Grace Hanna Brandworks Inc.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2011-12-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

Living intensely

2011-12-18T14:35:00.002-05:00

The following is a slightly more expanded version of my last update to Katie's Karma Corps.

Can you recall a time when to escape and re-create your self for a moment that you lit a few candles, turned out the lights and just listened to the sounds of silence? I am sure you can. You may also recall that the candles would suddenly gutter and almost extinguish themselves from some sourceless zephyr of breeze.

That is rather what December 15 was like for Katie and our family. With the power of our angels supporting us, we approached the post-surgery consult with Dr. Reedijk with hope and a belief that the worst was surely behind us. We expected that our movement forward might not be as swift and without obstacle as we would wish, but that the road would be relatively smooth.

Regardless, you’re probably tired of this preamble and wondering what the hell happened. In a nutshell here it is: The appointment was not quite what we were expecting, cancer found in 1 lymph node, and we did not get 1cm clear margins around breast tissue (0.3mm clearance). So now Katie will undergo CT scans and bone scans on December 23 at Mt. Sinai and PMH then meet with chemo and radiation teams probably at Credit Valley Hospital.

I have written to you before that as you experience this you become familiar with an entirely new and previously foreign vocabulary. One of the most frequent terms encountered is that this is all just a journey. Well, I am here to tell you that this journey makes the rape of Nanking look like a slightly raucous Sadie Hawkins dance. It makes Masada appear as a somewhat difficult to access picnic spot. This is no journey folks. A journey is something with romantic overtones that you pursue voluntarily. This my friends is a forced march to an uncertain future where shock and anger become daily realities. Where the candle flame of hope does indeed gutter relentlessly. Where the will to persist is challenged on almost every front.

I noted with sadness the passing last week of Christopher Hitchens. Whether you agree with some, all or none of his stupendously contrarian views, no one can deny the brilliance of his writing. I came upon the following quote and it seemed more apt than anything for this period of our life.

“Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.”

Christopher Hitchens

With your help and continued support we will live intensely. We will cling to the belief that the collective power you provide and the super feisty attitude of Katie will some day lead us to a point where the flames never gutter. Where the light shines brightly and we feel the warmth of the sun.

Thank you from Katie, Gabriel, Samuel and one very tired old man. We appreciate you and continue to honour you. We send you great blessings for Christmas and whatever else you choose to celebrate.

Blow your mind

2011-10-17T17:30:00.002-04:00

Ever find yourself looking for something to blow the cobwebs out? Something to remind you of why we need to fight to protect mother earth? Images to inspire you and recreate your child-like sense of wonder? Pictures that define the real meaning of awesome?

Then, please, do yourself a favour and click this link right now.

I promise you will feel better and you will want to share it with anyone you can imagine who might need a little pick me up or just a moment of genuine inspiration.

Now this is what I call going to church!

And, thanks to Tony Pickard for sharing this with me originally on FB.

http://vimeo.com/30581015

gracehannainc.com updated - again!

2011-10-12T11:06:00.003-04:00

I just updated my website and thought you might want to check it out.

Grace Hanna Inc. http://www.gracehannainc.com

Take a look and let me know what you think!

My boys like it.

Gabriel

Samuel

Clanmore Montessori

2011-10-11T13:00:00.000-04:00

Clanmore Montessori

Here is the link for Gabriel's school. It will also be Samuel's next fall.

I couldn't more highly recommend this family. Children are the absolute and utmost priority and Gabriel has completely blossomed during his three years (and counting!) with the great teachers of Clanmore.

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog: Innovation Creates Uncertainty

2011-10-04T09:20:00.000-04:00

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog: Innovation Creates Uncertainty

The dignity of choice

2011-09-28T11:08:00.002-04:00

I've told my children that when I die, to release balloons in the sky to celebrate that I graduated. For me, death is a graduation.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


Nana Kerr, 99 with Samuel 1 1/2

No. My Mom is not dead. She just wishes she was.

She has outlived three husbands.

She has outlived her three sisters.

She has outlived one of her daughters.

She has outlived all of her close friends save two.

She, according to her own statement misses in order - her husband Mac, her car and playing golf.

Her mind is still sharp. She is still the best bridge player at Queen's Terrace. She knows all the stuff she used to know - it just takes a little longer to retrieve the information.

Her body doesn't work the way she wants it to.

She was an athlete and a champion golfer, curler, swimmer and her sporting achievements are recorded in a Hall of Fame.

She is in pain.

She is lonely - although we visit often and my niece Elaine is a constant presence and enormous source of loving support.

She loves her grandchildren - Mackenzie, Wesley, Eli, Gabriel and Samuel.

She revels in their growth and love.

She regrets that she won't see them grow to young men but has left each a legacy that will long outlive her corporeal presence.

She is depressed.

She has had two heart attacks in the past two months.

She once said that when she went she wanted to go with a massive cardiac arrest but after the first one she delightfully commented that she'd changed her mind about that because it hurt too much!

Her first comment when I visit, after expressing genuine joy at seeing me, is that she wants to die.

She doesn't understand why her powerful faith and belief seem to bar her from joining her departed loved ones.

She commands that we not grieve for her when her wish is granted.

She wants a party.

Her situation, and those of others with whom I am familiar, led me to join the Dying with Dignity movement.

We live our lives with a fundamental belief that individual choice is all important and yet when we come to a point where life no longer is the preferable alternative, choice is removed from our arsenal.

Suicide is man's way of telling God, "You can't fire me - I quit."
Bill Maher

This is not by any means a morbid account.

It is a brief reflection on a powerful woman's desire to continue to make the critical decisions in her life.

Please consider this: my mother has a strong and abiding faith in her God. It is not a belief I share nor does that really matter. After almost a century of living she is ultimately feeling disappointed that her God won't bring her home. This is not the way we should be living our final days.

If you are of a mind, please visit www.dyingwithdignity.ca to learn more about how we can influence our final choices and the liberty and freedom we can all enjoy.

In the meantime, Mom, we hear you. We love you. We will give you a great party and as you wrote on your 21st birthday "we will join you in making whoopie!"

My beautiful boy Gabriel is 4

2011-09-22T10:50:00.004-04:00

We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Early indications of Gabriel's beautiful spirit.

Yikes, already his third year at Clanmore Montessori.

Yup, there's trouble there but c'mon...too cute!

Almost four years ago, our lives were irrevocably changed when Gabriel Bridger Kerr joined Katie and I to form a little family then living on the shores of Lake Ontario in Etobicoke.

At the time of his arrival I, and perhaps Katie as well, had little real understanding of how profoundly our lives would change subsequent to this little bald boy wailing his way into our hearts.

What incredible good fortune that he was and is such a healthy, articulate and desperately funny little boy who at times startles us with his adult-like insight while maintaining a delightful sense of wonder. It is my ambition in life, what's left of mine, to ensure that his wonder remains alive and that he continues to view life with such verve.

From a tiny peanut to a swimming, skating, and running big boy Gabriel is my true joy in life.

And, bless his little cotton socks, he's a very good big brother to Samuel...most of the time. Sibling rivalry has started to show but Gabriel shows patience with Sammy beyond his age even putting up with having clumps of hair torn from his scalp. Sure, there are occasional kicks and punches thrown, but what the hell, they're boys.

Sammy loves his big brother and thinks he's hilarious.

A show for Sammy.

Thank you my boys for making my life worth living. Daddy loves you now and will forever.

Very lucky boys

2011-09-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

Just a very quick entry today to record how very lucky my boys are to have great grandparents in their lives. Gabe and Sam got to spend a day on the farm yesterday with Nana and Grandpa Sanders. They were both absolutely thrilled and it just made me feel so appreciative to have these people with us.

As well, my Mom - while being 99 means she can't take the kids to the farm - is a great influence on the boys who both love visiting their sharp Nana Kerr in Cambridge. In fact, we may just hop in the car and go see her today.

Yup. It's hot baby!

2011-07-20T09:46:00.000-04:00


Gabe and Sam have this heat wave figured out - remove all non-essential clothing, play in the house and nap regularly.

Gabe's Gab this morning: "Dada, let me smell your arm." Sniffffffff. "Ewwwwww. You sure need a shower. Me too!"

Might have something to do with the fact that yesterday the hot water heater sprung a leak and while it is hotter than Hades I'm still too chicken to jump into a cold shower. Maybe a little dip in Lake Ontario just like Gabe and Sam did the other day following the lead of a couple of the neighbourhood Golden Retrievers.

It's all simple. Just follow the lead of the children.

Battle scarred and experienced knowledge

2011-07-13T12:07:00.000-04:00


Wind-blown, gnarly and worn willow - still vital and growing.	Coronation Park, Oakville July 13, 2011

Had the privilege of participating in a new product focus group last week. The proposed offering revolves around the notion of coaching personal growth for guys. Should the proponents proceed - and I hope they do - the offering will revolve around helping men come to grips with living life to the fullest and living in the moment.

Stay tuned to this blog and I'll let you know if Elvira, Angela and John proceed.

However, during the group session it became more clear to me that there are among us men of a certain age who remain vital, who possess the very considerable benefit of bruising experience, and who are living testament to the truism that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Then I got to thinking about how one effectively communicates the benefit of greying or no hair to marketers and communicators who by and large believe that once you're beyond age 40 your usefulness is - well, not so useful.

With all of the fuss about social media there's a prevailing belief that the medium is the sole territory of the young. I believe that to be clap trap. As Gary Vaynerchuk points out in his very good book The thank you economy, internet-driven media are quite simply just another vehicle to engage in conversation with consumers. "Customers' demands for authenticity, originality, creativity, honesty, and good intent have made it necessary for companies and brands to revert to a level of customer service rarely seen since our great-grandparents day, when business owners often knew their customers personally, and gave them individual attention."

During my 30 years in marketing communications I have witnessed, directed, written and participated in every kind of communication activity you can imagine from straight-ahead, old timey P.R. to event management to international broadcast advertising to retail store design to packaging and pretty much everything in between.

What benefit that brings to a client today is this: my business is founded upon three proven principles of effective communication.

Clarity - know what you want to tell your customer and tell them in as transparent a fashion as possible.

Simplicity - as an old mentor taught me "eschew obfuscation"! Be straight foward and plain spoken. Engage in conversation. Commit to taking the time to be brief, brisk and brilliant.

Wit - Be engaging. Find some means by which to attract your audience's attention that is meaningful and relevant.

These principles are not the exclusive domain of any demographic group nor of any medium. So, if you're someone who is looking to engage your customers in meaningful mutually beneficial conversation enlist the assistance of someone who has had plenty of experience in that endeavour and don't limit your search to the kids.

And, when you do that perhaps you'll be kind enough to think of the services of Grace Hanna Inc.

My weekend so far

2011-07-09T21:14:00.000-04:00

There's no doubt Gabriel is my son: he's learning golf (me too - still!); he's a Liverpool fan; he loves his cowboy boots - although he's stuck on one pair while Daddy has oh - just a few more!

Samuel, on the other hand, is the most single-minded determined young 'un I've ever known except for the little guy my Aunt Elsie (101 years old last month) tells me about - yup, me. We're similarly built too!

Talk about a productive time - we have discovered the solution to violence in children's cartoons!


That's right! Chocolate ice cream and Sammy can't get the spoon to his gob fast enough.

A very curious approach to retail

2011-07-04T14:18:00.003-04:00


The best representation I could find to depict the customer service attitude at Soap & Water.

For the past several decades it has been my privilege to work with many fine people in the retail industry. From global giants to neighbourhood charmers, throughout North America and Europe with exposure to Asia and South America too - I have seen lots of different approaches to customer service.

I can't though remember the last time a store owner called me an "a-hole" and advised me to "f%*k off."

That's exactly what one of the charming partners of Oakville's soon to be out-of-business enterprise Soap and Water advised me today.

So listen you horse's ass: you can be rude to me but you may not be rude to my wife and children and expect to avoid a confrontation. If you're so damn successful that you can aggressively turn away custom "we don't need to sell to people such as you", "we don't need sales from you" then you're on to something that no other successful retailer has yet discovered.

I suggest you might want to write a book, post a blog, get on the speaking tour and explain how suffering complete cranial/rectal inversion leads to retail success.

Oh, I noticed to that there wasn't another soul in your store nor anyone in sight. Guess you probably do most of your stupendous sales on line or under darkness or by mail so you don't actually have to dirty your precious little hands dealing with actual people.

Unbelievable!

Please make this store die the business death it so rightly deserves.

Yee Haw! A great long weekend in Canuckistan!

2011-06-30T17:39:00.000-04:00

My Son Gabriel is the Stig!

You gotta love clever design such as this

2011-06-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

Check this out. A very elegant solution for a tough job.

http://identitydesigned.com/ocad-university

Let it be

2011-06-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

Hooshing Pooh sticks

Got some VERY good advice from a new client and hope-to-be friend the other day.

She's a professional coach.

There are lots of them out there. Guess we all need a lot of help.

Mercifully I have met five or six really genuine people who are genuinely good at the gig and completely enthused and professional about their undertaking. Elvira, Darla, Sara, Angela, Michael, Carole, Grace and others are people who have reinvented themselves in mid-life to realize their real ambitions.

So what was the advice?

"Acknowledge yourself!"

It is incredibly easy for the solopreneur to get down on himself. (Please allow me to forgo the nonsense of the politically-correct s/he debate!) When business starts to go sideways, as it always and inevitably does, we have only ourselves to blame and for some of us that's when our skills really come to the foreground. I know in my case that if business slips - as it has done precipitously this year - I am first in line to dump on my efforts to regain momentum and revenue.

It's a real Catch-22 truth be told.

So, what my new friend suggested was this - give yourself some credit for successes achieved and realize that this downturn is not the end of life as we know it.

So, part deux, when Gabriel and Samuel and I were at the lake a few days ago, Sammy decided to hoosh Pooh sticks. (Read your Winnie the Pooh if this reference is not familiar.)
I thought what a great exercise and something we all need to do from time to time just to collect our thoughts and celebrate even the smallest achievement.

