Weekday Inspiration | Attitude of Gratitude

I write this to you with head hung low and tail between my proverbial tail, the true picture of apologetic. I'm sorry for a lapse in posting. I am visiting family and filling my days with toy cars, pizza, snow and bouncy balls - and avoiding screens at all costs - ahhhhh, bliss!

I promise there is a gift in here somewhere, read on for your reward!

Top 5 | Websites for Interviews

I think I've mentioned before how much I love interviews, especially with random, not-so-famous people. The more relatable the better, in my opinion! The internet has become an amazing place to find tete-a-tete convos on an array of topics and, for your reading pleasure, I've made a first pass at my top five sites to read interviews on. (Disclaimer: this list is ever-evolving and subject to change!)

Click on to read my list ranked from good to great!

Weekday Inspiration | Blue Steel

Rock it, rocket.

Humpday Post | Habits

It feels like a constant struggle to cultivate great habits.

I'm a lover of big, hairy, audacious goals, and tend to set them often. What I frequently overlook is the habit side of it - the 'how', so to speak, of achieving these ambitious goals. And, if there's on thing I've learned about achieving (or failing to achieve) goals it is this: behavior is key!

Take my fitness BHAG: work out for a minimum of 30 minutes, 4 times a week. It is completely achievable, and requires just two hours of my time a week. Easy, right? Wrong!! Instead, my mind has turned the act of hitting the gym, or my yoga mat, or jumping on my bike for a ride into this giant feat. A million excuses are constantly at the door, begging to be let in:

"I can't wake up early, I'm too tired and deserve to sleep in."
"I can't work out tonight, I've already made plans with friends."
"Today has been so stressful, I'm going to skip the gym, curl up with a glass of red and order Wilbur instead."
"It's too cold outside, I'm hibernating for the rest of the day."
"I can't work out Saturday morning, I'll be too hungover."**

The best thing about all of these excuses is how telling they are about my real habits: socializing, staying in, getting take out, drinking. So, before we enter the craziness of the holiday season, I'm taking a step back and evaluating how my existing habits can be tweaked and merged with the habits I need to cultivate in order to achieve my BHAGs.

I love socializing! The question, now, is how can I socialize AND fit a workout in?
Stress sucks! But, by forcing myself to get active, I'm busting any lingering negativity of my stressful day, and tiring myself out for a good night's sleep.
The cold is so demotivating! Lucky for me, there are a million and one amazing Youtube videos of workouts. Oh yeah, and I have an in-building gym - hellloooooooo, earth to Amye!!!!

What trips you up on your path to a better you? How do you combat lack of motivation, or diverging priorities?

**And the hungover excuse is actually a valid one for me. Never again will I hungoverly hit a 10:30am weight lifting class on Sunday, only to be nauseous all hour and drop weights on my toes - ouch!

Wilburrrrrrrrito

I have an obsession, an addiction, a constant craving like no other. There's no helping me, there's no way out. I am having a love affair with the Wilbur Mexicana Cali Burrito. 

Adios!

Job Love | Ten Thousand Villages

I feel strongly about the responsibility brands and companies have to spread goodwill and do their best to make the world a better place. In the case of a company that is built solely on the idea of improving the lives of others, pure magic can result.

Enter Ten Thousand Villages. A store that has been a mainstay in my life since childhood. Tiny Guatemalan worry dolls, embroidered keepsake boxes from India, incredibly detailed nativity sets carved out of Soapstone are all trinkets I remember admiring in the Stratford Ten Thousand Villages from a wee age. This company sells beautiful and ethical merchandise (including this stunning salt crystal cheese board - which is, heart-breakingly, an American-only piece)

All of this makes me extremely proud of Jackman Reinvents for partnering with Ten Thousand Villages on a pro bono project to redesign the store's look and feel. The new brand identity was featured on Marketing Mag, which reported "First week sales at the Bloor store were up 34% compared to the same period last year." (!!!!) Check out the before and after shots below.

Feeling extra love for my company today!

Today in Photos

Boss Babes & Books

Last night found me at the Toronto Club Monaco flagship store on Bloor Street, nervous out my mind, heart racing, palms sweating (though, to be fair, it was quite warm in there!), anxiously waiting my turn to bow down to the epic Garance Dore!

I’ve followed her for all of my blog-devouring days, I would put the start of those days back at 2008 –when half the blogs I followed used her photos with nary a credit (it was 2008, the blogosphere was basically the Wild West). I’ve enjoyed every moment of her blog’s evolution, and I would argue it’s at its most compelling state currently. Garance’s affable, self-deprecating narrative style shines, but so does her colleagues’. Every topic from quality of sleep, weekend escapes, and patent leather booties is covered swiftly and comprehensively and I love the long editorials and interviews – though I do wish the career story interviews were shared more frequently!

