Our offices at Brock Shores Financial will be closed this day. We hope you have a wonderful day off and are able to enjoy it with your family
#betheadventure #BrockShoresFinancial
https://youtu.be/sDJl1u8UnT4?si=fVsPQo9AP4frIyF1
Our offices at Brock Shores Financial will be closed this day. We hope you have a wonderful day off and are able to enjoy it with your family
#betheadventure #BrockShoresFinancial
https://youtu.be/sDJl1u8UnT4?si=fVsPQo9AP4frIyF1
Tax Tax Tax
X X X
Tax reflections and planning and implementation are always evolving and some of the basics stay pretty well the same.
It has been suggested by my friend Mark that I start a Tik Tok channel on T A X. , he sugested lots of XXX in the titles apparently that gets more viewers attentions. Will see, we don't want our eyes poked out.
In the meantime, let's start with this list
https://www.advisor.ca/tax/tax-news/essential-tax-numbers-updated-for-2024/
Hot Hot Hot off the internet advisors site.
Will add some more content and commentary going forward.
Tim's Tax Tips
PS, maybe we should add some Traps , lots of T's
T T T & T
Timothy Ross, Family Advisor ©, CEO & Founder, Brock Shores Financial, Family Office Providing Omega Stewardship ©
Mutual Funds offered through PEAK Investment Services Inc.
Life & Travel, Insurance, Seg Funds & Banking offered through Financial Horizons Group
Tax Services offered through Timothy Ross & Associates & Brock Shores Income Tax Corp
Planning Services offered through Brock Shores Planning Corp.
Brock Shores Financial / Timothy Ross & Associates, Family Office Providing Omega Stewardship
4502 Airport Road – Tincap, GTA Professional Center, Elizabethtown, Ontario K6T 1A2
613-345-0016 Office 613-213-4625 Cell/Text 613-345-5231 Fax advisor@timothyross.com
http://www.ImprovingFutures.ca/
Executive Assistant: Heather Kiley heather@timothyross.com
Office Assistant: Tammy Abrams assistant@timothyross.com
Office Manager: Megan Ross megan@timothyross.com
Income Tax Associate: Kelly Potvin kelly@timothyross.com
Bookkeeping Associate: Becky Eamon becky@timothyross.com
Brock Shores Planning Corp: brockshoresplanningcorp@gmail.com
Planning Associate, Johanne Brennan johanne@timothyross.com
Tim's Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omegastewardship/
OMEGA STEWARDSHIP
* One Stop Process Driven Approach for Retirement & Income Planning
* Personalized Tax Management Solutions for Individuals & Business Owners
* Confidential Wealth Management Solutions
www.BrockShoresFinancial.ca
Legacy Site: www.TimothyRoss.com
View our Blog: #ImprovingFutures www.ImprovingFutures.ca
Helping Families Achieve ... Life's Major Goals
1. Tax Smart Planning & Investing
2. Worry Free Retirement
3. Education of Our Children & Grandchildren
4. Quality Care for Our Parents
5. Meaningful Financial Help for Our Loved Ones
6. Meaningful Legacy
Mission - Vision – Core Values
“Serving our clients and community since 1988”
Member of Advocis, The Financial Advisors Association of Canada
Member of IFB, Independent Financial Brokers of Canada
Member of RIA, Responsible Investment Association
Member of Efile Association of Canada
Member of Kingdom Advisors; Paul Harris Fellow
View our Blog: #ImprovingFutures www.ImprovingFutures.ca
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Founder Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/omegastewardship/
https://twitter.com/OmegaSteward
https://www.facebook.com/omegastewardship
https://www.facebook.com/newbetheadventure/
#Kitchen Moments https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088817142433
https://www.facebook.com/YourBladeOfGrass/
https://www.facebook.com/naturesenergywater/
https://www.facebook.com/CanadianFlagEducationCentre/
#Herbal Moments https://www.facebook.com/groups/641210264418792
#Fungi Fun https://www.facebook.com/groups/fungifun
PS: We welcome your Google Review, please click on this link https://g.page/r/CXYJPvedYlz0EBI/review
Be sure and register to keep track of your credit bureau, we use Borrowell for this free service
https://improvingfutures.ning.com/blog/free-credit-check-borrowell
"People influence People” We value your business, please leave a review on our Bark profile Leave your Review Here & Check Others
Access Your Peak Accounts www.YourAdvisorCares.ca Inspiration: www.YourAdvisorCares.com
PS: We welcome your Google Review, please click on this link https://g.page/r/CXYJPvedYlz0EBI/review
Be sure and register to keep track of your credit bureau, we use Borrowell for this free service, click through at https://improvingfutures.ning.com/blog/free-credit-check-borrowell
"The beauty of being in business is that your business engages all aspects of your mind, I think that is why you become successful, business challenges you to be more than you are, and that is where the miracle takes place." Timothy Ross, May 2004
I like Winston Churchill, he had the incredible ability to move the English language into action. My mentor Jim Rohn, say's , "Don't be afraid to borrow if someone else has said it well. Winston Churchill said, "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." That's so well said. You could stay up all night and not think of that. " ~ Timothy Ross
Have a Blessed Day! TLR
Tune into the discussion on the new logo design
https://www.spreaker.com/user/omegastewardship/episode-7-creation-of-logo-for-brock-sho
Going through the payroll process this season, I was able to reflect on those lives that we have had an impact on our payroll, for fun I started remembering everyone and expanded the list to include other relevant parties. Over time people change, companies change, life accumulates. ~ TLR
Employee's & SubContractors 39 since 1988
Tammy, Heather, Megan, Michael, Katina, April, Adonica, Leigh, Mikayla ,Dean, Rebecca, Tina, Melanie, Sue, Cassandra, Cody, Andrew, Rodger, Neil, Brandon ,Leonard, Charly, Lisa, Stepheny, Tim, Peter, Mike, Don, Isaiah, Stan, Bob, Geo, Ron, Natasha, Douglas, Luke, Derek, Alex, Wayne, Brenda