That stick being hooshed above may be in Niagara or Hamilton by now. Or, it may be back on the beach here in Oakville just feet from where Sammy set it adrift. But you know what?

He doesn't give a duck fart 'cause it was fun to set it sailing and so I'm going to start hooshing a few Pooh sticks myself.

Business will improve. It will require work and focus and discipline and all those other grown-up things we have to do BUT it will also come back because we can acknowledge our success and talent and take comfort in the challenge knowing that inherent talent and stick-to-itiveness will pay off.

At least, that's what I think.

Pick me up

2011-06-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

No, don't click on this. Click on the link below. This is just for prettiness!

Check out the video on my friend Angela Kontgen's blog in the about Angela section: http://focusedenergy.biz Might perk you up if you need it.

Green

2011-06-21T11:43:00.000-04:00

Greening your outlook

All of those art-based fields are similar in that they're all hard to make a living in and they all require an intense amount of training and discipline.
Alicia Witt

An unabashed trick hook in the header to bring in those thinking about the environment. On reflection though, I guess this little missive is about that too. However, it is more about the mental environment in which the creative solopreneur operates than the external issues about carbon footprint, oxygen depletion and saving the great whales!

This all started with my feeling green with envy about my friend and colleague Darla Campbell (http://redefinepossible.wordpress.com) continuing to post to her blog every freakin' day for the past 3 months (or something like that) while she runs her business, maintains a healthy family relationship, helps others in our Muses & Masterminds group, and well just seems to keep it together in a highly-productive fashion.

So, rather than wallow about in a comfortable pursuit of one of the seven deadly sins, I started to think about what enabled her to accomplish so much while I feel good if I get a few moments of introspection transferred to paper every few days.

Yup. Discipline and training your mind.

Those of us who labour in the creative field do so knowing that what Alicia Witt writes about in the quote above is bang on, but we also can occasionally slip into lassitude (A condition of the body, or mind, when its voluntary functions are performed with difficulty, and only by a strong exertion of the will.)

And, maybe, that's when the deadly sin of envy is equivalent to a good slap upside the head to get you thinking about what can bring you out of the doldrums.

So, Darla - thanks for the inspiration. I won't commit again to trying to blog meaningful stuff every day 'cause that's not within my reality but I will be mindful of the need to train my mind to stay on track and in focus.

Oh, Sara, Carole, and Bob kind of piss me off too with their ability to remain on target. However, maybe together I can start to drag you all down!!

Terrorism at home

2011-06-14T13:56:00.001-04:00

Just reading about terror attacks in the paper or seeing coverage on television is frightening enough.

When it comes to your home that is a very different game.

We are under attack from the air at 15 Holyrood.

My babies are in danger.

My bald head is targetted.

No one is safe from the menace that is:


Osama bin Black Bird

Listen, I love nature as much as the next guy, probably more. I spent my formative years in the wilds of Mazinaw territory and throughout Muskoka. I've been down many trails in northern Algonquin park with a honkin' big pack and canoe on my back while being relentlessly attacked by Horse, Deer and Black flies and mosquitoes almost as big as those from Manitoba.

However, when I step out into my highly-civilized south of Lake Shore Road Oakville neighbourhood is it too much to expect to be safe from the red-winged menace?

So there's a nest nearby. Aren't you birds supposed to inhabit swampland for which this neighbourhood is noted for it's absence?

Perhaps Osama bin Black Bird has become aware of my whole-hearted endorsement of a Canada Goose cull.

Yes, I favour a cull. Wanna make sumpin' outta it?

Shall I add this nasty devil to the list?

Sheesh. Can anyone tell me if these suckers are on the endangered list? If they ain't...they are now!

Gabe's Gab

2011-06-13T17:01:00.000-04:00

There is a toy store on Lake Shore in Oakville called Pinocchio.

Driving to soccer practice today Gabriel pointed it out (again!) and asked if we could visit Pornocchio on the way home. All I could wonder was what that puppet might look like when it started to tell a few fibs!

Thanks for making me laugh again Gabriel. You kill me.

Oh, one more thing about Niagara

2011-06-06T10:20:00.000-04:00

Oh the romance of it all.

The winemaker's idyllic life surrounded by acres of bucolic scenery and budding vines. The joyful anticipation of sun-filled days when the magic of photosynthesis transforms raw energy into beautiful, plump, juicy grapes.

Oh the bullshit of it all!

I have always been struck by the difference between image and reality. Perhaps it is never more clear than when you stick your nose into the winery business. This is hard, sweaty farming folks and from my little experience one of the hardest working guys in the business is Daniel Lenko. He's pretty much a one-man show at Daniel Lenko estate and he produces some remarkable wines. We're especially fond of his whites and the great summer sipper White Merlot and White Cab.

He's also just a really good guy who is working hard on behalf of his brothers and sisters in the wine business and while he has few listings at LCBO it is well worth it to travel down the short lane to his winery to pick up a few cases and enjoy the company of Daniel and his dad Bill.

BTW: We also had another great time at Chateau des Charmes and thanks very much to the always charming and lovely Michele Bosc for her hospitality.

A great weekend in NOTL

2011-06-06T09:50:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been to a restaurant and thought, "Wow, this is soooo good I must tell people about it. But, if I tell then they'll come and it'll get busy and it might lose its essence and I might not get in and that would be bad so maybe I should just shut up and say nothing."

Well, the horse has left the barn on this issue regardless because anyone who knows anything about eating well has probably discovered Stone Road Grille in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. I've placed their link here just in case you haven't heard of it.

The only thing I can hope for to preserve a spot for us whenever we travel to NOTL is that you'll be fooled by the exterior of the premises and think this can't be the place and drive right on by.

Katie and I just enjoyed a very welcome mini vacation in NOTL. Stayed at Prince of Wales which was lovely but the highlight really was our two meals at Stone Road. Perry, (you'll recognize him if you go by his great shirts and ebullient nature) and his team have created a very special spot where the ambiance is perfect, the wine list is tremendous (only Niagara region VQA), and the food is imaginative, local, seasonal and just wonderfully tasty.

I cannot recommend it more highly than to say that it is unquestionably our very favourite restaurant in the entire province.

Please do visit if you get a chance. Just don't tell too many people about it OK?

Tempus fugit

2011-05-25T10:02:00.000-04:00


"Yeah, yeah. So my brother Gabriel can ride a bike. BFD! I can drive a dump truck and I'm only 15 months old."

Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator.
Robert Orben

The title of this blog is about the only Latin I recall from my high school studies. It is a common expression often used and it simply means 'time flies'. (You Latin scholars can correct me of course...as you are wont to do!)

The expression came to mind yesterday when Sammy was cruising around our driveway on his dump truck while Gabriel was kicking the football around with our neighbour's teenaged daughter.

I thought, it was only yesterday we brought these guys home from the hospital! They're still just babies. They can't possibly be doing the things they're doing. Samuel knows some words now. He knows where his nose, eyes, chin, ears and mouth are. He REALLY knows where his mouth is as you can probably ascertain just by looking at the cheeks and gut on this boy.

Anyway, it brought to mind the above quote and reminded me of how important it is in our personal and business lives to be mindful of the present, to live for the moment and to navigate our way through the hurly-burly of every day activity to ensure we end up in a place where we're fulfilled.

I have a few new friends in the professional coaching business and others who help individuals and corporations find their inner power, align their skills and optimize the likelihood of success. They're skilled at helping people navigate the craziness of life to find whatever balance might be there. I'll post their sites on another blog (once I have permission) but in the meantime watch this spot for more news about Carole, Bob, Darla, Sara, and Elvira.

Oh yeah, Sam & Gabe too.

1. A massive triumph 2. An epic fail

2011-05-21T20:19:00.000-04:00


"My very first time ever on a bicycle and I survived!"

So the Rapturists (or whatever the heck you call them) probably didn't have such a great day.

We did on one front.

Gabriel got his very first bicycle today and he enjoyed a massive triumph.

Only a couple of tumbles and each time he got right back on board.

Loved the speed.

Worked his little tiny bum off peddling up hills.

Totally rocked his world and ours.

Love you little man!

Flipper's very distant relative

I witnessed the rapture today. It happened on my barbecue.

I should have know better than to cook a very distant relative of Flipper.

Guess it serves me right.

But the portion of Mahi Mahi we secured from Whole Foods Market in Oakville was desperately horrid.

Just shortly after the anointed time of 6:00 p.m. the soul and spirit of this nasty piece of fish was taken from us and delivered unto our plates. Dis. Gust. Ing.

Epic fail.

Thank God (if it's o.k. to still use that phrase) Gabriel saved the day with his massive two-wheeled triumph.

Life may continue. Resume your normal activities.

Smart as a pig

2011-05-20T15:05:00.001-04:00

You'd never know that pigs are among the most intelligent animals if you only judged them by looks and activity.

Life leaps like a geyser for those who drill through the rock of inertia.
Alexis Carrel

Ah, inertia. That comforting disposition into which we all are tempted to fall.

Can it be a pitfall for the solopreneur?

From my experience it most certainly can. Additionally, I have witnessed in my own work and those of others the achievement of a comfort level which leads us to rest on our laurels, churning out the same coarse concept and copy (or design or package or logo...) just because we can.

While we can sustain business for a while in this fashion, ultimately we will be found out and what I have been encouraged to do recently is to discover my own inertia and attempt to root it out like a pig sniffing for truffles.

We have a unique opportunity as independent business people to reinvent ourselves as often as we want. Without straying too dramatically from our core competence and interest we are able to direct our attention and energy in a myriad of ways. That's why I like Carrel's quote so much.

Sitting in a comfortable pew has very real attractions. We feel safe. We feel unthreatened. We cosset ourselves in past victories and just like the sad dude in Springsteen's 'Glory Days' we never give ourselves the chance to burst free and recapture what secured us some degree of success in the past.

So if you're interested in drilling through the rock of inertia it may be important to remember that yes, pigs are incredibly intelligent creatures, but if we're creating an impression such as my friend above we can't be surprised if business starts to dry up and clients seek alternatives.

I'm committed to drilling hard now.

Are you?

Gaining new perspective

2011-05-19T13:04:00.000-04:00


Gabriel is great at seeing life in new and exciting ways!

As we abide in sleep, intuitively resonating with the sum of all our experiences - this life and beyond - we gain refreshing perspective on our efforts and have an opportunity to remember what we know.
Henry Reed

This morning I experienced one of the great pleasures we solopreneurs get - meeting a new client face-to-face for the first time.

Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes this can be both energizing and enervating! This rendezvous however was completely positive. My client is a life coach. After years in sales she was downsized - lord I hate that euphemism - she was whacked. A twenty-year career of enormous success in the tubes.

So here's where perspective comes into it.

There's an old saw that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. It's a great thought but much easier to grasp intellectually than to implement. Rather than dwelling in recrimination this individual exploded with a positive outlook and with her fresh perspective realized that NOW she could take her life dreams by the throat and rocket to a new career.

What could have been a negative in her life became life affirming as she realized now, her skills, talents and interests could all come into synchronous orbit while she embarked on a new adventure.

That's I believe what Reed writes of above - when we take the time to remember what we know almost any incident can be turned to advantage.

Now, I'm no Pollyanna and all of us solopreneurs know well that what can seem like a great idea in the middle of the night turns to poop in the illuminating light of day. But by seeking self- or external-motivated perspective we can turn lemons to lemonade.

At least, that's what I think.

Maintaining momentum

2011-05-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

Please come back sun.

If a man has talent and can't use it, he's failed. If he uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he uses the whole of it, he has succeeded, and won a satisfaction and triumph few men ever know.
Thomas Wolfe

Perhaps, just perhaps, one of the toughest tasks the solopreneur (or storyteller in my case) is staying on a roll. This is probably particularly true for those of us who work from home and who have abundant distractions available when the going gets tough. Or when we just become overcome with lassitude.

During this past week, one which began with my making a commitment to write on my blog every day, I:

laid to rest my Mom's husband;
participated in caring for my son Gabriel who some how found a way to contract parvo virus*;
won a nice new piece of business;
managed to get a few invoices out;
had my car experience a "system failure"; and,
just barely put off putting a bullet in my brain because of all of this g.d. rain.

So, no, I didn't write on my blog everyday.

So, yes, I failed to fulfill my commitment to my Muses and Masterminds group.

So...here comes the but...I'm still better off than I was a week ago because I've managed to rekindle my writing spirit.

We independents need to find sources of inspiration for those moments when the torpor of the everyday can come swirling into our offices like a miasma of thought-clogging fog. Here's what's helped me out.

The support and encouragement of my family.
My son recovering nicely. (P.S. more on the asterisk later.)
The gentle nudging of my peers.
The confidence shown by a new client.
The gratitude felt for a returning client.
The promise of sun by the weekend.

So, no, my talents were not wholly employed but perhaps I can look at this past week as a partial success and build upon this momentum to make next week more complete.

At least, that's what I think.

*I had no idea humans could get parvo virus. I thought only dogs and cats got it. It's also called 'slap cheek' which sounds kind of mean but really is a good description 'cause Gabe's cheeks looked like he'd been on the wrong side of a scornful woman's lashing out. Anyway, he's much better today and he too is looking forward to a much better week ahead.

Keeping your sense of wonder alive

2011-05-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

Gabriel expressing his sense of wonder with life when he was a little kid. He's a big boy of 3 now!

Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.

Thomas Aquinas

Many, many years ago when I was a neophyte copywriter and occasionally creative person, I was invited to conduct a seminar on creative writing. Being just sufficiently wet-behind-the-ears and insufficiently self aware, I agreed.

It sucked.

No, really. And not just a little bit. It was the presentation equivalent of a gaping, sucking chest wound. The only worthwhile outcome was my ability to recognize it's suckedness (sic).

It didn't take me long to understand why either. I had fallen prey to the entrancement of process, to the false comfort of policy and procedure. I had ensconced myself in a huge financial corporation that rewarded the commonplace and eschewed out-of-the-box thinking. God, it was about as close as I would ever become to being assimilated by actuaries!

