Jim McCann

Jim McCann Profile

Jim McCann went from being a New York City social worker to one of e-commerce’s biggest early success stories. The versatile entrepreneur is the founder, former CEO, and current executive chairman of 1-800-Flowers, one of the first businesses to take sales to the Internet and spotlight its game-changing potential.

McCann was bar tending and working as a night counselor at an inner city boys’ group home when one day one of his bar patrons told him he was selling his flower shop. McCann liked the idea of brightening people’s days with a bouquet, and with no previous experience as an entrepreneur or florist, bought the shop. He grew the business by building exceptional customer relationships, a principle that to this day remains a pillar of 1-800-flowers – whose online and mobile presence now generates more than $ 1 billion in annual sales.

In addition to being a master communicator, McCann always kept his “antenna up” for new opportunities and growing trends – a practice that took 1-800-flowers nationwide and raised its customer base from 30 to 30 million. He and his team have also consistently expanded their product base, acquired other companies, and created new platforms such as celebrations.com and 1-800-baskets.com. McCann recently stepped down as CEO after 40 years at the helm to focus on philanthropic pursuits, though in his new role as chief chairman, he continues to play a crucial role in talent management and development.

McCann is the author of several books including Talk is (Not!) Cheap which illustrates the leaderships habits and philosophies that helped him continuously grow 1-800-flowers.com for four decades.

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  • Not many CEOs can say that they′ve learned more about corporate management from underprivileged children than from Harvard MBAs, but that′s one of the keys to Jim McCann′s remarkable success. President of 1-800-Flowers.com, he transformed a struggling $500,000 company into a $300 million industry leader. And he did it with a management style based on his understanding of human behavior learned as a social worker rather than the focus on business behavior taught in most business schools.

  McCann is that rare corporate leader who recognizes that management consists of more than keeping track of profit and revenue. It requires an understanding of people, what McCann calls a “contact economy.” It also requires an eclectic approach to business, rather than rigid adherence to any one school of thought. And that applies to any industry, whether it be flowers, insurance or making cars.

  The world′s largest florist, 1-800-Flowers.com, operates through three “access channels” (the 1-800 telephone number, a growing chain of retail outlets and the pioneering internet site), and McCann has proven himself a visionary with all three. His interactive division, in particular, is a model for profitability and business expansion through the Internet.

  McCann′s unconventional philosophies have earned him great demand as a corporate speaker. He is an active lecturer on business and social issues, addressing audiences for such prestigious corporations as AT&T, IBM and Inc. 500, as well as numerous national and community organizations. Building on a deep respect for corporate culture, partnership and management-by-involvement, he translates his experiences into a case study for success in today′s accelerated business climate, where change is the watchword and rules are made to be broken.