I just read a story where FIFA, the world governing soccer body, is prohibiting the English National soccer team from wearing an embroidered poppy on their team jersey.  Here’s the official statement that FIFA made, “We regret to inform you (English Football Association) that accepting such initiatives would open the door to similar initiatives from all over the world, jeopardizing the neutrality of football.  Therefore, we confirm herewith that the suggested embroidery on the match shirt cannot be authorized”.  The English National Team has decided to wear black armbands instead for their match against Spain this weekend.   

 I can’t help but wonder about those brave men who served and fought for Canada during the World War’s.  When they were ordered to storm a beach, knowing they probably would never go home, did they think for a moment that their sacrifice would be cast aside and viewed as simple footnote.   What about the  Canadian men and women who served in Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq?  They were ordered to fight in a country they probably knew little about.  All in the name of democracy and yet some people they were fighting for wanted them out of their country.  Did these brave men and woman ever think that a simple gesture like wearing a poppy would be questioned and debated by those who believe it to be nothing more than the glorification of war?  God, I hope not.  I hope they understand that the vast majority of Canadians are forever thankful.  The life we lead today is a direct result of the sacrifices made by our armed forces.  Even the politically correct can’t dispute that.

Lest We Forget

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHkDeR4cIBk&feature=related]

 There’s no denying
Carney’s credentials and street cred.  He’s not a professor at the Harvard Business School.  He’s the BOC Governor, which is a position he plans on holding onto too.  He says the BOC gig is not a part –time job.  Really?  He has the time to do both jobs effectively?  I would never second guess the man, and the who’s who in the banking world is publicly supporting Carney’s role with the FSB.  I’m just thinking that’s a lot to put on one man’s plate.  Look, in Canada we’re used to his policies and we’ve adapted rather nicely. But  now he’s going to be dealing with Europeans, and America, who have a superiority complex when it comes to just about everything.  There’s isn’t a European out there that doesn’t believe their athletes, food, culture, sexual prowess, standard of living and socialistic view point is far superior than all other continents.   So having a Canadian come in to be the new sheriff…must be killing them.  What the Europeans, and Americans, are going to learn that is Carney is a tough hombre.  He was born in the Northwest Territory, and raised in Edmonton.  He loves hockey ,and he went to Harvard on a scholarship.  I never went to Harvard but I think you need a fair bit of grey matter between the ears to get a free ride at Harvard.  He worked at Goldman Sachs before joining the BOC in 2003.  The man has practical and theoretical experience.

 You can’t help but feel a little proud that a Canadian was appointed to this position.  I had nothing to do with it, but hell, he’s one of ours.  It’s like when a hockey player pulls on a team Canada jersey.  It doesn’t matter what team he plays for in the NHL. When the red maple leaf is on the front of the jersey, he’s one of ours.  Regulations impacts all of us.  In some cases it’s costly, and at times it can be difficult to do business when regulations become too restrictive.  That being said, the Canadian system is good blue print for other countries to follow, and a Canadian’s fingerprints will be all over new regulations for countries making up the G20.

If I could give Carney one piece of advice it would be this; when in doubt…go back to your hockey roots.  If the Greeks or Italians give you a hard time, drop your gloves, pull their Armani suit jackets over their heads, and start throwing uppercuts.  And remember there’s 34 million Canadians willing to jump over the boards.  Nothing like a good old fashioned political bench clearing brawl.

 Until next time

 Cheers.

]]> https://tothepointwithbozic.com/current-events/captain-canuck-mark-carney-g20-financial-stability-board/feed 1 https://tothepointwithbozic.com/current-events/a-brilliant-politician-or-world%e2%80%99s-biggest-dumb-ass?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-brilliant-politician-or-world%25e2%2580%2599s-biggest-dumb-ass https://tothepointwithbozic.com/current-events/a-brilliant-politician-or-world%e2%80%99s-biggest-dumb-ass#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:01 +0000 Boris Bozic http://boristalks.wordpress.com/?p=920

Normally when you think of politicians the word brilliant does not come to mind.  There’s an appreciable difference between being a brilliant politician and an effective legislator.  You can be a brilliant politician and do nothing for the people you serve.  Brilliant politicians know how to play the game.  One of the best game players was President Bill Clinton.  Think of the scandals he faced, as well impeachment proceedings, and he walked away from it all, unscathed.  Some might suggest that his reputation have forever been tarnished.  Really?  His speaking appearance fee is $125,000 minimum.  He’s made a significant sum of money since leaving the White House.  Today he’s viewed as a worldly statesmen, and millions of Americans today wax nostalgically about the Clinton era.  President Clinton was brilliant politician.  But what about George Papandreou, Prime Minster of Greece?

 We’ve all seen and heard about what’s happening in Greece.  It’ kind of like driving by an accident.  We may not understand how it might affect us but it’s hard to divert your eyes from this train wreck.  This is a first, a major industrialized country on the verge of going bankrupt.  It’s impacting markets on a daily basis.  To follow the markets today you need gravol.  Based on the decisions being made by the Greek government today, we could be in for a turbulent ride. 

Here’s what we know today.  Greece has no money, and she cannot afford to pay her debts.  Greek society will have to be transformed.  Greece was a country of entitlements, not unlike many other countries in Europe.  The threat of taking away entitlements has caused massive demonstrations and riots in Greece.  If Greece defaults on her financial obligations it will significantly impact the EU.  Rather bleak!  The only solution for Greece was to go out hat in hand, and look for a bailout.  This is where the Germans and French come in.  Collectively these two countries have a lot of skin in the game, and it’s in their best interest to come up with a financial solution for Greece.  So, they did just that.  When the deal was announced the markets rallied.  There was financial stability in Europe, which in Europe means there won’t be a crisis for at least one week.  Almost a week to the day, the Prime Minister of Greece said, “thanks for the bailout but I need to hold a referendum to accept the terms and conditions of the bailout”.

 When I first heard the news about the referendum I instinctively said, “are you kidding”.  Let’s see, your country is broke, and you want to ask the same people who are rioting in the streets to support further cuts and more job loss.  You dumb ass.  Or is he?  The cuts that Greece will have to make will impact Greek society.   Therefore, as a democratic society shouldn’t the citizens of Greece have a say?  Moreover, if miraculously the referendum was  to pass, the Prime Minister has political cover for the next four years.  His response to any demonstrations or criticism will be simple, “citizens of Greece, you approved it”.  Here’s the tricky part, what if the no’s win the referendum?    Does the Prime Minister of Greece go back to the table, knowing the failure of Greece will impact the rest of Europe, and demand better terms and conditions?  So who blinks?  Germany, France and the  EU?  Or Greece?  This is a high stakes game of chicken.  If the Greek Prime Minister ends up being the world’s biggest dumb ass, the game changed from chicken to Russian Roulette.

 There’s a lot of confusion about what’s happening in Europe, and how it might impact us.  I found a video that provide some clarity about Europe, and the mess they’re in.  Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzR3UAyXao&feature=youtu.be]

 Until next time,

 Cheers.

It was close to four years ago that I decided that Merix would have to embark on a digital journey.  Social media was just starting to create some buzz but it’s was nowhere near the acceptance levels of today.  I have to be completely candid with you, I still have a difficult time rationalizing social media.  So four years ago I wanted someone, anyone, to explain to me why people are embracing this thing called “Facebook” and “Twitter” and other social media communication vehicles.   I did some research on the internet but I couldn’t find a definitive answer.  I decided I needed to talk to an early adapter of this technology.  I realized I was having a hard time understanding the social media phenomenon because there was a generational gap.  So I talked to a twenty something person in our office.  I asked this individual to come by my office and explain to me why Merix needed to embrace social media.  We chatted for 45 minutes, and at the end of our conversation she looked me and said, “you just don’t get it”.  You know what?  She was right.  I didn’t get it, but it doesn’t matter if I don’t get it.   At that time it appeared that more and more people were getting it, and Merix needed to go where their customers were heading.  It was from that day on that I decided that social media and digital advertising was going to be an integral part of growth.

