The Fresh Bunch
The Fresh Bunch (formerly '2 Fat Guys Talking Flowers') is your all-access pass into the wild and wonderful world of flowers. Hosted by Michael Black, Mimi Pacheco, Ryan Black, and producer, Joel, keeping us sounding fresh—we bring you unfiltered conversations about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the floral industry’s trends, challenges, and characters. From flower fails to petal-powered success stories, each episode blends laughs, insights, and special guests from all corners of the flower world. It’s part podcast, part therapy, and all fresh—welcome to The Fresh Bunch - a Jet Fresh Flowers podcast.
Episodes
215 episodes
Ep. 214 - Gathering Wisdom with Jessica Rauls of Gather Flower Studio
Sweet ears of the podcast realm—this week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re casting with the incredibly talented Jessica Rauls, founder of Gather Flower Studio and curator of beautiful floral varieties. Full of giggles, stories, and floral stardom, thi...
Ep. 213 - Serving Up Style: Rebecca Merritt, The Racquet Queen of Events
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by Rebecca Merritt, Founder & CEO of Beyond Merritt Events. Rebecca’s firm delivers creative direction, strategy, interior design, branding, room planning, and extraordinary florals for corporate, ...
Ep. 212 - The Floral Wizard: David Kaplan on Peonies, Catkins & Global Flower Trends
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by the one and only Floral Wizard, David Kaplan of Above All Flowers. With decades of experience and a global network of growers, David truly has his finger on the pulse of the floral industry.D...
Ep. 211 - Flower Care, love & Logistics: Valentina & Kyle Armellini
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we welcome two very special guests — Valentina Armellini, the new Marketing Manager at Chrysal USA, and Kyle Armellini, Terminal Manager at Atlanta Armellini.The married couple shares the story of how they m...
Ep. 210 - The Flower Buddies - Tony & Paul Guerrie.
On this week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by Paul and Tony Guerrie, cofounders of Flower Buddy. The two brothers share how they went from working in tech to building a business together in the floral industry.The c...
Ep. 209 - Rooted: Stories, Blooms & Bites from the Philadelphia Flower Show
This week, The Fresh Bunch hits the road for one of the most iconic events in horticulture—the Philadelphia Flower Show, “Rooted.” 2026Joined by Freshie Christine Guenther of Wild Flower MD, Mike and Mimi share highlights from t...
Ep. 208 - Capitalism Doesn’t Care About Your Creativity — Maurice Harris Does
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we sit down with visual interdisciplinary artist Maurice Harris of Bloom & Plume.Maurice Harris is a Los Angeles–based artist. Recognized from his TV projects “Centerpiece” and “Full Bloom”on HBO Max, he...
Ep. 207 - Next Gen, NYBG, Fleurs de Villes and WFFSA Week Recap
We've had a busy 2 weeks here at Jet Fresh. SAF's Next Gen Live in Raleigh, NC, the New York Botanical Garden's annual Orchid Dinner in NYC, Fleurs de Villes latest show unveiled in Miami, and the WFFSA (Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier...
Ep. 206 - Tulip Tech & Tulip Love with Bloomia’s Werner Jansen & Bill Prescott
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re Talking Tulips with the incredible team from Bloomia.With Ryan, Joel, and Casey away at SAF NEXT GEN, Mimi jumps on the 1’s & 2’s and does her best to keep the tech running, while Mike an...
Ep. 205 - Adam Havrilla on Collaboration, Craft & Elevating Floral Professionals with PFCI
In this episode of Fresh Bunch, we sit down with Adam Havrilla, Creative Director of Elite Flower; accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD); Chairperson of Professional Floral Communicators – International...
Ep. 204 - Valentine Stress: Floral Therapy at Jet Fresh
Happy Valentine’s Eve, Freshies ❤️This week on The Fresh Bunch, News Anchor Mimi is back reporting live from Jet Fresh Cash & Carry, chatting with local Miami floral pros about the real story behind Valentine’s Day. We’re ta...
Ep. 203 - Fresh & Fun Valentine's Weeks at Jet Fresh
The Fresh Bunch is officially in full V-Day Countdown mode. The Freshies are gearing up for Valentine’s Day, and Mike introduces Fun & Fresh—a two-week, daily activity series created to ease the holiday stress and keep the energy h...
