Florists of BloomNation: Watanabe Floral Inc.
- November 2, 2025
- 5 minutes read
A former CPA who found his purpose in flowers and built a floral legacy rooted in Hawaiian values.
For Monty, flowers are more than a business. They are a way of life deeply connected to his Hawaiian roots.
I’m Native Hawaiian, and there aren’t many of us in the industry,” he says. “In our culture, floral is deeply rooted. Flowers are used for gift-giving, honoring, and showing love. Tropical flowers, with their vibrant colors, are a big part of who we are.
That cultural heritage remains central to both his personal journey and the company he has helped lead for nearly three decades.
In Hawaii, you can’t go to an event without receiving a lei. It’s simply part of life. And for our business, tropicals are very important; about 10–20% of our yearly revenue comes from shipping Hawaiian flowers to the mainland.
From CPA to Floral Leader
Monty’s path into the floral industry was anything but traditional. After earning his accounting degree and license, he answered a job ad for an accountant at Watanabe Flowers. However, despite his knowledge of numbers, the job became boring and he wanted to do more.
As he began working closely with the family-owned company, his role evolved from commercial manager to sales and marketing leader, and eventually, General Manager.
I’ve now been with the company for 27 years, over 20 of those as Sales and Marketing Director, and officially General Manager for about 15 years.
Discovering the Power of Flowers
When Monty first entered the floral industry, he admits he didn’t fully appreciate flowers and saw them mostly as gifts for occasions like anniversaries or Mother’s Day. Over time, though, he discovered just how much flowers could mean to people. How flowers could brighten a moment or transform someone’s day. This realization has kept him passionate about the business for 27 years. That sense of purpose became especially clear during the pandemic, when families, isolated in their homes, sent messages of gratitude saying things like how the flowers had made their grandmother’s day or brought joy to their household. For Monty, those moments of connection underscored the deeper value of his work and made the public relations side of the business especially meaningful.
Meaning in Every Arrangement
Although his shop provides full-service floral work, from retail and weddings to events, sympathy, and wholesale, Monty finds the most meaning in sympathy arrangements. While many might expect weddings or anniversaries to be his favorite, he explains that helping families honor a loved one is the most rewarding part of the job. For him, being able to convey love and respect through floral art during such a significant moment is an incredible honor.
Challenges and Resilience
Like many in the floral industry, Monty faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, when his business in Hawaii was forced to shut down twice. The experience, he recalls, was not only financially difficult but also emotionally taxing, as his greatest concern was how to protect and support the 80 team members who depended on the company when revenue stopped coming in. Instead of focusing on lost revenue, Monty shifted his focus to caring for his people, ensuring they had the resources and support they needed to get through the crisis.
It was a huge mindset shift: from ‘how do we grow revenue’ to ‘how do we take care of our people.
Living by Values
Monty is most proud of the company’s unwavering values, rooted in Hawaiian tradition.
Our mission is ho‘opō , which means to perpetuate, adapt, and endure. Always with pono, meaning integrity and morality.
Those values guide even the company’s biggest business decisions. For instance, Monty insists on keeping the shop closed every Sunday to preserve family time, a choice that many might consider unusual in retail, especially on high-volume days like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. From his background as a CPA, he admits it might look “crazy” on paper, but he firmly believes that doing the right thing ultimately brings good results. Despite turning away potential sales on those days, the company has continued to thrive and grow.
Partnership and Growth
Technology has been a driving force behind the company’s growth, and Monty points to BloomNation as a key partner in that success. He recalls that they were among the first 10 florists to join the platform when it launched as a marketplace, later building a BloomNation-powered website in 2017 that helped boost annual sales from about $500,000 to nearly $4 million today. For Monty, the value of the partnership goes beyond numbers; he appreciates that BloomNation’s model is designed so that they only succeed when their florists succeed. Even as account representatives have changed over the years, he has found the team consistently kind, supportive, and aligned with his company’s goals, a loyalty that has made a lasting impression.
Sustaining the Spirit of Aloha
When asked what has driven his long-term success, Monty doesn’t hesitate:
Living by our values, treating people with love, and staying true to the spirit of aloha. That’s what has sustained us for nearly 80 years, and that’s what will keep us thriving for years to come.
We are proud to honor Monty of Watanabe Flowers for his exceptional dedication and contributions to the floral industry. Known for his creativity, passion, and commitment to excellence, Monty has recently achieved a significant milestone: his induction into the prestigious American Academy of Floriculture. This distinguished recognition was celebrated at this year’s Society of American Florists convention, highlighting his impact and leadership within the floral community.
