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yes.

Marie Forleo:

“And I’m going to invest in this thing and I’m going to do everything.” You did the work. And then you keep doing the work and keep doing more.

So here’s where I want to go next. So you grew this business from nothing which we’ve talked about. Tell me what was happening in your heart when you said, “Okay, now we’re here.” Where was the idea to go from the two acres to the 24? Tell me when that came about. Was it something that you had been like nibbling on for a few years? Did it come in one big burst?

Erin Benzakein:

Well, we had been, we had been looking for other farms like more property, something bigger, something more, I don’t know, exciting. And life just kept holding us here on this two acres. I’m like, “I have got to get out of here. I want to do more. I want to grow.” But it just, it kept being held down or back, which was so good now looking back because it forced me to really understand how to do a lot with nothing or very little. I kept refining. And out of the blue, our elderly neighbors decided to sell their farm, which borders ours. It’s right next door.

We had been looking for years, and they had been watching us out their bedroom window working for the last decade just killing ourselves physically out there just working so hard. And they said if anybody can keep the farm alive, it’s you guys. And so all those years we thought that they were laughing at us, they were actually cheering us on and they let us buy the farm.

Marie Forleo:

Oh my gosh.

Erin Benzakein:

So it was totally a meant to be moment. But we went from two to 24 and everything that we’ve developed and learned and know really well didn’t apply. And so it was like, “What have we done?” It was like, meant to be, but also, “Oh my god, what did we do?” Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

Yeah. So okay. I have to ask you this as a business owner, because I was thinking about this. You are such a producer and you’re so driven. I’m a producer and I’m driven and I’m going like, okay, I’m watching the first episode of Growing Floret and I’m going like, “Okay, I have to ask Erin like, when did Magnolia reach out to you? Did you connect with them otherwise?” Because the timing of this, I was like, “This is amazing.”

Erin Benzakein:

I know, super weird. Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

Was it to you too? Because I’m like, “Wait a minute. This is the perfect docuseries.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

“But they’re filming as they got this additional amount of land.” And you’re like, “What the hell do we do with it? How do we fix this soil?” What was that time like?

Erin Benzakein:

It seemed like, that really felt like… so we had bought the property and had it for maybe a year and a half, but we were letting it sit. I’m like, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Obviously, we’re supposed to have this, but I’m not clear. And normally I know. Normally, I can see where we’re going. I know exactly what I want to do. I’m very clear, not with the property. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. And someone who’s close to Joanna had ordered a book for her and hand-delivered it. And she messaged me that she loved the book and we made that connection. And then maybe a year or two later, they reached out when the network was coming in and asked if we could be part of the network and if they could document the process of taking our farm and turn it into something.

And it was like the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. And they wanted to tell the real story. Nothing’s manufactured. None of it’s fake. I mean, nobody knew what was going to happen. They’re like, “We’re going to follow you for the next year, year and a half and just see what happens.” I’m like, “Oh, great. Hope I don’t fail.”

Marie Forleo:

Yeah. I was going to ask about that, too. Because that’s like, A, a lot of pressure.

Erin Benzakein:

Tons.

Marie Forleo:

And, B, you said, you were like, “Okay, I’m an introvert.” And as someone who’s on camera a lot, it’s really funny because sometimes we’ll discuss projects internally and the team often knows, you know, Josh is an actor. He’s used to having a camera on him when he’s on set. You know what I mean?

Erin Benzakein:

Right.

Marie Forleo:

Then he wants to be home and he’s like, “Get the camera out of my face.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

And so I was curious to ask you what that decision making process looked like too, because obviously, it’s your husband, it’s your kids. It’s your whole team. It’s… And I was curious about the timeline. So did you guys film over a year?

Erin Benzakein:

We filmed, so we started filming about a week ago, two years now, right?

Marie Forleo:

Wow.

Erin Benzakein:

So it was a long time. We filmed for over a year and a half, but from the beginning we were like, “Okay. We’re not going to be brushing our teeth and processing our life in front of the camera.” Not going to happen. The kids are not going to be, they don’t want to really be that big of a part of this.

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

So we were just really straight from the beginning like I am so happy to share what I’m going through as a female business owner, you know, like a family business. I think this should be talked about. This is a really challenging thing to do and I don’t feel like anybody ever really talks about what it actually takes to do this.

