Jim McCann - 1-800-Flowers Founder | The $1.2B Flower Empire That Almost Failed

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Jim McCann is the founder and executive chairman of 1-800-Flowers.com, a company he grew from a single flower shop in 1976 into a multi-billion-dollar business. Under his leadership, the company became a pioneer in e-commerce and direct-to-consumer floral delivery, generating over $2 billion in annual revenue and serving millions of customers worldwide. McCann also expanded the brand through strategic acquisitions, including Harry & David, Cheryl’s Cookies, and The Popcorn Factory. A best-selling author and entrepreneur, he is known for his focus on customer relationships, innovation, and leveraging technology to transform the gifting industry.

➡️ Show Links

https://www.x.com/jim1800flowers/   

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim1800flowers/

➡️ Books

https://www.amazon.com/Lodestar-Tapping-Historic-Pillars-Success/dp/1637632738

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➡️ Talking Points

00:00 - Intro

05:34 - Did Jim Know 1-800-Flowers Would Be Huge?

07:52 - Fixing the Biggest Flower Shop Problem

11:09 - Jim’s Entrepreneurial Roots

16:48 - Leading & Scaling a Successful Company

21:06 - Jim’s Boldest Move at 1-800-Flowers

24:12 - The Success Pillars from Lodestar

33:29 - The Power of Words

35:06 - Sponsor Break

37:44 - Jim’s Best Self-Improvement Habit

42:59 - The #1 Success Principle from Lodestar

47:25 - How Jim Stayed Optimistic

50:14 - Game-Changing Lessons from Jim’s Career

55:43 - Sponsor Break

57:57 - AI: The Good & The Bad

1:03:10 - Jim’s Journey & the Story of Smile Farms

1:10:58 - Building a Non-Profit That Works

1:17:39 - Why Work Is More Than Just a Paycheck

1:24:52 - Jim’s Life Lesson for His Kids

Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott D. Clary (@scottdclary). On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups and entrepreneurship. Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas and insights. He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their story to help pass those lessons onto others through both experiences and tactical strategy for business professionals, entrepreneurs and everyone in between. To get more of the Success Story podcast, go to www.successstorypodcast.com.