TODAY MAGAZINE
[ plus[ The Perils of Procrastination, Redefining Retirement: Part One & Make It Pinterest-ing.
ALREADY A KEY PLAYER IN COUPON CULTURE, DANIEL PASCO LEVELS UP BY PARTNERING WITH OFFERCRAFT TO BRING THE GAMIFICATION OF COUPONING TO CANADA.
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MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
JILL THAM
FLAVIO MARIANA BOCKAROVA IAMMARINO
Convinced she would have made a better teen in the 80s instead of the 90s, Jill’s passion for writing came after seeing the movie Stand by Me. When Jill is not moonlighting as a freelance writer, she is an Elementary teacher juggling her three children. Along with being a regular contributor to Today Magazine, Jill’s articles have been featured in Canadian Running, Pedal, Allergic Living and @OECTA. jilltham. wordpress.com @JillBT
Mariana Bockarova is a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto, where she teaches Psychological Resiliency, the Science of Happiness, and the Psychology of Relationships. Her research explores narrative medicine and mental health. She also holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University concentrated in Psychology.
PH.D., SW.,C.CHT
Renowned for his amazing ability to affect profound change in people within an impressively short period of time, Flavio works with professional athletes, corporate clients and individuals. He has trained and instructed in the martial arts for over 30 years. He has established an excellent reputation as an effective and skilled therapist working largely on referrals from physicians, psychologists and lawyers.
LYNN OGRYZLO Lynn is a food, wine and travel writer, author of three international award-winning cookbooks and regular contributor to REV Publications. Lynn specializes in culinary tourism covering regional cuisine destinations, slow food, culinary holidays, wine, spirits and “la dolca vita”. She can be reached for questions or comments at lynnogryzlo.com.
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CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA BLOGS WE LOVE
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SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMINER socialmediaexaminer.com This blog’s mission is to help you navigate the constantly changing social media marketing jungle.
OUR INSPIRATION FOR THE COVER Robert Downey Jr.
MARIE FORLEO marieforleo.com Marie Forleo’s blog incorporates videos and written content to help you create a business and life you love.
A BETTER LEMONADE STAND
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SPECIAL PINTEREST Where better to learn about Pinterest marketing than Pinterest itself. Check out Today Magazine’s Pinterest Marketing Board on Pinterest for insider tips & tricks.
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OUT TAKES: We got some great shots during our cover shoot with Dan Pasco, but not every picture can be cover worthy. Check out our OfferCraft photoshoot album to see the photos that didn’t quite make the cut.
abetterlemonadestand.com This blog is an ecommerce incubator, with the purpose of inspiring new entrepreneurs to build successful online businesses.
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ONTENT
PUBLISHER Rev Publishing Inc. PRESIDENT & CEO Daniel A. Pasco GENERAL MANAGER Candace LeBlanc ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Alexandra Mills BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER David Mace EDITOR Megan Pasche CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tina Lanzillotta GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Tabitha MacDonald, Rachel Bertrand Christina Picton, Jenn Blais IT/WEB DEVELOPER Justin Soungie MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Kaila Henderson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jill Tham, Lynn Ogryzlo, Mariana Bockarova, Flavio Iammarino, Ph.D, SW, C.Cht COVER PHOTOGRAPHY AJ Harlond TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL 905.356.7283 or 1.877.888.2825 WEBSITE todaymagazine.ca
facebook.com/RevPublishingInc @revpublishing www.revpublishing.com
Business by Today Magazine is published by Rev Publishing Inc. All opinions expressed in Business Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Rev Publishing, it’s employees or owners. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is as up-to-date and accurate as possible, as of the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Business Magazine for any errors, omissions or comments made by writers or interviewees that are contained herein. Furthermore, responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this magazine is not the responsibility of Business Magazine. All unsolicited manuscripts and/ or photographs submitted are assumed to be intended for publication or republication in whole or in part. The right to alter, edit or refuse photos and/or manuscripts intended for publication is assumed. All unsolicited material submitted to Business Magazine are submitted at the author’s risk. Manuscripts and or photographs intended to be returned must be accompanied by sufficient postage. Business Magazine does not assume any responsibility for any claims of our advertisers and reserves the right to refuse any advertising.
Cover Story 10
CHANGING THE GAME Already a key player in coupon culture, Rev levels up by partnering with OfferCraft to bring the gamification of couponing to Canada.
Innovation 21
ENTREPRENEUR PROFILES: BUSINESS BY DESIGN The story beind two of Niagara’s creative business enterprises.
22
K.ROSS CREATIONS
24
PAVERPOL NIAGARA
Designs that really are cute as a button. This art is a process by which a natural fibre is dipped into a liquid hardener, and used to produce original artistic creations.
Tool Kit 28 31 34
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USING PINTEREST MORE EFFECTIVELY Pinterest offers a simple way to gain new customers without spending a dime.
YOUR GUIDE TO STRESS FREE TAX FILING Knowing where to start can be tough, so hopefully these tips will help ease the pressure.
COMPETITION - IT’S A DIRTY WORD At a young age, most of us were taught to compete and compare. Whether it came from our parents, teachers, friends, or from media and television, many of us fell into the trap of so-called “healthy competition”, and fell victim to all its ramifications.
READ THIS STORY! Five tips to write an effective call to action.
OFFICE SPACE Having a functional and well-designed office is an essential part of having a productive and pleasant work environment.
Lifestyle & Culture 50
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WEEKEND
56
REDEFINING RETIREMENT, PART ONE
60
THE PERILS OF PROCRASTINATION
Utilizing your weekend to prepare for a healthier week ahead. In part one of this series, Lynn Ogryzlo explores the idea of reshaping the way we look at retirement. The first step to ending procrastination is not only admitting that procrastinating is a dire problem, but also accepting responsibility for it.
Spotlight 64
CANADA’S BUTLER, CHARLES MACPHERSON You’ve seen him on the Marilyn Dennis Show and heard him on CBC radio talking about butlering, manners and etiquette. It’s a topic that conjures up eccentric visions of Downton Abbey or the luxury lives of the rich and famous.
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 9
THE
CHANGING
ALREADY A KEY PLAYER IN COUPON CULTURE, REV LEVELS UP BY PARTNERING WITH OFFERCRAFT TO BRING THE GAMIFICATION OF COUPONING TO CANADA
C
oupons were invented in 1888 by Coca Cola, and they haven’t changed much since then. That simple contract, a tiny slip of paper with the promise of an offer and the sense of urgency prompted by an expiration date has proven to have extraordinary longevity. “Coupons are here to stay,” says Aron Ezra, CEO of OfferCraft. “People love getting a deal. But the way coupons work — and even what a ‘coupon’ is — well, that is about to change.” When they launched OfferCraft, Ezra and his team set about reinventing the coupon for the 21st century digital consumer. Their patent-pending software enhances coupons and other marketing incentives in two primary ways. First, OfferCraft uses gamification to make the process of receiving an offer far more fun and memorable; and second, the company transforms static coupons into tiny software programs that can continually alter themselves even after being distributed to become ever-more appealing to the consumer. “It’s the next step in the evolution of offers,” says Ezra. “We help businesses give out marketing incentives that don’t really feel like coupons. They feel more like winning a genuinely cool reward. The result is that we drive redemption and conversion rates way up.” As an example, imagine a hotel that wants to get more people to upgrade their room or join the loyalty program. The hotel could offer a game upon check-in where anyone who joins the loyalty program or pays for a room upgrade can play the game to win their room stay for free. Some guests do win the big reward, but most win smaller alternative rewards, like discounts off future stays or rebates on ancillary services like meals at the hotel restaurant or treatments at the spa. Winning the coupon as opposed to just being given it, makes patrons feel as though they’ve earned it — the coupon feels more like a prize. And if a guest doesn’t like what they’ve won, that guest can swap their prize for something else or give it as a gift to a friend. The Las Vegas-based startup has operations throughout the United States and across the world. And now, thanks to a partnership with Niagara Falls-based Rev Publishing Inc., OfferCraft is coming to Canada. >>
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 11
COVER STORY
GAME
TODAY’S MARKET HAS NEVER BEEN MORE COMPETITIVE AND WE WANT OUR CLIENTS TO BE AT THEIR PEAK... ARON EZRA
Rev Publishing Inc. C.E.O Daniel Pasco notes, “2016 marks 15 years for Rev Publishing, and since its inception, there has been a steady incline of consistent growth. We have a well-established portfolio of over 10,000 clients within Canada and the United States, and we are always looking to make effective use of their advertising budgets to effectively incorporate current trends in digital marketing. We saw a great opportunity in OfferCraft’s gaming software to meet these growing needs. This partnership is mutually beneficial as it utilizes OfferCraft’s technology with Rev’s sales engine.” Today Magazine sat down with Aron and Daniel to talk about the reasons for partnering, the psychology of motivation, and the digital reinvention of the old-fashioned coupon.
