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The Innovation Continues - Part 1

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Aug
17

The Innovation Continues - Part 1

by Danny Summers

Last fall, we introduced a new relationship between The Group and BoomerWrangle, under which we would reimagine both The Group and The Fall Event, starting in 2026. We have been hard at work looking ahead to what can help Group Centers excel into the future. Here are some of the areas we have been working on and introducing to you, our Group Centers.

Earlier this summer, we introduced several new resources to help leverage The Resources & Wisdom of The Group as well as spark creativity and inspiration. Here's a quick recap of these if you missed them:

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Collective Wisdom

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Jun
22

Collective Wisdom

by Danny Summers

The term Collective Wisdom could easily be considered a synonym for The Garden Center Group. The very reason The Group was created in 2000 was to take the very best ideas and practices and help every Group Center.

As the Weekly Department Review (WDR) launched in 2000 and the Annual P&L Study in 2004, the Collective Wisdom concept began to build.

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The Right Place at the Right Time

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Feb
27

The Right Place at the Right Time

by Danny Summers

You know this is true. I bet you could give me an example of this in your own life or work.
Being in the right place at the right time, and with the right people, can open many opportunities.

This is true for our personal lives, our career and of course, even business. The business element has the potential to make the biggest impact. It can drive your career to a new level and add so much to your life.

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February is Loaded with Opportunities!

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Feb
03

February is Loaded with Opportunities!

by Danny Summers

February is a unique and busy month of the year... it's the shortest month of the year, the coldest month of the year, and the month of the Groundhog Day, Presidents' Day, Valentines Day, the Super Bowl, the Oscars, and the Grammies. But most importantly for you, February is Loaded with Opportunity for you within The Group!

You may have already seen Rachel Reynolds is presenting But is it Shoppable? Creating Displays that Customers Actually Buy From, a new session on Visual Merchandising during our regular GROUPtalk LIVE on Tuesday, February 10th at 2:00 PM Eastern (our new day and time for 2026). Full details on her message is below.

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Four Quarts in a Two Quart Jar!

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Jun
30

Four Quarts in a Two Quart Jar!

by Danny Summers

I hope the title here has caught your attention...if so, it worked!

For anyone who is around me for any period of time, a phrase you may hear is one I learned from my Dad. As someone who was raised on a small farm in north-central Missouri, he had so many great idioms (some, of course, I would not share here).

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A Big Ask!

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Jun
23

A Big Ask!

by Danny Summers

Peer-to-peer sharing within The Group is extremely important and, as a whole, is much of "the glue" that connects the community of Group Centers. Most of it is done through our numerous eLists (email list-serves for major and subgroups) as well as the Weekly Department Review (WDR).

When we have a strong need to quickly connect with others who have experience or knowledge of the subject at hand. Seeing a conversation about a topic and quickly interacting directly in a side conversation can be important.

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Excitement Ahead!

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Apr
07

Excitement Ahead!

by Danny Summers

Here we are in Week 15 and that means you are most likely already feeling the excitement of busy Spring Weeks. But at the same time we have some Excitement Ahead here in The Group!

This Thursday - GROUPtalk LIVE
Rachel Reynolds presents...

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The Group Experience

by: Danny Summers
Category: Danny's Blog
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Mar
31

The Group Experience

by Danny Summers

The Group Experience is multi-faceted. When someone outside The Group asks me what we do, the discussion progresses in multiple directions. Of course, I usually give a brief story on how The Group came together and the beginning stages of our financial sharing and benchmarking programs.

The conversation usually then moves on to all the areas of peer-to-peer sharing, through our WebSystem and all our 12+ different eLists. And of course, I talk about interaction with our Team of Service Providers as well.

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