of the Desert Former news anchor Daphne Kuehn
Plus... Forbes on the new EIA terminal Wachowicz on Internet privacy Berry on the Prairie Bistro
Photo by Barb Deters
2
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
12851 - 56 Street, Edmonton, AB T5A 0C9
Tel: 780.454.3444 Fax: 780.454.3222
www.edmontonians.com Published by: Cedar Publishing Corporation President Moe Najmeddine moe@edmontonians.com Editor Barb Deters bdeters@edmontonians.com Sales Manager Joe Nashman info@edmontonians.com Columnists Jey Arul • John Berry • Ben Block • Linda Bodo Cheryl Croucher • Marty Forbes • Lynn Fraser Cheryll Gillespie • Kelley Keehn • Doug Lacombe Bob Layton • Norman Leach • Barbara Ashley Phillips Erin Rayner • Sam Shakura • Charles Strachey Ian Wachowicz • Mark Wardell
in this issue...
Volume XXIII Number 1 Spring 2012
About Town VoxPop
Marty Forbes at EIA’s new terminal...................................................................................... 4 Bob Layton goes to auctioneer school................................................................................. 5
Sizzling in the City
Erin Rayner on the business of music............................................................................... 14
Business
Business Briefs
Norman Leach highlights women’s achievements............................................................. 20
Google Guru
Shawn Moore on installing HR tools on your website....................................................... 26
Legally Speaking
Ian Wachowicz reviews a decision on privacy................................................................... 29
Mergers & Acquisitions
Jey Arul says more women should buy businesses.......................................................... 28
Professional Development
Mark Wardell on making the most of your time................................................................ 27
Prosperity Plus
FEATURE WRITERS Barb Deters
Kelley Keehn discusses self publishing............................................................................. 12
PHOTOGRAPHERS John Berry • Cheryl Croucher • Barb Deters
Doug Lacombe explains social media audits..................................................................... 18
GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc. All rights reserved by Cedar Publishing Corporation. Reproduction or transmission of all or any part of this publication by any means whatsoever is strictly forbidden without prior written permission from the publisher. Although great care is taken to avoid errors in the preparation of advertising material and editorial content, any errors or omissions on the part of Cedar Publishing Corporation are limited and dealt with solely by printing a retraction statement and or correction in the following issue. Edmontonians Newsmagazine is a product of Cedar Publishing Corporation.
Social Media 101 WorkingWise
Charles Strachey provides interview tips........................................................................... 13
You & The Law
Ben Block answers your questions.................................................................................... 11
Features Then& Now
Barb Deters connects with Daphne Kuehn in the Palm Desert........................................... 16
Lively Lifestyles Absolute Bodo
Linda Bodo puts a twist on found items............................................................................... 7
MenuMagic
Chef John Berry “enjoys” the Prairie Bistro................................................................................ 8
Walking the Talk
Barbara Ashley Phillips on women seizing the moment.................................................... 19
Creative Interiors
Cheryl & Sam on living like a millionaire........................................................................... 24
Life Balance
Lynn Fraser presents 3 Ds to keep you sane..................................................................... 22
Canadian Publication Mail Agreement # 40041145 If undeliverable, please return to:
Cedar Publishing Corporation 12851 - 56 Street Edmonton, AB T5A 0C9
www.cedarpublishing.com EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
Opinions Civil Wars
Nejolla Korris vents on the Morinville school issue.............................................................. 6
Street Commerce
IAAP.................................................................................................................................. 10
Visionaries
Cheryl Croucher looks at the latest innovations................................................................ 30
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Marty Forbes
I
...With Marty Forbes & Bob Layton
f you grew up in Edmonton,
like I did, you may remember taking flights out of the old downtown airport which was as close to bus-depot like as possible back in the late 1950s. I actually remember the opening of the new Edmonton International Airport on November 15, 1960 when I was just a pup… the outcry from our citizens back then was a very clear and consistent: “Why did they build it way out there?” Well, we’ve come a long way, baby. The airport is now almost part of Edmonton’s ever growing landscape… what with housing approaching from the north, east and west of the airport land. As well, the brand new international wing of EIA has just opened and world class is how early visitors are describing the brand new departure area. There are now more than 150 weekly flights out of that area, and this new wing is so much more than just a place to wait for your plane to leave. As EIA President and CEO Reg Milley states, “We’re really proud of what we are able to offer passengers. EIA is not just an airport; it’s a shopping mall, it’s a restaurant district, and it’s an art gallery. Most importantly, it’s exactly what people want in an international airport.” Deemed Expansion 2012, this new area offers more room for comfort, more services and is, without a doubt, much easier to move through. For those of us who regularly use the International Departures area, this is a godsend. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been on more than 85 flights in the past three years, mostly from that wing and, until now, we’ve had few (and often closed) services in the former International wing, plus it was a log jam at the security points, and there was precious little comfortable seating in that area.
If you’ve been through airports like London’s Heathrow or the amazing Frankfurt, Germany airport, you will be extremely pleased to see this new wing. “The existing terminal was designed to handle 5.5 million passengers, yet in 2011 we served 6.3 million people.” Reg says. “And we’re expecting that number to keep growing to nine million passengers by 2020. We need that much more room.” The new U.S. Departure area is four times larger than the last one. There are no more sharp turns, six moving sidewalks, and more security lines for pre-board screening, as well as a dedicated line for those of us smart enough to
Reg Milley
Another thing you’ll instantly note is the art and architecture. Words really won’t do it justice so check the pictures in this article. There’s more good news too. The expansion is not over. The new Canadian Border Services area and the new domestic and international lounges open this summer and fall. None too soon: The existing arrivals area is drab and unwelcoming. Also opening this year is the Courtyard by Marriot Hotel being built next to the original terminal. When finished, it will add 210 hotel rooms right at the airport. Passengers can stay overnight and easily depart without the drive in from town or worrying about the occasional weather woes that create chaos on the roads to the airport.
carry a NEXUS card. There are many creature comforts from reclining seats with leg rests to benches with cup holders, and places to plug in your laptop or smartphone. The food and shopping selection has dramatically improved as well. “We’re excited to have so many famous local and international brand names on board,” Reg points out. “We have local success stories like Booster Juice, national brands like Red Canoe, and international brands like Starbucks, and the iStore.”
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Bob Layton Finally, there are now 26 gates—up from 17—meaning that extra space is available for more flights during peak hours. Airlines have the space and time slots to add more services, and to operate more efficiently. Priorities include more flights to the Canadian Prairies and the Maritimes. Other destinations desired include non-stop flights to eastern U.S. cities like New York and Washington... and, for those going abroad, a gateway to mainland Europe through Frankfurt or Amsterdam to complement Air Canada’s current non-stop to London, England.
To show you how thorough the opening of the new area is, EIA brass held several days of testing and then held a few private events to show off the wing to EDMONTONIANS. As part of one special evening, they brought in Senator Tommy Banks to perform with the Edmonton Symphony as well as country singer Paul Brandt. Twitter and Facebook were alive with activity during the evening as many in attendance sent along their pictures and impressions of the presentation. Smart! So, a bigger and better Edmonton International Airport most likely means more flights will become a reality. Like I said: “We’ve come a long way, baby.” √ For full information, go to www.flyeia.com and follow daily news and information updates via Twitter: @flyeia P.S.: Applying for a NEXUS card makes security and Customs clearance much easier. Simply go to www.nexus.gc.ca and apply. Once approved, you get finger printed, your eyes scanned, and your card is presented to you for your next International flight. There also are domestic flight lines open for Nexus cardholders. Cost is just $50 for five years. √ Marty Forbes is president of Radiowise Inc. Contact: marty@edmontonians.com – and on Twitter: mjforbes EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
WHATCHAGONNABIDFOR’EM?
I
f keeping the mind active
throwing out random numbers to break your concentration. Lectures covered everything by learning new things does, as from the illegality of an uncertified auctioneer the experts say, help to ward off a taking bids (whoops) to the difference between stroke, maybe I can push back my auctioning real estate and chickens. senior citizen’s calendar. Like other One thing I had to learn was what things members of the Edmonton media, I am asked were worth. As the four of us practiced by from time to time to emcee certain events. Or, selling to each other, I bought a pretend can perhaps I’m at a function providing my DJ of pumpkin pie filling for $5.00. Rick told me and Karaoke services, or doing my stand-up you could never get more than $1 and change comedy routine and ventriloquist act. (Pictures for that item, “Not even if you autographed it, at www.boblayton.ca) Whatever it is, there Bob.” That night, as practicum students, we may be a silent auction to raise money for were taking bids at his public grocery auction. charity, and we in the media get asked to do a (It’s the last Friday of every month at 14912– live auction to boost the price of a couple of 128 Avenue). I found a can of pumpkin pie items. filling and autographed it. He laughed and then I’ve raised money auctioning for breast started the bidding. It went for $13. He knew cancer and other causes; my only clue coming his business, but not mine. Next, we went to from the LeRoy Van Dyke Auctioneer song. do a public grocery auction at Carnwood Hall Recently, at a corporate party at the Old on Highway 39. He asked me to autograph a Timers’ Cabin, I raised $1,500 for charity by can of cranberry sauce and had me take the auctioning off an RNH jersey. (If you joke bids. How’s that for putting a little pressure on a lot, people forgive your lack of auction a student? Elena Mihalache bought it for $15. acumen). “Conversation pieces,” both said. Not being an actual auctioneer, I asked After doing five actual public auctions, it people why they were bidding so high and was off to Red Deer for more courses and they said, “Because it’s Bob Layton asking!” auction law exams. Bottom line: The diploma While that is a gratifying response, deep inside is on my wall and I am now legal to do charity I knew that I was more style than substance. auctions, so keep those bid cards high. √ Then the bottom fell out: I discovered it was illegal for someone to take bids at a function without being a qualified auctioneer. Then Bob Layton is the News Director for Edmonton I got contracts for 2012 events that actually Corus radio stations 630 CHED, iNews880, called for a charity auction as part of the CISN Country, and JOE FM. His awardentertainment. What do I do, now? What if winning editorials can be heard on 630 CHED Service Alberta showed up at an event? I found the Auctioneering College of Canada at 8:12 a.m. and 5:12 p.m. and seen on Global TV at 6:40 p.m. right here in Edmonton, and I enrolled in the January course. (The editorials were taped for two weeks in advance). It was the best student/ teacher ratio I have ever seen. Instructor Rick Wattie accepts only six Laser Treatments and More 780-484-2662 students at a time and this www.bodysciencespas.com 6727 - 177 St. NW course had only four. Imagine being told Edmonton, AB to chant by 1/4s to 100 Laser Hair Removal • Pigmentation • Vascular (redness) and back: 1… 1 and ¼… Skin Tightening • Esthetic Procedures • Lash Extensions 1 and ½… 1.75… 2… Teeth Whitening Danne Montague - King Products • Medi-pedi and on up. At the same Treatment Facials • Eminence Products time, other students are facing you, also counting to 100 but by 5s or 10s. Working to Improve the Future of our Youth! Now add the instructor
5
CIVILWARS
Stop the
nonsense! with Nejolla Korris
W
hen you hear the
words “the fate of our children”, what comes to mind? For most, it means children don’t have sufficient food after a natural disaster, or they are in an impoverished community where the basic necessities cannot be provided. “Residents of Morinville are anxiously awaiting your decision on the fate of our children. You said earlier this week that we would be hearing from you ‘literally in a few days’, I can assume your decision will be made public soon?” This is the statement posted to Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk’s facebook wall on January 27, 2012. Really? Fate of our children? This is the drama created by a few—a very few— Morinville parents insisting that their children have a “right” to secular education. A simple solution? Move to a neighborhood that provides you with that choice. Why is no one courageous enough to just put that response back on the table? Period. End of story. Seems just too simple doesn’t it? That solution doesn’t cost the taxpayer any money and strips you of your five minutes of fame. When this story first broke in March 2011, Dave Hancock, Minister of Education, stated that that Government of Alberta wouldn’t get involved in the dispute. And now, almost a year later, the government has been involved. I would like to see how much money has been
invested in this minority issue. What is this issue actually costing us? An accounting of hourly wages paid to school board employees, Human Rights Commission staff, Minister of Education, ministry staff, journalists, cameramen and goodness knows how many others would be interesting to see in black and white. Don’t blame governments for excessive spending: Blame citizens like this who think is it ok for them to force governments and school boards to spend thousands and thousands of dollars dealing with this issue. Most of us, as responsible parents, would be quite aware of what schools are in our neighborhoods and where our children would attend. Many also base their home buying or renting decisions on school location as well. Religious faith has become something “evil” and to be avoided. Frankly, children are the most adaptable citizens of our nation. They have an innate ability to adapt to their surroundings and make the best of any situation they are in. Children don’t see colour unless an adult points it out. They don’t know the difference between Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or other faiths— unless adults point it out. I haven’t heard any children running through the parks screaming that they demand secular friends, or education for that matter. That comes from adults. Later, on that same facebook post, the following appeared: “Our lives and the
lives of our children are being effected (sic) everyday by this particular issue.” Well, there is ample time before school starts in September for parents to find a school that suits their secular needs. (By the way, some coaching on “effected” and “affected” might be appropriate too). If the mountain won’t go to Mohamed, then Mohamed must go to the mountain. In this case, I truly hope the mountain doesn’t go to Mohamed… simply get in your car and drive, or check out bus routes, or move to a neighborhood that suits your child’s needs. Quit wasting taxpayer money, and government and school resources to indulge something you could avert yourself. As members of the usually silent majority, we sit idly by and watch the views of the few try to supersede the views of the many. It is time we broke our silence… and spoke out against this waste of time and money.√ Nejolla Korris is an international expert in area of interviewing skills and linguistic lie detection. She is a keen observer and fan of the human condition. Dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” by some clients, she is a popular speaker on lie detection, fraud prevention and investigation, workplace fraud, and organizational justice. Nejolla recently launched a new speaker’s series on the differing communication styles between men and women. Contact: nkorris@working-it-out.com
780.940.1288 www.momentsindigital.com 6
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
ABSOLUTEBODO
Indisposables
T
hey have the tools to tap into our brains. Designers, advertisers and marketers have hacked into the nooks and crannies of our subconscious leaving us with soaring inventories of stuff. From household cleaners to health remedies to garden aids, we are bombarded with new products promising solutions and swathed in excessive packaging. Fortunately, more eco-minded inventors are designing green products that offer redemption, or at least a lighter ecological footprint. But, the true road to salvation starts before we make the next purchase. By repurposing cast-offs into multi-functional household items, we can convert disposables into indisposables that cost pennies, but are worth a small fortune to our planet.
