I went out on Friday this past weekend for a hot minute but it was a very special and amazing short time. I popped out to Super Wonder Gallery to see ECHLO. Chloe Charles aka ECHLO was having an album release party & art show and I didn’t want to miss seeing her live. We met in the summer at an event hosted by ZANE and totally hit it off. Ended up having a great time that warm summer night with patio drinks and our best friends.
After 5 weeks on the CBC’s top songs chart, last week she made it to #1 with the song below (that I love) called Head High. I have no doubt you will love it too. Aside from music she is a super talented artist check out her website at echlomusic.com and follow her dope IG @ECHLOMUSIC.
“I tried to be normal, love like the rest, and my demon takes over, and straddles my chest, I can’t breathe”
Hey girl congrats! You were amazing!
P.S. Discovered this GEM she did for CBC last year while I was on the Google and WHOA. So good. Love the acoustic at the start!
I’ve been laying low the last month, posting less, staying in. I just haven’t felt like it. The other day I wrote down something I overheard Sean said on the phone when someone asked how things were, he said “a mix of awesome and shitty“. It stuck with me, that’s how I’ve been feeling the last month.
On November 21st I was given a prestigious award from the President of Conestoga College, Alumni of Distinction. It was a proud moment when I sat at the back of the crowd with my mum and my ‘Fairy Godmother‘ (mum’s best friend) who watched me walk up and make a speech in front of the group. It felt amazing to be recognized for my career, not something that was voted on by social media but actually recognized by people older than me who didn’t really know me personally. This part of the night was awesome.
It was really cold that night we were happy to get home and cheers over a glass of wine. We were all filled with such excitement. We weren’t up late but I went outside for a minute before bed. This part of the night was shitty. I slipped on some ice on the concrete stairs outside mum’s house. I fell on the concrete steps resulting in a black eye and later found out I fractured my collarbone. I went to the doctor the next day, swollen and bruised. I got acupuncture. I felt like garbage, how could this happen? I barely remember falling, mum holding frozen peas on my head, the drive back home the following day.
I tried to hide it, act like nothing was wrong. I covered up my face, wore glasses, stayed home from events. As for my shoulder, it was 1 week and a trip to New Orleans before I thought, ‘ I really should get an x-ray‘. I knew something was wrong and I was right. I don’t need a cast or surgery but it hurts and I’m taking it easy. Tomorrow I’m heading to the fracture clinic at the hospital for more x-rays.
New x-ray, definitely broken.
It’s crazy that this would happen right at the same time two really great things happened.
“a mix of awesome and shitty”
Aside from the Alumni Award at Conestoga College, I was nominated for the Premier’s Awards. A provincewide award recognizing alumni in Ontario from all 24 colleges. I was nominated in the Creative Arts and Design category amongst some pretty well known Canadians whom I admire. Although I was smiling and had fun with mum at the awards. I was wearing my glasses and trying to not let my eyes water to reveal the makeup covering the dark bruise around my eye. I left for New Orleans the next day and spent most of the week wearing sunglasses.
I’m doing a-ok and will be back to normal in a couple weeks. The holidays are a great time to sit back, rela, take inventory of the year and set intentions.
Life has a way of making you slow day, teaching you lessons, and making you think about your life in different ways.
This injury has really made me slow down. I’ve missed a bunch of holiday events but then again, am I really missing anything? I’m taking the next 2 weeks off to Marie Kondo our house, exlore my creativity, and get ready for 2019. Can you believe we’re only 1 year away for 2020?
I installed the new WP 5.0 that came out last week right away. I like to be the first to try things out. I’ve always been an early adopter. There are a few glitches but I believe this is the start of a new, modern, flexible WordPress. It gives you so much more customization in the way your work is displayed, photos, galleries, quotes.
I ran into an issue when I first installed WP 5.0 where it reverted me back to the Classic Editor. I lost Gutenberg when I installed 5.0 then I installed the Classic Editor and couldn’t get Gutenberg back. I searched a whole bunch of WP developer forums and it was VERY CLEAR, people HATE Gutenberg and they HATE Blocks. To fix it I disabled the Classic Editor plugin, and deleted, reinstalled the Gutenberg editor. I also disabled Page Builder (Site Origin) and a couple other plugins that I wasn’t using and probably weren’t updated for WP 5.0.
I blogged about my fav parts of the new Gutenberg Editor back in August when it was released here.
One of my favourite things in the new editor is how you can display images wide across the page. I love the way galleries look stretched out instead of just within the pixel width of your blog text. So pretty. These photos are from Ashley Longshore gallery in New Orleans, LA.
What are your thoughts on the new WordPress, do you love it or do you hate it?
Over the past 2 years, I’ve been on a mission to be healthier, both mentally & physically. Ever since I took that solo trip to LA I’ve been paying more attention to my body and taking more time for myself. My next quest is to learn about gut health.
Did you know that your overall well-being, including your weight and immunity, may be tied to your gastrointestinal health?
In the summer I went to a workshop hosted by Koena, an over-the-counter probiotic supplement to promote gastrointestinal health. This was my first introduction to gut health and got me thinking about my family. Last month I went to another workshop focussing on food sensitivity, leaky gut, and overall gut health. I’m learning but there’s so much to know.
A key takeaway is you really are what you eat and your gut is connected to your brain which is connected to everything else.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal track and help maintain and protect gastrointestinal health.
This week I’m starting with Koena Probiotic Supplement for adults. Their products have no GMOs, are vegan, gluten free, preservative free, with no dyes or artificial flavours. The adult formula has a blend of probiotics and a prebiotic (fibers).
Koena’s also offers certain blends for women and children’s individual needs. Their products are crafted from naturalmedicinal ingredients to promote healthy gut flora.
Our intestines are populated by a large number of various bacterial strains: a well-balanced and rich intestinal flora, also called the microbiota, is able to protect us from many disorders. Its activity helps with everything from digesting food, to fighting infections and protecting the body from toxins.
If you have any tips for gut health (or remembering to take your vitamins) I’m all ears! I’ll be sharing an update in a few weeks on how I’m feeling and my recommendations on probiotics.
I started drinking kombucha this summer, I wonder how long till I start making it myself?!
In partnership with koena.This product may not be suitable for you. Always read and follow label instructions. TM: Trademark owned or used under license by Sandoz Canada Inc.
