Human Connections:

The Power of Serendipitous Interaction

Byron Middendorf
March 11, 2022

For two years now we have hunkered down, shut ourselves off, been reduced to two dimensional facsimiles of ourselves on computer screens. We have Zoomed and Teamed our way into believing that we can perform our work effectively as individuals in remote locations, tethered together by technology. We have lowered the bar of “connection” so far that it is hard to remember what it’s like to have a discussion without an agenda or talk to someone without a meeting invite. It took a gargantuan effort to “connect” us remotely. It will take determination and unwavering purpose to bring us back together.

That is exactly why we are tremendously pleased and relieved to welcome our TeleLink customers back to the Music City Center in Nashville on April 12 for the first in person user group meeting since the fall of 2019. We will sit around the breakfast table and talk about our children, our hobbies, our vacations. We will share laughter and we will mourn together what we have lost and who we have lost during this pandemic. Those organic conversations are where emotions and camaraderie weave together with training and ideas to form bonds of understanding. Where you don’t have to worry if you are muted or find the button to “raise your hand”. You can smile without a mask and breathe without fear.

Recently I heard a university president state that in fifty years of serving in and around college campuses, he has never seen a generation in such a crisis of identity and connection. We are all shaped by our connections to others, our place in community. At Equinox we do not place the highest value on our revenues or our profits. Our gold standard is the relationships we have with each other and with our customers. If we get those relationships right, the revenues and profits take care of themselves. This has been the case for the past 35 years. Like that university president, I have never experienced the undercurrent of isolation and lack of engagement I have seen over the last two years. I am ready to breathe the fresh air of live meetings, of breaking bread together, of reading people’s faces and laughing together.

Please join us in Nashville as we celebrate our connections face to face! See the official TeleLink User Group Meeting event page for agenda and accommodation details, or go directly to the registration site.

About the Author

Byron Middendorf is the CEO, owner, and founder of Equinox Information Systems, where he oversees the company’s sales, marketing, implementation, and support initiatives. With 40 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry, Byron provides vision and long-term strategic development for the company and its suite of software solutions. Although he enjoys those tasks, he is most passionate about his mission to ensure Equinox is a great place to work. To learn more, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.