What stage of flower farming are you at? (and how to get unstuck) (SFFF63)
One of the most important things you can do as a flower farmer (especially if you’re trying to grow a business that doesn’t run you into the ground) is figuring out exactly where you are in your journey. Because the truth is, what works in year one probably won’t work in year five. And if you’re stuck spinning your wheels, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s probably because you’re focused on the wrong things for the stage you’re in.
Knowing your stage helps you get clear on what’s working, what’s not, and what to actually focus on next. It gives you permission to stop comparing yourself to someone who's five years ahead of you—or spinning your wheels trying to do CEO-level tasks when you're still trying to pay yourself for the first time. In this blog, we’re going to break down the three most common flower farming business stages I’ve seen over and over again: the Hustler Stage, the Entrepreneur Stage, and the CEO Stage.
Let’s figure out where you are and how to move forward—without the burnout.
The Hustler Stage: Doing It All, All the Time
If you’ve ever found yourself harvesting in the dark, skipping meals, or saying yes to every single sales request that comes your way—welcome to what I call the Hustler Stage of flower farming. This is where most of us start. You're wearing all the hats, juggling a million tasks, and pouring everything you have into the farm because you're determined to make it work. It’s full of passion and excitement, but also a lot of chaos and confusion.
At this stage, it’s common to be growing too many flowers for too many outlets, often without knowing which ones are actually profitable. Boundaries and systems? Practically nonexistent. You might feel like you're just throwing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks—and honestly, that’s okay. This part of the journey is messy, but it's also necessary. The goal here is to get scrappy and strategic. Start tracking your numbers (even loosely), simplify what you're offering, and focus on one ideal customer. The sooner you know what’s working, the sooner you can stop doing what’s not.
Moving from Hustler to Entrepreneur
Eventually, the adrenaline of startup life fades and the exhaustion starts to catch up. That’s often when folks step into the Entrepreneur Stage. You're bringing in revenue, maybe even six figures in gross sales, but you're still the bottleneck in your business. Every decision goes through you. Every problem lands in your lap. You’re stuck in the business, which makes it nearly impossible to work on the business.
The biggest trap here is wearing too many hats for too long. You might feel like hiring or delegating is more work than it’s worth. But if you want to scale without burnout, this is the time to create simple systems—nothing fancy, just repeatable processes for things like harvesting, bouquet making, and fulfilling orders. From there, price for profit based on your true costs, and start making intentional hires who can take on real responsibility, not just one-off tasks.
Stepping Into the CEO Role
The final stage most small-scale flower farmers reach is what I call the CEO Stage. This is where you’ve got traction, your sales outlets are dialed in, and you’re running a legitimate, profitable business. But even here, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing too much. You might still be managing everything from marketing to crop planning to customer service. The difference now is that you know you can’t keep doing it all—and you’re ready to build a business that doesn’t rely solely on your nonstop effort.
This is where you shift from thinking like a farmer with a business to being a business owner who farms. That means hiring leadership, delegating bigger chunks of responsibility, and building in time to plan instead of just reacting. Your focus moves toward long-term strategy, launch planning, and building a sustainable business that actually supports the life you want to live.
How to Know What Stage You're In
Here’s a quick breakdown to help you identify your stage:
Hustler Stage: Doing it all yourself, not paying yourself consistently, saying yes to every sale, little to no tracking of time or money.
Entrepreneur Stage: Revenue is growing but you’re still in the weeds. Some systems in place, maybe a part-time helper, but you’re still the go-to for everything.
CEO Stage: You’ve built a team, have clear roles, and are starting to delegate high-level decisions. You’re thinking more like a business owner and less like a task manager.
None of these stages are right or wrong—and you're not stuck in any of them forever. But the first step to growing a profitable and purposeful flower farm is figuring out where you are now and what’s keeping you there.
Ready to Move Forward?
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to grow without burning out, this episode is for you. I dive deeper into each of these flower farming business stages in Episode 63 of the Six Figure Flower Farming Podcast and walk you through how to get unstuck no matter where you are right now.