A couple weeks ago I went on an autumn adventure to Stratford, Ontario. Home of Justin Bieber and the Stratford Festival, the city has lots to offer and is just a 2hr drive from downtown Toronto. We have so many great plces to visit within a 2hr drive of Toronto and it was so nice to visit Stratford again. I hadn’t been since I was a kid! I spent the day with Stratford Tourism and learned it’s quite the quaint destination for culture, food, shopping, and of course theatre. I was happy to find a few cute boutiques with vintage finds, local brands, unique jewellery, and beautiful housewares. Luckily I drove so I had room to fit my purchases in the boot!
Revival House
Stratford Theatre
Downtown Stratford
Revel Coffee
What to Do: Stratford Ontario
Here’s a few of the things I really loved about Stratford aside from catching a show. If theatre is your jam it’s definitely worth seeing one of the many nightly shows, we saw To Kill A Mockingbird which was great. (I did not know this story which is like whoaaa btw).
The Stratford Festival is world renowned and for $29 you can get a bus to and from the theatre from Downtown Toronto. Upcoming shows include Billy Elliot, Othello, The Neverending Story and more. See the full list here.
Shopping
New socks from Distill
Cute fitting rooms
Lots of great Canadian made accessories
Love this carpet!
Can’t forget the Biebs!
La Osa Vintage – This store is amazing. It’s on a side street from Market Square and FULL of vintage and new items from Canadian designers. They also carry heaps of unique jewellery. I could have really lit some $$$ on ??? in there!
Wills & Prior – This spot in the heart of Market Square has heaps of beautiful items for your home. The owner used to live in TO and work in PR and she’s left the city for small-town life. I was kinda jealous hearing about her journey and the store is so beautiful you’ll want to move right in!
Distill Gallery – The spot for well-crafted Canadian design, this shop has over a hundred different artisans and they have heaps of great accessories and gifts, plus a great selection of creative cards. I picked up a pair of gorgeous silk socks by Strathcona.
Wills & Prior, house goals
Candles @ Wills & Prior
They have books too
Amen to this card!
Food
Revival House – This spot is an old church that’s been renovated and is run by a local couple. It’s a beautiful space for weddings and the huge windows let the light in to create a bright dining space. Upstairs is a bar called Belfry Lounge that offers incredible cocktails made with local ingredients. On Thursdays, they have a record night where people can bring their own records and the owner DJs. It caters to the 35+ crowd and honestly sounds like a total blast. Great spot.
Revel Coffee – This shop is a hub for fairtrade coffee and homemade pastry & sweets made in their open kitchen. It had a steady flow of locals and lots of tables if you want some creative time. We all sat at a large main table with recycled wood from the shop the used to occupy the space. They have a great patio for warm temperatures and are located right in Market Square.
Revival House
Amazing decor at Revival House
Upstairs at Belfry Bar
Great food & local ingredients
Revel
Fairtrade coffee @ Revel
Art @ Revel
Stratford For the Holidays
Christmas Trail -This is a shopping tour of 25 shops downtown Stratford. You’ll get six gifts along the tour for just $30(+HST). You’ll even be able to see lookout for seven swans a swimming! ? It runs until Dec. 20th, details here.
Outdoor Christmas Market– Their Very Victorian Christmas is at Market Square and has all kinds of cute things that will surely get you in the spirit and boost up your holidays IG content. ?? Ex. carousel rides, mini markets and Santa, of course.
For more info on Stratford check out visitstratford.ca. Huge thank you to the team at Stratford Tourism for taking us on an adventure. Great to explore part of Ontario I hadn’t seen in a while!
Stratford Tourism invited me and covered my expenses but the experience is all mine!
Across Canada, 1.5 million children go hungry without access to nutritious food every single day, 30K Canadians are homeless (mostly young people), and 40% of low-income families don’t have internet access putting kids at risk for falling behind in school. We can all do something to help and this year Telus launched the Friendly Future Foundationputting $120 million into addressing the social and economic challenges facing Canadian youth. I am proud to work with Telus and have been a #TeamTelus partner for the last 8 years.
The Foundation will give grants to grassroots charities in communities across Canada who really know their community and how to help. By partnering with smaller charities, they’re able to help out groups that might be missed by huge corporate donors and make a big impact in small communities. I think this is an amazing approach. I work with Brands For Canada, an organization that provides new clothing & basic needs supplies to people across Canada and this method of working with local charities has worked great for them.
The Friendly Future Foundation funding will help kids build up digital literacy skills, get basic healthcare and mental health support to the homeless, and open up other educational opportunities. Here’s an example of doing good in a community not too far from us, Telus donated $20K to the Women’s Shelter in Barrie.
The $120 million TELUS has provided for the Friendly Future Foundation is the largest donation made by a publicly traded Canadian company in history and one of the largest ever in North America. Way to go team!
Over the past two decades, TELUS, team members and retirees have contributed more than $1 billion of value to Canadians, through $530 million in financial support and 1.21 million days of volunteerism. Last year alone they (we!) volunteered 1 million hours.
I’m continuously impressed by how Telus gives in communities where they live. I’ve had the opportunity to do some giving back of my own through volunteer programs and they have made over $21,000 in charity donations on my behalf. This year my donation went to Cambridge Montessori (where I went!) and last year my donation went to SKETCH, an art based program for kids in the GTA. I’m hoping to do more with Telus and local programs for 2019.
Have a project that could use some help? You can APPLY for fundinghere. The deadline for Toronto applications is January with different deadlines across Canada. So, if you want to make a difference, learn more about community grants here and get on it.
For more information about the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation visit friendlyfuture.com/en/foundation. And for some inspirational stories about people Telus has already helped, check these out.
This post is part of my long-term partnership with Telus sharing great stuff the brand is doing, my favourite things about being a customer, and tech gadgets I love (or want!).
The vacuum is incredible. Best I’ve ever had. I love it. The end.
VROOOOOOM, this baby has some POWER.
Okjk jk. I received an email about a month to review the new Dyson Cyclone V10 and was 100% down. In exchange for my review, I get to keep the unit and my house had never been cleaner! This thing has some SERIOUS power. It’s also easy to use right out the box (once charged!) and if you have kids around, a great motivator to clean.
Adulting is cool. Excited to bust this open and take ‘er for a spin! Thank you @Dyson! Will be sharing my thoughts on the bloggy. pic.twitter.com/YV3R69Eq7O
I love that it’s cord-free. You can just grab it and go for quick clean ups around the house, the couch, kitchen, stairs, baseboards. I’ve been using it almost daily as a small dust buster style like the photo above. This weekend we had my sister and her step-daughter over for movie night and DIY pizzas complete with chips and popcorn. I usually can be kinda crazy about not making a mess but I didn’t freak out, Dyson to the rescue! The V10 is a godsend for the area around the couch and kitchen. How do they always get so messy?! We have dark hardwood floors in the living room and I find the area around the kitchen stools needs to be cleaned daily, the V10 is especially great for this.
The dusting wand is amazing for corners by baseboards and other hard to reach areas like the ceilingvents. In other news, Emily has cleaned her room every weekend since we got it.
All the parts that come with the Dyson V10
Size wise, is a bit bigger and heavier than the V6 which is likely due to the larger bin and additional battery power. Also, I kind of wish it had an on-off switch, you currently have to hold your finger on the trigger to use it but I do like that I’m always in control. The battery lasts up to an hour which is really handy. You can vacuum up almost anything other than dirt like, cereal, sugar, popcorn, paper scraps from crafting (as long as it’s dry). ? The V10 can hold more dust and debris with it’s40% larger bin and has hygienic bin emptying making it super easy to empty without making a mess. I love this feature because that last thing you want is get stuff all over the floor AFTER after you just vacuumed.
Learn more about this great little machine at dysoncanada.ca or order your very own on Amazon.
I previously had the Dyson V6 which was an incredible vacuum and after getting the V10 I gave it to a friend. I am a huge fan of Dyson products and also have the Dyson Pure Link Fan and use it daily (read that review here).
Dyson gave me the V10 vacuum but all the cleaning was done by me and this is my honest review!
Last week I went to a wellness workshop hosted by Capital One for Credit Education Week. This year’s theme is ‘Money Mindfulness’ and at the event, we meditated, did yoga, and learned that being mindful about our everyday expenses can help related stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are all too often experienced in this day and age so it’s no wonder people search for the best CBD oil in the UK and around the world to help them deal with it.
The event was held on the top floor of the Broadview Hotel and included a joga class by Jana Webb. We enjoyed a Smoothie Station and were sent home with a Mindfulness package. It was very relaxing!
The location was perfect for a gloomy day with huge skylights to brighten the space. It was nice to spend the morning with a bunch of the blog gang doing something other than being on our phones.
I don’t know about you but money stresses me out on a regular basis, waiting for cheques, people not paying on time, bills, taxes, rent/mortgage. Life is expensive and if you don’t have a handle on your finances, your other problems seem much bigger. Even if you have money, mo money, mo problems! To get a better handle on your personal finances, you may want to start reading articles that cover topics like banking, credit cards, and loans, etc. to help you equip yourself with the knowledge to become a money master! You might find sites like this useful – https://myinforms.com.
According to Capital One, 44% of Canadians say credit, debt, and finances negatively affect their mental health.
Capital One Canada organized a session on mindfulness with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, where we slowly ate a strawberry, thinking about how it felt to the touch, tasted, and smelled. It was a different way to eat then the usually scarf-it-down-and-head-out-the-door mode. The session was hosted by The Centre for Mindfulness Studies and they offer classes & workshops on slowing down and living a more mindful life.
My favourite part second to yoga was meditation. I’ve been using meditation apps to help me sleep for about a year and I’m starting to use more in my daily life. I find taking a few minutes to clear my head really helps with focus and anxiety. We got to test out a Braincap experience used brain sensors to track our ability to focus by blocking out distraction.
Meditating
Being Mindful
Post yoga glow
Coffee
I’ve spoken about dealing with my finances a few times over the years. In my 20s I worked really hard to pay back over $30K in post-secondary school debt and am always trying to build up my nest egg to save for an emergency. Paying back debt is hard and not being able to do certain things because you owe money is very frustrating. There are people available to help, such as HelloResolve, if you’re struggling with money management and repaying debts. I used to hide away from dealing with things that stressed me out (like money) but I’ve found that the best way to conquer the stress they give you is to deal with them head-on.
“Money is an emotional topic and is one of the biggest sources of stress in people’s lives, but it is rarely talked about. During Credit Education Week, we are aiming to help Canadians begin conversations around money, their relationship with it and how actively prioritizing and managing finances can alleviate stress,”
Patrick Ens, VP of Strategy and Brand, Capital One.
Credit Education Week runs November 13-16th across Canada. To learn, more about bringing mindfulness into your life and how it can help with money management, visit cewc.ca. You can check out the Money MindfulnessOasis at Woodbine Mall in Etobicoke each day from 10am to 9pm. See all event details here!
We’re barely one week into November and I am happy to say I’ve made holiday cookies, decorated a tree, wrapped a present, sang Christmas music, and made a DIY ornament. On November 1st, Home Hardware hosted a Holiday Market fit with all kinds of family-friendly Christmas activities and the photos are so cute.
Grab a hammer, make it cute!
The holiday market was at Twist Gallery Queen West. I picked Em up from school and told her I was taking her somewhere fun, I didn’t realise they would have so many activities. ? We sat right down at the cookie decorating table after eating delicious mac & cheese and grilled cheese catered by Gusto. I could have sat there all night. We put a few decorations on the trees and wrapped presents, both will be donated to a variety of Toronto charities. I love wrapping presents and the holidays so much.
We are almost the same height!
I decorated these.
It was so nice to sit down and make things. Natalie Deane joined Em and I to make a frame decorations for the tree. I forgot to take a photo of mine, it was a reindeer (upside down gingerbread man) and I made a new hole to hang it. So fun though.
One crazy fact about this day is that I wore my glasses and I FORGOT MASCARA. I was pretty distracted when I left the house and I guess I didn’t really look in the mirror much that day because I didn’t notice until I got home. I am noting this in the blog diary because THAT NEVER HAPPENS. Mascara is the one thing I *hardly* ever leave the house without. Sometimes I wear it around the house when I’m not even going anywhere. Ok well, this section was longer than I planned it to be. My fav kind for the record is Loreal Voluminous, I’ve been using it for years.
I’m excited for the holidays and don’t even mind that snow is apparently coming this week. Thank you Home Depot for creating this night, we loved it. Sean joined us at the end for dinner and to check out tools. Home Depot is one of his fav stores and they have heaps of holidays decorations and gift ideas.
You got this, girl. Monday is a new week. A new opportunity to make magic happen. Focus on what you need to get done and try not to get distracted. When you catch yourself scrolling mindlessly, STOP, and go back to that list. You will thank you later. Check things off when you’re done. Exercise when you can. It may be the morning one day or the night the next but it all counts. Smile. Forget about things that don’t matter and focus on people who do. Love yourself, you are amazing. Monday means the start of a new week and anything can happen. Make something happen.
You got this.
The photo is from Happy Place in Toronto, I went to the media preview last week. It’s in TO until January. Tickets here! (not sponsored lol)
We all know it’s coming, the dark and cold months of winter where all hibernate a little more and give thanks to the Netflix gods. I’ve been trying to stay on track with being productive when I’m at home and working out and am determined this winter to exercise just as much time as I spend binge-watching. Luckily, we live in a tech world that allows us to have all kinds of smart devices to help our minds and homes running smoothly through the dark seasons. A site like Wired Smart has some great info on practically every type of smart device that can be useful but today I decided to focus more on the tech that will help get you through winter. Scroll down for tech accessories I find help me through colder days.
I have been using a Fitbit on and off for the past 5 years. I love the reminders to move every hour and getting those steps in each day. It’s a small thing that keeps me accountable to move. I also love seeing my heart rate, the interval tracking, and getting text messages on my wrist. The weekly reporting is a great way to motivate yourself to be more active. I’m currently using the FitBit Versa and Sean has the FitBit Iconic. I still use my FitBit Alta HR sometimes because it’s slimmer and looks more like a bracelet. Telus also has Apple Watch if that’s more your speed.
I love her, I ask her things every day. Mostly ‘what’s the weather’ so I know how many layers to put on and what type of jacket to wear. I love the weekly email from Amazon telling me with ‘What’s New with Alexa?” and all the skills you can add to help her help you. I am particularly fond of CBC News and Entertainment Tonight. Check out her top & trending skill here and pick up an Amazon Eco that suits your needs and budget. The Echo Dot is a great entry level device at $54.99. I don’t have a Google Home but same kind of thing!
Last winter I added Phillips Hue Smart Home Lights and I love them so much. Almost every night I set them to a certain mood before bed, they’re also timed for sleep and wakeup. I spend a lot of time working from home and during the day I can set the white to a bright daylight that makes me forget it might be gloomy outside. This may seem like a small thing but it really helps my mood when I’m feeling down. My favs are the Phillips Hue starter pack of 4 lights and the Hue Go portable LED. Sometimes I want to concentrate or be in a tropical paradise, a millennial pink world, or be reminded of a cottage sunset on the lake.
Get a good speaker so you can have dance parties, listen to your fav podcast or escape in an audiobook with great sound. These are lots of different available depending on your budget, see here.
I’ve been using the UE Wonderboom for the last couple months and it’s got great sound and is surprisingly loud for a little guy. It’s small enough to pack in your purse for outdoor hangs or in your suitcase for a getaway. It also has a 10hr battery, is waterproof, and you can pair more than one for surround sound. So, go ahead, play your fav music in a relaxing bath and pretend you’re on vacation at a sunny resort.
All my recos can be found online at telus.com or your local Telus store. They have heaps of other cool tech things for holiday and gifting your loved ones, or yourself ha! I’ll be sharing my holiday favs soon, how is it almost NOVEMBER!
The other non-tech thing I recommend for winter is to get outside. Even if it’s cold, bundle up and get some fresh air. A 15-minute walk is great to start your day or clear your head at any other time. I try to get out for a few minutes in the morning so I don’t fall into a work-from-home hibernation slump. It’s the little things that make all the difference!
I was recently on a panel at House of VR hosted by AltaVie, a recreational cannabis brand by MedReleaf. It was broadcast live on The 4:19, a daily show by Jay Rosenthal & The Business of Cannabis. We had a great chat about how we use cannabis in our lives and how is changing the world and becoming accessible to those who need it, for example, from somewhere like this shop weed online. That was not all though. Cannabis is being transformed into other forms like oils which can be used for people with health problems and not to smoke, you can visit Yours Nutrition to get your hands on some CBD oil. I actually know quite a few people who use cannabis for both medicinal and recreational purposes so I was fascinated by this opportunity to explore cannabis in more detail. For example, a friend of mine has recently started to use the purple space cookies strain to manage her stress levels. I will definitely be telling her to check out this talk. Scroll down to listen and watch a few snippets on video.
Listen to ‘Cannabis Everyday on the 4:19
The panel starts around the 3-minute mark and is just over half an hour. Hit play below to listen and check out more episodes of the 4:19 here.
Joining me on the panel were Shannon O’Hearn, Manager, Clinic Affairs, MedReleaf, Ming Bérubé-Sam, Yoga instructor, cannabis patient. The panel looked at a series of meanings of “Cannabis Everyday” – from medical applications to incorporation into wellness regimes to adult-use recreational use.
Thank you AltaVie & MedReleaf for providing the space for us to have these conversations. I’m looking forward to more like this in the future as Canada becomes a world leader in legal cannabis. You can already see fantastic progress from weed online companies like West Coast Supply.
I recently became a medical cannabis patient, if you are interested or have any questions about the process, feel free to ask!
Do you have a will? No, of course, you don’t! Who thinks about that while you’re out living your best life? Hate to remind you but along with taxes, we can’t avoid death. You should have a will and you can get one with Willful in 20 min for less than $100 today. If you’re in a situation where you’re looking to contest a will, you might want to seek out will contest lawyers to help with this matter.
This weekend my friends got hitched, Erin Bury married Kevin Oulds, the creator of Willful. I’ve knows this duo for 10 years and am not surprised that they had the most unique wedding guest gifts I’ve ever seen, they gave every one of their guest a will. Till Death Do Us Part, right?
Kevin created Willful after dealing with a difficult family situation, something none of us wants to deal with. To be honest, I’ve learned anything from TV or The Young & The Restless, it’s really important to have a will. Do you have any idea what will happen if you don’t? Read this. If you’re common law, your partner gets nothing, the government will get involved in your finances, your family could have to vacate your family home, it’s not pretty.
I saw first hand what can happen to families when certain aspects are unknown and what happens when there’s not a proper plan in place. I set out to make that experience easier to navigate and make it more affordable and accessible for people.
Kevin Oulds, Willful Founder & CEO
Their mission is to move estate planning from the back of your mind to the same spot as insurance, retirement, or financial planning. Stuff we might not want to think about and but get more intense the less attention you pay to them. Even if you don’t have a lot of stuff, you still have something, protect your future and the ones you love. Having estate planning at the front of your mind is very important and doing this can make sure everything is completed to your specifications with the way you want it done without the worry that you haven’t covered your bases. I made special notes for who gets my notebooks, tech, sunglasses, vintage clothes, and shoes. That stuff is important to me!
Over 56% of Canadian adults don’t have a will.
If you don’t have a will, don’t worry, you aren’t alone, 56% of Canadian adults don’t have them. Mum had me make one when I was 21 before moving to Australia, it was with a lawyer and I don’t have any idea what it says or how to access it. This year Kevin gave me a code to set up my own will onWillful and it was so easy. I was done in 20min and can access or change it anytime. Willful helps you create a fully legal will and gives you the ability to add anything you own that’s important including house/car, electronics, clothes, and pets.
What if something happened to you, what would happen to your stuff?
Willful is offering my friends & readers 15% off all plans. Their Essential plan is $99 at full price and gets you Last Will and Testament so you can take care of your estate, children, and final wishes with unlimited changes.
USE THIS CODE TO SAVE AN 15% OFF ANY PLAN: CASIE15
Ever be working from home and then wondering you have been talking to your self out loud or just in your head? I’m on hold with the OCS and it’s been over an hour. I’m watching the Y&R, making soup from scratch. I wonder if they can hear me I should have been on mute lol.
I’m on mute now. Soup smells amazing,. I had a super day today. I feel like I can’t tell anyone but mum. It’s hard when you have exciting things that happen in your day and you want to just yell it out but you know it will seem a certain way so you keep quiet. The only person I usually tell is mum. Rung her 3x at work today and sent a text. I booked a speaking thing, an on-camera deal, a trip overseas, and a directing gig. We also had a great meeting for Occupied VR. This doesn’t happen every day but the great thing about working for yourself is celebrating when amazingthings do happen. Today specifically, celebrating looks a lot like cooking in my jogging pants, putting away laundry, and catching up on the show. Some days it’s wine in the afternoon! In between the great days, there are days I don’t want to do anything or I cry and can’t leave the house. Balance is key. I find yoga really helps. DYK Amazon Prime has yoga shows. I like Yoga For Everyone because it’s fast and they have level variations.
I am still on hold, it’s been so long now I feel like the music is part of my life soundtrack, I’m 10 years older. I hung up after 2.5 hours and sent a tweet. They are yet to respond. Apparently, they only have 5 people manning the phones. yes, 5 for an entire province of millions.
Last week Sassoon celebrated its 50th year in Toronto. Imagine how much the city has changed in that time!? Yorkville transformed from a small eclectic bohemian village to a leading luxury destination.
In celebration of Sassoon Toronto, I had a chat with Ian Wookey, son of Richard Wookey, the developer behind Yorkville who was friends with Vidal Sassoon and ultimately brought his salon to our city.
An Interview w/ Sassoon Toronto’s Ian Wookey
Richard Wookey is known as the grandfather of Yorkville and in the 1950’s bought a lot of property in the area. Hazelton Lanes wasn’t always the luxurious residences you see today, those buildings were rooming houses for hippies and motorcycle gangs, surrounded by coffee houses playing live music with the likes of Joni Mitchell. Ian Wookey tol me there were eclectic fashion shops, strip clubs, and paraphernalia stores. His father spent a lot of time in London, UK in the 60’s Beatles era where he met Vidal Sassoon. They partied together, took summer trips to the Mediterranean, and Wookey mentioned he was doing a big development in Toronto. This was around the same time Vidal Sassoon gave Mia Farrow the iconic pixie haircut. (Not far from mine today!) Wookey said ‘I can build you a salon in Toronto‘ and that was Vidal Sassoon’s first salon outside London, UK.
Mia Farrow & the iconic Sassoon haircut for Rosemary’s Baby
Vidal Sassoon arrived toCanada in 1968, opening his first and what would be the only (at the time) salon in the heart of Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. The 3 level salon was way ahead of its time and they hosted a huge opening party with all the local notables and coverage in the news. The rest Wookey said, is history.
Vidal Sassoon went on to be a huge trend-setting name internationally and was a 50% partner in Sassoon Toronto.
1970, The Halo
1970, The Havington
1976 Box Bob
The model for the salon has changed a little bit over the years where they now offer training and have apprentices that go through a long and rigorous process to learn the old-fashioned way. Stylists at Sassoon Toronto are highly regarded and often sent around the world for teaching. My colourist Kim is sent to the states on the regular.
I have been going to Sassoon Toronto for about two years now and I love how they cut and colour my hair. One fundamental aspect of Sassoon is understanding how a head is shaped and how to cut the hair according to how it grows. I love the clean lines and amazing short haircuts. I’ve had so many different ‘Sassoon Looks‘ over the years.
If you’re looking for a great cut/colour, friendly stylists, and acute attention to detail, I highly recommend Sassoon Toronto. I’m about due for a cut and will be heading there this week!
Congrats Sassoon Toronto on 50 years and here’s to 100 more!
On Friday my closest family members gathered at mum’s house (same house I great up in) to join me at my old high school in Cambridge to speak to the graduating class. I was indicated to the Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of some of Preston High School‘s most esteemed graduates. So cool! Two of my old classmates Scott Thorman (Atlanta Braves) and Nathan Brannen (3x Olympian) are also in the HOF and were in the same graduating class.
Nathan Brannen
Scott Thorman
Kelly Thorman, used to babysit me
It was so weird/cool bring back there. I think the last time I walked those halls it was my very own commencement. My sister reminded me that the kids graduating in 2018 were born the year I graduated. Omg wtf, where did the time go!
I remember being in high school and a teacher asking what I want to be when I grow up, I said “Casie Stewart” and they said ‘that’s not a job‘. Well, well there teacher dear, I am here to prove you wrong!
This is my fav photo from the night.
I spoke for about 5 minutes and then we went home and had Chinese food takeout. It was perfect. Lots of laughs. I was so grateful to have my parents, sister, fairy godmother, and the rest of the gang there.
We had our own section “RESERVED for Hall of Fame Family”. So cool!
3 Things for the Graduating Class
Don’t worry about what you want to be when you grow up.
You’re probably going to work in a job that doesn’t exist yet with technology that’s not invented yet.
Don’t stress.
Find what you love and GO FOR IT.
You have so many tools and talents at your fingertips, you can do anything.
Don’t wait, start today, do something every single day that brings you closer to your goal.
When I started my blog I would stay home and work on it every day, my friends made fun of me. I didn’t listen to them, I saw a new thing emerging and I needed to be part of it.
Life is about building relationships.
This is the most valuable piece of information I learned from a friend when I was about to graduate university in Australia.
The person beside you, behind you, your teacher, you never know when you might cross paths with them again so be kind and help people where you can.
This was in the programme.
My photo will be up in the hallway near the gym for the rest of time. Thank you PHS Faculty for picking me as the 2018 inductee. It’s an honour!
In November I’ll be back in the Tri-City area to receive an Alumni Award from Conestoga College and address the graduating class. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be experiencing this.
Goes to show, don’t listen to people who doubt you, follow your dreams, work hard, and you truly can do anything.
If you haven’t seen this yet on CTV, Global, or CP24, here it is! I was in Mexico earlier this month and I was a little hush hush about what I was doing there and now I can share, we were shooting a commercial for Sunwing Vacations! It’s part of their fall-winter 2018 Vacation Better campaign and the entire thing was shot on iPhones!
Watch Here
From finding the perfect couples getaway with the best on-site spas to booking the most Instagram worthy swim-out suites and everything in between, we want you to #VacationBetter this winter! Look for our tips all season long to help you make the most out of your next vacation! Watch on Facebook.
We stayed a new all-inclusive resort called Riu Dunamar, 30min from Cancun. Heaps of food variety, bars, pools, waterpark, spa, nightclub, shopping, minibar, and huge comfy beds. We were shooting most the time but I still carved out a bit of time to get a massage at the spa and read by the pool and with a piña colada. One thing I learned is to always bring a white outfit because white parties are totally a resort thing. I had nothing! On our last full day we went in on a catamaran cruise to Isla Mejures, a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea about 13km from Cancun. It was beautiful.
I’m obsessed with these sunnies from Shade & Glory. My friend Mel who lives in California now started a sunnies company and sent me a couple pairs. Thank you!!! Check out other styles here and use code ‘shipit‘ for free Canadian shipping, USA shipping is free.
This week I am shooting a commercial with Spin Master for a new game. A couple friends are in it as well so it will surely be a hilarious day for behind the scenes.
With the legislation around the corner and heaps of cool cannabis events popping up, I’m ok coming out of the ‘cannabis closet’. I’ve talked to my parents about it, my mum thinks it cool and likes that I’m on the cusp of something new. I feel the same excitement and energy as when social media was just getting started. A lot of creativity is going into marketing, branding, and storytelling around cannabis. At this point, I feel if a brand doesn’t want to work with me because I use cannabis, that’s ok. My blog is called This Is My Life and this is my life! As a female entrepreneur, I feel like it’s a blessing that a new industry is opening up around something I’m passionate about and have experience in. If I can use my voice to help shed a positive light on an incredible and natural substance, why not?! After all medical cannabis has some amazing properties, from both active compounds – THC and CBD, THC being the psychoactive compound that results in the user feeling “high” or “stoned” whereas CBD (most commonly in the form of CBD Oil) owns the more medical properties, allowing the user to calm down, destress, cope with pain and much more, if you don’t fancy getting high, you could always see how CBD could help you, try looking into CBD sites like CBD Nationwide.
You have to take a chance sometimes. When I started my blog, social media wasn’t really invented yet. There was no advertising, scheduling for analytics programs. I was part of that early group of people in the social tech scene from 2008-2012 and it was so inspiring and exciting. We were doing something that people thought was super nerdy at the time but social media is everywhere now. If I hadn’t gotten into it back then I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’ve always been an early adopter and like to learn as I go. What a time to be alive.
I was feeling really distracted just and having a hard time focussing so I went outside for a little walk to get a coffee. A couple minutes later, Michelle rung and she was walking right towards me. What are the chances?! We had a little walk & talk, a few laughs, it was just the best thing! Amazing how a little bit of light from a sunshiney person can brighten your day!
Yesterday I stopped in to surprise mum on my way to Stratford. It was so great to see her face light up when I walked in.
Love you mum!
Taking a couple minutes out of your day to do something nice for someone else will instantly turn your day around.
Been a little bit busy the last couple weeks. I’ve been working behind the scenes on some political content leading up to the election. Definitely an eye-opener! I love learning new things and it’s great to see how it all works. The municipal election in Ontario us October 22nd. Are you registered to vote? Check your riding and candidates at elections..on.ca.
Tomorrow I’m heading home to Cambridge to make a speech at my high school and be inducted into the hall of fame. So exciting! Yesterday I was in Stratford and have some great photos and stories to share.
Last week I was a speaker at an exciting event hosted by Jones Media at 1 Bloor. We are T-16 days away from legalization and the world of cannabis marketing is something people have a lot of questions about. The worlds of cannabis and business like an online dispensary canada are really, truly beginning to collide. They are rapidly growing in popularity which is why the need for cannabis businesses is increasing! Anybody that is running or looking to run a cannabis business may want to think about hiring somebody like a cannabis consultant for their company to run smoothly and efficiently.
Specifically, this talk was about cannabis + influencers and what is allowed within the rules of the new cannabis act. The panel featured Chris Nyberg, a lawyer who specializes in this area, Lorilynn McCorrister from Weed Box, and Jen Newton who does the High Tea podcast and comes from an agency/brand background.
We talked about everything from how do you market in a space that’s so highly regulated, how to partner with a licenced producer, how to align with an influencer, and examples of creative marketing we’ve seen.
On Going to the USA
One of the topics we talked right off the bat was can you still go to the USA if you work in, invest in, or post about cannabis on your social accounts? Sorry to say, you can 100% get a lifetime ban if you do any of those things. Safe bet is to scrub your social accounts and make sure you don’t mention your connection to the wonderful world of flower if you don’t have to. On my last trip I remove Weed VR social accounts & email from my phone and didn’t take any business cards. I have cards Director cards from Occupied VR in case anyone asks what my job is.
On Working with Influencers
Another thing I feel is important to share about this new industry is influencer + brand partnerships. This isn’t like a consumer product, it’s much more individual to a person’s lifestyle and habits. Partnering with someone who has social influencer brings a whole new level to authenticity. How does this person use cannabis in their life? What is their history with the plant? Do they know about the vancouver dispensary no card options, or are they new to the scene? Are they willing to open up and talk about it? Does their lifestyle fit with the brand of the licenced producer? It’s not the same as working with something we might all use like coffee, clothing, or beauty products.
About the Legal Stuff
If you are an influencer, before you work with a LP or cannabis wellness company, make sure they are legal to sell their products in your state/province. Another thing to note is it is ok to write about cannabis from an educational point of view but not recreational. You are responsible for your content so if you’re not sure, ask the client or talk to a cannabis lawyer. If you need one, lmk.
Your Social Media Accounts
According to all the social platforms, posting about cannabis *could* be seen as promoting drug use and you risk getting your accounts shut down. As you have probably seen, there are heaps of cannabis-related accounts on social media. Chris aka ‘the fun police’ recommended use discretion and try to be creative, photos of you holding a big bud and smoking joints might not go over that well but an artful post about the lifestyle should be a-ok. Websites similar to www.saveoncannabis.com understand how to do this fantastically and also provide useful products and information.
