Understanding Financial Statements
A great primer, reminder of the key elements that one should pay attention too in your business.
Timothy Ross's Posts (522)
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Click on the link for the full report from our Responsible Investing Association
"On June 20, 2018, Bill C-45 – The Cannabis Act – was passed,with the expectation that Canadians will be able to legally consume recreational cannabis without criminal penalties by October 17, 2018. Canadian cannabis stocks surged on the news, with Canopy Growth gaining almost 6% in one day. Year to date,2 Aurora Cannabis Inc. and Canopy Growth Corp. have been the second- and fourth-most active stocks, respectively, on the TSX.3 Over the same period, stock prices for both companies have been volatile — Canopy’s price has ranged from as high as $47.76 to as low as $24.11. All this suggests that investors should exercise caution before jumping onto this bandwagon. But beyond concerns about volatility and returns, should responsible investors climb aboard?
NEI’s ESG Services Team has developed a position on cannabis by examining:
Where cannabis fits under our evaluation process by comparing it to products with some similarities, including tobacco, alcohol and prescription medicine.
The state of the regulatory and market environments.
The environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks that are most material to cannabis companies.
As responsible investors, we seek to generate sustainable value for shareholders and other company stakeholders, as well as for society as a whole. As such, we need to determine whether the cannabis industry has the potential to create sustainable value, which ESG risks are inherent to the industry and whether cannabis companies are adequately positioned to be responsible stewards of their products and services."
There is lots more in the report for consideration, 9 pages of
Material Risks tht cannabis companies will have to prioritize ESG concerns top of mind
Environmental: Growing cannabis requires optimal conditions of temperature, humidity and light intensity; hence the bulk of cannabis is grown indoors (without natural sunlight) or in greenhouses. Both methods are extremely energy intensive, resulting in potentially large carbon footprints; and water intensive, resulting in environmental and social risk from wastewater discharge and drawing excessive groundwater in water scarce regions. Most cannabis companies that acknowledge ESG risk in their MD&A disclosure focus on environmental and climate change risks, which we view positively. Social: Quality control and product safety are the most significant social risks for cannabis producers. Cannabis has to meet certain quality standards — tested and monitored by Health Canada and the FDA — and must not contain pesticides, heavy metals, fungi or bacteria. Product safety has been under greater public scrutiny since medical cannabis provider Organigram (recently acquired by Canopy Growth) had to recall some of its products because of contamination with a banned pesticide.19 The company faces several class-action lawsuits as a result, after patients reported suffering from severe nausea after daily use of the contaminated product.The nature of the product presents a second significant social risk. The Canadian Medical Association has stressed the need for access to substance abuse and mental health services to be expanded. The federal government has committed $62.5 million to cannabis education programs for youth.22 In addition to federal and provincial contributions, cannabis producers will likely be required to contribute to education and addiction treatment programs, in the way that producers of alcoholic beverages participate in and spearhead programs for alcohol addiction and impaired driving education. Thirdly, cannabis companies state that a positive public perception is crucial to achieving the social licence to operate. We agree and, as such, identify responsible marketing and post marketing co-vigilance policies and practices as another key issue for cannabis producers. Governance: As stated earlier, cannabis companies have experienced unprecedented growth over the last year and, as a result, have found it challenging to scale up their corporate governance controls to keep pace with that growth. As the industry will be heavily scrutinized by regulators and may be prone to criticism from the public, cannabis companies need independent and qualified board oversight to provide accountability to stakeholders, including investors. Proper corporate governance controls can assist in bridging the credibility gap in this new industry.