The childlike sense of wonder that is the life's blood of creative thinking. The ability to suspend disbelief and contemplate approaches that veer far off the road to mediocrity. The kind of free-wheeling yet disciplined problem solving that generates genuine breakthrough results. The sometimes silly inspiration that prompts deeper consideration. You know, kind of similar to the thinking that the following quote from comedian Steven Wright can produce:

Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen.

How much deeper would the rewards of our work, our family, and our life be if we were able to keep alive even a small percentage of the sense of wonder we witness every day in young children. Children who have not yet been submitted to the crushing standardized approach to commonality that our education system is dependent upon and who are years away from drinking the corporate KoolAid that says promotion and financial reward and security (as if there is such a thing) are vastly superior options.

This sense of wonder can be brought back to life if only you pursue it with vigour. It can be found when you surround yourself with brilliant people, when you open your eyes to the daily wonders we're all too often too busy to notice. When you hear your child proclaim on a late-April morning "Oh BOY! SNOW!"

I just want to thank my Muses and Masterminds group for helping me recapture this and by showing me that solopreneurs are just as dependent upon communal support and spirited conversation as those who choose to follow a more well-defined career path.

At least, that's what I think.

The end of an era?

2011-05-13T14:41:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, our extended family said a formal goodbye to Mac Adamson.

Mac, just a few days short of his 99th birthday and his 10th anniversary of marriage to my mother, Dorothy, decided last week that his journey was completed. Fortunately, I was able to spend a little time in conversation with him the day he moved on.

After yesterday's service and witnessing the transforming power he had on my Mom's life over the past decade I was both thankful and fearful. Thankful because he had shared himself so willingly with my Mom and showered her with kindness, patience and perhaps the most genuine love I have witnessed. Fearful because I wonder if his passing brought to a close an era when a true gentleman could survive and prosper.

Don Henley (of the Eagles) asked in one of his great songs, "How can love survive in such a graceless age?"

Henley clearly never had the opportunity to meet Mac Adamson as he would have discovered the answer. It is that love can survive in this graceless age only when someone as selfless as Mac makes the conscious decision to shed showers of patience and understanding to all who came in contact with him. Without any sense of self-absorbed pride Mac taught us that a legacy is created not through monetary, boastful acts but by living every day according to well-learned principles of faith, hope and love.

When Lawrence Lovasik wrote "A gentleman has his eyes on all those present; he is tender toward the bashful, gentle toward the distant, and merciful toward the absent," he could have been using Mac as his template.

Mac, I am only sorry that I didn't have more time in my life to benefit from your gentle character, to revel in your quiet yet rich sense of humour, and to learn to bring into my own life the transforming power of love. Especially in such a graceless age.

Gone. But never forgotten.

R.I.P. Mac.

And a special note to his son Murray and daughter Barb: thank you for sharing your very special Dad with me, my wife and my sons Gabriel and Samuel. Your Dad's last conversation with me revolved around ensuring that Gabriel received the last coin jar Mac collected. Bless you all.

Why we strike out on our own.

2011-05-11T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am pissed off! (But it was several years ago.)

We look forward to the time when the power to love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace. William E. Gladstone

I won't, for a moment, suggest that I know why solopreneurs strike out on their own. I will posit however that for some of us it comes down to a simple question of how we handle authority.

It was always a core belief of mine that to accept accountability in the absence of authority was a mug's game. It still is for that matter and it's at least one of the reasons why I do what I do. The picture above was taken a few years ago while I was visiting London, UK and while I was employed by one of Canada's larger design firms. This shot was taken just moments after I foolishly answered a phone call while sitting Thames-side enjoying a pint of bitter with good friends. The call revolved around my being held accountable for a program for which I had absolutely zero authority and this was a tipping point for me. Within months of this photo being taken, I launched Grace Hanna Inc. and said so long, farewell to the corporate world - at least as an employee.

Since that day, there have been moments when I was almost as pissed off but never as a result of actions and outcomes over which I had no influence.

Taking ownership of your outcomes is an empowering act. Can it result in sleepless nights? Can it bring about the 3:00 a.m. yips? Of course. If we don't occasionally experience those moments of discomfort it occurs to me that we're just not trying hard enough.

But, at the very least, we are not engaged in a mindless pursuit of power for the sake of power and that is why I so love this quote from Gladstone. We can find peace as we operate our own businesses and at the end of the day our accountability is ultimately to our selves.

At least, that's what I think.

Good advice for sole proprietors and entrepreneurs

2011-05-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

It has been my good fortune to recently become a member of a small group of exceptionally bright and highly-motivating entrepreneurs. Our group, Masterminds and Muses, is comprised of five sole proprietors who each have at least one thing in common - a desire to succeed coupled with the realization that we're stronger when supported.

In our meeting yesterday (just our second) we made some very real progress on the accountability front and in establishing trusting relationships which are crucial to arriving at mutual respect and mutual benefit.

One of the issues we all face is the sometimes daunting mountain of tasks we must all undertake as sole proprietors. Regardless of our business mission we're all on the hook for everything from bookkeeping to timely billing (assuming we have any!) to business development to client service to actually doing the work for which we've been contracted.

What is great about our group is the early onset willingness to support each other and to open our kimonos in so doing. This got me to thinking about how valuable advice can be when we effectively state our need and are in the company of people who will listen intently before chiming in with commentary. It also got me thinking that we each of us have to take off bite sized chunks of our tasks if we have any hope of succeeding.

Now, I've written about Shel Silverstein before on this blog so if you've ever visited you'll know I'm a fan. What I didn't expect however was to gain really solid business advice from poems primarily targeted to kids. That written though, we can all stand to approach our daily lives - personal and professional - with the open minds that little ones so briefly possess. That's why I think the following poem is so apt and relevant to any attempting to find their way through what might seem insurmountable odds. To summarize - one bite at a time folks.

And now, with thanks to Mr. Silverstein, here is the story of Melinda Mae:

Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would, So she started right in at the tail.
And everyone said, "You're much too small,"
But that didn't bother Melinda at all.
She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
Just like a good girl should...

...And in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!

Study identifies key brand boosting packaging attributes

2011-03-24T10:10:00.000-04:00

I am somewhat surprised that research was required to support this but whatever helps move the cause of effective packaging forward is, I suppose, beneficial.

Study identifies key brand boosting packaging attributes: "The visual and functional characteristics of food and drink packaging were rated as being key in benefiting a brand - with appearance trumping practicality, new research has said."

Funny Talking Animals - Walk On The Wild Side - Series 2 Episode 1 previ...

2011-02-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

Funny Talking Animal Voiceovers BBC

2011-02-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable. Our little Sammy is ONE!

2011-02-08T12:25:00.000-05:00

Keep creativity alive

2011-01-11T15:24:00.001-05:00

Whether or not you have kids, whether or not you work in what is traditionally called a creative business you owe it to yourself to watch this. Please click on the link and give yourself a 20-minute refresher course on imagination and the value of fighting mightily to keep alive your sense of wonder.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Merry Christmas to all from Gabriel, Samuel, Katie and Don

2010-12-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

Finally, opened door #24 on the Advent Calendar. Bring it on Santa!

Yes, I'm very happy for my big brother but when do I get chocolate?

Dear Santa

2010-11-09T10:19:00.002-05:00

5 Big Brands That Are Rocking the Social Media Space [Mashable Awards]

2010-11-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

5 Big Brands That Are Rocking the Social Media Space [Mashable Awards]

Great trip. Greater friend.

2010-10-27T15:30:00.001-04:00

Sunset from Wayne's patio

Yeeee HAWWWW! Our first cowboy boots!

Wayne and Agar. Tecate anyone?

Just returned last night from a great week in Scottsdale, Arizona with my true friend Wayne. What a relaxing time we had at his place on Emile Zola Avenue. Isn't that a cool name for a street? A very much appreciated opportunity made possible only by the kind permission of my bride and her parents who looked after the boys while I enjoyed the sun.

Oh, a first! For those of you who know me a bit you understand that I have a bit of a thing for cowboy boots. For the first time in living memory I travelled to the southwest and did NOT buy myself any new leather.

Now. Gabriel and Sammy both have their very first boots. I feel like I have now started the true voyage of fatherhood!

Thanks Wayne.
Thanks Kate.
Thanks Wendy and Roger.

The world's worst digital marketing advice - Shiny objects - iMediaConnection.com

2010-10-05T13:03:00.001-04:00

"some good advice here"

Description

View >>

A quick update on Grace Hanna Inc.

2010-10-04T13:06:00.000-04:00

“I love working with you! You do great work quickly and most of all

you get it!”*

A little bit of background on Grace Hanna Inc. and Don Kerr

Since my first position as Editor of the St. Thomas Courier weekly newspaper, my career revolved around the essence of effective communication. A copywriter by craft, I spent 30 years in a variety of positions on both the client and agency side of the marketing communications industry. I worked extensively in most economic sectors for clients ranging from AT&T to Canada Bread, from Bank of Montreal to ING, from Pep Boys Auto to Wal-Mart. At the same time I gained experience working with organizations throughout North America, the U.K., Germany, South America, and Korea. Whether writing compelling copy, creating emotional connections with consumers or helping financial institutions fashion lasting, trusting relationships, I have driven the process which brings opportunities to profitable fruition.

As my career evolved, my speciality gravitated to brand creation and management. When I founded Grace Hanna Inc. in 2003 I based its approach upon a well-experienced understanding of the critical components of effective communication:

Clarity. Simplicity. Wit.

Some of my experience

Agencies Clients

Concrete BMo

Fish out of Water Design Canadian Standards Association

Graphème Branding and Design Children’s Technology Workshop

OSL Marketing Château des Charmes

Oxygen DHL Express

Perennial Disney

Pigeon Branding & Design e-Spot

Spencer Francey Peters McDonald’s

Watt International Meridian Credit Union

Not-for-profit Neilson Dairy

C.A.R.E. Canada Rogers

Easter Seal Society Safeway

Frontier College Shoppers Drug Mart

Oakville Community Foundation Wal-Mart

What I do

Brand creation and management

Storytelling and copywriting

Management and business consulting

Corporate, marketing and retail strategy

Project management

What people say about me

“Don is a creative team player which sounds ho hum until you see the results he inspires from the people in the room. I did a strategy program with Don and it can be a stressful situation when trying to get an agreed upon agenda. Don is the person to make everyone’s ideas work together. The strategy was executed due to Don’s energetic and original ideas.”

Jacoline Loewen, Partner, Loewen and Partners

“If you’re looking for a run-of-the-mill, text-book branding consultation, don’t even think about engaging Don Kerr. Don is bold, out of the box, direct, and leads companies to think about their brands in a way they simply could not do on their own.”

Grace Attard, Founder, e-Spot

“With strategic oversight and understanding of our business, Don managed a very challenging project for our company, remaining focused and determined throughout. He is extremely creative with great ideas.”

Deirdre McVey Brough, former Director Marketing, Travelex

“Don is a very creative guy, a quick study, fun to work with, honest, fair, intelligent and a positive contributor. He understands even technically sophisticated ideas from a layman’s perspective and his work is outstanding.”

Len Rosen, President, LMR Marketing Inc.

*Susan Hallsworth, Account Director, OSL Marketing

For Clarity. Simplicity. Wit. please call 416.818.5608 or e-mail don@gracehanna.com

Holy chocolate! Gabe just turned three.

2010-09-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

Happiest of Birthdays to my son whom I will love forever. (Not just 'cause you love my chocolate cake!)

Ranking the renovators

2010-09-16T15:37:00.004-04:00

This Saturday the new front door gets installed. That will complete the renovations we undertook on our new home. We learned a lot during this process, it being our second major reno in the past three years (and our last if I have any say!)

Thought it would be useful to share our perspective on some of the trades we worked with because whenever we set out on one of these voyages we make it our first step to get recommendations and referrals. So from great to abysmal, here's the report (and, interestingly the entire experience points out a fundamental of brand management - in the absence of transparent communication and even rudimentary levels of customer service, the greatest product in the world will not save a reputation. Indeed, it makes the case more strongly than ever that a company's stories are even more important than their product).

A+++++: McConnell Painting - Dave McConnell and his trusty sidekick Colin were the true stars and wizards of this entire undertaking. They painted both the interior and exterior and were without exception the most meticulous, respectful, helpful and professional people with whom we worked. Couldn't recommend them more highly. 416.827-6186

A++: Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Daniel Wilson and the entire team handled both ends of our sale and purchase. They were patient, cooperative, collaborative, respectful and provided great advice through some trying times. 905.845.8908 www.southernontariocollection.com

A+: Antique Hardwood Flooring Inc. - A terrific crew who installed with painstaking care to detail, on time and on budget with great pre-sale advice, post-sale followup, and enthusiastic cooperation within a tight deadline. 905.825.8551 www.antiquehardwoodflooring.ca

A: Speers Road Broadloom - Again, on time, on budget, very tidy and offered good advice on product selection (with some prompting). 905.844.0712 www.speersroadcarpet.com

B+: Binn's Kitchen and Bath Design - This group was responsible for the entire design of the new kitchen and all installation (with exception of most major appliances). Downgraded from an A-rating for a couple of reasons: a few design details weren't entirely well thought out and so the final result is just short of perfection; some of the trades with whom they subcontract were less than top-notch from a service attitude perspective - most notably the plumber who could not have been more cynical or shiftless. 905.509.5555 http://binns.net

B: Joshua Creek Trading Furniture and Home Decor - We purchased a few pieces of furniture and some accessories here and we're pleased. They proved very cooperative even going so far as to loan us a chair so we could comfortably feed our baby. That's above and beyond. Some deliveries took longer than we were advised and that's kind of disappointing when you're working to a stupidly tight schedule. 905.842.3739 www.joshuacreekfurniture.com

C: Tasco (Mississauga location) - Maybe my expectations are too high but when you're spending a handsome amount of coin on Wolf, AEG, and Electrolux Icon appliances you expect a level of service and cooperation commensurate with the expenditure. What you don't expect is being lectured by a store manager on how you as a customer should behave. One doesn't expect (although it now seems rampant in the service industry) to be given lip service about deadlines. I would so much rather deal with someone who under promises and over delivers that someone who spouts bollocks in the hopes that if they say what they think you want to hear all will be well. Steer clear is my recommendation but they do carry top-end stuff. Not gonna bother with the phone number.