GET CRACKING ON EGG CELLENCE
Eggs come in clever packaging with a multitude of reuses for indoors and out. 4 Recycle unsalted cooking water from hardboiled eggs. The calcium-rich water is the perfect booster juice for tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. 4 You don’t need to walk on eggshells, but scattering them in the garden deters slugs, snails, cutworms and deer without using nasty pesticides. 4 Reduce coffee bitterness by adding an eggshell to your coffee filter. Then toss grounds, shells and bio-degradable filter into the compost bin. 4 Scour bottles or vases with crushed eggshells and soapy water. Simply swirl, shake and swab. Crushed eggshells can also be used as a non-toxic abrasive on pots and pans. 4 Keeping crushed eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer traps solids which gradually break up and naturally clean on their way down the drain. 4 A little egg on your face makes an awesome facial. Whisk pulverized egg shells with an egg white, apply and allow mask to dry before rinsing off.
4 4 4 4 4 4
and cloves in water to neutralize cooking odours. Brighten whites with a half-cup of lemon juice in the wash cycle of a regular-size laundry load. Keep your sink disposal smelling fresh with citrus peels. Whiten fingernails by rubbing a lemon wedge on the surface of your nails. Repurpose a citrus mesh bag into a pot scrubber. Wad the mesh into a ball, add soap and water, and scrub away. Soften hardened brown sugar by adding citrus peels to container. Have your bowl and eat it too. Fill lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit slices with flavored gelatin for a fresh take on summer desserts. Remove pulp from fruit and combine gelatin and 1 cup boiling water and mix until dissolved. Add 3/4 cup cold water and mix. Pour into rinds. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours and cut fruit into slices with a sharp, non-serrated knife.
with Linda Bodo
4 4 4 4 4
4
4
oil. Add a teaspoon to a quarter cup of lemon juice, and you’ve got a non-toxic polish that gently cleans wood surfaces. Buff olive oil onto leather shoes, gloves, car seats and saddles with a cloth to restore and clean. Dab a cotton ball with olive oil and wipe squeaky door hinges to lubricate and relieve creaks. Buff stainless steel appliances with olive oil and a clean, soft cloth. Relieve itchy throats and lessen snoring with a tablespoon of olive oil to lubricate the back of the mouth and tonsil area. Apply a few tablespoons of warmed olive oil to damp hair to condition the scalp and soften hair. Massage into scalp and rub through the ends, then leave it on for 30 minutes to an hour. Warm olive oil in warm water and place a few drops into an ear to relieve an ache. Infuse the oil with a crushed garlic clove to cure ear infections. Dab olive oil onto a sticker, label or chewing gum, let it sit for a few minutes and the annoying culprit will peel right off.
DIY
Start seedlings indoors in eggshell pots. Using natural, biodegradable containers to coax seedlings to develop provides calcium for the soil, reduces waste and does not disturb delicate roots in the relocation process
JUICY COUTURE
Peel great knowing you have rescued citrus cast-offs from landfill purgatory. 4 Disinfect a cutting board by rubbing the cut side of a lemon over the surface. The same principle will also remove stains from non-marble or granite countertops. 4 Polish brass and copper pots with lemon juice and a little salt, rinse with cool water, then dry with a soft cloth. 4 Boil lemon wedges, cinnamon sticks EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
DIY
Upcycle orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime halves into organic jardinières. Add jute or sisal to convert the citrus containers into hanging bird feeders.
OLIVE-A-SUDDEN
Olive oil as a must-have household and beauty product. Who knew? 4 Use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to zipper teeth to relieve a stuck closure. 4 Scrub hands covered in paint, sap or other sticky substances with olive oil and a little salt or sugar to remove the unwanted mess, leaving your skin soft and exfoliated. 4 Remove makeup with a cotton ball dabbed with olive oil. Olive oil also soothes itchy, burning, irritated skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles without clogging pores. 4 Remove dust and shine furniture with olive
DIY
Don’t throw away metal olive oil containers. Upcycle them into knife caddies or whisk up a kitchen inspired clock. In an era of social consciousness, sustainable living has become the latest designer trend. The concept has caught on with eco-logical artisans, or upcyclers, who create iconic pieces from waste stream materials. These objects articulate a poignant message of today’s consumerism while inspiring creative methods to reduce our carbon footprint. Blur the line between art and craft with recycle-based designs through The Art of Upcycling with Linda Bodo. www.absolutebodo.com
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MENUMAGIC
Julianna Mimande and JB toast the Prairie Bistro
with chef John Berry
Prairie Bistro
T
ake a young restaurateur.
Add her friend, an up and coming Canadian culinary star along the lines of Michael Smith. Add her brother, a soon to be apprentice chef. Mix in a handful of friends. You’ve got the creative force—the recipe—behind Prairie Bistro at the Enjoy Centre (formerly Hole’s Greenhouse) in St Albert. This is truly a Canadian gem that is definitely a must for food lovers and serious foodies alike. Think about it. An elegant bistro located in a huge, ultra-modern greenhouse, with fresh produce and herbs thriving under the glass ceilings. The end result is pure ambrosia. Quinoa Salad It all started when Julianna Mimande, a local restaurateur was on a year’s sabbatical from her own restaurant, was invited to discuss ideas for the Enjoy Centre. As soon as she walked into the complex, she knew it was the right fit. So
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they buy their produce, dairy, eggs and meat locally or, in some cases, provincially, they are also sourcing things like herbs and tomatoes that can be grown year round in the greenhouse. “We built our menu around root vegetables and squashes since we have a ready supply. You can do some special things with a set-up like this.” And that bodes well for the future. According to Chef Shaun, one of the areas being explored is the bee industry. Think about setting up hives along Big Lake to make honey and honey byproducts. Seems like a no brainer to me. Aqua phonics also have potential. According to Julianna and Gregory Parschaurer, Shaun, the University of Julianna’s brother Alberta is interested in
she called on a few friends and family… made a trip to Toronto to convince her brother to come west and help… brain-stormed with long-time friend Chef Shaun Hicks who couldn’t resist the challenge. “The only reason I left Vancouver was because the idea was insane. I said yes
immediately.” This incredibly talented team has taken “buy local” a step further. Not only do
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
Herbed Ricotta Crepe
working with them, as part of an educational component. Not only could they grow and harvest things like trout, but basil can be grown on top of the tanks. Gives new meaning to ‘basil infused trout’. (Sorry… couldn’t resist.) But, with the brilliant minds at work in this Bistro, it seems anything is possible. This is an excellent time to check out the wonderful fare at Prairie Bistro. In the winter months 300 to 400 people pass through the Centre each day. Come spring and summer, they see over 1,000 daily. And if it’s a snack you want not a full meal, there’s a soup, sandwich
and salad bar right next to the Bistro, run by Zofia Trebaczki and Julia Kunbera of Flavors restaurant fame. A delightful bakery on the first floor supplies the Bistro with breads and buns daily. I’d highly recommend the Quinoa Salad with Roasted Squash, topped with a Sherry vinaigrette and fried Haloum Cheese… or an incredible Herbed Ricotta Crepe with a roasted tomato sauce, Arugula greens and oil to finish, topped with some roasted tomato and artichokes. To die for. Marry both salads with the Windmill Zinfandel and my world is complete. √ Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com
WINE DIVAS T ake a would-be actress
and a classical music trumpet player and you’ve got a highly unlikely match in the world of hospitality. The common bond between the two was a deep love and appreciation of wine… combined with mutual respect and deep friendship. The ladies have become Canada’s wine darlings. These wine divas—walking encyclopaedia of wine culture—are in high demand in BC’s wine country, and travel extensively around the globe seeking the best of the best as well as new, potential stars with a bright future in cellars. Their goal is to educate the public on wines and remove all snobbery long-associated with wine. Michelle Bouffard and Michaela EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
Morris have devoted over 20 years to the pursuit of all things wine. Both are certified sommeliers and graduates of the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust Diploma Program. “We enlighten people’s relationship with wine. We want to be the go-to experts you can seek out,” says Michaela. To that end, they conduct private tastings, corporate events, wine courses. and provide cellar management for various Vancouver and area establishments. “We want to take the pretence away from wine, to make it accessible for everyone to enjoy.” They’re proud of how well BC wines have shown on the international stage, winning some major awards, but recognize there’s a long way to go. They liken the BC industry
to a teenager maturing. “Because the BC industry is so young, vintners are still experimenting with different varietals… and that’s what they concentrate on. Hopefully with time, we’ll narrow it down to what’s best for our climate.” Some producers understand that concept, others don’t. And another critical point is that a lot of what’s grown is consumer driven. “We have to forge our own BC identity. We’ve started but we have a long way to go.” It’s this unbiased, frank discussion that’s refreshing. I think of Michelle and Michaela as the Siskle and Ebert of the wine world. Visit www.housewine.ca √ Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com
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STREETCOMMERCE
IAAP – YOUR SOURCE for professional development opportunities
By Vern McLaren, CAP
L
ooking for ways to escalate
During Administrative Professionals’ Week® (APW), the Edmonton Chapter will your career or thinking there be hosting our annual “IAAP Administrative is very little out there to help TH E P E Professionals R S O N A LDay® I T Y(APD) O F Conference”, B U S I N at ESS advance your skills? Well, maybe, the Chateau Louis Hotel. The Conference is you have been looking in all the an opportunity for you to receive personal wrong places! The International Association and professional development, to network of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP) with other like-minded administrative is just the ticket to assist you in becoming professionals, and to enhance your skills to remarkable! the next level. IAAP, the official sponsor, IAAP has been around since 1942Attention: with a suggests that employers show their support for goal to help “turn jobs into careers” for all the their administrative staff by providing them different levels of administrative professionals, Fax: with training opportunities, whether through from receptionists to office managers. We Date Purchased: continuing education, self-study materials are a worldwide, not-for-profit professional or seminars. Our conference is the perfect association. Our mission is to enhance the event to support administrative staff because success of career-minded administrative it offers amazing training and an amazing day professionals by providing opportunities away from the office! As President, I would for growth through education, community like to invite you to our Conference on April building, and leadership development. For 25, 2012. over 40 years, the Edmonton Chapter has been This year you will be able to choose from a providing the metro area with workshops, seminars and presentations designed to enhance variety of speaker sessions in order to receive the training you require! The event includes the careers of administrative professionals.
