Balance, Passion & Drive… Lessons from a Lawyer

Michelle Millard

Michelle Millard dreamt about being a lawyer when she was in elementary school. She attended the University of Alberta in the field of commerce, and entered law school upon the completion of her first degree—bringing her childhood dream closer to reality. Even in university, she had a passion for helping the community—as a law student, she participated in the criminal division of Student Legal Services, assisting people who didn’t have the means to hire a lawyer.
Michelle earned her Bachelor of Laws in 1994 and then commenced her articles with Ogilvie LLP, an Edmonton firm, started in 1920. She was attracted to the entrepreneurial spirit of the knowledgeable lawyers in the medium-size firm. She is now a partner enjoying that same spirit: She has been able to develop a split practice that continues to provide her with interesting work. Firstly, she counsels a wide variety of large and small corporate clients who are looking to buy or sell assets, land or shares, to finance these transactions, and to set up workable corporate structures. Secondly, she provides advice and direction to individual clients to meet their estate planning needs, including preparing related documents and family trusts, and helping administer the estates of their next of kin.
Michelle’s goal is to look after her clients needs—whether business or personal—by presenting them with innovative options that address those needs. “When I ask the right questions and find out the key issues that are important to my clients, then I can give them effective solutions,” she says. A practice which involves personal situations—like drafting a will—and corporate aspects—such as helping clients set up a company or close a deal—gives her professional life balance.
And, according to Michelle, it is also important to have a balance of work that both pays the bills and also feeds one’s passions—though, of course, the two are not always mutually exclusive. “[If] you like to be creative and problem solve, then this is a fantastic profession. And that is probably what has made me stay with it. I continue to find it to be a stimulating career.”
Michelle’s professional career has been enriched by many volunteer activities outside of her typical work day. Currently, she’s on the board for the Family Centre Foundation. She served as president of the Estate Planning Council of Edmonton, chaired various sections of the Canadian Bar Association, and was involved with the Junior Chamber and Junior Achievement. From 2001 to 2005, Michelle also was an instructor for the legal assistant program at Grant MacEwan College, which prompted her to consider different aspects of law from the perspective of her enthusiastic students. “I came out with many [fascinating] questions [and new ideas] that I hadn’t even considered before,” she explains.
But, as the wife of Steve, and the mother of Kieran and Tristan, aged eight and nine, Michelle again stresses the need for balance—this time in regard to personal and professional obligations. “I’m very careful about trying to be in the moment wherever I am. So when I’m spending time with my husband and boys, it is quality time.”
Her hands-on attitude is evident in how she actively participates in her children’s lives: Michelle enjoys helping them with homework, cheering them on at hockey games, and joining them for skiing, biking and tennis. She smiles when she admits that, at this stage of her life, “I’d like to spend more time in the hockey rink and less time in the boardroom.”
Like many leaders, Michelle has the gift of foresight and is looking ahead to the next phase of her career. Her strong work ethic, ability to achieve balance, and passionate drive are all apparent in the way she conducts herself personally and professionally. As a partner, her vision includes mentoring and coaching associates at Ogilvie LLP to help them develop their own practices. Michelle also expresses gratitude to her colleagues in the partnership for mentoring her over the years—and now she’s excited about sharing her own knowledge and experiences. √

Excitement… Enthusiasm… ENERGY… ELECTRICITY

Rachel Hamilton, Jennifer Cleall and Wendy-Anne Berkenbosch

The four “e-words” in the headline immediately come to mind after spending more than 30 seconds in the company of Jennifer Cleall, Rachel Hamilton and Wendy-Anne Berkenbosch.
These dynamic women were recently made partners in the law firm of Davis LLP.  And, young as they are—thirty-something—they’ve already made their mark on the legal scene.
Jennifer is immersed in the new area of climate change law, Rachel is focused on bio solutions, and Wendy-Anne is carving her niche as a litigation analyst.
Now, as partners in this international law firm, they have taken on the responsibilities that go along with being business owners and managers. As Jennifer observes, “You share in the ups and downs and the fortunes and misfortunes. It’s a challenge, but I think we’ve all worked very hard to get here… it’s a recognition to us of the value that we bring to the firm.”
Considering the total number of partners in the Edmonton office is now 11, their appointments make them a significant contingent at the management level.
It quickly becomes apparent there’s a unique relationship between the three women that goes beyond having been made partners at the same time. They graduated from the University of Alberta Law School at the same time, in 1999. They were called to the bar at the same time, in 2000. They took different routes, but they converged at Davis LLP. They live in the same neighbourhood, raising their children—or, in the case of Wendy-Anne, the pooch she refers to as “nine pounds of fury”. They even finish each other’s sentences.
What comes to mind? The Three Amigos? Charlie’s Angels? The references elicit gales of laughter. But it’s also a recognition this trio is a force that cannot be ignored.
They are fiercely enthusiastic about their firm. They thrive on the high profile files, the mentorship, and the broad range of expertise and fields of practice within the firm.
Davis LLP dates back to 1892 when Edward Pease Davis hung out his shingle in Vancouver. A century later, the firm began expanding across Canada. The Edmonton office was created when Davis merged with Lucas Bowker & White, established in 1948 and well known locally. There are now offices in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Tokyo.
The Tokyo connection is an interesting one. It began in the 1930s when a Davis lawyer, Sherwood Lett, belonged to the Japan Society. In the years following World War II, the firm championed the cause of Japanese-Canadians who had lost their property during forced resettlement. In 1957, Davis hired a Japanese-Canadian student when no one else would, enabling it to provide legal services to most of the Japanese companies doing business in BC. The opening of the Tokyo office made Davis LLP the only Canadian law firm with an office in Japan.
According to Jennifer, “We have two partners in Tokyo who practice Canadian law and act for a number of high profile Japanese trading companies. We also act for those same companies in Alberta and in Canada.”
The list of specialties Davis LLP now boasts is long, ranging from climate change to video gaming. Rachel points out, “One of our partners in Vancouver has a keen interest in intellectual property and the video game industry, becoming one of the leading experts in that field in North America. He is a regular blogger, putting out news releases and blogs on interesting developments within this field. This is another practice area that makes Davis unique.”
Jennifer is also a blogger. “We have a blog here at Davis called the Climate Change Blog which I contribute to regularly. That helps keep me focused on how climate change and its legal ramifications may affect our clients.”
She works primarily in the areas of energy, environment and natural resources. “I think climate change is arguably one of the most important topics we’re going to face in our lifetime, certainly our generation. It permeates everything.”
She goes on to say that “governments, particularly in North America, are beginning to understand it’s not just climate change, it’s really about clean energy and the advancement of new technology to address the challenges we face in light of climate change.”
Last December, Jennifer traveled to Copenhagen for a United Nations conference on climate change. “I was there to watch the process unfold. And then I went to Tokyo to talk to some of our clients and prospective clients with respect to climate change. So it’s been an amazing opportunity.”
She also provides legal advice to Alberta’s Climate Change Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC). This is the arms length corporation set up to administer the money collected from greenhouse gas emitters.
“Alberta is the first jurisdiction in North America to have any sort of regulatory framework which requires emitters to reduce their emissions or face consequences,” she explains. “There are three options: You can reduce your emissions. You can purchase Alberta-based offsets. Or you can pay $15 per tonne that you are over your threshold into what’s called the Climate Change Emissions Management Fund. This currently sits at about $125 million and is expected to generate about $80 million per year.”
Jennifer advises clients looking for investment opportunities in new technology to produce clean energy, thereby reducing global carbon emissions. She also counsels two corporations focused on energy, environment and bio solutions that were formed under the restructured Alberta research and innovation system.
It is bio-solutions that has captured Rachel’s attention. “I recently got back from the United States, where I provide advice to an American company that is developing a biomass-to-energy facility in Drayton Valley’s Bio Mile. It will convert biomass in wood waste to clean electricity with the ultimate goal of developing clean transportation fuels.”
Rachel’s extensive background in commercial law and real estate transactions makes her a valuable resource for international clients looking to set up shop and invest in Alberta’s progressive economy.
She also practices in the area of pension and benefit law, something she calls a hot topic. “Some pension plans have run into issues with their investments, making pensions more forefront in people’s minds. Subsequently, we have been working with plans on reorganizing their investments and setting up relationships with new investment managers.”
The human element is a focus for Wendy-Anne who has developed expertise in labour and employment law. She elaborates, “We have a number of very sophisticated clients who work in an industrial setting and many of those settings are unionized environments. Many are highly safety sensitive. So that leads to a number of difficult issues. One of the issues that has been in the forefront for a few years and is starting to fade to some extent is the whole concept of alcohol and drug testing in the workplace.”
Wendy-Anne is currently pushing the development of her expertise in a more atypical role. “I’ve managed to identify that there’s significant value in high level analysis and strategic planning, and I’ve been fortunate that Davis also recognizes the extraordinary value of that as well.”
She enjoys the background research and preparation that goes on before going to court. “A lot of litigators want to be in the courthouse and making arguments. I really enjoy the analysis that happens before then in terms of identifying complex arguments and crafting solutions going forward.”
While Wendy-Anne cannot speak to specifics, it is her behind-the-scenes handiwork that is supporting the defence in a high profile environmental prosecution that is currently before the courts.
“Obviously, that’s a controversial file. And it’s a very important file because it’s one that is highly publicized and has significant implications going forward. We’ve been very fortunate to have the trust of the client in terms of defending that file. What we’ve done is put together a team to identify virtually every argument and concern that may arise in the trial and identify a strategy for dealing with that going forward.”

