The other night, I brought my 12-year-old daughter, an avid dancer, to yet another master class. This time, world-renowned Canadian choreographer Alexander Chung had flown from LA to teach this session. While these long nights of dance have started to blend in my mind, there was something different about this class.

Amongst the hundreds of attendees, you could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air. Check out some of Chung’s choreography, and you’ll understand why. His portfolio boasts working with the likes of the Backstreet Boys and Sean Kingston. He’s taught around the world and has won a number of world dance titles with his […]

Yes, it’s true. I’ve gone to Coachella, the land of flower crowns and denim cut-offs. I’ve romped through farm fields in Barrie and jammed to the hottest artists in the music industry.

People always ask me why I attend Music Festivals. The millennials that surround me are surprised I’m there; my kids’ friends back home can’t believe their eyes when they see my Live Feeds; and my C-Suite peers raise an eyebrow. Music Festivals make me happy. The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explains that, if […]

Full Disclosure: I dread checking my email. My inbox is filled with questions to be answered, reminders of unfinished tasks, spam traps nagging to be emptied, newsletters to read and online catalogues to peruse – it can be exhausting. Email feels like such a chore.

And with years of different social media channels competing for my attention, I’ve built up immunity to alerts. No longer do I react when I hear that familiar tone or feel my phone vibrate. When I see that red button on my email app reminding me I’ve got messages I haven’t read, I close my […]

ICYMI: I’m part of the Customer Experience Team for SnapComms here in Canada. We resell a software that makes internal communications a breeze. However, the story behind one of SnapComms’ new features is laced with tragedy.

In light of the recent GOP shooting, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that SnapComms’ new Panic Button feature is becoming less of a precaution and more of an unfortunate reality. We now live in a world where a Congressman can’t practice for a charity baseball game without endangering his life. Here’s how SnapComms fits in  SnapComms allows […]

You pump out content. No one reads it. And yet your sales teams, customers and employees tirelessly demand MORE content marketing—only to see it fall into the dark hole of a content library, never to be used.

Your sales teams say they need more case studies and buyer-specific content. Your customers and employees tell you they need more research and thought leadership. SEO demands content too. It seems the more we produce, the more they want.  And yet! About 70% of the content we produce goes unused. Marketing departments report ‘content non-usage rates’ […]

Our Quaker Ad has gone viral — with nearly 10 million views! I've been asked many questions about our role in the #GoodnessStartsToday campaign. I thought I'd answer a few here...

How’d your family get this chance to star in the Quaker Ad? Studio M, a Toronto-based video production shop, reached out to Joy of Dance studio to find a young girl and her family who might be willing to appear in their ad for Quaker Canada. Our 10 year old daughter, Lauren, loves to dance and […]

I was one of thousands of disappointed, die-hard fans who witnessed the Toronto Raptors being trounced by the Washington Wizards in Game 2 at the Air Canada Centre.

All-star Paul Pierce of the Wizards foreshadowed last year’s 7-game series’ outcome. He suggested the Toronto Raptors did not have the “it” factor to win. The Raptors proved Pierce right. I’ve never seen my beloved Raptors play worse. Yet I stayed to the bitter end of Game 2′s fourth quarter. What was the “it” factor that kept ME — the ardent Raptor […]

Friends and clients know that I am BIG into all things Apple. I’m often asked for my opinion before a visit to the Apple store—and the first person called when people can’t connect to their network.

The Apple Watch has created such a buzz that I thought I’d do a little research. And what I found out surprised even me. 1. The Apple Watch really doesn’t have a “killer” application The Apple Watch Sport is the basic model version that starts at $349—which means in Canada it will (likely) be $399. […]

Facial recognition technology is taking the world by storm. In fact, it’s soon making its way into a Canadian health club. And not every club member is enthused.

What’s the big deal anyway? As a society, we’re becoming used to the idea of giving up some privacy in exchange for something. A few examples: Loyalty cards: I have a Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum Card. I signed up to earn points and discounts—in exchange for letting Shoppers track every item I purchase. Social media: […]

When I arrived at Conrad Black’s book signing reception, a Toronto Public Library organizer tapped me on my shoulder. Would I like to be introduced to Conrad Black?

Would I like to be introduced to the acclaimed biographer, famed financier and aristocrat? Was this a good time to meet the former media baron who served a three-year jail sentence in the US for mail fraud and obstruction of justice? Yes please! I held out my hand and said, “Pleased to meet you, Mr. […]

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Have you heard of the Garden Jet? If you haven’t, you soon will. It’s an exciting garden product that’s capturing the imagination of gardeners across Canada. The Garden Jet lets you water flowers and plants in a different way — from the roots up. And now, Garden Jet has a great logo. Last year, John […]

Engage, transform and ignite are the three buzzwords associated with IABC 2014, hosted at the Sheraton Centre here in Toronto on June 8-11.

And that’s where HOPEandHOPPEN is going to be — yes, we’ll be there on Sunday, setting up our booth! We’ll be exhibiting SnapComms employee engagement tools to the leading communicators at IABC 2014. Have you checked out the IABC conference highlights? Mike Walsh (@mikewalsh) will be making the opening address Sunday evening, and I’m thinking […]

Take a good look at your photo in LinkedIn. Would you describe it as professional? Or is it, “the only one” you’ve got?

In LinkedIn, I commonly see shots of women in a strappy or strapless dress, cropped at the shoulder, where they literally look naked. I see shots of people with their spouse or partner cropped out. I see blurry shots; and shots of people looking sweaty and if not drunk, clearly after a few drinks. I […]