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lunch, a silent auction, and a mini-trade show. With community involvement in mind, we donate half of the proceeds from the silent auction charity. I N T to H aElocal CA P I T We A LareRalso E Gexcited ION that Josh Classen from CTV has agreed to be our emcee. The cost for this exciting day’s experience is an affordable $149 for members and $169 for non-members—a small investment with a large gain for yourself and your organization. Date: business meetings We hold monthly chapter on the second Tuesday each month ToofAppear in:at the Edmonton Petroleum Club. Here you can receive additional professional and personal development through our education program and networking opportunities. If you require more information on the association, our chapter, the event, our chapter meetings, or on how to become a member of this wonderful association, please refer to our website at www.iaapedmonton.com or IAAP’s website at www.iaap-hq.org, or contact me at vern.mclaren@cima.ca. √
T F
E
ADVERTISING PRO
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
YOU&THELAW
with Ben Block
Q: A:
Is my will from another province valid in Alberta?
The 2011 Census data indicated that Alberta is the fastest growing province in Canada, with our population now reaching 3.6 million. With such growth fueled by newcomers, those from other parts of the country may wonder if their wills, prepared in another province, are valid here in Alberta. Of course, to provide a specific answer, a review of the particular will would be necessary, however some general guidelines can be noted. The validity of a will in Alberta is governed by the Wills Act. Within that legislation, Section 39 outlines how an out-of-province will would be assessed. Generally speaking, where a will relates to land, the question of validity will be governed by the law of the province where the land is located. So, if you own a property in Alberta, and your Newfoundland will gives all real estate to your child, the validity of that gift will be decided according to Alberta law. In terms of personal property (property other than real estate), validity is generally determined in accordance with the law of where the deceased person (the testator/ testatrix)) lived at the time of his or her death. However, Section 40 of the Wills Act permits the “manner and formalities” of making a will to be assessed in accordance with the laws of the place where the will was made. In other words, for personal property, if your will was drafted in accordance with the formal requirements of Ontario, where you lived at EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
the time, its dealings with personal property will stand. This is obviously a generalized explanation, and a review of your specific will and assets to be disposed of would be necessary to fully assess your unique situation.
Q: A:
I would like to buy a business, where do I start? Should I buy the shares or the assets?
I was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug at a young age. From running lemonade stands to calling leasing agents and trying to open an arcade at the age of 12, I eventually worked my way up to owning a number of small businesses. Some were success stories… some not so. But I am always excited to hear of someone striking out into business for themselves. A great way to begin your journey is with a business broker, such as Jey Arul at VR Business Sales, who will be able to assist you in identifying a business suited to your unique goals, skills, interests, financing needs and so on. It can be a long search but, with so many opportunities out there, it should be very interesting and a great learning experience. Once you have located a target business, either on your own or through a broker, a lawyer is able to step in and assist. There are a number of things to consider from the very beginning, one of which is whether you will be purchasing the shares of the business (assuming it is a corporation) or only the assets (equipment, name, goodwill, inventory, etc.). Generally, a share purchase is less expensive as
it is a simpler process where you essentially step into the shoes of the previous owner. However, when you take over the operating company, you will also be subject to any past liabilities that may lurk in the shadows. For example, if the company failed to complete a contract a year ago, that client may still bring an action against the business. This may leave you, as the new owner, to bear the consequences of liability that you personally had no involvement in. The alternative to a share sale is to purchase the assets of the business. This can still be a seamless transition to the customers of the business; however. the inventory, equipment, trademarks, goodwill and other assets will be sold to a new business entity (i.e. a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship). Further, any related leases, supplier contracts, employment agreements and other contracts would have to be assumed by your business entity. As you can imagine, this will result in a number of additional steps both in the sale and due diligence process, but provides some separation from the history of the business and when you begin as owner. I will discuss some of the additional steps and considerations in upcoming issues, including “To incorporate, or not to incorporate: That is the question”. Further topics may also include, “Can someone be sued for plagiarizing Shakespeare in a desperate attempt to make legal questions sound more dramatic?” Stay tuned or, in the meantime, feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have. √ Ben Block is an associate with Hillenbrand Kozicki LLP, and focuses his practice on civil litigation, real estate and business law. Ben was an Edmontonians Sizzler in 2007. Call 780.809.2389 or email bblock@hklaw.ca.
11
PROSPERITYPLUS
with Kelley Keehn
Ever dream of becoming an author?
I
’m queried weekly by a
plethora of individuals with the dream of becoming an author. Indeed, a worthy goal if you have the right message. Step one: Write your book. Step two: Decide whether to self-publish or be published or a little of both. Let’s tackle the first part of step two: selfpublishing. To move past writing a book and getting it published is something most would-be authors only dream about. Here’s some of the advantages and disadvantages of both options. First, if you’ve actually researched and written a manuscript, you’ve make it 99.9 percent further than most “want-to-be” authors. However, the next step is to get your words out to the public.
ADVANTAGES OF SELF-PUBLISHING:
You’ll make the maximum profit on your book. Yes and no. Sure, you might be able to negotiate rates lower than what your publisher will charge you to purchase your own book, but likely not. A large publisher has years and thousands of printing jobs negotiated. I’m able to purchase my books from my publisher at a much lower cost than printing my own book as I did with my own title. Complete control over your content, cover design, page layout and more. Yes, this is true. But you’ll also pay for that control. Consider the costs of hiring an editor, finishing editor, proof reader, registering the ISBN and Library of Context info yourself and so much more. Yes, you’ll have total control over your book… but at what cost?
12
DISADVANTAGES OF SELF-PUBLISHING:
There’s certainly something to celebrate about finishing your own manuscript and having the funds to publish it yourself. However, finding a traditional publisher to find merit and worthiness in your work and be willing to back that work with an investment of time and dollars is another matter. However, finding a traditional publisher these days is tougher and tougher. Yes, you do relinquish a certain degree of control. The publisher does have a final say on many things, but again, it’s their investment of time and dollars. D-I-S-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N: When I researched publishing my first book, I read all available material, attended every seminar and was sure I had a rock solid business plan to market my work. However, one small word which is key to an author’s success was never mentioned in my due diligence: ‘distribution’. Amazon.com will take you on as a self-published author, but the cost and frustration isn’t worth the effort for small runs. There isn’t a reputable distributor that will work with individual authors over a large publisher that’s worth the time (think about thousands of authors calling for payments and more, or the distributor dealing with one publisher on behalf of thousands of authors). I remember visiting a bookstore in Granville Island in Vancouver during the tour for my first traditionally published book. It was this tiny, but hip and quaint bookstore with no more than three feet of a bookshelf dedicated to the business section, and there was one copy of my newest book, The Woman’s Guide to Money— thanks to the strength of the distribution of my publisher. How could I as a Prairie resident ever find the marketing dollars to personally
visit and convince every large and small book store to stock their shelves with my book? How do you get published with a traditional publisher? Get famous or write the most extraordinary book on Earth. Even then it’s tough. Consider that a medium sized publisher might come out with 50 books a season and they likely receive thousands of unsolicited manuscripts a month. So for the non-famous author with a message to spread, self-publishing might be the only option. There are numerous support services for authors wanting to self-publish and many of them offer lower cost, small run options. However, as mentioned in my last point, the lack of distribution available to a self-published author generally means a garage or office full of books gathering dust (other than the ones you gave to your friends and family.) I did stumble across one company that compelled me to write this post. It offers everything its competitors offer plus much more (a la carte editing, proof reading services) but there’s one major difference with this company that I haven’t found with any other out there – distribution. It includes a one-year distribution service that’s invaluable for the first time author. If you have a book “in” you that needs to get on bookstore, library and Amazon’s shelves, check them out for yourself: www.ardith.ca. √ Kelley Keehn is a financial expert, speaker and author of seven books, including The Money Book for Everyone Else, She Inc. and The Prosperity Factor for Kids. She is a regular guest on the Marilyn Denis Show, a frequent contributor to the Global and Mail, and has been quoted in Oprah’s O Magazine. For more information, visit www.kelleykeehn.com EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
WORKINGWISE
with Charles Strachey
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
D
Photo ©iStockphoto.com/kzenon
ear Working Wise: I have had several job interviews over the past two months, but I haven’t received any job offers or even second interviews. Am I doing something wrong? Feeling Overlooked
Dear Overlooked:
Extended job searches can be disheartening, but don’t give up. The good news is that you are getting interviews—that means employers are interested in you. I have covered tips for preparing for job interviews in the past. Similar tips are available on the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website at http://alis.alberta.ca. You might also want to focus on making the right impression on the day of the interview. Some of these tips may seem like “no brainers”, but interviewers I talk to say they are still surprised by job seekers making these simple, but costly mistakes.
MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION:
- Be punctual: arrive 10 minutes early (factor in time for travel and to find parking). - Dress appropriately: wear clean clothes and shoes that are in good repair. - Come prepared: bring a pen, paper, and copies of your resumé and references. - Don’t wear perfume or cologne. EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
- Don’t check your cell phone during the meeting, chew gum, or bring your own drink.
RELAX:
A job interview is a meeting between two equally important parties to share information. The employer wants to know if you can do the job and will fit into their team. You want to know more about the position and company to see if you actually want the job. Arrive early enough to use the washroom, calm your nerves and remind yourself that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. And remember, many interviewers are new to the interview process and may be just as nervous as you are. Be ready to smile or laugh—they need to like your personality too.
ENGAGE THE INTERVIEWERS:
- Smile, greet the panel, shake hands with each interviewer and learn their names. - Use their names during the interview. - Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and lean in slightly to show interest. - Make eye contact and listen closely to the questions so you can answer them well. - When you finish the interview, shake hands and thank each person by name.
ANSWER WITH CONFIDENCE:
- Take a few seconds to collect your thoughts before you answer a question. - Come prepared with examples of when you have successfully used your key skills.
- Bring proof of your skills—numbers, examples, photos, samples, etc. - Be ready with an example of a shortcoming that you have improved upon. - Be positive–show your excitement and enthusiasm for the position and your work. - Don’t talk negatively about past employers, supervisors or coworkers. - Don’t talk to too much: use short answers and don’t interrupt the interviewer.
ASK QUESTIONS:
Prepare a list of questions, including what you want to know about the position or company plus when the hiring decision will be made and the expected start date. Questions demonstrate your interest in the position. Don’t ask about salary, benefits or flexible work arrangements at this time. This is not the time to start the negotiation process—it might raise flags with the employer.
SEAL THE DEAL:
Send a thank you note that emphasizes two or three reasons why you’re the ideal candidate for the position. Good luck! √ Do you have a work-related question? Send your questions to Working Wise, at charles. strachey@gov.ab.ca. Charles Strachey is a regional manager with Alberta Human Services. This column is provided for general information.