 Through osmosis I have learned a fair bit about social media over the past four years.  One of things I learned was that we had to hire an expert in this field.  I’m glad to say we did just that, and her efforts to date are helping us to transform how we do business.  One of things that I learned about social media is that we are all becoming tribal.  People today want to be a part of a community.  It didn’t take me long to figure out that all email was being viewed as spam by our customers.  Our customers wanted to be communicated too in manner which is personal and comfortable.  Gone are the days where you can force-feed one communication platform to your customers.  There’s just too many options available to customers today, and information alone is not enough.  Our customers want information, but the experience in which way they receive the information is equally important.  What wins today is not price alone, it’s about the overall experience.

I’m always on the lookout for unique and different ways to advertise to our customers.  If you’re going to stand out today you have to be sheik, unique and cool.  It doesn’t hurt to have a huge budget, when is that not the case, so let’s set that aside for a moment.  Have a look at the video below.  The video below is an internet advertising campaign by Carlsberg beer,  which resulted in 800,000 views in the first two weeks.  It’s brilliant, and it was cost effective. Watch Here.

The second video is from Burberry; this company has completely transformed how it communicates with their customers, and there’s no questioning their commitment to the digital world.   Two years ago they hired a CCO, Chief Creative Officer.  How many companies will follow Burberry and hire their own CCO?  If you answered “not likely”, remember what happened to the dinosaurs.  Watch Here.

 Until next time.

 Cheers

]]> https://tothepointwithbozic.com/business/the-digital-evolution/feed 1 https://tothepointwithbozic.com/guest-blogger/miles-kulik?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=miles-kulik https://tothepointwithbozic.com/guest-blogger/miles-kulik#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:24:57 +0000 Boris Bozic http://boristalks.wordpress.com/?p=651
For years now I suspected that I suffered from a malady known as MADD, Mortgage Attention Deficit Disorder.  Thankfully no medication is required but it’s an ailment I have to monitor closely.  What brings on this terrible affliction?
A few of the symptoms are boredom, “doing the same old same”‘; if everybody else is doing it a certain way, why are we?; if it’s not working, fix it now, and a multitude of other symptoms.  This is a personal demon I battle with, and clearly, I say this in jest.  The truth is I embrace change, and I think change is good.  I don’t believe that you should try to fix something which isn’t broken, but I believe you should constantly challenge yourself to be proactive rather than reactive. From an organizational standpoint it keeps everyone on their toes, and it encourages creative thinking.  Most importantly, without risk taking there is no reward.  Risk taking in a measured, well thought out way can be rewarding.  If taking the risk works, your business wins.  If it fails, your business learns valuable lessons.  It’s not about being reckless, it’s about having the courage to try.

Seeing how I suffer from MADD, it’s only logical it would impact my blog. My blog has been up and running now for an eternity, that would be four months.  So clearly it’s time to change things up and try something different.  So I decided that every once in a while I would have a guest blogger.  The criteria to be a guest blogger is simple.  Firstly, the guest blogger has reached some level of success.  Secondly, the guest blogger embodies qualities and attributes which makes our industry strong. Thirdly, the guest blogger is passionate about our industry, and has something to say, in a coherent manner.

I would like to introduce you to Miles Kulik.  I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Miles over the last few years. To me Miles represents the future of our industry.  He’s intelligent, he’s passionate, and loves being a mortgage broker.  Welcome to the blog Miles.

Is everybody a mortgage expert?  I am sure we have all been there, you meet with prospective clients and go through your song and dance.  All heads are moving in the same direction when they leave, and you feel pretty good about the last hour spent.  Then the phone call comes in…Hey Mortgage Guy, my (fill in the blank with anyone from great grandma to counter person at the local sub shop) just told me that they received a rate of ?  My first reaction is usually rage, but then I look over at my visa stmt and the sales hat takes over.  You go through the process of now trying to convince them that you are not an outright liar.  How did this all happen?  Less than 24 hours ago and you were the most knowledgeable, professional, experienced mortgage person on the planet.  How did the guy at the Sub Shop become heir apparent to Mr. Carney?