I came across another commentary that wasn't focusing on the ESG aspects but the "new industry component" from Gaurdian that was recently put out, it's an interesting read ...... https://www.guardiancapital.com/media/61435/gca-q3-2018-commentary.pdf
"By now every reader will likely be aware that Canada is about to legalize the recreational consumption of cannabis in October, becoming one of just a handful of nations to have done so. A level of buzz (pun intended) surrounds the industry, currently with 118 licensed medical cannabis producers, of which several dozen are publicly-traded in Canada. The largest of these have posted spectacular returns, rising between 200% and 500% over the past year alone. One, by virtue of uniquely gaining a NASDAQ listing south of the border during the quarter, rose more than tenfold in its initial two months of trading. At its heights, the company, yet to turn a profit, had a market valuation greater than household Canadian names such as Loblaw, Fortis, Husky Energy and Canadian Tire. To a degree, the euphoria is understandable: it is uncommon to witness the birth of an entirely new industry. There are, however, periodic historical reference points, such as the rise of the automobile at the start of the 1900’s and the dot. com euphoria near the end of that century, and like all other precedents, the legalization of recreational cannabis shows potential. It is also worth revisiting how these prior episodes all played out, with an initial period of excitement that results in sharply rising stock prices, and a growing list of participant companies able to fairly easily attract investors into newly listed shares. Almost invariably, a level of industry overbuilding results, with too much capacity added from this initial group. From there, an interval of re-sorting takes place, as stock prices subside, weaker competitors exit or merge, and a much smaller collection of survivors move forward. For example, in the early 1900’s, during the initial days of transition from horse to car, there were an estimated 2,000 automobile manufacturers in America, but the list had been winnowed to essentially three over the next twenty years. Another example might be, the estimated 90 million miles of fiber-optic cable installed across America during 1999, in anticipation of a coming internet boom. The boom eventually did materialize, but for the first three years, 95% of this network lay “dark” and unused, and the major players backing its installation had ceased to exist. At this point, valuing these recreational cannabis producers requires making some assumptions on end market demand, wholesale pricing, and production costs. Beyond this, factors such as consumption growth, regulatory regime and international factors – both in terms of possible demand, and new competition – must be weighed. Finally, once all of this is considered, a view on valuation is required. Given the list of risks at the current stage, an ample margin for error should be demanded before moving forward with an investment. Simply basing an investment on an optimistic industry view alone can backfire, even picking the eventual winners is no guarantee of short-term profits. Consider those who bought shares in technology hardware company Cisco, commonly considered a provider of the “plumbing of the internet”, in the late 1990’s. These investors were correct in their estimation that the company would go on to prosper from rapidly growing data consumption: company revenues, at just over $12 billion in fiscal 1999, had risen to over $49 billion in the most recent annual set of results. However, a lack of discretion on valuation means these buyers near the peak are still looking to recoup their initial investment, over fifteen years later.
At Guardian, we look to invest in companies with sustainable competitive advantages, strong management teams, and a proven record of superior financial performance. These are necessary ingredients when attempting to value securities for consideration. By definition, this makes it difficult to commit to investments in brand new industries where there is an absence of reference points regarding pricing, costs, end market demand, to say nothing of regulatory constraints. Until these materialize, it is certainly possible that a chosen cohort of stocks continues to levitate, supported by faith and a lack of data to refute speculation. This therefore, is the essential difference: pot stocks – like cars and tech companies – represent a speculative bet rather than an investment. There will be winners and losers in this space; companies that learn how to operate publicly, stay onside with regulations, balance growth and stability, will be the winners. Which constituents of this new subset of healthcare companies will operate profitably and sustainably is unknown today. We want our clients investments to go up, just not “Up in Smoke”.
Reading all this, I know a few people who have done very well speculating on their own in our community, so far. It reminds me of this song from Rascal Flatt's , it could be a two edged sword, out too late or staying too long. Courting pot stocks has a lot of ..... these days
For here are some neat highlights that this charting company puts out that maybe of interest. http://www.visualcapitalist.com/medical-marijuana-in-canada/ http://www.visualcapitalist.com/california-cannabis-golden-opportunity-unique-challenges/ http://www.visualcapitalist.com/story-of-cannabis-investors/ http://www.visualcapitalist.com/green-rush-cannabis-legalization-will-impact-california/ http://www.visualcapitalist.com/9-things-cannabis-investors-should-know/ Happy Reading Tim Ross, Family Advisor ® Family Office providing Omega Stewardship ® Www.BrockShoresFinancial.ca 613-345-0016 Office 613-213-4625 Cell/Text advisor@timothyross.com Helping Families Achieve ...Life’s Major Goals ® OMEGA STEWARDSHIP ® * One Stop Process Driven Approach for Retirement & Income Planning * Personalized Tax Management Solutions for Individuals & Business Owners * Confidential Wealth Management Solutions Mutual Funds through Professional Investments Brock Shores Financial #ImprovingFutures
Got a copy of these tonight in my meeting notes from last weeks meeting. During our Rotary meeting, we have a joke master and Don DeGroot provided these for our enjoyment.
The love of my life made me puff ball bread sticks tonight and a smoothie, that’s pretty good for a 9 pm snack on a Sunday night!
Answers to questions about Love and Marriage from six to ten year olds
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
"You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming."
- Alan, age 10 ....... {Smart Guy}
"No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
- Kirsten, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
"Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then."
- Camille, age 10
"No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married."
Freddie, age 6 ......... {Even Smarter Guy}
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
"Married people usually look happy to talk to other people."
- Eddie, age 6
"You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids."
- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
"Both don't want no more kids."
- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
"Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough."
- Lynnette, age 8
"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."
- Martin, age 10
WHEN IS IT OK TO KISS SOMEONE?
"When they're rich."
- Pam, age 7 ............ {Girls Sure Start Early}
"The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that."
- Curt, age 7
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
"You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming."
- Alan, age 10 ....... {Smart Guy}
"No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
- Kirsten, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
"Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then."
- Camille, age 10
"No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married."
Freddie, age 6 ......... {Even Smarter Guy}
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
"Married people usually look happy to talk to other people."
- Eddie, age 6
"You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids."
- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
"Both don't want no more kids."
- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
"Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough."
- Lynnette, age 8
"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."
- Martin, age 10
WHEN IS IT OK TO KISS SOMEONE?
"When they're rich."
- Pam, age 7 ............ {Girls Sure Start Early}
"The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that."
- Curt, age 7
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
"It's better for girls to be single, but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them."
- Anita, age 9 .................. { A Lot Of Truth Here}
"Single is better, for the simple reason that I wouldn't want to change no diapers. Of course, if I did get married, I'd just phone my mother and have her come over for some coffee and diaper-changing."
- Kirsten, age 10
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
"There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?"
- Kelvin, age 8
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
"Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a dump truck."
- Ricky, age 10 ............... {Huh?}
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
A great chart and basic advice on reaching a million dollars based on starting at zero.
Time, Money & Return
Last night there was a risk of frost, and it looks like at least another week of good “warmer” weather ahead with no risk of frost. So I went about the gardens and made provisions for the impending chill that would end the tomatoes, peppers and late squash from sudden destruction, I was Not concerned about the Kale, peas, garlic, potatoes ( we had already harvested them) onions, beets, lettuce ( newly planted) and the turnips. I forgot about the eggplant. While out and about we found some puff balls in various stages of development, I have been waiting for this kind of weather we’re these delectable fungus thrive, that was the big opportunity I waited patiently for. I had found two huge decayed puff balls in the meadow, one last fall and one this summer when I was sycthing. Opportunities, I knew they would return, just their nature. This morning I started cutting the puff balls up, the first one I was concerned That perhaps it was too old, one slice and the evidence clearly showed I was too late to be fit from that opportunity, but the next one I cut was ready and into the frying pan it went with a little coconut oil to get it crackling and my it turned out delicious. I put the other two big Balkan in the fridge and am planning on eating them and thinkin who might like to share a slice or two with. I offered a piece to our friend Anthony and he declined, wasn’t husband cup of tea, which surprised me as he was quite knowledgeable about the fungus world. I wrote this little commentary for two purposes, firstly to see who would like a slice of the opportunity, to try it, I know it’s good food and rare. Second to bring up an analogy that opportunities like this happen in our investment business every once in awhile, markets crash, decline and great investment opportunity is presented. I am getting the warning signs, and I am preparing for the call, the moment that you can pick in great abundance, with delightful extra profit. Doesn’t always happen, there was no frost this morning, it did get cold, was prepared, we did find some good stuff while preparing and I feel pretty good about the whole exercise, that’s kinda like planning and reviewing your plans when we are meeting discussing the future, are we on track, can we weather the frost, I get the idea, hopefully you get a little insight as well, as Mike says, the excersizes are necessary hard or spelled right, it’s a lot of mind over the matter. Sometimes you have to Feel the pain, to get the gain, control your breathing, but breathe properly, do the exercise properly and enjoy the long term benefits and in the process correct long term problems that we gather through out our lives.