13
Reluctant entrepreneurs entrepreneurs
E
very now and then, I meet
a reluctant business owner on my travels. Sometimes they are successors to a family business that maybe saw their life path taking them somewhere else but took up the business as an obligation. Sometimes it’s a sub-contractor who doesn’t understand the intricacies of cash flow and denies that he or she is responsible for their own business success or failure. Some business owners are in denial that they are in business at all
#10, 19 Granite Dr. Stony Plain, AB
and that the bottom line doesn’t matter. And unfortunately, artists are often in this category. I had the luck to stumble on a CD release show for a new Edmontonian musician at the Transalta Arts Barns. Lucette is a singer-songwriter with a gravely, blues and southern folk style who just released her first three-song EP, Baby I Want You Home. The show itself was plagued with technical difficulties but the music was a pleasure to hear, the place was packed and she handled the production issues with grace. Her passion for her art is obvious and the support she has is commendable. Just back from her first self-funded January UK tour, Lucette and I sat down with partnerinvestor John Cameron of John Cameron Entertainment and managing partner of Kellerdenali Construction. Lucette aka Lauren Gillis has a calm, soft-spoken energy and John has the high energy often present in entrepreneurs. Even though the two have different tastes in music, the respect and friendship is easy to see. Lucette grew up and still lives in Edmonton. “I always just liked to sing and the thing is that a lot of people get their musical influence from their parents but, for me, that’s not really the case.” With a laugh, she recalls her first musical experience. “I grew up on the same stuff that everyone else was listening to… the same music that was on the radio. It wasn’t necessarily good music. I can make fun of myself for being eight years old and singing Brittany Spears in front of a mirror.” Last summer, Lucette took a leap of faith and went to Nashville to write and record an album. “One week I had a bunch of songs, three days later I was living in Nashville for three months, having just turned 20 and being out of high school for a year and a half.
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ONE STOP DETAIL SHOP
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“Nashville is, next to Edmonton, the best place in the world. Edmonton and Nashville have this weird connection—half the people I know in music have been to Nashville. And I think the reason Edmontonians love Nashville so much is that there’s a similar vibe to the people down there—a similar attitude. It’s one of the most magical places in the world.” Lucette started writing music at an early age, she went to Nashville with a whole set of songs ready to record. Renowned music producer Dave Cobb scrapped the whole batch. “I thought I’d be more emotional about it but I wasn’t. I just needed someone to push me and say ‘you need to write something better’.” The ‘product’ is a focus of our discussion. The product being the music, the EP and, of course, Lucette herself. “I think I’ve always recognized that I don’t want to be a pop-country singer,” she says as we discuss the album with John. He responds passionately, “You can do a lot of stuff and you shouldn’t get yourself pigeon-holed.” Her retort is one many young, entrepreneurs and artists may relate to “I like what I write… I don’t want to sing other things.” While it’s easy to talk about the ‘product’, this is a column about entrepreneurism as much as it is about up-and-coming Edmontonians, which Lucette certainly is. The attitude she has about her product is shared by many entrepreneurs and artists—I build/sing/do this—which leaves very little room for flexibility. But the journey, both artistically and entrepreneurially, is an evolution that is hard to articulate when you’re immersed in it. Building a company is the same as what Lucette is doing. Both are building a brand and series of products or services that need to meet or create demand. Where I find artists and entrepreneurs (myself included) get into trouble is when we think we can live in the silo of our passion
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and that faith will carry us through. “People ask me all the time, what is my passion,” says John. “My passion is not construction. It’s not watching a building go up. It’s the people. It’s putting together teams and seeing them succeed.” However, in the beginnings of Keller Construction, I bet John had to wear more hats than ‘chief team cheerleader’— probably still does. Lucette’s passion is obviously singing and song writing. However, building a business around passion and talent, while romantic, isn’t always feasible or profitable. She spoke passionately about creating a fresh, unique product and standing by its integrity. She has a vision—the beginnings of a great brand. But being rigid about the product or the vision is not always in the best interests of the brand, the business, the market or the individual. If Apple had stuck with the vision it had before Steve Jobs returned, it is highly unlikely it would be where it is today. When asked about the plan for the future and the financial side of the product, Lucette wasn’t nearly as interested in the outcome. In my experience, this is where both entrepreneurs and artists fall short by relying solely on the ‘if I build it, they will come’ mentality. The product is only part of the
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
puzzle. There also needs to be a plan, strategic and measureable goals as well as financial accountability. The music business—and, it is definitely a business—at a basic level runs like every other business: There are suppliers, contracts,
Lucette aka Lauren Gillis
managers to engage… sales to make… bills to pay… consumers and investors to please. Even though the industry, like the print and television industries, is going through major changes, some of the basics won’t change.
Lucette seems to have had her first few lessons in the business of music. After a trip to LA to meet with record labels, her manager asked why she didn’t seem excited. Wisely, she said, “I don’t get excited unless there is a piece of paper work in front of me.” A sad but true reality in business. “Managers, agents publishers—they are not your friends—they work for you. They’re there to guide you and take your product and make it big. And that’s something I’ve learned.” Looking ahead, these two not only have the opportunity to create meaningful, moving music, they also have the opportunity for something entrepreneurs and artists both need: mentorship. Lucette is talented and smart. She has the beginnings of a great product to bring to market. John is musically gifted and entrepreneurially motivated. Together they have an opportunity to share knowledge in both arenas to build a wellrounded artist, promoting a professional product, with enough knowledge of business to not only survive but thrive. It is time for another leap of faith… out of the world of the ‘reluctant’ entrepreneur into the world of the business of music. √ Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and Communications Inc. Contact erayner@edmontonians.com
15
Photo by Barb Deters
then... & now
By Barb Deters
I
t was strictly by chance that
we met. Without apologies, we shared our guilty pleasure outside the midSeptember party celebrating John Berry’s 40th year in the media. We don’t know each other… but I know of her… know who she was. Local and Northern Alberta Boomers would recognize her immediately, despite her having been out of the public eye for near 18 years. She doesn’t have a clue who I am, nor should she. We chat easily. The conversation turns to the impending winter… we both will escape to the California desert. Where exactly? She to The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert; I to Laguna de la Pas in La Quinta— neighbouring cities, among seven collectively referred to as Palm Springs, in the Coachella Valley. Our gated communities are mere minutes apart. She won’t arrive until the end of October… I’ll be there a couple of weeks earlier. I give her my e-address and within two days she sends me her contact info… I reply and we promise to get in touch. Not surprisingly, projects at my BFF Maureen’s casa occupy our days. I return to Edmonton in early November to produce
16
of the Desert the winter issue of Edmontonians, and spend Christmas with my family. I get back to Palm Springs on January 3rd and, again, projects take priority so I don’t make the call. Fate intervenes. Maureen and I are heading into Home Goods—familiar in every way to Home Sense in Canada—when we notice City Lights is open. We detour, attracted by the glitter and animal prints in the window. As we ooh and aah over everything, a woman emerges from the change room. OMG! It’s her! Hugs all around. She is being fitted for an ensemble to wear as commentator at a charity fashion show hosted by the ladies of The Lakes on February 3rd. We cast our votes for the best outfit. Her houseguests are leaving on the 6th… I’m going home on the 8th. We’ll finally get together on the 7th. “She” is Daphne Kuehn, former evening news co-anchor at CFRN/CTV. Trailblazer.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Daphne Sims grew up in Westlock and graduated from NAIT’s Radio and Television Arts program in the mid-1970s. Her first job was, she admits, “as the throw-away late night, news anchor at RDTV. I earned crap
wages… went in the hole $10 every month. I watched the late movie in the studio before going to my bachelor pad where I slept on the couch. “I did that for a year, before joining OK Radio in Westlock. For three years, I was news director for OK stations in Westlock, St. Paul and Fort McMurray. But, my ultimate goal was to do Eyewitness News at CFRN TV. Daphne did a special report on Immaculate Hospital which received honourable mention at the Canadian Broadcasters’ Association awards. She caught the attention of Bruce Hogle, news director at CFRN TV and Radio, who sent a letter of congratulations and suggested she join his staff. “He had no job for me… he just wanted me on board. That was in November 1979. His grand scheme was for a two-anchor, one-hour news team. But, until that could happen, I did the morning drive show with Michael Bell. We had a ball! Whatever Bruce wanted me to do, I did. “Six months later, he had me do cut-ins on the Newlywed Game—30-second ad libs with Eric Neville and Al McCann on up-coming news items. Bruce was testing me because EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
Photo supplied
Photo by
Alvin Kue
hn
CTV Photo
Daphne’s home is beautifully decorated, an eclectic mix of custom-made and antique pieces with accents of photo art—including a stunning Badlands sunset by former Alberta cabinet minister Jon Havelock—and state-ofthe-art controls for lighting and electronics. Tiered gardens—featuring lime and lemon trees mixed with indigenous palms and cacti—border the terra cotta pony wall. There’s lots of seating and an outdoor kitchen/ bar. “Half an hour before dawn is magic: Across the pink sky, flocks of white cranes swoop in and settle on the palm trees… I hear ‘honk, honk’ and my Canada geese come in… the ducks come in… then the hummers wake up. It’s a magical aerial show,” Daphne tells us. “Health wise, I had to be here. I’m an y, rr : John Be am insomniac, but I’ve slept better here than I had te s w Ne ss Then: Eyewitne in the past three years. Al McCann d an , ne ph Da , Eric Neville “I love to cook… the produce is so fresh. I prepare a gourmet meal every night. It’s a party house: the big fridge and the wine THE PAST IS JUST THAT… cooler… the big dishwasher and the small one LIFE GOES ON management did not want a female anchor… for overflow. Can you imagine?” She gives the cut-ins were my audition.” To see Daphne now, you would never guess her us a demonstration of her newest best friend, Bruce recalls, “Dr. [Dick] Rice had the condition. “I give myself a shot every day to foresight to give the news department suppress my immune system… have for the past a ‘Soda Stream” which adds air to water but doesn’t carbonate it. It’s great in my wine independence from the rest of the operation. 14 years… no attacks. spritzer with a squeeze of freshManagement was diametrically opposed to Any damage is still there: picked Persian having a woman do the news. I stood my I’m colour blind in my lime. ground.” right eye. Brown is Daphne doesn’t Daphne took the chair next to Rick Brown magenta.” get into details of in September 1980 for a full-on, one-hour She has a golf her marriage to newscast—the first female anchor in Western handicap of 16, up Jack Little (of the Canada. “The ratings were spectacular. It from 12 because of J.B Little & Sons put Edmonton in the big leagues,” she says the sand traps, and brick family), other with justifiable pride. Bruce concurs, “We water on 23 of the than to say that, knocked them dead… dazzled them.” 27 holes at The after its failure, she “Bruce was vindicated,” says Daphne. Lakes Golf Club. created a checklist “He should get credit. For every woman in She plays regularly Now: Daphn e at her for the next man this business, there has to be a man who has and in tournaments, Palm Desert in her life. Alvin the vision… for me that was Bruce.” sporting around the home Kuehn met all her She shared the screen with a number complex and the criteria and then of co-anchors for the next 14 years. She course in her “Bentley” golf some. They have covered landmark events: The 1987 tornado cart. She’s getting involved in been happily wed is foremost in her mind… along with the activities at The Lakes: Daphne for 24 years… life Pope’s visit, the visit by Chuck and Di, the emceed the fashion show, partners, business Gretzky wedding and his trade—too many narrated a video for CBS, is partners, parents. to list. scheduled to do commentary on They’ll return to a pros-vs-pros golf tournament, Edmonton sooner and belongs to the book club. CAREER CUT SHORT than they would “I love history, and admire On March 31, 1994, Daphne took herself off prefer; Stephanie, Alexander the Great—he had the air. a 19-year old the soul of a poet—and Peter She had been diagnosed with multiple University of the Great. It’s mind-boggling sclerosis. “The first MS attack took away a Alberta student, what they went through to lot of my memory but, mostly I felt fine.” has a concert. drag the world into the next Soon, the disease took its toll on her vision Daphne insists phase. Imagine joining them and mobility. we stay for dinner. in a think tank.” Daphne “I was so sick, I can’t tell you. For the Alvin barbecues relishes stimulating debates, last two months, I was blind in one eye… the steaks to her wants to discuss things at an couldn’t walk straight… couldn’t remember specifications; she important, visceral level. “I’m what I had done or not done… struggled to Daphne emceed a grills the chicken, a melancholic and deep thinker. enunciate. I was pathetic. fashion show in style roasts the veggies, I really like to flail the human “For the next year-and-a-half, I slept creates the salad image and get to the core.” 18 to 22 hours a day.” Coping with her and whips up the dressing. Guests are not Who would she like to have dinner with? responsibilities to her three-year old allowed to help. The banter is relaxed… the “Margaret Thatcher. And, I would like more daughter Stephanie was a daily challenge. red wine is chilled. time with my Mom who died two years ago but Bruce admires her courage and laments A wonderful visit. Informative, too: Daphne had really been gone from us for seven. I would the loss to the news department… and the shares a secret, “Add a splash of Scotch to rather thrust bamboo up my thumbs than dine broadcast industry. “She was a delight, one your margarita—it makes it almost creamy.” √ with Hanoi Jane!” of the reasons CFRN had such great ratings. Daphne was on a par with any anchor in Canada. She elevated the standard of journalism—not just in Edmonton, but in Alberta and Canada. She is one of the finest journalists I ever met.” What does she miss most? “The greatest thing about working in the newsroom is the people. Informed. Brilliant. Rapacious wit. Talented— conservatively 75 percent of them have a gift of music. I miss the camaraderie most. I’ve never found that closeness again.”
