Sweet Root Shadowing Program

Spend a week deep in the event trenches with a full-immersion experience alongside the Sweet Root floral team. Become a literal fly on the wall, a shadow, as you observe a typical week of floral production in motion with the in-house team from supply pulls, floral processing, planning and organizing a team of designers, navigating sourcing challenges, managing multiple events, and getting teams out the door all the way through to designing on site, leading a team to complete an event setup and observing the tear down process. Learn our tips and tricks, studio organization hacks, warehouse layout, and overall business management during a typical week.

Then take part in an in-depth virtual debrief in the first week or two following the event to discuss your questions and thoughts with owners, Lauren and Rachel from Sweet Root and then another virtual mentor session down the road to catch up, discuss further questions, and to touch base on personal goals for adapting!

The Actual Details

What is Included:

  • Five days alongside the Sweet Root Village team in their Alexandria, Virginia warehouse
  • All-access pass into the ins and outs of our event floral production, studio snooping rights
  • One initial virtual (2hr) debrief session with Lauren and Rachel after shadowing week is complete
  • One additional followup virtual (1hr) mentoring session 
  • Additional Templates and Notes

What is NOT included:

You'll need to take care of your own Transportation, Room, and Board.

What it Costs:

Full program price is $3,950 with $500 of it due at the reservation of your session. Only one attendee is allowed per available session.  ( Have a business partner or manager you'd like to join you? Inquire in regards to a bundled rate. )

What to Expect:

Each session will include preparations for at least 2 typical full-scale Sweet Root events, sometimes more. You will experience  raw, unfiltered day-to-day management and design. For more information and specifics, message or email the Sweet Root team – thevillage@sweetrootvillage.com.

AVAILABLE SESSIONS

Session A

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May 28-June 1, 2024
Alexandria, Virginia

This session includes preparation for multiple events and attending the setup of at least one event.

$3950

Session B

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June 4-8, 2023
Alexandria, Virginia

This session includes preparation for multiple events and attending the setup of at least one event.

$3950

Testimonials

"The candid insights to workflow, pricing, client relationships, and building a team that owner Rachel shared continue to be priceless as our own design studio expands.  Although I wasn't sure what to expect out of shadowing, I certainly came away filled in intangible ways. Spending time with joy filled creative professionals who speak the flower & business language as well as intentionally build a sense of belonging in their team fired me up.  The Sweet Rood Village team truly live out meaningful influence in the floral design industry full of life and laughter"

Karen Roa, Aleen Floral Design

"Spending a few days with Rachel and Lauren and their incredible team was truly a dream come true. My time in their studio was invaluable - they are the real deal. The SRV team welcomed me with open arms and taught me more than I could have ever learned in a class or from a book. They answered all of my questions and allowed me to work side by side with them in the studio as they guided me through centerpieces and large installments such as their signature table top trees. I was able to help set up a wedding at a client’s beautiful home and also with the breakdown of another wedding at a high end hotel. The hands-on, behind-the-scenes expierence was priceless as it has boosted my knowledge and confidence in my own floral business. I am extremely grateful for my visit to Sweet Root Village and I would highly recommend it to other floral designers!" 

Renae Buning, Alice Hatch Floral

"These are the first words that come to mind from my shadowing experience:  Welcoming. Informative. Transparent. Fun. Productive. Peaceful. Lively. Proficient. Loving. Adept.

 I knew that I would be transitioning out of my teaching career in a year's time and needed to better understand the business components behind the beauty of floral design.  I believed that Sweet Root Village had the goods and decided to sign up for their shadowing program.  Lauren, Rachel and the SRV Team did not disappoint.  From day one, sitting in on the start of the week's business meeting, I felt welcomed and they were open to all of my questions throughout the week.  I was totally blessed to see the inner workings, implementation and execution of an extremely successful floral business and their events. The experience exceeded my expectations and I have experienced growth in knowledge, business and in my floral community.  I recommend the SRV Shadowing Program.  Take lots of notes & and ask lots of questions.  Trust that you will have their support and access from the front door, to the warehouse, cooler, proposals, petal prep, trucks, venues and more.  The more transparent you are about where you are in your floral journey the more beneficial the experience will be for you.  One of my friends said, "I've never seen anyone benefit from a shadowing program the way that your business has."  The two follow-up Zoom sessions with Rachel and Lauren helped me to begin to implement what I learned."

Marsha Parker, Refined Gatherings

Website

Terms and Conditions:

By purchasing this shadowing session, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

Mentoring Sessions
The two 1hr mentoring sessions following the shadowing experience will take place virtually at a mutually agreeable time for both parties. Sessions must take place within 3 months of the shadowing experience or will be forfeited. Mentoring sessions will carry no monetary value and cannot be traded for product, other services, or refunded.

Educational Experience
Sweet Root Village grants no guarantees about specific topics or experiences covered during this shadowing experience. No one-on-one training is included outside of what is directly relevant to SRV’s production week. The hours available to shadow are determined by Sweet Root Village, and Attendee cannot request extra hours outside of those standard studio and event timeframes. SRV will provide a rough timeline approximately two weeks prior to the shadowing week. Topics and experiences are determined by the events that take place during the shadowing week. Attendee is welcome to ask relevant questions of the owners, Lauren and Rachel, throughout the day based on active production, but is encouraged to save large topics of discussion for the followup sessions after the shadowing experience.

Student is not required nor expected to provide any work during the time of the shadowing experience, and SRV is not liable to compensate for any voluntary work provided.

Payment Terms
A limited amount of mentoring sessions are available each year, so a $500 non-refundable retainer is required to reserve your session. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to the session start date. The retainer payment is accepted online only by credit or debit card. The remaining balance will be invoiced to the attendee separately and can be paid via credit, debit, or bank transfer. A $50 discount will be offered for bank transfers.

Cancellation and Travel Costs
SRV is not responsible for any travel, food, or accommodations. Attendee is encouraged to book accommodations that do not have strict cancellation policies, as SRV is not liable for those costs incurred or damages in the case of cancellation or rescheduling. 

Attendee has up until 30 days prior to the session to cancel with a full refund except the initial $500 retainer that is non-refundable.

All payments are non-refundable within 30 days of the scheduled shadowing session. If the student cancels the shadowing session within this timeframe, no monies will be refunded and SRV will not be responsible for any future credit. If student chooses to reschedule, the new date must take place within 12 months of the originally booked session and is subject to SRV availability.

If SRV initiates a cancelation of the session within the 60 day window, a full refund will be issued including the initial retainer, however SRV is not liable for any lost travel expenses. If full payment is not received by 30 days prior to the session, your ticket will be cancelled and your retainer will be forfeited.

Limit of liability
SRV is not liable for any injuries or damage to person or property while participating in the shadowing program. 

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Rights
Nothing in this Agreement or during the shadowing session shall transfer ownership of or rights to any intellectual property of SRV to the Attendee, nor grant any right or license other than those stated in this Agreement. 

All photos, videos, notes, and information gained from this shadowing experience are for the sole purpose of educating the attendee and are not to be shared, sold, or represented as their own. Any proprietary or confidential information obtained during this session including client, employee, or financial information shall expressly remain confidential and shall not be shared.

A Little Bit About Us

Sweet Root Village began over a glass of wine and dreams of a creative and wonderful future doing what we love most: floral design and building community. Our studio space in Alexandria, VA is where all the magic happens. We have an amazing team that shares our passion for life and for people, and we couldn’t be more excited to share all we've learned as we all continue to grow together.

est 2010