If you have questions about this topic, I’ve been doing a lot of research and although I’m not a lawyer, I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned.
On Wednesday this week I’m speaking on a panel about breaking down the stigma attached to cannabis. I’ll share details soon. If you are interested in attending, LMK!
Hello and good morning! I’m feeling good vibes today despite not feeling great the last couple days. Spent the last 24hrs inside the house with Sean doing next to nothing but watching Netflix and taking naps. I feel recharged! Watched a good movie called The Angel, a few more eps of Maniac, and a full season of how to Live Mortgage Free (which really got us thinking!).
The past 2 months have been kind of intense. I went on to Portugal and Mexico, had TIFF and Fashion Week, all on top of my regularly scheduled work. I still have heaps to write about. I know from the outside it all seems like fun and vacation but let me tell you, there is a LOT of behind the scenes things you don’t see. Being on all the time is exhausting.
The start of a new month brings renewal and I am excited. We have 3 months left in the year and before we know it, it’ll be 2019! What’s your 2020 vision?
This week I’m speaking at an event on Wednesday and a TV commercial I’m comes out in a few days. Sean and will be spending the weekend at the cottage and most likely repeating our tradition of Swiss Chalet on Saturday and then hibernating till Tuesday.
I’m working out of the office all week and not doing many events so I can focus on getting into a routine. I’ve booked a few sessions with my trainer and evening yoga. Last week I made it to 2 yoga classes which is more than I’ve done in ages.
Today is a great day to make a change in your life. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Your life is your movie, you’re the director, it can be any kind of movie you like! Make it happen.
Earlier this year I was in Vancouver for a city planning conference and stayed an extra day to pop by the Telus office and have lunch with a friend. I’ve been working with Telus since my days at Much/MTV Canada, about 8 years ago. I’ve had the opportunity to do some really neat stuff like volunteering, videos, city adventures, and making friends.
A couple years ago I helped them with some ideas to create their influencer program and it’s really grown into something awesome. Next month, they’re taking the ENTIRE GROUP of Canadian influencers (including me!) to their HQ in Vancouver.
Fuel for the day
Conference morning
Hotel Carpet
Vancouver Airbnb
Telus Garden
I was really stoked to visit this building. I remember when it started in 2012 and was opened in 2016. The Telus Garden building takes up an entire city block downtown Vancouver, totalling 1M sq ft. It has amazing energy saving features, a fantastic garden, and has won a bunch of awards for the design and sustainability. Unfortunately, I was there in winter so I didn’t get to see the outside areas, it snowed!
[symple_testimonial by=”” fade_in=”false”]“TELUS Garden is Canada’s most beautiful and ambitious LEED Platinum building, and one of the most environmentally-friendly developments in North America,” Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO[/symple_testimonial]
Telus Innovation Centre
I met up with Ana from Telus (check out her IG @msanadouglas) and she took us up to the Innovation Centre where. I was amazed to see a beautiful bright space filled with technology.
One of the coolest features were the doors. Telus has created a set of doors that have screens instead of windows. Hello, why didn’t I think of that!? They’re the only 4 doors like this IN THE WORLD and they’re right here at Telus in Vancouver. A couple of them have cameras where you can host meetings and have the person you are talking with will show up on the screen. Other ones have touchscreen and heat sensors, so they can tell when there’s a person standing in front of them. This blew my mind. Imagine the possibilities? Our guide said they were originally developed for hospitals (Telus Health does heaps in healthcare, telushealth.co).
The space has a number of workstations, fully equipped with pop-up monitors for video conferencing. They pop up OUT of the tables! The card with wifi details doubles as seeds you can plant later at home. As a lifelong lover of tech, this was like being a kid in a candy store!
3D Printing
VR
Seed Paper
Video Conferencing
They also have a 3D printer where they create and test out innovative ways to make our lives easier. For example, this small purple object made with PLA plastic could never be made by hand but it is 3D printed in a way that makes it unique and super strong, you can stand on it without it breaking. It can hold up to 300lbs!
I was really impressed to check out the mock apartment they have to test smart home technology. I’m not just talking a couple smart lights, they’ve got smart home everything. It’s not just the appliances and light bulbs, there’s a laser that reads prescriptions in your cupboard, smart pillows, smart bed. It was like living in the future and tbh, I’m totally into it.
Everything here is smart even the bed, pillows, lamps.
Smartest kitchen I’ve witnessed.
I can’t wait to be back on the West Coast with the #TeamTelus crew. There’s some really rad people on the team, a few I’ve known for years and some I’ve never met. I’ll be documenting as I go next week and fill you in on the details.
Good morning and happy Monday! Spent the weekend at the cottage wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, cooking, reading, and relaxing. The cool Autumn air is a nice change from hot summer. We made a fire at night but it was still warm enough in the day to take Sean out wakeboarding.
The thing I love about Monday is not knowing what the week will bring aside from the things already in my calendar. I’m looking forward to being back to the office after a whirlwind month with Toronto Fashion Week, TIFF, and a trip to Mexico.
A couple weeks ago I sat down at a cafe near our place for a chat with Kate Robinson for Lift & Co. Magazine. We were discussing coming out the ‘cannabis closet’ and my story. Read my story on Lift & Cohere or click on the image below!
This week I’m moderating a panel for influencers and agency people about working together in the new cannabis industry. The panel will feature a few experts and you’ll learn creative ways to partner with brands, produce content, and work within the regulations. Before you shop marijuana seeds online in the hope that you can start your own marijuana operation, it may be worth finding out more about the regulations involved with the ever-growing industry. Once you’ve done that, then it’s probably smart to start researching different strains that you might want to grow, such as this gdp strain from Royalseedbank. For some people, there is no fun in growing it and they simply want to enjoy the end product. If you would prefer to purchase weed rather then grow it yourself you could easily use something like weed online ontario to sort yourself out. Just make sure that it is legal first where you live.
A panel discussion with Cannabis experts, covering influencer marketing and what to expect within a highly regulated cannabis landscape. We’re talking about how influencers can partner with Cannabis brands while being cautious of Bill-45 and the impact it may have. With the legalization of Cannabis in Canada, how will marketers and brands be able to work with Influencers?
Semi-permanent tattoos provided by Inkbox. Beer provided by Lost Craft. Munchies will be provided.
Who is Biome Grow and What a Good Business Plan Means to Cannabis Investors
Earlier this year a Canadian Licenced Producer acquired Weed VR, a company started by the team at Occupied VR (Sean’s company). This article has some great info about the current CEO and what Biome Grow Inc. is bringing to the growing cannabis retail industry.
