Oh Canada!

If you have a vision thats worth getting out of bed for in the morning, then nothing else matters.

-John Furlong, CEO Vancouver Olympic Winter Games

In honor of the one year anniversary of our amazing Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, BC a good time to reflect on all that our athletes and nation accomplished over 17 historic days in February. If you were able to catch the two hour Olympic Anniversary special on CTV tonight, you know what I mean. It brought back great memories of being in Whistler village and enjoying our countries moment in the sun…and some would say coming out party, or as Lloyd Robertson would say the “Grand cresendo of national togetherness.” Something that sums it up nicely from an outsiders perspective is a closing article last year and thank you note from Brian Williams (the other Brian Williams) from NBC Nightly news.

See below.

Happy one year anniversary Canada from our unbelievable 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/02/26/4372324-leaving-behind-a-thank-you-note

Leaving behind a thank-you note
Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor, NBC

After tonight’s broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we’re going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.

Thank you, Canada:

For being such good hosts.

For your unfailing courtesy.

For your (mostly) beautiful weather.

For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.

For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.

For your unique TV commercials — for companies like Tim Hortons — which made us laugh and cry.

For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.

For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games — you’ve made wearing your name a cool thing to do.

For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.

For not honking your horns. I didn’t hear one car horn in 15 days — which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.

For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.

For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.

For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.

For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.

For always saying nice things about the United States…when you know we’re listening.

For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.

For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.

Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.

200 Years in the making

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
- Benjamin Franklin

I was speaking with a friend this week and they send me a link to the YouTube clip below. Our conversation started around financial growth and change, movement in markets, demographics etc. However, everyone in any country has certainly been having these conversations whether they make a nickel an hour or much more.

The premise of the clip is human progress in the last 200 years, moving from the early 1800′s through the industrial revolution, the great depression, two world wars, including breakout of new countries and the demise of others. It’s a few minute video to watch, and ANYONE will get value from it, it’s actually very fascinating.

The feeling it left me with was one of long term hope and prosperity for the future. Not that I don’t currently have that. I am sure you like me, everyone once in awhile looks forward and back in time, charting the years they been on this planet…the growth and progress made and how we are going to leave our thumbprint on this planet.

Enjoy.

Zappos

I attended a birthday party last night and this interesting story came up in conversation so I thought I would share the Fortune article.

Zappos knows how to kick it.
The quirky retailer has a reputation for flat-out fun. But when it cut 8% of its staff, Zappos became a model of how to nurture employees in good times and bad.

Shoe-in: Zappos, debuting on our list at No. 23, hunts for employees who are a little weird.
Thinking out of the box: CEO Hsieh learned how a culture could be toxic at his first startup. ‘By the time it grew to 100 people, I dreaded going to the office,’ he said.

NEW YORK (Fortune) — Five things you can learn from the obsessively Twittering chief executive of Zappos: 1. No matter the season, eggnog never works as an acceptable substitute for gravy when nuking mashed potatoes. He’s tried. 2. Everything you need to know about business can be gleaned from playing pohttp://money.cnn.com/2009/01/15/news/companies/Zappos_best_companies_obrien.fortune/index.htmker – act strong when weak and know when to bluff. 3. Despite the crippling economic downturn, sales jumped almost 20% in 2008, passing the $1 billion mark two years ahead of schedule. 4. Pajama party at the boss’s house! 5. The time has come for him to lay off 124 of his friends.

Welcome to Zappos, the Las Vegas-based e-commerce site with 1,500 perpetually chipper employees who have a thing for parades and a CEO intent on broadcasting all aspects of life, business, and philosophy in 140 characters or less.

The company’s debut at No. 23 makes it the highest-ranking newcomer…

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/15/news/companies/Zappos_best_companies_obrien.fortune/index.htm

Clutter

I returned this evening from my trip to Boston to a condo full of clutter. I have had it on the “list” for awhile to take care of…and its been weighing on my mind. While I was away I was reading a great new book that I will probably reference a few times in the next little while. One of the things it said was “A closet with boxes and clothes that fall out when you open the door has no space for anything new. It can’t be used for its purpose – storage – because its already packed with stuff. You have to create a space, a clearing, and a sense that nothing is in my way so that you can put something new on the desk or in the closet.” The context in the book was relating a company with old issues, an old strategy with the same discussions over and over, leaving no room for new creative ideas. For me this was really about cleaning the closet.

I have had old clothes in the closet for years, I like to think I may wear them again….even after I have looked at them several times and thought, nah, I will go with the new stuff. A cluttered house/condo is a cluttered life. Especially in bigger cities we have a lack of space, and any inch we can gain back clears more space for fresh ideas. I was able to clear three huge garbage bags of clothes out and my surroundings already feel lighter, a weight off my back, creating new space for new things to come my way. As much as it pained me, I even threw out a couple new things I have never worn and gave away my favorite Helly Hansen fleece (that is 8 years old). Of course, its easier to do when I figured out I had some brand new stuff that could replace it from my Kilimanjaro trip.

Additionally, I had a good suggestion from a friend when evaluating whether to remove an item from the closet. He asked himself if he had worn this item in the last 6 months and pictured himself walking in Yorkville thinking if he would wear this item there…or it could be Yale Town, Jasper Ave, 17th Ave, St. Laurent or Madison Avenue. Luckily for me, our board invited Planet-aid Canada to put a bin behind our building, so it was literally steps away. But there are Goodwill, salvation army’s near by and other organizations that will come and pick clothes up. Lastly, I know there are organizations in most cities that are taking older business wear for those in tough times that need to dress professionally for interviews. Indeed a good cause. Its a win-win, helping put clothes on the backs of others, while taking the weight of those items off yours.

A birthday review

It was my birthday last week and I had the pleasure of hosting a party for many of my friends at a local event theatre and bar in the artsy part of town (Queen street). For me this was a culmination of a birthday celebration and a screening of the documentary I developed from my trip to Africa. It detailed my climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro, an African Safari, and a fundraising effort complete with a visit to a local school.

As most of you would have scene from last Thursdays post, the 3 minute YouTube clip gave an overview of the climb and the charitable portion. What it did not cover, that many saw at the party on Friday, was comments of lessons I learned while I was there. (Side note, I hope to be posting the entire documentary on YouTube very soon.) One that I want to focus on is taking stock of your current situation. Many of us walk through life, attempting to keep up with the Joneses focusing on happenings in the past or wants and needs for the future, and being present is often a challenge. I think it’s important to think about the future, to fire the creative passion on things you want to accomplish and goals to strive for, and it’s important to chunk those goals out in small parts that can be focused on in the present. Additionally, it’s important to take gratitude on a regular basis for the great things in your life. It’s fairly easy to do. A great way to start is to make a list of 10 things that you are grateful for in your life, or as some other wise people say, what are the ten magic moments in your life.

Take some time in the next couple days and write them down. I know you can recount them in your head, but the power of putting them on paper is like nothing else. Of course, you will have that list to refer to when times are stressful or you just need a little boost of energy. When you’re done with that list, I would encourage you as part of a daily ritual to ask yourself in the morning what you are grateful for today. I know it sounds a little woo woo (thanks for the term Adam) but it always seems to put a smile on my face (and others who do it) in the morning. Sometimes for me, its great friends, great family, an inspirational moment from the previous week, the ability to keep coming up with creative posts or from last week to celebrate my birthday/documentary screening with great friends. In that moment I was present, really taking in the joy of what I had accomplished with my trip to Africa, being surrounded by friends, sharing a great adventure for me. I actually said to myself in that moment, wow this is special.

I know everyone else would be curious to hear one of your magic moments in life. For many of you it may be the birth of a newborn, an exciting trip, a simple pleasure in life, a great ski run, or an island breeze on vacation.

First thing that comes to your mind, put in the comment box or reply to me…..What is one of your magic moments in life?

Don’t wine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses

How Nelson Mandela won the 1995 Rugby world Cup

I just got back to my hotel after running a solid 10km around the Charles River in Boston. It was a beautiful day here and I really figured my inspirational highlight today would be my run. I was contemplating going to enjoy dinner on a nearby patio or just getting some room service and unbeknownst to me watch the ESPY Awards (ESPN Sports Awards). I always find it interesting how very small decisions made can take you down completely different paths. This post would have been on a completely different topic, that will come later this week. Lucky for you (and me) I decided to stay in.

At this year’s awards, through narration by Morgan freeman, a special video by Barack Obama and live presentation by the Tennis Williams Sisters, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Arthur Ash Award for courage. It was accepted by his son and daughter.

It told the story of how Nelson Mandela brought his country together in the violent times of Apartheid and specifically how he focused on unifying blacks and whites together through sport, in this case the 1995 Rugby world cup. He skillfully brought the world cup to South Africa in that year and in the run up asked his fellow black followers to support the hated white National Rugby Team (Spring Bok) as they vied for a world title, while using the Spring Bok as a catalyst to unite a nation.

“So, barely a month after he had taken office, he invited François Pienaar, the Springbok captain, for tea at his office in Pretoria. He wooed him instantly (“I felt like a wide-eyed kid listening to an old man telling stories,” Pienaar told me) and, without the big blond son of apartheid quite knowing it yet, recruited him to the new South Africa cause.
Mandela’s challenges did not only lie on the white side of the apartheid fence. He had to do some tough political persuasion among his own black supporters too.

They had been brought up to detest rugby. Next to the old anthem and the old flag, there existed no more repellent symbol of apartheid than the green Springbok shirt. That was why the blacks-only pens at rugby stadiums were always full on international match days, cheering the Springboks’ opponents.

But Mandela set himself the mission of converting black South Africans to the perplexing notion that “the Boks belonged to all of us now”, as he put it to me.”

To read the rest of this great story click below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3634426/How-Nelson-Mandela-won-the-rugby-World-Cup.html

Observing Evolution

I was thinking about judging others and self discovery this morning and this article came into my inbox. It’s funny how that happens sometimes. I get this publication every morning (www.dailyom.com) and its always an inspiring morning read. This article explains how each person needs to choose and experience their own path. It’s well worth the read.

Happy Friday.

Colin

Watching a loved one or a peer traverse a path littered with stumbling blocks can be immensely painful. We instinctively want to guide them toward a safer track and share with them the wisdom we have acquired through experience. Yet all human beings have the right to carve their own paths without being unduly influenced by outside interference. To deny them that right is to deny them enlightenment, as true insight cannot be conveyed in lectures. Rather, each individual must earn independence and illumination by making decisions and reflecting upon the consequences of each choice. In allowing others to walk their paths freely, you honor their right to express their humanity in whatever way they see fit. Though you may not agree with or identify with their choices, understand that each person must learn in their own way and at their own pace.

The events and circumstances that shape our lives are unique because each of us is unique. What touches one person deeply may do nothing more than irritate or confound another. Therefore, each of us is drawn to different paths—the paths that will have the most profound effects on our personal evolution. If you feel compelled to intervene when watching another human being make their way slowly and painfully down a difficult path, try to empathize with their need to grow autonomous and make their own way in the world. Should this person ask for your aid, give it freely. You can even tell them about your path or offer advice in a conscious loving way. Otherwise, give them the space they need to make their own mistakes, to enjoy the fruits of their labors, to revel in their triumphs, and to discover their own truths.

The temptation to direct the paths of others is a creature of many origins. Overactive egos can convince us that ours is the one true path or awaken a craving for control within us. But each person is entitled to seek out their path leading from the darkness into the light. When we celebrate those paths and encourage the people navigating them, we not only enjoy the privilege of watching others grow—we also reinforce our dedication to diversity, independence, and individuality.

Kilimanjaro Eductation Foundation

B-R-I-C….?

I was reading a great article in Time magazine this week and this is my take. With the world economy in a tail spin only two major powers expect to grow in 2009, India and China. It’s like the wild west…except it’s the east. Brazil is the B in that equation, and they may eke out small positive growth. Economists added R to the party back in 2001 and that included Russia. However, they are a different animal only with resource rich land, and a feeble economy with shrinking population. Unfortunately this year has been especially bad.

Before the financial slide last year, many emerging economies were talking about reducing reliance and “decoupling” from the U.S. economy. The crisis changed all that. However, BRIC large populations with growing educated middle classes are poised to take less of a sting than the U.S and other economies. When recovery comes round, look for them to grow heavily. In fact, predictions are that China’s economy will outgrow the US in 20 years time. The end of an era, the fall of the Roman Empire, maybe, maybe not.

The U.S. still has many strong points: strong universities, millions of hard working and ambitious immigrants, a risk taking mentality to break through barriers. Unfortunately, the U.S. will have to start living within its means, trimming the fat, to stay competitive. Like any company built on solid fundamentals in this day and age, it must do more with less (maybe way less), retool and grow through innovation.