As you can imagine, years of reading Garance’s stories and obsessing over her photography and style, has turned her into a huge icon for me. I had no idea what to expect when I went to her Toronto book signing event. By the time I reached her she would be two hours into her 107^th book signing event (I exaggerate, slightly) and was sure to be exhausted, possibly even suffering from carpal tunnel. I decided it would be too rude to request a selfie with her (be still, my heart!) and was mentally prepared for a quick smile (with or without eye contact) and a signature to take home with me – which still had me quaking in my boots.

Instead, I was bowled over by the efficiency and strategic planning demonstrated by Garance’s team and Club Monaco: open bar with Cointreau, sticky notes with your name written on it to ensure proper spelling (gah! Can you imagine a worse fate??), a long but well organized line of fashionable women snaking through the retailer’s collection of Garance endorsed product. AND, to top it all off, a designated photo-taker who was snapping pics of each signee with Garance, using the signee’s phone – GENIUS! Selfie conundrum solved!

Two whole minutes with Garance is the equivalent of a year in heaven (umm, haven’t you seen Interstellar?? You know how these things work….). She was super smiley, kind, has this glow about her, and joked about the rainy awful weather in Toronto that day, everything about her was CHIC! And of course I don’t have to tell you she was the nicest person EVER!!

But I DO need to tell you about the other women in line. Suffering the pelting rain, spending two hours standing in heels, de-layering in the stuffy, humid heat can only be fun for so long. What made my night stellar was chatting with and getting to know the women in line with me. After a friend bailed, I had resigned myself to wasting time with candy crushing. Lucky for me (in what would become the start of a series of surprises that evening – free drinks! Photos with Garance!! Correctly spelled name!!!) I was given an opportunity to meet some fabulous boss babes, including a digital designer and a marketer for a fashion start up. After two hours of shared laugher (and anxiety-induced turmoil) we had basically become besties for life (If you’re reading this, new acquaintances who I barely know, I promise I’m not trying to scare you off!!!!). All in all, a seriously successful night in my books.

Happy Wednesday!

A Unique Perspective on Customer Experience

I am always so ceaselessly curious about how others live their life. In no time at all I am hooked to the point of obsession on any and all interviews, whether the focus is on a celebrity, professional, politician, or just a random, ordinary person (of which I think more interviews should be focused on!). Learning how people organize, lead and experience their life is insightful.

Recently I read Fast Company’s feature on Ron Johnson, former CEO of JC Penney, and current CEO of the Startup ‘Enjoy’. I had never heard of Enjoy so, already, this interview had me intrigued. Coming from a professional career that saw its (arguably) biggest success at Apple, Johnson has modeled ‘Enjoy’ after the Genius Bar. I encourage you to read the full article if you’re curious about the premise of this startup.

I will say this, I applaud the way Enjoy values their employees. In a world where the share/freelance economy increasingly reigns, it’s refreshing to see a company that treats their employees like individual contractors, but pays them a salary, offers stock options and covers health benefits.

My favourite part of the article was not focused on Enjoy, but instead the personal ethos of Johnson when it comes to customer experience:

"Most love is not emotional love. It’s rooted in compassion or help. Look at the Genius Bar. You’re just helping people. And so that’s what my governor is: How do you create an environment where you feel this love? Because love is contagious."

Though Johnson’s interpretation comes from a biblical source, I would argue this perspective works really well in a completely secular way. Empathy is so key when engaging with customers of any kind. The age old adage of “treat others the way you would want to be treated” is powerful in retail and should not be overlooked in training, staffing and employment decisions. 

Millennial Cleaning Closet

Being a researcher can be strange.

With access to millions of data points, and a plethora of constant questions, my curiosity is a perfect fit. However, as I delve into numbers, samples, and trends, I'm increasingly seeing my behavior in the numbers, and identifying with the results more and more.

Case in point: Millennials. Cool group, huh? Their spending power, customer experience expectations and engagement with brands is off the charts. They are 'digital natives', 'frugal' and 'value experiences over things', and so on and so on. I don't know about you, but I am ripe with anticipation for the next generational obsession to take hold.

But, as I was recently digging into this sensational cohort, I found some interesting stats around the share and resale economy, and 20-something year old's participation in these sectors. For example, 44% of Millennials consider the resale value of large purchases. And since learning about this topic, I've noticed my behavior upholding the notions of frugality, reselling, only buying what I need, and so on.

Was I always like this, or have I become conditioned to behave a certain way based on what I'm reading about my generation? Could it be that my insane appetite for closet cleaning is really just getting the best of me? Maybe I read these stats in a time of my life where I'm already on the route to de-cluttering and reselling?