F: Ridley Windows and Doors - Some day I will write a longer piece about this experience which will revolve around how a company with superior product and fair pricing can be brought to its knees in three simple steps: 1. fail to communicate regularly and with transparency; 2. align with unreliable, sloppy and borderline incompetent installers; 3. promise a completion date of July 5 and actually finish the job, after hours of haranguing, on September 6. A last-minute intervention by two senior people, including the President did mollify us somewhat but long after the horse had left the barn. www.ridley-windows.com

An update on Ridley: today the door was installed. The product is great. The installers, Walter and Igor, were excellent and the result is superb.

There were some other trades involved but these are the major ones. At the end of the day, my wife Kate who was general contractor, has a promising new career in front of her if she ever decides to make a shift. What an awesome job to accomplish all she did in the space of a few months.

Snapshots of life

2010-09-08T15:07:00.002-04:00

My life on September 8, 2010.

Gabriel headed back to Clanmore Montessori today for his second year in the Casa program. No, he didn't wear his cool dude specs but it was his first day with the official uniform. Looked awful darn cute and according to his reports it was a good day reuniting with old pals Kennedy, Lincoln and Ella among others.
Samuel was just happy to go along for the ride and enjoy his first meal of the day.

"Sure hope we don't get any homework on the first day!"

10 Incredibly Inspirational Moments on YouTube [VIDEOS]

2010-09-06T09:35:00.000-04:00

10 Incredibly Inspirational Moments on YouTube [VIDEOS]

Shel Silverstein rocks Gabriel's world

2010-09-02T11:11:00.001-04:00

My son Gabriel will turn three on September 26. It staggers me to reflect on the changes we've witnessed in him and how very quickly these little creatures develop into full-blown characters with individual personality traits, senses of humour and pure, raw curiousity married to a stupendous sense of wonder.

As an enthusiastic reader and writer it pleases me so very much that Gabriel is completely enamoured of reading. And, while he still enjoys the occasional 'Good night Moon' he's really gotten into the poetry of Shel Silverstein.

Right now his absolute favourite is "Me stew" - the final line of which, 'Farewell - and I hope you enjoy me with crackers."

Cracks both of us up and we read it at least three or four times before bed along with other tales. He's also enjoying the complete tales (tails?) of Beatrix Potter.

Silverstein's poetry for kids (and those of us lucky enough to still think in a childlike fashion) is both humorous and touching. The title poem, "Where the sidewalk ends" is a case in point.

"There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends."

I'm just in the early stages of recovering from a hard-drive failure on my MacBook coupled with a back up failure that has left me needing to recreate my complete business - from a records perspective. It has been frustrating and frankly depressing. But now I'm just going to travel to where the sidewalk ends and begin again.

I don't know if this book is still in print. If you're interested, it was published in 1974 in Canada by Fitzhenry and Whiteside. Library of Congress card number: 70-105486.

Thanks Shel. Gabriel loves it, his Daddy finds it inspirational and comforting and some day Samuel too will share the wonder with his brother.

Still think social media is just a fad?

2010-08-26T08:29:00.003-04:00

Here's some information from a report produced by Oracle on retailing. If there's anyone out there who still believes their brand management and reputation are completely controlled and managed by the corporation, forget about it.

By 2010 Gen Y will outnumber Boomers - 96% of them have joined a social network
25% of search results for the world's top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content
34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands
78% of consumers trust peer recommendations; only 14% trust advertisements
1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media
If Facebook were a country it would be the world's 4th populous between the U.S. and Indonesia
The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females and more than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook daily
80% of Twitter usage is outside of Twitter - people update anywhere, anytime - image what that means for bad customer experiences
The #2 largest search engine in the world is YouTube
There are over 200,000,000 Blogs

More to come on this blog about recent service experiences related to our house move and renovation. And, yes, names will be named. And, yes, brands will be lauded and other will be slagged. And, no, there's not a thing that the companies themselves can do about it 'cause that horse has already left the barn.

The Biggest Corporate Image Catastrophes - Investopedia.com

2010-08-02T17:11:00.000-04:00

The Biggest Corporate Image Catastrophes - Investopedia.com

A pathetic display of blog management

2010-07-31T22:44:00.003-04:00

How embarrassing. Nothing for weeks.
Well, have moved homes.
Relocated to new premises on July 18.
In the midst of reno.
With a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old.
And some awesome trades people.
And some brutal, mercifully few, trades people.
And some continuing work from my wonderfully patient clients.
And...
Well, you get the picture.
I'll be back to the blog in a week.
Bye.

Summertime and the livin' is easy

2010-06-04T14:31:00.005-04:00

My boys are lovin' this early summer heat. Gabriel continues to work, work, work in the garden and his fascination with the hose pipes continues unabated.Samuel has taken it in his stride and loves his outdoor naps.

Rare real estate opportunity in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada

2010-06-01T20:48:00.002-04:00

Perfect for the family. Right on the historic Port Hope golf club and the property includes a two-year membership.

Happiness is

2010-05-26T10:48:00.005-04:00

Mommy's chocolate birthday cake.
Puddle jumping with Dada.
Go for it people.
Let the joy out.

Like great beef?

2010-05-25T14:00:00.003-04:00

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I am somewhat involved in my meat! I've posted a number of blogs about some particularly horrid print ads promoting US beef but that comes about because I'm such a fan of a great steak that it makes me nuts to see this honoured victual made silly.
So, here's a recommendation. For years, the late Paul Estrella delighted me with his personality and his superbly aged beef. He always had something old hanging about in the refrigerator and I was lucky to get to partake. His wife Carmen still runs the wonderful Royal Beef on the Danforth in Toronto. It's just a little too far to drive now.
At the Southdown LCBO recently one of the wine consultants named Christ (not kidding and pronounced kris) recommended Medium Rare in Etobicoke.
Unbelievably great product and very reasonable pricing.
I cannot recommend it more.

I liberated the following copy from Medium Rare's website - http://www.mediumrare.to/home.html
Master Butcher Frank Del Gobbo has been a leader by reputation in his discipline of butchery. Through sheer inspiration, he has always been a few steps ahead of the pack bringing both immense creativity and honesty to his trade.

Frank started in the food business at the age 12, working in bakeries and food shops in and around Toronto. At 18, he gained valuable experience in the meat department of an old world European market where he learned how to properly handle, cut and trim meats in traditional ways.
Through hard work and determination, Frank became the Manager of one of Toronto's most prestigious food shops by the age of 21, helping to provide a finer product for more refined and knowledgeable consumers.

By the age of 25, Frank felt it was time to branch out on his own. He founded and opened Frank's Meat Boutique in Humbertown Shopping Center,on The Kingsway where he quickly became appreciated for his knowledge, product and service. Choosing to expand his knowledge, he then sold the Boutique and began to travel through Europe and the United States.

As a result of his travels, Frank became involved in competition cooking, including his own chili, sausages and particularly B.B.Q. He traveled with a team to get a proper feel for this new sport, learning B.B.Q. techniques from the very best in the business.

It was then time to return to Toronto's West End and capitalize on an appreciative fan base, opening Medium Rare, one of the City's most prestigious premium meat boutiques.

Copyright © 2010 Medium Rare. All rights reserved.

10 steps to more engaging speeches - Related Stories - SmartBrief on Leadership

2010-05-24T09:47:00.000-04:00

10 steps to more engaging speeches - Related Stories - SmartBrief on Leadership

Credit unions: Small players, big moment

2010-05-17T17:11:00.000-04:00

Credit unions: Small players, big moment

Mommy's Boys

2010-05-09T14:45:00.003-04:00

Gabriel (2.5 years) and Samuel (3 months) are both crazy about their Mommy and wish her a very happy day every day but especially today. And, so do I.

Let your design vote be heard

2010-05-08T14:18:00.001-04:00

Here's a chance for you to be involved in the judging process of the Best Label Design for 2010 for VQA Ontario wine packaging. Out of hundreds of entries, the selection was narrowed down to only 14 and I'd really appreciate your support for one of them in particular - Chateau des Charmes.

Please take a minute to cast your vote. It's fun and you just might help me pay for baby's new shoes!

Click on the link below to view the nominees and cast your vote today. Only one vote per computer:
http://www.ontariowineawards.ca/contest-best-label-design.php

My new boy

2010-04-27T15:18:00.003-04:00

Kind of embarrassed yesterday when a new colleague suggested that I hadn't done much on the blog about my new son Samuel. Got me to thinking that at the very least I better get a few more photos up. So here they are!

Gabriel sings for Samuel

2010-04-08T16:30:00.002-04:00

A short while ago I wrote about the wonderful process of awakening to the sound of my son, Gabriel, singing.
Here's a little snippet (with apologies for the poor video quality - I'm still learning) of him enchanting my newborn son Samuel.

A good read and props to Chateau des Charmes (yes, they are a client!)

2010-03-30T13:29:00.001-04:00

Watching a winery grow
ROD PHILLIPS, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONT. - In the search for the next great grape, a swath of 270 acres in Niagara-on-the-Lake is carrying the torch, so to speak.

Left to right: Château des Charmes, Sparkling Wine; Château des Charmes, Chardonnay; Château des Charmes, Aligote; Château des Charmes, Cabernet Franc. Photograph by: Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — It’s always interesting to watch changes in the world of wine, whether it’s at the level of the international market, wine regions, or individual wineries.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Paul Bosc Jr., from Château des Charmes, one of Niagara’s older wineries (its first vines were planted in the 1970s). If you’ve visited Niagara, you might well have seen this winery. Amid the vines, the château stands back from the road and, although it’s one of the grand architectural pieces of the region, its classic style contrasts with the modern, sleek lines of many newer entrants. As Bosc poured a glass of Château des Charmes ‘St Davids Bench’ Merlot 2007 ($29.95 and available only from the winery, but which I hope will feature in a Vintages release), I noticed the bottle had a new label. This one is cleaner and easier to read than the old and, ironically, de-emphasizes the château that is such a landmark. What the new label does, though, is suggest the outlines of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario, the geographical features that enable the region to grow grapes.

Bosc says the new label stresses “a sense of place,” a phrase you hear more and more these days as wineries seek to identify their wines with where the grapes grow. The new label is part of a broad shift that Château des Charmes has undertaken, much of it in the direction of sustainable production. The new labels are made from recycled material and the winery’s bottles are now lighter: from a kilogram, they’re down to 650 grams, which saves energy and costs in production and transport.
There’s a lot of activity back in the vineyard, too. The founder of Château des Charmes, Paul Bosc Sr., was one of the earliest proponents of planting vitis vinifera grape varieties in Niagara — the varieties you most commonly find now (chardonnay, merlot, etc.). Before they were planted, it was often thought that they wouldn’t survive in Niagara’s climate).

Then, in the 1990s, Bosc Sr. discovered a clone of the gamay variety, one whose shoots grew upright (‘droit,’ in French). He named it ‘gamay droit’ and you can buy very good wine made from this variety in the LCBO ($16.95, No. 582353). This is the only registered Canadian vinifera clone.

Now — and this is potentially very exciting — Château des Charmes is going further. They’ve been crossing vitis vinifera varieties (they have a thousand different combinations) to see if they can find one that both thrives in Niagara and makes excellent wine. That thousand will fall to a short-list of couple of dozen, then to two or three serious contenders. The winner could be an important contribution to the region’s wine industry.

Château des Charmes Sparkling Brut, Estate Bottled
This is a 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, made in the “Traditional Method.” Look for well-defined flavours, excellent balance, a crisp and refreshing texture and fine mousse. Drink it before or during a meal. 12 per cent alcohol; $22.95 (145409).

Château des Charmes Aligoté, Estate Bottled 2008
This is a too-little known Burgundian grape variety that makes refreshing whites. This one is dry, nicely flavoured, has good structure and balance, and goes well with simple fish and poultry dishes. 12 per cent alcohol; $13.45 (284950).

Château des Charmes Chardonnay, Estate Bottled 2007
From an excellent vintage, this well-priced chardonnay shows well-extracted flavours and a clean, refreshing texture. Dry and medium bodied, with good structure, it’s a good partner for poultry and pork dishes. 13.5 per cent alcohol; $13.95 (81653).

Château des Charmes Cabernet Franc, Estate Bottled 2007
Cabernet Franc does well in Niagara, and 2007 was an excellent year for it. You’ll find quite plush fruit flavours, and good complexity and balance. This will swing to poultry and to red meats. 13 per cent alcohol; $13.45 (277236) (Château des Charmes stores now, LCBO next year).

Memories of Pepper or how to cope

2010-03-28T18:07:00.001-04:00

"Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide", wrote John Dryden.

In other words (not that Dryden really needs my help) - the margin between sanity and insanity is microscopic. Many years ago, I interviewed a number of patients at the St. Thomas Ontario Hospital. Even at that time, late '70s, that was the euphemism for Mental Hospital. I was writing an article for my newspaper and really wanted to understand what brought people to this end.

One particular person stands out in my memory. Probably because she stalked me for a while but also as a result of a special insight she provided. Her name, not making this up, was Pepper.

Pepper was committed to the OH by her family. She actually drove herself there, parked her car and delivered herself to staff thinking she was simply there for an interview. Weeks later she told of sitting in her room, seeing her car in the parking lot and being completely helpless in her desire to climb behind the wheel and drive back to her 'normal' life. Her insight was this - one person's ability to cope with seemingly routine tasks during the day can come crashing down with little or no notice. She advised that the only reason she was confined to quarters and I could drive away in my Datsun 200SX was my ability to cope.