To keep the new U.S. trend of frugality from damaging the global economy, other powers are going to have to stand up.
Japan and Europe are in much tougher predicaments with a slower growing and aging population, so it will be left to BRIC to come to the forefront and induce recovery.

What is good for the global economy, is good for the U.S long term. It just may not be the tallest kid in the class at conclusion.

Anyone can get up at 5am, few rarely do – Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma also said, those that get up at 5am (or in his case 4am) rule the world.   I am a big fan of Robin Sharma and have been reading his stuff for about a year now.  I thought that was all well and good to say, but I tend to work late into the night, like many people do and feel I am at my best, with the most creative ideas at 1am.  I then sleep till 8am and hit work by 9am.  Somehow I was always feeling behind.  Regularly on Mondays I would stay in the office lateuntil8pm or 9pm before beer league hockey so I was prepared or caught up for the week. I always felt a step behind.

So from my last post you will see that some of us together have been taking on this challenge, and again accountability is a big factor.  But there are two other factors. One is simple, getting to bed early.  This was the reason I fell off the wagon on this challenge at the end of 6 weeks last year.  I was not getting to bed early, which had me exhausted and run down by the end of each week.  I could not sustain the early rise, without proper sleep.  This time around, my goal is not to just complete a 4-6 week challenge; it’s to integrate this into my normal routine.  Yes 5am is to become the new normal.  Sounds painful, doesn’t, it….only if you do not get enough sleep.  I find that if I can be in bed or at least winding down by 10pm, then its child play.  6-7 hours is enough for me to be able to rise when the formerly dreaded alarm goes off. In addition, getting some simple things done the night before (like making my morning shake, deciding what clothes to wear, packing up my work stuff) make it all much easier if I need to head off and meet the guys for an early workout and then to work.  Of course, if you are just getting up to get some personal projects done, then you have that extra time in the morning.  I now look forward to getting up early when I go to bed, and accomplishing many things before others rise for the day.

What else is a key ingredient for an early rise?  Purpose.   It’s great to be able to get up early in the morning, but besides working out, which for me twice per week in the morning seems to fit well, what will you do with all that extra time. That’s the beauty of it, what ever you want.  What have not had enough time for lately? Reading a new book, working on a personal project, scoping out your next vacation, getting sometime to yourself before the kids rise.

So what drives me to get up early.  What’s my purpose?  While I have been struggling with that one for a little while. Previously I have been using it for extra work time (not too exciting), occasional morning exercise, reading the paper and some extra time to read interesting books.  In the last few weeks since I have committed to being up at 5am (see a pattern?) I have found I want to use the time for the following.  Twice per week, morning workouts at 6am with friends (accountability), working on this blog (and the next phase), some additional reading on the current book (s) of the month, time for researching and pre-planning calls to new potential clients or maybe a morning walk around the neighborhood.  This gets me excited and motivated to get to bed early…and be ready to start each daily early.  It took me awhile to figure this out, I know some of you are already there and I congratulate you.  To the rest of you, do you have it in you to take the 5am challenge for 21 days.   I’ll be up to support you if you do.

What do you do, when no one else is watching?

Many people can get by in life by taking the easy route, winging or faking there way through life situations.  How much energy or effort does it take to go the easy route, versus doing the task or issue you are supposed to do or being paid to do.  In most cases, I would say 80%.  It takes a lot of ingenuity, creativity to mask the holes in your story.  These are good characteristics, when used in the proper setting.  So why not just do the actual work or job.  How does it make you feel knowing you haven’t done what was asked?  How does it affect your confidence?  I find for me, I get a little nervous, I think about it all day long, I have stories in my head wondering how my boss, colleague or friend is going to react.  These “realities” are usually far worse than the actual reaction…and that is usually just disappointment.

What you do when no when else is watching, is the true mark of your character.  What you probably don’t realize is that what you are doing at this time or accomplish is the most important.  Because most times, somebody is watching, you just don’t know about it.  The tone of your voice or your body language is being read, even though you are saying nothing. Tone and body language make up over 85% of how we communicate, so you are communicating all the time.

Personal example.  I used to come into work a little later than everyone else.  I was a night owl and just could not get out of bed in the morning.  I was only in 15-20 min after 9am on some days and the arrival time of everyone else.  But I always felt I was sneaking in, that my boss would pull me aside and lecture me.  I also had to rush from home, on the subway, or sometimes taking a cab and was always slightly frazzled when I arrived.  I felt I was always behind starting the day, my confidence in my work not as high and my state of mind not where I needed it to be.  We did get one warning from our boss, that as senior team members it was not showing leadership for the new guys…I knew that would be the only warning.  One day a month of so later, I just decided I needed to be in at a regular time before the painful second/final warning came.  So to be accountable, I told my boss I was turning a new leaf and waking and getting into the office earlier.  He was happy and he told me, that was going to save him the painful conversation that was coming next week.  I was happy to avoid that and I had my motivation to change.  Just that 15-30 min made a huge difference in the way I felt starting my day, knowing I was not having to sneak in.  As you can see from my previous post, I am now in phase 2 and get up very early most days, get to the office early and arrive with confidence knowing this will never be an issue.  I am relaxed on my way to work and stress free.  It’s a good feeling to start the day.  Who knew most of my colleagues had been starting there days like this for years.

Disclaimer.  As my friends will attest, I am late for a lot of personal situations; I know it drives them batty.  This is one step that has helped to improve.  See upcoming future on this.  ;

Welcome – My first post

Hello Social Community. If you are receiving this first post, then you are someone who I know quite well and value your opinion on all things business, social, creative and inspiring in the world. The reason I decided to create this blog is a few fold. First, I have so many amazing conversations with people like you, with inspiring ideas, and the volume is just exploding so I needed a way to share my thoughts and your thoughts with others. As you can tell by the title of my blog, this is a community and I have asked many of you to guest blog with all the fantastic ideas and experiences you have. Just think of all the great nuggets of information we all will have if each one of you shares an experience or thought once in awhile. I am open to sharing this blog outside the immediate circle, once we get some momentum, if you have friends and colleagues of the open and sharing mindset. This will be a work in progress, so I welcome your feedback, especially on content, but also on frequency of posts and the way we communicate with each other. This is the first phase in a plan to connect all of us together in a community that learns and grows through the goodwill and inspiration of others. More details to come down the road…

Annabelle

So I have seen her around my neighborhood a few times and I have never really had the opportunity to talk to her. Well that’s not true; I have had the opportunity, but have not had the stones to introduce myself. Today is a beautiful Saturday morning, the sun is shining, there is a warm breeze and people are in good spirits. I thought if not today…when? Sometimes she is sitting around the corner enjoying the view, and in a much more approachable situation than today. At this moment she is actually walking away from my neighborhood, but what the hell. “Good morning, beautiful day isn’t” I say. In a quiet voice she responds acknowledging that she is enjoying the day as well. She is a little more reserved than I thought she might be. We talk about the area, and the fact that there are not as many parks in the neighborhood, as their used to be. A lot of big buildings are going up and taking away the views, which I agree.

Now, she noticed the Chicago T Shirt I was wearing and asks if I have been there. I did not realize where the question came from until I look down at it myself. I go on to talk about how Chicago is a similar city to Toronto. She has never been outside of Canada and laments how Toronto is getting too big and crowded and thinks outside the city might be nicer. However, she does like the convenience of everything right around the neighborhood. I detect an accent in her latest response. She tells me she is originally from Norway. I have never been, but I have been to Sweden a couple times. I mention to her how I enjoyed the people and spirit there, and how I thought it might be similar to Norway. She agrees and says that they are similar cultures. She was interested to learn that my grandparents were from the Ukraine and came to Canada many years ago. I think she felt a little connection to someone who has roots across the ocean.

I decide its time to go. I did not want to take too much of her time on such a beautiful day. She seemed like she had somewhere she needed to go or something to do. I wondered what it was. I know I will see her around the neighborhood again soon.

Annabelle is homeless. I have seen her around my neighborhood for the last 5 years, save 1. For one year she seemed not to come around. I had wondered what had happened to her. I promised myself a year ago that when I saw her again, and the “time was right” I would go and say hello. That time should have been the multiple times I had walked past in the last 12 months, but it was today. And I am glad I did.

101 Things to do before you die

I recently read an article that referenced this story about Ted Leonsis’ brush with death back in 1983 and how it transformed his life.

http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/020312leonsis.html

“Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Washington Capitals and an Internet multimillionaire, may seem like a guy who has it all. But he hasn’t done it all. When he survived a plane crash landing in 1983, he made a list of 101 things he wanted to do in life. “

I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Mr. Leonsis back in 2000 when I was visiting a friend in Washington, DC. At the time one of my friends had been traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Washington Capitals and was a third line winger, and one of the hardest working players on the team. That particular time I attended, the team was retiring Dale Hunters #22 Jersey and my friend got me invited upstairs for the party. The entire team, families and friends of Dale Hunters were there. It was quite a night.

At one point in the evening Ted came over and introduced himself to the friends that James had brought up. He was very down to earth, polite, with an aggressive edge. He chided James about the last time they were out playing golf, betting on the game and how James had lost. James by far had some of the least talent on the team, but best work ethics and you could tell Ted just saw something in him he identified with. He and James played golf often. As Ted moved on to talk to other people, I kept an eye on him. By the time the night was over, he had gone and talked to every single person at the party, whether they played for the team, were family…or belonged there at all. I felt a little bit like I was intruding, but he was my friend, and I got to meet the head of AOL…and it was one hell of a party.

So my point.

Many of us don’t take stock of life all that often. To what we have, what we have accomplished and what is out there to do. Many people meander through life, letting life blow them around like a leaf in the wind. While others, like Ted Leonsis take ownership of their path, control their destiny and raise the expectations of what their life will mean when it’s over.

If you take a look at his list, it’s broken down into a few different sections. Family, financial, possessions, charity. I imagine it took him a little while to create this list and fine tune it. You may think it’s easy, but it takes time. It’s hard to even come up with 101 items. You really need to reflect on what you have done; it makes you investigate, if you were only allowed 101 things to accomplish in life, what would they be?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Leonsis

Some of those examples from Ted Leonsis (he’s accomplished 71 and counting):

1. Fall in Love and get married
2. Have a healthy son
3. Have a healthy daughter
4. Take care of mother and father
12. Pay off College debts
22. Create the worlds largest media company
33. Support someone who makes a great breakthrough in science or art
77. Go to Brazil
100. Take a year sabbatical
101. Sale around the world with the family

You will notice his first four are….not possessions or wealth. They are probably similar to most that have a family. In this he is an ordinary man, like the rest of us. He just happens to have set his bar in life pretty damn high!

Does foreign aid work?

So I attended a very interesting event last night at the Royal Ontario Museum. For those of you not from Toronto, the ROM (as its known in short) is a cultural institution that holds many high profile events and last year underwent a very high profile and controversial makeover adding new age design (French) to traditional architecture.

Tickets for this event came available two months ago and were sold out in 30 min. There were 1000 people at the event, 3000 that could not get tickets (I was one of the lucky ones) and 1000 more that joined for the first web cast of the event. That’s just a little background. The real question to ponder below.

http://www.munkdebates.com/

Be it resolved, Foreign aid does more harm than good.

The Debate

In a world where over 3 billion people live on under $2 a day, where economies and threats are globally interconnected, and where only small amounts of aid are given, should wealthy nations do more? Or, given the poor track record of aid, the support it provides to dictators and tyrants, and the actual need for individual entrepreneurialism and free markets, should we focus our limited resources elsewhere?
The third Munk Debate will explore the opportunities and hazards of foreign aid, by debating the question: “Is foreign aid to the developing countries doing more harm than good?”

http://www.munkdebates.com/debates/

The Debaters

Stephen Lewis
“There are few witnesses to Africa’s plight as powerful or eloquent as Lewis” – Time Magazine

“Truthfully, when I see what we can accomplish with money on the ground, it’s the only time in my life I have wished I was Bill Gates.” – Stehpen Lewis

Paul Collier
“His ideas should be at the centre of the policy debate” – The World Bank

“We need compassion to get ourselves started, and enlightened self-interest to get ourselves serious . . . that’s the alliance that changes the world” – Paul Collier

Dambisa Moyo

“Dambisa Moyo makes a compelling case for a new approach in Africa” – Kofi Annan (Seventh Secretary General of the United Nations)

“Evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that aid to Africa has made the poor poorer, and the growth slower.” – Dambisa Moyo

Hernando De Soto
“The world’s greatest living economist” – Bill Clinton

“Poor people have always been seen as recipients of aid . . . whatever you are giving to them is peanuts compared to what they themselves can do.” – Hernando De Soto

I must say for someone who has not attended a debate since watching my high school counterparts duke it out over trivial topics such as garbage collection, cafeteria policy and then interesting but now common place “recycling” or staged and glorified big screen samples from Harvard, it was invigorating.

So here are a few highlights from my perspective covering both sides:

Doing more harm than good
• One of the fundamental points was that the developing nations do not have property rights like you and I. A great example they used was Haiti, the second largest benefactor of aid money from Canada. The President of Haiti recently tried to go around the country and distribute aid and property to the residents of his country. However, they quickly realized that they don’t have a property record system to prove who own what and is therefore useless.
• Aid contributes to African countries abdicating their own government’s responsibility for providing the basics (food, water, shelter and education).
• 1 Trillion dollars in aid has been spent in the last 60 years, have we seen growth, or a better life. They say no.
• Hungarian Economist, Peter Bauer (mentor to Dambisa Moyo) held the belief that money from the poor in the 1st world sent to the rich in 3rd world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thomas_Bauer
• Good example of countries doing it on their own – China has moved 300 million people out of poverty in the last 10 years
• A great analogy – Development money going to Africa is like NASA going to Mars. They really never expect it to be successful.
• 60% of the African continent is under the age of 24 years old. There is a young, motivated and vibrant youth that craves technology that wants to be part of the global economy
• There are 15 stock markets in Africa (85% are not commodities – telecom, real estate, etc.)
• Interesting fact: There is only (since the US is $1 Trillion in debt I thought it interesting) $13 Trillion that exists in world currency today. Of course there is much more in assets. The problem is not currency, its assets. Since developing nations people have no property rights they cannot own and be compensated for land by foreign investors. Essentially they call it dead capital.
• Credit/Capital (paper) – backed by assets (homes, lands, airplanes)
• Good Example – A Study on hydro electric plant in African country where a Belgian Engineer is involved and he calls his local Belgian for specs and recommendations on infrastructure. Of course the parts are created in Belgian factory and work is done there with avg. 60% up sell price compared to reasonable rates that could be done locally. Documents recently have shown in Pakistan 100-300% uplift over what costs should be.
• The suggestion is to make aid compete with private sector as a competition in the world market, and get the numbers out in the open for transparency and accountability.

Doing just fine
• I have spent a little less time on this area, as most people are familiar with this side of the argument and quite honestly I was fascinated by the two speakers from third world countries saying that aid is not the answer. It does not mean Stephen Lewis and Paul Collier were any less persuasive, in fact, I believe the debate to be a saw off, with great points made on both sides and Stephen Lewis by far being the most magnetizing speaker I have scene in a couple years.
• It takes two to organize dictators and corruption. It does not solely fall on the shoulders of aid.
• Botswana – In a conversation Stephen Lewis recently had with their President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA, he used the word extinction if foreign aid did not continue
• As Paul Collier wrote in his internationally acclaimed book “The Bottom Billion” Aid is working but is not getting to the bottom billion of people that desperately need it.
• Investment in African countries has been getting highest rate of return over last 5 years compared to developed markets.
• It bugs Stephen Lewis when Africa is singled out for corruption. What about Citibank, Bernie Madoff, and the recent corruption involving expense scandal and the speaker of British Parliament who abruptly resigned. The first speaker to resign in over 300 years. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104315955
• Aid created in 1940’s where North America helped recover Europe. That is the greatest example of aid working and where it started. Of course, aid of the 1970-90’s to buy support of dictators and keep countries out of the hands of Russia took aid completely the wrong direction.
• The 2030 Climate report shows Africa will feel it the most and has most of the assets (forestation) that will be sacrificed. Do you think they can figure it out on their own in that time frame, and what is the impact on the world? Can we sit on the sidelines and cross our fingers? They will need it more now than they do now. Can they self repair in that amount of time on their own?

Well as I have just taken a look back at how long this post is going to be, I figure I better wrap it up with a couple thoughts. One, if you live in Toronto, get out to the next event; it will be worth your time and money ($30). If you do not, find a similar event in your city. Lastly, I attended the event with a York University Student I am mentoring, or as his cousin Dan (and my colleague) likes to chuckle about, the student that is mentoring me. It was fascinating to here the post debate view point of the younger generation, and of course those that are in the middle of academia right now and know these issues better than many of us. Take it upon yourself to spend some time learning from those with less years in this world, full of compelling and innovative thoughts.

Time Management and Parenthood

By Dan Ross

I have recently entered parenthood and my baby daughter is demanding more of my spare time then I ever realized I had. My daughter is 2 months old now and time management has become one of the most important protectors of my sanity. Please note that this post has nothing to do with parenthood and has everything to do with getting what you want out of life.

For any parents reading this, I’m sure you’ll agree that you get flooded with opinions and advice for the 9 months leading to the arrival of your first child. The most practical pearl of wisdom I heard was that every spare minute is a decision. “What should I be doing with my time RIGHT NOW?” The better I get at answering that question quickly and correctly, the better I get at managing my day. It has forced me to take stock of what I am willing to sacrifice to maintain my priorities and achieve my goals. For example, I have been told that the NBA and NHL playoffs have been incredible this year but I couldn’t even tell you which teams are still in the running. That sacrifice has allowed me to play a lot of sports and be in the best shape I’ve been in years. Resetting my goals and priorities has not just improved my fitness but has helped my career, relationships with my wife, friends, family, even my hobbies like reading, music and cooking.

The biggest change for me has been the unpredictability of my day. The mood, health and sleep pattern of my daughter can change without notice. When I get home from work I could have 2-3 hours to cook dinner, talk to my wife about the day or read a book while the baby takes a nap. I could also walk in the door, have a crying baby handed to me before my shoes are off, spending several hours pacing back and forth in my living room trying to sooth a crying child before I can even begin to think about cooking dinner for an exhausted wife. Making the most of every spare minute, even when it seems I have hours to spare, has helped me smile through those overwhelming times. There are a lot of similarities between diaper duty at 4:00 a.m. and the sh!t hitting the fan at work. Both scenarios are infinitely easier to deal with when you don’t feel swamped with other things you could or should be doing.

I thought University was a very busy time in my life until I got my first corporate job. I considered that period of my life busy until I started taking night classes. Parenthood has made me realize I’ve never known what busy is until now. I’m sure I’ll say the same thing if my wife and I have another child or if I try to start my own business. The solution will always be the same though. Don’t procrastinate. Face the facts of fatigue and overcome them. Every spare minute is a decision.

Dan Ross manages a business development team at Salesforce.com and teaches a continued education course on sales at George Brown College in Toronto. In his spare time he is a new dad, bad golfer, retired breakdancer and accomplished origami hobbyist.

Fundamentals of Food and Wine

So I attended a wine and food education course on the weekend. It was run by two fantastic entrepreneurs: David Calado, Director Global Wine Tours and Steve Thurlow, well known Canadian wine educator, associate editor of Wine Access, International wine judge and all round good story teller. See their sites at the bottom.

I have been attending their wine education evenings at Global Wine Tours for the last 18 months. Excellent value for money. So far I have gone on a virtual and tasting tour (by Google Maps down to the Vineyard Level) of four wine regions: Italy, Spain, Australia, and Argentina. Each evening runs from 7-10pm, and by the end you come out with a great level of knowledge on the night’s region.

So here are some things that I learned at the course on the weekend:

Foods that have been cooked by quick frying methods such as pan fried, stir fried or deep fried need lighter wines with good acidity, as the method of cooking increases the fat content (Big Chardonnay). A slow cooked dish that has been braised or stewed will be weightier and need fuller body wines as the flavours are intensified be the method of cooking (Cab Sav, A Tannic Pinot Noir or Shiraz).

If a food is served cold, it will need a lighter wine that can be chilled. However, this does not mean white wines only – rose wines and red wines that can be chilled such as a light fruity red like Beaujolais are good.

Always match to the strongest flavor on the plate, which in many cases is the sauce that accompanies the dish. Ie. Ginger.

Strong flavored wild mushrooms will need a far more robust wine than pale commercial button mushrooms; a mature vintage Cheddar cheese is going to need a richer, fuller-bodied wine than a fresh cream cheese.

Acid foods require wines with high acidity; in the case of tomatoes which are naturally high in acidity, Italian wines are a good choice as the wines have been developed to match the cuisine which is dominated by the use of tomato.

Sweet wines should always be sweeter than the dessert they accompany.

Salty foods such as olives, oysters and other shellfish go best with crisp, dry light-bodied white wines such as Muscadet, Chablis and Fino Sherry.

A good match for spicy food are wines that are made from really ripe juicy fruit, either unoaked or lightly oaked. Wines like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can work well with spiced foods, as can ripe Chilean Merlot.

Lightly smoked salmon is a classic partner for Brut Champagne, smoked meats like pork can benefit from some slight sweetness in wine like that found in some German Rieslings, smoky barbequed flavours suit powerful wines like Australian Shiraz.

If you live in Toronto or will be visiting, take the time to check out Global Wine Tours.

Global Wine Tour
http://www.globalwinetour.com/Main/Home.html

Steve Thurlow Bio
http://www.globalwinetour.com/Main/Steve_Thurlow_Bio.html

Stew in Uncomfortability

The first time I can truly say I stretched my limits is when I trained for the NYC Marathon in the fall of 2002 with one of my best friends from Edmonton, Kevin. We took what traditionally is a four to six month training window and cut it down to three so we could hit the Nov 2nd competition date. We had both run track and cross country in high school together and overall had been running for many years. There is something about the unknown, fear of failing, that drives you, unsure if you will really be able to not only complete the goal but in a measure or time that lives up to your standards. It was hard work, 6 runs per week, 3 hour runs on Sunday afternoon, and when adding in post recovery time (stretching, soaking, eating, nap), it turned into an all day event that finished with an early bed time. But it’s funny what hilarious side stories and learning always develop in these types of challenges and relationships. Spending 6 hours a week running with a best friend will give you that, and more.

The next for me was a move from Edmonton, AB (the prairies) to Toronto, ON (the big urban city) the next year. I was inspired to do this by my friend Jason, who had moved from Edmonton a few years earlier. We had worked together at Xerox and he had started his own business in Toronto. In Jason’s words “you need to get out of your comfort zone, every once in a while. Every time, I feel too comfortable in life, its time for a major change.” Good advice. So today after living in Toronto for six and a half years, Toronto is home and I feel very “comfortable” here. So for me it was time for a new challenge in 2009….Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. You will hear me reference this trip a lot in future posts, as I learned much.

My point is this. Individually you need to be aware of your strengths, your limits and when its time to truly stretch your abilities, “stew in uncomfortability” (yes I made up this word…ha) and dance with your fears. We tend to learn most from our mistakes and in times that pitch us into deep physical and mental challenge, excruciating grief and personal despair. Call it raising your standards and of those in your immediate circle of influence (colleagues, friends, loved ones). It’s amazing how the motivation, support and energy provided by many can collectively bring you back to life or raise the expectations of you and your circle of influence. What can you challenge a peer of yours to join you in, or what you can individually take on that the rest of your group can hold you accountable to? It need not be physical (although I find those very rewarding), how about a personal project, philanthropy, mentoring or supporting someone when they need it most.

By the way, Kevin and I accomplished and surpassed our goal in the Marathon and so I did in Africa (different measurements)….its funny how you can always inch past that line in the sand when you need to.

Lastly, what do you do, when you complete one big challenge…tee up another one! Mine is already in the research stage…stay tuned!

Be Unreasonable

What it takes to win the world’s most grueling race?

‘Imagine salt water on blisters when you’re trying to run a marathon,’ says endurance runner Mehmet Danis after winning Chile’s Atacama Crossing.
After seven days of running across 250 kilometres of Chilean desert, 34-year-old Torontonian Mehmet Danis crossed the finish line last Sunday to claim first place in this year’s Atacama Crossing, a grueling endurance race staged in one of the driest places on Earth.

Please read the complete story at the link below. This is really a tail about two men. Mehmet Danis and Stefan Danis. One is a friend of one of my best friends. Mehmet Danis and Stefan Danis are not related, at least by blood. But maybe by Country and desire.

Stefan Danis, CEO of Mandrake and NexCareer is a successful Toronto businessman with big ambition. He is also at the centre of the employment industry at an unprecedented time. So he decided to raise funds to help those that need of getting back to work, while chasing a huge personal. I was fortunate enough to attend Stefan’s send off party this week and donate to his cause. After receiving such overwhelming support for my own African charity, this one was a no brainer. The highlight of the evening, other than seeing a tight knit group of his family, friends and colleagues gather together was hearing from Stefan and Mehmet.

Stefan’s comments were about family, overwhelming support, preparation struggle and the fear that goes along with attempting such a feat. Mehmet, who has now won two of the toughest adventure races in the world, was about reason….or to be said better about being “Unreasonable”. It is worth noting to win these races he needed to defeat Dean Karnazes, one of the most famous American Ultra marathoner runners and adventure racers in the world (who’s claim to fame was running 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states). Wow! Mehmet talked about being happy to complete the first days successfully, realizing he was keeping up with champions and that they were mortal men, overcoming fear and raising the bar immensely on his expectations. Further, he showed highlights of pure beauty in a harsh desert, adversaries pushing him beyond his limits, camaraderie between men striving for individual glory, while knowing they would not achieve this without the community present.

Stefan, is now back where Mehmet started a couple years ago. I think many of us wish we were him and at the same time are thankful we are not. All I do know is that people will herald his return, eager to see pictures and to hear of his adventures….being Unreasonable.

Mehmet’s story
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article963164.ece

Stefan’s story
http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/marketer/article.jsp?content=20090423_173533_292

Connecting the business world – Start up story

For those of you who use linked in, you know the benefits and if you have been meandering through 6 degrees of separation on the site lately you will notice some facebook-ish like enhancements. For those of you who do not (mostly friends in Canada, because it has not seemed to hit critical mass here yet) the purpose is the ability to connect to people when looking for jobs, prospecting for new business, reconnecting with Alumni (school and work) and sharing business topics of interest. The theory is, in this small world, those in your network, know a lot of people that you don’t know, but could easily get access to.

A great example. Last week I was looking to network into an account in Boston. I entered in the names of key executives at said account. One of our companies’ business partners had a direct connection to a key executive. I contacted him and found out, it’s his next door neighbor and their kids are best friends. Within a 48 hour period, I found out that they do not plan on acquiring CRM technology until 2010 (the second best answer to yes, is no) but he would take a phone call from me in the next couple weeks. This is information that could have taken me months to figure out and to get time on his calendar.

But to the point of this story. This is not the LinkedIn CEO’s first kick at the cat. He has been involved with other very successful corporations, learning how to create his own blockbuster business and he has had parts in other startups along the way.

Here is an excerpt:

In Silicon Valley, it’s all about knowing the right people.

Reid Hoffman knows a little something about that. Hoffman, 41, started LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals. Its 41 million members include people from more than 200 countries and executives from every Fortune 500 company.

Hoffman founded LinkedIn in late 2002. In just six years, the Mountain View, Calif., company has become one of Silicon Valley’s stalwarts, with 350 employees and a brand recognized throughout corporate America. Profitable since 2006, LinkedIn’s management says, the company raised nearly $80 million from investors last year, valuing it at $1 billion.

Some of his key learnings:

“I started with a checklist of all the things I needed to learn in order to do startups. The first step was pure software development. After Apple, I went to Fujitsu for product management and the business side.” (His Check list contained all the roles an organization needed to function properly. He looked at his skills, saw the gaps, and went and found jobs where he could acquire….this guy had a vision).

“You can’t perfect an idea while you’re currently in a job, because if you start talking to a lot of people and you start studying the market and you’re doing all of that, then you’re not doing your current job well. So I had ideas, but I hadn’t resolved it to, “This is it.”

Similar to working at one job and looking for another, or living in one city and wanting to move to another, people always seem to find a way to convince them self to stay where they are, its comfortable. Although in this economy, best to have that new job signed before leaving for another.

“I have a strong belief that starting businesses during an economic downturn is the exact right time to do it because it gives you runway. It’s harder to raise capital, but if you can do it, it gives you an advantage.”

This is a very interesting comment. He had his own financial backing with his early involvement at PayPal and could afford to do this (think he made a few bucks there?). Many cannot. He references the bust in 2002, and similar to the current one, you are seeing some very smart companies emerging from the mediocre because of their strategic vision, talent and focus.

I know a lot of you currently run your own business, do some consulting on the side or are thinking of leaving corporate life to start your own venture. I think this is a great article that shows how Reid Hoffman had a vision from the beginning, mapped out his talents, identified his gaps, got himself into a visionary circle of influence and learned from successes and mistakes on how to create a Billion dollar Social Networking brand recognized throughout North Amercia.

Read entire article from CNN Money here below:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/02/smallbusiness/linkedin_startup_story.smb/index.htm

Freedom Fries

By Yuri Elkaim

Are the French really healthier? Do they live longer? Why aren’t Europeans as overweight as Americans? These answers and more in this article that recaps our 10-day trip to Amsterdam and Paris.

In this article, I want to share some valuable insight with you about what we learned about the “supposed” healthy French lifestyle and be totally transparent with you about how unhealthy (that’s right!) our trip was.

The French Paradox

A lot people have the notion that French people are healthier and live longer. That they eat healthier and are thinner. Although I don’t have any research at the moment to back up what I’m about to say, I feel it needs to be said. But please remember that this is my personal opinion. It is subjective based on my experience and may not be a true representation of the French culture.

After living for a year in France (in 2003 playing soccer) and having visited the country numerous times before and since then, I must say that the French lifestyle is pretty filthy! I’m not saying French people are filthy, not at all. I love them and I love their culture more than you can imagine.

However, this recent trip really made me realize that the French lifestyle is not at all as healthy as people think it is. Starting your day off with an espresso, croissant, and a pack of cigarettes is not a healthy way to live. Furthermore, eating a heavy dinner along with a bottle of wine followed by another espresso at 11pm at night is a surefire way to cause digestive issues and impair your sleep.

Although it is true that the French eat more fruits and vegetables than North Americans, it is also true that they smoke a heck of a lot more. Relaxing on a patio in France is simply an oxymoron considering every single person around you is lighting up.

I would say that at least 90% of the French people we encountered smoked. And there’s nothing more disgusting than tyring to enjoy a drink or a meal while the person right beside is blowing smoke in your face! That’s one thing I have no patience for! I don’t know what the lung cancer rates are like in France but I would assume they are higher than normal.

What We Can Learn From the French

Aside from their smoking and drinking, there are some valuable lessons we can learn from the French.

First, they tend to eat smaller meals which is obviously one of the reasons why they tend to be slimmer than North Americans.

Second, they walk and bike a lot. Paris has now introduced a new initiative where you can rent a bicycle for as little as 1 Euro per half-hour and drop it off at any bike depot across the city. Although Amy and I didn’t rent these bikes while we were in Paris, we definitely did a ton of walking – at least 10 miles per day!

Third, the French (and Europeans) are much more social. They have a great sense of community and it’s not uncommon to see restaurants and cafes packed with groups of people right into the wee of hours of the morning every night of the week. It seems as though the French work to live instead of the North American “live to work”.

When you consider that having a strong sense of community and socializing with friends and family is one of the most significant factors contributing to a long and happy life, it’s no wonder the Europeans are the example to follow.

To read the entire article click here:

http://blog.totalwellnessconsulting.ca/2009/06/digital-detox-and-dietary-intox-my.html

Outstanding Performance

I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Dave Matthews Band Concert on Tuesday night of this week. They sold out in an hour. This is third summer in a row they have played here, but the first I had some availability to attend. Now my friend introduced them to me probably about 8 years ago and at the time I thought they had a couple good songs. I am not much of a music connoisseur. I used to listen to a bunch of top forty, your standard 102.x power stations in the car, that they have in every city, but since I don’t drive anymore (I ride the silver bullet – Subway in Toronto) I don’t even listen to that anymore. I really started listening to them again last year. I downloaded a couple albums to the ipod, and put them in the rotation beside Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Off Spring, Goo Goo Dolls and a bunch of other random stuff (that includes Sarah McLachlan and Avril Lavigne – there I said it Andre!).

I have seen Bon Jovi live (the best) and the Goo Goo Dolls (solid), and I gotta tell ya, DMB is one of best outdoor live band performances in the world. The passion and energy they put into the performance, the individual talents and solo displays of each band member (two guitarists, drummer, electric violinist are outstanding. In fact, the guy on the electric violin played a mean solo that had the place in a frenzy (it looked like a Tommy gun with strings). You will note I don’t list there names and that’s because I don’t know them other than Dave and the electric guitarist Tim Reynolds (they intro him a lot on the live album). Maybe I should. However, I may look up the violinist, he made an impression. I could just see this guy learning the violin back in school, pleading with his mom not to have to learn an instrument. Perhaps his mom new something back then, or perhaps he knew he may have one of the best jobs/careers alive when he grew up.

For those of you who have not been to the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, it is the premier outdoor live nation concert venue, set along lake Ontario at Canada’s national exhibition grounds. It was absolutely packed, 10K strong on Tuesday. They have big name concerts weekly throughout the summer. There is always fascinating people watching and this event was no exception. From ages 16 (the little Jonas brother look alike in front of us that new every word) to 64 (the spirited couple behind us) with every age rockin out. DMB mixed in some classic older songs with their brand new album that launched June 2nd -if you haven’t seen them or listened to them before, hit up itunes and download the following three songs: Crash Into Me, Crush and Some Devil. It will cost you $3 and may change your life.

Once you are adequately educated in Dave Matthews go hit “The National” a new band some friends put me onto two weeks ago that is in the same spirit of DMB. Try Fake Empire, About Today, Santa Clara, and Mistaken for Strangers.

Now that may be the last post you ever get from me on music as I have exhausted my repertoire there. Feel free to send in your own recommendations or experiences.

A final note. One of the coolest parts of attending the concert was the environment. It was supposed to rain that day, but it turned into a warmer and overcast cloudy evening. By the end, just as they finished there final two songs (with the crowd in hysterics), I looked up at the sky and noted that most of the clouds save two had dispersed, there was an orange hue in the background and stars were shining. Interesting how I remember that. When I do think back to this concert I will remember three things. The great renditions of my favorite songs, who I was there with and the clear and star filled sky. Cross one off of my list of 101.

Good listening!

Back to nature

I got home from my 6am work out with a few friends on a clear and warm Tuesday morning. I must tell you, the motivation and energy you feel when you’re done these workouts is fantastic. It’s a great feeling to have completed your workout for the day early, knowing you will go all through that day with the satisfying feeling of accomplishment, and that you can go home relax and enjoy your evening. Maybe head out and eat a nice (healthy) dinner at a local restaurant or outdoor café with friends (if the weather in Toronto would sharpen up), or attend an event, with your confidence high and your metabolism pumping.

What else do you notice?

Creativity? Future ideas and thoughts flow easily….

In addition, there are not many other people up and around at 5:30am when you are on the way to your workout? It’s like you’re getting some extra time with your surroundings that others won’t get. There is something about being outside, when the sun is just coming up, it re energizes you. There is a light breeze gently brushing your face, where you feel very contemplative and at peace.

When you’re done, is there an extra skip in your step?

Maybe this is a good time to tackle your most challenging task for the
day or put some time in on a personal project.

I ask myself every morning (I started this 6 months ago), what can I do related to nature today. Some days yes its tough, and it’s my walk at lunch to go and grab a salad down by the waterfront, an afternoon walk around the block just to get out of the office for 20 minutes. Other times it’s a morning or post work run in Rose dale valley, Tuesday it was my morning workout in a park and Wednesday it was taking in a baseball game at Fenway park (future post on that). Once in awhile, early morning, I just walk down the street to the local park and sit on the bench and take in all that is green and still and all that is not there….the noise, the people, the sounds, the smells, the chaos of our busy world. Bottom line it’s rejuvenating.

So what is my challenge to you? Get back to nature. It doesn’t have to be a workout; it can just be a simple morning walk. Get up early and go sit somewhere green for 20 min and just take in all that is not there, sit still in your thoughts and enjoy all that comes to you.

10 Things

In this busy world, many of us do not take time to appreciate what brings joy into our life. We are consumed making a living, paying the bills, taking care of kids/family, obligations, and keeping our head above water. Have you ever thought, what if I could take an unplanned day off tomorrow, what would I do? Have you done it, have you really walked through what that day would look like? How would it feel to have that freedom and be able to look forward to a day like that? There are many successful business owners/executives and executive coaches that truly believe time to rejuvenation the spirit is absolutely essential to their success. Some take a half day every Friday for personal time, take a 5 day extended weekend every month or take an adventure/relaxation trip once per quarter. Of course, most of us in corporate might find a challenge with a couple of those scenarios, how ever there are some things that can be done.

Think about it for a few minutes, what is it that brings you joy? Take out a pen and write down ten things that bring you joy (or for those of you reading on the blackberry/IPhone, create a task and type it in). By the way, I find Blackberry tasks the best way to note down those nuggets of information and creative ideas down when you are away from home or the office.

Some of them (and I am betting most) will come from times past when you were a kid or maybe something you have not done in quite a long time.

My list

Eating a pepperoni, green pepper with fresh tomato pizza

Go for a relaxing massage

Eat an ice cream cone (double waffle cone – pralines and cream, cookies and cream)

Kick a soccer ball at the net in a local park

Grab a bunch of guys and play a game of street hockey….car!!

Catch an afternoon matinee

Play tennis or head out for a round of golf with a friend

Go Mountain biking, hit a boxing class or play a game of squash

Go for an early morning run as the sun comes up

Get in a few games of ping pong, lawn darts, or a game of poker with the guys

Spend the afternoon reading a book

Catch up with a friend I have not talked to in awhile at 4pm on a Friday afternoon

Catch a live sporting event (I hit the Red Sox and Yankees game Wednesday of last week in Boston and am heading to the US Open this weekend in NYC)

So what to do? Create a list of ten things you love to do that bring you joy! Write them down, keep the list handy and start integrating those activities into your weekly and monthly routine.

Take a look at your schedule and pencil them in so you know they will get done. Sprinkle these activities into your schedule over the next 6 weeks. Some will be easier than others….and some will surprise you in how much joy they can bring you rekindling the child of the past.

As for me, this past weekend I got together with some good friends and ordered my favorite pizza while we watched game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. I hit a boxing class and went for lunch with a good friend for lunch, saw another friend for dinner and met some new friends on Saturday. And on Sunday, I played golf with a good friend and had dinner after with their family. It was an A + weekend!!

The next one for me to tick off the list is pulling the soccer ball out of storage, pumping it up and going to hit the local park next early morning next week.

Have a great week!

Mentor Me/Mentor You

One of the best ways you can contribute to society and others, is by giving back to the new generation like those that came before you. Each one of us have had some great mentors, teachers and coaches that have helped us get to where we are today. They may not be around for a long time; some provide inspiration in short bursts. What we didn’t know then, was that the mentor was usually getting as much or more than the mentee.

I find when you are teaching something to someone not as skilled in the subject, you really need to go back to the basics and teach fundamentals. Repetition of the basics is where your skill all began. It’s interesting to see how someone else can look at that skill and utilize it totally different than you. In this, there is learning and growth for you.

Throughout my career I have been very fortunate to be coached by some great people, whether in work, social or life in general. I take it upon myself to seek out great mentors, even if they are simply from the pages of a book or the recording of a voice. We are in the information age where it has never been easier to study the greatest academics, artists and heroes of recent time, but is the conversation between people, the debate and dialogue where superior learning shines.

For many, we take for granted the simple things we know, that others do not. It’s similar to teaching a child how to ride a bike. I remember the first time I road my first yellow two wheeler with the training wheels off, it was my dad who gave me the final push. I bet you remember who gave you your first break in your career or the person who stayed late one day and enlightened you on some concept you had trouble grasping.

In the rapidly changing pace of technology (it doesn’t feel so long ago when email wasn’t around), I am amazed how advanced the younger generation uses technology, in all aspects of life, accompanied by inspiring thoughts and energy….or maybe I am just getting old. I was honestly figuring how I was going to get two happy hours in per week, with 10 cent wings, free nachos and a schooner of beer at that age. The energy and creativity that youth bring to conversation is contagious, you’ll find yourself reenergized. I am a big fan of paying it forward, the world works in funny ways. Plus, I was very fortunate for those that helped me along the way.

Simply spending an hour every couple weeks on the phone mentoring someone, taking them to a cultural event, or attending one they inform you on, will really give you some new perspective. In addition, the contacts you have that may be able to further educate students or help open a door, that would have been hard for them, can be instrumental. Sometimes they just need a sounding board that is not their parents, someone who won’t judge them, who has less history to be swayed by the good and the bad.

Finally, it’s a very rewarding experience to watch others grow, self-discover and succeed based on some small part you have contributed to their life. I know many of you already contribute this way, and I applaud you. I would love to post some stories of the positive effects being a mentor or mentee has had on you. Lastly, for those who have been thinking about it and have not, ask around, there are always people just waiting to be educated and inspired…and to teach of what you have yet to learn.

Pushing the limits

DEAN KARNAZES WAS SLOBBERING DRUNK. IT WAS HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY, and he’d started with beer and moved on to tequila shots at a bar near his home in San Francisco. Now, after midnight, an attractive young woman – not his wife – was hitting on him. This was not the life he’d imagined for himself. He was a corporate hack desperately running the rat race. The company had just bought him a new Lexus. He wanted to vomit.

Now my friend sent me this article (starting above) earlier today and the author had me at Slobbering Drunk and 30th Birthday. Weren’t we all? I gotta tell you this is one hell of an article and worth the read from start to finish. It tells the tale of one of the greatest Ultra Marathoners in the world. You might remember I mentioned Dean Karnazes in my previous blogs as the guy who ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days….well this tells how it all started.

On a similar note, our friend Stefan Danis who is running the Gobi Desert race as we speak is probably pushing past the limits of reason and wondering why he entered this race in a god forsaken desert in the first place. Of course, knowing at the same time it may be one of the best decisions of his life. I have to tell you, I really feel the competitive juices flow when I think about it, wishing I was out there letting it all hang out….or at least cheering him on. Stage three of six update, Stefan is currently running out of his mind and in 9th place. WOW!

So back to the article. Here are a few quotes from the famed Dean Karnazes. In some way they are ground breaking, yet so simple they immediately make sense.

“Any goal worth achieving involves an element of risk,”

After banging out 50 miles, it can be hard to squat or even bend over long enough to tie your shoes.

Somewhere along the line, we seem to have confused comfort with happiness,” he says.

You wouldn’t believe the stuff Karnazes consumes on a run. He carries a cell phone and regularly orders an extra-large Hawaiian pizza.

“Forgoing sleep is the only way I’ve figured out how to fit it all in,” he says, noting that running in the dark can be soothing.

This directly ties into my recent post about Stewing in Uncomfortability! In any adventure, the thing that keeps you training hard, feeling the knots in your stomach and pushing past your previous bests and mental limits are the fear of failing, risk of getting hurt, operating on a plane of excellence few have mastered.
Out of the all quotes in this article, I must say besides the visual of ordering pizza from your cell phone while running (must try that) and actually getting it delivered, I like the one below the best. Enough said.

“The human body has limitations,” Karnazes says. “The human spirit is boundless.”

To read the rest of the article click below

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/ultraman.html

I’d Rather be…

You seen these bumper stickers? I’d rather be sailing, I’d rather be fishing, etc., etc..

Driving the family to Chicago last week I saw a new spin on the format and it has stayed with me…

“I’d rather be here, now.” Brilliant.

There’s a lot of chatter in the public media around “now”. Most of us have heard of, or read, Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of NOW”. Dude is smart and definitely onto something powerful; but who has time to dedicate years to finding the type of stillness he describes? What does “NOW” mean for us everyday-people?

From what I have gathered it means: Not worrying about the way things were “supposed” to have been in the past – not worrying about how things are “should be” in the future. Ever felt let down thanks to overblown anticipation? If you want to blame someone, go look in the mirror. The difference between what reality IS and what you want reality to be is what causes our suffering. LET’S STOP TORTURING OURSELVES.

Try taking ten deep breathes and concentrating on the way things ARE right now. It’s not as easy as you think, but practicing can bring an indescribable sense of well being that I invite you to experience.

For me, NOW means enjoying the driving in the minivan on the way to the destination as much as the destination itself.

Enjoy the ride…all are welcome.

Adam Wiebe is a former software sales executive, current entrepreneur with three small kids at home and one hell of a great guy.

Twitter this…

I was on the way to Boston early Wednesday morning for client meetings and on the way I picked up a copy of the Toronto Star. Front page story, election protests in Iran and the use of twitter. I had listened to the latest on traditional TV news coverage about the uprising and protesting from the opposition and youth movement but not until I read the article did I understand how social media was impacting the war being waged.

For many of my tech savvy friends, who are early adopters of the latest and greatest techno gadgets and were on my space and face book before they officially became cool, even they have not grasped the full advantage of twitter. Now don’t get me wrong, there are handfuls that are tweeting the crap out of the interweb, and sorry I mostly try to ignore their twats, chirps and burps. I too feel its not much more than a tool for entertainment to follow the latest celebrity and the up to minute stats of their Chihuahua (I had to google how to spell this) bitzy or princess. Until now.

Twitter is supposed to answer the question “What am I doing now?” In some cases it might be better to propose “What do I need help with now or here is how I can educate you now.” I know of a couple lines of business that use the tool to communicate with College/University students looking for job opportunities in a tough economy. A group of professionals/mentors going out of their way to actually help the next generation find contacts and answer the “how to snag a job 101” questions. It’s like an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for the unemployed and new to the job market encyclopedia. Now that’s useful.

So what about education? Or better yet, sharing information you might not see because tradition media outlets (Newspaper, Radio, and TV) cannot get access to it. Take the recent elections in Iran. A country where the ruling party that is desperately trying to suppress the flow of information on protests and upheaval, the cries foul of an academic 50 something generation who wants democracy and a youth movement that wants to take its country out of the 20th century to catch up with everybody else.

Take these examples below:

“On Twitter, Hamid Akbari, a university student in Toronto, follows eight people in Iran he has come to trust. They tweet about where protesters are gathering for a demonstration, and what police are doing. Akbari then feeds that information to his 500 contacts back home by email or through Facebook.

Twitter combined with Facebook, blogs, YouTube and instant messaging makes for a “fascinating phenomenon.”

Phenomenon is right. Every day citizens are turning into an army of journalists sharing pictures, video (many on blackberries and iphones) and short messages with friends and the outside world, to get an insider look a country in turmoil. It’s a 21st century true example of collaboration of money to piece a puzzle together for the outside world. Many of these collaborators share information with one another, increasing accuracy of the story for themselves and then pitch a cleaner version of the puzzle back across the world to those that are actually living it who themselves don’t have access everything going on. It’s a global exchange of puzzle pieces quickly forming a larger view for great good. It’s a positive use for technology and one the founders probably did not have in mind when they started.

When 911 and the wars in Iraq broke out it was major news agencies like the BBC and CNN that had reporters on the ground or embedded with the army who were first to report. It was a new way of getting information and faster than ever before. But that was 3-7 years ago, and in an information age, things change. The article pointed to the history of technology used in the last Iranian conflict.

The 1979 Iranian Revolution, a revolt aided by the aerosol can and copy machine. Protesters left messages spray-painted on certain walls and copied off massive numbers of flyers.”

That at the time was creative use of technology. That was then; this is now….what will be next?

To read the full Toronto Star article click below:

http://www.thestar.com/article/651927

Beth Page Black

Reporting from the US Open – Beth Page Black – Farmingdale, NY

This weekend I was lucky enough to attend the US Golf Open in Farmingdale, NY. It’s one of the most famous Golf Tournaments in the world (2nd only to the Masters), a pinnacle of sport, with the flair and audacity like only NY produces. Exciting story lines that involve current champions, competing for immortality, amongst personal strife, many remembering the loss of a character and legend on his 10 anniversary.

It’s a swirling collage mixing old heroes with new challengers, traditionalists with fiery young international personalities.
There is a new breed rising on the tour, from Argentina, Spain, England and Asia that combine effortless talent, with a strong training and nutrition regimen and individual style.

In terms of unknowns, there are many:

Will the weather cooperate?
How close you can get to the world’s biggest names?
How did they make that shot?
Who will emerge as a hero this year?
Logistically how do they put this event together?

I can share with you, the weather is usually an issue in NYC. However, you can get very close to all of your favorite players, a couple low ranked qualifiers will battle a crowd favorite for the hearts of many and the ultimate prize. Of course, without the backing of many organizations including amazing volunteers, this event would not be a success.

Additionally, very impactful was tight security controls that did not allow electronic devices of any kind. Totally cut off from the outside digital world all day. The good, focus on nature, sport, competition and immersion into the event. The bad, no pictures, sharing real time insights with friends and a communication tool for finding our group of friends if lost.

We actually had a couple of occasions where we needed to come up with creative solutions to frustrating logistical problems. It was like camping back when I was younger, when you couldn’t get the fire started, you either found a way or were cold all night. In this case, we shared a mammoth sprawling lawn with 1000′s of people all incurring the same issues.

In summary, the US Open is an experience not to be missed. It provides much more than simple viewing of live sport. It’s a gathering of frenzied fans, full of piss and vinegar, yet compassionate, full of camaraderie.

I have been before so it’s not necessarily a fresh stroke through my list of 101. However, it’s an extra check mark, having the opportunity to enjoy the weekend experience with close friends.

The final continues today and a new champion will be crowned.
Follow the action at – www.usopen.com

The Gladwell Conundrum

By Jeff Kinch

A thought has been gnawing at me for a few years now and it reached the “tipping point” (a joke that I hope makes sense in a few paragraphs) the other day when I heard someone refer to an “outlier” for what seemed to be the 519th time over the past few months.

Malcolm Gladwell is, to be certain, a magnificent writer. His website of archived New Yorker pieces alone could serve as a de facto “best of” compilation for journalistic articles over the past ten years. The terms he does not invent but does bring to the masses become part of the vernacular with every book he releases. In fact that may be the contributing factor to what I consider the “Gladwell Conundrum”. His books have, rightfully, sold millions of copies due to his gift of prose and his meticulous and varied research. The reason for his popularity, however, lies in the unique angles he takes on describing everyday phenomena (from well connected socialites to the inner workings of urban Emergency Rooms to the birth dates of major junior hockey players).

It seems ironic that the message from his books that resonate with so many readers is the first thing his devotees discard once they’ve devoured his latest offering. Without question the underlying theme of his work (articles and books) is to question the prevailing way of looking at the world; to challenge the assumptions around us and to seek out new explanations for the way things are (and may soon be). By reciting his opinions and, more importantly, those of the people who provide these views we risk falling into the very trap he seems set to make obsolete.

With the proliferation of information at our disposal today it is not surprising that we look for trusted sources to provide recommended information. Oprah’s Book Club and the Daily Show are examples of “one source” providing us with a variety of information to consume. Looking to outside sources for ideas, or using them as a substitute for personal creativity is easy, more efficient and ultimately dangerous. It would be a shame to waste the examples of Gladwell, Klosterman*, Lewis** and others on the advantages of finding new ways to look at conventional subjects. Perhaps they are just too talented at what they do for their true influence to ever be fully realized.

*Klosterman Example: devoting an entire chapter of a book to examining why Saved By The Bell might have been the most important TV show in the last 20 years
**Lewis Example: Moneyball – profiling the renegade Oakland Athletics and their unorthodox philosophies on evaluating talent

Jeff Kinch lives in Toronto and is a software evangelist and bull dog owner by day, amateur (yet I bet professional one day) opinion and comedy writer by night. Jeff enjoys long walks in the local park with his bull dog Louie.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Sometimes it takes a child to raise awareness and leave a lasting legacy that could not be imagined before it happened.

Alex’s Lemonade stand is a leading childhood cancer nonprofit organization. Alex (short for Alexandra) ultimately passed away in 2004 at the age of 8 but her memory lives on.

Alex began selling lemonade in front of her home to raise money for children’s cancer research. It inspired friends, classmates and volunteers across America to join the cause. Alex’s innocent beginning spurred a dream that has raised more than $25 M. After losing Alex, her parents kept the dream alive inspiring thousands of families, schools, local businesses and other organizations to follow and contribute with their own stands. In addition, major corporations have stepped up, partnering with the foundation to create lemonade stands for life (lemonadestandforlife.com)where online supporters can buy virtual cups of lemonade. To date, they have raised over $200K for Children’s Cancer. The ultimate missions, is to raise money and awareness of childhood cancer causes, primarily research into new treatments and cures.

Sadly, some families are put in terrible financial strain, paying for cancer drugs and having to drive on long trips across states to available clinics. It would seem tough enough for an adult to experience this disease, let alone a child. Not only does the foundation put money towards research, but it contributes towards conferences and educates its members on new innovative treatments and methods to help families cope.

So what is my take on this. Well to put it lightly, if a tiny eight year old girl (in age only), with an enormous heart can start a movement that will long live in her memory and benefit the lives of countless young children, shouldn’t we be able to take on at least a fraction of her very unique spirit and give back to those that need it most. Everyone has their own passion, their own cause, something that will allow them to raise their hand and offer to help. If you don’t, I encourage to start exploring yours. It’s a simple reminder of how little actions, yield enormous results.

To read more on Alexandra’s foundation, visit their website below.

http://www.alexslemonade.org/?gclid=COmYx52_oZsCFeFL5QodWHtZDQ

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation evolved from a young cancer patient’s front yard lemonade stand to a nationwide fundraising movement to find a cure for childhood cancer. Since Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004) set up her front-yard stand at the age of four, more than $25 million has been raised towards fulfilling her dream of finding a cure for all children with cancer.

Short and Sweet

So a bit of a different theme this morning. Questions instead of answers. The rest of the community are curious to hear what you are thinking. They have told me.

Two questions:

Do you use twitter? Yes or no.
And…
What energizes you?

It could be a song, a place, a person, art, a situation, a movie, a book, an idea….anything. What makes you want to jump up and down with joy, fill you with confidence, feeling like a superhero…. indestructible!!!

I know some of you read the post in the office (so post a comment on the site) and others read it (you have told me) on your BB on the way to work, or rolling out of bed with one eye open (so just respond by email).

Take 10 seconds now, your first instinct and respond with a couple words, a phrase or description of what energizes you.

Don’t be shy, people want to know and learn from what you are thinking. We are in the collaboration age, join the conversation.

Garbage – The Silver Lining

By Jeff Kinch

“Amateurs look for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and get to work”
-Glenn Gould

I was reminded of my favorite quote this morning. I live in the St. Lawrence Market area – a beautiful, vibrant neighborhood that is also routinely described as “colorful” (NOTE: Canada’s political term for “occupied by plenty of homeless and addicts”). There’s a tangible energy there and the people who call it home seem to never want to leave. Bereczy Park is a beautiful city park in the heart of the Market area; a small grassy refuge between Wellington and Front Streets with bench seating and a refreshing stone fountain. It can be both relaxing and tense depending on who is there at the time. This morning I was finishing a coffee on one of the seats when I noticed someone picking up the trash littered around the park – not an unusual site as we usually have city workers regularly keeping the area attractive. Those living in Toronto, however, would realize that today that was an unusual sight as our city workers have selfishly decided to strike – leaving child care agencies closed, sports parks empty and most visibly, garbage piling up.

Most residents are simmering with rage about the impact this is having on our lives but that’s not the point here. I looked more carefully at this “sanitation worker” – grubby jeans, torn t-shirt, work gloves, covered in sweat – getting down on hands and knees to fish out the discarded coffee cups and paper towels from under the benches. There was something different about him though so I called him over and asked him who he was working for (my initial thought had been that some area businesses may have pitched in to pay to keep their places of business relatively clean). His answer was simple and slapped me with a virtual 2×4 of guilt – “no one, someone’s gotta do it”. Not a trace of bitterness, no martyr complex, no desire for credit or acknowledgement. Just a neighborhood resident pitching in to do his part without complaint. Instead of merely complaining about the city workers and bemoaning the declining state of the city (like I have definitely been doing) he was helping out.

Motivated by guilt I offered to take some of his garbage bags back to my building as we have private garbage removal and he was please to oblige (providing me with double bagged cargo, “quality garbage” he said with a smirk, “nothing that stinks”). A half hour later, walking to work I was stopped by a guy wearing a suit worth more than most monthly mortgage payments who said “Hey, thanks for taking those bags, I’m running out of places to hide them”. Turns out our Samaritan is an Investment Banker for Dakota Capital (and being an investment banker he most likely has plenty of reasons to slump into self-pity mode).

But back to the quote at the beginning – Colin’s made a call to all of us to roll up our sleeves and start chipping in around our communities. I have a frustrating tendency to want to wait until things are “perfect” – a charitable cause that blows me away, a lightning bolt of inspiration, etc. Here’s an example of a guy who saw something that needed done and jumped in with neither fanfare nor expectations of reward. Just getting up and getting to work.

The Responses

Wow!!! AWESOMENESS. You will see a some on the site and others that I collected from people responding below. Check them out. Amazing thoughts that may just energize you.

Have a great weekend.

C

Do I twitter? Not on purpose.
What energizes me? My dog, Barnaby.
-Jon. B

No on the Twitter – Tried it but no time for another social site to update.

As for the other question, the answer is simple…. My children

Corny answer but the truth… I see their get up and go energy, their innocence, adventure and unbridled freedoms of youth and I become intoxicated by it, energized by it.

-Dan K

A few times, but don’t really get it.
Going 200km and hour on my motorbike on the highway. Closing a big deal. Skateboarding down steep hills. Technology innovations that breed efficiencies in my manufacturing plant. World Travel!!! Entrepreneurs Organization! ……
-Kevin L

Snow Storms
-Jim D

Twitter? No but meaning to get on it.

Energizes me? The smell right after the rain. Driving on winding highway, shifting along with every curve, windows open, music in the background. Any live concert, even better if it’s one of my favorite bands at the Amphitheatre. I could keep going all day on this subject…….
-Mike K

Twitter – no

What energizes me?
Skating by the lake on a hot summer afternoon.
-Natalie M

+ success energizes me
-James S

You caught me! I am writing with one eye open! First thing I read is your post, like my daily news!

1) I have a Twitter account, I do not tweet.

2) People energize me, my husband, my family, my friends. Music gets me revved up, often times I dance and sing along. Good food shared with good company makes me happy=energized. A beautiful day, the ocean, being outdoors. Exercise also does it, sometimes praying recharges me. A good story, a joke that makes me laugh, kind words. Every day I wake up and there are so many things that make me happy and add energy, I like to focus on those.
-Ursula L

Racecars. not the thought of driving them but actually strapping in and dropping the clutch!
-Greg P

Twitter: yes
Energizes me: spending time with Mom, listening to others in their time of need.
-Lisa B

Do you use twitter? Yes or no. YES…and I invite you to follow me
And…
What energizes you? coffee, and my 8 & 10 year old boys, sales results, groovy new shoes.
-Janet T

Nope…not a twitterer.

And I’m energized by people who demand more of themselves than settling for the status quo. It can in regards to health, to career goals, to relationships…all those people who are not satisfied to ‘sit and wait’ for life to occur!
-Brian D

The notion of future prosperity “things will be even better tomorrow” is what energizes me.
Adam W

I feel completely fueled in nature, especially by the water. Calm, creative, and focused. Untouchable.
-Laura G

The thought of not reaching my full potential.
Joseph K

What energizes me:
Time – the early morning hours before work, family or anything can exert their influence on you.

Questions – whether from friends, clients, books/movies – anything to get you to consider, explain, decide and defend your thoughts or opinions.

Weather – the beginning of each season is a remarkably energizing time – each season (even winter) is associated with different emotions. Fall, beginning of something new (and football); Winter ,the end of another year, holidays, family; Spring, the ultimate energizer, coming out of the winter cocoon; Summer, the feeling of having earned the most enjoyable time of the year (for any non-winter dwelling readers trust me, surviving the Toronto winter is cause for celebration)

Fitness – no better feeling than a shower, meal or beer that’s been earned.

Friends and family, college football/basketball, music
-Jeff K

Brainstorming ideas on napkins while riding in a high speed train between Boston and NYC or while in Europe. It allows me to clear my head away from the constant overload of data hitting me from all sides daily and to dream up new ideas about business and life.
-John T

Sleeping through thunder and lightening
The exhilarating feeling after a kickass run, demanding squash match, or sole sucking boxing class.
Conversation with friends and colleagues that sparks innovative ideas.
Creating the magical moments that define your life with friends and family.
Sitting back and contemplating all you are grateful for….life is grand!!
Having the confidence to inspire others to self discover their own greatness.
Waking up at 5am, knowing there are very few using this amazing time, that stands still to accomplish greatness.
Some catchy tunes…and of course Bon Jovi – livin on a prayer!
-Colin N

Tonight’s going to be a good night…

I was fortunate to attend a wedding on the weekend for a good friend. This was one we had been anticipating for a quite a while. It was one of those weddings, where you know the bride and grooms families, you have met most of the local people previously and had some great out of town contingent added to the mix. To say there was a strong cast of characters would be an understatement. For those of you in Toronto on Saturday you will note it was a glistening sun shining day and the backdrop could not have been better.

From the beginning, even at the pre reception meet up at a local neighborhood patio, there was a sense of togetherness and connection. It’s usually that awkward time after the church around 4pm, when you don’t have enough time before the reception to go home, and it’s still enough time that boredom sets in from milling about. In our case, we had gathered a large group of locals, those from the suburbs, small towns and international guests to grab a quick bite and couple drinks enjoying the sunshine. I guess it really goes back to who is getting married; it’s a reflection of the company they keep, ones that have influenced their lives over the years.

Their seemed to be an overriding theme throughout the night, starting with the entrance into the event space (Capital Theatre) containing mocked up movie posters of the couple, individualized “premier tickets” for your seat or table, I guess you could say it was a glitzy movie star theme. Maybe that is just good wedding planning, or maybe it’s the extra care and minute detail that really made you feel part of something special. The bride’s family of Indian background had a very large group that made the trip for the wedding. From them you felt a strong sense of family, commitment and generosity. It was a spirit that continued right through the evening, facilitated by the duel master of ceremonies (good friends of the bride and groom) and cemented in the speeches.

This was not a litany of emotional speeches, narrow in range, with the usual pleasantries. Their were some big liberties and risks taken. They were formed through humor, many roasts of the feature guests (mostly the groom) and all came back at the appropriate moments to over arching lines of generosity, spirit and integrity. Each speaker whether reading from script or off the cuff, was articulate and emotionally balanced in prose. In addition, responses from the parents, as you would expect were full of joy, love, humor and a seemed to be a foot note for the next chapter of their family’s lives.

The finale included smart, strong and graceful speeches by the guests of honor, the bride and groom. Followed by a vibrant and energized party, that spanned youth to those very wise in their years….with noticeable participation from the older generation. The entertainment culminated with a dance circle of friends and a ‘special’ display of dancing prowess from the groom to “I gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas (Tonight’s going to be a good good night….). For those who know our friend, he is a very unique individual; full of piss and vinegar, confidence and an awkward dance style (that one day may just be revolutionary). It was an inspiration of 1970’s era dance moves, skilled jumps, beaker on steroids and tap dance feet, that had the crowd in hysterics…later joined by the beautiful bride. But what did I really pull out of this mesmerizing display of entertainment, coincidentally on the weekend the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, left us? Was it a dance revolution, a new burgeoning talent in entertainment? Although I will never bet against his future potential, it was much simpler than that.

It was a friend (along with his new bride) in his element, surrounded by those they love the most, confidence through the roof, on top of the world, entering an exciting a new chapter in their life. If you can detect a hint of jealousy and pride at the same time, you would be correct. What is really says to me…I am very lucky to have them and many other inspirational friends as a part of my circle of influence continuing to set the bar higher for the benefit of all. We wish them all the best.

Who Runs In the Desert and Why

26-Jun-2009 08:55:59 AM [(GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi]

Gobi March (China) 2009

I was pretty clear why I did.

The economy was in a tailspin in November and while I knew what to do, I also knew I couldn’t control the quickness with which the tide was receding. Like some, my business life spills over into life itself. And into my self esteem, my moods. Even my ethos’ foundation seems shaky when things turn really nasty. As an entrepreneur, too many times it has been the business tail that has wagged the dog. I’m smart enough to know it is not a good thing; but I just don’t know how to control it.

When I painted the scenario for 2009, I thought at best that I would look back with melancholy thinking it was the year that wasn’t, shoulders sagged, knowing I would have right sized the business and fired friends, cut cost, created sales generation programs, focused on innovation, and ultimately owned the failures of the business for this year. All of the negativity would get magnified because clients may not relate to you as a critical business partner when business sucks, and you meet a disproportionate number of executives now looking for jobs where anxiety, scarcity, panic, depression are palpable.

So while battling as best I could to retain some sanity and survive as opposed to thrive, I wanted to create a positive conversation for myself around variables I could control. Health, personal development, and spirituality. I went shopping for an experience that could alter the course of 2009 with potential to change my life. I vetted a bunch of ideas with Leslie (this had to be a family decision) and zeroed in on a desert race. It seemed monumental for someone who had run a half marathon 5 years before as a personal longest. Sprinkle in running in the desert, at high altitude, in searing heat, unaided with 27 pounds on your back to add to the challenge. In return, I probably would get in the best shape of my life via the training, get time to myself to think about the business and my life, listen to books on tape while running and convert them to business ideas, explore a part of the world closed to the public, get conversational capital, and put the puzzle together of how to prepare for this and what to put in your backpack. Later, it grew to be bigger than that and became a great vehicle to raise money for the unemployed. And of course, I got a lot of more out of it than what I put in – and trust me, I put a valiant effort in.

My tent mates were representative of a particular type of demographic here; we were all over 40, one over 50:

3 Brits, seemingly oblivious to the pain, a result of experience.

John, Andy and Dave have quite the pedigree; John who is 50, is a top 10 in the world overall at any ultra race event he shows up at. The three of them have run the famed MDS Marathon Des Sables (250K in the Sahara)http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/, the Himalaya 100K http://www.himalayan.com/, the Verdon Canyon 100K in France http://www.trailverdon.com/Site_2/Bienvenue.html, and the Amazon Jungle 200K http://www.junglemarathon.com/among among others.

We were able to learn from them as they shared their experiences. They were a good source of advice on how to deal with rest, feet, food, etc. They do it to raise money for the British Army’s Help for Heroes program and annually set the goal to stay healthy, get out of their comfort zone and test themselves. Accomplished in business; they are prosperous entrepreneurs; each owning a large business: UK’s largest frozen food co (M&M Meat like) (John), large truck transportation co. (Andy), and large glass and window manufacturing co (Dave).

2 Aussie ladies, Berenice and Sharon, also experienced but doing it for different reasons.

They have done the 100K race in Papua New Guinea http://www.kokodaspirit.com/ before.

Berenice owns the Binbilla vineyard http://www.binbillawines.com/ in Australia with her husband. (Getting Binbilla wines shipped to me was another unexpected outcome from entering the race…). With 3 kids, she is here alone to stay sharp and push herself to her limits. She spoke at length about modeling her kids and ensuring they could witness her tackling this race with the training, suffering and completion of the project. Her hope is that see life’s rewards come with hard work – I loved her approach in light of the abundance our children have today as I always ask myself the question – will they be hungry – will they carve their own path/projects.

Sharon owns her own corporate wellness business. A physiotherapist by training, she inherited the role of mother hen and medic, and probably focused too much of her time on treating 3 high maintenance Canadians who had never popped blisters before… She helped tape our feet, massage us, etc. We all thought we were warriors before getting there, but us 3 Canadians rapidly realized we were in over our heads. She is separated with 2 kids at home. She feels a little isolated in Australia and shared the bond she felt with everyone – the world is a big but everyone here makes it look like all human beings share the same issues, joys, pains.

Louie and Ernie are very successful entrepreneurs, members of YPO, who did this to challenge themselves. Ernie is a sub 3 hour marathoner and Louie played semi pro soccer.

Demographics of entrants were as follows:

130 participants:

Equal number of 40-49 age group and 20-29 group (25%), overwhelmingly 30-39 (40%), and two handfuls of 50+.

Age from 22 to 57.

About 50% raised money for a charity.

20/80 female/male split.

28 countries represented; an American has won the race more frequently than any other nation; but Canada is a close 2nd!

What else did I see. Many CEOs (over 45 crowd), entrepreneurs, investment bankers/analysts, telco executives. About 10% were in transition, between jobs. Handful had climbed Everest, looking for the next challenge; most had run many marathons, all but me had run ultra marathons, a desert type race, or ironmen’s amongst the top 20.

Who else is here and why?

Ludvig, 28, from Sweden who runs Asia infrastructure group for Ericsson who is a triathlete and just ran the Great Wall marathon last month. Raising money for his wife’s hearing impairment foundation. Does it to see what is possible.

Ron 27, from Israel, did mandatory army service, completed his MBA at Yale, runs investments in Beijing. Raising money for Medecins sans Frontiere. Does it to see what his limits are.

Chris 22, from Britain, who is a sailing champ, and is seaman on large pleasure yachts serving the stars. Doing it to see what he has inside, to push himself. He will run the Sahara Desert in October.

Giles, Gareth, and Sophie a UK team, who won the team competition. Guys are paratroopers for the British Army and served in Afghanistan. They empathized with the Canadians and our vital role there. Sophie is a physiotherapist. To compete as a team, you needed to have 3 runners, and needed to finish together and never be more than 25 yards away from each other. Most teams (67%) imploded during the Gobi, unable to stay together and deal with a struggling or slower member. Friendships were tested and some broke down. These guys kept it together… They were amazing. But they are cool cucumbers; they have run 5 Marathon des Sables and Sophie just carried a sled for 300K in the Yukon in a race earlier this year. Raising money for War Heroes and doing this annually to test their limits.

Todd and Peter, two awesome CDNs in my age group living in HK. Todd is an executive at British Telecom, while Peter owns his own business. Both raising money and grounding themselves on the joys to be alive (when you go back…).

Cyrille and Valerie from France, they chose to come for their 10th wedding anniversary and left kids at home. She is a Nokia executive, he owns a recruitment firm in Jakarta! To enjoy the tough journey, get away from the business, and appreciate each other and catch up as they ran side by side the whole way.

Almiro Romiro from Guatemala. YPO and looking for a challenge. Runs marathons with his son. Wanted to come up with a scary big goal.

Rob and Katrina Follows. They climbed the 7 summits and are now looking for other challenges to celebrate being alive and raise money for Altruvest. Rob is YPO, my age and Katrina is 35. They are extraordinary people who do extraordinary stuff with their free time. Contact them at Altruvest and they also do speaking engagements where they share their amazing journey.

Len Stanmore was the oldest competitor at 57. He also climbed Everest with the Follows 2 years ago and regaled me with stories (intriguing stuff – any takers?). He ran 150K/week to train here in Toronto. Raised money for Breast Cancer. Len’s wife Liz, came as a volunteer to look after racers along with about 10 others; unequivocally one of the most engaging and empathic and supportive person I’ve met in my life. Volunteers come at their own expense and are here to give you water at hydration stations and give you the needed “at’a boy”. She was an oasis for all of us.

Why were people doing it?

Challenge

Personal growth

Clear their heads

Get away from life’s trappings and get back to the more primal world Experience and travel – discover a beautiful part of the world Live on the edge Raise money Get in shape and be healthy Camaraderie Global understanding Get time to yourself Reconnect with a spouse Learn about teamwork Competition Purity of getting out of it what you put in Finishing something big Being alive Having a goal and pursuing it Seeing what is possible Build your own capacity to handle adversity The list goes on…

People have asked about friends for life? Don’t know.

Life is pretty full as it is. Maintaining the network will likely not happen but I believe I have a place to stay, or drinks at a great location on short notice, in 28 cities around the world! Already my home will be taken up this Summer by Sandra who is coming to Canada for a wedding. The bond you make with the others is there forever, no doubt.

The training

I’d say on average, people walked or ran well in excess of 100K a week as part of their training. But some didn’t and just showed up and walked. With the help of whoever would pitch in, I designed a program for myself. I am happy to send it to anyone who has an interest in doing this type of event as preparation is key. I have the program detailed by week, and all the elements that went into my backpack (thanks to Mehmet Danis for saving me the time and telling me what to do).

The most I had ever ran before this was 17 miles. But my trainer Phil designed a program to bring me to “failure” to simulate the wall of a marathon, in 10 minutes. It worked. So there is evidence you do not need to run long to run this (unless you want to win of course).

It was a great journey and it unlocked my athletic performance in other activities I cherish far more than running – skiing, hockey, or tennis for example.

It was expensive in alterations as I went from a size 36 to a size 32 (all good until your pant size is the same as your wife’s – LOL). I lost 20 pounds in 6 months. Good things happen when you are lighter on your feet – I have had two full knee ACL and MCL repairs, torn meniscus, and they like the stress free new weight. My shin splints have dissipated, and the feet are returning to normal (it was odd to take the subway to work this week with air Canada slippers on…).

I can’t list all the benefits of doing the race and feel free to speak to me if you want to explore the upside of the journey. I can be reached at 416.922.5600×240 or danis@mandrake.ca

If you feel you got any value from the blogging, and see it within to donate to nabs, then please visit my website at www.gobi4nabs.com and make a small donation to help white collar unemployment – I am trying to get to $40,000. God knows it is tough out there especially with Summer around the corner with its decreased seasonal business activity.

Last but not least, like most of you, I have never written anything before but for PowerPoint’s and business reviews and plans. This project allowed me to visit a part of China (put on your bucket list), and to share my experience. I did it to ensure I would remember it forever. It unlocked some sort of hidden creativity which I now know I have.

But the gift I got from getting some of you to participate and interact with me while it was happening was magnificent. I was blind to the impact I had sharing my experience; you may have been blind to yours. Let me just say your well wishes changed my life forever. I will always carry an abundance of well wishes with me that I can share with others.

Best

Stefan

Toronto Life…going down?

So everyone knows we are in a tough economy, people are doing more with less. Everyone has lost some of their savings. We hear how this has affected the average Joe…perhaps losing their job, family down to one income for the time being and definitely one car, really saving every penny.

But how has this affected the rich? Or to quote a recent article in Toronto Life Magazine “the upper middle class.”

To get this out right off the bat, the examples that have been quoted below indicating this is the life of the upper middle class. If this happens to be correct, then I have just demoted myself to the poverty line.

The financial crisis has had the most impact on Wall Street and Bay Street (Canada’s financial Mecca), with thousands losing their jobs. Many of the families having financial trouble in Rosedale, Forest Hill, Moore Park and Lawrence Park (THE places to live) are the Bay Street bankers who are all of a sudden out of a job. The typical life of a charming wife at home with the kids, country club membership, two Lexus, BMW’s or Mercedes, kids in private school, cottage up north, holidays skiing in Vale and Cancun, Europe, shopping on fashion avenue (Bloor Street) in Toronto. Isn’t this how we all live…ahh no. Isn’t this what we all aspire to…ahh maybe.

Over the past number of months some things have been happening in these homes that I certainly have not been aware of, but maybe it’s just me.

Families have really had to sit down and analyze the finances and decide what they are going to eliminate to make the ‘budget” work (perhaps for the first time). Do we take the kids out of private school, sell a Lexus or sell the cottage? Depending on how bad the situation, maybe all three. The gardener has definitely been let go and the nanny, while let’s just say there are many on the market these days.

