Remembering to Give

A couple weeks ago a teammate of ours came to us and shared what he was currently working on. He and a close friend were busy working on a charity night befitting a local group whose sole purpose was to help kids who didn’t have some of the basics that we all take for granted. The Strathcona House provides local east Vancouver kids snacks and afterschool programs. Keeping the kids out of harm’s way and providing an outlet in the form of physical activities and games.
The team jumped at the chance to help out – all we had to do was come out and support the night. Customers rallied too; there were many donations and contributions to help make the night success.
Last night the event took place. A start time of 8pm on the ticket along with an address and the name of the event – Remembering to Give. We were instructed to dress comfortably yet semi formal.
As the night unfolded, many people arrived and filled the space. A funky little at gallery in east van was the donated venue – along with volunteers pouring drinks and serving donated tapas to the crowd. A lounge singer filled the air with rhythm and live music.
A couple hours went by and the music stopped and it was time for a couple speeches – thanking the volunteers and sponsors. A brief moment of silence, to pay respect for our lost soldiers (just in time for Remembrance Day) and many draw prizes to follow.
A couple of us bought a balloon which had a number inside – after we popped it, we found out that we had won a dinner at a local restaurant. This was fabulous – it was a 50$ donation and we received a wonderful gift back for our efforts.
By midnight the Dj’s came out in full force and the night was redefined into a club setting. A couple more drinks and pictures to add to the dancing – fun was being had by all.
The final numbers of monies raised have not been released as of yet – but we will keep you in the loop.
The message in this is simple – all it takes is an idea and some effort to create something that many can benefit from. A little bit of passion and focus is all we need to do anything great.
Don’t let anything stop you from creating your own piece of magic – and if it has the ability to help others, don’t be afraid of sharing and asking for a little help and support. You may just be surprised at what exactly you can produce and how others are keen to be by your side.

This weekend I had the privilege to participate in the Haney to Harrison 100km Relay event. This race started in Haney and made its way through the back roads and Indian reservations all the way to Harrison Hot Springs. The race consisted of 8 stages, ranging from 7km to 15km distances. The team all met at the West Vancouver gym at 5am, to get to the start by 6:45am. We were very fortunate to have MJ drive his ‘European VW 7 seater Van’ so that the team could all be together throughout the race. The race was split into 5 waves, so we started at 6:45am, the fourth wave to go. During the whole race while each individual was running their specific leg, the rest of us would hop into the ‘European Sensation’ Van to follow and cheer the runner. We had about an hour to kill while our teammate were running, so we would make mandatory stops for Starbucks and Tim Horton’s, take photos and give fuel and water to our teammate when needed.

The best part about this race was that it was a team effort. You are individually out there running on your own but you are constantly thinking, ‘I can’t let my team down”. The faster you run, the better the team result would be overall. Having the support van drive up behind you and cheer you on was a huge motivation for you to run faster. This sort of team atmosphere is completely different from that of a team sport. Team sports you are all playing together at the same time but during the H2H you have the responsibility to perform on your stage to not let the team down. This relates to our work environment as well. Yes, we are all training a customer individually but how we deliver our session and follow the systems that are set in place, help towards making our company and our product the best. Everyday, together we work at creating and providing a unique and different experience for our customer so that we can have the reputation of being the best in the industry.

Haney to Harrison put that in perspective for me. Everyone ran their best on his or her specific stage, the atmosphere and team spirit was amazing, and the memories created on this trip were awesome. Thanks to Chelsea, Rob, Josip, Shauna, Justine, MJ and Ashley for making this day happen, from the ‘European sensation’ Van, the run stages, the victory of winning the corporate mixed division and the celebration afterwards, you all played a huge part in making this event unbelievable!

WEST VAN - H2H Champions!

Recogonition

Every person has different reasons for working. The reasons for working are as individual as the person. But, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something obtained from work impacts morale, employee motivation, and the quality of life.

‘There are two things people want more than sex and money - recognition and praise.’ ~ Mary Kay Ash

Recognition is an absolutely crucial element of motivation, and few things are more powerful, or simple, than a genuine 'thank you'. Great leaders know that it's vital that people feel appreciated and valued, so they show their appreciation through celebration of success ­both formally and informally. Recognizing is an act of recognition - it is the process, not the item. Recognition requires an audience.

Employee recognition is not just a nice thing to do for people. Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for your business. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce, with your chosen means of recognition, the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat.

Many studies on the work place have shown that being recognized for achievements, knowing that one's contributions matter to the organization, and the opportunity for growth and professional development have a considerable impact on employee satisfaction and commitment.

The best leaders are able to promote a culture where their people value themselves, each other, the company and the customers. Everyone understands how his or her work makes a difference. This helps to build a commitment to higher standards where everybody is always looking to do things better.