On that note - Happy Sunday!

Fall Life

Summer, my most favourite season, is drawing to a close. The truth is in the drastic temperature drop that saw me at the beach getting sunburned and dehydrated one day, only to be bundled up in jacket and pants 36 hours later - what is this - Calgary?!

Luckily, the heat has hit back, and the past few days have been a lesson in gratitude. Isn't it wonderful to get one last chance with something you love? Imagine if this was a life thing: an end where you die and then, once you see the gravity of 'hey, no more life', you get one last chance to hit up all the things you missed most on the other side. That is what the last few days have been to me. Oh, and an amazing Songza playlist I discovered simply titled 'Morning Indie Boogie'.

So, to summarize, life is great, tunes are blasting, I'm boogie-ing away in my office chair, and absolutely loving this last chance at summer we've been given. And fall? Well, fall will feel that much sweeter once it arrives, and once we are all confident that we took advantage of every last drop of summer properly.

And, though I'm incredibly infatuated with summer as a season, there is something so fresh, so inspiring and motivating about fall #amiright?! I'm not exactly a PSL-er but even I can recognize the charm of cozy layers and a 'back to school' mentality that pushes you to be the person you've always hoped to be...

....Or at least someone you wouldn't regret being once this beautiful life is behind us :)

Snoozerella

Sleep was never a problem for me. Once night time hit, I was out like a light, sometimes even while in a movie theatre or dark car ride home (when I wasn’t the driver, of course J). I’m sure country air and the silent solemnness of living far from any ‘big’ city also played a part. It was so still at night that, while sitting on the porch while our dog was out for a final Frisbee / bathroom break, you could hear cars hit the ‘ba dum ba dum ba dum’ stop sign indicators on the road that was kilometres away!

But, in recent weeks, my talent for sleeping has slipped a little. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, sometimes falling back asleep easily, other times tossing and turning for hours. Living on a hyper busy road in downtown Toronto certainly plays a large role, with rip roaring motors and streetcar honks punctuating an otherwise peaceful sleep. The effect a poor sleep has on me is astounding! Irritability, grogginess, ravenous hunger, dark circles under my eyes and lackluster skin – all incredibly uninspiring feelings as I get ready for work - when I can finally drag myself out of bed that is! A bad night sleep turns me into a snooze button zombie. 

I’ve tried a few things, albeit haphazardly: Melatonin, meditation, a sleep supplement that combines Catsnip, Tryptophyn, Valerian (among others), deep breathing, turning down the thermostat. The things that seem to have the greatest impact on my sleep are behavioral – and maybe this isn’t so surprising.

The body loves routine, and getting cues on what comes next from our actions and surroundings. Replacing my paper books for digital versions on my iPad haven’t helped my sleep. I’ve read more and more how the light emitted from the iPad can mess up your circadian rhythm and signal to the body that it’s time to be awake. Slipping up on my exercise routine also seems to be a sure fire way to sleep less and get hours of more poor quality snoozing.

Yes, of course I’d like a bit more time to devour my magazines on my iPad before sleep. And finding time for consistent exercise is HARD (and less appealing than scheduling after work drinks – let’s be honest!). But sleep is SO CRITICAL! Getting a good night sleep is linked to all kinds of things good, not to mention fun and zany dreams. 

What do you do to get better sleep?

Magazine Mania

I spent part of my deliciously hot summer weekend this week in the sand of a beach on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. In addition to starting my work week off feeling refreshed and sun-kissed, I am feeling waves of gratitude for all the innovative, alternative and critical publications that exist.

Magazines hold a dear place in my heart, which has been true since I was 14 and first spotted Nylon in my small hometown’s 7/11. It seemed so different from the Cosmopolitans I was used to seeing. While my love for Nylon has waned some, I do appreciate a really great collage as a result of my teenage readership.  

It’s only recently I’m recognizing how magazine obsessed I am. For more than a decade I’ve shelled out anywhere from $5 - $50 per month on a random assortment of mags, primarily used as inspiration and arts and craft material rather than anything educational. I was talked into subscribing to Toronto Life back in November and became both surprised and delighted when the latest issue appeared in my mailbox each month. Beyond the excitement of actually seeing mail addressed to me, it was refreshing to read pieces that were well written, relevant and meaty. In January, I took my relationship with magazines to another level and tried out Next Issue – which has swiftly become a steadfast source of entertainment, competing with Netflix for my leisure time.

Finally, my journey has led me to the diversity of non-mainstream, unconventional publications. I received a subscription to the Smith Journal as a birthday present from my beloved – and boy does he know me well! The well curated collection of articles in my first issue has been incredibly pleasing to the mind. Yesterday, in between beach Frisbee and ice cream, a good friend let me peruse her edition of n+one….and I COULD not / WOULD not put it down – even with the prospect of a fresh water swim dangling before me. 

