Memorial Day Reset: Honor the People, Not Just the Pipeline: Reclaiming Real Connection this Summer
We couldn’t call ahead. We just arrived.
That kind of real connection feels almost radical now — but it’s the kind that feeds both the heart and the business.
This Memorial Day weekend, while many businesses are pushing big sales and “limited-time offers,” I keep thinking about something different.
I recently saw an old photo circulating online of a huge backyard BBQ from decades ago. Dozens of people laughing, kids running around, no phones in sight. No Insta-worthy themed decor, or Pinterest polished presentation. Just humans who decided, on a random weekend, to show up, eat, talk, and be together.
It stopped my scroll as I realized how uncommon this has become.
It reminded me of my own favorite family memory. My Great Grandmother lived in a one-room schoolhouse with a woodstove for heat. Even though it was the late 70s, she had no phone, no electricity, and we used the chalkboard to write hellos on because she was hard of hearing. We loved filling that board with notes she could keep and read again later.
We couldn’t call ahead. We just arrived. Her favorite expression, “If I knew you were coming, I would have baked you a cake.” (And I always thought she should get a phone so we could have cake!)
My favorite photo, was likely from a planned family gathering in June or July, but it still carried that same spirit. Our extended family filled the schoolyard, eating watermelon and picnic foods on blankets. My Great Grandmother sat there smiling from ear to ear, soaking in every moment of the company and the lovely day.
That kind of gathering feels almost radical now.
Memorial Day is about remembering those who gave everything so we could live freely. So, this weekend feels like the perfect time to ask ourselves:
Are we actually living that freedom… or are we spending it glued to our phones, chasing the next post, the next lead, the next funnel tweak?
Small business owners feel this pressure more than most. The expectation to be “always on” can quietly steal the very life we’re working so hard to build. We post about connection while barely experiencing it ourselves.
What if this summer we did something different?
What if we remembered that real connection—the kind that doesn’t need Wi-Fi or a content calendar, is one of the most powerful things we can offer both our families and our businesses?
Simple Ways to Bring Connection Back This Summer
In Your Personal Life
Plan (or don’t over-plan) a backyard gathering, porch sit, or lake day.
Try a “no phones at the table” rule, or even better, a “no phones, just presence” afternoon.
Show up for people without needing a perfect invitation or occasion.
In Your Business & Community
Host a small, no-sales client appreciation cookout or studio open house.
Turn “networking” into actual neighbor-ing, real conversations with local business owners.
Use your marketing to invite people into your world instead of always selling to them. (“Y’all come sit on the porch with us this Saturday! Sweet tea, great stories, and no sales, just laughter and good company.”)
In Your Marketing Itself
Batch a few authentic posts this week so you can step away and actually enjoy summer.
Share more of your real life (the messy, beautiful, human parts).
Let relationships do the heavy lifting. People still buy from people they know, like, and trust in real life.
Your business doesn’t need to be louder. It needs to be more human.
This Memorial Day, I’m giving myself (and you) permission to honor what really matters, the people. The ones who show up. The laughter that doesn’t need a filter. The smiles that come from simply being together.
My Great Grandmother didn’t have a phone, let alone a website, an email list, or social media. But she had a schoolyard full of family who kept coming back because they felt genuinely welcome.
That’s the kind of marketing I want to help you build, the kind that feels good because it’s rooted in real connection.
What about you?
Are you planning any real-life gatherings this summer? Or do you have a favorite memory of “showing up” from simpler times? Let me know, or post about it online, and watch the real connections return.
Wishing you a summer filled with watermelon, good company, and the kind of connections that make your heart whole.
~ Suzi