Jim McCann likes to make things grow. Just as he built an international business, with nearly $1 billion in sales, from a single Manhattan flower shop, Jim McCann, Founder & CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com, has used the web to greatly expand the definition of gift retailing while positioning his company as one of the world's leading gift retailers and online merchants. Recognizing the enormous potential in providing on-the-go consumers with quality, gift-giving opportunities, Jim pushed traditional boundaries to create not just one, but several access channels. Today, 1-800-Flowers.com customers can send a wide variety of floral products and other thoughtful gifts around the block or around the world by clicking a mouse on a PC, walking into one of its stores, or by dialing a 1-800-number.

Using a thorough understanding of his customer base and market, he focused on creating a reliable brand name and instilling a sense of trust and convenience in an industry that had previously had no leader. As his business grew, Jim pioneered its entry into other retail access channels—going online in 1992 and opening a web site in 1994. Today, the company's online retail operation accounts for slightly more than half of its sales, making it the country's 35th largest web merchant.

Jim McCann attributes much of his success to the training he received in his first job—in the social services. At St. John's Home for Boys in Rockaway, New York, he recalls, he had to help underprivileged young men learn how to overcome the scourge of poverty, drugs and despair. His experiences greatly influenced the open management style he uses today.

Jim McCann's third book, A Year Full of Flowers, was recently published. He is also the author of Stop and Sell the Roses and Celebrations: A Joyous Guide to Holidays from Past to Present.