Carrying on the Family Legacy with Jessica Pearson and Lydia Patton of Flowers by Jerry
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of local entrepreneurs and small business owners! We had the recent pleasure of hearing from Jessica and Lydia, who have jumped in to continue leading their family business of over fifty years, Flowers by Jerry.
Jessica and Lydia’s grandfather, Jerry Patton, along with his wife, Marlene, first opened Flowers by Jerry in May of 1967 in a small shop in downtown Rochester. Ten years later, they expanded into a larger space on 3rd Avenue, where they operated a large sales floor and floral design studio for the next 36 years.
“We both have so many fond memories of growing up running around that space. From a young age our parents and grandparents had us helping out, washing buckets and doing other small tasks. As we got older, we would help out on the sales floor and with wedding designs.”
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
Their father and mother, Kevin and Karry, joined in on the operations of Flowers by Jerry in 1984, after completing college, Kevin with a business degree and Karry with a degree in art and fashion merchandising. Jerry and Marlene welcomed their son and daughter-in-law into the business with open arms, and the four of them ran the business together for the following decade. In 1995, when Jerry and Marlene were ready to retire, Kevin and Karry took over ownership of the business.
Shortly after, Kevin was provided the opportunity to purchase an additional space and business, Whiting’s Flowers and Greenhouse, located near Silver Lake. Though he was cautioned against the purchase by his father, due to added challenges, work, and knowledge needed to run a greenhouse operation alongside a floral business, Kevin decided to take a chance and purchased the business in 1997.
“Our dad saw an opportunity and he knew that he could handle both, and that he could grow both businesses. Just like his parents, he’s always been an extremely motivated individual who doesn’t shy away from challenges and hard work.”
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
Lydia continued with a laugh, “I swear they’re all like Energizer bunnies with all of that motivation and energy.”
Kevin and Karry continued running both businesses until 2014, when the 3rd Avenue location was sold and they decided to consolidate into the Silver Lake location to create a hub for Flowers by Jerry. The building underwent a massive renovation as they revived the space to have a fresh and modern feel, while keeping their storefront, greenhouse, floral design center, and storage for delivery vehicles.
“So often when businesses close a location and consolidate, they are downsizing out of necessity. We were in a really lucky position and our business didn't downsize at all. It was wonderful to be able to have all of our staff and operations under one roof and was a really unifying move for the business.”
Though Jessica and Lydia grew up working for the family business, they had very different mindsets when it came to thinking about their futures.
“I remember very distinctly as a kid always knowing that I was going to own and be a part of the flower shop someday. It was such a big part of my life from such a young age and I feel like I just always knew it's what I wanted to do,” Jessica explained.
Jessica worked at the shop, along with her high school sweetheart and later husband, Dylan Pearson, through her teenage years. Upon graduating from high school, Jessica began pursuing a degree in business management and Dylan went into the military.
They married and Jessica completed her degree in 2006. The two of them left Minnesota to live in Colorado Springs while Dylan completed his military service, but moved back to Rochester in 2008. They quickly re-immersed themselves in the family business and now, in 2023, are in the process of taking over ownership of Flowers by Jerry.
“Over the last several years, Dylan and I have had the opportunity to slowly learn the ropes of what it takes to manage each area of the business. Taking the time to learn, both from my parents and grandparents, has been huge in preparing for a smooth and healthy transition,” Jessica explained.
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
Lydia, on the other hand, had very different plans for her life after graduating high school.
“I was convinced I was moving across the country and had no intentions of being involved in the family business. I moved to Colorado after high school and went to the University of Denver. I completed my degree in marketing and entrepreneurship there and went on to get a job at a digital marketing consulting firm, where I eventually transitioned into a sales role,” Lydia said.
Lydia soon realized that her position in sales was not for her. Miserable and burnt out, Lydia started considering other job options.
“I wanted to take my time looking for a job that I would really enjoy, and thought that I may need some temporary work in the meantime.”