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
17
SOCIALMEDIA101
with Doug Lacombe
Social media audits
balance art & science
C
onsiderable evidence
exists that social media is rapidly evolving from the shiny new marketing toy to a standard part of the media mix. Nowadays, almost every campaign at least considers doing a YouTube video or a blog or a Facebook page. What sometimes gets forgotten is the post-mortem: Was using social media worth it? Where do we go from here? That’s where a social media audit comes in. I’ve long held the belief that communications is as much art as science. Yes, I try to maximize reach and frequency and lower cost per thousand impressions for my clients, but that doesn’t capture the art of conversation, or even persuasion. There is no formula that says how many interactions it takes for me to enlighten, engage, educate or persuade you. Yet typically that’s what we communicators need to do.
SIFTING RAW DATA FOR NUGGETS
I used to think the word audit meant a precise accounting of assets and holdings. Then my accountant friends enlightened me that even in a profession as buttoned down as accounting interpretation plays a large part. Had I only known that 20 years ago when applying for student loans! A social media audit, then, is essentially the process of sifting through a bunch of raw data to try to determine if the social media program is “working” or optimized, according to the original goals of the program. You did have clearly-stated goals, right? Numbers in isolation only tell you so much. The classic mistake is to proudly report something like “we have grown to 10,000 Twitter followers” which says
18
nothing about whether these are the right people to be communicating with, whether they are listening at all and, even if they are listening, whether you are having any impact. Like a forensic auditor, it’s best to take a number of measures and then correlate the results to see what impact your program is having. You might consider gathering raw data on several different variables, such as reach (fans/followers), frequency (adherence to publishing schedules), engagement (conversations, comments, retweets, likes), influence (Klout score, Twitter ratios, blog score, pagerank), and sentiment (positive, negative or neutral brand mentions). For example, let’s say you have oodles of Twitter followers, but you broadcast only, talk only about your company, rarely or never chat with anyone and never get retweeted. It’s safe to say people are tuning you out. If your goal was to tick the social media box on your performance review, great, you’re done… but, assuming you set out to actually do something useful, this is not it. When I conduct a social media audit, it necessarily starts with the question, “What were you trying to achieve?” Without knowing where you intended to go, I can hardly assess if you are en route. Let’s say your objective was to increase positive mentions of a big project. The very word increase means you need a baseline measure—how many positive mentions did we have before we worked our magic, then how many positive mentions after we worked our magic. Did it increase? If yes, good, if not, why not? Good research is a critical companion to good
communications, including social media. Some art coupled with some science is a powerful combination. I recommend a hub and spoke publishing system to my clients, where your website/ blog is the centre of your media empire. Therefore, a critical data source for a social media audit is web analytics, usually Google Analytics. Google Analytics can tell you things like sources of traffic, entrance and exit points, time spent on the site, bounce rate and more. It really helps to know if people generally come to your site from Twitter but then run away screaming within 30 seconds. Okay, Google doesn’t measure screaming (yet) but you get my point.
CONTENT MARKETING: THE HEART OF SOCIAL MEDIA
All these things provide clues to the success or failure of your content marketing. And content marketing is at the heart of social media. Other tools like Website Grader, Twitter Grader, Twitalyzer, Facebook Insights, YouTube Insights and more provide a plethora of data points with which to evaluate your social media efforts. To be useful, someone has to aggregate and assimilate all this data and draw conclusions from it. Hard work, but it beats chasing meaningless fans and followers, and it balances the art of communications (which can be tough to defend in the boardroom) with science. √ Doug Lacombe is president of Calgary social media agency communicato, and a frequent contributor to Troy Media. He practices the art and science of communications at communicatto.com. EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
WALKINGTHETALK
Barbara Ashley Phillips
Women have a natural advantage
W
omen are culturally
blessed with ease of communication. As women not bound to a history of abuse (there may have been abuse, but it does not define us now), we have the qualities of a flock of quail—unafraid of touch, eagerly exploring life with others of quail-kind. Our secret is that we connect with each other so easily. Some years back, I used to put out over the course of a winter on my ranch in Eastern Oregon… some 200 pounds of birdseed into a single feeder, frequented by a growing—and growingly plump—flock of quail, refined chickadees and blue jays. The quail would come rank-on-rank, first one layer, then another on top of that, eagerly noshing. Sometimes a bird would even try for a third layer, but mostly would have to fly off, since it was too high to reach the seed. The Steller’s Jay, on the other hand, was imperial in its eating—alone on its side of the feeder, staring down any bird that challenged its control. The quail didn’t mind: They just came right up anyway and, after a futile attempt at fending them off, the Jay left. There is power in collaboration that isn’t available to the lone bird, however haughty and controlling. Men, not developed in their feminine side, are at a disadvantage in this. Their camaraderie is often bought at the pub at the expense of clarity. How often do you see a group of men happily walking together chatting away on the street? How often, a group of women? Women do not challenge each other automatically as men do. Women everywhere easily sit face-to-face. Men are generally less comfortable doing this. Their “best sitting” is side-by-side, shoulder-toshoulder. If you have a teenage son, you’ve no doubt already observed that the best chance for a meaningful conversation happens when you’re driving together in a car—especially if he gets to drive. Long trips are great. EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
Ladies: This natural ease makes it easy for you to do the one thing that is the hallmark of business leaders and successful entrepreneurs: Get yourself a mentoring or advisory team. Three will do. Talk with them one-on-one. Listen to them. Convene them and celebrate them. However good your ideas, they will be better when explored with others who have the wisdom and experience to help you recognize your assumptions and ask you powerful questions. Your advisory board has no responsibility except to help you grow your perspective and insight. It can be your key to a healthy, yeasty and powerful presence in your work or your business. (Mastermind groups can work too – more on that later.) And, for inspiration, treat yourself to Maya Angelou’s poem, Phenomenal Woman. All of her self-contained earthiness has a place in the world of business, because it is deeply connecting to both men and women. Phenomenal Woman does not walk in fear of offending… in trying to do what she imagines others expect of her… in trying to be anything but herself. That’s her secret. Her authenticity radiates. She would never fail to step up in the cause of justice or to put her all into whatever she does. As a lawyer in the ’70s, I represented women struggling in the workplace for equal pay and equal opportunity. The biggest case, Wells vs. Bank of America, took four years to conclude. Initially, I worked alone—the firm I was with didn’t want the business risk of suing one of the biggest banks in the world. We later organized teams of volunteers, brilliantly co-ordinated by a remarkable young woman who previously had worked only as a nanny, Margit Roos-Collins. We had potluck strategy sessions amongst the plaintiffs. We had bake sales on the courthouse steps and received secret messages from “moles”— people on the inside who supported us. Over the four years and up to today, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The
only thing that made it possible was our networking. And the case was landmark: the first promotion-defined women’s class action successfully concluded, reaching into the stodgy world of banking and, from there, onward. What’s important in this is that women do well when they step up and when they band together. You won’t step up if you are holding personally to a wrong you believe someone did to you in the past. Making personal what someone else did to you is like attaching yourself to an anchor in that past. You can’t change the past. You can only change your relationship to it. Do what you were born to do. Get on with it. If it’s someone you still know, you can sort it with them without blame. If it’s ongoing… if you’re in a crummy job, or have a crummy boss or co-worker, treat it as a learning experience. Why are you there? How did this come about? Do what you can to deal creatively and constructively with the situation, harvest the learning, and move on. Sometimes the best insights come out of failure. By integrating these, you transform failure into success. There’s so much more to you than you have seen so far in your life. Let it out. Don’t resign yourself to the banal and mediocre. Build your team. Build your network. Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability, staying alert to deeper learning and opportunities to grow yourself into the mature, wise woman that awaits inside of you. She’s phenomenal. √ Barbara Ashley Phillips coaches, facilitates, mediates and trains in high level communication and conflict management skills as well as new leadership perspectives and abilities. These bring more of your resourcefulness forward in your life. She is also a public speaker. Contact: E-mail barbara@co-creating.ca, phone 780-465-1721, or visit www.co-creating.ca.
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BUSINESSBRIEFS
Edmonton Women T HREE EDMONTONIANS AMONG FIVE ALBERTANS ON LIST OF CANADA’S 20 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) recently announced today the 20 women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list (MIW) for 2011. The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and role models making a difference on the Canadian or international scene. The Edmonton women who contributed in a significant way to sport and physical activity are: Dr Jodi Abbott, president and CEO of NorQuest College. In 2011, she received the FOX 40 Kitch MacPherson Award of Excellence by Sports Officials Canada. A Skate Canada board member, she is chair of the High Performance Committee, as well as a clinic leader and mentor for other officials. Dr. Abbott has been a judge for 18 years at the national level and 12 years internationally, and was selected to judge at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. She is qualified for the highest level of officiating, World and Olympic level judge, for all three skating disciplines in pair, singles, and ice dance. Dr. Vicki Harber, a professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta. In 2011, she received the McCalla Professorship Award from the U of A. She worked with the Tri Leisure Centre to create a physical literacy inventory and rber a run a pilot H i k ic V Dr. activity camp for young girls, and with Canadian Sport Centre Pacific on a comprehensive survey of the physical literacy levels in Olympians and national
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level athletes. Dr. Harber was a keynote speaker at the CS4L Summit in Ottawa, and co-presented with Richard Way at the 2011 International Physical Literacy Conference in Bedfordshire, UK. A two-time Olympic rower, she is on the Sport for Life (CS4L) Leadership Team and a member of its Expert Group, a movement to improve the quality of sport and physical activity in Canada. Karen Rackel, a lawyer who has played some competitive golf—mostly as a junior. In 2011, she became a trailblazer when she was appointed as the first women ever to serve as president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association in its 116-year-old history. Operating as Golf Canada, the association represents close to 350,000 members at 1,500 clubs across the country. It
bbott
Dr. Jody A
is responsible for growing participation and excellence in the sport, a mandate which becomes even more important Karen Rac with golf’s kel inclusion as an Olympic sport in 2016. Rackel is a member of numerous professional affiliations including the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian and Edmonton Bar Associations, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and the Collaborative Estate and Trust Lawyers. She is also Level 2 certified in the Golf Rules Education program. The other Albertans to make the MIW list are Becky Scott of Vermilion, and Claire Buffone-Blair of Calgary. Scott is a two-time Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing. The sports advocate is a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and International
Olympic Committee (IOC), and is the IOC Athletes Commission Representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Foundation Board as well as on the COC’s Athlete’s Commission. In 2011, Scott was named Chef de Mission for the Canadian Youth Olympic Team and co-chair of Cross Country Canada’s Women’s Committee. Buffone-Blair was named for her role as president and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, a museum that promotes the importance of sport to Canadians and our culture. It honours 520 Canadian athletes and builders representing 60 sports. She helped raise $10 million in corporate and philanthropic funding; administered $15 million in government financial agreements; and negotiated several corporate agreements and sponsorship deals.
