In the ever-evolving world of flowers and logistics, few names resonate with as much history, humor, and heart as William "Williee" Armellini. Born into a family of logistics and flowers, Williee has carved his colorful path—part storyteller, part historian, and full-time champion of the floral community. Through his digital platform, flowersandcents.com, he has become a trusted voice in the industry, known for capturing the essence of floral trends, challenges, and personalities across the Americas.
Whether he’s behind a camera at a flower show, crafting wood in his workshop, jamming with his band, or walking one of his four rescue dogs, Williee does it all with a rare blend of authenticity and passion. This week, on the 10 questions, we catch up with the multi-talented man behind the screen to uncover his journey, perspectives, and love for peonies. Read on!
Question 1
For those who don’t know you, who are you, and what do you do?
"My name is William 'Williee' Armellini. I am part of the Armellini Logistics family and that led me into a life of trucks and flowers. I no longer work in the family business but remain in floral since there appears to be no escape once you get involved with flowers. I am a musician, artist, author and woodworker, which keeps me busy when not working on my floral news network flowersandcents.com. I am married with 3 children and 4 grandkids. I started flowersandcents.com as a news publication after working for importers and wholesalers in the US. Flowersandcents.com started as a simple floral message board discussing the floral business but specifically the beginning and end of a floral company called USA Floral Products.
After their grand collapse I recognized that most print floral publications were disappearing, and I had the only online floral audience. So, I turned the message board into a news publication and newsletter."
Question 2
What is so special about your job?
"Many people in the flower business have grown to expect me to inform them about what is happening in the global flower business, specifically North and South America. It is very rewarding for me to get feedback from followers that my coverage means a great deal to them, and they trust what they read on flowersandcents. When asked what I do for a living, I tell people that:
“I travel the world taking pictures of pretty people and flowers, posting them on my website, and then people send me money to advertise.”
I am also interested in capturing the history of the business by interviewing industry professionals who have made a difference. I hope that the archive of interviews will stand as a good history lesson to those who come after. "
Question 3
Are there any specific challenges or obstacles you’ve faced at work, and how did you overcome them?
"The biggest challenge I faced was figuring out how to monetize a website. Since I started flowersandcents.com in 2001, before Facebook and many of the social media platforms, the message board ran itself. Anonymous posters provided all the content, and I just had to keep it up and running. But that did not provide any funds, so I needed a better plan. One day, I received an email from a poster who said he wanted to buy some advertising on my site. I said I didn’t sell any, so he said I will send you $50 per month if you post my business card on your site. Ok, I saw the first signs of revenue, and within a few weeks, I had others calling with similar offers, and a small business was born.
But the truth is, I could not make a decent living off the website. Luckily, I have saved up enough that the revenue from flowersandcents.com covers my travel and site hosting expenses. I chose to do this because I love the floral industry and the people in it."
Question 4
What are the threats in the industry, and if so, do you have any solutions for them?
"At the moment, tariffs are the biggest threat to the floral industry. The current US administration will make a mess of things, and flowers are a convenient target. With that said, the flower business has survived many challenges over the decades. COVID nearly killed it, and anti-dumping duties made importing flowers very expensive in the 90s. While flowers are a luxury item and tariffs will hurt, I believe that the love of flowers will outlast the love of power."
Question 5
How has technology, such as e-commerce platforms or digital marketing, affected your industry? What strategies have you employed to stay competitive?
"Since flowersadcents.com is one of the digital marketing companies, I see the challenge for the industry differently. The internet has created many good things. For example, I can open an app on my phone and identify birds by recording their songs and sounds. That recording can tell the host where the sounds were recorded and thus follow bird migrations, a beautiful application. I can also chat and see my family online, no matter where they are.
But the internet has also given an audience to those with the biggest budgets or the biggest mouths. Consumers searching for flowers online require knowledge and diligence if they want to buy from a local company. Algorithms are running our online lives, and AI is only going to make that more complicated and challenging. But there is no turning back."
Question 6
Who (in or outside the floral industry) is an inspiring example to you? And Why?
"There is a company in Miami named Jet Fresh Flowers. Mike Black and his many children have created a company that, within ten years, has become a player in the very crowded Miami marketplace.
Mike comes from a New York City floral family, and despite many setbacks and challenges, he has managed to overcome those and build a company that has many in the business talking. Jet Fresh Flowers is not a big company by Miami standards, but they have grown by being different and very visible on and offline."
Question 7
How do you handle stress or difficult moments in your life?
"Stress happens, and you must deal with it. When I have an advertiser cancel an ad, I stress over why and what I could have done better to serve them. But stress comes in all shapes and sizes, and from home and work. I try not to get worried about things I cannot control. Take the current stock market! I cannot control what the market is going to do, but I certainly could stress about it if I chose to. However, there is little to gain and more to lose.
There are times when you need to act and times when you need to chill. I prefer to chill because shit happens."
Question 8
What has been the best (floral or non-floral) news for you lately, or of the last year?
"For me, good news comes in many ways. A new advertiser that wants to become a sponsor of flowersancents.com is music to my ears. It means that they see value in what I do. Another comes from followers who go out of their way to find me at an event and tell me that they value what I write and report.
The good news is that when one of my fellow floral professionals gets recognized at an industry event. The flower business is about people, and when someone is honored, it reinforces the connections that we share. I have attended floral conventions since I was 14 years old, and when I meet with others who have been on the same journey, that is good news."
Question 9
Which is your favorite flower/plant, and why is it good for you?
"Growing up in Southern New Jersey, I had the benefit of seeing and smelling flowers daily. Growers would deliver their products in open wooden bushels to be sent to the wholesalers in the northeast. This allowed me to see and smell so and learn about many different flowers. Snapdragons, Celosia, Gladiolas, to name a few, but if I had to pick one favorite, it would be the peony. That beautiful ball on a stick that could burst open into the most beautiful and fragrant wonder is hard to beat."
Question 10
What are you doing this weekend?
"First, I will walk all 4 rescue dogs separately and do some pull-ups in the park. Then rehearse with my fellow bandmates at my house, where we do our best to make music and not disturb the neighbors. I will then head into my workshop and do some woodworking on my lathe. Perhaps take in a show at the many venues around Orlando and dinner with your wife and friends. Peace."
All pictures courtesy of Williee Armellini.
