Building the Flower Summit: Jess on Courage, Community & Backing Each Other

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 her plane even landed) • Why it's for everyone — growers, designers, men and women alike • The Australian grower-led flower pricing guide she's building for the industry🌸 The Flower Summit — a two-day celebration of women in floriculture (everyone welcome) with world-class speakers and hands-on workshops. 📅 24–25 November 2026 📍 Stanley Park, just outside Newcastle 🎟️ Tickets & details: flowersummit.com.auThis episode is proudly sponsored by the Flower Summit, and Dish the Dirt is the official podcast and media partner — I'll be there capturing all the stories, so come and say hello.Enjoyed this one? Follow Dish the Dirt, leave a review, and share it with a flower-loving friend.