Meenakshi Lala is the CEO of UrbanStems, a leading e-commerce floral gifting company that specializes in sourcing premium, carefully curated bouquets from global farms and ensuring their timely delivery across the United States through a highly efficient, temperature-controlled supply chain. In this episode of DTC Pod, Meenakshi shares her unique journey from fashion to flowers and breaks down the operational and supply chain challenges of running a top-tier floral e-commerce brand.
Meenakshi Lala is the CEO of UrbanStems, an online floral gifting company that designs, sources, and delivers high-quality, curated bouquets and gifts across the U.S. She brings over two decades of operational experience from leading brands in fashion and retail such as Alice + Olivia, Juicy Couture, and Elie Tahari. Her expertise in scaling complex businesses and building operational excellence now fuels UrbanStems’ growth as a leader in the industry.
In this episode of DTC Pod, Blaine and Meenakshi explore the complex world of DTC flower delivery: from sourcing stems globally, managing cold chain logistics, forecasting inventory, and reducing spoilage, to ensuring the end customer receives a high-quality bouquet every time. Meenakshi candidly discusses the challenges of seasonality, tariffs, international shipping, and why a robust brand and customer-centric approach are keys to thriving in today’s fast-moving e-commerce landscape.
Episode brought to you by Stord
Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.
On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:
1. The complexities of the floral industry and perishability
2. The evolution of e-commerce in the flower business
3. Building a robust and agile international supply chain
4. Cold chain logistics and fulfillment center operations
5. Planning, forecasting, and reducing spoilage in inventory
6. Unique challenges: tariffs, customs, and unpredictable events
7. Customer experience: packaging, instructions, and communications
8. Curation, personalization, and expanding gifting moments
9. Driving growth through brand, loyalty, and education
10. Lessons learned in leadership and staying agile
Timestamps
00:00 Meenakshi’s career journey and joining UrbanStems
04:49 Key learnings from legacy brands and focus on brand ethos
07:21 Operational challenges unique to the floral industry
11:00 The evolution of flowers in e-commerce and UrbanStems’ role
14:28 How Urban Stems’ supply chain is structured for freshness
16:37 International sourcing, design, and bouquet assembly process
18:27 Managing supply chain risks: tariffs and customs
21:45 Inventory planning, spoilage, and matching supply to demand
24:45 Supply chain as a business moat and high-precision operation
25:36 Customer fulfillment: hydration, packaging, and experience
28:34 Packaging complexities and spec sheets per SKU
30:08 Lessons from moving from COO to CEO
32:19 How operational expertise shapes strategic leadership
34:17 Customer feedback and new initiatives at UrbanStems
38:02 Growth channels: brand loyalty, curation, and gifting moments
41:58 Biggest CEO learnings and future outlook
43:51 Where to find Meenakshi and UrbanStems online
Show notes powered by Castmagic
Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.
Additional episodes you might like:
• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth
• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content
• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views
• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands
• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook
• #243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands
-----
Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?
Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.
Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?
Check out our newsletter here.
Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:
DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internet
Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement
Castmagic - AI Workspace for Content
Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!
DTCPod Instagram
DTCPod Twitter
DTCPod TikTok
Meenakshi Lala - CEO at UrbanStems
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic