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At our house, out here in the countryside, we heat primarily with wood. Although we have a furnace, our preference, as long as we are around the house, is our air-tight wood stove which keeps the entire house nice and toasty. And you just can’t beat the smell of maple smoke on the crisp winter…

Recently a friend introduced me to the expression “peeling back the veneer”. I love it, and think that it is an important communication concept. When I was a kid, most furniture was “solid pine”, “solid walnut”, “solid maple”, or solid something. In other words, somebody had to cut down a tree, turn it into boards,…

In the business and professional world, you shouldn’t send a letter or e-mail unless you intend some result. If you send out a missive and don’t achieve the result, you’ve not only wasted your time but you have now told the recipient that it’s OK to ignore you. So much for relevance! It goes without…

Eastern Ontario has become something of a wasteland for the green ash tree. The once common hardwood used to be one of the dominant trees in our forests and along our city streets. Now little remains of ash plantations but stumps, the sad evidence of the depredations of the emerald ash borer, an invasive bug…

It’s a generally accepted notion that we go into business or into a profession to make a lot of money. But in fact most very financially successful professionals and entrepreneurs will tell you, looking back over a lifetime, that it’s not about the money. Somehow, that came as a byproduct. Almost all highly successful entrepreneurs…

Once upon a time there was a very famous hockey player, multiple Stanley Cup champion, and the idol of Lincoln and every other seven year old who ever strapped on a pair of skates. One day this very famous hockey player, who we will call Gilles McStranovich, was invited to play at a charity golf…