Q: WHAT IS OFFERCRAFT? ARON EZRA (AE): OfferCraft is essentially a “motivation engine”. Our clients use our platform to infuse game dynamics and more intelligent coupons and rewards into their marketing programs. This effectively motivates their target audiences to do the things they want them to do. OfferCraft’s patent-pending behavior-modification tools leverage a deep understanding of human psychology, game theory and data analysis to transform traditional incentives into more fun, memorable and motivating experiences. The result is that an offer that was previously only redeemed, say, 5% of the time, suddenly becomes far more compelling when presented using our tools. It’s not uncommon for us to double or even triple redemption rates compared to the baseline. This represents a massive revenue opportunity for our clients as they get far more ROI on an identical marketing spend.
Our platform weaves together features ranging from innovative game-building tools for marketers, to next-generation loyalty and couponing solutions, to sophisticated learning algorithms and a lot more.
Q: HOW MUCH PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH WENT INTO DEVELOPING THE OFFERCRAFT PLATFORM?
Q: WHAT MADE YOU REALIZE THERE WAS A NEED FOR MOTIVATION SOFTWARE?
AE: Quite a bit. OfferCraft was heavily influenced by clinical and academic research from behavioral economics, decision-making research, and cognitive psychology. Based on much of the great academic work in those fields, we realized that we actually could scientifically improve upon the effectiveness of offers. Human beings have a lot of odd little quirks in the way we think. That translates into interesting dinner parties, but it also means that we can construct offers that harness those quirks to become more compelling. For instance, take a phenomenon called “loss aversion.” In behavioral economics and decision theory, loss aversion refers to how we’re hardwired to have a much stronger emotional reaction to losses than we do to gains. Studies suggest that loss can be twice as powerful, psychologically, as a win. So one of our many advanced coupon enhancements allow businesses to give out offers that actually decline in value over time — sometimes very quickly. This increases the customer’s urgency to redeem it. >>
AE: Depending on what study and expert estimate you believe, the average person sees from a few hundred to a few thousand ad messages each day. Think about that for a moment — that’s almost inconceivable. Yet the vast majority of those offers are ignored. In some industries, 99% of their marketing is ignored. Our team wanted to figure out how to improve those numbers. And that’s what we’ve achieved. Now you may think, well, what’s the big deal? So you took a 3% redemption rate to 6%. Why should anyone care? Those percentages translate into very big money. Billions of dollars a year are spent on coupons and marketing offers. When we help a company double its conversion rate, we’ve effectively just doubled their entire marketing budget. OfferCraft isn’t terribly expensive, so for a company that spends many thousands or millions of dollars on marketing, doubling their marketing budget is a pretty massive win. DANIEL PASCO (DP): The question isn’t if people love coupons, but how to get them to use the coupons over the multitude of other offers they encounter everyday. This marketing software engages customers in a fun and memorable way while offering discounts and coupons that they want. Digital game inspired coupons lead to higher redemption rates, especially as more and more people continue to adapt to the Internet and mobile platforms.
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 13
Q: SO WHAT SHOULD A GOOD MARKETING OFFER SAY? AE: You brought up one of the really interesting things we’ve learned: So much time and effort is spent on optimizing what offer to make, but it’s arguably more important to figure out how to give out that offer. For example, let’s say you wanted to give customers $10 off their next purchase. That’s all your marketing budget will allow you to give. That coupon will have drastically different redemption rates depending on how you distribute it. Imagine two scenarios here: In the first scenario, a bored cashier hands you a receipt and mumbles something about a $10 coupon at the bottom of your receipt. Some people will look at it and use it, some will shove it in their purse or wallet only to forget about it later, and most will throw it away without a glance. In the second scenario, the customer gets to play a game to win the $10 coupon. The research and our own experience have repeatedly found that people respond much better to things they earn rather than things they are given for free. They’re more likely to remember it, more likely to value it, and more likely to come back and redeem it. You’ll see higher redemption rates and ROI from the $10 gamified offer versus the one from the bored cashier. DP: OfferCraft is an opportunity that almost any business, big or small, can utilize. I see everyone using it from the small pizzeria that wants to maximize their return business, all the way to retail chains or shopping plazas that want to increase their traffic and maximize customer loyalty. Sometimes it’s not a question of whether a customer will buy pizza or a new shirt, it’s about whether customers will buy those things again…from you. Today’s market has never been more competitive and we want our clients to be at their peak, and this is a helpful tool to allow our clients to achieve this.
Q: HOW DO YOU KNOW OFFERCRAFT REALLY WORKS? AE: We are constantly testing our offers and and incentives against control groups (another group of people who get an incentive that doesn’t go through the OfferCraft platform). We always do better.
Q: WHERE ARE THE MOST COMMON PLACES WHERE YOU ADD YOUR GAMES?
DANIEL PASCO PHOTO BY AJ HARLOND
Q: WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN FROM YOUR CLIENTS? AE: Outstanding. The technology works. We make their offers more effective and more profitable.
AE: In emails, on websites and apps, in social media, in advertising, in training materials, and at the point of sale.
Q: HOW MIGHT A TOURISM-BASED COMPANY, WHICH MAY NOT HAVE MANY RETURN CLIENTS, USE THE TECHNOLOGY?
Q: WHAT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS DO YOU WORK WITH?
AE: In countless ways. They primarily use OfferCraft to inspire customers to buy more, write reviews, tell their friends to come, post on social media, and so on.
DP: I see OfferCraft Canada being used in several businesses in Niagara and beyond, in sectors such as hospitality, travel, entertainment, health care, education, gaming and more. AE: Since our clients span quite a few industries, we have helped motivate people to do everything from making a reservation, to taking their medicine on time, to spending more, to filling out a survey, to switching to solar, to joining a loyalty program, to doing homework, to donating money, and much more.
Q: CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO YOUR CLIENTS? AE: We offer comprehensive support, training, and advice to all of our clients. Our customers can choose to have us manage everything for them, or they can get very involved and manage everything themselves. Either way, we’re there to make our clients successful. >>
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Q: WHAT LED OFFERCRAFT TO PARTNER WITH REV PUBLISHING? AE: We have a lot of respect for Rev and the work they’ve done all across Canada. We were looking for a partner north of the border that had a track record of building strong customer relationships, a great team, and a culture of innovation. We interviewed a lot of companies, but when I talked to Dan and the team at Rev, I knew we had found our partner. DP: This partnership is a win-win for both companies. We want to offer our clients a platform to engage their customers in a way that they will respond to positively. With this partnership, we hope to fill this growing need for innovative digital marketing strategies that are both cost effective and beneficial. Our primary goal is always the success of our clients.
Q: HOW IS THE PARTNERSHIP GOING TO WORK? AE: Rev is essentially going to become OfferCraft’s Canadian Headquarters. All new Canadian business inquiries will go directly to the Rev team, and they will utilize the OfferCraft software platform to service our new Canadian customers.
