By Kerry Frank October 10, 2025
Before Covid, my schedule nearly broke me. I once flew to Hong Kong for a two hour meeting, then to Australia, then to Dubai, before racing home just in time to watch my son’s football game. My body paid a huge price for that pace, and so did my family.
If you look at business over time, there’s a clear pattern. We’ve become less and less connected to people. I remember hearing stories from older generations who used to make deals on the golf course, where they’d spend four hours together, or over dinner at someone’s home. By the time I was flying to meet clients in their offices, it was already a step removed from that kind of connection. And then Covid arrived, and overnight, even that disappeared.
Technology advanced at lightning speed to help us stay “connected.” We pivoted to screens, meetings on Zoom, virtual happy hours, and online everything. It was efficient, and in many ways, it was a gift. We saved time, money, and health.
But convenience has a cost.
If we rely only on technology, we risk losing the very thing that makes relationships last. Authenticity.
Even before the pandemic, I realized the importance of mixing in some of the “old ways.” I made it a point to visit clients in person, to sit across the table, shake hands, and share real conversation. Those small gestures created trust that no email or Zoom call ever could.
When Covid hit, I said the businesses that would survive were the ones that pivoted the fastest, and that proved true. Restaurants that set up to-go operations overnight didn’t just survive; many thrived. Grocery stores that partnered with delivery services became lifelines for families. Companies that adapted to remote work kept operations alive.
But longterm, something was missing. You can see it now with companies calling employees back to offices, realizing the power of collaboration, teamwork, and in-person connection. Because creativity doesn’t just happen on screens. It happens in hallways, over coffee, in conversations that start with a laugh and end with a breakthrough.
The same is true beyond business.
Parents are starting to pivot back to “old school” landlines for their kids because social media is destroying our youth’s ability to connect face-to-face. At Hidden Creek Estates, where we hire teens to work in our restaurant and events, we see it firsthand. Many of them start out too nervous to look a guest in the eye or pick up the phone. We literally have to teach them how to talk on the phone.
But the best part? Watching them grow.
A few months later, those same kids confidently greet guests, describe the cheeses and meats on a charcuterie board, and make conversation like pros. Four years later, we’re seeing those students leave for college transformed, poised, articulate, and self-assured.
One of them stopped me recently and said, “Thank you. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Hidden Creek. I’ve learned so much.”
That moment reminded me why connection still matters.
So yes, use the technology. Protect your health. But don’t forget to go back to the old school ways from time to time. Show up in person. Shake hands. Look people in the eye.
That’s how trust is built. That’s how you differentiate yourself.
So true, something I have preached for years. And it started well before COVID when businesses said lets do conference call to save money, Hope you and Frank are doing well. Ed – AA retired