For a whole bunch of people, the end of August and beginning of September is Back to School time. It may be because you are returning to school or you have children returning to school.
Earlier this week I saw school age children getting on a school bus and it caught me off-guard. I didn't realize that time was upon us again. I don't have children and I haven't gone back to school in fifteen years, so even though I knew it was the general time, when I saw evidence of it, I was surprised.
It made me think about fifteen years ago. I graduated from university in the spring and had started my first full time job shortly after. After a couple of paycheques, i had leased myself a brand new 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT with all the bells and whistles including a sunroof. Now lets flash forward to about the 20th of September. It was a bright sunny morning as I'm driving to work with the windows down and the sunroof open as I thought to myself, "Another cool morning, it's been like this for a few days now, I hope it warms back up soon."
On September 20th, in Winnipeg, you are not looking at it warming up in the morning for several months but, my mind was still in summer mode. I had not started school in the fall for the first time in seventeen years. In fact, I had not started school in the fall for the first time that I can remember. It was imprinted on my brain that starting class means the weather is going to start cooling down. Crisp morning would become the norm again because I'm back in school and I am returning to normal from what ever adventure I undertook that summer.
Back to school is an exciting time. If you are returning, it means you are going to start a new adventure and learn something. It means you will get to see some people you may not have seen in a while. However, if you have no vested interest in the back to school routine, you won't even notice it pass until you see children boarding a bus or notice that they are not around during the weekday.
If you are going back to school, good luck. If you are like me and currently don't have a vested interest, enjoy the long week-end and live another great day.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Who Says That?
I like my job. I know a lot of people think it's nuts to admit that but I really do. It turns out I'm pretty good at it as well. In a few days I'll receive my first quarterly bonus and I did quite well. Without boring you with the details, basically I finished at 111.9% of the target. I think that's pretty good.
As I grow in the job I realize that it is much more a job about leadership than a job about sales.
Yes, it is a sales position and yes, I sell paint. However, in Canada, Valspar paint is available exclusively through Lowe's. A Lowe's store is open about one-hundred hours a week and I service five stores so that's five-hundred hours of of potential selling time. If you do the math that's almost three times as many hours as there are in a week. So, I can't be there to sell all the paint. What I can do is enable the Sales Associates in the Lowe's stores to sell Valspar paint. I can be there on the phone when they need support or information. I can bring information and assistance.
It also helps that I represent very good paint. It's a lot of fun say you have the best paint in the store. There is no 'it's not quite as good but look at the price point.' Being part of the best leads to the best results.
I have autonomy and flexibility to do it my way. The amazing thing is my way works. It is easy for a boss to try to make you do it their way and a lot of people don't realize that just because it's different, it doesn't mean it's wrong. There have been people I've come across that couldn't seem to figure it out. That's their failure. Now a great company has my services and the results show it.
I've turned some heads, I've made a difference. I'm having fun while I do it and why wouldn't you like a job that gives you that.
As I grow in the job I realize that it is much more a job about leadership than a job about sales.
Yes, it is a sales position and yes, I sell paint. However, in Canada, Valspar paint is available exclusively through Lowe's. A Lowe's store is open about one-hundred hours a week and I service five stores so that's five-hundred hours of of potential selling time. If you do the math that's almost three times as many hours as there are in a week. So, I can't be there to sell all the paint. What I can do is enable the Sales Associates in the Lowe's stores to sell Valspar paint. I can be there on the phone when they need support or information. I can bring information and assistance.
It also helps that I represent very good paint. It's a lot of fun say you have the best paint in the store. There is no 'it's not quite as good but look at the price point.' Being part of the best leads to the best results.
I have autonomy and flexibility to do it my way. The amazing thing is my way works. It is easy for a boss to try to make you do it their way and a lot of people don't realize that just because it's different, it doesn't mean it's wrong. There have been people I've come across that couldn't seem to figure it out. That's their failure. Now a great company has my services and the results show it.
I've turned some heads, I've made a difference. I'm having fun while I do it and why wouldn't you like a job that gives you that.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Taking a Look Around
A nation's capital is often a very interesting place to visit. Annually, many tourists flock to Ottawa to check it out. Sometimes I get a bit annoyed as they slowly walk and gawk about but, ultimately I understand they are just enjoying the sights of Canada's capital.
A friend of mine moved to the Washington DC area so I took this opportunity to check out another nation's capital. As I write this I am still in the area and will be seeing more tomorrow before I head back to the Great White North but I wanted to share a few things.
Unlike Ottawa, which was already a community (and many say nothing more than an overgrown logging town) before it became Canada's capital, Washington was designed to be the capital from the beginning. As such, they had the opportunity to make everything work together. For the most part, they got it right. Pretty much everything is purpose built, buildings were not purchased to be used by the government such as the Prime Minister's residence in Ottawa. I'm not saying one way is better than the other but as you move about Washington, you can tell it was set up a specific way.
A lot of time and effort was put into the monuments. I must say they are very impressive. They are big. They make statements. They also work together to make a generally pleasing area to visit. The National Mall is well thought out and the various components work with each other. You can walk from one attraction to another quite quickly and it all ties together well. I was very impressed.
Although I had heard that the White House was a bit understated for where the head of The United States of America lives and works from, when I saw it, I really had that feeling. It by no means is a small building but compared to some of the monuments to Presidents that have been built, it seems rather regular. I know it wasn't supposed to be too grand or opulent but I was taken aback by how it looks. All that being said, it is still much bigger than my living space.
Some of what I saw today made me think while some of it made me dream. A capital can be a very inspiring place to look around. I had those feelings today. Some of it came from looking at the Wright Flyer in the Air and Space Museum while some of it came from looking at the legacy of a nation that purposely tried to define itself.
Today was a good day and it has triggered some interesting thoughts about what is possible and how to go about making it happen. That is an important aspect of a national capital. It must be a place to make a nation believe it can be great. It must make you see what others overcame and have you root around in your soul to find a better you. If you let it, Washington DC can do that. When you go to any memorial, you can see how some people saw a bigger picture or did more than expected. It will stir something up in you, at least it did for me.
When you get a chance go somewhere and take a look around. Hopefully it stirs something up for you.
A friend of mine moved to the Washington DC area so I took this opportunity to check out another nation's capital. As I write this I am still in the area and will be seeing more tomorrow before I head back to the Great White North but I wanted to share a few things.
Unlike Ottawa, which was already a community (and many say nothing more than an overgrown logging town) before it became Canada's capital, Washington was designed to be the capital from the beginning. As such, they had the opportunity to make everything work together. For the most part, they got it right. Pretty much everything is purpose built, buildings were not purchased to be used by the government such as the Prime Minister's residence in Ottawa. I'm not saying one way is better than the other but as you move about Washington, you can tell it was set up a specific way.
A lot of time and effort was put into the monuments. I must say they are very impressive. They are big. They make statements. They also work together to make a generally pleasing area to visit. The National Mall is well thought out and the various components work with each other. You can walk from one attraction to another quite quickly and it all ties together well. I was very impressed.
 |
| Me in front of the White House |
Some of what I saw today made me think while some of it made me dream. A capital can be a very inspiring place to look around. I had those feelings today. Some of it came from looking at the Wright Flyer in the Air and Space Museum while some of it came from looking at the legacy of a nation that purposely tried to define itself.
Today was a good day and it has triggered some interesting thoughts about what is possible and how to go about making it happen. That is an important aspect of a national capital. It must be a place to make a nation believe it can be great. It must make you see what others overcame and have you root around in your soul to find a better you. If you let it, Washington DC can do that. When you go to any memorial, you can see how some people saw a bigger picture or did more than expected. It will stir something up in you, at least it did for me.
When you get a chance go somewhere and take a look around. Hopefully it stirs something up for you.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Your Veggies
I admit it. I don't eat as many vegetables as I should. There are days I barely have any. I think it's because I didn't like a lot of them growing up. Lately I have been making an effort to eat more plants.
I must admit, the more veggies I eat the better I feel.
We all know eating more plants is a good idea. You can find everything you need to be healthy by eating plants. However, I must admit there are a lot of non-plant foods that I like to eat. many are healthy, all are tasty. I find if I don't keep the ratio reasonable, the next day I feel sluggish.
For about three years I was eating salad as part of my lunch many of my workdays. There was good salad available in the same building that I worked so I filled myself with food that grows out of the ground. Now, through a change in employment I eat lunch in different places and I don't eat salad.
A change in your daily routine doesn't mean I shouldn't eat healthy, I just need to find more ways to eat a lot of vegetables. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn my back on the goodness of meat and cheese. That's crazy talk but I really need to be more consistent at eating my veggies.
Now I have found a lot of veggies that, as an adult, I like. Generally, I find the more I eat raw the more I like like it. Finding ways you like to eat healthy food will result in me eating more veggies. I need to embrace this and do it more often.
Waking up the day after you eat a proper amount of plants always feels better. I always feel like I can take on the world. I always know this but a bit too often I don't follow my own advice.
The best part is I can always make a change and eat better and I will continue to do so. I will slip up, I will still probably eat a giant pile of chicken wings from time to time but I will do it less often and eat better more often. That way I will feel better more often and life is always better when you wake up feeling good.
I must admit, the more veggies I eat the better I feel.
We all know eating more plants is a good idea. You can find everything you need to be healthy by eating plants. However, I must admit there are a lot of non-plant foods that I like to eat. many are healthy, all are tasty. I find if I don't keep the ratio reasonable, the next day I feel sluggish.
For about three years I was eating salad as part of my lunch many of my workdays. There was good salad available in the same building that I worked so I filled myself with food that grows out of the ground. Now, through a change in employment I eat lunch in different places and I don't eat salad.
A change in your daily routine doesn't mean I shouldn't eat healthy, I just need to find more ways to eat a lot of vegetables. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn my back on the goodness of meat and cheese. That's crazy talk but I really need to be more consistent at eating my veggies.
Now I have found a lot of veggies that, as an adult, I like. Generally, I find the more I eat raw the more I like like it. Finding ways you like to eat healthy food will result in me eating more veggies. I need to embrace this and do it more often.
Waking up the day after you eat a proper amount of plants always feels better. I always feel like I can take on the world. I always know this but a bit too often I don't follow my own advice.
The best part is I can always make a change and eat better and I will continue to do so. I will slip up, I will still probably eat a giant pile of chicken wings from time to time but I will do it less often and eat better more often. That way I will feel better more often and life is always better when you wake up feeling good.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Make It Loud
Last night I went to Ottawa Bluesfest. Slash was the early performer on the main stage. In my humble opinion Slash is the best rock and roll guitar player to walk the face of the earth. He is unique. Within about four notes you know it's him, even if you don't know the song. He loves what he does and it shows. It looks like he is genuinely having fun when he is up on stage playing guitar. He doesn't do backing vocals. He just plays and it's loud.
The headline act of the night was the Barenaked Ladies. They have been around since I was in elementary school. I wouldn't buy a ticket to go see them but they are a part of the Canadian consciousness and I was looking forward to seeing them.
As happy as I was to see Slash, I was equally disappointed with the Barenaked Ladies. I was most disappointed that it wasn't loud enough.
I don't expect it to be Motorhead loud but live music must be loud.
At Ottawa Bluesfest, there are concurrent shows going on. One of the smaller stages, known as the River Stage, is located behind the main stage. There were several instances that the Barenaked Ladies were being overpowered by the act on the River Stage. I was having a conversation with a friend, at normal conversation levels.
At one point I even thought to myself, I wish everyone would stop talking so I can hear the music better.
Yes, you read that correctly. I was at a music event and and I was having trouble hearing the music.
One of the things I really like about live music is it takes over your life. It is in your face and becomes a singular existence. You lose yourself in the moment because you have to. All your problems are suspended because you can only focus on the music.
The Barenaked Ladies didn't give me that experience and I felt cheated.
We did walk over to the River Stage and catch the end of July Talk. They were loud and impressive. If you get a chance, look them up, they are on iTunes and I'm downloading their album as I write this post.
I like my music loud and I want it to be an all enthralling experience. I mean no respect to the Barenaked Ladies but they did not give me what I was looking for, but wow, I loved Slash and that made my night great.
The headline act of the night was the Barenaked Ladies. They have been around since I was in elementary school. I wouldn't buy a ticket to go see them but they are a part of the Canadian consciousness and I was looking forward to seeing them.