‘Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.’ ~ Abraham Lincoln

What charismatic qualities do you have?

What makes Barack Obama so charismatic and so likeable to so many people? Over the past few days I have been spending countless hours watching Obama’s speeches and getting inspired by him time after time. The more I watch and listen to him, the more I like him as a person. Watching him speak live; it is evident that his personality seems so natural and is full of confidence. Some people will perceive a person as charismatic while others will not. However, people who are widely accepted as charismatic often share similar behavioral traits.

Obama has a lot of them. Let’s take a look and see if we can learn a few things.

1.) Charasmatic leaders empower people

“I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington… I’m asking you to believe in yours.” - Barack Obama

Take a look at the video below and see how Obama empowers his audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A-re_G00Mk

2.) Charismatic people inspire confidence

“There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America - there’s the United States of America.” - Barack Obama

Obama has confidence written all over his name. He is calm, collective and cool. When you talk to a person who is confident and charismatic, or ask for advice you will often feel protected and re-assured. You walk away feeling that everything will be ok.

Take a look at his video on 60 minutes and watch how collective and calm he is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHe8N5hL0Wo

3.) Charismatic people use people’s names and physically interact

If you watch the next video, take a look how he interacts with each person he is in contact with. Asking a person their name (or remembering it when you reconnect) is the single best way you can show that you are interested and care about what they are feeling/have to say. Also, watch his eye contact and how comfortable he is around people in the next video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezccUhRA9f4

4.) Charismatic people speak well

“A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, ‘Huh. It works. It makes sense.” - Barack Obama

Look at the way Obama speaks and how well he articulates each point. He pauses and never stumbles on his words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox4Sc-OrZqw

History

Are you all watching this?

As the United States goes through one of it's most significant elections in history (a black man for president, or one of the oldest presidents with the first female vice-president), in the beginning of one of the most significant recessions in the country's history, I keep checking out CNN to see where it all stands... and I realize that I'm watching history take place.

What about the rest of you?

Do you remember when you heard about Tiananmen Square? How about when the Berlin Wall fell, or when Princess Diana was killed during a high speed chase in Paris? What about when Superman (Christopher Reeves) fell off a horse and broke his neck, or when Islamic fundementalists flew planes into the World Trade Center? Or the day that Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, died suddenly from a strep infection?

The point is, every day and in every way, history is happening - and all of these events had some sort of effect on your everday life. How greatly it affects you may be different from one person to the next... but they're there. It's a prime example of the aforementioned "butterfly effect" - the only question is, how aware of it are you? Because when you're unaware of the wake of these changes, you have no ability to steer your way through, with, or around them... and you're nothing more than a passenger.

Trust me people. Open your eyes to what's happening around you, and learn how to navigate your ship... before you suddenly find that you're no longer in control of your direction.

Nutrition advice [general]

‘Try to consume the least amount of unhealthy foods on a daily basis'.

If a food you are about to eat does not bring you tangible nutritional value, do not let it interfere with your healthy lifestyle.

“But it’s so hard to eat healthy” – no, it’s not –

Sourcing & prepping healthy foods is as easy as sourcing and prepping unhealthy foods. Your respiratory [lungs] and circulatory [heart] are your body’s engine & protein / carbohydrates and a little fat are your gasoline. Would you fill your car tank with sugar? How well would it run without oil? How far does your car get running on empty? When does your car perform its best? Exactly, so start treating and eating yourself respectfully.

Breakfast is the king and queen of the day! Cannot tell you how many times overweight people confess to not eating breakfast. It is single-handily the most important meal because it provides your fuel for the day. When you don’t eat and then try to work – you’re body goes into safe mode where it stores fat and eats muscle mass to survive. Fuel it up at the beginning of the day when you need the energy and not at the end of the day when you are famished, which may cause you to overeat and then all the calories you just consumed can’t be used, so they are stored – again as fat.

You must eat breakfast and to make it simple – here are some breakfast options to choose from.
1. 2 egg’s, toast with pb, glass of juice & fruits
2. 1 serving of cottage cheese, 1 bowl of dry cereal (no sugary stuff), juice
3. 1 bowl of oatmeal, 2 pieces of toast, 1-2 pieces of fruits.
4. 1 large Smoothy shake [berries, juice, ice and a protein supplement]
5. Yogurt, fruit, 1 bagel with cream cheese, juice or water (this is the only light version)

Your 2nd biggest meal is lunch. Again - providing energy & fuel for when it’s needed most. For all those who just “don’t have time for lunch” buy a Tupperware container, and pack the dinner leftovers for next day’s lunch, or think about 1 of the following options.