Wendy, Jennifer and Rachel

Outside of the office, these incredibly bright women lead equally demanding lives. Jennifer is expecting her second child very soon, after which she is looking forward to resuming the sports she loves so much: running, tennis and soccer, something that gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘Soccer Mom’. She also sits on the boards of Kids Up Front, The Support Network and the Edmonton-Glenora PC Association.
Rachel is busy with her children and their wide range of activities, from music to sports, and her husband Tyler’s singing career keeps her in touch with the cultural scene. She’s also been involved as a director with the Cornerstone Counselling Society of Alberta.
Wendy-Anne bounces around that ‘nine pounds of fury’, bikes through the river valley with her husband, and supports the kid-centred events of her friends, like the Spring Zinger for the community league daycare. She was a director of the Edmonton Inner City Housing Society for three years and is now looking forward to her new involvement with the University of Alberta Law School Alumni and Friends Association.
Where do they find the time or energy for their personal commitments?
Rachel gives the credit to their firm. “Not only do we get to work with great lawyers and clients who are world class, but we’re able to develop our careers in an environment that allows us to have time to give back to the community and be with our families. We’re able to achieve balance in our lives.”
There’s one more addition that Rachel, Jennifer and Wendy-Anne would make to the list of “e-words” that define their lives: Edmonton. All three are big time boosters.
Speaking for her colleagues and friends, Rachel concludes, “We could practice law in many other places, but Edmonton is really a fantastic city to both live and work in.”
And they all love the river valley. √