See, Pepper wasn't nuts at all. In fact she was a pretty normal person except for the fact that she just could get her act together IN THE EYES OF HER CHILDREN!

So why am I writing this now?

Not so several years ago, a friend did me the great service of encouraging me to seek some assistance as they thought I was sliding down the slope to gloom. Recently, I had occasion to speak to someone in a similar situation and tried to share what had been helpful to me. Don't know if it worked 'cause being in our current situation - 2.5 year old son, 2-month old son, selling a house, finding a new home, keeping a business afloat and managing a life - is why I started this blog entry.

Like Pepper, I'm finding it a challenge to cope with all of this but mercifully, because I have had some good lessons, I can make my way through the day.

Don't know where you are now Pepper or even if you're still walking among us, but I am thankful to have met you and learned your lessons.

Wake up singing

2010-03-22T13:14:00.001-04:00

The German author Berthold Auerbach wrote, "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

This quote was resurrected from the dim corners of my memory two mornings ago when I was awakened from my slumber by the glorious sound of my son Gabriel singing as he awakened around 6:00.

Now, anyone who knows me well will acknowledge that arising from the bed with a song in my heart is a rare occasion. I am, in fact, a grump when I wake up and until the first jolt of caffeine begins to course through my veins I remain so. At my age it is hard to fathom this fundamental character flaw being rectified however just as Gabriel's innocent outlook allowed me to embrace his joyous cry a few months ago of "Oh boy. SNOW!" his morning song provides hope.

I challenge anyone suffering from the a.m. grumps to hold close the miserable attitude in the face of a 2.5 year old boy singing "Here we go round the mulberry bush on a cold and frosty morning". My cold and frosty mental state was immediately warmed and I found myself smiling as I crawled into the shower.

So that's my self-learning for the day. If we could all find a way to wake up singing can you imagine what a wonderful world it could be?

My intent is to try to wash away the dust of life every morning and again I have a little boy to thank for another important life lesson.

Spring is the best

2010-03-10T15:37:00.001-05:00

Tempting fate by posting this however my hope for Spring outweighs good sense.
This clump of snowdrops decorates a lawn on my street and on March 8 it made me stupidly happy to see them.
I know March can still whack the stuffing out of us and that this year has been an almost completely benign winter. This still pleases me however and coupled with the birdsong of the cardinal serenading us each morning, well how can you not feel positive.

Recent work part 2

2010-02-24T12:46:00.000-05:00

My recent posting showed some of the results of work done in collaboration with Fish out of Water Design, namely the Chateau des Charmes rebranding and packaging. It also showed some of the copywriting work I've been doing with Meridian Credit Union.
In this posting just a couple of quick additions - both on the branding/copywriting front.
First, working in collaboration with OSL (Meridian's agency), I supported their good brand development work in writing the Meridian brand book. While it is still undergoing some editing (after all, any good brand book should never really be finished!) it has been greeted well as something which communicates the technical aspects of the brand within the established tone and personality. Great team to work with at OSL. (www.oslmarketing.com)

Elsewhere in this blog you'll note that I've written a few times about my friend Grace Attard's entrepreneurial incubator here in Oakville - e spot (www.e-spot.ca). What I haven't shared is that I had the good fortune and wonderful experience of working with Grace and some of her most trusted associates in developing the brand essence for this start up enterprise. While we crammed what normally takes 2 days into about 5 hours, the quality of the people present and their enthusiastic collaboration, produced great results from the Brand Clarity workshop session. So that's another example of how I've been blessed to work with good people producing good work.

DiManno: What Tiger Woods was really trying to say - thestar.com

2010-02-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

I love Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star and this article is just one more reason.

DiManno: What Tiger Woods was really trying to say - thestar.com

Recent work

2010-02-18T16:45:00.001-05:00

Congratulations, albeit somewhat belated, are in order to two of my clients.
First, to the magnificent creative team at Fish out of Water Design with whom I have had the privilege of working on numerous projects. Leading the Fishes are the partners Charlene Codner, Creative Fish and Rebecca Hamilton, Client Service Fish. The link to their firm is on this blog.
Second, to the courageous team at Château des Charmes who last year embarked on the sometimes nerve-wracking exercise of brand reinvention. Paul and Michele Bosc realized a need to expand the appeal of their fine product to a broader audience and further recognized that this would require a complete revamping of their brand, packaging and approach to the market. And, in the spirit of true innovation, Michele also introduced the first QR code on wine in North America.
It was my privilege to assist in brand development and to work with the Fishes and the Boscs to bring this new approach to shelf.
I'm super proud of the effort and hope that it continues to produce the sales required to make Château des Charmes a great leader in wine innovations and exceptional quality product.

Meridian Credit Union

For the past several months it has been my privilege to work with the Marketing and Communications team at Meridian Credit Union. I've written about them before on this blog and related my great respect for the organization. They are a breath of fresh air in the financial services industry and through my opportunity to write SMILE, the regular Member newsletter and some other special editions, I have come to learn how well they're respected and valued by those for whom they work.
Above is an image of a special employee edition of SMILE published to communicate the refreshed Meridian brand. Below, is a edition of the Member SMILE featuring what I really very much enjoy - the Member interview.
Meridian is one of those rare companies, especially financial institutions, which attract brand evangelists.

Entrepreneurs rise up in Oakville

2010-02-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

Enjoyed a great meeting this morning at my friend Grace Attard's hot new entrepreneurial incubator - e-Spot. (www.e-spot.ca). Thought I'd share contact information for some of the really bright folks I met there. After all, that's the whole purpose of networking right?
So, if you're looking for someone to help with the design/build of your commercial space check out Cameron Johnson's company, Finishing FX Inc. Reach Cam at finishingfx@rogers.com or call 416.822.3512.
Are you a woman seeking to bring out all that true inner beauty through an alternative, entertaining fitness program? Then visit Jane Wilson's website, Aradiafitness.com and log on to the Oakville franchise. Or you can write her at oakville@aradiafitness.com or call on 905.844.7746.
Tina Gilbert is a woman with lots of stuff on the go. You can learn more about her enterprising ways at either www.lusciousbubbles.com or www.thewomenpreneur.com where she is Editor in Chief. You could also call her at 416.500.7997 or write tina@thewomenpreneur.com
A talented artist (painter, sculptor, illustrator) is Bert Jackson who's work can be seen on www.bertjackson.ca. Write him at bert@bertjackson.ca or call 416.890.4391. If you've seen the great Moose/Wolf sculpture in Oakville you've seen some of his work. Oh, he can fix you up with some great tats too!!
On the real estate front, Gina Burgio is ready and able to assist you with your mortgage and housing needs as she's just taking over the operation of the Coldwell Banker shop in Oakville. Visit her at www.ginaburgio.net or write gina@ginaburgio.net. Better still, give her a bell at 905.825.7777.
Almost finally, providing insightful professional advice is Angela Galer-Grist, Investment Advisor and Financial Planner with BMO Nesbitt Burns. You can reach her by writing angela.galergrist@nbpcd.com or visiting www.angelagalergrist.com. Phone too on 416.359.7099.
Penultimately finally, there were two other people there too whose info I failed to secure but one is a fitness dude and the other provides financial counselling on behalf of RBC. I'm sure if you contacted the e-spot they could hook you up.
Finally, keep up the good work Grace. You're doing a terrific job.

Oakville truly is a hospitable town

2010-02-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

If you've been keeping score, Thursday, February 4 marked the birth date of our second son, Samuel. The following article gives more detail but I could let it pass how grateful I am to the good city workers in this fair town.
They do the coolest thing.
At the hospital they set aside parking spots for folks arriving with mommies-to-be who are in the throes of labour. So, you can whip into the lot - trying to be solicitous and ignore the banshee wailing and streaming imprecations of the woman who got into the car as your wife and is emerging as a character from a Hitchcockian thriller - park without hassle and mosey on in to the maternity ward.
The greatness doesn't stop there 'cause after you've gotten your wife into the hospital some really incredibly brilliant and thoughtful parking warden (they must be brilliant - how else could you do the job?) stops by your car in the maternity spot and leaves a gift certificate for you in the amount of $25.00.
Isn't that the coolest thing ever.
It looks just like this.

Now that's good value for our tax dollars.
Uh, now, upon closer inspection this isn't a gift certificate at all is it?
No, this is a parking ticket.
I was just too g.d. inconsiderate to stop on my way into the hospital with my wife doubled over with contractions to buy parking. What a complete a-hole I am.
"Hold on there honey. Just tuck that crowning head back inside for a moment while I make sure that the city gets their fair share. What's that?
You're in pain? C'mon. Can't be that bad after all the people in parking would have the foresight to think that the dad-to-be might be a little bit otherwise engaged wouldn't they?"
What a pathetic joke. I do hope someday that the marginally intelligent oaf with the over-inflated sense of authority that this glorified security guard gets to take his wife to hospital and then has the good sense to have her wait while he plunks his loonies and toonies into the machine.
Or, maybe this is a woman parking control officerette. She should be especially proud to support the sisterhood.
Idiots.

First things first

2010-02-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

My apologies to the folks who occasionally drop by my blog. It has been woefully neglected for a long time. My only excuse is this: our family has grown by one. Already blessed with a magnificent son Gabriel, I can now boast of another. Samuel Scott Kerr came on board February 4, 2010 at 7:29 p.m. ringing up 7lbs 2 oz on the scale. His Mom is in awesome condition considering the rigours and challenges of another 9-month ordeal. When Sam decided to show up though he wasted no time at all screaming his arrival only 1 hour after we'd arrived at the Oakville Trafalgar GH.
So, here he is. Yes, you can expect to hear much more about him in the coming weeks, months and indeed years.
A generous nod to my son Gabriel as well who has so far welcomed Sammy with open arms. We're not entirely sure though if he comprehends that Sammy is staying for the long term.
Now, anyone know where I can get a great deal on hockey equipment?

All you need for a happy Christmas

2009-12-21T16:22:00.000-05:00

Tricks and treats

2009-11-05T14:42:00.001-05:00

Fall in Ontario must be one of the most bittersweet seasons. We get these glorious, sun-filled, colour-splashed days that make you wonder why on earth you'd want to live elsewhere.

Then we get the inestimable pleasure of watching our kids gather up all the loot on Hallowe'en. This was Gabe's first such evening when he was aware of what was going on -- kind of.

A little nervous at first ("Hug Dada") he rapidly accommodated himself to the unique experience of near strangers and close friends oohing and cooing AND giving him stuff.

Mostly, he could care less about the stuff but the attention was great. Although, he did really like that bag of chips he got from one of our neighbours.

Next year will be another great experience as Gabriel will be three, his little brother (God willin' and the river don't rise) will be nine months old so Gabriel can begin to show him the ropes as any older brother would do.

Tricks and treats.

Cool.

"Oh, BOY!"

2009-11-05T14:14:00.000-05:00

We had our first snow flurry here about an hour ago. Gabe and I were just leaving Whole Foods (spend way too much time and money there but that's for another day).
The white stuff only fell for a few moments.
My initial reaction?
Oh dear god, here we go again.
Gabe's initial reaction?
"Oh BOY!"
"Snow, Dada!"
Turned my mood around in about a nano second.
Remember, Gabe just turned two at the end of September. I wouldn't have expected him to remember snow at all. Lord knows I try to put it out of my mind. But there he was - proclaiming to all who would listen - "Snow, Dada!"
I might just need to change my perspective on those many things we adults react to with annoyance.
It has always been my belief that a successful life revolves around retaining a child-like sense of wonder.
Thanks Gabe.
"Oh, BOY! SNOW!"

Proudly Canadian - wines & spirits

2009-09-24T10:12:00.001-04:00

Am participating in the 30-day drink local wines (Ontario) challenge and on the journey have discovered a few real gems. But not just wines. There are two Canadian hard liquor products that really stand out as well. OK. One is really from the Ukraine but it is imported by a group here in Oakville and it represents the greatest value in the ultra-premium vodka category you can imagine. Slava is the product and I encourage you to check it out for a few reasons: they're running a very clever promotion right now; the product is excellent; the packaging is smart and plays a major role in keeping the pricing reasonable ($28.00 at LCBO). http://www.slavavodka.com/
Staying on the hard liquour front, we all of us tend to think either of England or the Netherlands as the source of the best gins and granted there are many exceptional products from those countries and others. What may surprise you is learning that one of the best I've ever enjoyed is the recently launched Victoria gin from British Columbia. If you're someone who enjoys a flavourful gin - either in martini or mixed - this is a product well worth adding to your bar. Probably best with minimum dilution from my perspective but either way it is a wonderfully surprise. Winner of the Silver Medal in 2009 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is - a well-deserved honour. $49.95 at LCBO. http://www.victoriaspirits.com/
So, turning to the wines, let me share my thoughts on three products with you. Wine snob alert - I will not be employing all the flowery language used normally to describe wines - I wouldn't know a pencil shaving from a grapefruit. I just really like these.
In the premium-priced, premium-experience white wine category my clear winner is the Daniel Lenko 2005 Signature Chardonnay. While I'd love to have this as my everyday white a $39.95 price at LCBO forbids that but for special friends...buy it. http://www.daniellenko.com/
In the red category, the 2007 Mottiar Pinot Noir from Malivoire is a delight. Again, at $34.00 at LCBO this won't be your daily sipper, but a real treat. A bit of advice, very good advice frankly, from Mr. Pinkus, is to let this beauty breathe for an hour or before pouring. http://www.malivoirewineco.com/
Finally, for a very reasonably-priced high-enjoyment white you cannot and will not go wrong with the Chateau des Charmes estate bottled, barrel fermented 2007 Chardonnay. Am I a bit biased? They are a client so maybe but I cannot encourage you enough to experience this great product from an exceptional year. $13.95 at LCBO. http://www.chateaudescharmes.com/
AND...check out the new packaging. Several months ago I wrote a piece on this blog about another wine company which recreated its packaging. In the article titled "A sound only a dog can hear" I wondered why they'd gone to such trouble to make so little and so irrelevant change. The Bosc family at Chateau des Charmes are relaunching the entire line of products and have made enormous strides forward on several fronts. New corporate identity. Recategorized products. Improved product differentiation at shelf. Vastly improved shelf presence. And, if you check out the back label you'll notice a QR code. To my knowledge Chateau des Charmes is the first winery in Canada and one of the first globally to introduce this new technology.
Check it out and kudos to the Boscs for an excellent product and the courage to move forward.

What the hell just happened?

2009-09-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

The phone rang about 6:00 a.m.. The call from Toronto awoke me in San Francisco. The caller advised me to turn on CNN. Frightening events were taking place in New York City.

Later that same day, I took this photo from my hotel room in the heart of San Francisco. What an odd sensation it was to be in one of the great cities of the world and walking streets that were virtually deserted.

So what's happened since 9/11? What progress have we made in this world?

Estimates on civilian deaths in Afghanistan since the launch of "Operation Enduring Freedom" range from 12,000 to 30,000.

Coalition forces losses are clearly tracked more accurately. The cynical would suggest that's because they somehow matter more. However, one hesitates to suggest that.
Regardless, in the 8 years since that gruesome day in Manhattan, Pennsylvania and Washington, more than 16,000 to 35,000 people are dead. No matter how you spin it, slice it, dice it and analyze it this is a tragedy on all fronts.

As I wrote...what happens now? I'm reading a wonderful and inspiring book right now. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. As the dust jacket reads, it is the "astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his remarkable humanitarian campaign in the Taliban's back yard. In 1993, a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools - especially for girls - in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban." So, hyperbole aside, it really is a very worthwhile story and I thought I might share just a few passages on this day.

"From his window seat in the mostly empty first-class cabin of the flight from Peshawar to Ryhiadh, where stewards had smilingly instructed Mortenson to sit, he saw the sky over Afghanistan pulsing with deadly light.

Steady turbulence announced they had left the land and were now over the awaters of the Arabian Sea. Across the aisle, Mortenson saw a bearded man in a black turban staring out the window through a high-powered pair of binoculars. When the lights of ships at sea appeared below them, he spoke animatedly to the turbaned man next to him. And pulling a satellite phone out of the pocket of his shalwar kazim, this man rushed to the bathroom, presumably to place a call.

"Down there in the dark," Mortenson says, "was the most technologically sophisticated navy strike force in the world, launching fighters and cruise missiles into Afghanistan. I didn't have much sympathy for the Taliban, and I didn't have any for Al Qaeda, but I had to admit that what they were doing was brilliant. Without satellites, without an air force, with even their primitive radar knocked out, they were ingenious enough to use plain old commercial flights to keep track of the Fifth Fleet's positions. I realized that if we were counting on military technology alone to win the war on terror, we had a lot of lessons to learn."

Further on he writes:

"I'm no military expert," Mortenson said. "And these figures might not be exactly right. But as best I can tell, we've launched 114 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Afghanistan so far. Now take the cost of one of those missiles tipped with a Raytheon guidance system, which I think is about $840,000. For that much money, you could build dozens of schools that could provide tens of thousands of students with a balanced nonextremist education over the course of a generation. Which do you think will make us more secure?"

As my son Gabriel heads off to his first day of school next week, I think of how much we take for granted here and how little we understand that while agression is sometimes required that providing opportunities for people to share their beliefs in mutual respectful conditions could do so very much to heal the wounds of 9/11.

Storytelling - interesting insight from Fast Company

2009-09-01T07:53:00.000-04:00

In my copywriting, branding and communications consulting my aim is to tell stories. Frankly, that's how I describe my work to others. I am a storyteller.
Hence I found this little piece from Fast Company of interest.

FC Expert Blog

Barack Obama Is Tapping Into Your Brain

BY FC Expert Blogger Kaihan Krippendorff Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 2:15 PM

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

The best communicators are the ones who can create and share a strong narrative story. The best novels are the ones with the most interesting plot and the best speeches are the ones that arouse an emotional response from a crowd.

Last week I introduced Dr. Marco Iacoboni, neurologist and neuroscientist at the Brain Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Iacoboni is a leading authority on “mirror neurons,” and after our interview, I realized that people relate to stories because it is part of their evolutionary makeup. Stories cause our mirror neurons to fire at similar experiences, helping us remember and relate.

When humans first started to communicate with each other, they did so by sharing stories. They kept their history and traditions alive by spinning a tale to connect a sequence of events. Because this has been going on for so long, there is something instinctive in our brains that makes us attuned to narratives and stories.

Stories are how we learn. As Iacoboni explains, “Early on in life we learn a lot of things through stories. As a child, you listen to your parents and teachers and you learn lessons from their stories about right and wrong. When you go to bed, you are told stories. There is something almost primal about our evolution and development that leads us back to listening to stories.”

So to be a great communicator, a person needs to understand the importance of using narratives. To get people excited about a new idea or thought, he or she needs to be a great storyteller.

This is why Barack Obama had so much success during his 2008 campaign for president. He was able to create a narrative that touched the hearts of many Americans, and he was able to connect people on a deeper level than conservative and liberal. Obama was able to use people’s mirror neurons to naturally and automatically empathize with him. That ability points us to an interesting behavior that relates narratives and mirror neurons.

Mirror neurons reveal why narratives are so powerful

Iacoboni conducted an experiment in which he showed people pictures that morphed together an image of themselves and one of their friends. Some pictures were more like the observer and some more like their friends. Then Iacoboni measured mirror neuron activity when observers looked at the pictures. He found that when the picture looked more like the observer, the observer’s mirror neurons fired more strongly.

In other words, the more someone sees himself or herself in the picture, the more his or her mirror neurons fire. The more people see themselves in you, the more they relate to you. They think, “This person is like me,” and since most of us like ourselves, they think, “I like this person. “

Highly influential people tell stories that spark mirror neurons in others by opening their stories with images, people, sounds, smells and feelings that others recognize and can relate to. As Iacoboni says, “Innovators create stories that others want to be part of.”

Obama created a story of solidarity, or hope, that many Americans got behind. His narrative sparked millions of mirror neurons when he said, “There's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.” Obama tapped into the empathy of his constituents because he was able to build an idea that people could see, touch and feel.

Ask yourself the questions below to see how you can use a narrative within your company to get your employees and customers excited and focused.

1. Does my company have a story? Where did we come from and how did we get here?

2. Can I craft my company narrative in a way that other people can relate to?

3. Can reliving my company narrative on a daily basis make my business stronger and more focused?

Another reason to wish for great neighbours? PIE!!!!

2009-08-31T17:20:00.000-04:00

Just a silly little quicky posting today but one that may keep me furnished in excellent treats.
My neighbour Karen is a great porch painter and pie maker.
She dropped this off the other night.
It was excellent.
I would like more please.

Whole Foods Boycott on Facebook Swells to 22,000 Users

2009-08-22T09:17:00.003-04:00

I'm not entirely sure what the whole issue is (no pun intended). Apart from the CEO of Whole Foods raising the old conservative shibboleth that government-supported health care is some kind of nefarious Commie plot, he's right about how we inflict abuse on our health all by ourselves. It's a little disingenuous as well since Whole Foods is unlikely the grocer of choice for those who most need health care support. Regardless, an interesting little read and a good story for any organization trying to learn how little they really do control their brand stories.

Whole Foods Boycott on Facebook Swells to 22,000 Users

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5 Essential Tips for Promoting Your Charity Using Social Media

2009-08-22T09:16:00.002-04:00

This is a must read for anyone involved in a charitable organization. Some good, actionable information here.

5 Essential Tips for Promoting Your Charity Using Social Media

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From Naked to Clad in Leather

2009-08-19T15:06:00.001-04:00

From Naked to Clad in Leather: "

The Scandinavian travel-retail company Nuance Group Sweden was selected as the launch partner for The Absolut Company’s new release in tr...

Bats in the belfry

2009-08-18T15:37:00.004-04:00

So, just yesterday afternoon as I was sitting in the 62" round wading pool we bought for Gabriel (listen, it was about 40 Celsius and my pride only lasts 'til it reaches 35!) my mind was cast back to my childhood summers. No skimpy little waders for me.

Since I was an infant my family would retreat to Muldrew Lake in Muskoka on the last day of school and not return to the city 'til Labour day. That's the lake in the Google map photo and the dock (see that T-shaped thing) upon which we would recreate. The island to the right was in fact, guess still is, called Kerr Island.

My family had been visiting Muldrew since about the turn of the century (that'd be your last century not this new one) and it was a deeply spiritual place for most of us. My sister still pretty much lives there year round although we have convinced her that an abode in Gravenhurst in superior to an uninsulated wind blown cottage for the six months of Canadian winter.

Frankly, I have mixed feelings about Muldrew. It was the source of many great memories but also lots of pretty dismal recollections too. There's one guy on the lake, who not surprisingly became a quite remarkably sleazy lawyer, who to this day causes me to ache for a day when you could emphatically whack someone upside the head just for being a complete and utter a-hole. There's another one, who became quite possibly the sleaziest property developer in the GTA, who frankly seemed a pretty good guy when he was building condo developments and razing historic properties on his beach.

And then there was this one other thing and that's where the coincidence of life comes into it.

I was raising the outdoor umbrella yesterday and who should I discover seeking shelter from the sun...that's right...Barney the Bat.

He took off right promptly and I rightly figured that was the last of that. Surprisingly it too made me think of Muldrew for the many late night invasions of these flying rats.

That's not the end of it though.

With Gabriel snuggled into bed, Katie and I sat down to relax and watch a few moments of television in the 20 minutes we sustain consciousness between 8:50 and 9:10. Shadows flickered across the screen. Whooshing sounds were heard. More shadows appeared as though we were both losing our sight at the same time.

So, Barney was back only this time he was in the house. Not realizing my wife has a bit of the Buddhist in her I was all set to practice my tennis forehand to send Barney on his way. She pleaded that I simply open the door and usher him out.

Don't think she's had much bat experience by the way.

Barney though turned out to be a right neighbourly bat and excused himself after making a few rotations from kitchen to dining room to living room to front hall to the freedom of the great outdoors.

Pretty fun all in all.

Travelling with a toddler

2009-08-08T12:21:00.006-04:00

So the following photos are in reverse order of what you need to know about travelling abroad with a toddler.
It will all end well but know that unless you prepare as though you were launching a military-type campaign to capture a well-defended beach head, you are doomed.
Know also that anyone who defines such a journey as a "vacation" is clearly childless and most likely clueless as well. Such a description is akin to classifying Saving Private Ryan as an entertaining and informing travelogue about the beaches and near-coastline features of France.
It will help you, should you ever venture off on such a travail, to spend whatever funds are required to secure seating for all the individuals in your party. The entire notion of 'babe in arms' is something that should be confined to Broadway productions revolving around the love interests of 1950's teenagers. For starters, a toddler is decidedly not a babe. Even should you be blessed with an angel such as our Gabriel understand that a little person such as this cannot comfortably confine themselves to the approximately 1 cubic metre apportioned to each individual on Air Canada flights in aging Airbuses. For you Dads - treat your wives extraordinarily well in advance of the trip for it will be they who bear the brunt of your toddler's squirming and impatience.
Remember also to bring your own food. What Air Canada served up was swill inappropriate for any living, sentient being. They offered beef or chicken. I was hard pressed to identify either but did suss out a tiny green bean within the offal.

If you're renting a car...spend the money to purchase a cover for the child car seat. Unless you're comfortable with plunking your child into a scene from the early portions of Slumdog Millionaire you'll be happy for the investment.
Accommodations are always a challenge. We were lucky to have great friends host us for all save three days of the 17 we were travelling. Just remember what Mark Twain wrote many years ago, "House guests, like fish, begin to stink after three days." Be very sensitive that you're an invading force well capable of upsetting the equilibrium and routine of a family who are, after all, complete innocents in this affair. And, if you have height and/or weight beyond 5'4" and 135 pounds, you will not have a bed of sufficient size for yourself...never mind you and your loved one. Oh...it is unlikely your beautiful little child will adjust well to the time change and when you toss in unfamiliar surroundings, noises, diet, and general peculiarities...you're pretty much guaranteed that the first real sleep you'll achieve is approximately five days after your return.

Your outings should be carefully planned. A day at the beach in most countries is a delight. A day at the beach on the Isle of Wight in mid-July is akin to dipping your toes into the waters off Baffin Island.
Yes, you'll find lots of IOW natives frolicking about. Recognize though that when the temperature climbs above eight degrees C these people start the air conditioning.
If however you can find a real steam train to ride that will be your ticket to heaven. Can't speak for little girls, but I think it is a universal truth that little boys LOVE trains and especially ones that spew smoke and steam and have a genuine 'whoo-whoo' whistle and click and clack and chug just like Thomas the Tank.
Highly recommended especially if you can convince Nana and GD (Grandma and Grandpa) to join in the fun.

Before leaving, have someone take a picture while you still have hope and imagine that you are in fact about to embark on a voyage of relaxation, reinvigoration, and recreation. It will be the only memory you have of the naive hopes of stupid fathers without a clue of the reality of travelling with a toddler.

Yup, prep for invasion.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

Seriously, can hardly wait for the next trip...now that my innocence is gone.

Evian

2009-07-28T13:48:00.003-04:00

Just had this forwarded to me by someone whose opinion I greatly admire. Although a bit cliche I think it is pretty fun and a nice match for the Evian brand personality. Also darn cute.

Limo service with a difference

2009-06-28T10:23:00.002-04:00

My friend Lloyd Lamoureux has launched a new car service.
Lloyd is a great guy and a real professional in a business where there a lots of fly-by-nights and frankly some scary, unreliable drivers.
I highly recommend SilkRoad Car Service and encourage you to consider Lloyd for your GTA area driving needs.