This is a blog, so to list and assess all the nuances of the human psyche would be like trying to jam down that doughnut burger from CNE after a full plate of chile fries.  It seems like a worthy idea, until the feeling of impossibility takes over.  My take on this dramatic turn of events begins with the lack of knowledge from the consumer of what a mortgage broker really does.  Are we agents, brokers, planners, contractors, guides, teachers, bankbeaters, coaches, the list can go on.  Our message to the consumer is, we don’t know what we are, but give us a try.  Or even worse, come see us for the best rate.  Stick a fork in us Alice, we are cooked.  

Or are we?  Sometimes you have to start over to understand what you can really achieve.  Market share is down under 20%, who cares about the number.  Lets take this time to really build our message.  Lets talk to our partners and see what we can do together to build our industry brand.  Then and only then, when you ask a consumer, What is a mortgage broker?  You don’t get the blank stare and a shrug of the shoulders.  The mortgage decision is the largest financial decision people will make.  Having a professional in your corner that is unbiased in their assistance, should be the only way consumers receive their guidance.  Lets get the message out…   

Cheers,

About Miles
I have been involved in the mortgage industry for almost 22 years.  I started off when I couldn’t even spell mortgage…still can’t, but I have put a few together.  My career spans all sides of brokering; having assisted, been an agent, a broker, broker of record, VP, President and now owner.  The industry has always been challenging and that is probably what has kept me involved.  I am impatient and can bore easily.  The next evolution is developing real trusted relationships with referral networks.  Partners, not just based upon dollars, but like minded individuals that see ‘pocket share’ as the road to success.

Ah, but this time it’s not about casting a vote in a federal, provincial or municipal campaign.  We here in Ontario will exercise our democratic right in early October, the pre-set date for the Provincial election in Ontario, the election I’m referring to is the upcoming CAAMP Board election. As someone who has campaigned twice I can assure you the process of getting elected is as political as any other election.  It takes organization and a commitment of time and resources to get elected.  To all the individuals that have put their names forward to run this year, I commend them for their courage and willingness to volunteer their time for the greater good.

When I was first elected to the CAAMP Board, I decided that I would try to  correct a flaw in the by-laws.  Simply stated I thought there was risk to our association if we did not address the issue of how many seats one firm could represent on the board.  Based on the current by-laws, one firm could theoretically occupy all the board seats, as well as all the executive positions. The reality is that would probably never happen but the possibility did exist. Realistically what could happen is that one firm could occupy five, six or seven seats on the board.  The optics alone of that happening would pose a risk to the association by calling into question the separation of an individual firm’s interest versus the associations interest.  Furthermore, I believed it was imperative that we find the means to make representation on the board more inclusive.  For individuals who decide they would like to serve they shouldn’t be precluded from doing so because they are not affiliated with a national firm.  To be abundantly clear, this is not a repudiation of the national firms that organized and campaigned to have as many of their employees elected to the board.  The national firms adhered to existing by-laws, and acted accordingly.  They did nothing wrong.  What was wrong was the by-law itself.  I’m happy to say that the CAAMP Board has addressed this issue, and the by-law will be changed at the upcoming CAAMP AGM.  In short, the by-law will read that no one entity, or it’s affiliated firms, can occupy more than 20% of the board seats.  I would personally like to thank my fellow board members, which includes board members that are employed by national firms, for their wisdom and vision. The board’s responsibility is to deal with not only issues of the day, but to anticipate and reflect on what’s best for the association and the future of the industry.  In this regard, kudos to the CAAMP Board.

As for the upcoming CAAMP Board elections, well, this is your chance to have a say on who represents you. The nominees are making great efforts to get elected, and they do so for the privilege of representing your interests.  The least we can do is take 30 seconds out of our busy schedules to cast a vote.

Until next time.

Cheers,

Few people really know what a mortgage broker does.- Some facts are indisputable; broker market share is trending in the wrong direction.

We must create a stable industry. This requires us to make this industry known and to attract the brightest so they can become the next generation of brokers, lenders and insurers.

