Change isn’t coming—it’s already here.
Over the past few weeks, the heads of Anthropic and Ford have made headlines by openly acknowledging that AI could eliminate half of their workforce. Let that sink in. These are not startup founders waving a flag—they’re leaders of some of the most established companies on the planet. They’re not speculating. They’re preparing.
At the same time, Figure AI is demonstrating human-shaped robots that can walk, grip, and carry. In China, factories are deploying robots that don’t even need to be plugged in—they simply change their own batteries and keep working. Around the clock. No smoke breaks. No PTO. No sick days.
So what does this have to do with flowers?
Everything.
The floral industry—from growers to bouquet designers to logistics to retail—is deeply physical, visual, and time-sensitive. And that makes us prime for AI and robotics disruption.
Imagine a world where robots harvest and sort stems based on length, quality, head-size and color grading—faster and more accurately than any human ever could. Imagine AI handling your entire demand forecasting model, down to weather-adjusted purchasing by zip code. Imagine 24/7 virtual sales assistants on your website that don’t just take orders—they upsell, answer customer questions, and handle complaints with empathy and speed. Not next year. Now.
This isn’t science fiction anymore. This is infrastructure being laid as we speak.
Here’s the point: whether you’re growing Gerberas in Colombia or running a flower shop in Miami, the industry is about to feel the same tectonic shift we saw in retail, logistics, and finance over the past five years. (Did you see that Wal-mart just announced their new senior leader for AI and their desire to own their own AI models?). The question isn’t if AI and robotics will transform floral—it’s how prepared you’ll be when it does.
And that preparation starts with you, the leader.
If you’re not personally working with a large language model tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini—pick one), then you’re already behind. I challenge every floral leader reading this: spend at least 15 minutes every workday using AI. Not just reading about it—using it. Practice until it’s second nature. And beyond that, flip your daily mindset. Don’t just ask, “What strategic work do I need to do today?” Ask instead: “How can I use AI to drive the strategic work I need to do today?” That single shift in thinking could change everything.
Let’s not be the industry that reacts five years too late.
Let’s be the one that leads—because our customers aren’t going to wait for us to catch up. And our competitors won’t either.
If Ford Motor Company is preparing to lose half its people, what makes us think we’re exempt? If robots can work 24/7 in a Chinese factory, they’ll soon be boxing arrangements or scanning inventory in a cold floral warehouse somewhere in Texas—or your city.
This is not about fear. It’s about possibility.
It’s about efficiency, creativity, and scale like we’ve never seen before. And for those of us who embrace it early, it’s going to be one hell of a competitive edge.
You don’t have to have all the answers yet. But you’d better be asking the right questions.
This is going to be fun.
About the Author
Joe Don Zetzsche is a transformative leader in retail marketing and operations with a passion for elevating customer experiences and fostering high-performing teams. As Vice President of BLOOMS Floral Marketing at H-E-B, he led the transformation of its floral business from a traditional supermarket department into an award-winning full-service floral shop—growing annual sales from $80M to over $300M and earning recognition as the fastest-growing floral business in the U.S. mass-market segment. Honored with the Produce Marketing Association Floral Marketer of the Year Award and the International Fresh Produce Association “Team of Six” Merger Award, Joe now owns and operates Rocking Bar Z, bringing the same commitment to innovation, excellence, and empowering talent to his own ventures.
Published by New Bloom Media
New Bloom Media (NBM) is the first multi-channel B2B media platform dedicated solely to the floral industry across the Americas. Through thought leadership, industry insights, and collaborative storytelling, NBM helps businesses innovate, connect, and thrive.
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