About this episode

Jess shares her journey from an entrepreneurial kid to the founder of the Flower Summit, emphasizing community and support among female growers.

Some people don't just start businesses — they start movements. This week I sit down with Jess, the powerhouse founder of the Flower Summit , the Newcastle Food & Flower Markets and the Newcastle Flower School . We go right back to the beginning: the entrepreneurial kid who landed her first job at thirteen, started her first company at twenty-three with a hundred chair covers sewn in her auntie's garage, and went on to bring Australian Bridal Fashion Week to the country. From there, Jess found flowers — and never looked back, now running around two hundred weddings a year. But the heart of this episode is the spark behind the Flower Summit: a trip to the US, a community of female growers who cheer each other on instead of competing, and the courage to bring that same generous spirit home to Australia. In this episode: • Growing up entrepreneurial and starting a business at 23 • Bringing Australian Bridal Fashion Week to Australia • Falling in love with flowers and building a wedding business • Coming home to launch the Newcastle Food & Flower Markets • Tall-poppy culture vs. the "you go, girl" spirit she found in the US • How the Flower Summit was born (and named before…

People in this episode

Host: Rebecca Noble

Guest: Jess

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• community support
• floriculture
• women in business
• wedding industry

Keywords

• Flower Summit
• entrepreneurial journey
• wedding business
• female growers
• community support

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Flower Summit, Newcastle Food & Flower Markets, Newcastle Flower School, Australian Bridal Fashion Week

Places: Australia, US

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• From Garden Dreams to Flower Farming Reality – Belinda’s Story · September 23, 2025 · 55 min
• From Shopping Queen to Flower Farmer – Kathy’s Journey with Plumtree Floral Farm · September 9, 2025 · 42 min
• Building The Harvest – A Grower–Florist Click and Collect in Newcastle · August 26, 2025 · 1h 1m

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