There are people in the floral industry who build businesses, and then there are those who quietly reshape the way an entire sector thinks, leads, and prepares for the future. Joe Don Zetzsche belongs to the latter. From growing up on a Texas farm to leading one of the most successful retail floral transformations in the United States through BLOOMS by H E B, his journey is rooted in leadership, long-term thinking, and an unusual ability to see what is coming next. But this story is not only about retail success or growing a business from millions to hundreds of millions in sales. It is also about change, technology, people, faith, resilience, and the responsibility of leadership in a rapidly shifting world.
In this week’s 10 Questions, Joe Don speaks openly about the future of AI in floriculture, the risks many businesses are failing to prepare for, the mentors who shaped him, and the mindset required to remain relevant in the years ahead. His reflections move far beyond flowers alone. They touch on purpose, vision, and the kind of leadership that leaves a lasting impact on both people and industries. Continue reading to step into the mind of someone who has spent decades building, observing, and preparing for what comes next.
Question 1
For those who don’t know you, who are you, and what do you do?
"My name is Joe Don Zetzsche. I grew up on a farm and ranch in Texas, but my calling was to move to the city and work in retail. I worked for H-E-B for 35 years, working my way up from a checker position, through store leadership, to my final position in the company, leading the floral business for my final 16 years. (For those who may not have heard of H-E-B, they are a regional, privately owned mass retail company that consistently ranks as one of the top retailers in the U.S.A. For example, Dunnhumby has ranked H-E-B as the best retailer for six out of the past seven years.) I was blessed to lead a transformation of the flower business at H-E-B from a typical supermarket “Floral Market” to “BLOOMS by H-E-B”, a full-service floral shop embedded in over 300 stores. We grew the business from $80M in sales in 2008 to over $400M when I retired in 2024.
Since then, I’ve created a consulting company, which I named for my family cattle brand: Rocking Bar Z. I’m blessed to work with the owners and CEOs of companies in the floral industry, helping them deliver stronger strategic planning, Marketing/Brand creation, Change Management, and grow a winning people culture in their business. I also am a correspondent for “The Bloom Show” with a monthly podcast for them, and I’m a volunteer leader (Vice Chair and incoming Chair of the Board) for That Flower Feeling: A non-profit organization focused on creating and delivering industry-level marketing for the flower industry to drive consumption of flowers in the U.S. Our latest campaign is 'Just Add Flowers'."
Question 2
What is so special about your job?
"It’s truly a wonderful role that I play in the industry. I’m blessed to be retained by four companies now, where I consult with their leaders and leadership teams to help them drive change and grow their businesses. I have also become a daily student of the exponential explosion in technology (AI, large language models, automation, including autonomous vehicles, synthetic biology, etc.). This has become a passion of mine, and I work to ensure leaders in the floral industry are aware of the massive changes that are coming in our lives and our businesses."
Question 3
Are there any specific challenges or obstacles you’ve faced at work, and how did you overcome them?
"For the most part, I work remotely, so it takes time to truly get to know each leader and their team environment to drive change. Over time, however, we find our rhythm, and I’ve been so thrilled to see the impact each client has made in driving results in a different way with my advice and support! Each client is different, so the work is refreshing and interesting each week. I’m truly blessed to work with amazing companies and leaders who are all completely engaged in making a brighter future happen for their teams and businesses."
Question 4
What are the threats in the industry, and if so, do you have any solutions for them?
"The largest “threat” to the industry is the exponential change that is coming in the next two to five years, and the impacts these exploding technologies will enable in the industry. I find that other than the largest companies, which are consolidating and enabling themselves to invest and adapt, most in the industry are not contemplating these changes or beginning to develop the talent within their teams to be successful. These coming changes are exponential in nature, and we just don’t think, plan, and lead in exponential terms. All of our strategies and tools for leading and planning in our businesses are linear, based on growth plans, capital plans, technology investments, selling activities, etc., that we think of in five-year plans, or in growth over the last year.
When we are faced with technology that is doubling in capacity every four months (as AI LLM’s, Agentic AI, Humanoid robots and automation technologies powered by AI, Autonomous vehicles including cars, trucks, warehouse equipment, farm equipment, drones, and vertical lift vehicles, as well as synthetic biology), we are not focused nearly enough on developing our mindsets and our team’s readiness for the coming impacts. There will be massive consolidation, fallout, and change to our current supply chain winners and losers based on each leader’s ability to come to grips with this change and adapt their businesses to the impacts of that change."
Question 5
How has technology, such as e-commerce platforms or digital marketing, affected your industry? What strategies have you employed to stay competitive?
"As I mentioned in question 4, technology and the way we are using it in the industry today is in a current state of rapid disruption. Our current successful e-commerce models will not be the winning models of the future. In the very near future, our personal AI agents will do most of the shopping for us autonomously, and the winning retailers and their supply chains will have the AI infrastructure so that their agents will smoothly and reliably work with our agents to fulfill our wishes. Today, there is not one retailer that is prepared to do this in the flower gifting or self-purchase space, primarily because mass retailers use assorted upc’s and don’t have a view of their actual inventories in every location by color, style, variety, design, etc. This will be solved by the largest and fastest retailers in the space.
