The Dirt - September

This is it, gang.  It's go time. Fall is in the air, football’s on TV, and the time when DG puts its best foot forward.  On the heels of an inspiring visit last month to see 3,000 trial beds of Sunflowers, we are fired up to deliver the variety and color, the single items and arrangements and the creative plans and programs you’ve come to expect from us.  I invite and encourage you to get in on the fun and see how we can work together. Let’s capitalize on this short but unique time of year when deep, rich autumnal hues and interesting green grasses and stems capture consumers’ imaginations and draw them indoors for warmth and wellbeing. Marco Rivera and our Sales Team are all over this plan.  Marco heads to Chicago early this month to reinforce our fall flare for some very important partners.  Later he’ll lead a team through visits to the Northeast and the Midwest as they firm up fall designs and plans and begin planning for 2013.  The goal, of course, is to be proactive about what’s on the horizon for our partners and to be strategic and specific about how we can drive success for your business.  Business Development Managers also will travel to accounts in Utah, Texas, Georgia and Arizona to share product knowledge and ensure a successful fall season. Go, Team, go! I’m staying put in Vista most of this month, so please reach out with any questions, suggestions or fabulous ideas that bring more flowers to more people.  Annie just started fifth grade, and Jack is in Kindergarten.  He wants to know when Melissa and I are going to learn all the neat things his teacher knows.  Good question. I hope the “flip” from summer to fall is great for all of us!

Meals on Wheels and their amazing accomplishments have been a presence in my life for many years. Growing up in Moline, Illinois, my mother was a volunteer and I often accompanied her on deliveries. It was a moving experience for me even as a child and of course my Mom made sure to point out how grateful everyone on her route was to see us. Fast forward 15 years. After university, I moved to San Diego and through a lot of luck and a little hard work, I became the owner of a flower company – Dos Gringos. Our mission is to bring smiles to millions. We accomplish this by growing and assembling bouquets for over 10,000 grocery stores in the United States and Canada. Mother Nature has her own schedule some years and in1995 I found myself with an abundance of Sunflowers, our signature flower. I wanted to donate them instead of throwing them away and the first organization that came to my mind was Meals-on-Wheels Greater San Diego. So I donated everything I had extra to them in the form of bouquets. A few days later a call was put through to me. The lovely lady on the other end was crying. It turns out she was an 84 year-old-recipient of Meals-on-Wheels and this was the first time in her life she had EVER received flowers. That was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between Meals-on-Wheels and Dos Gringos. Today, we are honored to provide every North County Meals-On-Wheels recipient with a bouquet on his or her birthday. In addition, we donate the flowers for all the hard-working volunteers at their annual luncheon, for “Suns for Seniors” events around town and for a number of other fundraisers that Meals-on-Wheels puts on throughout the year, most recently, the Boogleggers’ Ball. Giving back is an important part of mine and the lives of my teammates at Dos Gringos’ and Meals-on-Wheels is the perfect partner in this endeavor. Oh and I almost forgot to mention. After providing me with The George A. Scott Award* in 2008, they also graciously asked if I would sit on their Board. Needless to say, I said yes. Now I get a chance to not only donate flowers but also my brain. I love the Meals-on-Wheels and everything they stand for!

- - - - - - - - -