Come Together

Come Together

by Danny Summers

When I consider this title, it really could represent the purpose and core mission of The Garden Center Group. We come together in so many ways. Just the practice of sharing peer-to-peer or through our team of service providers, coming together is at the core of what we do. The idea for this message brings to mind the saying, "No man is an island unto itself." This is a portion of a poem written in 1624, by English poet John Donne.

The premise that we are better when we share and come together is arguably at the foundation of The Garden Center Group. Each Group Center is unique but the sharing of ideas, concepts, resources, and of course business data, all provide for the ability of each Center to apply what is learned and ultimately be better than before.

When you think about it, we practice coming together almost daily. It comes through The Group's 12+ eLists where you ask questions and share ideas through email conversations. Our largest eList, GroupEs, has over 500 members subscribed and you have participated in thousands of conversations since it was created.

It also happens weekly when Group Centers come together by participating in the Weekly Department Review (WDR), which is about to begin its 22nd year. Sharing Sales and Transaction details (and more) across regions and sales groups in an open format is certainly an example of coming together in one of the most unique ways! If you have not yet seen details of the WDR moving from an Excel Spreadsheet-based system to an online platform, be sure to catch up. Just login to our WebSystem and scroll down to Preview for 2023 - New WDR Online Introduction. It begins next week.

And of course, the Annual P&L Study is certainly another ultimate example of us coming together. Group Centers will be receiving the 2022 P&L Study details for reporting in just a few weeks. This will be the 18th Annual Edition of this important program.

This sets the stage for why I really want to emphasize coming together. We have three opportunities just ahead of us:

Thursday, January 5 – GROUPtalk Live – a virtual online session!
This is the first monthly session for 2023. Join Danny Summers and Tim Quebedeaux for: Group 101 – Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most from The Group on Thursday, January 05, 2023 from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Eastern. Learn how to Maximize the Power of The Group with helpful insight into navigating the Group WebSystem, the new WDR OnLine System, subscribing to eLists, adding other staff, exploring menu options, and more. Invitations will be shared through the GroupEs eList - early next week.

Wednesday, January 11, 5:00-7:00pm – The Best of MANTS, Baltimore, MD
We will come together at the MANTS Show in Baltimore - January 11th. Be there the first day to explore the show, then join Danny Summers along with many of our Group Centers and some of our Group Sponsors and Partners for Success at 5pm to share what you discovered. Tom Kegley, our Group Branding Guru, will also be with us along with Bill McCurry of Green Profit Magazine! More details and sign-up is below.

Wednesday, January 18 – Tropical Plant International Expo, Tampa, FL
We will also come together at TPIE 2023 in Tampa - January 18th for the largest show of its kind in the world of Tropical Plants. Retailers are invited to join Danny Summers and participate in the Cool Product Awards nomination process and judging as you work the show the first day. Then meet at 4 pm to share what you found and see what everyone else finds! Last year we had one of our largest judging groups ever. It's fun and very productive for your Center and includes a Free Name Badge. Don't miss this! More details and sign-up is below.

And we will come together monthly for GROUPtalk Live Sessions. Continuing in February, each session is scheduled for the second Thursday each month at 11:00am Eastern. Watch for details of each session's subject to be announced!

And finally, The Fall Event 2023, September 25-28 in Cincinnati is the culmination of coming together. The 4+ days of The Fall Event is one of the best ways to experience The Group and all we do to come together!

I am looking forward to coming together with you in this new year!

Here's to a healthy, happy and successful 2023!

Sharing is at the heart of The Group and your ideas are very important. If you have any trouble logging into The Group WebSystem, please let me know. Are you and your staff all subscribed to our eLists such as GroupEs, Retail-Grower, Retail-Landscape, Owners-Only, and a number of others? Need help subscribing? Let me know so I can show you how you can sign up.
Thanks for sharing!

Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, Sid Raisch, John Kennedy, Jean Seawright, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!

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