The Power of Human Connections

by Danny Summers

You may not know this, but I love clocks.

If you asked me how it all started, I'd tell you about sitting on my Grandpa Chet's lap listening to his Hamilton pocket watch. It hung from a belt-loop chain, and he would pull it from his right pocket and let me hold it to my ear. I loved hearing that distinct, crisp, steady tick.

Actually, the Hamilton was my dad's watch. He bought it in 1952 when he began working for the Burlington Northern Railroad. By the time I came along, Dad had changed professions and had passed the watch on to his father—Grandpa Chet.

There was something reassuring about that moment—sitting on Grandpa's lap, listening to the steady rhythm of that Hamilton. For those few minutes, everything seemed right with the world.

Today, we've moved a long way from mechanical pocket watches. We have smartphones, smartwatches, digital assistants, and countless other ways to keep track of time. They have more features, they're easier to use, and many do much more than simply tell time.
But I doubt many of them will still be operating 100 years from the day they were made. Here's another example.

We have a kitchen clock that belonged to my maternal great-grandparents. It's a Seth Thomas clock manufactured in November of 1890. More than 135 years later, it still runs and keeps excellent time—without batteries.

I remember seeing it hanging in my Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Orvil's farmhouse kitchen in Missouri. It had been passed down to Aunt Dorothy by her grandparents, and every day it quietly kept time while she prepared those incredible farm-fresh meals for family and friends.

Whenever I look at that clock today, I can almost smell Aunt Dorothy's cooking. As you can probably tell, I'm attached to these timepieces.

Certainly, I appreciate the craftsmanship, engineering, and design that have allowed them to stand the test of time. But what makes them truly valuable isn't what's inside the case. It's who they're connected to.

The Hamilton reminds me of my dad and Grandpa Chet.

The Seth Thomas reminds me of my great-grandparents, Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Orvil, and so many wonderful family gatherings.

Those clocks don't simply measure time.

They preserve memories.

That's the Power of Human Connections.

But the Power of Human Connections extends even farther than connections with our family members. Consider all the people who have been a part of your life experience, your career development, and who have had an impact on who you are, what you know, and what you do today.

Most certainly, we all could name a few teachers on our lists. And what about some of the people we worked with or for in our early career days? There are so many to list in our "connections ledger."

Then consider whom you know and are connected to in our industry. I often say, "You don't burn bridges in our industry because at some point you will be either selling to them or working for them."

Horticulture has attracted the very best people, those who care deeply for others and will even share and support competitors when needed. They share their amazing knowledge, which other industries would only lock away behind mountains of patents and copyrights, or keep as corporate assets.

There's something special about people who work with plants. They have a different approach to life.

Think about your Garden Center and the Power of Human Connections. It runs deep. It is the most important connections for any successful business today... the connections with Your Team and Your Customers.

And your Connections with your customer helps them connect to the Power of Plants, something they need desperately. It is supporting the connections between your customers and plants and gardening.

Within The Group, your connections with peers can offer amazing benefits. All of The Group's programs are built around sharing. That's Power and the Connections!

The idea of the Power of Human Connections is a major message this year in The Garden Center Group. You will hear a lot more about Human Connections as we get closer to The Fall Event 2026.

Chris Bashinelli will share his message about the Power of Human Connections in his keynote presentation. If you have not heard our introduction for Chris, please take a few minutes to see it HERE. (actually... 2 minutes, 28 seconds). It will be worth the time!

I hope to see you next week at Cultivate'26. Let's tap into the Power of Human Connections when we are all there.

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, John Kennedy, Seawright & Associates, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!