Investment Dealers
Professional Investments, Peak Investment Services
Insurance Dealers
Professional Insurance, Cartier Partners, Financial Horizons
Insurance Companies
Ivari(Transamerica) Manulife (Commercial Union), Empire Life, Canada Protection Plan (Forestors), Canada Life, Equitable Life, Standard Life, Travellers, Best Doctors, RBC
Branch Offices
Professional Investments Belleville, Brockville, Nav Group Trenton
Investment Companies
Invesco ( Trimark, AIM), NEI ( North West, Oceanrock, Meritas ), CI, Tempelton, Vengrowth, Covington, Tricycle, Standard Life, AIC, Manulife, Sprott, Mackenzie, RBC, Dynamic, Criterion, Medical Discovery, Bridgehouse, Empire Life, ING, Fidelity, Growth Works, AGF, Mineral Fields, Sprott, O'Leary, Elliott & Page, Gaurdian, First Ontario, Clarington, Triax, Talvest
Tax Collection Agencies, Canada Revenue Agency, Her Majesty The Queen as Represented by the Minister of National Revenue, Uncle Sam for the United States of America
Regulatory Bodies
FISCO,MFDA,OSC (Ontario,BC,NB) , CRA
Professional & Community Organizations
RIA,Advois,IFB,BCOC,BCC,ACC,CFIB,CAIFA,CFIB,Kiwanis,Rotary,CSA,CARP,CC,EFILE-AC,GBAS,BAFB,PPC,CPC,NB,BHS,FF,4-H,BIC-1862,
Reflecting on all of this, I am reminded of the beauty of business quote that I penned many years ago. I will post that below these guiding principals.
4-H teaches us to, "Learn To Do By Doing", with your Head, Heart, Health, and Hands
The Mountain teaches and demands "One Step At A Time"
Business embraced "Where Client Goals Become Our Goals"
Investments reminds us to be the "Guardians of Your Family's Wealth"
Nick Murray taught and reminded us of the Mission, "Helping Families Achieve Major Goals" , the rest is commentary
Our Vision was to provide "Omega Stewardship" , the People and our Core Values made that possible
Business evolved into "The Family Office"
Brock Shores Financial focused us on "Improving Futures"
Covid reminded us "Your Advisor Cares"
Timothy L. Ross, Family Advisor, since 1988, CEO, Founder Brock Shores Financial , Timothy Ross & Associates
Chief Weekend Warrior for every other crazy thing I do!
"The beauty of being in business is that your business engages all aspects of your mind, I think that is why you become successful, business challenges you to be more than you are, and that is where the miracle takes place." Timothy Ross, May 2004
I like Winston Churchill, he had the incredible ability to move the English language into action. My mentor Jim Rohn, say's , "Don't be afraid to borrow if someone else has said it well. Winston Churchill said, "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." That's so well said. You could stay up all night and not think of that. "
In case your compliance cruising, full stop, see, read, digest disclosure
https://improvingfutures.ning.com/blog/peak-dealership-representative-disclosure
READ THE FINE PRINT
Member of the Ship's Company , Bytowne Brigantine's Tall Ship Sail Training Program Adventures
Your TV Interview with Tim 2020 Year End Tax Review
PEAK Disclosure - Click to View
PEAK Disclosure - Click to Check
https://improvingfutures.ning.com/blog/peak-dealership-representative-disclosure
Many of our Portfolio Partners have calculators on their website. We have some on ours as well that you can check out at http://www.timothyross.com , click on Advisor Tools
“The difference between the poet and the mathematician is that the poet tries to get his head into the heavens while the mathematician tries to get the heavens into his head.” ―
https://www.mackenzieinvestments.com/en/investor-education/investor-tools
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BUYING A HOUSE or PROPERTY, this is a pretty good calculator, it covers a lot of math that will become part of the processing of getting a home or rental.
https://www.ratehub.ca/mortgage-payment-calculator
“Solving a problem for which you know there’s an answer is like climbing a mountain with a guide, along a trail someone else has laid. In mathematics, the truth is somewhere out there in a place no one knows, beyond all the beaten paths. And it’s not always at the top of the mountain. It might be in a crack on the smoothest cliff or somewhere deep in the valley.” ― The Housekeeper and the Professor
Looks like this would be an interesting read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3181564-the-housekeeper-and-the-professor
Peak Disclosure - Click Here Please
We make a living by what we get, but make a life by what we give.
-Winston Churchill
I came across this quote while reading my Habitat for Humanity newsletter yesterday.
Great organization, I have many fond memories of the people there, the history that I have shared with many, I remember Valerie Kines, Second Cup, Rotary times with her , climbing with David & Becky raising funds with them ( 15,000 + for our Everest Base Camp adventure which ended by earthquake) with Dreams Mountain Foundations Alumni, at the events we held , Kim Rice and her husband promoting the local events for us, Gerry and his wife, and all the little trips and finds at the store, good stuff to warm my heart. https://dreammountains.com/dreamteam/
SOS Children’s Villages: | $204,680 |
Ride For Dad: | $144,891 |
ONFE / Ottawa School Breakfast Program: | $189,423 |
CARE Canada: | $146,107 |
Dreams Take Flight: | $182,494 |
Habitat For Humanity: | $186,507 |
Ottawa Senators Foundation: | $113,732 |
WaterCan Foundation: | $31,967 |
Canadian Aid for Chernobyl: | $50,392 |
Colon Cancer Canada: | $37,530 |
So doing a little gleaning from the email, here are some highlights
HABITAT TIDBIT
Former President Jimmy Carter, who has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for 35 years, will be turning 95 on October 1st.