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

So I felt like that was an incredible opportunity, but we were like we’re not going to open up parts of our life that we didn’t feel comfortable with, which was great. That was right from the beginning. We made great boundaries.

And, and it’s funny because even though I’m an introvert, being in front of the camera is not nerve-wracking. I don’t know why. It’s, something about it just feels like I’m supposed to do it. So it was actually…

Marie Forleo:

You’re excellent, by the way.

Erin Benzakein:

Thank you. But it was actually amazing to be able to bring the crew in and let them see the beauty of our world, but also paired with how difficult it actually is to do all this and how much work goes into it. I loved that they actually told the whole story. Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

Yes. And the thing that was so both inspiring, it was inspiring to me to learn about the soil. I had… Have you seen that documentary? I think it’s called Kiss the Ground?

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah. Yep.

Marie Forleo:

About regenerative. So that triggered that for me when I was watching episode one and it was like, “God, we have all of the soil, but it’s not alive.” Right?

Erin Benzakein:

I know.

Marie Forleo:

It’s like there’s some work that you have to put into it. That was really awesome. And just to watch it again, I only saw episode one because that’s what was up by the time when we’re recording this right now, but it’s just… I’m so excited by what you’re doing and what this show will show the world about how we can take care of the earth, how we can produce so much beauty, how it’s just… You guys, it’s amazing. Really, really good.

Erin Benzakein:

Right on. Yeah. And in a real and tangible way, not just theory, but like how can you actually do it in your real life. Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

Yes. So, a note that I heard you say was that you learn so much about storytelling in this process. What did you learn?

Erin Benzakein:

Through the process of filming the show?

Marie Forleo:

Yeah.

Erin Benzakein:

Well, stepping back and actually seeing what the director saw, like actually seeing our story and the different storylines and the different pieces that they were going to follow, I’m normally in it. I’m in the story and I do know how to do some storytelling like in teaching mode, but this was like an even bigger, a bigger view of all the different storylines and you have to wait to see where it goes before you can actually… Typically, I know the story I want to tell and then we figure out how to tell it. With this, they were just taking it in, taking it in, documenting it and, the end, they’re going to decide what story to tell. But everything about it was so honest and true.

Marie Forleo:

Yep.

Erin Benzakein:

It was beautiful. Nothing fake, manufactured, no drama, no garbage. I mean, it was very authentic.

Marie Forleo:

No, you can feel that. You can totally feel that. Curious, what’s been the scariest part for you, whether about the show or just about this growth process and where are you guys at right now with the farm and with this whole new acreage? I loved seeing you kind of map out your dream plottage of like, “Okay, these are going here and this is going there.” That part where you were writing with your colored pencils?

Erin Benzakein:

Yep. Yep.

Marie Forleo:

I was like, “Ah!” I’m like dying. Tell me everything.

Erin Benzakein:

So I would say with the show, the scariest part was just like, “Oh my god, we’re opening ourselves up to the world.” I don’t, that’s not ever anything I wanted to do. So that has been just something that we’re processing and preparing for. I would say the biggest challenge at the moment is knowing where to go for answers when you check in with yourself and you just don’t know. We’re not a startup anymore. This is not a small business anymore. I mean, we’re definitely down the road a little ways, and knowing where to go for answers about like, what do you do next? What do you do when you’ve outgrown everything you can possibly do? You’ve completely hit capacity. You’re maxed on every level. You can’t do any more. What do you do now? Who do you even talk to about that? So the last couple of years have really been growing pains but also just hitting the ceiling of what we’ve been doing and like, where do we go from here?

Marie Forleo:

Yes. That’s, I mean, do you want to talk about that for a second? Because I actually love that. It’s a big challenge and I also think it’s a really big opportunity and you know this, so I’m not telling you anything that you don’t know. But my perspective on that, Erin, is like, you know, once you kind of start hitting all of those checkboxes and you’re like, “Oh, dream’s coming true. Oh, this dream’s coming true. Oh, this dream’s coming true.” Then I think what I find to be useful is often stepping back and go, “What else would I like to create and how do I want to create it?” So let me give you some context for that.