1. Soup, sandwich and water – easy to get at any deli for a working person.

2. Salad, salad, salad – with the protein on top (eg: chicken breast)
3. Fish & pasta – again if you are eating out
4. *think about what you would eat for dinner – and eat it for lunch.

Ones smallest meal is dinner and it includes 1 portion of protein (no larger than the palm of your hand), 1 serving of grain & starch and 1 serving of vegetables. Put the following options into your weekly rotation.
1. Fish, rice, vegetable * 2 days
2. Pasta – with fish / beef / chicken element if needed, salad or vegetables included or on the side
3. Steak / red meat, potatoe, and salad
4. Chicken, rice / pasta (side) with vegetables
5. Salad / stirfry – all ingredients in it already – quick & easy.
6. *this rotation includes the weekend
7. off the dinner menu is any fast food outlet, deep fried anything, pizza (unless homemade & thin crust), deserts, etc.
8. for every glass of alcohol you consume – 2 glasses of water please and on that note, at least 6-8 glasses of water every day. With the coffee I’m only imagining we consume (have to get the energy from somewhere if we aren’t properly ingesting it), I could only imagine how dehydrated we are.

Don’t forget about the mid morning and afternoon healthy snacks. We can’t let our fuel get too low – but we mustn’t over fuel and just burn up. We must stoke and load thin layers of fuel between meals to promote an increased metabolism and meet our proper energy needs throughout the day.

Preplan your snacks for success:

1. Fresh fruit

2. Dried fruit (watch the high sugar concentration)

3. Nuts and seeds

4. Power shakes

5. Celery topped with Almond butter

6. Raw vegetables

7. Small salads

Eating habit musts
Get rid of the following from your house [immediately] and do not bring it back into the mix
1. Ice cream
2. Cookies
3. Pastries
4. Any sweet toppings you may pour on things to make them “taste better”
5. Pop
6. Chips
7. Craft dinner
8. Sugar cereals
9. Frozen chips / pizza’s etc
10. And anything else that has zero nutritional value!
In its place we will insert
1. Carrots
2. Celery
3. Apples
4. Oranges
5. Water
6. Rice cakes
7. Popcorn
8. Oat bars
9. Oatmeal
10. Cottage cheese

It can be just that simple...

The NHL season is now in full swing and Vancouverites and devoted Canuck fans are growing close to the team. We congratulate and talk positively of those players performing well, we complain of those veteran players who are not and we get to know the young stars that are just starting on their professional career. Hockey season is here and devoted fans follow the team in every aspect of the game; stats, playing time, goals/assists/points, standings and much more. Commentators, talk show host and fans talk about the game, sometimes as if they have the knowledge to be the coach of the team. If the team does not do well, we complain about the management and coaching staff, the goalie or star player, believing that we know the best solution.

Canuck fans did not know what to expect this season and well, they still don’t. The summer was filled with trades, new management and a significantly brand new team. The team consists of many young, fast, and dedicated players, most of them unknown to any other NHL team. Fans would ask each other who that #42 or #10 is again.

Being a sport enthusiast and a Canuck fan, I enjoy reading and hearing the stories about the team, especially the stories of that ‘underdog’ player, the hardships and adversity that a team or player has to make, always hoping that it will result in a happy ending.

This season, a young player of the Canucks has overcome adversity and hardship. His previous team criticized him for being unfit, constantly injured, not being ‘hockey ready’ and needed more time and devotion to his play and fitness level.

He had a great pre-season with the Canucks but at the end of the day he was sent down to the minors to keep improving. This kid is living out of a suitcase never knowing if he will be sent to another professional team, another minor team or playing for a European hockey team. Every practice and every game he constantly has to prove to his coaches, teammates and himself that he belongs in the NHL. He is a player who has the work ethic and will do what ever it takes to stay.

This player fortunately got a lucky break a couple of weeks ago when the Canucks were short of players due to injuries. Obviously, this player has been on a mental and physically roller coaster… Is he good enough to stay in the NHL? Does he have what it takes? Is he physically ready?

Since being asked up from the minors he has proved himself that he belongs here. He has scored 4 goals and 1 assist in 7 games; he is a member of the power play, and is playing with the top line. Yes, he is still proving himself day in a day out but will he stay when the injured players are ready to play again?

Kyle Wellwood is an inspiration to all young hockey players who are trying to make it. He has worked hard, done what has been asked of him, and is still uncertain if has a secure spot on the team. He has proved to the fans that he can score goals, is a smart player and is physically ready for the NHL.

Wellwood is a prime example of perseverance, hard work, and dedication for the love of a game and is why he is still here working away, waiting for his big break. Even if you are not a hockey fan, you can still use this work ethic in any aspect of your life; sport, relationships or business. The reason why most young successful people do well is because of their work ethic, their drive and their passion to succeed.
“Work Hard, Get Rewarded”