Public awareness has been a topic of discussion in the mortgage broker industry for some time now.  It appears there’s a consensus that perhaps now is the time to create a public awareness campaign for the broker industry.  This is not unlike the recent campaign by the Insurance Bureau of Canada to enhance public awareness about their respective industry. I’ve had numerous discussions with industry leaders about this very issue, and it’s clear there is a will.  Ah, but is there a way?  Of course there is, it’s called money and who’s going to pay for it?  Creating public awareness through brand identification or defining what mortgage brokers do through an ad campaign is not cheap.  Let me rephrase that, it’s expensive.  To do it properly, and effectively, every mortgage broker will have to contribute.  It’s unrealistic to believe that someone else will subsidize the cost, i.e. the suppliers.  A commitment to a public awareness campaign will take significant resources, and a commitment to supporting the cause over a long period of time.  A two month campaign is a waste of good money.  Like you, I’m not enamored with the idea of wasting good money.  By the way, is there such a thing as “bad money”?  If there is, I don’t want to waste that either.

I guess a fundamental question industry stakeholders will have asked themselves is, “is an awareness campaign necessary”? There are varying degrees of necessity and each stakeholder will determine if there’s a compelling reason to participate in a campaign. Some stakeholders may want to maintain the status quo.  One could take a ‘let’s hope’ approach.  Things are okay today so why should I worry about the future, I’ll always get mine.  Some stakeholders may be reluctant to participate because such a campaign may impact negatively on other distribution channels.  Some stakeholders may say they reached their limit from economic standpoint. Irrespective of position or viewpoint, some facts are indisputable; broker market share is trending in the wrong direction.  Secondly,  human capital and organic growth has to be addressed.   Creating a stable industry, with long-term property, requires us to make this industry known and to attract the brightest so they can become the next generation of brokers, lenders and insurers.

In my humble estimation, the most compelling reason to take part in an awareness campaign is because few people really know what a mortgage broker does. According to a Meritz survey, which was commissioned by CAAMP, over 2/3 of the respondents said they did not have a good understanding of what a mortgage broker does.  How many cars would car companies sell if 2/3 of consumers really didn’t know what a car was?  The example is extreme but I think you get the point.  What percentage of the populace, if surveyed, would know what a realtor, an insurance broker or financial planner really does? I’m not sure of the results but I’m fairly confident numbers would better than the mortgage industry. 

If a solution and a way to undertake such a campaign were to be found, it may prove to be a turning point for the industry. That’s not hyperbole.  How many times in this industry have competitors got together, and agreed to put their own interest aside for the betterment of the greater good. This will only work if brokers can come to an understanding and if they agree they need to do this for their business today and in the future.  Kudos to the leaders of the largest brokerage firms who are willing to explore the possibility.  It will take great leadership, resolve and vision to make this happen.  Should it not come to fruition, let’s hope it’s not from a lack of trying.

Until next time

Cheers

No…my apologies…it could still be a train.  Just when we start to believe that maybe, just maybe, we can get through a couple of days without some pending crisis, BAM, there’s more talk of a double dip recession.  I know the press subscribes to the adage, “if it bleeds it leads”‘.  The truth is the global economy has taken more bullets than James Caan did in that famous scene in The Godfather, when Sonny was gunned down at a toll booth in New Jersey.  Unlike Sonny in the Godfather, the global economy keeps getting up for more.

Here in Canada we got the news that housing starts are down.  Job creation has been flat now for two consecutive months.  Our unemployment rate inched up to 7.3%.  The uptick was ever so slight, but the fractional increase represents real people without jobs.  Furthermore, CMHC reported that refinances were down by 40% since the new rules came into effect.  When I visit a mortgage broker I always ask them what percentage of their business is refinance versus purchase. One individual stated it was at least a 50/50 split.  If that was reflective of all broker business we would be trending to a 20% decrease on year over basis.  The picture will become clearer when the Q3 numbers are released, but suffice to say no one should be expecting increase on a year over year basis.  As a matter of fact, being flat year over year means you’re gaining share.  The BOC stated, the overnight lending rate would remain at 1% until the middle of 2012.  Some analysts are suggesting there be no changes until 2013.  That’s a clear sign of how fragile our economy is.  When rates increase it will be a clear signal that our GDP numbers are headed in the right direction, more Canadian’s are being employed and the markets have stabilized.

Surely there must be something positive coming out of the U.S. 