I could go on :) In the meantime
So who wants a slice ?
No frost today
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
I seen a post on one of my friends feeds just now. It reminds me of how I feel sometimes, there is a number of changes happening in our current economic and political landscape and doesn't seem to matter what you post , there is most often negative response.
This quote from Rana C pretty well sums it up
" We live in especially pessimistic times. We’re pessimistic about the environment, pessimistic about America, pessimistic about the government and education.
The resulting stew of negativity makes me worry that the future
Fortunately, research suggests things we can do help
Pay more attention to the positive, and help others do the same....
There’s one problem with the pessimist’s perspective: it’s wrong.
That negative dystopian soup is an illusion, the result of an unfortunate collision between a 24/7 news cycle and the brain’s tendency to hone in on any possible danger and ignore everything else. Overall, things on planet Earth are pretty good — or at least, in many ways, they’ve never been better. No country in the world has a lower life expectancy now than the countries with the highest life expectancies in 1800. More people around the world believe in gender equality than ever before, and more value religious freedom. Poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, child labor and infant mortality are all on the decline.
Stay out of the negatives "
Another friend of his reminds us of my mentor Nick's quote
"Optimism is the only realism. It's the only worldview which squares with the facts, and with the historical record." — Nick Murray, Simple Wealth
And to start it all off thismorning my word for the day was rather depressing, yet it is there.
Weltschmerz
Definition
1 often capitalized Weltschmerz : mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state
2 often capitalized Weltschmerz : a mood of sentimental sadness
Did You Know?
The word weltschmerz initially came into being as a by-product of the European Romanticism movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A combining of the German words for "world" (Welt) and "pain" (Schmerz), weltschmerz aptly captures the melancholy and pessimism that often characterized the artistic expressions of the era. The term was used in German by the Romantic author Jean Paul (pseudonym of Johann Paul Friedrich Richter) in his 1827 novel Selina, but it wasn't adopted into English until the middle of the 19th century.
I had never heard of this word before, I wonder what tomorrow's word brings us.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day
Let the light in
Have a blessed day!
Timothy Ross
My notes from IFB Ottawa Ccnference last month that I attended as part of our professional development .
An encouraging session
- Tim
Simon Reilly, Leading Advisor
You can go out there and add value.
Cicero and Damenthosis, speech, let’s March
Get the why right or you will just do
We have a vocation not a job, a vocation has it in your soul, the why you do it !
Passion and pulls you forward
Get rid of fear !
