Over the last couple of years we’ve had a few customers try to initiate updates for their own company blog. I’m afraid the success rate has been less than terrific. In all cases, it was well meaning and they all understood “Blog Power” could organically increase their rankings on search engines. Those increased rankings would then translate to increased traffic to their websites and more sales opportunities. Still in the majority of cases, these blog efforts failed.

When I was a kid in small town New Brunswick, the local barbershop and corner gas station were the places where the old timers got together to share their stories and lessons they had learned. That time is far behind us but the modern day blog serves a similar function. Here are a few tips: 

If you think of all the choices you’ve made and all the different roads you might have gone down, does it ever make you wonder about the decisions you’ve made and the ones you’re about to make?

I came to Toronto in the early eighties. I was a full time musician at that point in my life and against the advice of pretty much everyone I knew, I came to Toronto to give my music career another try. Not having any resources at the time, I needed to get to work immediately and I called on the one and only contact I had in Toronto. He connected me with someone in Bowmanville that needed a guitar player the very next day. For the next two years, I worked as a full-time sideman in various bands that played the local circuit.

At one point and time, I auditioned for two different groups on the same day (both with female vocalists). One was “blues” and about to tour Western Canada. The other was “country” and about to tour Eastern Canada. I nailed both auditions and could have had either gig. I struggled with the decision, but being from New Brunswick originally, I thought it made more sense to go east.

In short order, I ended up managing the band and supplying the truck and PA system. This extra responsibility and income soon turned into a liability when our crooked music agent took me for pretty much everything I had. I ended up marrying the female singer in that band, had two kids together, and the music career went on hold for 25 years. Two years ago I got back at it, on a part time basis and I’m having a hoot at it.

That decision to go east instead of west, almost 3 decades ago, certainly impacted my life in a big way.  I have made hundreds of life shaping decisions since then…we all have. It does make me think sometimes, that the deck of cards we are given are full of “wild cards” that we can choose to play or not. Maybe, the more wild cards we play, the more interesting our journey becomes.

 Lee’s Quote for the Day

“When you’re at a fork in the road and deciding whether to go left or right, every now and then, choose the direction that scares you the most, hang on tight and enjoy the ride.” 

When I heard of Wallace McCain’s passing, I thought back to my venture out to Vancouver as a young man. I was 19 and working at a division of McCain Foods in Burnaby, BC called Fresh Pak. My dad, who worked for the McCain brothers most of his career, had asked Wallace to check in on me. Wallace did so, offered me a job in Australia and gave me a little pep talk. I remember it like it was yesterday.

My family lived just 12 miles down the road from where the McCains built their empire. Wallace’s brother Harrison (who died 8 years ago) was the only man I ever saw my dad back down from. Both the McCain brothers had a powerful presence, were great friends to my parents throughout their life and shaped Carleton County, New Brunswick like no one else in the history of the province… the Irvings included.

When Maple Leaf Foods experienced all the trouble a couple of years back, I recall how much Michael McCain reminded me of his dad Wallace, from my brief meeting with him so long ago. A powerful man, but human too and it was my pleasure to have known Wallace McCain, however briefly.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the McCain family for their loss.

Lee’s quote for the day

At the end of our journey, we may just be the sum of the people we’ve influenced and have influenced us.