It takes an extraordinary amount of resolve, belief, and courage to place a wager on one’s own ability. To be willing to forgo the sure thing for uncertainty can be exhilarating and terrifying. Yet there are times when the stars are aligned and the circumstances are just right, to take such a gamble on yourself.  We here, in Toronto, witnessed just that yesterday when the, now former, Toronto Blue Jay General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, walked away from a five year contract, worth multiple millions of dollars.

The Toronto Blue Jays captured the imagination of sports fans not only in Toronto, but in the whole country. After 22 years of futility and being forced to endure watching other teams compete for championships, Blue Jays fans could actually dream of celebrating a championship and look forward to better days ahead. As all fans know, even the passing fans, the Toronto Blue Jays fell short of the ultimate goal – the World Series. Oh, but what a ride it was. For two and half months millions of viewers tuned into watch the Jays improbable run to the holy land. Rogers Communications, owners of the Toronto Blue Jays and TV network “Rogers Sportsnet”, garnered record numbers of viewers that in broadcast terms can be described as staggering. My word, I watched every game and was emotionally invested in the teams every play; this after swearing off the Toronto Blue Jays a decade ago. Back then I decided that if the owners of the team didn’t care, well, neither do I.  But I came back, as well as millions of other fans, only to realize it was a mirage. (more…)

On October 19th, Canadians will choose who will lead this this country going forward. Assuming there’s a majority, a rather large assumption given current polls, Canadians will have to live with their decision for four years. Irrespective of the choice Canadians make the world will not come to an end the day after the election. The leaders of the three major parties would try to have believe otherwise, but the truth is there is very little truth in politics, and even less so during a campaign.

I was eligible to vote for the first time in 1978, and since then I have never missed the right to exercise my franchise. I never understand when people say, “What’s the point of voting, it’s not going to make any difference”. To me the point is that we have the right to vote, and that never should be taken for granted. To illustrate how precious the right is; take a moment to take stock of the oppression and brutal disregard for basic human rights around the world today. In parts of the world the oppressors will allow access to Facebook, but allowing an election which will determine who the leader of their country will be?  Well, that’s just a notion too far. Technological advancement is a by-product of society’s enlightenment, and nothing contributes to that more than the simple act of marking an X on a ballot. 

I do understand why voter cynicism and apathy exists. We all know, or least came to expect that politicians are less than truthful. They will say whatever is necessary to get a vote. Therefore, many voters to decide who to vote for based on whom they dislike the least. I must confess, (more…)

For the past week I’ve been on the road speaking at the MA (Mortgage Architects) Conference. The conference started in Toronto, followed a few days later with back-to-back-to back stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary. That can be a bit of a grind given that you’re trying to deliver same energy and passion each time you’re presenting on the stage, and when meeting people that are attending the conference. By the time the fourth presentation rolls around you have to fight the autopilot mode. It doesn’t matter if there are three hundred people in the room or thirty people. I signed up for this; so I have a responsibility to trek on and do the best I can. I can live with the audience not being enamored with the content of the presentation, but it would bother me to no end if someone in the audience thought I just mailed it in.

I needed to catch my second wind on the “tour”, and I received it from the most unusual source. I just finished my presentation in Vancouver, actually it was in Surrey BC, and I quickly had to go back to my room, pack and check out.  I entered the elevator on the 20^th floor, and there were two plain clothed policemen in the elevator giving me the once over. Badge and guns were visible, as well as their ear pieces and cords tucked into the collars of their shirts. A number of things started to race through my mind. Firstly, I was in Surrey – and this was probably normal. I’m just kidding. I lived in Vancouver for eight years, and while living there I picked up some snooty habits – like poking fun at Surrey; my apologies. For a second I thought the cops noticed my fashion faux pas that morning and that’s why they were scoping me out. If they did notice, they’re good.  I was wearing an Armani suit, a custom tailored dress shirt, personally monogrammed, a tie and pocket handkerchief that popped, topped off with a pair of Louis Vuitton dress shoes. Maybe they noticed that I wasn’t wearing cufflinks, forgot to pack the damn things, and instead I had to use paper clips to hold the French Cuffs together. As soon as my moment of narcissism passed, I realized why they were checking me out. There in the corner of the elevator, strategically standing behind the police was the leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party) Thomas Mulcair. (more…)

Living in Toronto is like living in a sports wasteland. Backing winners, especially championship teams, is a joy and pleasure that non-Toronto sports fans get to experience. However being a fan of any Toronto sports team, NHL/MLB/NBA/MLS/CFL, is an act of blind faith, and frankly, work. The majority of Toronto sports fans wake up every day thinking, “this is going to be a tough day on the job”. There’s ridicule, contempt, and being the brunt of jokes to contend with; but for the first time, in a long time, things changed for Toronto sports fans this week.

Toronto’s baseball team, Toronto Blue Jays, secured first place in their division this week, thus ensuring a spot in this year’s playoffs. It has been 22 years since the Blue Jays were in the playoffs. I still remember what it was like back then. Back then the Jays were perennial playoff contenders. They were built to win, and to be competitive going forward. God, that was so long ago. When I think about what has happened in my life in the last 22 years, it seems like a lifetime ago. A funny thing happens to fans, especially as they get older; priorities change and blind faith becomes very blurred. I definitely fall into that category. I stopped following the Blue Jays closely about a decade ago. My rationale was simple, if the team doesn’t care, neither do I. (more…)

It’s been a while since my last blog post. Vacations, work, and general stuff have proven to be a bit of a distraction. I’ve also come to learn that writing a blog is like going to the gym. If you stop doing it on a consistent basis it’s difficult to get back into the swing of it; and just like going to the gym, you know when it’s time to go back. So here goes, not much happening on my end.

Until next time…

Of course I’m kidding. There’s plenty going on, be it the housing and mortgage market, the overall economy, or political campaigns. Plenty to opine about, but since this is my first blog post in a while I thought I would touch on something personal. Last week Dan Putnam, CAAMP Chairman (Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals), notified me that I was going to be inducted this year into the CAAMP Mortgage Hall of Fame. My first reaction when hearing the news was, “I don’t know what to say”. Rarely am I at a loss for words, but in my defense it’s not something you ever plan on hearing. No one can map this out and say, “one day I’m going into the Hall of Fame”. It happened because a number people got together, built a case on my behalf, and worked to make it
happen. You can’t lead an initiative like this yourself. I mean, you could, but it would be really bad form. The fact that my industry colleagues would take the time do this, for me, is beyond flattering.

Over the next month or so I will have to work on my induction speech. How does one properly acknowledge, in three to five minutes, all those who gave me a hand up over the last 28 years?  (more…)