Welcome to
We've been working with retail florists for nearly 25 years and when it comes to designer productivity, some issues never change: HOW to get your team to work quicker, KEEPING down waste, USING the older flowers first, NOT stuffing orders, AVOIDING mistakes by paying attention to the details, INNOVATING instead of producing the same designs forever and MAINTAINING a filled cooler! Sound familiar? We have the solution: DesignStrategies workshops taught in your store by Derek Woodruff AIFD, FSC or Steven Santos AIFD.
Meet the team...
Derek Woodruff AIFD FSC
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Derek joined the floral industry at the age of 16 where he began learning floral design in vocational school and working for a local florist. Since then, he has continued to study the trade through institutes such as Michigan State University, the Michigan Floral Association (MFA), and the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). In 2008 he launched his own business, Floral Underground, a novel twist on DIY flowers. Derek is a captivating speaker who finds particular joy in helping audiences find inventive ways to use new and existing products. As an industry educator, Derek has a "big picture" perspective on industry trends, and how florists can make the best practical and artistic use of materials. He enjoys presenting on stage, in hands-on workshops, on-site at shops and also online to audiences of floral designers and consumers alike. In addition to being an educator, Derek considers himself a "competition designer" spending many years polishing the practice of live floral design competition. This love of competition has won him numerous awards both in and out of the industry, including the MFA's Chuck Bannow Award, MFA's Designer of the Year (twice), AIFD's Bobbi Cup (Thrice), Chicago’s Best in Blooms Competition, second runner-up on a national television floral design competition reality show called: "The Arrangement", was the winner of the 2016 Sylvia Cup Design Competition and was the runner-up in the 2018 America’s Cup Competition.
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Steven Santos AIFD
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Steven was first introduced to flowers at the age of 15 when he got a job at a sandwich shop that had a florist in it. After seeing all the beautiful florals come and go from the shop, he was hooked. He started as a shop assistant sweeping and making casket saddles out of wet straw and chicken wire among many other tasks. That wasn’t enough for him. After high school he attended the Floral Design Institute in Seattle and started his journey as a floral designer. In his career he has been a lead designer, wedding specialist, shop manager, and owned his own floral studio that catered to special in-home designs. He enjoys competing in floral competitions and thinks it helps all designers grow. He has won multiple Best in Show awards at the Boise Festival of Trees and runner up in the Idaho Florist Association Design competition. Steven has always wanted to grow his knowledge and experience in the floral industry. After many years in traditional retail florists, he transitioned to become the Director of Premium Floral for Albertsons Companies. He has traveled all around the United States, South America, and Europe looking at color, texture, and design trends in the floral industry, along with trends in home décor, and fashion. He created from the ground up, a whole new concept of “grocery store” flowers, inspiring workers and consumers about the joy and need to have flowers in your home every day. After completing that large task, Steven has moved on to become a Designer and Trend Spotter for Natural Flowers located in Miami, Fl and Bogota, Colombia. Steven brings the knowledge of traditional florist mechanics, dedication, and hard work, along with a worldwide understanding of the amazing floral community we are in.
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