Jim McCann - 1-800-Flowers Founder | The $1.2B Flower Empire That Almost Failed

➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.com

➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory

Jim McCann is the founder and executive chairman of 1-800-Flowers.com, a company he grew from a single flower shop in 1976 into a multi-billion-dollar business. Under his leadership, the company became a pioneer in e-commerce and direct-to-consumer floral delivery, generating over $2 billion in annual revenue and serving millions of customers worldwide. McCann also expanded the brand through strategic acquisitions, including Harry & David, Cheryl’s Cookies, and The Popcorn Factory. A best-selling author and entrepreneur, he is known for his focus on customer relationships, innovation, and leveraging technology to transform the gifting industry.

➡️ Show Links

https://www.x.com/jim1800flowers/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim1800flowers/

➡️ Books

https://www.amazon.com/Lodestar-Tapping-Historic-Pillars-Success/dp/1637632738

➡️ Podcast Sponsors

Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
Lingoda - https://try.lingoda.com/successstory (Code: scott25)
Vanta - https://www.vanta.com/scott
Federated Computer - https://www.federated.computer
Cornbread Hemp - https://cornbreadhemp.com/success (Code: Success)
Create Like The Greats Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/create-like-the-greats/id1653650073
FreshBooks - https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing-offer/
Bank On Yourself - https://www.bankonyourself.com/scott
Stash - https://get.stash.com/successstory
NetSuite — https://netsuite.com/scottclary/
Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary

➡️ Talking Points

00:00 - Intro
05:34 - Did Jim Know 1-800-Flowers Would Be Huge?
07:52 - Fixing the Biggest Flower Shop Problem
11:09 - Jim’s Entrepreneurial Roots
16:48 - Leading & Scaling a Successful Company
21:06 - Jim’s Boldest Move at 1-800-Flowers
24:12 - The Success Pillars from Lodestar
33:29 - The Power of Words
35:06 - Sponsor Break
37:44 - Jim’s Best Self-Improvement Habit
42:59 - The #1 Success Principle from Lodestar
47:25 - How Jim Stayed Optimistic
50:14 - Game-Changing Lessons from Jim’s Career
55:43 - Sponsor Break
57:57 - AI: The Good & The Bad
1:03:10 - Jim’s Journey & the Story of Smile Farms
1:10:58 - Building a Non-Profit That Works
1:17:39 - Why Work Is More Than Just a Paycheck
1:24:52 - Jim’s Life Lesson for His Kids

➡️ Success Story Podcast - Stories Worth Telling

Subscribe & Watch The Full Podcast⁣ - https://www.successstorypodcast.com/

Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott Clary.

On this podcast, Scott has candid interviews with entrepreneurs, celebrities, notable figures, and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas, and insights.

He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their stories to help pass those lessons on to others through both experiences and tactical strategies for business professionals, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between.

Website: https://www.scottdclary.com
Podcast: https://www.successstorypodcast.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclary
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottdclary:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottdclary
Facebook: https://facebook.com/scottdclarypage
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdclary