Founder and Managing Director, Edible Blooms
High Performance Leadership Program
Said Business School, University of Oxford (UK), 2016 

At 28, Kelly Jamieson had a sweet idea – bouquets of chocolates and fruit instead of flowers. Now, 18 years later, Edible Blooms is a blooming success, employing 55+ staff nationwide. We caught up with Kelly for a quick chat. Here’s what she shared.

What’s your educational and career background?
I have a background in marketing and business development. After finishing school, I was sponsored to study at university by my employer so I have combined study/work since I was 17. Initially, I completed my Bachelor of Business with a double major in marketing and international marketing before continuing to complete my Graduate Diploma in Business Management. I studied and worked pretty much non-stop for my first 10 years after finishing school, so I guess you can say I enjoy learning!

How did your education and experience lead you to Edible Blooms?
When I enrolled to complete my MBA at the University of Adelaide, I began thinking about starting my own business. Researching business success case studies and also working in professional services at that time got me interested in business and creating value. The idea of Edible Blooms kicked in during my first year studying my MBA which meant I exited the MBA  earlier than anticipated, as soon as I finished the Graduate Diploma of the program. I found the learning curve of starting my own business rewarding enough to focus 100% on business for the next few years.

How has your ILF-supported course helped your business operations/growth?
The ILF program enabled me to study again after taking a break. I applied in 2016 to become an ILF scholar and selected Oxford University’s High Performance Leadership Program – a one-week, on-campus intensive program in the UK. The learning experience of studying at Oxford was an incredible opportunity I wouldn’t have had without the support of the ILF. 

Interestingly, it’s the alumni network that you get to join from being a scholar that I have found most beneficial since 2016. The ILF alumni created a great ongoing business partnership between Edible Blooms and Detmold where we worked with their innovations team to move to recyclable product construction across our range. This has been a great partnership for our business and supported our company’s ESG strategy. 

Business insights:
Now in our 18^th year of business, my key learnings for fellow ILF scholars are:

1. Invest in your continued learning; attend key conferences and learning opportunities.
2. Making mistakes is gold (another great way to learn).
3. Success is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
4. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
5. We all have choices. Love what you do.
6. There is no such thing as a bad question.
7. To win the game, you must keep score.
8. If in doubt, be generous.

And my favourite quote to share:

“Luck is found at the cross-road of opportunity and preparation”.