"The Trouble With Eating Italian Food, Is That Five Or Six Days Later You're Hungry Again" -George Miller

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." -Steve Jobs After the recent trip out east, I was reminded of the Emerging Leaders conference from last year in Montréal. Wow, the event in 2016 seems so far away. 381 days, countless meetings, even more phone calls, 15 pounds, 23,000 kilometers driven, and a beard. Looking through the pictures revealed a few things, mainly; the oceans of wine and abundance of talent, training, and fulfillment of spirit (both meanings) that went on over the event. I am still thankful and humbled to have been selected to be part of it. Sitting at dinner, and tables that with senior executives, directors and peers from companies over 100 years old to ones just starting who were identified as emerging leaders, in Montréal, was an experience I'll never forget. Thank you. #tbt #finance #financialplanning #entrepreneur #workhardplayhard #hustle #quotes #blessed #montreal #leader #leadership #emergingleaders #thankful #food #amazing #wine #moet #champagne (at Ristorante Buonanotte)

Caffeine caf·feine /kaˈfēn,ˈkafˌēn/ noun 1) if you truly need it, you need a new career. 2a) a bitter crystalline alkaloid, C8H10N4O2, usually found in coffee, tea, cacao (chocolate), and kola nuts (cola). and used medicinally as a stimulant of the central nervous system and diuretic. b) medically, caffeine can cause anxiety, insomnia, nervousness, and hypertension. Caffeine is a diuretic and increases urination. It can decrease a person's ability to lose weight because it stimulates insulin secretion, which reduces blood sugar, which increases hunger. Caffeine can help to relieve headaches, so a number of over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers include it as an ingredient, usually with aspirin or another analgesic. This was one of the first organic chemicals I learners to synthesize in biochemistry and organic chemistry. The reaction, then, was very hard, with very low efficiency; only a fraction of the initial reactants made it into the final product form. I didn't drink coffee then, and I love it now. But I don't need it to get through the day, I enjoy the small pick me up and love the taste of a manjari mocha. Here's to all those who agree with my first definition!

"The mighty hammer Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star. Its power has no equal, as a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king." -Odin Okay this just made me laugh out loud. So I had to share. Enjoy. . . . . . . #finance #financialplanning #entrepreneur #marvel #mcu #comedy #rip #thor #ragnarok #comics (at Åsgård, Troms, Norway)

Hey There Delilah #wine #music #livemusic #finance #workhardplayhard #grind (at Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel)

"Is hockey hard? I don't know, you tell me. We need to have the strength and power of a football player, the stamina of a marathon runner, and the concentration of a brain surgeon. But we need to put all this together while moving at high speeds on a cold and slippery surface while 5 other guys use clubs to try and kill us. Oh yeah, did I mention that this whole time we're standing on blades 1/8 of an inch thick? Is ice hockey hard? I don't know, you tell me... Next question." -Brendan Shanahan I feel the 1972 Summit Series area was, aside from the Esso Great Hall, my favorite part of the Hockey Hall of Fame. I wasn't around for another decade, but I relived the series through family, rebroadcasts on television, and eventually a made for tv movie. I only wish you could hear Foster Hewitt scream the, "Henderson! Henderson has scored for Canada!" as soon as you step foot in the area. . . . . . . #finance #financialplanning #entrepreneur #workhardplayhard #hustle #quotes #blessed #Toronto #thankful #leader #legend #legacy #hustle #Canada #canadian #nhl #hockey #hockeyhalloffame #summit (at Hockey Hall of Fame)

"Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble." (Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum.) - Henry Royce The Rolls Royce Cullinan premier. The venue was incredible. Classic passenger trains stood as sentries over the gala and the two yet to be unveiled cars. The trains themselves have had Buffet, Churchill, various royalty, prime ministers, as well countless other officials and dignitaries visiting whom visited our country as guests. Compartments and entire cars were even named after some of these guests. The vehicle's name derived from the world's largest diamond at 3,106 carats and valued over $400M USD. The tailgating feature alone stole the show, and as always, it exemplifies luxury and elegance. . . . . . . #finance #financialplanning #entrepreneur #workhardplayhard #hustle #quotes #blessed #Calgary #yyc #thankful #legacy #leader #goals #beyourownbanker #luxury #luxurycars #rollsroyce #cullinan #sickweb #wine #exclusive (at Canadian Pacific Railway Co)

"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body." -Benjamin Franklin The food at One Restaurant is so good it reminded me of family dinners over Christmas, in Edmonton, with family when I was a child. When I was looking up the quote; so as not to paraphrase, I stumbled upon a stellar quote from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. I feel it relates more to the life of an entrepreneur than most I have ever seen. Truly words to live by: "I'll never, ever be full. I'll always be hungry. Obviously, I'm not talking about food. Growing up, I had nothing for such a long time. Someone told me a long time ago, and I've never forgotten it, 'Once you've ever been hungry, really, really hungry, then you'll never, ever be full." -Dwayne Johnson #finance #financialplanning #entrepreneur #workhardplayhard #hustle #quotes #blessed #Toronto #food #travel #meals #benjaminfranklin #rock #thankful #hungry (at One Restaurant)

The fox knows many small things. The hedgehog knows one big thing. #finance #financialplanning #LLSummit17 #parable #entrepreneur #greatness (at Vancouver, British Columbia)

"I leave you with this thought... It is not the one with the greatest power that is important! It is the one who uses his power wisely... In the cause of justice!" -Thor Odinson (Journey into Mystery Vol 1, issue 112) A great show at my favorite Canadian theatre. The 4DX theatre at the Younge-Dundas Square is insane. Fog creeping down the isle, rain falling, lightening bolts crashing to the floor, and the smells ranging from flowers to burnt cobalt from fired bullet rounds. All of it seamlessly integrated with the movie. I recommend it emphatically! Jack "King" Kirby would have been proud of the art/costumes/cosmic weirdness, in Thor: Ragnarok, as he originally imagined him. My inner nerd loved every second of it. #finance #financialplanning #entrepreneur #workhardplayhard #hustle #quotes #blessed #Toronto #4dx #movies #thor #marvel #thankful #travel (at Yonge St and Dundas St)

Five timely tax tips for startups!