WOMEN AND THE TRADES— A NEW PARTNERSHIP
The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) in Edmonton recently announced that it had become a premier sponsor of Women Building Futures’ (WBF) Opportunities for Women in Trades Awareness program. Through the partnership approximately 7,500 women will learn about CLAC and career opportunities in construction. “In light of Alberta’s recent economic recovery, it is in everyone’s best interest to ensure that the province has the workforce it will need to build and maintain commercial and industrial projects, now and into the future,” said Dick Heinen, CLAC executive director. “Our new partnership with Women Building Futures will help to achieve this goal.” According to its website “CLAC is an independent Canadian labour union representing over 50,000 workers in a wide range of sectors construction, health care, retail, service, transportation, manufacturing, and others. Based on principles that promote the values of respect, dignity, fairness, and integrity, CLAC’s approach to labour relations stresses membership advocacy, cooperation, and the long term interests of the workplace community.” “This partnership conveys a clear message to women that CLAC and its signatory companies are serious about EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
making their mark r
JudyLynn Arche
hiring and retaining more tradeswomen,” said JudyLynn Archer, WBF president and CEO. “Visionary leadership like this builds new capacities for workforce growth and sustainability. It is the
future—it is now.” WBF offers women pre-trades competency-based training in welding, steamfitting/pipefitting, plumbing, sheet metal, carpentry, and electrical at the WB Futures Suncor Energy Training Centre, located in Edmonton. The partnership between CLAC and WBF will be in place for a minimum of three years.
PROMINENT RESEARCHERS JOIN JR SHAW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
“We are very excited about the addition of these extremely talented individuals to the JR Shaw School of Business. Their work will reinforce NAIT’s reputation as a leader in applied research that solves realworld problems,” said NAIT president and CEO Dr. Glenn Feltham when he recently announced the appointment of two high profile researchers to the JR Shaw School of Business.
Dr. Aarti Sharma has been named the business school’s first-ever chair of applied research. Her work will focus on sustainable
Dr. Krista Uggerslev & Dr. Aarti Sharma economic development strategies and policies in Alberta, which balance economic growth with environmental conservation and social development. “Working closely with NAIT faculty, staff and students as well as with Canadian businesses and government agencies, I am endeavouring to advance understanding and practices promoting sustainable enterprise strategies and sustainable development policies within Alberta and Canada,” explained Dr. Sharma.
With Norman Leach
Dr. Krista Uggerslev has been appointed as applied research fellow, another first for the school. Her work will focus on finding solutions to ongoing challenges facing employers and governments, particularly around talent management and labour shortages. “I came to NAIT because I am interested in solving the real-world challenges facing businesses, this province and this country— today,” Dr. Uggerslev said. “I want to make an impactful difference in recruiting and retaining top talent within Alberta and Canada. My goal is to help us understand what’s ahead and help to guide us towards solutions.” √ Norman Leach, president of Norman Leach & Associates, is an Alberta-based business consultant, university lecturer and writer who works with companies and non-profit organizations to expand both their domestic and international markets.
17456 - 102 Avenue Edmonton, AB Tel: (780)701-0465 Toll-Free: 1-(888) 218-6016
www.westsideacura.com E-Mail: info@westsideacura.com
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
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LIFEBALANCE
with Lynn Fraser
Lynn’s 3 Ds
L
et me set the scene. I’ve
just arrived home from a weeklong business trip to Vancouver and Victoria. I’m coughing and feeling tired and grumpy. Oh no… I still have a month more of travel for speaking engagements. I don’t have time to be sick right now. And that’s not all… I drag in my suitcases, and find the furnace installers in the basement, the old furnace sitting in the backyard, the house smelling like glue, the laundry room emptied pell-mell into the basement (thanks, honey… I think), and dust on everything. Oh… and what’s for dinner? Heck, if I know. But, looking around, there’s only the poodle, the furnace installers and me. Guess I’ll be rustling up something in a hurry. So now what? It’s been quite hectic: ping pong travel across the country for speaking engagements with Edmonton dates in between, not to mention hosting family dinners, a funeral, home upgrades, plus a new volunteer role as a couple. I said to my family and fabulous assistant, Gloria, “The goal this winter is to keep Lynn sane!” Here’s what I’ve learned: Do, Delegate or Drop It!
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THE FIRST D: DO IT!
I get the picture… you have sooo much to do and sooo little time, right? Well, it’s still worth carving out the time to plan how to best handle it! Here’s how: The personal “I have to do” stuff like laundry gets done… a load here, a fold there. Whenever possible I combine tasks. I dropped my sandals off with my
boots for dyeing so I’m ready for any weather. “Do with” is a good strategy too. One Sunday, I looked at my appointments (date with our son; groceries, buddy coaching) and asked Devin if he would help with the groceries and then we’d stop for a coffee after. Bingo! Quality time with our son, plus a stocked fridge and freezer before I hop on the next plane. Work wise, I’m writing the first draft of this article on Jericho Beach in Vancouver after facilitating a productivity program in Victoria two days earlier. One of the lifesavers has been the breaks I intentionally built into my travel schedule. In this instance, I saw my parents in Victoria then caught the ferry to Vancouver to spend time walking on the beach, writing and catching up with cousins. Earlier in the month, I stayed over an extra day in Thunder Bay to tour around after opening a conference. One of my colleagues who spoke at the same conference commented, “If I realized how beautiful it would be, I would have stayed longer.” Too bad. Next time, I recommend planning in the time for re-creation. The time and energy you spend in renewal activities will deliver great returns in your productivity back at the office. EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
THE SECOND D: DELEGATE
I heard this objection from a seminar participant, “Yah, Lynn, I hear this all the time: delegate, delegate, delegate. Nice idea, but I’m low man on the totem pole. Who do I delegate to… my cat?” Ah, yes. This strategy includes putting in place good systems, delegating to the people in your life, plus having courageous conversations. One system we rely on is our Family Binder, which sits on the kitchen counter. Everything is in there: my travel info, our daughter’s university schedule, phone numbers, community, fitness, entertainment and transit schedules, discount coupons. Our son found a great app for us to stay connected on our devices: Cozi.com. Each week, I enter our schedules, to the best of my knowledge, and then others can add to it as needed. Everything is colour-coded: Red for All, Orange for Lynn, etc… It includes sections for grocery lists, to-do lists and a journal section to keep a running diary of what’s happening in our household.
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
Other systems I recommend include using your iCal or Outlook Calendar, Tasks and Reminders to their fullest. Why not ask your IT department to do a training session for your department? Or, as an entrepreneur, how about signing up for a class? I delegate to my assistant, Gloria, housecleaning, photocopying, restocking supplies and prepping food for hosting major occasions. She’s worth every penny I invest and, for the most part, everything she does is very helpful. Occasionally things go awry… like at a recent Fraser family dinner when the tapered candles melted into bizarre sculptures as the dinner progressed. (Oh well… it was an amusing conversation piece!) For those who don’t have anyone to delegate to, refer to the other two Ds… or go to your supervisor with your tasks prioritized as realistically as you can according to their deadlines and ask for assistance with what is top priority in his/her books. You may be surprised that the deadline for that report can be forwarded once your supervisor looks at the big picture!
THE THIRD D: DROP IT!
Surveys show that on average 24 percent of our day is spent on unproductive activities. Cut out or delegate anything on your task list that doesn’t have long term consequences for your work or life. I always ask myself, “What really matters here?” Before my busy schedule started, I told my family, friends and colleagues, “If you don’t hear from me it’s not because I don’t care about you, it’s that I’m adjusting to an accelerated travel schedule and new program offerings; I will resurface in a few months!” I’ve used quick e-mails and text messages to plan gettogethers where we spend quality time together. I often start my client conversations with, “So sorry to take so long to get back to you, I’ve been away on business…” The typical response has been, “It’s okay, Lynn, I’ve been so busy I haven’t gotten back to that project yet.”
The biggest lesson I’m learning is to develop strong relationships by communicating with clients and suppliers on a regular basis. Sometimes you can re-negotiate a deadline or payment; other times, it may need to be forwarded or dropped. It helps if the customer knows what’s up with you so you can both adjust, to the best of your abilities. And when you drop the ball… apologize, offer solutions for next time and give yourself Grace. Then roll with it! One thing you know for darn sure: Doing it all and doing it all yourself is a recipe for burnout. Decide on one of the Three D strategies to start doing this week—Do, Delegate or Drop It. And take note in 21 days how that’s working for you. Roger Staubach suggests, “Spectacular achievements are always preceded by unspectacular preparation.” So, what are you waiting for? Dive in! √ Lynn Fraser, The Practical Life Balance Expert with Balance Your World Training & Coaching, is an enlightening speaker and a whole-hearted coach mentor. She works with individuals, as well as corporate and association teams who desire to become Healthy Focused People Attaining Sustainable Results. Visit her website at www.lynnfraser.ca.
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CREATIVEINTERIORS with Cheryll Gillespie & Sam Shakura
Live like a millionaire… even if you’re not
C
her and I, at Rock
House of Design Inc., have been privileged to work with monstrous budgets, international zip codes, high profile clients and celebrity icons. If there’s one thing these tycoons, moguls and divas have in common, it’s their unapologetic attitudes toward fabulous living. They understand the value of loving their homes as sacred sanctuaries, and they guiltlessly indulge in using the precious china for everyday meals. They surround themselves solely with things that they love, and they design their homes as much for their own hedonist pleasures as they do for entertaining others. Now, I know what you’re all saying: “If I had deep pockets, I’d live fabulously too!” But you don’t have to be a millionaire to
live like a millionaire! We’ve learned some pretty awesome tricks for ‘living rich’ without spending a ton of money, and we truly believe that everyone, from all walks of life, deserves to love the life they live and live in a home they truly love. No self-respecting millionaire would be caught dead surrounded in clutter and mess. Each room should be spotlessly
that much space in your beloved sanctuary? Millionaires know the value of giving back to the community, so follow suit and donate your clutter to charity. Luxurious rooms and the most talented designers know how to mix up styles, look at your inspiration (shelter magazines) and you’ll probably note that there are both modern and traditional pieces in those incredible rooms. The Rich & Famous love investing in special antique pieces, whether for traditional spaces or to be juxtaposed with contemporary furnishings. This look is affordably achieved by refurbishing an old, rusted ‘piece-of-junk’ chair or cabinet. Simply repaint and then wax for an antiqued effect. Millionaires love their extravagant libraries, and top designers adore using gorgeous coffee table books to help elevate smaller accessories, tiein colour palettes and help establish
cleaned, glass should sparkle, metals should twinkle and not one speck of dust should be found (like the cleaning staff has been through this room daily). If you can’t afford a maid, get out your elbow grease and treat your home to a thorough Spring cleanse. Get rid of everything that’s no longer working, past its due date, doesn’t turn you on when you look at it, or has out grown you. If you don’t love it, or use it regularly, is it worthy of taking up
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EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
the mood of the space. You’ll only need to invest in three large hardcover books to have a sufficient stack. So look for books with themes of architecture, luxury lifestyle, travel or art with colourful jackets that relate to your living room palette. Fake it ’til you make it with sensual textures like faux fur, velvet and silk. Even if it’s a small item such as a toss pillow or throw, these textures connote instant pleasure and blissful high living. Stock your kitchen with only white dishes and serving ware, like high-end restaurants do. Keeping this uniform colour palette will not only look classy, it’ll save you money when one item breaks—you won’t have to replace the entire set! This way you can also mix and match styles and brands as you come across items on clearance. For special dinner parties, it’s easy to toss in gorgeous antique salad plates or champagne glasses with 24 Karat gold rims because everything looks good with white! Check out thrift stores, pawnshops and flea markets for a set of glasses or plates to mix in with your white serving pieces.