Niagara Wine Country Weekend II

2009-06-16T08:56:00.002-04:00

So, where were we?
Think I'd just left off with a promise to share a restaurant find with you albeit reluctantly.
On the recommendation of a friend who is completely tuned in to the Niagara wine and food scene, we were directed to REST - Stone Road Grille. Located on Stone Road just a stone's throw from downtown NOTL there's a grubby little mall. In that grubby little mall there is a little restaurant that is a giant in terms of hospitality, service, ambience and food. They also have a very impressive and intriguing wine list completely dedicated to VQA. In fact the Wine Council of Ontario awarded REST the 2008 Gold Award of Excellence for Best VQA wine list. The proprietors, Heidi and Perry Johnson have created the closest duplicate of a Sonoma experience I've ever enjoyed in anyplace other than...well...Sonoma! I encourage you to visit the site www.stoneroadgrille.com for the full story (quite amusing history) and moreso, when you're next in Wine Country make sure you plan a lunch or dinner at REST. Just do it when I'm not in town. Hate to lose a seat.
It was at REST that we made a discovery. On the wine list I noticed under the Sauvignon Blanc/Fume Blanc heading a listing "Foreign Affair 2007 Amarone Style $52." Intrigued at the idea of an Amarone style white I asked Mr. Johnson about this and he offered a generous taste. Loved it. Ordered it. Drank it and next day placed a visit to the winery on our itinerary.
The Foreign Affair Winery (www.foreignaffairwine.com) is located at Vineland Station. Kind of a challenge to find it but nothing a good navigator can't overcome. Anyway, first stop Sunday morning and met the proprietor who shared an interesting and inspiring story of how he and his wife came to produce wines in this style in the challenging and unlikely Niagara location. I encourage you to visit and chat. I think the wines are terrific not just 'cause I'm a big Amarone fan but because Foreign Affair took on a tough challenge and have succeeded. Apparently, four of their wines will appear in Vintages this fall and that's quite an achievement.
So that's the end of the Wine Country weekend post. Can't recommend this destination more highly and promise that you'll not be disappointed by the welcome you receive.

Ah, the consistency of mediocrity

2009-06-16T08:39:00.004-04:00

Not entirely sure why I keep giving these guys more exposure when I find their advertising so heinous. It's kind of like the way one can't resist slowing down to view a horrid crash on the highway. Anyway, here's another in the dramatically horrid beef-as-topographical-feature series from the Beef Checkoff (Chekov?) and http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/. And it's not like I get thousands or hundreds or tens of hits on this blog so guess it's just fun for me to take a pot-roast shot with no risk of enabling the spread of this beefy virus.

Genuinely awful series though.

A weekend in Niagara Wine Country

2009-06-07T18:58:00.004-04:00

So, what do to do for Katie's recent birthday?

I've had the pleasure of spending quite a bit of time in Niagara Wine Country since last December but still felt there was much more to explore. So off we headed to the Oban Inn for a weekend of winery touring, spa treatments and relaxation.

Our visit coincided with the the Wine and Herb Festival which features touring 21 wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake where each visit featured a different herb-themed food pairing matched to one of the wineries VQA wines.

Nope. Didn't make it to all 21 but I think we did a respectable job by visiting 13 - one of which wasn't on the tour at all (more on that shortly.)

It was a really interesting experience to see how each of the wineries, from giants to mom & pop operations presented themselves and their products. Without exception the passion for the product came through loud and clear at the small wineries and indeed at one of the bigger operations as well. Chateau des Charmes, of all the 'big' shops clearly embraces the locavore spirit of Niagara and their pairing of the sprightly and refreshing Aligote (only winery in Canada to produce this excellent summer white) with a lemon basil infused cracker from Anna Olson topped with Anna's Aligote jelly. Bias alert - yes, Chateau des Charmes (www.chateaudescharmes.com) is a client but even still our experience was great.

From the Chateau it was off to Coyote's Run where the Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc was matched with a chive temptation. (www.coyotesrunwinery.com) Lot's of charm to this small operation and some lovely wines as well. Cattail Creek Estate Winery (www.cattailcreek.ca) treated us to their 2007 Off-Dry Riesling and somehow managed to make it work with their herb treat focused on cilantro (I don't much care for cilantro but they used just a fine wee touch to accent the shrimp). At Maleta Estate Winery (www.maletawinery.com) I enjoyed the 2007 VIEW Pinot Noir and while I know they were matched up with savoury I can't remember the appetizer. Their approach to branding their wines was kind of cool though with their porch sippers and thirst quenchers gathered up under the Grape Brain brand and the higher end products, including their Cuvee winner Brut, flying the View brand. Nice approach and a bit of a surprise from such a little place. Well worth a visit.

On the downside was one of the corporate giants of Niagara (yes, giant being a relative term...we're not talking WalMart here). Hillebrand (www.hillebrand.com) was heaving. While it sure seems to attract a lot of tourist traffic it was highly disappointing in that no one seemed to know where the wine and herb station was nor that the Festival was on. We finally discovered a lonely college student stuck off in a corner serving up the 2007 Artist Series "Limited Edition" Gewurztraminer with some parsley concoction. Well, guess Hillebrand can take the award for longest wine name on the tour and least interest shown in those of us on the Festival tour.

To be fair, they did do a slightly better job that Joseph's Estate Wines (www.josephsestatewines.com) where the purported offering of 2006 Chenin Blanc and a French sorrel treat was no where to be found. Guess being landed with sorrel proved to great a chore.

Jackson Triggs Niagara Estate Winery (www.jacksontriggswinery.com) takes first place in the herb pairing contest from my perspective. Again, with Anna Olson as the chef, they served a delightful basil biscotti along with their very flavourful 2006 Proprietors' Grad Reserve White Meritage. This is really lovely spot to visit and the people there create the impression of smallness even though they too are one of the biggies.

Right next door at Stratus (www.stratuswines.com) we got a surprisingly warm welcome in what is a very modern and somewhat sterile atmosphere. They absolutely though nailed the tough bergamot pairing by creating a bergamot infused creme brullee paired with their lucious 2007 Riesling Icewine. This turned out to be quite a nice stop on the tour and frankly exceeded our expectations just based on architecture alone.

More to follow in next edition where I'll reluctantly reveal the name and location of one of the very best restaurant experiences I've ever enjoyed.

Anyone who works in an agency client relationship needs to see this.

2009-06-01T09:45:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY

I'm so relieved I've never had a client pull these stunts!!!

Entrepreneurial challenges

2009-05-08T09:01:00.002-04:00

So there's one thing about operating a home-based business that poses a bit of a challenge. Distraction.

However, my son Gabriel, while certainly capable of distracting me, he brings great perspective to my working day.

Now, so long as I can keep him motivated to help with the landscaping and weed control we're in good shape.

This winter I fully expect to be relieved of the burden of shovelling snow.

That's a challenge I'm happy to forgo.

What recession?

2009-05-08T08:54:00.002-04:00

Maybe we're just isolated from world-wide trends here in Old Oakville but I don't think so. In our region there is a tremendously high concentration of entrepreneurs. In fact Halton region may have more independently run businesses than anywhere else in Canada.
Heard on the news this morning that there was an increase in job creation last month of 39,000. Yes, the majority were self-employed positions but regardless kind of encouraging on the one hand to realize that people are taking matters into their own hands and foresaking the victim mentality that can arise from depending upon large behemoths to provide for you.
On that point, my friend and colleague Grace Attard is about to launch a great new service here in Oakville. I won't spill all the beans but suffice to say she has a terrific idea about how to enable and empower entrepreneurial breakthroughs. She will create a spot where entrepreneurs can gather to benefit from senior-level, multi-discipline advice; make use of meeting space other than the traditional coffee shop or beige hotel meeting room; and, most importantly get the personal and business coaching required for many of us to truly bring our ideas to beneficial fruition.
Anyway, stay tuned for more about this and be watching for the CBC program, Enter the Coliseum (I'll let you know when it is expected to air) to learn more about Grace and other entrepreneurs who are taking the 'recession' into their own hands and saying, "I'm in control of my own destiny!"

Just ducky

2009-04-02T10:27:00.002-04:00

OK. I know this isn't the best photograph but all I had immediately on hand was my iPhone.

Anyway, this is part of the reason we love living where we do.

Was out yesterday on our front porch and across the street were a male and female Mallard duck just strolling around our neighbour's yard. The female even took a little expedition up the stairs but decided there were slim pickings on the porch.

We're only a few hundred metres from the lake so I guess this isn't too unusual. It is though refreshing as hell to live in a community where our winged friends feel free to explore.

Now, if I could just find a way to rid the waterfront of our Canada Geese this would be close to Walden Pond!

Commissioner Bootie

2009-03-30T19:40:00.003-04:00

Where are you?

What's happened to you?

Talk to me.

My son needs golf lessons.

He'll share his pacifier with you.

Come back from China.

Summer is coming.

It's raining and it smells like Spring!

2009-03-25T18:11:00.003-04:00

Not smell like dog poop either.
That special aroma of hope springing eternal.
The scent of freshness, renewal, rebirth and growth.
Just had to take a moment from writing another web site architecture to notice and share.
Little pleasures.
Life is worthwhile.

Why are we lagging in the introduction of this technology?

2009-03-24T09:38:00.007-04:00

In the past day or so I've sent an email to over 100 of my contacts on LinkedIn asking if they new of Canadian/North American packaged goods marketers who were using QR coding on their packaging.

It surprised me that several of the responses I got from these people who are leaders in the industry were, "What the hell is a QR code?"

Granted, until I started looking into it as a response to a recommendation from one of our clients I wouldn't have know a QR code from a Graham Cracker!

However, now that I've done some research and will in all likelihood help our client introduce this to their packaging, I'm confused why this hasn't been adopted at the retail level.

So, what the hell is a QR code? The following is an excerpt from a website I found greatly useful - www.lunaqr.com

QR codes are 2-dimension bars, which means that they encode data in two directions, allowing information to be decoded at a much higher speed. First created by the Japanese corporation, Denso-Wave, in 1994, QR codes were designed to allow its contents to be decoded at a high speed and even if partially damaged, the data can still be extracted. In comparison to some of the barcodes you may be used to, individual QR Codes can hold as much as 50 times more information and up to 16 QR codes can be linked together, creating series of codes for even greater capacity or simply using a series smaller codes in place a larger one.
Great, so what does that mean?
The main purpose for QR Codes is to automatically input information into a phone (such as the data from a business card) having to type it in. That means no more typing! Perhaps the most popular service, has been providing QR codes that can link users to a website. This service is simple, forward and to the point and since QR codes can be printed on almost any media, any person or company can add a QR code to their products and direct a user to a website, where they can provide information or initiate other processes that provide simultaneous feedback to whoever deployed the code. For advertisers, this might generate real data on the visibility of their ads, while manufacturers might consider initiating warranty registration or identify further products or services. Each industry will determine its own use but the initial priority will be the transfer of information from paper to electronic form. However, the potential is far greater.
So what else do they do?
Just think of all the credit and debit cards a person has to carry around with them. Why not just use your phone? Just walk up to a vending machine and pay with your phone. Or purchase goods in a convenience store the same way. Not possible you say. Try telling that to the Japanese. QR codes, utilized in paperless transactions, have allowed major retail chains in Japan to enhance distribution efficiency through cooperative technology with their shippers in key areas such as apparel and cosmetics. As well, automated reporting has provided additional efficiencies for suppliers and wholesalers, who can better manage their logistics through monitoring feedback. At exhibitions, seminars, and trade shows registration and entry can be streamlined by using a QR coded ID badge or displaying a QR code on your phone. Better still, what about planes, trains or any other queue? In large companies asset management is commonplace and QR codes facilitate inventory control and loss prevention. Now, with the phone as the reader, anyone can benefit by placing QR codes (either visible or hidden) on their own property.

Real estate on packaging has become a very valuable commodity. So much space is required for beneficial nutritional information, legal stuff and simple brand communication there is little opportunity to engage the consumer in an emotionally relevant story. Now, while this code itself seems only to work efficiently at approximately 2cm square it does provide an on-site immediate link to a website/microsite where the complete tale of the product can be told aurally, visually and with links to additional information about the company.

It's popular in Japan and while penetration is pretty low even there this is an emerging technology that I can't see doing anything but become as ubiquitous as UPC bar codes are today. Particularly for companies wishing to actively engage the Millennial market this seems a no-brainer to me. They're incredibly easy to generate (if you shoot the one above with your phone it will bring you to this blog). The readers (yes, you need to download one to your phone but that's easy too...I used a free app on my iPhone called BeeTagg - www.beetagg.com) and it adds some entertainment value to packaging - or could if anyone was using it.

I think Pringles, Dove and a few other major CPG outfits are using it but there's tons of opportunity out there still. Governments and airlines and the like use it and it's widely used in the shipping industry.

I'll keep you advised on what happens with our client but for now this seems like a very exciting opportunity. In the meantime, if you know of reasons why this technology is slow to be introduced to N.A. I'd love to know and would also like to hear about any companies using it in packaging.

Now here's a good rant!

2009-03-19T08:32:00.002-04:00

As a supplier to the Big 3, Greg Knox recently received the letter below from the President of GM North America, requesting support for the bailout program. His response (following) is well written, and has to make you proud of a local businessman who tells it like it is.

Dear Employees & Suppliers, Congress and the current Administration will soon determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis. As an employee or supplier, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard. Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.
Troy Clarke, President,General Motors North America

Response from: Gregory Knox, Pres., Knox Machinery CompanyFranklin , Ohio

Gentlemen:

In response to your request to contact legislators and ask for a bailout for the Big Three automakers please consider the following, and please pass my thoughts on to Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America.

Politicians and Management of the Big 3 are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has spread like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping this nation, awaiting our new "messiah," Pres-elect Obama, to wave his magic wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the dream." Believe me folks, the dream is over!

This dream where we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the world's most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded "laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities. This dream where you still think the masses will line up to buy our products forever and ever. Don't even think about telling me I'm wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak.

I have called on Ford, GM , Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle, and countless other automotive OEM's throughout the Midwest , during the past 30 years and what I've seen over those years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.

Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America, states: "There is widespread sentiment throughout this country, and our government, and especially via the news media, that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management which it certainly is not."