The former President and his wife Rosalynn Carter are continuing this commitment to Habitat by joining future homeowners and volunteers this fall to build 21 new homes in the Park Preserve neighborhood of Nashville. This is an amazing feat not only for someone of the former presidents age, but also for the fact that he had to undergo hip surgery this past spring after falling in his home. The Carter's not only support Habitat at home but also abroad. In 2017 they came to Canada to help build homes for the Jimmy & Rosalynn work project.
getting closer to starting our build in Cardinal. In the next few weeks we should be posting on our website at www.habitat1000islands.org the details of when our ground breaking ceremony will take place!
World Habitat Day is on October 7 - this is a United Nations awareness day designed to bring attention to the state of our towns and cities, and the right to adequate shelter for all. It's election time, so it's a perfect opportunity for us to ask our candidates how they will help make safe and affordable housing a priority.
Waste Reduction Week in Canada is recognized from October 21 to 27. Why not do your part by donating to our ReStores your gently used household, or renovation items that are still in great shape? You'll not only help support Habitat, but also save re-usable items from the landfill. Visit our website for a list of items we accept. We even take your old appliances, working or not!
TAX TIP !!!!! when you donate something of some value it often can be appraised and a charitable tax receipt will be given, it's a great tax break, doesn't take alot of time to do and I love adding those onto a tax return. ~ Tim
Example, let's say my friend Mark decides to donate his prized load of tiles that he over bought when building his rental ( and he didn't keep his receipt, if you knew Mark you would understand) and they are worth say $1000 if he could sell them full retail ( they are in good shape) and if HFH decides that they can sell them for say 50% less, so $500, he would get a tax receipt for the now Fair Market Value of $500 and on his taxes he would get an extra refund of $232 with that one decision. That would almost pay many peoples tax bill from me for a couple years, basically taxes are done for free with a little thinking and generosity. Now if one of us could do this everyday for a year 232*365 = 84,680 in tax savings in our little group, one a day and the charity now has $182,500 in potential sales (to build a house for a young family) , $365,000 in goods at retail value, and if it was all tiles, now we are just getting crazy. Neat Impact , think about that and do it .... another example would be to donate your old car, get a $500 receipt, same principal, donate a beautiful kitchen table and chairs, you don't need it any more, or you inheritated from your aunts estate, or the kid doesn't need the whatever anymore as they are heading west and no room in the plane and you paid good money for it, bring it in.
Timothy Ross, Family Advisor, CEO & Founder, Brock Shores Financial
Mutual Funds offered through PEAK Investment Services Inc.
Brock Shores Financial / Timothy Ross & Associates, Family Office Providing Omega Stewardship
4502 Airport Road – Tincap, GTA Professional Center, Elizabethtown, Ontario K6T 1A2
613-345-0016 Office 613-213-4625 Cell/Text 613-345-5231 Fax advisor@timothyross.com
Executive Assistant: Heather Kiley assistant@timothyross.com
Office Manager: Megan Ross megan@timothyross.com
Mission - Vision – Core Values “Serving our clients and community since 1988”
OMEGA STEWARDSHIP
* One Stop Process Driven Approach for Retirement & Income Planning
* Personalized Tax Management Solutions for Individuals & Business Owners
* Confidential Wealth Management Solutions
www.BrockShoresFinancial.ca www.TimothyRoss.com
#ImprovingFutures www.ImprovingFutures.ca
Helping Families Achieve ... Life's Major Goals
Member of Advocis, The Financial Advisors Association of Canada
Member of IFB, Independent Financial Brokers of Canada
Member of RIA, Responsible Investment Association
Member of the Rotary Club of 1000 Islands, Paul Harris Fellow
We value your business, please leave a review on our Bark profile
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Have a Blessed Day! "People influence People”
Kevin Preston took this picture of me the day we climbed Mount Washington, we decided to go climbing after we returned from Everest Base Camp adventure in April/May 2015, the earthquate in Nepal had prevented us from climbing and we wanted to get in some peaks, it was a great climb, miss you my friend, I was so looking forwrad to hearing your stories about the adventures you had undertaken since I seen you last. ~ Tim " Got to love a little adventure on the top of a boulder overlooking the big ravine, my legs were starting to get shaky, a life adrenaline rush for sure
I have been reading a few posts from various investment managers about how Disney has been ramping up for a distribution model for their movies on line and how that will improve their value. Came across this article this morning and felt it is worth sharing, gives us some perspective about the new service. As a Netflix subscriber, I can see this playing out, check it out.
Tim
www.fatherly.com/play/why-families-will-ditch-netflix-by-2020
On Tuesday, the highly-anticipated streaming service Disney+ revealed a new streaming bundle consisting of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN. This will cost $12.99 a month, which is the exact same price as the standard HD two-screen plan for Netflix right now. Right there, families who are planning on getting Disney+ can do the math. With Disney+ you get the entire vault of Disney animated movies streaming, plus a smattering of Marvel movies, Star Wars movies, and yeah, that new Star Wars TV show — The Mandalorian — that starts streaming on November 12. (This show is being run by Jon Favreau by the way, you know the guy who directed the first Iron Man? Anyway, I digress. You get it. This streaming service is big.)
Photo throw back from Oct 2016, delivery of potatoes to the Brockville Food Bank, one of our annual efforts to #ImprovingFutures , gleaning the fields at Tincap Berry Farm near end of season, 10,000 plus produce donated to various food banks in the area
some great tips on a day time line
I use some of these myself
This morning was our weekly Rotary meeting. It starts at 7. I was honoured along with Dave Paul with a Paul Harris award for our community service. It’s a great honour.
Tim
Bob Castle spoke about my background and community service. It was good to hear. I very much enjoyed Dave Pauls story as well. Bonnie Burke introduced him and our club President Susan Brister and fellow Dream Mountains Foundation climber made Dave’s presentation.
Time management tip, write a little review while having your lunch break while the idea and content is fresh in your mind.
Came across this article this morning in LinkedIn, I think it is worth a little study. What would be said? Good question. - TLR
Need career help? Start writing your own eulogy. When we imagine our own deaths, and even write drafts of the way we’d like to be remembered, we can examine our priorities and goals from a broader perspective. Executive coach Daniel Harkavy encouragesthe CEOs he works with to draft two eulogies: the one that would be read today, and another that encompasses all of their future achievements. Comparing the two can help you reevaluate how you are spending your time and the decisions you are making. • Here’s what people are saying.
here is the article
”In that 2005 Stanford commencement address where Jobs talked about the importance of realizing you are going to die, he also stated that, upon reflecting on his success, he realized “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”
Yet with the eulogy technique, now maybe you don’t have to wait until the end of your life to connect the dots. By changing your point of view and shifting your perspective from your present to your future, you’ll be able to see where you want to end up, and then know what steps you’ll next to take–what dots you’ll need to connect–to get there.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5SMyfbWYyE&list=PLhhVyaUmOQupT95UiO_74c0-wATcRxceV
Music with a warrior’s beat
there is a place for us
One Step At A Time!
”Be The Adventure”
Heather Kiley is the dynamic front line Executive Assistant, to Timothy Ross Family Advisor ® , CEO, Founder of Brock Shores Financial
Client care specialist, and in house specialist for estate planning, implementation, disability tax matters and trouble shooting with government departments.
Family Office providing Omega Stewardship ®
* One Stop Process Driven Approach for Retirement & Income Planning
* Personalized Tax Management Solutions for Individuals & Business Owners
* Confidential Wealth Management Solutions
https://www.spreaker.com/user/omegastewardship/engaging-executors-mark-o-farrell-nov-6-
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/16150676
I got this really interesting story this morning from the purveyors at Hustle, it is long, interesting, cool and worth sharing. Enjoy.Timothy Ross
How one man built The Sharper Image into the world's wackiest gadget storeIt took a marketing genius to build the kingdom of flashy gadgets — and a $229 air purifier to take it all down. |
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The Sharper Image was a kingdom. It was a kingdom where you could, in an afternoon trip to the mall, purchase an electric nose trimmer ($39), a motorized surfboard ($2,450), and a bulletproof raincoat ($400), then take a ride in a $1,500 massage chair while being serenaded by a bird-calling robot. It was a kingdom once described as the “breast implant” of retail, a place where man and child alike could bask in the artificial glow of flagrant consumerism. This is the story of the man who founded this great kingdom — and how one flashy gadget ultimately led to its downfall. King Richard IRichard Thalheimer had all the trappings of a world-class salesman. Born in 1948 in Little Rock, Arkansas, he spent his youth working odd-jobs in the toy section of his father’s department store. He went on to study psychology and sociology at Yale University, where — during his freshman year — he sold enough encyclopædias to buy a brand new Porsche. In his early 20s, Thalheimer ventured to San Francisco and started a wholesale business that catered to the then-burgeoning photocopier industry. “I named it The Sharper Image,” he says, “because I thought that my paper and toner would help people make good copies.” |
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Left: A young Richard Thalheimer poses for a yearbook photo; Right: In the early days of The Sharper Image (via SF Examiner) |
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While running The Sharper Image, Thalheimer enrolled at Hastings Law School — but making physical deliveries to businesses in the Financial District every afternoon between classes began to take its toll. “I was completely taxed,” he says. “So I thought, ‘Why don’t I try mail-order?” The million-dollar running watchThe mail-order catalogue — a publication that lists products and allows customers to order them remotely via mail or telephone — had been around for a century. As early as the 1880s, Tiffany’s and Sears were hawking their wares in 300-page booklets. But in the 1970s, the mail-order industry was having a renaissance moment: Roger Horchow had just launched the first luxury color catalogue without a physical retail location, and Joe Sugarman was running the first-ever mail-order magazine ads — beautiful, full-page photos with poetic product descriptions. Thalheimer wanted to try his hand at it. But first, he needed a product. At the time, Seiko had just rolled out a first-of-its-kind fully digital watch — but at $300, most runners couldn’t afford it. Coincidentally, Thalheimer came across a small booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where a man was selling a “very similar” product for $35 wholesale. He struck a deal with the vendor and bought out a full-page ad in Runner’s World Magazine, offering the watch for $69. For the copy, he chose to feature his friend, Walt Stack — a “legendary, fully-tattooed 70-year-old” who was known around San Francisco for his crazy daily routine, which included a 17-mile run across the Golden Gate Bridge. |
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Left: Walt Stack on his daily 17-mile-run in the ‘80s (Eric Risberg/AP); Right: Thalheimer’s first Sharper Image ad, for the Realtime watch, starring Stack (Courtesy of Richard Thalheimer) |
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At a cost of $1k, the ad netted Thalheimer $10k in sales (about $5k of which was profit). He repeated this process — each time, with better results — and by the age of 27, he’d made his first million dollars. By 1979, Thalheimer’s system of advertising was so successful that he decided to launch his own catalogue high-tech gadgets nobody knew they needed. The Sharper Image catalogueThalheimer embarked on a quest to find the most unique products on the market — things that “other people didn’t sell.” “At the Consumer Electronics Show, everyone would gravitate toward the big guys, Sony, Panasonic,” he says. “I’d go straight for the little booths, the people selling things nobody had ever heard of.” The first catalogue contained 25 items, including the first cordless phone, answering machine, and car radar detector. He avoided superfluous adjectives in his copy, and focused on the features that made the products exceptional. Very quickly, his experiment began minting money: The first year, sales topped $500k; the second year, they reached $3m; by 1980, $12m. Soon, the catalogue was being sent to 3m people around the world, at a cost of $1.4m per mailing. He catered specifically to the 20% of Americans who had credit cards, and offered them a 1-800 number to place orders over the phone. In a small San Francisco office, with a staff of 5 or 6 people, a dozen orders were processed every 60 seconds. |
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The Sharper Image catalogue featured products like the Snore-No-More ($59) — a device that shocked snorers with an electric pulse (via Flickr user Mike Mozart) |
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The Sharper Image struck at the right time. In the 1980s stock boom, flashy gadgets and conspicuous consumption were in. “He who dies with the most toys wins” was the ethos of the decade. Thalheimer expanded into physical retail, opening stores in well-to-do enclaves across America. In New York, bankers dipped in to peruse $1500 massage chairs; in Hawaii, tourists fawned over electric nose hair trimmers and talking scales. By 1985, The Sharper Image was grossing $100m in sales — with no outside capital or debt. At the company’s helm, Thalheimer was what the New Yorker described as the “very model of a major entrepreneur:” Tanned and muscular, deliberate and tenacious, and infallibly gifted at curating ridiculously niche gadgets, like a mini electric fan on a necklace (priced at $49, it sold 10k units a month). “I can see the future,” he toldan LA Times reporter in 1984, “I know when a trend is coming and when it’s leaving.” In an AP interview, he hailed himself as a “marketing genius.” Nobody could disagree. When The Sharper Image IPO’d at $10 per share in 1987, the chain, and its outspoken CEO, seemed incapable of failure. That is, until the ‘80s ended. Do I really need that gadget?In the early ‘90s, the economy weakened and sparked a recession: Suddenly, conspicuous consumption was out and frugal environmentalism was in. The Sharper Image tried to switch gears by selling more “socially responsible” products (like Birkenstocks, vitamin energizers, and benches made of recycled plastic), but the strategy had a limited effect. Between 1989 and 1991, sales fell by 28%. Staff was was cut by 20%. Stock tumbled to $2. And for the first time in company history, The Sharper Image posted a loss. |
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The Sharper Image saw a dramatic decline in the early ‘90s (The Hustle) |
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“The Sharper Image has become a cliche for the worst excesses of the last decade — the Donald Trump of specialty retailing,” wrote the SF Examiner. “Nobody needs what they sell.” For a CEO of a publicly-traded company, Thalheimer was unusually involved in minute decisions: His penchant for controlling what color clothes employees could wear, how they decorated their desks, and what type of coffee mugs they used earned him a citation in California Magazine’s 1988 Worst Bosses in America list. So, he decided to step back from day-to-day operations and go back to his roots: Finding wacky, one-of-a-kind products. It didn’t take long. At a “hippie street fair” in San Francisco, Thalheimer stumbled across a blue gel shoe insert — the first of its kind. “I stood up in front of all my deflated employees, pulled this thing out of my suit pocket, and said, ‘This is going to turn us around,’” he recalls. “Everyone thought I was nuts.” At $19.99 a pair, the inserts went on to become the company’s best-selling product, selling hundreds of units a day and adding 50% to their sales figures. Several years later, in 2000, Thalheimer came across another game-changing product at a toy fair in Hong Kong: The Razor scooter. He negotiated an exclusive 24-month deal and sold a million of them in the first year. It was, he says, “a second lease on life” for the company. |
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Razor scooters revitalized The Sharper Image, but raised new concerns (via the AP) |
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Bolstered by the rise of the internet and online sales, the Razor led The Sharper Image to the best performance in its 23-year history. It was no longer just a place for “tech-loving snobs” to buy elitist gadgets. But this success came with a looming concern: The Sharper Image was turning into what analysts described as “a one-product company.” The air purifier that killed the companyThalheimer had long operated by finding intriguing products elsewhere, signing exclusive distribution deals, and selling them under The Sharper Image brand name. But he knew that if it designed and patented his own products, margins could be higher. In a secret location north of San Francisco, Thalheimer assembled a team of engineers and designers and formed Sharper Image Design to make gadgets in-house. “[It was a place] where where the inner child could come out in every man, with gizmos blinking and whirling,” later recalled an employee. “The only thing missing were white coats and propeller hats.” The team churned out some 300 patents and 100 products, ranging from fogless mirrors to anti-snoring wristbands that jolted the offender with an electric shock. But the crown jewel of the operation was a noiseless air purifier called the Ionic Breeze. |
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Ads for the the Ionic Breeze (via The Hartford Courant, 1999) |
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The Sharper Image put all of its resources behind the machine, taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of magazine, newspaper and TV ads. Despite its $229 price tag, it became a smash hit. By the turn of the millenium, the Ionic Breeze was so popular that it made up 45% of all of the chain’s sales. And as it turned out, this was a huge problem. In 2002, Consumer Reports(a nonprofit product review publication) ranked the Ionic Breeze dead last in a feature on air purifiers, deeming it “ineffective.” Thalheimer was furious, and filed a lawsuit against the magazine, claiming it had “negligently disparag[ed] the product.” It was tossed out, and cost Thalheimer $525k in legal fees. “We did a very stupid thing by making a big stink out of it,” cedes Thalheimer. “It was like suing Jesus Christ...it infuriated them, and just led to more trouble.” Three years later, Consumer Reports struck again — this time alleging that the Ionic Breeze didn’t just suck at purifying air, but actually emitted harmful amounts of ozone. Once again, Thalheimer took them to court and lost. The blowback cost The Sharper Image millions of dollars in store credits and refunds — and soon, stockholders began to question Thalheimer’s magic touch. Held at KnightspointIn the Spring of 2006, a group of outside shareholders by the name of Knightspoint Partners snapped up 13% of the company. Led by famed corporate raider Jerry Levin, the group demanded a shakeup of the board. At first, it seemed they genuinely wanted to help Thalheimer guide The Sharper Image back on track, but it soon became clear that they were gunning to oust him and remodel the company in their own image. |
