Values and Purpose Attract
A very common statement in cover letters, that come with the job applications at OnwardUP Sales and Marketing Ltd, is as follows: “I am particularly drawn to OnwardUP because of its reputation for inclusivity and environmental advocacy, and commitment to providing exceptional outdoor experiences.” Every new vendor partnership over the last 6 years has also…
A Letter to Dad for Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I put together a little shrine made up of some of the old things that make me smile and help me feel closer to you in your absence. Owens Specialty Services hat: Circa early nineteen eighties when you were running a small business in the evenings after you’d finish your job…
Dirty Work: An Opportunity
Never be above cleaning a toilet. Whether you are the CEO, a VP, the intern, or the one who has the “duty” listed on your job description, I don’t think there is a better way to earn respect from your team/boss (and maybe even a raise in pay), than doing the dirty work (the work…
Beware of “Sure”.
While I admit to have used this word in the past week I highly recommend trying to use it sparingly, as opposed to your default method of agreeing to something, and also be deliberate with it. Agreeing to something with the word “sure” it telling the person, identifying the situation and/or admitting to yourself that…
It’s not too late to change course: What’s next for Canmore?
Little Sister Mountain
Leadership when your Hand is Forced
As a leader you sometimes have to make tough choices that are outside of your control. You may need to make hard choices to sustain your company’s mission or vision or simply to keep the business and as many jobs as possible alive. Sometimes you need to make decisions that are a result of someones…
Stakeholder Hierarchy
Several months ago I created a “Stakeholder Hierarchy” for my business OnwardUP Sales and Marketing LTD. While I was aware of the stakeholders of my business, I had never gone through the process of ranking them. It was a great exercise and something that I shared with my team at our recent Annual General Meeting…
Ready for Anything
Resilience. We all have some and (should) seek more. It’s a sliding scale and the resilience of the individual, business, community will rise and fall over time. How do you build resilience? I’d love to hear your answer but for me it comes from trying to see the risk and consequence in everything I do,…
Cleaning Up
I love a good stapler. I love paper clips, highlighters, sticky notes and good pens. I love being jacked on coffee, countered by Bon Iver or Sigur Ros. In essence, I love sorting out my shit in the office so I can get back to making a mess.
Why A Blog?
A personal journal. Getting deliberate with content. Inspire/force personal creativity in myself. Commitment. Vulnerability. Engagement. Less screen time. Less FOMO. Frequency tbd. I have nothing to sell here.
Examined
More or less….. a bit of both. Left or right….or straight ahead. Up or down….. maybe time to traverse. Life is largely defined internally and externally by the myriad of choices one makes. Think, learn, examine… proceed. Correct course and then repeat.
More and Less 