A new lease on life

Angela Armstrong

Angela Armstrong is living her dream and continuing a family legacy of entrepreneurship. When she was eight-years-old, she told her Grandma that she wanted to own a business just like her Grandpa, who ran a successful Volkswagen dealership in Montreal for many years.
Now, Angela is the president of Prime Capital Consulting, a leasing firm based in Edmonton.
She entered the leasing business right after her graduation from college in 1986 and, since then, she has gone from being a sales representative to an entrepreneur with a passion for helping businesses succeed.
Her career began at a Winnipeg company that did equipment financing for businesses. After a few years—when she was only 25—Angela was offered a key position in Edmonton as a branch manager. “They felt I had a skill set, but it was still a huge stretch; I was going from being an account representative to running a branch in a [brand new] city,” she says. Despite some initial trepidation, the young woman thrived in her role and saw the company grow… as did her knowledge and diverse range of skills.
By 2000, Angela was married with two little girls and was about to experience a big career change. The company was changing direction, so when one of her clients suggested she look after accounts on a contract basis, she saw an opportunity—and took it. She negotiated a relationship with her employer whereby she could be its agent, free to do business in her own style. As a result, Prime Capital Consulting was born.
The successful business woman is passionate about “creating innovation and something new out of what a client already has—synthesizing something new and exciting from different things.” Along with financial solutions, Prime Capital Consulting brings knowledge from cross industries like agriculture, agri-food, manufacturing, fabrication and the oilfield to its clients. By studying these companies, Angela offers start-up businesses creative finance options that fit their specific industries. Depending on needs, Prime Capital Consulting can provide leases for anything from portable buildings to office equipment.
Angela is confident she can help many companies, particularly during difficult economic times. She says leasing provides corporations with more diversification: Instead of relying on collateral to cover borrowed money or resources, a piece of leased equipment is “financing that’s secured by that asset.”
A newly-appointed member of the Canadian Financing and Leasing Association’s board of directors, Angela also volunteers to do peer training for an on-line education series and is dedicated to increasing education and professionalism in her field.
Angela acknowledges the challenge of balancing work and home life. In fact, as the mother of two young children, she goes so far as to say, it’s impossible to balance the two on a day-to-day basis. Expecting that you can “satisfy every aspect of your business and home life every day is a sure way to feel like you’re constantly failing.” She suggests that instead of trying to constantly control your environment, you just have to adapt.
A few years ago, she learned this lesson herself when her stress levels were so high that she nearly gave up her business. A good friend told her she had two options: to walk away from her company or to just walk away from the parts of her life that weren’t a priority at that specific time. Angela re-evaluated her priorities and realized cutting back on her volunteer and board activities would free up more time for her to spend with her family and on her business.
“It was a real turning point for me. I gave myself permission to scale back and simplify… Within that year, the business grew and we hit our first million-dollar mark. We haven’t looked back since,” she says with pride. √

Fabulous Business Sense

Krista Castellarin and Nacho

Fabulous is a word which describes many aspects of Krista Castellarin’s life.
The feisty entrepreneur moved from Las Vegas to Sherwood Park in 2006 to marry Dwayne, the man she calls her ‘Prince Charming’.
Within a week of her arrival, Krista was disappointed and perplexed at the lack of quality pet paraphernalia for her beloved Yorkie. While honeymooning in Hawaii, she suggested to Dwayne that Edmontonians deserved first-rate pet boutiques. With his encouragement, the idea for Fabulous Furballs, a pet grooming and accessories business, was born. Upon their return, Krista set about turning her vision into a reality. Now well-established, the business has grown to include a second location in Edmonton.
As part of her due diligence, she also discovered that groomers did not require any formal training. “If you want to cut my hair, you [need] formal training and a license, but anyone with kitchen scissors can give my beloved Yorkie a haircut,” she says. Again, Krista took action: She purchased a grooming school in Leduc, re-named it The Fur Institute, and re-located classes to the Fabulous Furballs salon. “The school is just like beauty school for people. I call it: beauty school for the four-legged set.” Along with offering 12-week classes to aspiring groomers, it provides continuing education for the duration of the groomer’s career.
In keeping with her flamboyant, out-of-the-ordinary style, Krista starred in Animal Planet’s reality television series, Groomer Has It 2, a couple of years ago. Whiling away tedious hours on the Hollywood set between filmings, she had another idea: Fabulous Krista, a groomer’s clothing line, featuring glitzy, crystal be-jewelled tee-shirts, smocks and tank tops–emblazoned with cheeky sayings like Yo Quiero Mi Chihuahua—was launched shortly after her return.
With an insatiable sense of adventure, Krista is a true entrepreneur, taking risks in all areas of her life—from expanding her Fabulous businesses to skydiving, driving motorcycles and getting her pilot’s license. A strong sense of community is also very important and Krista enjoys donating her time and services to the Edmonton Humane Society… something she has built into the curriculum for her students, as well.
But, at the end of her work day, Krista is eager to join her two little girls and Dwayne for some well-deserved quality time. She says being a mom has been an amazing experience, which has provided her with more perspective. “A lot of people shake their heads when they hear I have done all of this while having two babies, but it never occurred to me that being a [mom] should stop me from achieving my dreams.”
Over the past few years, Krista has made some huge changes in her life. She went from working in the financial field in Las Vegas to running a pet grooming business in Sherwood Park. When she cashed out her retirement plan to start Fabulous Furballs, her financial advisor was against the idea; he feared the profits would not be worth the risk. Little did he know his wife—and hundreds of other clients—would seek out Krista for grooming services, tips and unique pet products.
According to Krista, who is relishing ever-increasing success, it’s not the numbers that are important, it’s the passion. “Do what you love and the positive energy you have for your business will draw people to you.”
With her characteristic enthusiasm, she readily admits, “I am more fulfilled and content surrounded by dog collars and dirty hair today than I ever was behind my desk in Las Vegas.” √

Sizzling in the City Hot! Hot! Hot!