I remember in my own business, when I started to kind of reach a level for me that I’m like, “Oh my goodness, we’re doing all the things that I ever wanted to do. So like what’s next?” Then for me it was about going deeper and going, “What do I want this one gorgeous life to be like on a day-to-day basis?” And I think one of the gifts of COVID for me, last year, you know, I lost my grandmother, who was amazing. She had a very, very long life. We lost her to COVID, but again, it’s all good. So many people lost so many loved ones, but one of the things that came to me was just like, “Okay, well, what do I want these next decades to feel like on a day-to-day level?”

So in my, you know, 20s and early 30s I would put in 12, sometimes 18 hour days, right? Because that’s what I did. That’s my choice. That’s what I believed I needed to do. And maybe I did need to do that to get where I am, because here’s where I am. But I don’t want to do that anymore.

Erin Benzakein:

Right.

Marie Forleo:

And I’m not doing that anymore. And I think that for me, kind of, imagining into, what are these other things that I want to experience? How do I want to continue my mission in a way that feels so spacious and so sustainable and so adventuresome, where are the other places where I want to play? Not with pressure like I have to get any place, but from a total place of joy. Does that make any kind of sense?

Erin Benzakein:

I love that. Yes. I’ve always wondered like once you hit all of those big goals in your… So you’re succeeding, right? Now, what do you do? And just because something’s succeeding, if it does not lining up with you anymore, is it okay to set it down?

Marie Forleo:

Yes.

Erin Benzakein:

Because everyone’s saying don’t. Everyone tells me like, “No. Why would you ever?” And then that’s all the feedback is keep doing what you’re doing even if it’s too much or even if it’s not working. Okay.

Marie Forleo:

No. I would be the voice for you, Erin. I adore you. I love you. First of all, you know this because you know my teaching. I believe that every single person is their own wisest and truest guide. Right? So I don’t have all the answers. Erin has the answers. You have the answers for you inside. And of course, Julia Cameron, who wrote The Artist’s Way, she has this incredible term that she calls, “believing mirrors.” Friends, colleagues, mentors, people who believe in you and can reflect back to you your own thoughts and feelings and hesitations and just really kind of hold space for you to find your own truth. And for me, I think that it is the bravest thing to be able to listen to yourself when it says, “Oh, I’ve done this thing for so long.” Just like your example, when I was like, “Oh, I sold flowers for this long, and now I’m done with that.” And people all want to come to the farm, but that’s no, that’s a boundary. There’s something bubbling up in you, probably.

Erin Benzakein:

Yep.

Marie Forleo:

And you can’t rush it. Just like you know this from your flowers, right? You can’t make them grow faster than they grow.

Erin Benzakein:

Right. Right.

Marie Forleo:

I experienced this when I had a bunch of publishers going like, “We need a book for Marie. We need a book for Marie.” And I knew it was supposed to be Everything is Figureoutable but the whole idea wasn’t formed yet. It almost felt like it was a seed in the ground and it was February, and it’s not coming out until it’s ready to come out.

Erin Benzakein:

Exactly.

Marie Forleo:

Right? And you just… And I had to be patient. And everyone’s like, “But you could just write a book right now. You should just write a book right now. And it’s …” And I was like, “No, I am listening to this thing, because my heart has always led me to the most glorious, magical, connected places and I’m not going to change that now.” And so for you, it’s like we can talk offline, but I’m sure people will be enjoying … Like, “No, Marie, what are you going to tell her?” Journaling, I don’t know if you do that. Do you journal?

Erin Benzakein:

Yep. I do.

Marie Forleo:

You do? Okay.

Erin Benzakein:

But I could be more intentional with it.

Marie Forleo:

Yes. So I… There’s a specific exercise that I’ve done several times, especially when things feel just like a little cloudy or I feel like I’m in a transition, right? I’m in a period where there’s like, “Oh, there’s something new coming, but I don’t know what that is yet.” And it’s really about asking my higher self, “What advice you have for me on X topic? What would be the best thing for me to know about where I’m going next?” And you literally say, “Dear,”  you can either say dear higher self or if you have a god that you pray to, anything that you believe in, and then you actually just let your hands start moving and it is uncanny, Erin.

I re-read my journal the other day from periods when I’ve done this kind of guided journaling in the morning. I’m like, “Who wrote this? She’s smart. She is so smart.”