Inspire from deep within
We all have values inherent within you, tie values and inspiration together
If your acting tired, burn out, overwhelmed, no time, why would clients want to work with you, they will feel that from you
Feel you have time and money, make is
Wake up to gain additional understanding
We have to take responsibility, if it is going to be it’s up to me
Being, your soul
Bob Dylan , back seat driving quote Time magazine
Control I need to do it myself, need of approval and recognition, thoughts are a wheel of fortune, pick up the vibe , and they disempower themselves , and they start making mistakes , they will last 6 months if your lucky
We get distracted from making a difference by all the baggage we carry
Front seat driver or back seat driver
People walk through their days unconsciously
The emotions and belief systems get in the way
Leading Advisor , testimony from Robert Clark, Millennium, extremely bright ,
We can’t superimposing judgements on them
Missy Pursley, became the leader as she got strong vision
He works for a short period of time, you don’t need a paid friend
Don’t need to be driven by the back seat driver, doesn’t need to be that way
We need to seize the day and see the people
Understand and discover how to get your needs met
People are getting overwhelmed with the decision processing
Work out business puzzles and solve them
Create the family office
Free book, presentation they did
97$ to get started , after evaluation to start,
Get changed at a cellular level, help get past hang ups that I have
So you don’t have to prove to much, just explain how it will happen
What ever you resist persists
What is out needs DNA ?
What is the story behind it? Step 1, Step 2
Work through the emotions and belief
Develop your conviction
Your greater than your body, your mind ,!its your soul
We can provide extraordinary value to our clients
Say Yes
Good presentation, positive ideas , perhaps could benefit from this coaching going forward
Ted Talk Link
https://youtu.be/1gNUpM0Dz7Q
Thank you
Tim Ross, Family Advisor ®
Family Office providing Omega Stewardship ®
Www.BrockShoresFinancial.ca
613-345-0016 Office
613-213-4625 Cell/Text advisor@timothyross.com
Helping Families Achieve ...Life’s Major Goals ®
OMEGA STEWARDSHIP ®
* One Stop Process Driven Approach for Retirement & Income Planning
* Personalized Tax Management Solutions for Individuals & Business Owners
* Confidential Wealth Management Solutions
Mutual Funds through Professional Investments
Brock Shores Financial
#ImprovingFutures
Thousands of years ago, the story of Let's March was born. Two of the greatest public speakers of all time were Cicero and Demosthenes. Cicero was the greatest speaker in Rome; Demosthenes was the greatest speaker in Athens. After every time Cicero gave a speech, the audience would give him a standing ovation, wildly applaud, and say, "Wow, what an incredible speech." When Demosthenes was done speaking, the people would say, "Let's March."
https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/ciceros-speeches
http://10point1.blogspot.com/2010/10/really-truth-is-just-plain-picture-bob.html
Enjoyable article , I remember how the kids grand father would talk the time he met Leonard Cohen in Montreal. Memories, he lived his music and it got his spirit moving. I rather like many of Cohen’s songs, not realizing the poetic side of him. Reflecting know, it makes perfect sense. Maybe I should revisit my own poem book.
“Was he, in the end, a musician or a poet? A grave philosopher or a grim sort of comedian? A cosmopolitan lady’s man or a profound, ascetic seeker? Jew or Buddhist? Hedonist or hermit? Across his 82 years, the Montreal-born Leonard Cohen was all of these things – and in his posthumous book of poetry, given the Lawrentian title The Flame by his son Adam, all sides of the man are present.”
Will have to get this book for the library and glean some inspiration from it. Maybe I get two and send a copy to Maurice for his enjoyment.
Timothy Ross
#ImprovingFutures
“He’d call himself slow. He’d write poems about how Leonard Cohen was a lazy bastard living in a suit”
http://trk.mmail.lst.fin.gov.on.ca/list/euidlxqe/180928E/dxqy8f.vib?a0=875
Reviewed the guidebook today. Fairly good common sense, communication. Take care of clients needs. Due diligence and go the second mile to ensure clients understand what they have and what their options are.
Click on the link above for the full guidance report.
A couple things I would like our firm to get better at is letting clients know the broad range of products we have available. Travel insurance, health benefits and hospitalization insurance come to mind.
Tim Ross, Founder Brock Shores Financial
#ImprovingFutures
http://ouradvisor.ca/TimothyRoss
My license link
Check others
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
good article on scams