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
favourite grocery store, which are always substantially less expensive or opt for a single stemmed rose—glamorous, especially in your master bedroom or powder room. Potted hydrangeas are another frugal option, as they can stay beautifully in bloom for months indoors with a little TLC. No luxury home is complete without expensive artwork. If you can’t afford an original Basquiat or Picasso, lay some canvas on the ground, pull out your paints and play! You’d be absolutely astonished at what fabulous abstract art you can create on your own. Just invest in the stretching and framing of your canvas, and no one will ever guess you did it yourself! No matter your net worth, your nest can look and feel as opulent as you want it to! √
If the thought of weekly spa visits gives you budget nightmares, turn your bathroom into a personal spa. Don’t have an inhouse masseuse? How about a massaging showerhead? From a pulsing blast to a soft rain shower-like mist, you can have what you need, when you need it. Spritz essential oils in your shower, which will smell heavenly in the steam. Invest in two thick, luxurious towels and, for an extra $5 to $10, have them monogrammed with your initials or ‘estate name’ (ie: give your manor a title like “Cindy’s Castle” or “The Rock House”). Have candles and expensive organic bubble bath beside the tub, ready to go, for an impromptu relaxation moment. Don’t forget the iPod station for instant zen. Fresh flowers scream luxury, but big bouquets from the florist can be quite pricey. Check out the floral arrangements at your
Cheryll Gillespie and Sam Shakura are the mother-daughter creative force behind the fashionforward firm Rock House of Design Inc. Internationally renowned interior designers, TV personalities, national radio hosts, guest speakers and columnists for over 290 publications, Cheryll & Sam are fabulous living experts. Check out these style tastemakers online at www.rockhouseofdesign.com
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GOOGLEGURU
with Shawn Moore
Grow Your Company’s Bottom Line: Install HR Tools on Your Web Site
Q:
We spend a significant budget each year on attracting and hiring new people for our team. Much of my time is consumed with interviewing and hiring people. Can we leverage our web site to do more in this area to reduce our expenses?
A:
Absolutely! Many businesses these days are installing some form of HR component into their web sites. The benefits are significant. By now you are probably familiar with Monster or other employment sites on the Net. You may even subscribe to one of these services yourself. These web sites essentially allow you to post your jobs online quickly (same day in fact). Their software programs will allow you to screen applicants by region, skill set, experience and so on, and will do this for a fraction of the price you would pay for listing a job posting in a local newspaper, hiring a headhunting or recruitment service, or going with a temp agency. One of the major
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benefits to doing this online is that you are also assured that you are getting a fairly savvy Internet users who are utilizing the technology to find employment. This means they know how to use browsers, can conduct Internet searches, value their time, can type, etc. In general, you will be a attracting someone with stronger computer skills, which will always be good for your business—particularly with the inevitable direction we are all going with the Internet and technology. Big employment sites like Monster are great but, unless you religiously post your vacancies there, you are not in the game. One of the most popular strategies that I see many businesses employing these days is actually building a “mini Monster” on their own sites. You see, when people start looking for a job, they will go to the main sites but they will also type in the industry, area and service categories. They may even know who you are and go to your site to directly look for opportunities within your organization. Installing an HR function on your site will not only allow you to have full control over attracting and hiring new people, it also has the ability to save your management team an amazing amount of time! When you build your own custom interview system on your
web site, you can integrate the interview process… and many companies go as far as grading their applicants with their online system. This way, HR managers are contacting only the most qualified of those who apply, which has the potential to save them literally hundreds of hours every year. This, of course, makes them far more efficient, adding to the company’s bottom line. In some instances, companies can eliminate their HR advertising budget altogether because the web site becomes so proactive with employment resume/application acquisition that they don’t have to run ads any longer. So, in the end, it’s a triple win: Your business saves money on running ads… HR saves time with more efficiency… and you ultimately get a better qualified applicants who have actually taken the time to read through your web site and learn a lot more about your company and what you have to offer in terms of corporate culture, products and vision, providing you with candidates who are generally a better fit for a long term future with your company. √ Shawn Moore is president and CEO of Think Profits.com Inc. Have a question for our Google Guru? Email: shawn@thinkprofits.com
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT
with Mark Wardell
T
How to get more time
he number one complaint
I heard from business owners in 2011 went something like this: “I never have enough time”. No surprise here. It’s a taxing job running a company and, at the end of the day, many of us entrepreneurs are left feeling we just didn’t have a chance to do everything we needed to for optimal business growth. We’ve all heard the comparison of the business owner to a hamster on a treadmill. It’s a strong picture because many of us have indeed put in those 50- or 60-hour work weeks yet somehow end up feeling we haven’t been able to “really do anything.” The question really is: Who does have enough time? The answer: Those of us who learn the secret to managing not only our time but also our resources, people, schedules and demands. To get more time, we need a paradigm shift on how we view and value time. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you shift the way you see time, and get more of it for yourself and your business this year. 1. Track your time. For two weeks, take notes on every hour you spend… from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed. Keep a journal and record everything you do. At the end of the two weeks, identify the categories of work you engaged in: client time, employee time, administrative time, planning time, and even personal time if you’d like to better manage that as well (why not?) This is a great exercise because you’ll end up with real data you can analyze vs. relying on your self-perceptions, which—let’s face it—tend to be less accurate. Many of us think we are more efficient than we actually are. 2. Analyze your time. As you look at where you’re spending your time, identify your “high-value” vs. “low value” work. The high value work is the work you should be doing more of—the work that you do to invest in the growth of your business and is, therefore, the highest value to yourself and the company. Conversely, lower-value work is all of the
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
work that you could technically be outsourcing or delegating to other team members or an outside agency. 3. Learn to outsource and delegate. If you’re someone who thinks that nobody else can do what you do, well, you’re most likely wrong. In many cases, if you take some time to carefully document the procedure, you can train someone else to take it over. Sometimes it helps to break it down to understand the full value, to you, of doing this. Consider that saving 10 minutes per day adds up to a full working week per year. 4. Train your employees to think for themselves. As you analyze your time, you’ll likely notice that there is a big percentage of your time spent that could be delegated. One of the most effective ways to free yourself from unnecessary time restraints is to train your employees to think for themselves. Don’t answer every question that comes across your desk but, rather, put it back to your employees to figure out the answer for themselves. Ask them, “What would you do if I wasn’t here?” You might be surprised at how well they rise to the challenge. 5. Make the structural or procedural changes needed to support your people. If your employees have a difficult time finding the answers without you, this is a strong indication that perhaps a procedural manual is needed, or that you need to make some information easier to locate on shared files. Whatever the case, the quicker you can get your business running well without it hinging on you for input at every turn, the more valuable it will be. 6. Adopt a new paradigm on scheduling. Ok, so you’ve tracked your time and you see where the big changes need to be made. Now it’s time to move forward. The trick is not to be reactive with your time, but to proactively schedule the important, “high value” business time each week.
For example, if you don’t schedule your strategic planning time, it’s likely you’ll never get around to it. Other seemingly more urgent tasks will always take precedence. I’d also recommend that instead of an open door policy, you take non-emergency meeting requests from staff. This will help you avoid answering quick questions that could be solved without you (and interrupt your own productivity). Scheduled one-on-one meetings also ensure your people get your full attention when they need it. 7. Schedule weekly staff meetings. This is a great way to not only decrease the need for spontaneous meetings that interrupt you, but also to more thoroughly and productively motivate your team leaders and gauge their progress. 8. Find an amazing gatekeeper. A competent yet slightly ruthless (think friendly pit-bull) assistant is the secret to many a business owner’s success. Finding the right person isn’t easy though, so once you do, make sure you do everything you can to keep them! Achieving a paradigm shift around the way you value your time is, in my experience, life changing and business changing. Invest in the required structural and procedural changes now and you’ll set your business up for optimal long-term growth. Soon, you’ll find yourself achieving more in a 40-hour work week than you once did in a 60-hour week. You may even find the word “vacation” entering into your vocabulary. √ Mark is president and founder of Wardell Professional Development (www.wardell. biz), an advisory group that helps business owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly for several national business publications, including Profit Magazine, the Globe and Mail, and CGA Magazine. Email him at mark@wardell.biz
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MERGERS&ACQUISITIONS
with Jey Arul
The road less travelled
by women entrepreneurs
A
transition into small business
is a natural progression for countless women who have invested the first phase of their careers in the corporate world. Paradoxically, many women are not focused on these opportunities or, if they are, they are unaware of the entire spectrum of possibilities, which includes not only starting a business from scratch, but buying a business as well as partnering with other existing small business owners. Women do not arrive easily at the conviction that they can “find and afford to” acquire an existing business that also fulfills their personal passions and interests. In fact, at VR we have noticed that less than 10 percent of independent businesses and less than 25 percent of franchises we sell are acquired by women. Those who seek to buy a business rather than start a business are indeed a rare breed, but that’s mainly due to lack of exposure rather than lack of suitability. Although the general public has heard the message that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, not only is the topic of “entrepreneurship by acquisition” rarely featured in the mainstream press, it’s not a common topic in women’s publications either. I was surprised how little information is available on the many women’s associations and entrepreneurship organizations sites on the topic of buying and selling businesses. Ironically, my experience shows that women can relate better to the small
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business pitch than most men, and they are especially hungry for entrepreneurial career solutions. They want to be their own bosses, set their own schedules and priorities, earn incomes directly related to their business talents and contributions, and feel proud about the products and services they are offering. They should and, hopefully will in the future, make up about half of all business buyers. Whether you are a woman in business for yourself or someone who has the chance to advise women in their entrepreneurial endeavours, here are some key insights that will open your eyes to all the options in the world of small business:
You can express your passion through a business you did not start.
Before you decide to risk everything to pursue your original business idea, explore whether you can improve upon someone else’s existing concept or similar business. For many women, passion is the vital ingredient in a business, but you should be open to different ways of igniting and channeling that passion. Businesses that have customers and cash flow provide an entrepreneur an amazing head start—something to get passionate about in its own right!
Seeking adequate financing early allows you to grow to your optimal size. Many women-owned businesses start small, and often stay small. Million-dollar revenue businesses owned by men outnumber those owned by women by about 8 to 1. Don’t let this be you. Seek bank financing and/
or seller financing as a way of ensuring that the business you buy will be sustainable. And, as you do so, don’t be too afraid of giving a personal guarantee—it’s simply an established part of doing business.
Women, with their excellent relationship skills, are well suited to taking over existing businesses and working through transitions with retiring business owners.
Anyone who has bought an existing business or taken over a family company knows how valuable the expertise of the departing owner can be in a transition. Women’s less aggressive, team-oriented management styles can often work well in these situations. If you’re saying to yourself, “Yeah, all this sounds really great, but will I be able to do it?” then you’ve just got to keep educating yourself. The Internet is a good place to do this. It’s a reasonably economic way to do the research, and it’s a good place to start networking! Take some time to search the web (make sure you check http://www. smartwomen-smallbusiness.com/) to find more information that can help you find a business that you can buy and grow. √ Jey Arul is president of VR Business Sales in Edmonton, AB. He started the mergers and acquisitions company in 2007 after leaving his position as a senior commercial banker for a Canadian Bank. Jey holds a BA in Psychology and an Executive MBA. Visit www.vralta.com EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
LEGALLYSPEAKING
with Ian L. Wachowicz
I
Ontario Court of Appeal
recognizes your right to sue for
invasion of privacy
n the case of Jones v. Tsige,
2012 ONCA 32, the Ontario Court of Appeal recognized the existence of a new cause of action in civil courts for “intrusion upon seclusion”, or in more common words, for invasion of privacy. In July 2009, Sandra Jones discovered that Winnie Tsige had been surreptitiously looking at Jones’ banking records. Tsige and Jones did not know each other despite the fact that they both worked for the same bank, and Tsige had formed a common-law relationship with Jones’ former husband. As a bank employee, Tsige had full access to Jones’ banking information and, contrary to the bank’s policy, looked into Jones’ banking records at least 174 times over a period of four years. The information displayed included transactions details, as well as personal information such as date of birth, marital status and address. Tsige did not publish, distribute or record the information in any way. Tsige was eventually confronted by the bank once her activities were discovered. She explained that she was involved in a financial dispute with Jones’ former husband and accessed the accounts to confirm whether he was paying child support to Jones. Jones did not accept that explanation as she said it was inconsistent with the timing and frequency of Tsige’s snooping. Tsige apologized for her actions and insisted that she has ceased looking at Jones’ banking information. Tsige was contrite and embarrassed by her actions. The bank disciplined Tsige by suspending her for one week without pay and denying her a bonus. Jones sued in civil court in Ontario for damages, but a judge of the court summarily dismissed the action, as, in the trial judge’s view, the statement of claim did not disclose a cause of action. Jones appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal.