Currently, the two leaders who are revolutionizing their supply chain and e-commerce delivery processes are Amazon and Walmart. It will be interesting to see which of these figures out within their processes and supply chains how to do this for fresh flowers and custom vase arrangements, or if a new entrepreneurial company beats them to that new solution. Growers and suppliers will quickly have to figure out how to work with the winning companies that make this happen in our industry. There will be stark winners and losers in the coming decade for sure."
Question 6
Who (in or outside the floral industry) is an inspiring example to you? And Why?
"When it comes to understanding the coming impacts of technology, my current role model is Peter Diamandis. I strongly recommend each reader to Google or ask Chat or their favorite AI model about him. He is deeply embedded with the leaders who are driving these technologies and has been for decades. With degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Molecular Genetics from MIT, along with an MD from Harvard, trust me when I say that he knows what’s coming and is happening every day in the coming world. Before him, Ray Kurzweil (I strongly recommend his book 'The Singularity is Near' where he foretold the technology journey, we are living way back in 1999) continues to inspire me.
In the industry, I’ve been inspired by the incredible leaders I’ve worked with including Lane Devries, Carlos Oramos, Scott Geisbrecht, Juan Carlos Hannaford, Cathy Burns, Jaime Peisach, the legendary Sam Ferrara, Bill Schaffer, Danny Temkin, Tatiana Castro Perez, Michelle Sutton, Sahid Nahim, Michael Schrader and other retail leaders, and gosh, probably another 100 leaders that have taught me so much and led beside me in the industry for the past nearly 20 years. If I didn’t mention you by name, know that you still mean the world to me, my friends. In retail, Charles Butt, Craig Boyan, Martin Otto, Roxanne Orsak, Bill Anderson, Rob Hall, Marcos Perez, Hugh Topper, and my entire BLOOMS Floral team, past and present, who taught me and worked beside me as we built what I believe is the best retail Floral business in the country."
Question 7
How do you handle stress or difficult moments in your life?
"First of all, I was redeemed by, and I serve Jesus Christ. I am truly blessed, and there is no question that he has led and continues to lead me on the path that is best for me and those around me, if I listen to his whisper and call. I’ve also learned the power of having a small group of people that I can talk to about anything. Being able to share and talk through the challenges we face, supporting each other, is a powerful way to deal with the challenges of living and leading through the massive changes we’ve been feeling over the last decade.
Finally, I’ve been mentored by amazing humans, and one of the tools I’ve learned is the power of written goals kept visible, updated, and in daily use. By taking the time to write down your strategic goals, both personal and business, in a concrete form with formal deadlines and a vision of what success will look like when they are achieved, you are able to always balance the daily challenges with that strategic mindset. You find you take the time to think deeply and not just react. By incorporating this process with your group of close friends and with your walk with the Lord, you truly become resilient and able to support others around you through these challenges."
Question 8
What has been the best (floral or non-floral) news for you lately, or of the last year?
"I’ve been so blessed to build a new business and find that my voice is more relevant today than ever. I was worried when I retired that my prominence in the industry might be solely driven by the business that I led, the 'Power of the Purchase Order', but I’ve been blessed to find the industry has welcomed me and wonderfully celebrated my new role. This has been so very gratifying, and I am so grateful to every leader in the industry who has embraced me and continues to engage with me."
Question 9
Which is your favorite flower/plant, and why is it good for you?
"My favorite flower is the Magnolia blossom, which, of course, simply can’t be cut and marketed, but is so beautiful to me. My friends also know me as “the orchid whisperer,” and I’m blessed right now to have three of my Phalaenopsis and one of my Vanda orchids currently in rebloom for me. My home is a jungle both inside and out, and I love every plant, tree, and flower in my environment."
Question 10
What are you doing this weekend?
"I will work this weekend on my 156-year-old home in downtown San Antonio as well as on one of my vehicles. (This weekend, it’s work on my 1976 Jeep CJ5). I will enjoy my downtown San Antonio lifestyle, including a fine bourbon at my favorite bar and another fabulous meal. My 160 Saint Bernard will be snoring beside me, and I will be with the ones that I love, enjoying my Manor and Jungle oasis four blocks from the Alamo. Come visit me sometime!"
Joe Don Zetzsche’s story is a reminder that true leadership is not only about building successful businesses but also about preparing people for the future while staying grounded in purpose, relationships, and continuous learning. His perspective on retail, technology, and the floral industry offers valuable lessons for anyone navigating change in today’s world. If you know a grower, breeder, florist, marketer, or industry leader with a story worth sharing, recommend them for a future edition of 10 Questions by reaching out to edwin@thursd.com.
All pictures courtesy of Joe Don Zetzsche.