There are some high profile board members behind the team at Biome including Steven Poirier, former president of Moosehead Beer, and George Smitherman, former Health Minister for Ontario. The article mentions Biome plans to go ‘public on the Canadian Securities Exchange soon through a reverse merger with a company called Orca Touchscreen Technologies Ltd. (CSE:OAA).’
Exciting times ahead, stay tuned for what’s next!
“Biome already has a license to grow with more to come, the production capacity, the technology and most of all, a solid business plan. Does this mean Biome will be the next major player in Canada’s marijuana industry? I don’t know, but from an analyst’s perspective there are not many missing variables.”
Sean took these of me when we were walking over to the MOCA Grand Opening on Friday. The mural is right by our house. Love having this great new gallery in the neighbourhood, the area is changing in so many beautiful ways. Go visit MOCA then stop by the Drake Commissary or Henderson Brewing. So fun!
If you’ve been near Queen West and the Ossington area lately you’ll probably have noticed a big blue building at 9 Ossington. Until September 30th it’s the home of the San Rafael Experience popup, a time warp that takes you back to 1971 where ‘4:20’ started in San Rafael, California. I went for the opening and honestly, it was really cool! Cannabis companies are being super creative with their marketing in order to try and drive sales of their products like a nitro cookies strain, for example. This is another great example brought to you by the same company that did the Altavie event in the spring.
Scratch Bastid DJ + Kelly from MedReleaf and I in our matching Hendrixroe X San Rafael ’71 Jackets
Once you step through that blue doorway, you enter a 70’s themed record shop with a bar, dj, living room, screen printing, vintage shopping, and plenty of photoopps. There’s live music every night in the basement and can use your San Rafael token to can peruse and pay for real records the shop. Scroll down for some pix and the list of artists performing this week.
Melani in Hendrixoe
Courtney
Carly
San Raf token
Record shopping
Old magazines
Old books
San Rafael ’71 Strain info on a record
San Rafael ’71 Strain info on a record
My fav Coup de Tête hat
Local shops pop-up
Screen printing
DJ Scratch Bastid
70’s living room
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 basement, stage on other side
Thanks to the San Raf team for the invite and I’ll be back this week for live music & retro hangs! FYI there was no cannabis at the popup but if you have questions about anything before legalization, they’ve got answers. ??
You walk past a group of beautiful, stylish ladies outside a cute and classy coffee shop in a quiet neighbourhood. Everything looks normal until you get a little closer and see a cloud of smoke big enough for a rap video and realise what’s up! ? So much so you might be tempted to grab your TONIC rolling papers and join us!
The other week I had a really cool experience of attending an event called ‘See You Next Tuesday‘ hosted by the fine ladies of the High Tea podcast (listen here). It was a rolling salon and flower side chat where we had an in-depth lesson on rolling the perfect joint and talked about cannabis. As you can imagine we also spoke about some of the lesser known cannabis infused products out there such as moonrock canada. We each took home a few goodies and fresh cut flowers. It was fun!
Over the past few months, I’ve spent more time having great conversations with amazing women over cannabis vs. late nights with too much wine. It’s so much of a healthier lifestyle, I’ve cut down my drinking significantly and even lost weight. The side effects of cannabis are much more positive including increased creativity and less pain/anxiety, instead of a hangover. When talking about the effects of cannabis, many often wonder, “are cbd terpenes important?” When it comes to people’s experience with the drug, it does look that way.
There are lots of different reasons why someone might use cannabis. For example, a good friend of mine who lives in Canada uses cannabis to boost her mood which, in her experience, makes living with depression a little easier. She orders her cannabis from bc buds online and gets it delivered directly to her door which is incredibly convenient. As with any natural remedy, if you are considering using cannabis, remember to do your research first.
Looking forward to their next event and more interesting cannabis events. A couple weeks ago I went to a cannabis brand launch at a strip club, Monday there’s another in a warehouse, and there’s a popup right now on Ossington hosted by San Rafael ’71 (details here!).
It’s an exciting time to be alive with legalization just around the corner!
It’s amazing what a few days away will do! This week I was on a client project in Cancun, Mexico and it was so great. In between the things we needed to get done I made time for some self-care. I read my book at the pool, drank piña coladas in the sun, and went to the spa. I walked along the beach, ate great food, made new friends, and danced at the disco.
I landed today in the crazy wind storm and it’s nice to be home. I’m excited to share more about this project over the next few weeks but for now, I’m looking forward to some family time. I’m feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready for the weekend!
We stayed at Riu Dunamar (via Sunwing) in Costa Mujeres near Cancun and it was so great!
Sending you love and sunshine through the internet!
A lot of my experience comes from making mistakes, wrong decisions, with the wrong people. I’ve learned a lot of street smarts this way. A lot of my business smarts comes from school.
I was really into business as a youngster when I made gym bags and sold them to students in grade school. I went to college and university and have no doubt that those experiences gave me the skills I need to do great work. I’m not saying everyone has to go to post-secondary but there you learn a foundation to build on when you’re out in the field.
When I was a teenager, I started a publishing company with a friend, published a book, and was awarded Young Entrepreneur of the city. I’ve done a lot of things since then but what I learned from my business teachers in high school, college, and university is with me every day. When I won that award my high school got a donation to go towards computer equipment which was pretty cool given the internet was just getting started.
Yesterday I got an exciting email. I’ve been chosen as the Preston High School Hall of Fame inductee for 2018. Me! An old friend from dance, who’s a teacher there now, sent me the nicest email about my career and life since PHS. I’m kinda in shock!
The PHS Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates Preston graduates who have made a successful impact in our world and exemplify the spirit and ideals of the school. Well, lady, you have certainly grown yourself, your business, your brand, and your spirit into something really worth celebrating!
I’ve been asked to say a few words at the commencement ceremony next month. I’m excited to be recognized and am looking forward to sharing some words of wisdom with the graduating class. If I only knew then some of the life lessons I know now, who knows where I’d be?
I want to tell them to follow their dreams but not just in their minds, to do something each day that guides them in that direction. Not to worry too much about what they want to ‘be when they grow up‘ they might end up working in an industry or job that isn’t even invented yet. You have to believe in yourself and not let other people stand in your way. Sometimes you might be able to see something that they can’t so they’ll try to discourage you. Don’t let them. There have been countless times in my career where I’ve chosen to do things my own way or different than ‘the others’ and that’s what made all the difference.
I was looking up some of the most famous commencement speeches of all time and Steve Jobs did one at Stanford in 2005 where he’s quoted saying the title of this post. Some good ones here if you’re looking for inspiration.