President O-Blah-ma was at his oratory best when he spoke to Congress about the new “Jobs Bill”.  It was reminiscent of the speeches he gave on the campaign trail, you remember, “Yes We Can!”.  I think we’ve all come to the realization that means, Yes We Can…talk a lot…and do very little.  The President introduced a “Jobs Bill”, with an omission, how will it be funded?  He’s going to get back to Congress on that in a couple of weeks. No rush, all the time in the world. I see there was a $44 billion trade surplus in the U.S. last month. A lower valued U.S. Dollar helps their exports, but when investors look for a safe haven they still flock to the U.S. Dollar.  This makes it tough for the U.S. to manipulate their currency (not that they would ever do that).  According to the American’s it’s only the Chinese who do that.  Bottom line is the U.S. will remain in a quagmire until they fix their housing crisis.  It’s a drag on their entire economy.

How about Europe?

Some good news is that some austerity measures are taking hold in Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy.  They still have plenty of work to do but at least those countries are taking some positives steps.  Greece? It appears that representatives of the Greek Government are still more concerned about holding onto power, rather than introduce real austerity measures which could put them back on the right course.  It’s going to get a lot worse in Europe before it gets better.

Finding silver linings today is a bit of a challenge.  But every once in a while we find that nugget.  Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary made the top 10 cities in the world to live in.  From where I sit Canada is THE best country in the world to live in.  I wouldn’t trade our problems for any other countries problems.  We’ll do our part, but damn it, they got to do theirs.

Until next time

Cheers

’72 Summit Series

The 72 Summit Series.  Canada versus Russia…. good versus evil… democracy versus communism.  This was more than a hockey series.   I was 12 years old back in 72.  Like the rest of the country I so desperately wanted the good guys to win.  Back then I didn’t get political nuances, all that mattered to me was that my heroes were playing against this team from far away.  I remember when the series moved to Moscow for the final four games, my first thought was, oh-oh, school’s going to get in the way of me being able to watch the games.

All the games would be broadcast in the afternoon.  I really didn’t get differences in time zones back then.  Alas, there was no need to worry.  My grade 7 teacher wheeled a TV into the classroom, and there we watched game five, six and seven.  Then the unthinkable happened.  After game 7 our teacher reminded us that were going on a field trip, and unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to watch the eighth and deciding game.  Clearly she was joking, and I believed that up until the moment I was getting on a school bus to go on the field trip.  I was furious, I couldn’t believe we would miss the deciding game because we were going to a nature preserve, to look at plants and bugs.  As game time approached I made a decision, I had to find a way to watch the game.  When we drove up in the school bus I noticed there was a building on the property.  I decided to have a look.  The building was empty and I went for a walk about until I found a room that looked like a cafeteria.  I walked in, and is if my prayers were answered, there was a TV.  I went to turn it on, promising god that if the TV worked I would be really good.  He heard my prayers, its minutes to game time.  Then my teacher walked in…arms folded across her chest…she asked me, “and what do you think you’re doing Mr. Bozic”.  Back then I didn’t understand rhetorical questions, was so I answered “I’m watching the game”.  She gave me my marching orders but I responded with, “I can look at bugs and plants any day of the week, but this hockey game is history”.  She walked out and I thought this game better be worth it because my old man is going to kill me.  You see back then you didn’t defy teachers, at least not in our house.  As I contemplated that my life will probably end in four hours, I figured that’s what would happen when I get home from school, my teacher and fellow classmates walked into the room.  We all sat there together and watched this amazing hockey game. When Paul Henderson scored the winning goal, with less than a minute to go in the game, the room went nuts. I remember walking up to my teacher and hugging her, and to say thank you.  I remember her looking down on me, with a smile on her face, and she said, “you were right”.  Some teachers are amazing.