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The Sharper Image’s “new image” included some poor decisions, like featuring Trump Steaks on the cover of a catalogue; meat packages started at $1k (The Hustle) |
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In September, Thalheimer was fired and forced to sell all of his remaining shares for a sum of $26m — a fraction of what his holdings were once worth. When he came into work the next day to gather his belongings, the door was locked. His desk, still covered with the wacky emblems of his career, his now occupied by Jerry Levin. Knightspoint set to work recrafting The Sharper Image into a general electronic retailer, like Circuit City or Best Buy. Or, in Thalheimer’s estimation, “stripping away the imagination.” By 2008, stock had plummeted to 28 cents per share. Within a year, The Sharper Declared bankruptcy, closed down all 183 stores, and laid of 4k employees. The company, now run by an investor group, continues to exist online — but it’s a shadow of its former self. The weird gadgets have been usurped by USB drives and motion-activated light bulbs — and Thalheimer’s oddball charm is nowhere to be seen. Richard SoloLooking back, Thalheimer doesn’t harbor much ill-will. He runs his own gadget site, aptly named RichardSolo.com, and has taken up investing. “My days are a lot more enjoyable,” he says. “It’s not as egocentric as being the head of my own company. But at this point, I’d rather be alone.” He tells The Hustle that his net worth is “3-4x higher” than when he got pushed out, and that his studies of the stock market have earned him beefy returns of between 50% and 100% per year. |
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Thalheimer poses with a favorite from The Sharper Image catalogue (via Richard Thalheimer) |
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But Thalheimer hasn’t completely abandoned the kingdom. At his Marin County mansion stands a lavishly-adorned suit of armor — a $2,450 relic from The Sharper Image catalogue. An old cordless telephone dangles from its ear. It is a sight that can only be described as perfectly Thalheimerian: A blend of the old and the new, the eclectic and the cutting-edge, the blunt and the sharp. |
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Meet the Finnish entrepreneur on a mission to spread the gospel of ‘shroomsGrowing up on his family’s farm, Tero Isokauppila spent his free time like most Finnish kids… foraging for fresh mushrooms. After graduating from college, this funguy (get it?) realized he wasn’t made for a cubicle -- no, he was made to share the benefits of 'shrooms with the world. With that, Four Sigmatic was born. Today, Tero’s company distills the superfood benefits of mushrooms into simple, sippable drink mixes. ‘Shrooms to help you relax, energize, focus, beautify, and moreFour Sigmatic’s mushroom-based drinks take the extracted fruiting bodies of fungi (AKA the best part) and pair them with crazy-nutritious plants like turmeric, ginger, and tulsi. Dissolve them instantly in hot water and what do you get? Mixes that can help support immune function, gut health, glowing skin, or even give you a caffeine-free energy kickstart -- with no mushroom flavor. Like lattes? Mad for matcha? They’ve got it all. Plus, with a 20% discount for Hustle readers, they’re really not funging around. |
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Shop #onshrooms → | |||||||
Weekend RecapMiss an email this week? Here’s a rundown of our top headlines from the past 7 days: 1. WORDPLAY OF THE WEEK: You smoke, bud?Canadians once again prove they’re chill after the country officially made weed legal for all uses on Wednesday, but some industry experts believe the share prices have gotten too highhhhhhhhhhhhhh, man. What a buzzkill. 2. OUR FAVORITE: The Palm Pilot is back -- but more useless than everAll was a buzz as the Palm Pilot brand announced its new “ultra-mobile” Palm phone that is smaller than a regular cell phone and aims to eliminate digital distractions -- only problem is it has pretty much all of the same features as normal cell phones. 3. ‘TODAY I LEARNED’: That if a concert sells out, it usually means ticket prices were too cheapAs ticket scalpers and resell sites continue to run rampant on the industry-wide ticket inflation problem, Taylor Swift and her team concocted a strategy to help combat the issue… and so far, it’s working. 4. OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS: The ‘Real World’ returns... on Facebook?The world’s first hit reality show announced it is coming back to a cell phone screen near you. The old format will come with some new interactive surprises, and air on Facebook’s new premium content platform, Facebook Watch. 5. TECH TROUBLES: Lime tried to sue San Francisco for getting snubbed on scooter permitsAfter being denied the highly anticipated San Francisco scooter permit, Lime filed for a temporary restraining against the city, in hopes that it would delay scooter releases for the 2 companies that did receive permits. |
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Now, back to the corn field
Yesterday was a full day. I was in the field shortly after 8 getting setup. Robert Dentz and Bill lifted some more rows, they had done a number the afternoon before. People started driving in after 9. We were out of the field by 5. I headed to Prescott Food For All Food Bank with Megan with our final load, came back, cleared the field of pails and hauled the second trailer back for unloading of the pails tomorrow wrapped up just after 7, will get them back into storage and be ready for the next adventure tomorrow. We gathered over 18,000 pounds of potatoes and squash for local food banks and feeding organizations in our community of Brockville and Prescott. There had to be over 50 volunters assist throughout the day, maybe more.
Greg Houldcroft , Executive Director of Cross Town Impact stepped up another year to help get the word out and inspire youth and families to journey to the fields. This event started over 9 years ago when I coordinated with Highway Pentecostal Church to help glean the fields, that would put it around 2010.
Looking back at some old notes , we often stretched this into the colder months
From: advisor@timothyross.com
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2013 3:08 PM
To: Leigh Bursey Cc: Rodger McCabe Subject: Re: ummmm.
Hi Rodger and Leigh, I did a site inspection this afternoon and met with the Dents, there is not enough left to make it viable to do anymore harvesting, what is left will remain for personal consumption and perhaps some secret weapon chips :) Interesting the Kale that is still left is in good shape considering the recent weather, very impressive cole crop.
