Meet Conner Matthews
Oakleaf FFA Chaplain Conner Matthews has a deep passion for floriculture and floral design.
Matthews has been working alongside his mother’s floral design business, Artistic Florals by Celia, for the past five years. The main focus of his work is wedding florals. The pair creates floral arrangements of all shapes, colors and sizes and have traveled across Florida for interested brides.
“We always aim to give the bride what they want, so we have to work around what they may be interested in and how they want it presented,” Matthews says.
Consequently, Matthews has to manage the difficulty of creating specific floral designs for the variety of clients he gets. “When it comes to brides, no single person is the same,” he says. “Everyone has what they want their perfect day to look like, and you have to be able to cater to that as best as you can.”
Matthews and his mother, Celia, at their booth and work setup at a small business convention.
Personal Growth
With his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), Matthews’ floral design skills have improved significantly throughout his years of work. His knowledge has increased from only a small amount of watching his mother’s work to becoming a master of his craft. His skills have grown from a small seedling to large blossoms.
“My SAE showed me that not everyone is the same,” he says. “We must treat everyone with respect in their decisions on what they want.”
Through his SAE, Matthews has learned a variety of useful skills, such as effective communication and customer service. Additionally, he has learned and improved many of his practical skills, such as floral care and handling. Consequently, he has been able to work more efficiently and effectively.
However, the most important skill he’s learned is being able to understand people and their preferences through effective communication.
“You must be able to cater to anyone’s needs in a small business situation,” Matthews says. “Having those ‘people skills’ really helps because you know exactly how people feel.”
Matthews and Celia’s setup at a floral design convention.
Working with a business has its highs and lows. Throughout the years, the two have had some struggles.
During 2020, for example, Artistic Florals by Celia faced a lack of business due to the coronavirus pandemic. Scheduled weddings were canceled, but the duo has gotten back on their feet.
“The year 2021 was when things started really picking up,” Matthews says. “My mom started advertising her business more, and I continued to go along and help due to an increase in weddings again.”
SAEs
SAEs offer work opportunities in agriculture and take place outside of educational hours. SAEs prepare FFA members for their future by giving them the chance to gain experience in the industries they want to pursue. Get SAE ideas here!