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

It doesn’t even sound like my voice. It doesn’t even sound like normal Marie voice. I’m like, “That’s some other version of Marie that may exist in a universe.” So I would encourage you to try that. And if there’s anything that keeps whispering up around you don’t have to do this anymore or there’s a piece of the business or a piece of just even what you’re doing day to day that you’re like, “You know what? I’m kind of done with this.” Please, Erin, trust that. Trust that.

Erin Benzakein:

Thank you.

Marie Forleo:

One of the things…

Erin Benzakein:

I so needed to hear that. I so needed to hear that.

Marie Forleo:

It is only the voices of fear and scarcity that have you wanting to hold on to things or to think that you need to keep everything going and all these plates going or that you’re going to somehow lose your success. I found for me, those are always thoughts and ideas rooted in a sense of lack. As though if you let something go, that something else new isn’t going to come and replace it in a way that is so far beyond anything that you’ve had before.

Erin Benzakein:

Thank you.

Marie Forleo:

I don’t know how we just got on here. I’m like people are.

Erin Benzakein:

This is so what I wanted to know.

Marie Forleo:

And honestly, I’m gonna, we’ll connect with Louise after, but I have more ideas for you, but I know people are going to be like, “Okay.” So let me get back to business-wise for you. So it sounds like, first of all, the show is so exciting. It’s coming out. I’m so thrilled for you. What’s happening now that you’re really excited about in terms of the business and the seeds and the online classes? Is there anything that you want people to pay extra attention to?

Erin Benzakein:

Well, we have an online flower farming course or flower growing course, which is so awesome. So we did in-person workshops for five years and sold out within minutes. I mean, we did, one year we did seven in-person workshops which spanned three days. They sold out in two minutes. We just, we couldn’t do it anymore. It was just too much. So we transitioned to online. We have a whole program and there are like thousands and thousands of people all over the world who have learned how to grow flowers in their backyards and little farms. I mean, the local seasonal flower movement is thriving. So I am so thrilled with what is happening in there.

And then here on the farm, I’ve actually been breeding new flower varieties, which is crazy, because I have no background in science. It’s not like I even know what I’m doing, but it’s working. So really, that’s been a really, really fun thing to do is, the big companies never listened to any of us smaller growers. They asked us what we wanted. We told them. They didn’t do it. So I’m like, “Let’s just do it ourselves. Let’s just see if we can breed things that need to exist.” So that’s what we’re doing.

Marie Forleo:

How exciting.

Erin Benzakein:

Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

Okay. Any messages that you have right now when this is airing, we are actually doing our first ever B-School Summer Session, whether it is about entrepreneurship in general or B-School in particular, if someone’s on the fence thinking like, “God, I have this dream.” Whatever their dream may be, about starting their own business or taking a new path, what would you say to them?

Erin Benzakein:

I would say go for it. Absolutely go for it. If it’s in your heart to do, you will find a way and you will figure it out. And B-School absolutely changed my life. But if you do it, you better do the homework. Because the more you put in, the more you will get out. So if you show up and you give your best and you go through the program, whatever little seed of an idea is in your heart will become this amazing thing. It’s about how much you put in. Yeah.

Marie Forleo:

100%. Erin, you are so loved. I love you. Our team loves you. Thank you for creating so much beauty in this world. You are such an inspiration, and thank you for taking time in the middle of your busy season to come talk with us today.

Erin Benzakein:

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.

Marie Forleo:

Wasn’t that awesome? Erin is amazing. And now we would love to hear from you. So we talked about so many things. I want to know what’s the biggest insight or aha you are taking away from this conversation and how can you put that insight into action starting right now. And by the way, if you, my friend, are interested in joining us for B-School, you have to come to JoinBSchool.com. Get in on it. We are doing a summer session. We have never done that before. It would be my honor, and my joy to work with you on taking your business to the stratosphere.

But back to this conversation, we always talk about the episodes over at the magical land of marieforleo.com. So go on over there and leave a comment now. And by the way, if you’re not yet subscribed to our email list, I don’t know what you’re thinking. Become an MF Insider. Every single Tuesday, we send inspiring action-oriented emails, and I promise you, it’s like a little love bomb in your inbox. You don’t want to miss out.

Until next time, stay on your game and keep going for your dreams, because yes, the world really does need that very special gift that only you have. Thank you so much for tuning in, and I’ll catch you next time.

Hey. Are you ready to bring your dream business to life? Is it finally time to make the difference you were born to make? Good. Because we can help. Get started now at JoinBSchool.com.