GiGi Professional – GiGi’s Blooms

We’re so excited to be building our program GiGi’s Blooms here at the Playhouse. It’s a program that combines creativity, community, and heartfelt work with our Adults. 

GiGi’s Blooms was spearheaded by our Executive Director, Dana Ramsey, to continue to expand the professional opportunities supported at GiGi’s for our participants. This creative endeavor gives the chance to learn hands-on job skills in a fun, supportive environment while creating beautiful floral arrangements for local businesses within the community.

Each shift, our interns work together to design arrangements using fresh flowers and greenery. Along the way, they build valuable skills like teamwork, communication, time management, customer service, and creative design. Most importantly, they gain confidence and experience through creative exploration and professional development.

When developing our business structure, our team identified several job roles and skills our interns would train in. These include:

Purchasing: GiGi’s Blooms interns are training to pick and choose all floral products, supplies, and materials needed to support our creations. This includes building and maintaining relationships with our wholesale partner, Cleveland Plant and Flowers, and other vendors. Purchasing responsibilities include monitoring inventory levels, placing timely orders, event-driven demands, and looking at quality and cost-effectiveness. 

Quality Control: our interns are learning to ensure that all floral products received and created meet GiGi’s Blooms’ standards for freshness, appearance, and longevity. This includes inspecting incoming florals for freshness and longevity, discarding products that do not meet specifications, and monitoring the condition of inventory throughout its shelf life. Quality control will ensure that every customer receives a product they are proud to give or display. 

Product Design: When working on floral design, our interns learn they are responsible for creating beautiful floral arrangements, bouquets, centerpieces, and other floral products that reflect the GiGi’s Blooms brand. Our interns are learning about seasonal styles, and customer preferences to develop their creative eyes. 

Sales: Our interns are learning sales by promoting the GiGi’s Blooms arrangements they make to both new and existing customers. This includes managing individual sales, processing orders, and building lasting relationships with corporate partners, event planners, and repeat customers. 

Customer Service: Blooms interns team are building and training to learn the skills needed for customer service. They will start to serve as a point of contact between GiGi’s Blooms and its customers, ensuring every interaction is positive, professional, and memorable. Interns will assist customers in floral decisions, processing orders and special requests, resolving concerns, and following up to ensure customer satisfaction. 

Marketing: Our interns are learning that marketing entails promoting the floral business and its products to attract new customers and retain existing ones. This includes managing the company’s social media presence, website, email campaigns, and print or digital advertising efforts. They work closely with the design and sales teams to showcase GiGi’s Blooms’ work and communicate our unique service and product to the community. 

Focusing on development of specific workplace skillsets will support our adults in finding meaningful employment and fosters each of their individual professional identity and passions.

What makes Blooms especially meaningful is the connection to our local community. The arrangements created here are delivered to local businesses, helping brighten offices, restaurants, and other businesses while also fostering inclusive employment opportunities.

This program is about so much more than flowers. It’s about creating a space where adults with Down syndrome can explore their talents, develop independence, and feel proud of the work they are doing.