I’d been hearing about the Refinery Late Night Art Party at the Art Gallery of Alberta for a few weeks. The more I heard about it, the more I wanted to attend. My business owner friends were excited about it. My friends active in the arts community were excited. Even my parents’ friends were excited. It’s not often that an event crosses so many different groups of people—generations, industries and communities—to create such a build of energy and excitement. After attending, I understood why.
The AGA is amazing. While the final preparations were being made in the venue, people lined up half an hour early to buy the last few tickets and to be the first into the party. Overall the feeling was vibrant, energetic and otherworldly. I say ‘otherworldly’ because many people I spoke with said that being at the AGA is like stepping outside all that is stereotypically Edmonton. Among other comparisons, it was likened to a New York Gallery, even a space ship.
There is no doubt that Edmonton needed a world-class building and art gallery. If the first ever Refinery Late Night Art Party is any indication of how ready we are to embrace its grandeur, there’s no question we have the community energy to sustain it.
Two more Refinery events are in the works, each with a new exhibit theme. There’s one on the terrace on July10th, another on November 20th. Mark your calendar now.

OVERCOMING THE FEAR FACTOR: Nothing scary about social networking for business and government

Ken Chapman

IT’S THE CULTURE STUPID!
The critical differences between the traditional communications culture that government and business enjoyed for over a century was that they created and owned the message. They controlled its timing, distribution and decided who received it.
In the command-and-control, top-down hierarchical world of conventional government and business the “leader/boss” was all powerful. Not anymore.
Now anyone with a computer and an Internet connection is a media and a message creator and a publisher too. They are also critics, thought leaders and trend setters, with real reach and attentive audiences. Message control and distribution is decentralized.
The network-connected world spawned by the Internet makes attention getting within the reach of anyone with a resonant message and Internet access.
The power has shifted to the individuals from the institutions. Now it’s about shared power among people. It is no longer about having power over people by small groups of dominant elites. The informality of social media makes contact more “associational” than the “systematized” approach of the conventional corporate and government culture.
The power of communicating by simply clicking a mouse makes the power of a message grow virally as well as virtually. This organic informal distribution of communications is in sharp contrast to the conventional formal approach of traditional public relations and advertising one-way message broadcasting. All this adds up to red flags of fear and pangs of angst for those who still hold to the hope that they can control the media, the medium and the message.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
It’s all about overcoming the constraints of the conventional corporate/governance culture.
Contact and communications with customers or citizens is no longer mediated by a small cadre of mainstream media editors and reporters. It’s not the only game in town any more. Bloggers broke every major story in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, according to John Ibbitson who covered the election for the Globe and Mail.
It seems that the leap from command-and-control, one-way messaging to the social networking chaos of the Internet is too daunting for those in policy making positions in industry and government today. If it is true and the world has really changed, then how do these conventional minded moguls ease into this brave new world to help them overcome their fear?
Personally, I believe, the answer lies with LinkedIn. First, I want to explain the various platforms and their mandates and merits so you’ll understand why. 
IS SOCIAL NETWORKING THE GAME-CHANGER?
The arrival of social networking is creating and amplifying an amazing array of cultural changes in our society and economy, whether business and government are ready to face it or not.
The almost ubiquitous use of social media platforms is enhancing how people connect, share, find and form communities, find and do business and even how they come to meet people in person.
Social networking has caught on in many segments of society all over the world as a new tool for interactive connectivity through a variety of platforms.
I won’t even try to list all the options but will share my observation of the characteristics of some on the major services. What is interesting is the hesitation of government and major business segments, like the oil and gas and energy sector, to embrace the opportunities these new trends and technologies offer.
Part of the wavering by corporate players is the very informal and casual nature of the dominant and populist social networking platforms. It is not about any reluctance by government and industry to accept new technology—they do that all the time.
Instead, the unwillingness to embrace social networking is about a communications culture clash of traditional command-and-control message broadcasting and the new reality of the interactive and participatory nature of social media.
