As a floral manager, Tammy Bodie finds joy in creating beautiful arrangements every day, selecting fresh blooms and crafting unique displays.
The floral department at Halls Food City was not her first stop, although it has been her home store since 2009. A West Virginia native who has lived in Tennessee for over 30 years, Tammy has worked at Food City locations for years, serving customers and increasing profits in a myriad of positions, beginning as a front-end manager and progressing up the ladder to head cashier, human relations coordinator, and now the floral department manager.
Tammy views the floral department as a way to express her individuality, connect with customers, and help them choose the perfect flowers for their occasions. “I just like dealing with flowers, making people happy, and helping them find something special.
A husband, six dogs, and a cat are the family Tammy holds dear, but she values the family she joined at Food City. Although she enjoys the solitude, peace, and quiet the floral department offers, she values the Food City organization that has become her second family.
Food City exemplified how they value their family when Tammy’s mother was ill with cancer in West Virginia. The organization transferred her to a Food City in West Virginia so she could be near her ill mother. In fact, it was at the West Virginia deli that she began to learn to manage daily routines as she flourished in the deli department and to express her creativity while decorating the made-to-order cakes.
The routines she now does in the Floral Department start with evaluating her stock, cleaning wilted flowers, pulling dated bouquets, watering, and maintaining the plants. There is also truck day, bringing in new items to be organized and displayed.
The knack for creativity evolves as she arranges the cooler with new arrangements, both standard items and personal creations.
She values her assistant, Betsi, who shares the creative flair for floral arranging.
Tammy says she is “now in my home spot. Not going anywhere. I love it. I love it. Creativity and relational skills, too. And it’s a win-win for both of us, both to store and me, because… I’ve been told I care too much. Well, this is a great place to care.”
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