You're right Mr. Clarke, it's not JUST management.

How about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour work week?

How about the line workers who threaten newbie's with all kinds of scare tactics for putting out too many parts on a shift and for being too productive? (We certainly must not expose those lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?)

Do you folks really not know about this stuff?!?

How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke's sad plea:"over the last few years we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors."

What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them? The K car vs. the Accord? The Pinto vs. the Civic?!? Do I need to go on? What a joke!

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. It's time to pay for your sins, Detroit .

I attended an economic summit last week where brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu, from the Institute of Trend Research , surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money." "Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems," but despite what people like politicians and corporate magnates would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day and the following very important thing would happen.Where there had been greedy and sloppy banks, new efficient ones would pop up. That is how a free market system works.It does work if we would only let it work."

But for some nondescript reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't work- that we need the government to step in and "save us". Save us my ass, Hell - we're nationalizing and unfortunately too many of our once fine nation's citizens don't even have a clue that this is what is really happening. But, they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams. Yeah - THAT'S really important, isn't it?

Does it ever occur to ANYONE that the "competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades in this country? How can that be??? Let's see. Fuel efficient. Listening to customers.Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul. Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr. W. Edwards Deming four decades ago when he taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations could increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs. Ever increased productivity through quality and intelligent planning. Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy." Efficient front and back offices. Non-union environment. Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know down deep in their hearts.

I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into - my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did when I was their age. I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) - I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work through it.

Radical concept, huh. Am I there for them in the wings?

Of course - but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults. I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the properrole of parenting and government.

Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins. Bad news people - it's coming whether we like it or not. The newly elected Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go away." I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling it back in" almost immediately after the final vote count was tallied. "We really might not do it in a year or in four." Where the Hell was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for office.

Stop trying to put off the inevitable folks. That house in Florida really isn't worth $750,000. People who jump across a border really don't deserve free health care benefits. That job driving that forklift for the Big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year. We really shouldn't allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe. That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home. Let the market correct itself folks - it will. Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna' be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it all, is a nation that appreciates what it has and doesn't live beyond its means and gets back to basics and redevelops the patriotic work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world and probably turns back to God.

Sorry - don't cut my head off, I'm just the messenger sharing with you the "bad news". I hope you take it to heart.

Gregory J. Knox, President, Knox Machinery, Inc., Franklin, Ohio 45005

ORANGE ALERT: Spring, Spring, Spring!

2009-03-11T11:40:00.001-04:00

Thank God!
An American Robin appeared in my back yard today.
While we may not be out of the winter woods yet surely this is a sign of hope.
Welcome back Robin.

Homecoming

2009-03-10T16:00:00.003-04:00

Drove to St. David's in Niagara this morning to visit our client, Chateau des Charmes, and on the way home noticed that every single bridge from St. Catharines to Oakville was crowded with people.

I've certainly been aware of the phenomenon of police, firefighters, and common folks gathering on the Highway of Heroes to pay homage to fallen soilders on their final homecoming journey.

I had not though experienced this first hand.

It is a moving experience and one which, as you can see from this photo, draws people of all backgrounds and professions to stop their busy days in mid-stream to honour those who serve.

While you can argue the merits of our involvement in Afghanistan and other zones of conflict, witness this respectful show of support and you'll not question the valour and contribution of our armed forces personnel.

Mmmmmm...Cheerios

2009-03-07T16:26:00.002-05:00

Don't you think we should all aspire to a condition where a ride in the stroller with a boat load of Cheerios should be sufficient to get us through the day with a big smile?

That's all for today.

Come on Spring...need to get rid of the parkas and boots so my little boy can storm about in the yard getting mucky and muddy.

A refreshingly honest perspective - The truth is, Canada, America isn't into you

2009-02-16T10:46:00.002-05:00

TheStar.com - Opinion -
The truth is, Canada, America isn't into you

THEO MOUDAKIS/TORONTO STAR FILE
It's not personal but niceness doesn't cut it in the land of the free and home of the brave

February 16, 2009
Eric Weiner

A big ol' howdy and bonjour Canada! How are you?

We know, we know, it's been a while. Sorry about that.

We have been, per usual, rather self-absorbed lately, what with our historic elections and our economy in freefall. But, hey, good news. Did you hear? We're coming to visit.

We'll be in Ottawa on the 19th. Hope you can make it. We hear mid-February is a lovely time of year there.

Look, Canada, before you get your hopes up about this trip, there's something we need to tell you. We're not sure how to put this so we will be brutally direct, as is our way. We're just not that into you.

There, we said it. We feel better already.

You've always been there for us, Canada: after the Sept. 11 attacks and now in Afghanistan. We appreciate that, really we do. But still, we're just not that into you.

It's not personal, really. It's geopolitical. You're just too ... nice. Nice doesn't get our attention. Threatening gets our attention, and you, Canada, are anything but threatening, except on the hockey rink, of course, but we don't take hockey all that seriously.

If you really wanted us to notice, you should have gotten all gussied up in that Taepodong outfit (it worked for North Korea) or maybe flashed some weapons of mass destruction – real or imagined, it's all the same to us.

Let's face it. We've been bickering a lot lately – over Afghanistan and NAFTA and that silly softwood dispute. Plus you think we hog all the water, which we probably do.

We admit we've been avoiding you lately. But can you blame us? Your loonie is loony. Up one day, down the next, then up again. We've got plenty of that yo-yo action right here on Wall Street. We don't need to go north for it.

Also, many of us Americans – especially those in their 20s and 30s – tell surveyors they find Canada a "boring" place to visit.

I know, I know, how can a country with both Cirque du Soleil and Don Cherry possibly be described as boring? What can I say, Canada? Our amusement threshold is very high.

So is our capacity for selfishness. Our pending "Buy American" campaign hurts you. We feel your pain, Canada, really we do, but we've got to look out for Number 1. And we all know who Number 1 is.

Perhaps what we have here is a classic failure to communicate. The fact is, we don't know you Canada. And no wonder: American newspapers no longer maintain bureaus in Canada.

Not that we paid much attention when they did. Most of us couldn't name your prime minister or, for that matter, your capital city. Is this kind of ignorance any basis for a relationship?

If we know you Canada (and we've already determined we don't) you're probably blaming yourself. You always do. Unlike us, you're so modest and self-effacing. It's endearing.

Remember that joke you like to tell us? How do you get 50 Canadians to leave a swimming pool? By making an announcement: Will all the Canadians please leave the pool. See, you find that funny. We don't get it. That's why, Canada, it's best we go our separate ways.

I know what you're thinking: You can change, America. You've elected a new president, one who is all about change and re-engagement with the world.

Don't believe it, Canada. Nations, like people, don't change easily. We're been around for more than 200 years. We're a bit stuck in our ways.

No, Canada, we're just not that into you and probably never will be. Don't fret, though. You're better off without us. We were very much into Iraq (still are) and look how that turned out.

Besides, Canada, you're too good for us anyway.

The truth is we envy you, though of course we never admit that to anyone, not even ourselves. We envy your health-care system. We envy your prudent, sober banks. We envy your restraint on the international stage. We envy your very happiness. We envy everything about you. Except your weather, of course. Nobody envies that.

So, chin up. We can still be friends. After all, you are so close; we're practically neighbours.

Yes, we're still friends – and best trading partners for life too! And you will continue to send us your best comedians, won't you?

Hey, let's do coffee sometime. We'll call you.

Eric Weiner is the Washington-based author of The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, now out in paperback.

Sustainable Packaging Initiatives Are a Viable Cost-Reduction Solution in a Downward Economy

2009-02-16T10:33:00.002-05:00

From Industry Week:

Sustainable Packaging Initiatives Are a Viable Cost-Reduction Solution in a Downward Economy

A key misconception is the belief that higher costs are intrinsically associated with sustainability efforts.

Monday, February 16, 2009 By Ryan Humphrey, Director of Professional Services, ModusLink

The environment was a very hot topic last year. In fact "going green" and "carbon footprint" were two of the 10 most overused words of 2008, according to Lake Superior State University's annual list. No industry or business sector is immune to the demand by consumers for products and services that are more eco-friendly, environmentally free and biodegradable. With the recent emphasis on climate change and the affects of human activities on the environment, combined with the resulting regulations and requirements, sustainability has become an intrinsic component of operational strategies. However, while sustainability remains a key market driver, it exists amidst a myriad of meaningless catchphrases and jargon that have no measurable definition, driving manufacturers to ask themselves; what does it REALLY mean to be green?
Credible participants in the sustainability movement take a holistic approach to the process, follow the cradle-to-cradle concept and dismiss trendy words like green and eco-friendly. This holistic methodology focuses on reducing all greenhouse gases (GHG), rather than just the dominant element of carbon. Today, most companies focus on carbon, primarily because CO2 makes up approximately 93% of all GHG emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA. However, over time carbon's prominence as an industry focus in the movement is likely to dwindle, making it important to understand the difference.
It is clear that sustainability is top of mind across all industries and that packaging is a key driver. According to a recent study by AMR Research, 76% of sustainability efforts are focused on reducing packaging waste.
In the world of sustainable packaging, there is no more respected expert than the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). In a 2007 survey by the SPC and Packaging Digest magazine, 73% of 1,255 respondents who are involved in packaging reported that their companies had increased the emphasis on sustainable packaging with most of the attention on minimizing the carbon footprint through creative transportation, alternative fuels, and sustainable packaging efforts.
A key misconception is the belief that higher costs are intrinsically associated with sustainability efforts. The holistic approach affords visibility into the entire product lifecycle, from manufacturing and packaging, to delivery, recycling or disposition. When sustainable improvements are considered from this perspective, most organizations will realize a cost savings and positive impact on the bottom line.
In fact, a global leader in computer hardware and accessories was able to realize a savings of more than $500,000 in packaging and eliminated 99,183 pounds of packaging on 4.3 million products shipped.
The first step in an overall sustainable program is to analyze product packaging and supply chain processes to develop a model that reduces packaging size and minimizes operational and logistics activities that contribute to GHG emissions.
Packaging Design Assessment
As a rule, quality packaging design follows a 4D Methodology of Ergonomics, Cost, Sustainability and Logistics. When embarking on a redesign, manufacturers should first assess the sustainability of their current packaging to use as a baseline. Packaging-specific software programs such as Cape, ArtiosCAD, and Solidworks, can be used to design the most efficient package. Tools such as the Wal-Mart Packaging Modeling tool, the still-beta SPC Comparative Packaging Assessment (COMPASS) and other industry standard tools, further measure and analyze the amount of impact the packaging has on the environment.
More compact packaging will result in a reduced material cost. By simplifying the packaging process with fewer pieces, you can extend the savings with less labor. The amount of warehouse space required is reduced, further impacting logistics costs. The domino effect continues through redesigning pallet configuration and shipping more product per pallet.
Ben Sligar, a global packaging engineer for ModusLink Global Solutions -- a provider of supply chain management solutions -- and a member of the Wal-Mart Packaging Sustainable Value Network and SPC, maintains that manufacturers can look to sustainable packaging redesign as a true driver of cost efficiency. "We've seen cost savings in almost every project, by using recycled materials and increasing the product to package ratio. For example, by moving clients to a trapped paperboard blister design and away from traditional clamshells that are not consumer friendly, we are able to reduce the amount of plastic and package size while increasing pallet density. In 2008 ModusLink converted more than 100 million clamshells to trapped blisters and we see the trend continuing."
Sustainable Materials
Understanding material patents, specialized material types, and their various sources is a critical element to a sustainability program. There are countless misnomers regarding what is recyclable or what truly is environmentally friendly. Most consumers believe that if a product is made out of a tree that it can be recycled and that plastics are bad for the environment, but that may not always be true. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a highly recyclable form of plastic if in a narrow neck form. Some foam and pulp products are not compostable. Not all fiberboards are 100% recyclable. There are a wide array of sustainable packaging materials available, including molded paper fiber, PaperFoam, recycled content plastics and papers and up and coming bio-polymers. The key is knowing the difference between them. And the energy required to create each material significantly influences the overall environmental impact. It's a good idea to check with local recycling centers to see what is recyclable in the region of operations.
Network Optimization
Once the package design analysis is complete, the entire supply chain should be optimized for when and where to perform packaging and fulfillment and for the lowest total GHG emissions. Network optimization can identify alternative supply chain models that leverage leading practices such as packaging postponement and deferred configuration. Reviewing the end-to-end supply chain illustrates how each part of the supply chain affects GHG emissions and helps to determine ways to optimize for GHGs that positively impact all other costs in the supply chain.
Packaging postponement entails an analysis of supply chain costs and the trade-offs among them, including materials, conversion, inventory and logistics. It is critical to measure each trade-off, including carbon emissions for logistics and all GHG emissions for operational activities. Operational emissions are typically based on megawatt hours and are derived by the geography's portfolio of energy consumption.
Manufacturers that are not currently examining their packaging programs are in danger of being left off the retail shelf. Wal-Mart is striving to achieve a 5% packaging reduction by 2013 and as of February 2008, requires all suppliers to enter its packaging information into the Wal-Mart Retail Link Scorecard. Further, Wal-Mart has promised to become "packaging neutral" by 2025, which means that, through recycling, reusing or perhaps even composting, Wal-Mart will try to recover as much material as was used in the packaging that flows through its stores.
As consumers become savvier to the green washing techniques employed by some manufacturers, and the retail industry demands clearly identifiable sustainable products, manufacturers will be required to join the sustainable movement. When these sustainable packaging projects are approached in a comprehensive manner and by professional resources, they frequently yield their own financial as well as environmental benefits. Beware the provider that is advocating its own particular shade of 'green' as it may not be the most suited to your products or your business objectives. Product independent advice usually yields the best results. What better way to compete in a world of green announcements than to be assured that your actions stand up to your 'green conscience' as well as external scrutiny?
Ryan Humphrey is the Director of Professional Services at ModusLink. ModusLink Global Solutions, Inc. is a provider of global supply chain business process management. www.moduslink.com.