Thanks for your help and interest, Together We Did Some Great Good, thanks again . Over 4 Thousand Tons of food. Tim
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
From: advisor@timothyross.com
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2013 4:41 AM
To: Leigh Bursey Cc: Rodger McCabe Subject: Re: ummmm.
That year Leigh had a car accident on the Sunday before this email. I missed seeing Leigh this year, however he was out for a bit in the morning and picked a few pails that added to the effort.
We had a beautiful day and were blessed with a great day and effort. The passing of the rain clouds was huge answer to prayer, early that morning it did rain a bit, fortunately not enough to stop the process. It had been wet leading up to the harvest, Thursday morning it ws hopeful that things would turn around as we would not be able to get on the fields on Saturday if it did not. Fortunatly Thursday and Friday the wind picked up and the sun came out to help allow the fields to get dryed out enough so Robert could dig the potatoes and then the volunteers pick and bag them .
There is lots of pictures on facebook, this link should take you there.
https://www.facebook.com/omegastewardship/media_set?set=a.10155511473375563&type=3
Greg has album at
There is also some video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ8Ci_E95Ns&index=2&list=PLhhVyaUmOQur0rWarodS7R-IZ83neSIGv&t=0s
Event Page yr 2018
https://www.facebook.com/events/252158168820736/
Event Page Year 2017
https://www.facebook.com/events/136567547086454/
Event Year 2016
https://www.facebook.com/events/546632402194822/
Event Year 2015
https://www.facebook.com/greg.houldcroft/media_set?set=a.10154776959060282&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/omegastewardship/media_set?set=a.10153026923140563&type=3&hc_location=ufi
https://www.instagram.com/p/8aF0sTR60w/
Event Year 2014
https://www.facebook.com/greg.houldcroft/media_set?set=a.10154754538255282&type=3&hc_location=ufi
Event Year 2013
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=630250570350187&set=a.609011945807383&type=3&theater
We don't always get potatoes, in 2011 there was none.
reviewed with Iris next weekend, for church harvest , Sat Oct 29
- need shovel's, pitch forks, knives for processing
carrot's, beets, cabbage, squash
Hotlist Task Created: Phone Call, no potatoes this yr. but other stuff
With: Dentz, Robert & Iris
Scheduled by: Tim Ross Assigned to: Tim Ross October 17, 2011
I believe I started this back in 2009 so we have about 10 years of harvesting under our belt at this point. I say about as over time our memories float around the beginning , going to search my archieves and confirm at some point :)
In the year 2013 I wrote
Year2014 - Tentative Date Set , Year 5 , it will be an all day event, come and go as you please. Rodger and I have worked the full day almost every time in the past , so it really needs a full day's effort and depending on the produce availability a few extra visits may be required to get it all gleaned.
There was about 5000 pounds of potatoes that we were unable to glean, plus beets , kale, squash , tons of stuff that we just didn't have the people power to glean. Hopefully next year with a greater outreach of volunteers, and expanded time line, that can all change, many hands make for light work.
so that is looking like year 2010 start harvest, the planning seed began in 2009 from a conversation I had with the Dents's that fall.
So, looking like year Year 10 will be 2019, and for fun, lt's set a tenative date Sturday October 12, 2019 with a rain date oct 19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaning
Ray Dalio has some great tips on what one should do, the title says Millennials, however this is a message many should aspire to.
So no matter where you are in life, reset, restart, contact our team and get a review and clarity for your financial plans. Let’s put some action into #ImprovingFutures
Enjoy
Timothy Ross
Founder, Brock Shores Financial
advisor@timothyross.com
613-345-0016
Take a breath and Use That Breath
”A simple first step to become a better listener? Breathing. Many of us can’t help ourselves but jump into a conversation, offering our pearls of wisdom to anyone willing to listen. Psychologist Kenneth Miller says we should take a breather instead. When we breathe before speaking, we give others room to reflect on what they have been saying. It’s an act of generosity. That extra breath also gives us time to think of insightful questions that might truly help the people we are speaking with. •”
Proper breathing is an obvious next step. I have been working this the last month with my ARP Practionair as we work through my shoulder pain. Remapping years of miss use and bad posture. The pain is leaving and I can do more movements and feel almost normal and stronger and healthier now. Every exercise requires the proper breathing technique otherwise it is simply more difficult and not as effective, without the breathing done right I can often not complete the activity or make progress. Mike has taught us big belly breathing. Expanding our belly to create capacity for inhaling and exhaling through our nose. Four in with belly expanding, pause, Eight count out with belly contracting, pause, repeat. This simple yet sometimes difficult to achieve method helps to oxygenate and expand our breathing capicty. It helps work through the pain and exhaustion and helps the mind think better. Litany of other benefits I am sure.
I am up to two sets of our regime and had a person best of a 60 second hang yesterday. Small steps make a profound difference. Remember to breath properly. Stand properly, feet straight ahead , turn those toes so you are properly aligned , keep your head up , eyes forward, arms by your side and of course smile.
The note above reminds us of the of the importance of breathing. It’s free and has huge benefits.
Cheers!
Tim
#ImprovingFutures
“Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.” Psalm 150:6
Just Breathe and just be
Received this email this morning and as normal it gets me thinking, what are we doing at Brock Shores Financial ? How are we #ImprovingFutures ? How are our actions lining up with our Vision, Mission and Core Values ?
One thing that we do is research and become aware of the issues and work towards putting sustainable practices in our business and life. A great resource for me has been my membership in RIA Responsible Investment Association https://www.riacanada.ca/timothy-ross/
I would love to read what you are doing to make a difference in your life, home, community, please join our online community and share your reflections in the comment section , your Utmost For Your Highest
In the meantime, let's read what Coro Stranberg has to say about the matter.