Q: HOW COULD COMPANIES LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD DO FOR THEM? AE: Take a look at our website: www.offercraft.com. We’ve got a great short overview video there, and plenty more info. You can also request a demo of the platform from our team on the website. DP: Once a company decides that they are interested, they can give us a call, and our team would be happy to customize a marketing strategy that will work for them. To learn more about OfferCraft Canada, please contact Rev Publishing at 905-356-7283. TM
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PER FOR MANCE
LEXUS:
ONE GREAT PERFORMANCE DESERVES ANOTHER By Jill Tham
“Must see,” “critically acclaimed,” and “award-winning” are common phrases in the world of dramatic arts. After an opening night, any producer or actor would hope to see these words written about their play or musical in bold print. In November of 2015, Performance Lexus revealed the new 2016 Lexus RX 350, F Sport and Hybrid, to their guests in a spectacular presentation that would please any critic. Performance Lexus, a proud supporter of the performing arts, held the event at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, ON. Manufactured in Cambridge, ON, Lexus is no stranger to accolades and high performance reviews. Lexus has been rated #1 car for reliability and dependability by JD Powers, an honour they have held for several years. “The brand has evolved from current state of the art to a higher level: it’s the evolution of refinement,” states Ralph Fazio, Sales and Leasing Consultant for Performance Lexus. “The design language of the car will appeal to a lot of different people. It’s the vehicle,” says Fazio. “In all my years in the automotive industry, I have never been more excited for a car,” states Vince Lepiane, General Sales
Manager of Performance Lexus. “It’s a striking look. When you drive down the road, you know it’s a Lexus.” From the inside out, the new model has undergone many changes and improvements. The aerodynamics of the car has been adjusted in an effort to control airflow, ensure stability and reduce drag; resulting in a quieter and faster ride. With a new engine mounting system designed to enhance steering response, advanced power steering, and improved braking response, the new Lexus has excelled in driving performance. “The technology features are revolutionary,” states Lepiane. With safety in mind, Lexus pairs together radar and camera technology to assist in collision avoidance. The car will alert the driver to vehicles in its blind spot, and steering wheel vibrations will make the driver aware of lane departures. When reversing, an alert will sound if there is an approaching car. A panoramic view to the navigation system, automatic high beam, heated steering wheel, and heating rear outboard seats are also features of the new model. From the stitching in the sophisticated interior to the unique laser cutting technique used to create the “rich expression of wood
and the sharp texture of metal,” as stated in the Lexus reveal video, the “Takumi,” or skilled craftsman, have outdone themselves with the quality of this vehicle. “It is a work of art,” says Lepiane. Marc and Sue Lavigne have been driving luxury cars for over 10 years. After spending three months researching which luxury vehicle on the market would suit their needs, the couple traded in their Lexus 2013 RX 350 for the new 2016 RX 350. “The new 2016 is a smooth ride. For luxury and capacity, the Lexus has all other luxury vehicles beat. I can fit four golfers and four sets of golf clubs,” states Marc Lavigne. From changes in the stick shift, powertrain, and the exhaust, Lavigne has been pleased when comparing his previous Lexus to the new 2016 model. “I like the chiselled lines of the exterior. It gives it more of a stealth look,” says Lavigne. “Comfort on a two day drive from Niagara Falls to Sarasota, Florida is a must. The vehicle feels sporty on the steering wheel and comfortable on the seat. It’s hard to find that in the vehicle,” says Lavigne. “What clients want is an experience,” states Marina Soare, Sales and Leasing Consultant for Performance Lexus. “From the moment you walk into our dealership to the moment you walk out you will have a great experience,” states Soare. “It’s everything you want from a new design to a new level of comfort. My best feeling is when our guests say that this is exactly what they always wanted in a car. The car is better when you see it, touch it, and feel its craftsmanship. Come and see it.” “As Lexus owners, you are members of a very prestigious family known as “Club Lexus.” Club Lexus is governed by the Lexus Covenant – a commitment to the finest products and to the most satisfying ownership experience. Creating remarkable guest experiences has been a focus of Performance Lexus since 1990,” states Mario Bruno, General Manager of Performance Lexus. Performance Lexus is a trusted division of Performance Auto Group. Performance Auto Group is the largest automotive retailer in Ontario with 22 brands - including Acura, BMW, MINI, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, FIAT, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, EQUUS, Kia, Lexus, Toyota, Scion, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, smart, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Subaru – in 29 locations within Brampton, Brantford, Bolton, Grimsby, Oakville, Orangeville, and St. Catharines-Niagara. Performance Auto Group is owned by Glen and Steve Alizadeh and their sister, May Allison. In speaking with Glen Alizadeh, he stated their goal is to ensure that “Performance Lexus guests enjoy every moment being Lexus owners. This includes our Complimentary Valet Program. We’ll come to you for test drives or for service.” Stella Adler, actress and acclaimed acting teacher of many A-Listers stated, “You’ll never be great unless you aim high.” Lexus has accomplished just that – with the entirely-new 2016 RX 350, Lexus has gone above and beyond in comfort and performance. “If you have never driven a Lexus, or if you haven’t considered us before, you have to consider us now,” concludes Lepiane. For more information visit performancelexus.ca All unaccredited sources have been taken from the 2016 Lexus reveal video. TM
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INNOVATION
BUSINESS BY DESIGN PROFILING TWO OF NIAGARA’S CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
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BY JILL THAM
ne of the most gratifying aspects of being a writer for Today Magazine is the opportunity to showcase Niagara’s finest. I have had the sheer pleasure of interviewing musicians, food bloggers, diner owners and Olympians. The perseverance of the exceptional individuals in our community never ceases to amaze me. For this series (Enterpreneur Profiles), I am consistently swept away by the passion, business minds and good old-fashioned values of the entrepreneurs we feature. To work diligently and build a successful and original business is commendable; not
to mention the stories of adversity. From the high school drop out to the entrepreneurs currently sleeping in their closet while their business undergoes renovations, these owners truly know what it means to get their hands dirty, chose quality over profit, and work exceedingly hard for every dollar they earn. What else can I say? Read on and experience another one of my proud Niagara stories. Each upcoming issue of Business will feature two new innovative entrepreneurs, and I continue the series here, with Kristen Ross from K. Ross Creations and Tamara Plugers from Paverpol Niagara. >> TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 21
KRISTEN ROSS
K ROSS CREATIONS While selling jewellery in a spa boutique, a friend gave Kristen Ross the nudge to start designing her own jewellery. Ross began making and selling beaded jewellery and her product was well received. “It was easy for me,” says Ross. Shortly afterwards, Ross started working with an agent and her line took off. After two and a half years, Ross was given an opportunity to venture out on her own. “I am not very comfortable talking about my own work, but I realized the customers wanted to meet the artist. My husband said give it 110% or don’t do it at all. Since then my business has tripled,” states Ross. Ross was successfully designing and selling beaded jewellery when sadly her grandmother passed away. “My nana was a seamstress and had tons of buttons. I asked my mom for them and introduced it into the line of jewellery I was creating,” she states. “I have moved away from making jewelry with beads and I am going into my fifth year of button jewellery.” Over the past year and a half Ross has gone from using buttons from the 1950s and 60s to working on buttons from the late 1800s to 1930s, with some items from as far as Czechoslovakia and Paris. “They are Victorian metal picture buttons that I find at estate sales and auctions. I call them story pieces,” states Ross. Bracelets and earrings are Ross’ two bestselling pieces. Recently, she introduced story lockets into her collection. “Each locket has a button from the 1930s and a quote on the inside. I introduced these at the last art show and quickly sold out of them. My gut is telling me they are going to be good,” says Ross. “It is just a simple pretty piece. It is something that can be sentimental for someone. I think people identify with anything with words, not to mention the vintage piece being the button,” notes Ross. “Most of my sales come from wholesale. I travel to eight to ten art shows each year where retailers and stores come and purchase from
me,” says Ross. Part of the appeal of Ross’ designs is not only her one of a kind creation, but the reasonable price point. “Everything in my line is around $30 to $60,” says Ross. “The last art show I did was in Guelph and I sold a lot of my story bracelets to boys who were buying them as presents for their mothers and girlfriends.” Ross’ new line of “precious metal clay (PMC)” is jewellery made from particles of silver or gold that is shaped using one’s hands or small tools and then fired in a kiln, leaving a precious metal that has retained its original shape. Currently, all of Ross’ designs are original creations which makes it difficult to sell on-line and the use of PMC will allow Ross to begin replicating her button designs. “I want to start making my own components and pieces,” she states. With boutiques and museums across Canada interested in these incredible story bracelets and other memorable time pieces, it is clear why Ross would want to begin duplicating her designs. Although her designs are sold in boutiques and craft shows across Canada, Ross was constantly being asked by individuals where they could purchase her products if they were unable to attend a craft show or live too far from one of her retailers. This prompted Ross to put her house up for sale and move her family to a home that would allow her to create a dual purpose space: a shop and a studio. “I am finally happy to be in a space where I can have the public come in. I have never had that before. Even though it is in my home, I would
like people to have a place to come and do some shopping,” says Ross. One of Ross’ biggest challenges lies in the fact that everyone’s body is a different size. Which is why she brings her tools with her to every show. “I try to make things adjustable, but if not I will make the adjustment to the piece right there on the spot. I am still trying to find the happy medium that fits everybody,” she explains. Ross stands firm behind her product. “I don’t want things coming back. A lot of single women say they won’t buy it if they can’t close it themselves. I am open to suggestions from clients and retailers that benefit us both,” adds Ross Sometimes coming up with a new design can pose an issue for Ross. “I do get that ‘block’ every once in a while. I am a runner and when I am stuck, I go for a run and clear my head. Some of the best things I have come up with have been on a run,” she says. “I always want to stay one step ahead
