The SPARK of an Idea

by Danny Summers

It is easy to make light of or dismiss a single idea, no matter how small it may seem at the time. What we most likely don't see at the time is the potential impact of that idea.

It could appear just to be a SPARK of an Idea. And, if we are not paying attention, we may miss opportunities.

Actually, the SPARK of an Idea for this message came to me as I was thinking about all the comments (accolades) by many of our Group Centers that are utilizing GroupSpace.

If you are not familiar with GroupSpace, it is an IntRAnet, cloud-based solution for Garden Centers developed by John and Souny Kennedy at Boomerwrangle. It's an intranet platform strictly for the management as well as employees of the business to store, organize, share, and access company data from any device within the business.

In hearing what an impact GroupSpace has made for Group Centers, I wondered...what was the SPARK of an Idea for creating it? So, I asked John and Souny. Here's what they said...

"The idea started with the Start Moving Mountains platform nearly 6 years ago. Having all of the strategic plans & training/support videos in one place allowed us to be more organized & efficient for the members.

We realized that the Garden Centers had the same challenges we had—just 100 times more challenging, so we went to work.

The portal model then evolved into ShareSpace, that then became GroupSpace—Everything in one place!

We shared the concept with Rockledge Gardens first, and they created a huge spark! They helped offer so many ways to improve it…in essence, it was built for Garden Centers, by Garden Centers. Each new GroupSpace member has then offered new additional ideas, insights and sparks!!

It’s now 50 Garden Centers worth of ideas better! And we personally thank each and every one of them."

Since the introduction of GroupSpace to The Garden Center Group in 2021, nearly 50 Retailers have adopted the platform to improve communication, drive engagement, promote education, and deliver efficiency on a daily basis.

The outcome for these Centers has been hundreds of employees trained, thousands of hours saved, and tens upon tens of thousands of dollars earned.

What began as a simple intranet platform to house documents and training videos has evolved into a comprehensive hub of workplace solutions and applications to rocket the Center to higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

Here's a before and after view. This one provided by Willow Ridge Nursery:

New to the platform in 2025: A landscape tracker application, smart employee scheduling, vendor training videos, OrderEase connectivity, a horticulture education calendar, retail detail tracker application, grower tracker application, AI Bot, Knowledge Network, maintenance tracker---All in on one place—GroupSpace.

Also new in 2025 is a partnership with the Proven Winners brand, where GroupSpace is now part of the Connect + Elite program and is rebranded as ConnectSpace. With your enrollment into the Connect + Elite program with Proven Winners, you receive all the features and benefits of the customized intranet platform with additional marketing support through the Proven Winners team.  

Here's what a few Centers have to say about their adoption of the platform.

DeWayne's Garden Center
"Since the launch of GroupSpace over two years ago, our company communication has greatly improved. We now have a platform that unites our teams. This shared space allows our teams to share information, celebrate achievements, and access important documents in one central location. GroupSpace has supported all aspects of our business and continues to evolve with us as we grow daily." - Amrit Brar, HR Manager

Meadows Farms
"We are thrilled with our GroupSpace site! This platform has revolutionized how we share information within our company. From distributing important forms and company news to enhancing employee engagement with games and shout-outs, GroupSpace has become an invaluable tool for our team. We have found the site very user-friendly for our staff as well as on the management side. Over the past year, we have easily been able to adjust to the platform as we have learned what our team needs to make it valuable to them. Souny was extremely insightful when developing the site, and has been supportive every step of the way since." - Brian Harting, IT Manager.

Down to Earth
"Working with the team at GroupSpace has transformed our educational training processes, streamlined our company wide communication, and created an infectious culture of excellence. Our experience from day 1 has been exceedingly impressive. At Down to Earth, we have a transparent leadership approach centered around our company values. GroupSpace is where we are able to amplify both our approach + values in all aspects of our communication, training, metric analysis, and goal setting. The team at GroupSpace are experts at knowing where to begin and how to guide you, step by step, on your growth journey. The intranet GroupSpace that has been created is nothing short of phenomenal. Having GroupSpace has been a game changer!" - Ben & Sarah Polzin, Owners.

After reading the three Centers' comments above, or in talking with any Center who already has GroupSpace, you can quickly see what an impact it has had on their operation. They are passionately enthusiastic about it.

Early on, John and Souny told me as we discussed what it could mean for a Garden Center, "This is the type of service only large corporations have and smaller companies just don't have the opportunity to obtain". The more feedback I hear from GroupSpace users, the more true that statement has become.

With Proven Winners adding the option of GroupSpace (named ConnectSpace in Connect+) to their top tier of options to their marketing assistance program, it is a great way to develop your Center's GroupSpace, which will benefit your operations for years to come. Once developed, you only pay a hosting/support fee to Boomerwrangle.

Back to my message title... The Spark of an Idea.

John and Souny created the Start Moving Mountains platform nearly 6 years ago, having each Garden Center's strategic plans & John's training/support videos for them all in one place to be more organized & efficient for the members. At that point they realized that the Garden Centers had the same challenges—just 100 times more challenging... SPARK of an Idea appeared.

They recognized it, explored the idea more and pretty soon, the SPARK of an Idea became a much bigger idea. Not just a Spark!

Today, Garden Retailing is changing at a faster speed than ever before (OK, maybe not quite as fast as a few weeks I am certain you remember in the spring of 2020, but still really fast). Adapting to change requires new ideas.

Remember, it just may begin as a SPARK of an Idea!

To learn more about GroupSpace (or ConnectSpace) – you have two options:
(1) Download the GroupSpace intro sheet for 2025 HERE.*
Or visit the GroupSpace webpage.

*SPECIAL OFFER for Group Centers...$1,500 total credit for Group Members who sign up by February 1 to have their GroupSpace ready to launch by Spring! Regularly $3,995 with the $1,000 Group discount…plus $500 more before February 1, 2025.

(2) Learn more about the ConnectSpace as an option in the Connect+ Elite program, join the Proven Winners Webinar on February 11, 2025 at 11:00am EST, signup HERE.

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!