The private catered fundraisers, where Rosedale soccer moms typically raise money for big charity’s at $10K a head (which in one example was $10K British Pounds a head, coming with a shopping trip to London, England and a private party at a local English Palace) are going away and becoming uncool. Really? Apparently these days potluck is in and thriftiness is becoming cool.

In addition, typical shopping sprees at Hermes, Holts, Tiffany’s or Prada are becoming less frequent. However, for those that still have a good bit of money, stores are offering discreet options. Plain white or brown shopping bags (instead of the Robins egg blue, orange, or magenta brand colors) or offering courier service to your home. People with money apparently don’t want to feel insensitive.

Now in Rosedale, apparently there are at least a dozen houses on the market, but you would never know it. There are no signs. It’s an embarrassing time to have to sell your house and move to a smaller dwelling or less reputable neighborhood, so it’s all private, discreet sales. So for those that say our economy has not been affected to the same degree as the U.S., is this your proof.

Just with every major world changing event, in this case financial meltdown of the century, the ideology of wealth is changing. People are losing their identity, perhaps never to come this way again, frugality, an end to excess….possibly stripping back to some original roots. For many earth shattering, others maybe rejuvenating, for all definitely life changing.

Failure

Yesterday morning I got up early to watch the Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. I was hoping Roddick would be able to stick in there for a while and make a match of it. He has never beat Federer in a Grand Slam event. What he did do is put the greatest player of all time on the ropes multiple times and almost ended the match with a knockout punch in the second set. It turned out to be the longest match by games in Wimbledon history and probably the 2nd greatest match I have ever seen. Federer ended up winning in an epic 5th set. Roddick raised his game to a new level that he has never been to, but he lost. Did he fail? He probably thinks so. I am sure in the upcoming events when he knows he can raise his game to that level, it won’t sting quite as much that he lost. Well done Roddick. If it’s any consolation his new wife is hotter than Federer’s. He will always have that. Unless he gets divorced, then he won’t. Moving on.

To the main point about this post, it’s about me, not Roddick. After watching the match and deciding what I was going to do I flipped a few channels and found the Hy-Vee Pro Triathlon on from Des Moines, Iowa. The sprawling metropolis of Des Moines. Snoooze. Anyway, looks like a nice place to raise a family. Like Saskatchewan in Canada. Enough said.

I see the triathletes getting off the bike and starting into their final 10km run and the announcer says the top guys in these groups can run the 10km in under 30 min. And I am like holy crap that is fast. I was/am a runner in my previous life and have run 45 min. for 10km when I was training for a marathon. Our Canadian 2000 Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield comes from sixth place in the final couple km and sprints to an exciting finish and the first place prize ($200K – not bad). So I had been thinking about running some road races this summer and was considering putting a goal towards a 10km run by the end of the season. Why not use this motivational opportunity to get out there and see where I am currently at. I immediately got my running gear together and planned to head out and run a early season 10km test. In addition, to hold myself accountable I emailed a few friends and told them I was going out to run now and would be back with a time of 45 min.

Being in pretty decent shape this summer, a couple 6km runs per week under my belt, I figure if Simon and team can run 30 min. 10km, I can at least do 45 min. Heck I have done it before. So after enjoying a beautiful afternoon, passing some other energetic runners, waving to my fans and receiving supportive shouts from race volunteers (only in my head), getting a fast start and having visions of grandeur returning home with a first place time of 45min. I hit the finish line (my street corner). Let’s just get straight to the point. I left it all out there, had a stitch running most the way back…and did not make my time. F@#$#@$#. Failure.

Let the excuses roll:

It was a hot sunny day out and I did not put sun screen on…see heatstroke.

I ran with no water…did this effect time yes…otherwise just stupid.

Quarter of the course is a decent uphill…um that means quarter is downhill. Damn.

I hit heavy boxing workouts last 2/3 days. True. Muscles were sore before I started.

Final time 50 min. Ouch.

Bottom line LACK OF TRAINING!!!

It puts in perspective how fit/fast those triathlete buggers are.

Not to be dismayed by an epic loss to Darth Federer or a time crushing defeat of 50min. in the Toronto Road Race of One, I predict two things. Andy Roddick will win the U.S. Open this year. I will run a 40 min. 10Km by seasons end. My friends says that is a lot of time to take off in a couple months. Hence, why I have said seasons end and not summer end….and hogwash! I will be running with the weight of everyone on this list on my back.

There I said it. Accountability. Anyone looking to get some training runs in over the next couple months, let me know. Otherwise, feel free to join me in some road races or the final test, which I need to find on the running calendar.

Happy Monday!

Self Discovery

We cannot teach people anything;
We can only help them discover it within themselves.
-Galileo Galilei

Have you ever found yourself trying to help one of your friends or colleagues, enlightening them on a new concept, skill or idea that you possess. Maybe you find they just don’t get it, don’t care, are not ready to take it on. You’re honestly attempting to help better this person’s life and they just don’t seem open to the idea. What gives? How does that feel….frustrating?

On the other hand, have you been the person who is trying to taught, coached, or bettered for your benefit. How does this make you feel? What is the difference between the two positions. Really think about it.

In discussing with a few people I have found they would prefer to discover these new ideas on their own. Their is a competition or pride factor that comes into the mix when friends or equals are involved. Most want to blaze their own trail. Can you blame them? We are rewarded in this life for the ideas we create and the value they provide. So how do you help others without passing judgement (full future post on this) or forcing your ideas on someone who may not be ready?

How about writing a blog that is delivered to all your friends mailboxes every morning? HA!

Seriously though. Living within yourself or by example is the best way to spread your good habits. People like to take concepts on in their own time and of their own choosing.
Personal example. I eat/live a very healthy life style. I tried to “educate” a past significant other on this lifestyle. Pushing what can only be be described as a healthy concept. There was no traction, in fact frustration for them that I was pushing on them and for me to see someone not live a healthy lifestyle. It wasn’t until I completely stopped pushing and lived my own values within myself over a period of time where I started to see some ‘interest’. In their own time motivation comes from within

Two Questions

Support and accountability are paramount in achieving goals. Therefore, share with the community:

What is one goal that you are currently working towards?

How can ‘we’ the community support your efforts?

It feels good to put it out there in writing and have a little extra pressure to achieve it.
You never know who may be able to help. For those of you who were not able to comment last time around, it would be great to hear from you today.

My example:
I want to enrich the lives of my ‘community’ by facilitating the shared wisdom of its crowd.

Support – more participation sharing insight through guest blogs and comments. One guest blog submitted per person in the next 6 months. Can you step up and support this goal?
In addition, I would really appreciate feedback on the blog so far, and any recommendations for positive changes. Lastly, any requests on topics. We have a lot of experts in this community who could provide some great commentary on a variety of topics.

Comment on the site below (or simply reply if you wish):

Hmm

Ok, so I tried that and did not work out as well as I had planned. However, want better answers, ask a better question.
So in one of the responses I did get, from our youngest reader no less, I received this.

“What would you attempt to do, if you knew you could not fail?”

Simple, straightforward. Gut reaction, lets here ‘em.

A few good responses below:

I want to improve the quality of life for our canine friends by teaching people how to communicate and work with their dogs in positive and humane ways. I started my own blog about two years ago – www.bayingbeagle.com and dog owners all over the world have found answers and relief through it. In Toronto, my expertise is available for hire – www.whenhoundsfly.com and to pay it forward, I’ll be donating a large portion of my revenue into animal rescue organizations.
-Andre

The goal I’m working on right now is the facilitation of the “renaissance of conversation” which is gaining traction in many academic, professional and social communities. This social movement is a response to Dr. Moorehead’s poem “Paradox of Our Time” (http://www.wowzone.com/paradox.htm) – a piece which once captured a harsh reality of our waning communicative skills, but looking ahead, will hopefully find its place as one of many lessons learned…
-Graham

Goal – I’m training for the Muskoka half-Ironman in September. This is waaaay outside my comfort zone – something that has be discussed on this blog. Support: my swim training is weak at best for a few reasons. I need support in funding a convenient place to swim while the city strike is on and/or a swim partner. I train better if there is a social aspect to it. If anyone can support me with a place to swim or as a swim partner, please let me know.
-Allison

Take this job and shove it (says 54% of you)

By J.T. O’Donnell

As soon as times get better (2010, 2011 or beyond) more than half of American workers say they plan to job jump. That’s according to Adecco Group’s latest Workplace Survey. And it’s the younger workforce who is the most adamant about it. Here’s just a few other savory facts that indicate turnover amongst younger workers will skyrocket when the economy improves.

Resignations: More than half (54%) of employed Americans report that they are likely to look for new jobs once the economy turns around. Be ready for a lot of suspiciously long lunch breaks, and the occasional dentist appointment that requires a suit and tie.

Goodbye, Generation Y: Your youngest employees (who bring a lot of new ideas and skills to the table), are knocking on your competitor’s door. 71% of those between 18-29 are likely to look for new jobs once the upturn begins.

Generation Y Won’t Budge: Only 9% (less than 1 in 10) of Generation Y is willing to accept a pay cut to keep their jobs compared to 1 in 5 workers from the other generations (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Silent)
So, with that many workers claiming to want to move on, it begs the question, “What can be done to change your mind?” Is there anything an employer can do to get people to want to stay when things improve, or is the damage done?

I have my suspicions as to what your answers will be. (Our site’s tagline “Because EVERY Job is Temporary” doesn’t just apply to one side of the employment equation, now does it?)
And yet, turnover hurts businesses BIG TIME. On average, it costs a company 130% of an employee’s salary to replace them. That number goes up if the employee leaving has significant company knowledge or possesses a unique and/or rare skill set. So, even saving a few potential job jumpers from making the move can have a serious financial impact.

Share your thoughts below. What will management teams need to do to keep you from moving on when the recession is over?

http://www.careerealism.com/take-this-job-shove-it-says-54-of-you/

To Twitter or not to Twitter….

My first instinct was “not” to twitter. I mean really, I don’t need to know the general going ons of most of my friends. If they do something interesting, they usually tell me about it. Although it’s funny how you may not know everything cool that your friends do, some are shy to share great successes. But that’s for another post. Twitter like Facebook when it first came out seemed like a great idea for college and university students to connect with others about their uninteresting lives…at least to us adults. Funny how Facebook along the way came to play a prominent role in the 20-49 demographic (not saying those 50+ don’t play in it, just not as many…and who can blame them), it’s like grade 6 Red Rover, if your name is not called over or connected to, you felt left out.

At first (Facebook) I thought, yes I should get connected to many people as it was the in thing to do. I played with the profile a little, put a few pictures up and entered into the whole “time suck machine” connecting with others and waiting for replies to inconsequential pokes, super pokes (must say throwing a sheep was one of my favorites) and checking out pictures of those I had not seen in years. On a value scale of 1-10 in my life it’s a 2!!! Granted it’s a good way to share vacation pictures that you actually want to see.

So back to twitter. For me it has gone from, people with way too much time on their hands, looking for attention, to becoming the new version of ok magazine and US Weekly (following non sense from celebrities)….to actually finding a few nuggets of gold in them there hills. I guess we each have our own version of value. For me, I like the wisdom of Robin Sharma, Tony Robbins and Byron Katie. Some examples below:

Being busy versus focused on RESULTS is as valuable as organizing deck chairs on the Titanic!
-Robin Sharma

“To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions. ” William James
-Tony Robbins Post today

I’m a lover of reality. When I argue with what is, I lose, but only 100% of the time.
-Byron Katie

In addition, its helped me realize many business celebrities are regular people, with little quips of inspiration just like the rest of us. They have found their niche and passion and followed it flamboyantly. Doesn’t twitter and other social networking sites offer the same to the general masses. You won’t find me twittering much, at least yet. This blog thing is keeping me fairly busy. What you may find are some good people to follow as I get going…and I look to the same from you. It’s like good authors, I am always looking for new inspiration.

Feel free to follow me or the nuggets I find at.

http://twitter.com/TechMountain

Brand or be Branded

Recently I was thinking how Facebook, MySpace and Linked in, have become mainstream in everyday life. Some may have thought they would be a fad, but looks like they are here to stay… whether you like it or not.

The online world is so prevalent that many people may be known better by their digital persona than the real person. For some, business is conducted by phone, where at least you get some voice and tone to get more clues about who a person really is. For others, all you are getting is bits and bytes and a representative profile. So how does that tie into your digital brand.

Well, it’s basically becoming your online reputation, whether in text or in colorful photos. Many of those items are in the semi secure environment of MySpace or Facebook, some however are not. For those that decide to “ignore your online presence and be seen as, A) non – existent and unimportant, or perhaps even worse, B) The Dennis Rodman of the net” you have been warned.

Read a great article on the subject below by J.T. O’Donnell.

http://www.careerealism.com/career-truth-1-brand-or-be-branded-are-you-willing-to-risk-what-shows-on-the-top-fold/