Have a blessed day
Timothy Ross, Founder Brock Shores Financial
#Improving Futures
Coro Strandberg works with businesses, government and industry associations to envision and innovate a sustainable future. She is an expert on sustainability leadership and transformational business practices and relationships.
"Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It's about doing more good."
Jochen Zeitz (Co-founder and co-chair of the B Team and past CEO of PUMA)
I’ve been thinking about the word “good” and how it shows up in our language in countless idioms: For goodness sake. All to the good. Good and ready. Goodwill. For good reason. Good company. And so on. In my work, good – when turned into action – means sustainable businesses that change everything for the better.
Growing global resource constraints – coupled with changing customer, investor, and government expectations – will drive companies to change the way they do business. In this newsletter, I bring you up-to-date on sustainability tools, trends, tips and trailblazers that can help you and your organization become a force for social good. Whether your organization needs a kickstart or it’s leading the way with transformational business practices, you’ll find lots of good news here.
2018 is trending as the watershed year when boards began to actively improve their oversight of the company’s social and environmental performance. Regardless of whether the impetus was scandals, investors, social movements, employees or consumers, more and more boards are taking their fiduciary responsibilities in this area seriously. Fortunately, there is considerable guidance in this new governance practice.
This spring I started teaching the Sustainable Board module for the new Governance Professionals of Canada certification program. The course provides a practical look at board sustainability oversight for governance professionals who advise boards and management on sustainability governance. This will equip corporate directors and executives with greater insight on how to steward the sustainable performance of the firm. Corporate governance leaders also have a sustainable board roadmap in a recently published white paper I authored on the topic for Conference Board of Canada. It's an update on the trends and drivers of sustainability governance that have emerged since the first paper I wrote on the subject in 2008, and provides a sustainability toolkit for boards and those who advise them. Check it out and share these resources with the boards and governance professionals you know.
Business Models for Good
Boards for Good are responsible for ensuring their business has a core social purpose as its engine for growth and goodwill. Businesses are defining and articulating their humanitarian reason for being. The United Way of the Lower Mainland is a leader in this global trend and in so doing, pivoting its corporate donor relationships. This spring I helped the United Way launch its Social Purpose Institute, growing business for good in Greater Vancouver and beyond. Uniquely, the Institute’s vision is to partner with cities, boards of trade and others to raise awareness of this business opportunity and build the regional capacity for social purpose business. In this way, business will bring all its assets, not simply its donations to community good.
Leveraging University Assets for Good
This trend towards leveraging assets for good is taking off in the public sector, too. To advance the widely acclaimed white paper I wrote for McConnell Foundation and SFU on "Maximizing the Capacities of Advanced Education Institutions to Build Social Infrastructure for Canadian Communities" published in 2017, I have been helping the McConnell Foundation and the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) scale social purpose administration and finance among administrative departments at Canadian universities and colleges, info here. The basic premise is that public institutions can bring all their assets and instruments (in addition to teaching and research) to advance societal well-being by applying a social, environmental, community or stakeholder lens to decision-making, budgets and projects. University administrators are finding new purpose and meaning in their jobs from this shift. According to one front line university staff member: "This [social purpose administration] is a new way of working. As administrators who spend our careers in our institution, we can see a tie to our organization. It is also tied to the place where you live. It is another use of your job. It gives me meaning in my day."
Professionals for Good
Not only are governance professionals and university administrators social-purposing their jobs, so too are other professionals looking to build more social value into everyday roles. Since the launch of the Sustainable Professional Association Initiative with The Natural Step, I have had the pleasure of advising associations representing human resources and governance professionals. Current work involves a project for the Real Estate Foundation of BC to define a professional development pathway to build sustainability expertise among realtors. Watch this space for the research paper in early 2019.
This work has me thinking about the "Purposeful Professional": I believe that purpose-driven companies and organizations are creating room for professionals to hone their personal purpose and bring it to work.
Products for Good
Organizations-for-good offer products-for-good. While not easy to go the distance, it can be done as described in this Conference Board of Canada resource I wrote on the topic. Notably, leaders like Marks and Spencer, BASF and LafargeHolcim are setting ambitious targets to reposition their product portfolios in alignment with a sustainable future. This Sustainable Brands article profiles these opportunities. For more detailed guidance, check out the Conference Board paper.
Advocacy for Good
Having a business model, professionals and products for good doesn’t guarantee a sustainable future. We also need government leadership to re-engineer policy, legislation and regulation so that fair, inclusive, low-carbon and circular growth can be enabled. Fortunately, more and more businesses are engaging in the public policy debate, as for-good advocates. This GreenBiz article unpacks this trend and drivers, while this tool offers an "advocacy for good" continuum, from oppositional to transformational practices. Check it out to see where your organization lies. Then engage your government and industry relations teams in how they can bring purpose and meaning to their jobs through a proactive sustainable public policy agenda.
That’s the goods for this newsletter. I always appreciate hearing from my readers. Don't hesitate to contact me for questions, clarifications or additional resources. Thanks for reading. Goodbye for now!
Coro
Good for you
events:
Corporate Sustainability Practitioners: Roles have changed, has your job description?
November 15, 2018 at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 PM EDT
This one-hour, low-cost webinar will discuss how the corporate responsibility practitioner role is becoming more strategic, enterprise-wide, and external. You’ll pick up insights on how the jobs, roles, and departments of CSR and sustainability practitioners are adjusting to meet the new imperatives. More information.
GreenBiz 2019
Phoenix Arizona, Feb. 26 – 28, 2019
I hope to see you at GreenBiz 2019, the Premier Annual Event for Sustainable Business Leaders. I will be moderating a session on "What every sustainability professional should know about board sustainability governance," with investors, corporate directors and sustainability professionals represented on the business panel. You’re guaranteed a thought-provoking and practical session. More information.
A picture is worth a thousand words, video's will multiple that , check out her Webinar Library