and have something a little bit different to offer my customers. It means a lot to me when someone says, ‘I have a piece of your jewellery and I love it.’” It has been four years since Ross went into business on her own and she couldn’t be happier. “It is the smartest thing I have ever done,” Ross comments. “I love what I do and I could not imagine doing anything else. I love that I can be home for my kids and have the flexibility because I work for myself. After working for so many years for someone else, it is nice to be your own boss.” Walk in to Ross’ studio and be prepared to view a variety of beautiful and unique rings, necklaces, watches and bracelets or spend countless minutes looking through her antique button collection, which includes a box of her nana’s buttons she couldn’t part with. Either way, you will be mesmerized by the beauty that is K Ross Creations. For more information visit krosscreations.com or friend her on Facebook. >>
THEY ARE VICTORIAN METAL PICTURE BUTTONS THAT I FIND AT ESTATE SALES AND AUCTIONS. I CALL THEM STORY PIECES TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 23
TAMARA PLUGERS:
PAVERPOL NIAGARA It is remarkable how a dramatic piece of artwork can be created with simple everyday objects such as an old shirt, aluminum foil, tape, and a liquid fabric hardener. Paverpol art is a process by which a natural fibre is dipped into a liquid hardener, called Paverpol, and used to produce original artistic creations. Artist and Paverpol instructor, Tamara Plugers from Paverpol Niagara, has been sculpting for the past six years. “What is unique to Paverpol is that it has the ability to give beginners and novice artists an original way to use their imagination to create exquisite pieces of art,” says Plugers. After being intrigued by a sculpture she noticed in her aunt’s home, Plugers became interested in Paverpol art. “My aunt, who is a sculptor in Niagara-on-the-Lake, was travelling in the Netherlands and she swapped art pieces with an artist from Holland,” explains Plugers. “When she came back, the Paverpol statue was on her mantle and I fell in love with it.” A seamstress by trade, Plugers was fascinated with the use of fabric in the Paverpol artwork. “I started sewing when I was 11 years old. I was always playing with fabric. When I saw the natural draping of the fabric in the Paverpol art, I knew it was something I had to do,” explains Plugers. “The amazing texture and the way the fabric drapes and falls made me say, ‘Wow.’” Paverpol is an environmentally friendly, one-step, non-toxic product. “When a natural fibre is dipped into the Paverpol, it will harden and become water proof. It will not fade, discolour, or rust and can be outside 12 months of the year,” says Plugers. “I have had a heron in my garden for six years and people are amazed it hasn’t rusted.” A piece of Paverpol art appears to have taken several days or weeks to create, however, that is much to the contrary. “It is actually very easy. I start off with a wire armature made from electrical wire or rebar. The creation then gets wrapped with aluminum foil and taped. This is what makes up the meat of the sculpture,” explains Plugers. “From there, the armature is wrapped with strips
of fabric dipped in the Paverpol. As the strips are wrapped around the sculpture they overlap creating the shape.” Plugers adds that there is a number of ways to create and dress the sculpture. “If you decide to put clothes on the sculpture, you can use a coloured fabric dipped in transparent Paverpol,” explains Plugers. Paverpol comes in grey, black, bronze, flesh toned, and transparent, and once dry, can be painted with regular paint to add a vibrant finish. When asked which of the types of Paverpol art she likes to work with Plugers responds, “I love to create the herons. I find them fascinating. I also love my mask classes they are a huge hit as they are easy and quick to do.” There has been a recent rise in art classes around the region where friends are getting together to share in an evening of painting. Paverpol Niagara offers an entirely different set of experiences with its unique art form. Pat Ferguson began taking Paverpol classes with Tamara in the fall of 2014 after seeing the art at a show in Toronto. “When I first saw Paverpol, it blew my mind. I absolutely loved the beautiful creations. I was in awe and found that each piece is truly original,” states Ferguson, who wasso enthralled with the artwork that she frequented the booth several times for information about classes. Six months later, Ferguson, who would not describe herself as an artist, was taking classes with Paverpol Niagara. >> TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 25
“What a life-changing experience! My first class was met with a fun and motivating instructor, and other excited students,” she says. Ferguson enjoyed the first experience so much that she continued to take Paverpol classes until she was comfortable creating her own pieces of art. “Tamara has a natural talent for inspiring others in creating personal masterpieces. I gained the confidence to produce my very own 24 inch by 48 inch masterpiece,” says Ferguson. “Her personality is so well suited in teaching Paverpol, which makes me hooked. No two creations are the same, and Tamara is always on standby should you experience difficulties or mental blocks, whether in the class or outside of business,” states Ferguson. That's what I love about her and her classes. I wouldn't go anywhere else!” concludes Ferguson. Paverpol classes range in price from a two-hour mask class for $30 to a one-day heron or garden angel class for $190. “With the heron classes there is a 48 hour drying period and then the participants return on another day for an additional 30 minutes,” explains Plugers. New to the spring will be an owl class where participants can create two smaller owls or one larger owl for $55. Paverpol sculptures and masks are not only reasonable in price, but timeless. “What really stands out is the ability it has to withstand the temperatures,” says Plugers. As an artist, Plugers finds inspiration when she is reading. “Often I can capture an image in my head from the words. I love taking the words and creating a piece from that,” notes Plugers. Along with selling her art at her studio and craft shows, Plugers often is asked to create specific pieces for clients. “I made two pieces of art for a grief counsellor depicting different stages of grief. I am currently working on the third one in the set,” she explains. Plugers isn’t the only one who receives special requests for Paverpol artwork; her clients do too. “When my family and friends saw what I had made, almost everyone asked me to make them one. Since then I have made six herons at home for family or friends,” says Nina Leroux, who has been taking classes with Tamara for two years. “My brother says Tamara has brought out the inner artist in me,” adds Leroux. Plugers admits that her personal style of art is constantly evolving and at the moment, she is exploring more abstract pieces. “Eventually I want to try airbrushing my sculptures. It would give a totally different look,” she says. Whether you’re the artist looking to expand your creativity or a beginner ready to design a piece of art, Paverpol has something original to offer men and women of all ages and abilities. “I have instructed children as young as six for a mask class and I’ve taught an 88 year old woman to make a heron,” reveals Plugers. “I love teaching the Paverpol technique. I love seeing the looks on their faces when they walk out with something they are proud of and have the bragging rights to.” Look for Tamara and Paverpol Niagara at the Handmade Market located at the 13th Street Winery on May 7th and 8th, 2016, and the Grimsby Art Fest on June 4th, 2016. In August, Paverpol Niagara will be at the Art by the Lighthouse in Niagara-on-theLake. For more information visit paverpolniagara.com TM
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MAKE IT PINTERESTING Learning how to market and promote your company can be challenging. Fortunately, Pinterest offers a simple way to gain new customers without spending a dime. Pinterest is essentially a photo-sharing website; however, each picture is accompanied by a description and a link. This means each time someone shares or pins your picture, your website will be included with the image. Even if someone has never heard of your services before, they’ll have a quick way to reach your website. If you are new to Pinterest or you’re simply new to using Pinterest as a marketing tool, there are several ways you can make sure your marketing efforts are as successful as possible.
1. LEAVE COMMENTS While most users understand the value in sharing pins from other users, not everyone understands the importance of leaving comments. Whether or not you choose to share a pin with your own followers, consider leaving a comment on pins related to your company. Avoid directly advertising your company in the comments section of Pinterest. This will quickly get your account marked as “spam” and Pinterest may even withdraw your user privileges completely. Instead, leave a meaningful, thought-out comment that applies to the picture. This will demonstrate to other pinners that you’re serious about using Pinterest and that you actually care about the information and pictures other users are sharing.
2. SHARE PINS FROM OTHER USERS While you may be tempted to only post and share your own pictures, it’s important that you share pins from other users. This doesn’t have to take a lot of time or energy. In fact, you can share pins other users have posted in less than 10 minutes. Simply perform a quick search on Pinterest and pin several of the images that come up. It’s a good idea to search for images related to your company. For example, if you run a healthcare company, you could share pins related to boosting your immune system or on implementing an exercise routine. If you run a legal office, you could share pins related to laws and personal legal issues.
3. TAKE QUALITY PHOTOS When you share a picture on Pinterest with a link back to your website, your goal is that other users will share the image and their followers will click on it. As more people visit your website and become familiar with what you offer, you’ll discover that your conversion rate begins to increase, as well. Understand, however, that users will not want to click your image if you post a poor quality picture. Make sure that each image you post on Pinterest is of high quality. The lighting in the image should be good and users should have a clear view of the primary focal point. Never post an image that is blurry or fuzzy. You should also avoid posting pictures you took with a cell phone camera. Remember that when you post a quality picture, users will believe you’re offering a quality service.
4. CREATE EXCITING DESCRIPTIONS Many users forget to include a description with their picture. This is a huge mistake! Always include a description for each image you upload. Even if you can only include a very brief piece of writing, it’s
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important to say something about the picture or service. This will give users a more thorough understanding of what you’re offering, but it will also increase the number of views your picture receives. When someone performs a search on Pinterest, your image could show up based on the keywords they used in their search. This means your image will be seen by a wider audience and will not be solely limited to your followers.
5. ALTER YOUR PICTURES Always include the name of your company on your pictures. It’s also a good idea to share a quote or your company motto on each image. This draws people in and gives them a deeper understanding of what your company offers. Additionally, this will protect you should someone accidentally delete your item description or product link since users will be able to look up your services using your company name.
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When you first begin using Pinterest, you may feel disappointed if you don’t experience immediate results. Understand that while Pinterest is a wonderful way to market your company, gaining new followers and getting new customer orders can take time. Try to avoid becoming frustrated if you don’t experience instant sales and remember that marketing is a process. As you learn to navigate Pinterest and become more comfortable using the site, you’ll discover that you gradually build a successful following that converts into sales for your company. TM TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 29
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(NC) Everyone knows they have to file taxes, but knowing where to start can be tough. Here are five tips for a stress-free filing.
Take care of a loved one? Use public transit? Questions like these can help determine what you can claim.
1. Keep yourself organized. Staying organized should be a yearround activity. If you are just starting now, begin by gathering income slips, receipts and government correspondence.
4. Use a reputable tax-filing service. Companies like H&R Block can provide guidance, ensure you are filing properly and help maximize your refund.
2. Tally up your 2015 income. Did you cash in your RRSP? Sell an investment property? Rent out your apartment? Use your car for a ride-sharing service? Know your income so you know what needs to be declared and whether or not any tax has been withheld.
5. Don’t wait to file. Filing ahead of May 2nd allows you to take your time and make sure all information is accurate. Scrambling to file means you might miss out on credits that would help maximize your refund.
3. Research applicable deductions. Did you donate to charity?
More tax filing tips are available at hrblock.ca. www.newscanada.com TM TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 31
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COMPETITION A DIRTY WORD BY: FLAVIO IAMMARINO, PH.D, SW, C.CHT
At a young age, most of us were taught to compete and compare. Whether it came from our parents, teachers, friends, or from media and television, many of us fell into the trap of so-called “healthy competition”, and fell victim to all its ramifications. Unfortunately, rather than bringing a positive outcome and healthy result, competition often brings disappointment, frustration, anger, and fear. Competition can make you question your own abilities and qualities, and lead to a belief that you are not good enough or smart enough. Rather than motivating you, it may also lead you to give up on your dreams and goals, resulting in a life full of anger and resentment. In my practice I have seen so many young people who truly loved playing a certain sport, who all of a sudden quit playing it. It was the pressure from parents or coaches to compete that rendered too much stress; what was once enjoyable became painful so they quit. In business we also often see companies trying to compete and out-do one another. Some conjure up strategies that demean the other company’s abilities, products or services in an effort to make their own seem superior. Although these strategies may have short term gain, they always result in long-term loss. You see, you must understand that there is a BIG difference between competing and going after your own dreams and personal goals. The definition of compete is to strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same. In competition the goal is to take something away from another person that has worked hard for it. This is wrong because when you take something away from someone else, natural progression will lead to someone else taking something away from you—it’s just how things work! Instead when you put full attention and passion toward your goal you will not only succeed but you will also fill your life full of joy, happiness, and peace. So how does this work in sports you may be asking yourself? Isn’t there always a “competition” resulting in a winner and a loser? Well let me pose a question and paint a different picture. In a competition how many winners are there in a seven-man race? We must understand that there are none. The person who arrives to the finish line first and claims victory has placed others in a lesser position. When there is no competition all 7 men will win because they all started and they all finished according to their own abilities. We should be racing to reach our own personal
goals, not to out-do or beat someone else—our biggest adversary should be our self and our last personal best. If you look at the automobile industry in the last decade competition was one of the factors that lead many companies close to bankruptcy. This situation created massive job loss because competition demanded they produce cheaper vehicles in less time. Building them in North America was costing more, so in order to be competitive they closed industries down and went overseas where labour was cheaper. But if you look at the larger picture, problem is, this led to lost jobs locally, depression in many cities, and consequently a bad economy. In our quest to be competitive, we may have created a cheaper vehicle with a larger profit margin but we also created a society of lost jobs, and lesser incomes. If there are not as many jobs, there will be less people to purchase these vehicles no matter what the price. With fewer jobs, there will also be less disposable income to keep things moving in all areas of our local economy—in the end competition causes everyone to lose. But let’s look at things from another side of the equation, one without competition. You could have two very similar businesses in the same city or town and they could both prosper and grow by working together. For example, two merchants may both sell groceries but they work together instead of competing against one another. By communicating they decide on a plan that will benefit both businesses. This week one merchant will have chicken and blueberries on sale and the other will have beef and strawberries on sale. This way they are not in direct competition with one another and there will be a need for consumers to visit both stores (if you are aware, you will notice that grocery stores rarely have the same sales going on at the same time—this is a strategy not a coincidence). There is always plenty of business to go around. If a company attempts to take all the business in an effort to make another company fail, the universe will take that company down. A company’s goal should never be to make another business suffer, in order to make their company gain. Remember that in competition there are no winners, only losers. If you want to achieve success in business, sports, and life just focus on your own goals. Put passion and love behind what you do and align yourself with the right resources. Competition does not motivate or encourage us to achieve—it is our own human nature and inner passion to succeed that will drive us to reach our personal best!
WE SHOULD BE RACING TO REACH OUR OWN PERSONAL GOALS, NOT TO OUT-DO OR BEAT SOMEONE ELSE—OUR BIGGEST ADVERSARY SHOULD BE OURSELF AND OUR LAST PERSONAL BEST.
For more information on this article or for assistance with a winning strategy to succeed contact Flavio at 905-684-1717 or by email at personalgrowth@cogeco.ca. For the past decade he has worked with executives, entrepreneurs and professional athletes alike helping them reach their own personal goals to achieve success. He welcomes your call! TM TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 35
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FIVE TIPS TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE CALL TO ACTION If you are running an online business, you have to convince your website visitors or email subscribers to take the desired action. You may, for example, want them to buy your products, sign up to your email list, make a donation or click an ad. To get your readers to take the desired action, you
must tell them what to do. The call to action (CTA) thus becomes a critical part of your web page or promotional mails. Without an effective CTA, your conversion rates are likely to be modest unless your business has a monopoly over a product or service that is in great demand. >>
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 37
THE CTA SHOULD BE RELEVANT TO YOUR CONTENT When you are doing content marketing or inbound marketing, your visitor is on your website because you have something to offer that is of interest to him or her. A CTA that is irrelevant to the content that the person came for is not likely to get much attention. This is true even if what you are offering is of general interest or is likely to be of interest to the visitor. For example, if your website is about antivirus reviews, offering your visitor a trial offer for an online backup tool may not get many clicks even though it is related to data security. On the other hand, offering the visitor a trial or discount offer for the latest internet security product is likely to get more clicks. Ensure that you are offering your visitors something that is strongly related to the content that brought them in.
DON’T BEAT AROUND THE BUSH
It happens in both online and offline marketing. Some people are very good at making a sales pitch, but somehow, they have trouble asking for business. Don’t hesitate to tell the visitor what you want them to do because that is the purpose of your website. It’s best to start with an action word. Here are some examples: a) Click here to add this product to your cart while stocks last! b) Enter your email address and click the subscribe button to join our newsletter. c) Click here to take advantage of today’s special offer!
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE, BUT WHIP UP THE EMOTIONS Demonstrating your knowledge to impress your audience may be a good thing, but the CTA is not the place to do it. Keep things very simple so that visitors can understand what you are saying without having to go over it again. It’s best to avoid jargon, technical terms and complicated sentences. For example, instead of saying, “Click here to sign up for our RAID supported web hosting with multiple redundancies and mirroring,” say, “Click here to sign up for our highly reliable web hosting.” Giving too many options to the reader is another way of overcomplicating things. You can give different ways to take action, for example, clicking a link or pressing a button, but don’t give them a choice of actions. Offering a choice of actions may confuse readers. It will also create another decision step for readers, which can make them put off the decision for later. For example, trying to sell multiple products or services through a single CTA may not work well. Instead, get the visitor to sign up for special offers and send them a separate mail for each product.
CTAs are more effective when they generate excitement and enthusiasm in the reader. It is also important to highlight the benefits that the reader is going to get by taking the suggested action. In the previous example, saying, “Stop worrying about speed and downtime! Click here to sign up for our highly reliable web hosting!” will do both these things because speed, uptime and security are critical parameters of web hosting. They are areas of concern for all webmasters.
CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY The best chance of converting users comes when they are consuming your content. If users leave the content without taking action, it is difficult to bring them back. It is, therefore, important to create a sense of urgency. This is usually done by making a timebound special offer. This works only if you really keep the offer time bound. When sales funnels talk about an offer that is available only for the next 20 minutes, most readers recognize this as a common marketing gimmick. On the other hand, when Amazon says that it is a one-day offer, people take it seriously.
TEST WITH DIFFERENT OPTIONS Experiment a little with your CTAs. Try different options and do some testing to find out what works best for your scenario. Like ad copies, CTAs also tend to get stale after a while. So having multiple options and improving your CTAs constantly will help keep them fresh and maintain or improve their conversion rates. You should also experiment with the way the CTA is presented and where it is placed on your web page or newsletter.
If you are into online marketing, the call to action or CTA is a critical part of your website or newsletter. Writing an effective CTA is important for healthy conversion rates. While there are some general principles for writing a good CTA, it also pays to be on the lookout for new ideas. Study CTAs that impress you and make you take action. See if you can learn something from them to incorporate into your own marketing efforts. TM
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aving a functional and well-designed office is an essential part of having a productive and pleasant work environment. It needs to be well designed to increase productivity, open communication and to get staff excited about spending time in the office. Here are some tips for making the most of your office space. º Incorporate as much natural light as possible. So many people spend the majority of their time indoors and being stuck in a corner away from a window while at work can be depressing for anyone. Lack of natural light can affect mood as well as productivity so everyone benefits when there is more natural light. In addition to being a mood enhancer, natural light just makes it easier for people to see details. Working in a natural light also reduces eye fatigue and helps lessen headaches. To achieve this natural lighting; it can be beneficial to tear down interior walls, use glass walls for offices and get rid of those often constricting cubicles. Studies have
actually been done on the positive effect that natural sunlight has on worker productivity. º Going along with the idea of natural lighting, is trying to incorporate a good amount of space in your office design. Space for individual employees at their workstation but also sufficient space for people to move around without bumping into people as they work. º Include some break out spaces. These are those places that offer a change of scenery and for creativity to flow. They are rooms that don’t need to be booked in advance and allow for spontaneous conversations. º Invest in proper furniture. Employees spend the majority of their day sitting, and if you don’t get proper chairs, the people sitting in them will begin to suffer the effects, and it will affect work performance. º Colour can have a huge impact on worker effectiveness. Colour also has a large impact on mood. For example, blue is a calming
colour that can help increase communication and efficiency. Blue is a good colour for any brainstorming areas. Red is a colour that increases blood pressure and stimulates the pulse. Green has a similar effect as blue; it’s calming and helps promote balance. Gray is a neutral colour that is not very stimulating and lacks energy. Too much gray can cause depression, so if that is a colour you want to use, make sure you intersperse it with some pops of other colours. º It’s said that certain smells can also have an effect on workplace productivity. Cinnamon is said to increase focus, pine, to increase alertness, lavender, relaxation, and peppermint or citrus is said to uplifting.
THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS YOU’LL WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU ARE REDESIGNING YOUR OFFICE:
Do you want to encourage your employees to chat and communicate openly? How much space do you need and do other people need? How much privacy will employees need and where will they be able to get that? How flexible does the workspace need to be? Will you be growing and adding employees? How are you going to incorporate your company’s branding into the office design? What does the space need to say about your company? TM TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 41
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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE
STOP SPINNING YOUR WHEELS
MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WEEKEND
If your work week leaves you too busy to make healthy decisions, then you may want to consider utilizing your weekend to prepare for a healthier week ahead. Time spent planning your meals, preparing healthy food ahead of time, getting some rest, and preparing for your workouts can give you the tools you need to make healthier choices in the week ahead.
Meal prep is the best way to ensure you have a healthy work week. Fast food and junk foods are never more tempting than they are when you’ve had a busy day at the office. Having healthy foods ready to go is the best way to fight off those convenience-food temptations. Utilize your spare time on the weekend to meal plan, shop for healthy >> TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 51
Of course, enjoying some “me time” and hanging out with friends during the weekend is important too. However, if you can set aside time to prepare for a healthy work week, you will be much more likely to succeed in meeting your healthy lifestyle goals. Good health doesn’t happen by accident, and maximizing your weekends is a great way to ensure the busyness of your week doesn’t interfere with your healthy intentions.
IDEAS FOR HEALTHY LUNCHES PHOTO VIA DAMNDELICIOUS.NET
groceries, and then prep healthy snacks and meals ahead of time. It can be tempting to simply wander the grocery store aisles grabbing whatever looks or sounds good. However, if you take time to plan your meals and prep a few items in advance, you’ll be much more likely to stick with your healthy diet during the busyness of the work week. There are so many healthy things you can make and refrigerate or freeze; you also can separate items into individual portions to keep your portion control in check and to help you get out the door faster during the week. For example, wash, chop, and separate vegetables and hummus into individual servings for a healthy snack. Prepare individual servings of fruit, yogurt parfaits, soups, salads, nuts, and crackers, then store everything in a central area in your refrigerator. That way, during your hectic weekday mornings, you will be able to simply reach in the fridge and grab whatever you need for your day. It’s also important to use your weekends to catch up on laundry. Don’t let the lack of clean gym clothes stop you from getting in your workouts. Make sure your workout gear is washed and ready for the week ahead. On Sunday night lay out your workout clothes for the next morning if you exercise at home, or pack your gym bag if you plan on heading to the gym. On a sleepy Monday morning, it is easy to forget to put something in your gym bag, so avoid the trouble by packing what you need the night before. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to catch up on your sleep over the weekend. You know that sleep is important to your overall health; however, a busy work and home life often leads to getting less sleep than you need. While catching up on your sleep over the weekend is never as beneficial as getting a full night’s sleep every night, it can help you recharge. On Sunday night, enjoy a relaxing evening at home and unwind with some reading, a bath, or gentle yoga, then head to bed early. This will help ensure you wake up Monday morning with the energy you need to begin your week.
Sometimes, trying to think up new and exciting lunches to bring to work everyday can be a bit trying...so you end up either resigning yourself to purchasing food, only to lament at a later date, “oh my goodness, I can’t believe I spent this much money on lunches!”, or else you settle for eating the same, old boring sandwiches. But homemade lunches don’t have to be a bore, there are tons of easy to make, healthy options that will ensure you are counting down the minutes until noon!
EASY BURRITO BOWL Recipe from damndelicious.net
INGREDIENTS 1 cup uncooked rice 1 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
FOR THE CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon chipotle paste 1 clove garlic, pressed Juice of 1 lime ¼ teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS To make the chipotle cream sauce, whisk together sour cream, chipotle paste, garlic, lime juice and salt; set aside. In a large saucepan of 1½ cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; let cool and stir in salsa; set aside. To assemble the bowls, divide rice mixture into serving bowls; top with lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. Serve immediately, drizzled with chipotle cream sauce. >>
A Taste of Italy in Every Bite
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Located in Hilton Hotel & Suites Niagara Falls/Fallsview, directly across from Fallsview Casino Resort. 6361 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3V9 pranzoniagara.com | 905-353-7174 | facebook.com/pranzoniagara TODAYMAGAZINE.CA Complimentary parking for dining guests.
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CHOPPED THAI SALAD WITH SESAME GARLIC DRESSING Recipe from pinchofyum.com
FOR THE DRESSING: 1
/3 cup canola oil 3 cloves garlic, peeled 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (ginger would also work) A squeeze of lime juice
FOR THE SALAD:
PHOTO VIA PINCHOFYUM.COM
16 ounces frozen shelled edamame 5-6 cups baby kale 3 large carrots 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow) 1 cup cilantro leaves 3 green onions ž cup cashews (if you can find them, Trader Joe's Thai Lime and Chili Cashews are the bomb)
INSTRUCTIONS Puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust to fit your preferences. Transfer to a dressing jar and rinse the food processor out for use later.
PHOTO VIA EATINGWELL.COM
PEANUT TOFU WRAP
Recipe from EatingWell.com
INGREDIENTS: 1 tbsp store bought Thai peanut sauce 1 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortilla 2 oz. thinly sliced, seasoned, baked tofu Âź cup sliced red bell pepper 8 thinly sliced snow peas
DIRECTIONS: Spread peanut sauce on the tortilla. Place tofu, peppers and snow peas in the centre, fold the sides over the filling and roll up.
Cook the edamame by boiling it for 3-5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Drain and allow it to cool. Meanwhile, slice up the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro leaves, and green onions into thin strips or shreds. Place the cooked edamame in the food processor and pulse 5 times to get a minced texture. Transfer to a bowl and repeat the same process for the cashews. Toss the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro, green onions, edamame, and cashews together until well combined. Drizzle with the dressing, toss gently a few times, and serve immediately.