Perhaps one of the best things about magazines is the low commitment, bite size pieces of inspiration, information, humour and perspective. The wide range of topics available makes a 5 minute reading break feel diverse and intriguing. I often find myself googling a novelist, or perusing the site of a new designer as a result of the magazine’s content. In my pursuit to constantly widen my understanding of the world, magazines have proven themselves useful allies. 

Weekday Inspiration: Rules to Follow

Blue Moon

Hi friend!

Apologies for the tardiness, and great lapses between posts. What a poor first impression! May I blame the hot heat of the summer, and all the fun that goes along with it? Travels to California, visits to Yukon Territory, visits from my best friend, barbeques, picnics, and bike rides galore! Summer can be so short lived, I've been all about eating it up and making the most of it. Most recent adventure was a sail boat ride out into sunset, as a full blue moon rose up over Lake Ontario. How epic was that moon last night??

Weekend Musings: Want vs. Need

"I need to get a pair of platform wedge sandals."
"You need them? Why?"
"Because they're gorgeous, so comfortable, and will make me taller...duh!"
"Those don't sound like needs to me...."

Here is a sample conversation between my impulsive self, and my rational self, that should really happen more often. You can swap 'platform wedge sandals' for almost anything, and the conversation would be the same. So much of my consumer behavior is impulsive, or spurred on by reasons completely unrelated to 'need'.

This is on my mind this week for a couple reasons. First, as some of you may remember from this post, I recently visited the library. Among the pink-hued covers and satisfyingly frivolous reads I took home was a book by consumer behavior consultant Philip Graves. In the very first chapter of Consumer.ology, Graves begins to describe the subconscious emotional desires that trigger spending, which often go undetected by consumers' conscious minds. He goes on to explain how adept our conscious brains are at finding totally reasonable explanations for our behavior, a practice that maintains our own sense of self as autonomous, well-intentioned, sensible humans. Our purchase may be driven by things as complex as social symbolism, or as simple as how a store smells. For many of us, our conscious brain will then identify reasons for the purchase, and justify it as a 'need'.

The topic of want and need is top of mind for another reason. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion organized by the American Marketing Association, titled the The Canadian Chief Marketer. At one point, the panel was discussing 'Want' vs. 'Need' in the context of the Nest Thermostat. One of the panelists was on the side of 'Want', citing that there is no way adjusting your thermostat from the comfort of your home is a 'Need'. Another panelist raised the example of driving to his cottage in the winter, setting the cottage thermostat as they left home so they could arrive to a comfortable cottage climate. In this case Nest was fulfilling a 'Need'.

Convincing consumers their 'Want' is, in fact, a 'Need' is what marketing is all about, but society's role can not be overstated. Perhaps that is why social advertising, brand advocates, and content generation will be so critical for marketing moving forward, though not to such an extent that credibility and transparency is lost.

Weekend Musings: Library Love

I'm not sure about you, but I have multiple wallets for multiple purposes. There is my Everyday wallet, containing a clean and edited* collection of my important cards for day to day stuff. Everything from credit cards to Bowler cards are kept within easy reach, lest I get into a pickle**. Then there is my VIC wallet, full of very important, government-issued cards, that will greatly inconvenience me if I lose any of them - I don't remember the last time this wallet was opened. Finally, there is the beloved, if somewhat irrelevant, Miscellaneous wallet.  Though small, this wallet carries the weight of past and present, infrequently used cards. I like this wallet, but rarely have a reason to engage with it. Until......

Actually, let's back up a moment, I've spent much time over the past few years with a creepy crawly concern for bed bugs. UGH, I hate even typing those two awful words! That topic had dominated many a conversations between random acquaintances at fun parties, between close friends at delicious brunches, and between roommates when all involved parties were (hopefully) out of bed, because such a discussion in the confines of sheets would never end well. In short, a strange sense of the sinister had lived in the back of my mind and, as a result, my library relationships had suffered.

Great news: My hysteria has died down! I've banned those two words from my (spoken) dialogue, and have chosen my love of books over any bug-related fear.

Casual conversations at work about the great new library at Fort York prompted me to dust off my Miscellaneous wallet, dig out my pretty blue and white Toronto Public Library card, and visit my old friend Library.

Here are some pics of the new location (so shiny! so new!).

It's basically inside a giant construction site, and the lines of Margaret Atwood's poetry that wraps around the building gives nod to its current surroundings.

A.

*Well, okay, more like busting at the seams
**Really great news, ramen lovers! Kinton will stamp your receipt and you may then bring said stamped receipt with you on the next visit to transfer stamp to your Bowler card.