THE DECISION
The Court of Appeal acknowledged that the question of whether a common law cause of action for invasion of privacy exists has been disputed for the “past one hundred and twenty years” and set out to settle the debate. After a EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
thorough review of Canadian common law and statutes, as well as U.S. and Commonwealth jurisprudence, the Court held that it was appropriate “to confirm the existence of a right of action for intrusion upon seclusion” or common law action for breach of privacy. The Court put forward three rationales in support of its decision. Firstly, the case law supports the existence of such a cause of action. Secondly, changes in technology have brought about an “enormous change in the way we communicate and in our capacity to capture, store and retrieve information.” Finally, the Court felt that they were presented “with facts that cry out for a remedy.”
ELEMENTS OF THE CAUSE OF ACTION
The Court adopted three elements for this cause of action: 1. The defendant’s conduct must be intentional and this includes recklessness; 2. The invasion must be of the plaintiffs’ private affairs or concerns and without lawful justification; and 3. A reasonable person would regard the invasion as highly offensive causing distress, humiliation or anguish, but proof of harm to a recognized interest is not an element of the cause of action.
LIMITATIONS
The Court pointed out some limitations to this action: 1. A claim for intrusion upon seclusion will arise only for deliberate and significant invasions of personal privacy. Claims from individuals who are sensitive or unusually concerned about their privacy are excluded. 2. Only intrusions into “financial or health records, sexual practices and orientation, employment, diary or private correspondence that, viewed objectively on the reasonable person standard, can be described as highly offensive.” 3. Privacy claims may give rise to competing claims such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press. In such cases, the protection of privacy “will have to be reconciled with, and even yield to, such competing claims.”
DAMAGES
The Court held that “proof of actual loss is not an element of the cause of action for intrusion upon seclusion” and that where there was no actual loss the damages must be “symbolic” or “moral” damages. Aggravated or punitive damages may be appropriate in exceptional cases. Regarding quantum, the Court established a cap of $20,000 for general damages and adopted the following guiding factors from the Manitoba Privacy Act when assessing damages: • the nature, incidence and occasion of the defendant’s wrongful act; • the effect of the wrong on the plaintiff’s health, welfare, social, business or financial position; • any relationship, whether domestic or otherwise, between the parties; • any distress, annoyance or embarrassment suffered by the plaintiff arising from the wrong; and • the conduct of the parties, both before and after the wrong, including any apology or offer of amends made by the defendant. The Court considered that the case before it fell in the middle of the range and assessed damages at $10,000.
IMPACT OF THIS DECISION
This case, absent leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, likely determines that a common law claim for intrusion upon seclusion or the tort of breach of privacy exists and is actionable. Here in Alberta, there is a chance that the Alberta Court of Appeal would not follow this decision. However, most trial judges, even in Alberta, would probably not strike out a statement of claim for invasion of privacy, as a result of this Ontario decision. This decision could open large organizations that possess confidential personal information up to the spectre of class action suits for privacy invasion. Such organizations would do well to ensure that their privacy policies are up-todate, effective, and in compliance with current legislation. √ Ian L. Wachowicz is with Parlee McLaws LLP. E-mail iwachowicz@parlee.com; phone 780.423.8655. www.parlee.com
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TEC
a solid business plan and attract the private funding required to actually get out into the marketplace and succeed.” The first place winner of the Nano VenturePrize will receive $125,000 in cash and in-kind services. There’s also a second prize worth $50,000. In-kind mentoring, support and nanofabrication services are provided by TEC Edmonton, Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, ACAMP, NINT (the National Institute for Nanotechnology), University of Alberta, University of Calgary and NAIT. Djukich explains, “Hopefully what this is going to do is improve the ability of these pril 26th marks the gala celebration companies to compete in the marketplace. We are here to develop globally competitive for the tenth anniversary of the commerce and create very strong new TEC VenturePrize Business Plan companies here in Alberta.” Competition. The Fast Growth TEC VenturePrize Over the past few months, start-up package is also very generous. companies with hi-tech ideas have been The grand prize winner receives refining their business plans $80,000 in cash and in-kind and preparing pitches to a services, while the two runnersselect panel of judges, all up receive $38,000 each in cash with backgrounds as venture and in-kind services. capitalists. TEC VenturePrize has By the time the gala rolls developed a solid track record around, the contenders will over the past decade, giving be whittled down to the final a great hand-up to a number three in each category. And of young hi-tech companies. the winners will be chosen Their successes will be profiled based on their presentations as part of the VenturePrize before a live audience and the celebrations. panel of investor judges. h ic Dan Djuk Order your gala tickets The judges really have their early from TEC Edmonton. hands full this year. Along with For more information, contact Kendel the Fast Growth and Student Ferrier at www.tecedmonton.com √ competitions, there’s the inaugural Nano VenturePrize. According to Dan Djukich, director of nanoAlberta, it’s a great way to showcase the growing nanotechnology sector in the province. As for what the competition organizers are looking for, he says nanotechnology can be integrated into product development on a variety of scales. “They don’t necessarily even have to be nanotechnology-based companies. It’s really sub-micron activities, doing something novel or unique with materials or the devices you’re ncreased pressure for both industrial and developing. You could be a company that is urban development does not bode well an actual startup or a spin-off. It could be one for conserving the environment. Unless, that is already incorporating nanotechnologies of course, you can attach a market or in its product. And, what we’re really dollar value to conservation. But how do you driving towards is helping you to develop do that?
VenturePrize
celebrates
10th Anniversary
A
Economic instruments could improve
I
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That’s exactly what Dr. Marian Weber has been researching for the past few years. She’s an economist who leads the Environmental Planning and Economics Program at Alberta Dr. Marion W Innovates eber Technology Futures. In explaining how the concept of economic instruments might be applied, Dr. Weber says, “If firms are required to meet cumulative effects objectives, as they will probably be under regional plans, then they need some way to understand what the current scarcities are in terms of meeting thresholds and objectives. And then what they’re going to look like in the future. Because if you are managing for landscapes that take 20 to 50 years to be restored, then your decisions now have an impact on the future landscape. And so we’re looking at ways to build signals into models so that individual companies can understand what the whole landscape looks like in the future and what the impact of their current decisions on the future scarcity is so they can manage for all those thresholds now and in the future.” One market incentive to encourage conservation is called transfer development credits. Landowners receive credit to maintain ecosystems and municipalities promote higher densities for smart growth. But, as Dr. Weber explains, there are challenges to overcome when introducing a transfer development credits program. “It’s very difficult because it’s a completely designed market. So you have to figure out what is the willingness of developers to pay for credit. You need to have development pressure because otherwise there’s no incentive. And, at the same time, we need to understand what the landowner is willing to accept or to be compensated. When you set up the credit system you have a credit ratio. So you’re saying to the developer that he must obtain x number of credits per extra storey of development. To the landowner, on the other hand, you’re going to say he’s going to get perhaps three credits for this kind of ecosystem and five for another. And, if you don’t set the EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
price right, the program won’t work. Nobody will want to sell and nobody will want to buy. Dr. Weber’s department is running a pilot of the transfer development credits program for the Cooking Lake-Beaverhills moraine in Strathcona County east of Edmonton—a sensitive ecosystem under tremendous pressure from urban sprawl. She notes that a growing number of high income people want to live on country estates in the area. The Beaverhills initiative is a partnership between five jurisdictions. Dr. Weber is helping the group investigate how economic instruments might be used to help conserve the sensitive landscape. “The objective is to increase the amount of area of intact natural habitat in the Cooking Lake moraine area and also to increase connectivity of habitat and increase the number of wetlands that are conserved. We would do that by not allowing subdivision or trying to discourage subdivision in that area and moving that density into areas more appropriate. However, Dr. Weber points out that Strathcona County is already very aggressive on setting conservation policies in place. So her challenge is to demonstrate that economic instruments, such as transfer development credits on top of the County’s other programs, will lead to significant enough conservation benefits. √
ACAMP: Wilson Analytical takes lab into
O
ilfield companies constantly test the fluids that flow through their pipes for chemicals that cause corrosion. But sending samples to a lab hundreds of kilometres away is costly and time consuming. Edmonton-based Wilson Analytical Services Inc has developed new technology that takes the lab into the oil field so anybody can take
EDMONTONIANS SPRING 2012
samples right on the spot and have the results within a minute or two. The guts of the traveling lab is a black box, what company president Dr. Ken Schmidt calls a hardened fluorescent spectrometer. “It allows you to take fluorescent measurements that are laboratory quality. It’s hardened so it can be used by people without extensive chemistry training out in the field, and do the measurements bit of gene sleuthing has led to a new directly at the point where the samples come out discovery about multiple sclerosis. of the ground.” University of Alberta neurologist If it’s not exactly a lab on a chip, it’s certainly Dr. Chris Power and his team were a lab in a suitcase. looking for genes that regulate other genes. They “Yes, that’s exactly what it is,” says Dr. found one in particular is involved in how brain Schmidt. “We using a pelican style case cells communicate and is also associated with and all of the inflammation and the immune system. equipment you As Dr. Power explains, this is another need to run it dimension of the disease process in MS. including a little “There’s a deficient neurosteroid. It doesn’t netbook computer give us a direct insight into the cause because that runs the identifying causes in diseases is often very software fits in challenging, but it certainly tells us that the case. It even neurosteroids are altered or disrupted in MS. comes with a GPS That perhaps almost as importantly gives unit that attaches to us a potential therapeutic angle, because the computer so that what we did in our study is we showed when you are out in that one neurosteroid was the field, you get the midt particularly deficient location, time and Dr. Ken Sch in patients with MS. date that you took the And when we took samples,,, in fact, the that neurosteroid called software is set up like a laboratory allopregnanolon and notebook so you don’t actually have to treated cell cultures, it was take any paper notes at all. It’s all done protected, it reversed the on electronically and you can print out damage that we see in MS. reports of the answers.” We also gave it to mice Wilson Analytical’s current with an MS-like disease target for the portable lab is oilfield and it improved outcomes chemical production companies that in those mice.” monitor for thinning of corrosion Dr. Chris Po The discovery gives Dr. wer inhibitors as well as corrosive Power and his group some compounds flowing through the hope that replenishing the various pipes and pipelines. But neurosteroid pool in the Dr. Schmidt says fluorescent technology his brain might offer a new treatment for multiple company has developed can be adapted for sclerosis. many different applications. This research was supported in part by Funding from IRAP helped in the building Alberta Innovates Health Solutions and the of a prototype. An Alberta Innovation Canadian Institutes of Health Research. √ Voucher administered through ACAMP, the Alberta Centre for Advanced Micro Nano Cheryl Croucher hosts Innovation Anthology Technology Products, was used to custom which is broadcast on CKUA Radio at 7:58 am design a new light source for the spectrometer. and 4:58 pm Tuesdays and Thursday. And Dr. Schmidt says the company has just Or download the podcasts at received funding from NSERC to move into www.innovationanthologyy.com microfluidics. √
Neurosteroid
Discovery could yield NEW MS TREATMENT
A
31
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