NOTES The salad will stay fresh longer if you store the dressing separately from the salad ingredients, tossing them together just before serving. Agave nectar or sugar would work in place of the honey for vegans. Those 3 cloves of garlic pack a spicy garlicky punch, so if you don't love garlic, use less. TM
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TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 55
PART ONE
REDEFINING RETIREMENT WHEN WORK ENDS, RETIRE LIKE THE JETSONS BY LYNN OGRYZLO Research shows that most people spend more time planning for a two-week vacation than for retirement, and in some cases they don’t plan at all. My only experience with retirement was watching my parents. My father retired from his factory job and sat in his La-Z-Boy, in full recline mode, watching television until his last days. The thought of that scares the hell out of me. Waiting to die is not living! I’ve been married to the same wonderful man for more than three decades and he is a stones-throw away from retiring. As I write this story he’s still getting up each morning and driving into work, mind engaged, wits challenged, physically active, leading projects and contributing to the greater good. By the time this story goes to print, he will probably not be doing that any longer. Like others, we have often fantasized about our retirement days. We talked about buying an apartment in Paris, a little inn on a beach in Greece or sailing around the world in a new yacht. They were fun ideas to dream about but they’re a far cry from a retirement plan. So what does one do when one retires? I began to take an unofficial poll with every retiree that would talk to me and it seems there are three common activities that occupy most of their time: golf, grand parenting and gardening with the lesser sub categories of volunteering and reading newspapers. They all claim to be very busy but at the same time, said they no longer book two appointments in
the same week and tell me I wouldn’t understand how long it takes to do absolutely nothing. In my books, this all sounds an awful lot like my dad’s couch surfing. What the retirees I talked to all have in common is they’re all living the same retirement as past generations. But retirement is changing, and here’s how. The first thing that has changed is us: we are living longer. A recent study by Merrill Lynch in the USA claims baby boomers are living longer than our parents generation and it’s quite conceivable that we will spend more years in retirement than our working days. It states baby boomers are “younger” longer, more energetic and plan to work longer. Sixty-five percent of survey responders claimed they will stop working for pay and retire in the traditional sense later in life than their parents did. In fact, most boomers are rejecting the notion of either full-time leisure or full-time work. Instead, they’re opting for a better balance of work and leisure, steady part-time work or starting their own business. Among the 87% of baby boomers who intend to keep working and earning in retirement, most expect to “retire” from their current job/career in their mid-sixties and then launch into an entirely new job or career that gives more control over the quality of their lives. It’s interesting that only 17% of baby boomers in the survey reported that they hope to retire in the traditional sense and never work again. >>
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 57
But it’s not always the same for retiring men and women. While most men in the Merrill Lynch survey were looking forward to a more equitable balance of work and play, the empty-nesting, boomer women wanted to take advantage of their new found freedom for career development, community involvement and continued personal growth. And money is not always the motivator for retirement decisions. Sixty-seven percent of boomers claim that mental stimulation, having a purpose in the world and being valued for your skills are reasons to stay in the game. These boomers are highlighting what previous generations have overlooked. That beyond the obvious financial planning for retirement, there are other aspects of life that are impacted by retirement. For this reason, these enlightened boomers choose to view retirement not as an ending, but as a transition to a new, exciting phase of life! In the group of retirees I polled, one thing was obvious; they were not prepared for the changes that a 100% leisure retirement brings. Die Broke is an amazing book on the new retirement era that will rock your views on the subject. Author Stephen Pollan states, “More than 40 percent of retirees say the transition into retirement was difficult. If that doesn’t sound too bad to you, consider that only 12 percent of newlyweds say marriage was a difficult transition and only 23 percent of new parents say having a child was a tough transition. Obviously, retiring is the single most difficult lifestyle change you can make.” Pollan goes on to explain the reasons are because of our insistence on believing that retirement today is the same as retirement was a generation before – it’s not. First of all, 65 years of age is no longer old and leisure is not more fulfilling than work. It’s a well-known fact that too much idle time, having a sense of loss and not having a reason to get up in the morning can affect your health and emotional well-being, so it makes sense to plan what your life will look like after retirement. I’m not talking about the modern myth of retiring to a tropical island like the commercials would have you believe. Retirement is not the time to remove yourself from family and friends, it isn’t one vacation after the other and it certainly isn’t a time to believe the myth that you are the only one without the financial resources to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Retirement, like your working life, is full of challenges, restrictions and obstacles but what it does offer is freedom like you’ve never had before. You are now the boss of your life, your decisions, and your purpose. Using your creative talents, insight and resources, you can re-create yourself and your life. Retirement can be the most amazing opportunity ever presented to you. The Japanese believe everyone has a reason for being, a purpose in life no matter what the age. It’s called Ikigai and having Ikigai gives your life purpose. So why does this matter you ask? Think about it, a purpose gives you long-term goals, short-term goals, action plans and daily activities that matter to you. If this sounds
OBVIOUSLY RETIRING IS THE SINGLE MOST DIFFICULT LIFESTYLE CHANGE YOU CAN MAKE. like a company’s mission statement, you’re right, only it’s more like a personal mission statement. Ikigai gives you a reason to get up in the morning and contributes to a long and productive life. If you believe in or have Ikigai, your transition into retirement is not only a smoother emotional transition but it allows you freedom, choice and a more balanced life: the rewards of a good retirement. It all reminds me of the lobster fisherman I met in New Brunswick who would say, “if you don’t know what harbour you’re sailing for, no wind is in the right direction.” An interesting fact I learned while researching information for this story: Did you know that the retirement age of 65 was established in 1965 when the average male mortality rate was 66.8? Back then there were no decades of leisure time to while away. Today we truly are faced with a new retirement model. So have I made my point on retirement? Why are most people retiring like the Cleavers’ when we should be taking a Jetsons’ approach? In future issues of Business by Today Magazine, I’ll take a look at successful retirement models from people living in the region and beyond. I’ll be sharing the way some have found purpose and meaning (Ikigai) when work ended, how others acquired an equitable balance of work and play and even more who found growth and fulfillment in their golden years. “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” This Hunter S. Thompson quote can aptly be applied to retirement. It supports the view that retirement is not an ending so much as a transition to a new, exciting phase of life. I want that to be me, hand in hand with my husband. And if you want that to be you too, get off that imaginary La-Z-Boy, find your Ikigai and begin thinking about your modern-day retirement plan. TM
RESEARCH LESS.
â„¢
THE PERILS OF
PROCRASTINATION
...AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
BY MARIANA BOCKAROVA
N
early a decade ago, in my second year of university, I decided to take a course on the intricacies of human language and the power it can hold. Though it was outside of my area of expertise, all of which included -drum roll, please - one year of introductory life science courses under my belt, the course sounded interesting and it was pretty well known around campus to be somewhat of a ‘bird course’, often taken to meet a breadth requirement. At the time, I thought it was an easy A and I wouldn’t mind spending a few hours a week listening to how language can be manipulated in order to get to a desired effect. It was similar, I suppose, to my own strategic thinking in taking this course, wherein I hoped that by using a little bit of course knowledge, I would be granted a high grade. Until this point, although I had always handed my work in on time, I had gotten away with writing essays at the very last minute, and getting surprisingly high grades with little time spent in “work mode”. Therefore, when it came to completing assignments for this particular course, I found little fault with deciding to leave an assigned essay until the night before it was due. Little did I know that a family member would have a near-fatal accident that day and instead of being able to work on my paper that night, I would spend it alongside a hospital bed. The next morning, I sent an email to my professor explaining the situation and asking for an extension. Her response? Sympathy, along with “send me what you have so far”. This was not a situation I had ever found myself in before: Send me what you have so far? Well, I didn’t have anything so far. How would I explain to her that years of procrastinating were finally catching up to me? Would she think that the accident was a complete farce invented to grant me more time to further procrastinate? Did I seem like one of those lazy students? Worse yet, was I one of those lazy students?
In explaining to my professor that I had not yet started the paper, a feeling of such intense shame dawned upon me. According to psychiatrist Michael Bennett and his daughter, Sarah Bennett, authors of the radical newly released book F*ck Feelings: One Shrink’s Practical Advice for Managing All Life’s Impossible Problems, procrastination, and it’s related constructs, avoidance and disorganization, generally provoke shame, criticism, and sometimes even legal issues because of the setbacks they often cause. Procrastinators begin to grow accustomed to cover-ups, lies, apologies, and, at some point, depending on the severity of the consequences of their procrastination, they can even pretend to stop caring or pretend to be busy with other responsibilities and shirk their responsibilities altogether. Deep inside, however, they very much still care about their responsibilities, only the fear of shame has taken over. As the authors note, “if you’re ashamed of your low productivity, you may hide it by diverting energy into appearing busy and inventing a cover-up to explain what you haven’t done. The less you do, the more it becomes a secret. When the secret comes out, you’re more likely to be chided for laziness, the more you’ll want to hide again.” Worse yet, many procrastinators inherently know that if they simply become more motivated, reliable and honest, they would be able to overcome their habits of leaving everything to the last minute, leading to ultimately living a more fulfilling and stress-free life. In fact, some of the most common desires people have about improving their procrastination includes becoming more responsible, stopping their avoidance of work, having concentration and focus, having good results when working hard and taking pride in their work, and being able to appease someone - likely a spouse, family member or friend who wants the best for them and who knows this can be achieved by working on their procrastination. >>
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 61
To jump start an end to procrastinating, the authors suggest the following steps one can take to actually start achieving and stop procrastinating:
1) GET A LIST OF GOALS Obviously, if you’re trying to figure out how to get organized and motivated, you need to know what’s important enough to you to work for. Define these goals in terms of values, not results, e.g., include making a living, not making a mint. Think about what’s necessary, healthy, and fun in the long run, not what your wildest dreams are made of.