Ep. 202 - Snow Days & School Days: SAF Next Gen 2026 Edition
Snow Days & School Days: SAF Next Gen 2026 EditionThis week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re talking all things winter and NEXT GEN with SAF President Lori Wheat, AAF, third-generation owner of Lafayette Florist in Colorado,...
Ep. 201 - The Choice Is WFFSA with Freddy & Jena
On this episode of The Fresh Bunch, we’re excited to welcome the incredible team from Choice Farms for a high-energy conversation centered around WFFSA and the future of the floral industry. We’re joined by Freddy Melero, Director of S...
Ep. 200 - 200th Episode Celebration - (+ Video)
WELCOME TO EPISODE 200 OF THE FRESH BUNCH PODCAST!This is a massive milestone for us, and just like our 100th episode, we’re celebrating with a special video podcast you can finally watch on YouTube!E...
REPLAY Episode 100 - (Feb. 1, 2024)
As we gear up for the release of our 200th episode (Releasing on Jan 15, 2026), we thought it would be fun to go back in time to 2024 and re-play our 100th celebration episode.A lot has changed in these past 100 episodes, and we're extre...
Ep. 198 - New Year, Rose Parades, 2026 Bingo Cards, with Special Guest Freshies
Happy New Year, Freshies!!! On this special 2026 New Year's episode of The Fresh Bunch, Jimi the Tulip, Mimi, and Ryan ring in the New Year with the help of a few of our favorite Freshies. Starting with Holly Haverman of Kennedy Flowers, ...
Ep. 197 - Merry Fresh-mas with Jet Fresh Marketing: Creativity, Data & Delicious Debates
Merry Fresh-mas! 🎄This week on the Fresh Bunch Podcast, we’re joined by the marvelous Jet Fresh Growers Marketing team—our very own Emilia Coloma and Diana Flores.Emi and Diana dive into what marketing looks like at the farm level, h...
Ep. 196 - Just Recapping with the Freshies
While Mike is off playing Santa in Ecuador, the Fresh Bunch goes delightfully off the rails in this laugh-out-loud filler episode. From the biggest (and quirkiest) flower trends of 2025 to the words that defined the year, we recap the moments, ...
Ep. 195 - Rooted in Passion with Marc Sassen of VIP ROSES
In this episode of The Fresh Bunch, we dive into the remarkable journey of the Sassen family—whose story began on a small carnation farm in the Netherlands in the 1960s and blossomed into one of the world’s most renowned floral brands....
Ep. 194 - The Fresh Bunch Wrapped Episode: Hail, Holidays & Highlights
A Wrapped Episode This week, the Fresh Bunch sits down for our own year-end “Wrapped,” unboxing a full lineup of stories and highlights. We dive into all things Miami Art Week, reminisce about our own Artful Fresh Fest,...
Ep. 193 - Good Words, Good Business: Robert Luebcke’s Floral Philosophy
This week, The Fresh Bunch brings you an episode overflowing with New York energy and floral heart as we welcome the one and only Robert Luebcke of J. Van Vliet NY. Robert shares how his uncle first pulled him into the floral wo...
Ep. 192 - From Idea to Ink: The Story Behind The Pursuit of Purpose by Lane DeVries
Extra, extra — Freshies HEAR all about it! We’ve got BIG news on the Fresh Bunch Podcast! Lane DeVries’ brand-new book, The Pursuit of Purpose, officially has a launch date. On November 24th, the book is available on Amazon, and ...
Ep. 191 - Sweet Home Smilax with Jordan Prosser of Salters Evergreen
The Fresh Bunch is back and bringing the laughs — even though we are missing Mike! This week, we’re hanging out with Jordan Prosser of Salters Evergreen, the Alabama Smilax Specialist. Jordan gives us the lowdown on Smilax, his N...
Ep. 190 - Big Ideas, Bigger Blooms: Joe Don Zetzsche on Retail, Roots & AI
This week on The Fresh Bunch Podcast, we’re going Texas-sized with a true industry legend — Joe Don Zetzsche of Rocking Bar Z.With a 35-year career leading the floral revolution at H-E-B, Joe helped transform everyday flower sho...