John Lennon

I remember the night John Lennon was murdered because I just started working at a radio station.  Many moons ago I worked on air, and my first gig was an overnight jock at a radio station in Orillia, CFOR.  During my 45 minutes of training, I was told keep an eye on the news wire.  It’s a service radio stations subscribed too, and the newsmen would use the copy to read on air. So there I am, a rookie announcer, all by myself at the station, nervous as hell and the wire service is going crazy.   I heard some beeping coming from the wire service machine, so I figured something big must be happening. I walked into the newsroom, I looked at the  copy which was being printed, and there it read, BULLETIN…JOHN LENNON GUN-DOWNED IN NEW YORK.   Holy &@!?…what do I do now?  So I went into the music library and pulled out every Beatles album the station had.  I played Beatles music for rest of my shift, and went on the air every 15 minutes with updates about John Lennon’s murder.  There was no protocol to follow so I winged it.  Thankfully the program director was on side the next day, and I’m sure all my listeners that night – the overnight gas station attendant and the two cab drivers – appreciated the music.

9/11

I was supposed to be on a plane on 9/11.  I was at the Fairmont Hotel at the Vancouver airport on the morning of 9/11.  I had a plane to catch back to Toronto.  I woke up that morning, made some coffee, and started to read the newspaper.  I’m reading yesterday’s news so I’m completely oblivious to what’s going on.  I then get a phone call from my cousin, who lives in Vancouver, and he asks me if I’m watching the news?  I said no, and he said turn it on, I think we’re at war.  I thought what the hell? Did he fall out of bed and bump his head?  Okay, I’ll play along.  I turned the TV on, and I watched in stunned disbelief for about twenty minutes.  For some reason a voice in my head said, “get away from the airport”.  I packed up my clothes and made my way to my cousins place.  I had to stay there for 5 days before I could get a flight out.  I’ve never wanted to come home so badly.  I just wanted to be around family and friends.  It’s been 10 years since 9/11, and our world changed dramatically that day.  Especially for the 27 Canadian families who lost loved one’s on 9/11.

Godspeed.

I don’t know about you but Labour Day Weekend feels like the end of summer for me.  I know the official date to bid farewell to summer is September 22, but Labour Day Weekend reminds me of things to come.  As a kid I hated to see the CNE in Toronto close for another year.  Why? The day after it closed it was back to school.  No kid looks forward to going back to school, unless it’s that kid that always sits in the front row, raises their hand to answer every question, and their goal is to be on the honour role and not to get stuffed into a locker.  Back to school also means traffic will be a mess, especially the first week after Labour Day Weekend.  Everyone is back from summer vacation, but while people were away enjoying summer, they all seemed to have forgotten how to drive.  Drive…neutral…reverse, no different from July 1st, but some folks need a week to adjust.

Another adjustment we have to make after Labour Day is the weather.  Right on cue we reached a high of 17 in Toronto, on Labour Day Monday.  On Saturday it was 34, and on Monday I was looking for a jacket.  The only people happy to see the temperatures fluctuate to that degree, pardon the pun, is Al Gore and the Enviro-Nazis.  You see they don’t call it global warming anymore, now it’s called “Climate Change”.  If the earth gets warmer or colder…they’re always right.  I’m always leery of a zealot or a fanatic.  When you identify fanaticism, usually the motivation is money.  It’s been widely reported that since Al Gore took up the environment as his cause for being, his net worth has grown to $100 million.  For that kind of money people will say and believe in just about anything.  I know one thing for sure, Al Gore won’t have to turn down the thermostat this winter to pay the bills.  If the truth be told neither will we. We’re Canadian’s…winter is around the corner…we deal with it.

As the temperature starts to drop, and the kids have re-acquainted themselves with old friends back at school, our business refocuses to the tasks at hand.  The banks year-end is October 31st, and for the rest of us we have another four months to make our year.  We actually only have three months to work with because December is, well, December.  If you’re not working on anything by December 15th, you might as well shut her down.  Before we get to December we all have an opportunity to make up for lost ground.  Statistics suggest that our industry Q3 numbers will be sluggish.   That’s code for down on a year over year basis. The numbers will probably indicate that we’ve had further overall market share erosion.  I don’t believe the numbers will be alarming but further decrease in market share will create a certain amount angst, and a lot of chatter.  The good thing about our industry is we don’t just babble, we do.  We’ve all been extraordinarily resilient over the last few years.  We have to draw on the lessons we’ve learned from the past, and put that wisdom to good use as we enter Q4.  We all have some ground to make up, and the good news is we have fewer distractions.  The summer is unofficially over.

Until next time.

Cheers,