Remember summers in the 90s?

Running through sprinklers. Playing with the hose. Our turtle sandbox was the beach. We rode bikes through the neighborhood until the streetlights came on and spent endless days at the community pool.

Back when nobody really had backyard pools—at least not in the tax bracket I grew up in. Cartoons were always on, and parents would yell, “In or out! You’re letting out all the bought air!”

Every day was an adventure with the neighborhood kids. Hunting frogs. Fishing. Exploring. The only real rule? Stay outside and out of Mom’s way unless you wanted to end up cleaning your room.

In our house, this Friday is the last day of school—and I can't help but feel like we've lost those simple summer days.

Between scheduled playdates, summer camps, and color-coded calendars, today’s kids rarely get the chance to just be bored.

But here’s the thing—boredom matters.

It’s where creativity begins. It’s where problem-solving stretches its legs. And it’s where resilience is built—through unstructured time, imagination, and figuring things out on your own.

Getting back to the basics isn’t just good for kids.

It’s good for all of us.

In sales, staffing, leadership—the fundamentals never go out of style. Problem-solving. Creativity. Adaptability. These aren’t just soft skills. They’re survival skills.

Maybe it’s time we bring a little more 90s summer back.

Growing up in the 90s, nobody had a packed calendar. We just… figured things out.

You’d ride your bike to a friend’s house, knock on the door, and ask if they could come out and play. If they weren’t home? You’d come back later. No texting. No scheduling. Just persistence and showing up.

Sounds a little like sales, doesn’t it?

Sometimes we overthink everything—perfecting the cold email, tweaking the CRM, chasing the newest tool. But the real game-changer? Following up. Consistently. Politely. Like a kid knocking on a door hoping to play. That’s how deals are won.

And when we did get together with friends, we didn’t need an activity planned. We sat on the curb and talked. Listened. Maybe hunted frogs or made up some ridiculous game with a stick and a ball. It didn’t matter—we were just present.

That’s how I think of staffing.

We rush to fill jobs, screen resumes, and check boxes… but what people really want—both candidates and clients—is to feel heard. Just taking the time to listen makes all the difference. You build trust, you build buy-in, and you make better matches.

And all those hours of unstructured time back then? That’s where the real growth happened.

We solved our own problems. Organized our own fun. Worked out arguments without an adult stepping in. That kind of freedom built confidence—and that’s something I think about now as a leader.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your team is step back. Give them space. Let them figure it out. You don’t need to micromanage creativity or problem solving. You just need to make room for it.

Whether you’re selling, staffing, or leading—the basics still matter.

Follow up. Listen. Create space.

Turns out, a 90s summer taught us more than we realized!

The Effective Syndicate is a family of brands dedicated to supporting U.S. manufacturing by addressing the industry's unique challenges:

• The Effective Syndicate: Delivering expert consulting services in Lean Six Sigma, leadership development, and operational improvement to help manufacturing companies achieve sustainable growth and operational excellence.

• TES Recruiting: Connecting manufacturing companies with top-tier talent, from the shop floor to the C-suite.

• Swiftemp: Providing fast, reliable staffing solutions, specializing in temporary-to-hire roles for manufacturing and metal fabrication.

• GSD Manager Training: Empowering managers with practical, no-nonsense training to lead confidently, enhance productivity, and build stronger teams.

Together, we help U.S. manufacturing businesses thrive. Want to learn more? Check out our website! www.tes.run