2) PUT TOGETHER YOUR PRIORITIES
The first step to ending procrastination, according to Bennett and Bennett, is not only admitting that procrastinating is a dire problem, but also accepting responsibility for it, which, as the authors explain, is a large leap from a simple admittance: “Brain wiring can cause well-motivated, smart people to procrastinate and drop the ball, and nature gives them no choice. The fact that you’re not responsible for having a problem, however, never relieves you of responsibility for working with it and finding ways around it, and often requires you to overcome deeply ingrained bad habits and attitudes. It’s impossible to change your instincts or make distractedness, impulsivity and scattered thinking go away; you can, however, become a good manager of the impulses to procrastinate, avoid, lie, and cover up.” As a behavior that is very hard to change, procrastination, as the authors put forth, is not a habit, but rather how some human brains are wired from birth, accepting responsibility and beginning an honest life are the first steps on a long road to re-starting. Instead of treating procrastination as a shameful experience, Bennett suggests viewing it as important and respectable with the following statement as a guideline towards one’s mental framing of it: “I feel lazy and incompetent when I realize I can’t get much done when no one is watching but I realize that good people are often unable to control bad habits, so I’m determined to bear the shame and take advantage of every trick I can to get where I need to go.”
The hardest part of prioritizing is learning to both accept the fact that two or three things deserve highest priority and the skill of juggling them all at once. It gets easier over time, and in the process of learning, you also get better at figuring out whether some of your priorities are actually worth dropping or putting aside.
3) CHOOSE A COACH/SYSTEM Without a domineering spouse, day job, or ticking bomb in the basement, most people have to develop a system for self-management, particularly when they have to juggle their own obligations on top of their spouse’s, kid’s, dog’s, etc. Since most schools don’t teach you executive functioning skills, take a course and/or hire a coach. It’s amazing how much better you can do with a good to-do list, a set of urgency categories, and an omnipresent schedule.
4) SUSS OUT A SCHEDULE Assuming you have lots of responsibilities, limited time, and a strong desire to have fun, you need to create a schedule. A schedule helps you develop habits and shortcuts, so that you can reduce procrastination, deal with top priorities first, and make time for the things you really want to do. Again, don’t hesitate to take a course or use a coach.
5) LEARN YOUR LIMITS Many people experience endless feelings of responsibility once they engage in a serious task and those feelings can become consuming, particularly if an outside source (boss, spouse, parent, etc.) believes your share of responsibilities is never big enough. Train yourself to judge your responsibilities objectively by comparing them to your job description, taking into account your resources, and determining what a good person should do. Then you can remain focused on what’s really important, and not overextend yourself. Though my own story ends with getting the highly desired grade of a zero on my paper, it was likely the harshest yet most valuable lesson I had learned in my career as an undergraduate student. Though overriding the need to procrastinate through my faulty brain wiring can, at times, still be a struggle, just like Bennett and Bennett suggest, creating a structured life through identifying goals and schedules, and above all else, being honest with myself helps me understand not only my own instincts to procrastinate, but now, as a professor, my students’. TM
SAVE MONEY.
â„¢
CANADA’S
BUTLER CHARLES MACPHERSON By Lynn Ogryzlo
Most successful people would love to say that they crafted a stellar business plan and have worked it brilliantly to success. It feeds our need to believe that all success is based on attributes such as patience, planning and intelligence. But the truth of the matter is that most successful entrepreneurs will tell you they “fell” into their success by simply being the best and acting on opportunities as they presented themselves.
SPOTLIGHT
S
uch is the case with Charles MacPherson. Almost three decades ago, Charles owned his own catering company in Toronto serving an eclectic range of the city’s quirky and luxury residences. One day a wealthy client asked Charles if he would consider taking the position of butler at her estate. Charles was intrigued. Under the promise of on-the-job training, he took the plunge that became the defining moment of his career. The job of butlering came so naturally to Charles that he can only describe it one way - “everything was logical, natural, made sense to me,” he chuckles, “I think I was a butler in another life.” After a decade of service, Charles branched out on his own. Known as “Canada’s Butler”, you’ve seen him on the Marilyn Dennis Show and heard him on CBC radio talking about butlering, manners and etiquette. It’s a topic that conjures up eccentric visions of Downton Abbey or the luxury lives of the rich and famous.
Charles is recognized as a world authority in household management and butlering, consulting with both residential clients and hospitality corporations in Canada, the USA, UK, Europe, South Africa and China. He fulfills needs such as staffing, training, planning and managing. In the past six months alone, Charles has worked at some of the leading hotel properties in China, India and France. He wrote the department standards and was the lead team trainer for the Queen Mary 2 and Fouquette’s Barrière Hôtel along with being the lead trainer for the butler department of the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai, China. For luxury residential clients, Charles is like the employment centre for butlers, chefs, personal assistance, chauffeurs, gardeners and housekeepers. He can even assemble an entire estate with household staff. “Sometimes, people move into their home and have no idea how to staff it,” says Charles so matter-of-factly that I find myself commiserating. I am way out of my league here, as would anyone I know. So how does Charles find suitable professionals to meet the needs of his discerning cliental? It was difficult so he opened a butler school. The Charles MacPherson Academy for Butlers and Household Managers located in Toronto is a registered private career college under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 and is the only butler and household management school of its kind in North America. Now Charles personally trains skilled professionals who meet the service demands of the 21st Century. Having a butler let alone an entire staff to manage your home is far too removed from the everyday lives of ordinary people for it to have any relevance – or is it? While we may not be able to identify with the catering needs of the luxuriously wealthy, Charles claims we can all benefit from the skills of butlering. Think about it. How do you feel when someone opens a car door for you? Waiting patiently while we navigate into the car, smiling at us the entire time. These people know that little actions do more than unnecessarily facilitate an obvious action. They know it shows >>
TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 65
“
what to do when the bottle of wine arrives at the table and understanding what silverware to use, it all adds up to competence, confidence and success for both the individual and the company. Knowing manners and etiquette are also competitive advantages in business. From the sales staff at a pharmaceutical company that works closely with doctors to top level executives at financial institutions dealing with wealthy clients, proper manners and etiquette gives these companies as much of a competitive advantage as marketing executives wooing top level firms or those in international education creating partnerships with various cultures around the world. Take for example hosting a group of visiting businessmen from Asia, Africa or the Middle East; Charles explains that in some of these countries, touching is considered offensive. So do you extend your hand for the traditional North American handshake? Would it be considered rude to the visiting dignitary? Or do you put your hand over your heart and bow slightly to show respect? Having manners and following etiquette means you don’t take for granted that everything you do is acceptable, it means you consider others. Charles advises that all businesses big or small can gain business competence and advantages with the knowledge of global manners and etiquette. Charles was surprised when the corporate world first started contacting him, but they’ve all claimed they saw value in increasing customer service skills through the tips and tricks of butlering, they saw value in training their employees to speak competently to the rich and famous. When asked which corporations he’s worked with, Charles smiles, “part of my service is discretion. These people don’t want exposure, they want privacy”. Ah, spoken like a true butler. But the knowledge and application of etiquette and manners is not just for the corporate world, the luxury market or wealthy clients. Charles promotes etiquette and manners for everyone. “Learn how to shake a hand properly, make a toast, use proper silverware and follow-up with appropriate gratitude,” he says. It shows confidence and others are attracted to people with self-confidence but more than that, it gives you grace, it shows you are polite and considerate of others, that you are acknowledging others and including them. Admirable, yet rare qualities today. There are many references to source. Emily Post’s work on etiquette in the 1920s is legendary. My mother would quote Emily to teach me proper table manners. Throughout the decades there have been other experts such as Jacqueline Kennedy’s social secretary, Letitia Baldrige. Amy Vanderbuilt and Emily’s daughter Peggy Post. But etiquette and manners are “a living, breathing document,” explains Charles who expertly evolves the rules of tradition to suit modern day cultures. “Downton Abbey would be silly today. We don’t use the same amount of cutlery or glassware but it’s how we use them that is still relevant today.”
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DOWNTON ABBEY WOULD BE SILLY TODAY. WE DON’T USE THE SAME AMOUNT OF CUTLERY OR GLASSWARE BUT IT’S HOW WE USE THEM THAT IS STILL RELEVANT TODAY.
In a world where etiquette and manners have fallen by the wayside, I can’t resist but to ask Charles of any pet peeves. Without hesitation he says, “I have many! Mostly it’s the obsession with cell phones.” When in a social situation (business or personal) Charles says put them on vibrate or ignore it all together. “It drives me nuts for people around a dinner table to answer their phones. It’s extremely rude.” Charles says if you have an urgent matter, excuse yourself from the table and take the call in another room so you’re not disrupting the other guests. The other equally guilty crime is the modern day inability to thank properly. “A text is not a thank you!” insists Charles. A properly thought out thank you in an email is becoming more acceptable but for the most part, Charles is still a thank-you-card in the mail kind of guy. Makes me want to reorder those monogrammed thank you cards I once used. Charles has written two books on the subject, The Butler Speaks and The Pocket Butler (2nd printing) and is working on a third, The Butler and Household Manager’s Compendium which promises to be his most def initive work on the subject. You can visit Charles website at charlesmacpherson.com. TM
SAVE A BUCK. A CITY GUIDE IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.
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REASON NO. 8
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