Lydia reached out to Jessica and the rest of her family, pitching the idea of her working remotely for the family business, assisting them with their marketing, website, and social media. Though they were initially hesitant about the idea of her working for them remotely, they agreed and Lydia was back onboard and working at Flowers by Jerry in June of 2019.
"I truly love the creativity of working in the floral and retail industries and this is exactly where I am meant to be. It's been three and a half years now, and I still live in Denver. But I travel back and forth every couple of weeks. Typically I fly back to Minnesota when we have large weddings, events, or holidays. During that time is when I get a handle on taking content for social media as well,” Lydia explained.
She continued, “Within the business, our family has always stressed that we all need to be available to help with every area of the business and we need to understand each part of it. If there’s a ton of work to be done for a wedding, we all pitch in and stay late to make sure everything gets done. If it’s Valentine’s Day and the phones are ringing off the hook, we’re there to help staff take calls and orders. It really is a team effort.”
The sisters cherish the opportunity to work so closely together with each other and with the rest of their family.
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
“It’s such a beautiful collaboration. We both have different strengths and it’s wonderful watching each other shine in the business in totally different ways.”
Flowers by Jerry offers a wide array of services and products for the Rochester community. They sell both fresh and faux floral bouquets, home goods, women's clothing, and gifts through their storefront, as well as a variety of houseplants and self-grown seasonal annuals in their attached greenhouses. Through their 55 years in business, floral design has always remained at their core, and Flowers by Jerry has been named ‘Rochester's Best Florist’ for many years. Their team specializes in designing made-to-order bouquets for delivery or pick up from their shop, as well as large floral designs for celebrations, funerals, and weddings.
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
Their advice for aspiring business owners is focused around a love for what you do and a dedication modeling hard work and humility to your staff.
“Before jumping into business ownership you need to make sure you love what you do. You can’t just work from 9am to 5pm and clock out at the end of the day. You have to accept that it will demand a lot of your time and very likely spread into your home and family life as well. We grew up with the business being discussed over dinner with our parents and grandparents as they brainstormed ideas and solved problems together. They were really good at including us in those conversations which I think really helped lead us into a love for the business at an early age.”
Lydia went on to say, “Another important piece of running a successful business is hiring people who really align with your values, and leading them by example. Your business is only as strong as your weakest link, and it's so important to have a strong team. Our parents and our grandparents told us and taught us by example, that you never ask somebody to do something that you have not only done yourself, but that you wouldn't do yourself.”
She continued, “ I think that as a business owner you have to have quite a lot of humility. There's the saying that ‘pride comes before the fall’ and I think that fall comes even faster when you're in business.”
Outside of work, Jessica spends much of her time with her young family, which has grown to include two children. She and Lydia both enjoy taking time to get creative, try new restaurants, and spend time at the family cabin in northern Minnesota. Lydia additionally enjoys seasonal activities such as boating, skiing, and snowmobiling, as well as spending time with her husband.
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
“We feel so blessed that we get to be a part of the legacy and carry on the work of our parents and grandparents, who are the most honest, hardworking, and generous people. Being so close as a family and working together is one of the wildest experiences, and it comes with challenges that you wouldn't face if you weren't working together. There will always be disagreements and difficulties, but we’ve always managed to talk things through and find solutions.”
“The most rewarding thing for me is working with family,” Jessica said. “It really isn’t about the flowers for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love what we do. But we could run any business together as a family and I think I would be just as happy. As long as we were doing it together, I'd be happy as a clam!”
“Let’s just stick with the flowers,” Lydia added with a laugh. “I find it really creatively fulfilling in a very personal way through the floral design and merchandising, but it’s also working with family because I can't imagine the flower shop without all of our family members holding it up.”
Photo contributed by Jessica & Lydia.
Thank you for taking the time to read Jessica and Lydia’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about Flowers by Jerry by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
