We had the good fortune of connecting with Lou Quismorio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lou, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was a child, my father was in corporate New York City. He worked for a Cabrini Medical Center as the CFO for years. When a new CEO came into the picture, he was let go.
I knew at that moment I wanted to be my own boss.

I’ve worked since I was 13 (my first job was at a flower shop on the weekends) and my ambitions were always to learn as much as I can, watch the boss and see what he does.

I was in the first class of graduates of the Entrepreneurship program at Cal Poly. They have since had me back to speak to the students.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business has been in business for almost 100 years. The original business ‘Simpson’s Florist” was started in 1928 and has truly lasted the test of time. Experience and business ethics are what has enabled us to stand so long. We are most proud of what we do in the community.
I worked at this flower shop when I was in college and now I own it. I always dreamed of owning such a high-volume shop. We have so many long-time employees with the longest being here 30 years. We have over 150 years of combined design experience between our 6 master designers.
We have flowers in the Rose Parade (the Pasadena Fire department) All of the Rose bowl flowers including all UCLA games. We were also the official florist of The Dodgers for years (prior to the arrival of Ohtani) .
I’ve learned many, many lessons along the way most importantly: How you treat your staff has a direct impact on the success of your business, and be fair to your customers & they will be a life-long, if not generational customer (which we have quite a few of)

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start with a drive down Sunset through Hollywood ending at PCH. we would then drive PCH north to Malibu and eat at Geoffrey’s overlooking the ocean.
Another day could be spent exploring where I live, Sierra Madre. We could start with breakfast at Mary’s Market (open since 1922) for a outdoor mountain-view fantastic meal. Then make our way to Bailey Canyon for a beautiful mountain hike with amazing views. Finish the day at Nano cafe in town.
Another day could be spent zipping around the LA area for local sights: Griffith Park & observatory, Los Feliz area including the Hollywood sign. Stop by The Americana ibn Glendale or universal Citywalk. Gotta go by Melrose for a nice daily walk. End the day in Beverly Hills and have a REAL slice of New York Style pizza at Mulberry St. Pizza.
If we had time we could drive up the coast to Solvang, Heart Castle or Santa Barbara for a cool day trip.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My education both in school and on-the-job was crucial to my success. There was one person, Art Bogad, that really taught me how to successfully run a small business. How to be “everything” within your business: marketing, operations, accounting, inventory, bookkeeping etc. The list goes on. He taught me best practices and business ethics that would last a lifetime.

Website: https://www.theflowerman.net

Instagram: theflowermanpasadena

Facebook: The Flowerman

Yelp: The Flowerman

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