As happy as I was to see Slash, I was equally disappointed with the Barenaked Ladies. I was most disappointed that it wasn't loud enough.
I don't expect it to be Motorhead loud but live music must be loud.
At Ottawa Bluesfest, there are concurrent shows going on. One of the smaller stages, known as the River Stage, is located behind the main stage. There were several instances that the Barenaked Ladies were being overpowered by the act on the River Stage. I was having a conversation with a friend, at normal conversation levels.
At one point I even thought to myself, I wish everyone would stop talking so I can hear the music better.
Yes, you read that correctly. I was at a music event and and I was having trouble hearing the music.
One of the things I really like about live music is it takes over your life. It is in your face and becomes a singular existence. You lose yourself in the moment because you have to. All your problems are suspended because you can only focus on the music.
The Barenaked Ladies didn't give me that experience and I felt cheated.
We did walk over to the River Stage and catch the end of July Talk. They were loud and impressive. If you get a chance, look them up, they are on iTunes and I'm downloading their album as I write this post.
I like my music loud and I want it to be an all enthralling experience. I mean no respect to the Barenaked Ladies but they did not give me what I was looking for, but wow, I loved Slash and that made my night great.
Friday, July 4, 2014
What Does it Take?
Rob Ford has returned to work after a stint of rehab. Along with a recent election in Ontario I have been thinking about the life of a politician. There are a lot of facets to political life. It is very public life but the hardest parts are behind the scenes.
A few days back I was also thinking about my brief foray into the world of car sales and everything I saw in that world.
I'm sure you are wondering what these two may have in common.
If I can't get there by acting with honesty and integrity, I don't want to end up there.
A lot of people get into politics with very good intentions but quickly realize that if you want to have the opportunity to do more than sit on a back bench, you need to make deals you don't want to make. The people who control this system have thrived in the very same system so there is almost no chance for change. Why would anyone change a system that has served them well?
I saw the same thing in car sales. It can be a downright slimy game and the people who are successful like it the way it is. It gives them the opportunity to make money at the expense of others.
So, if you have to be underhanded to get to the position, why would anyone expect it to change once you get to the position?
For me, the more I have acted with honesty and integrity, the more satisfying the results become. I have a greater feeling of accomplishment when it is done right. I feel better about myself and don't feel like I used a short cut. If you can only be successful by taking out the opposition at the knees instead of facing them head on, you are not cut out for what lies ahead. If you are up against me, bring your best because you will need it. If your best includes trying to take me out at the knees, go ahead. Many people have tried that over the years and they find out they are not very successful. Just because I make acting with honestly and integrity a priority, I'm not watching out for those who don't and I will diffuse it. That's the problem with acting in an underhanded manner, once the competition is on to your scheme, you are finished. You have nowhere to go and are obviously not in a position to do it right.
Everyone will live their life how they think it will make them successful. I'm try to do everything with integrity and it works out for me.
A few days back I was also thinking about my brief foray into the world of car sales and everything I saw in that world.
I'm sure you are wondering what these two may have in common.
If I can't get there by acting with honesty and integrity, I don't want to end up there.
A lot of people get into politics with very good intentions but quickly realize that if you want to have the opportunity to do more than sit on a back bench, you need to make deals you don't want to make. The people who control this system have thrived in the very same system so there is almost no chance for change. Why would anyone change a system that has served them well?
I saw the same thing in car sales. It can be a downright slimy game and the people who are successful like it the way it is. It gives them the opportunity to make money at the expense of others.
So, if you have to be underhanded to get to the position, why would anyone expect it to change once you get to the position?
For me, the more I have acted with honesty and integrity, the more satisfying the results become. I have a greater feeling of accomplishment when it is done right. I feel better about myself and don't feel like I used a short cut. If you can only be successful by taking out the opposition at the knees instead of facing them head on, you are not cut out for what lies ahead. If you are up against me, bring your best because you will need it. If your best includes trying to take me out at the knees, go ahead. Many people have tried that over the years and they find out they are not very successful. Just because I make acting with honestly and integrity a priority, I'm not watching out for those who don't and I will diffuse it. That's the problem with acting in an underhanded manner, once the competition is on to your scheme, you are finished. You have nowhere to go and are obviously not in a position to do it right.
