From the editor: Fresh starts

There’s nothing like a vacation to help you push the reset button. My family recently returned from a trip to Switzerland. It was an epic journey that we had been planning for a year. The four of us — me, my wife and our two teenage sons — hiked all over the Swiss Alps, drinking delightful mountain runoff water and eating plenty of cheese.

My wife is a teacher and my kids are still in school, so it’s easier for them to pick up and go on summer trips. But as the editor of a magazine that publishes every month without fail, in addition to curating a robust website that is available 24/7, it’s tougher to step away. You may feel the same way about your business. If you leave, do you have the processes and people in place for the machinery to keep running without you, or will everything fall to pieces?

I definitely pulled some long hours ahead of this trip planning for every possible scenario. But the result was completely worth it. I have a strong team that was able to step up and steer the ship in my absence. I’m proud to report I returned to zero five-alarm fires in my inbox. After some time in the mountains, breathing crisp alpine air and drinking plenty of fancy European coffee, I’m refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for the back half of the year.

So here’s my advice. Book the trip. Buy the tickets. Turn off notifications for a week or even two. Work will still be there when you return. And you will be better equipped to handle it after a mental break.

This month’s issue is full of fresh starts. Read about the transformation of Breezy Hill Nursery, and Bailey Nurseries surprised many in the industry by hiring a new CEO last year. Learn why they went outside the family and how the transition is going for them.

Are you headed to the Perennial Plant Association’s National Symposium, the Farwest Show or IPPS Eastern Region’s annual conference? So am I. Let’s chat in person. But be forewarned that if you ask me about Switzerland, you’d better have a half hour to spare.