Everyone will live their life how they think it will make them successful. I'm try to do everything with integrity and it works out for me.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
My Cheap Apartment
Through all the changes I have had in my life over the last year I decided I needed to trim some monthly expenses. I lived in a really nice apartment so I moved into a much cheaper place to save a fair amount of money every month. I wanted to remain living in downtown Ottawa so my options were a bit limited. I did find a place in my budget but there are a lot of reasons it is so affordable.
The most obvious thing about my place is it is a basement apartment. With that you don't get a lot of natural light. I have found this to be a huge drawback. I don't have the, 'it looks so nice out - I need to get out' feeling that you get when you live above the ground. Ahh, but it's cheap.
There is only once coin operated washer and one coin operated dryer in the building. There are only six units so waiting for the washer and dryer is not usually a big problem. Where the problem sits is when one of the machines breaks. In the 4 months I have been here, twice the washer has been down for maintenance. This means I may have to wait it out or go to an outside location. Neither option is very good.
the door key is very poorly planned. There is a very deep cut very close to the base of the key. As such, I have already broken one key off on the lock and I expect more to break. It is simple physics, if you put a lot of torque on a small piece of metal, it will eventually fail.
I do have a indoor parking spot that I can secure however, I have to wiggle the car into and out of the spot. There is nothing easy about my parking spot and driving a Nissan Altima, which is a long car. It is not a convenient or quick process to get in and out of the the parking spot. Ahhh, but it's cheap.
The oven is terrible. The temperature control is terrible, I still haven't figured out how to set it to ensure my meals turn out ok. I have to disable the smoke detector or it will go off constantly, from pre-heating to completion. It is no where near level, everything slides to the back.
My landlord leaves a lot to be desired. the damage from previous tenants was not repaired before I moved in. the apartment was not cleaned before I moved in. My keys were left under the front door mat when my lease kicked in. I have rented from both corporations and individuals and this is by far, the worst landlord I have had.
I fully understand when you consider everything I am not doing that bad. I have a roof over my head that doesn't leak and I live in a good neighbourhood. Most of all, it isn't forever. When my lease is up, I can find a place more suited to what I want. In the meantime, i am saving a whole bunch of money and everything will be better in the long run, and that's why I'm going through this exercise.
The most obvious thing about my place is it is a basement apartment. With that you don't get a lot of natural light. I have found this to be a huge drawback. I don't have the, 'it looks so nice out - I need to get out' feeling that you get when you live above the ground. Ahh, but it's cheap.
There is only once coin operated washer and one coin operated dryer in the building. There are only six units so waiting for the washer and dryer is not usually a big problem. Where the problem sits is when one of the machines breaks. In the 4 months I have been here, twice the washer has been down for maintenance. This means I may have to wait it out or go to an outside location. Neither option is very good.
the door key is very poorly planned. There is a very deep cut very close to the base of the key. As such, I have already broken one key off on the lock and I expect more to break. It is simple physics, if you put a lot of torque on a small piece of metal, it will eventually fail.
I do have a indoor parking spot that I can secure however, I have to wiggle the car into and out of the spot. There is nothing easy about my parking spot and driving a Nissan Altima, which is a long car. It is not a convenient or quick process to get in and out of the the parking spot. Ahhh, but it's cheap.
The oven is terrible. The temperature control is terrible, I still haven't figured out how to set it to ensure my meals turn out ok. I have to disable the smoke detector or it will go off constantly, from pre-heating to completion. It is no where near level, everything slides to the back.
My landlord leaves a lot to be desired. the damage from previous tenants was not repaired before I moved in. the apartment was not cleaned before I moved in. My keys were left under the front door mat when my lease kicked in. I have rented from both corporations and individuals and this is by far, the worst landlord I have had.
I fully understand when you consider everything I am not doing that bad. I have a roof over my head that doesn't leak and I live in a good neighbourhood. Most of all, it isn't forever. When my lease is up, I can find a place more suited to what I want. In the meantime, i am saving a whole bunch of money and everything will be better in the long run, and that's why I'm going through this exercise.
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