The most omnipresent social networking platforms are Facebook, Twitter and blogs. There are social media platforms that fit more appropriately into the business relationship culture. Among the best known and highly respected is LinkedIn. It offers more comfort and hope for business and government early adopters to engage in a professionally based interactive, participatory and business oriented social networking space.
Before I go further into the merits and methods that LinkedIn offers, it may be helpful to better understand something about the more populist social networking platforms that seem to baffle business and government. I hope this will put some context around their uncertainty to adopt and adapt to the advantages of social networking.
The Facebook experience is about friends, family and creating communities of interests. The sharing of experiences and events with people of like-minds and related interests helps to form quasi kinship relationships. It is becoming an events promotion and a place for expressing personality and perceptions but at a “friend”-based model. I find Facebook effective in communicating more personally with people using the direct message feature. For example, I have used it extensively to share information and insights with a number of politicians on public policy issues and concerns.
MySpace is similar but seems to attract a different demographic. I am not involved in MySpace, but get drawn into it on occasion because of my love for music. It is a competitor to Facebook, although not as popular. I see it is an effective haunt for many struggling and established musicians who use it to independently self-promote their talents.
Twitter is something else again—one of the most interesting tools for information sharing. Twitter itself is not much. I consider the streaming scroll of chronological disparate messages in the form of “tweets” to be an enormously frustrating waste of time. However, using tools like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to organize messages into subject areas or themes all of a sudden makes Twitter a cutting edge community-building and connectivity tool.
The Twitter culture has adopted the use of “hashtags” (the number sign to the uninitiated) to organize the “Twitterverse” into themes. Embedding a hashtag into a message means users can follow an amazing range of subjects. Another clever adaptation is the use of airport call letters instead of city names. So if you want to know what is happening on Twitter about Edmonton, you search #yeg and all the recent action will appear for you. I dare say there is likely a hashtag for every aspect of life on the planet. If you can’t find one, you merely start one. 
SOCIAL NETWORKING: TOO PERVASIVE TO IGNORE
Here are a few scary statistics to give you a sense of how pervasive social networking is globally. Looking at Facebook, we see over 350 million users worldwide and 50 percent of them are active every day. There are over 55 million status updates posted daily, and over 2.5 billion photos uploaded and posted every month. Add to that the more than 3.5 billion pieces of content to web and blog links, photo-sharing and news stories. There are over 700 thousand local businesses with active Fan Pages. Speaking of Facebook Fans, there are over 5.3 billion of them now.
Twitter is a newer platform that had about 30 million users in July 2009 and 73 percent of them joined in the first half of 2009. About 62 percent of them in the USA and Canada are in fourth place in total accounts in the world. Only 30 percent of all users account for over 97 percent of activity… so the concentration of users is high. You either get Twitter or you don’t—those who do are big-time participants on the platform.
Bloggers are big Twitter users. While a recent study showed that only 14 percent of Americans used Twitter, it is well used by bloggers: more than 80 percent of self-employed and corporate bloggers Tweeted to promote their blogs… over 60 percent to check out the “buzz” about their businesses… and, for marketing purposes, by 73 percent of self-employed and 55 percent of corporate bloggers. 
LinkedIn is more of a professionally based networking platform that still has all the relationship finding, creating, building and nurturing elements of the other platforms but is more focused on networking for doing business.
One of the most successful evangelists for LinkedIn as a business and government based social networking site is Olivier Taupin, the CEO of BizNetO (otaupin@bixneto.com) out of Seattle, Washington. He has been coaching corporate executive on the use of social media for more than five years now.

Olivier Taupin

Taupin has created a number of interest-based “groups” of business people using LinkedIn. The largest is in the human resources and recruiting area called Linked: HR. Another is the largest group of business people in the oil and gas sector called Linked: Energy.
His message is straightforward and emerges out of the conventional models of business and government network, but he puts it on steroids through a professional based social networking culture. As a social networking evangelist, Taupin tells both sectors they cannot ignore this relationship and business building revolution any longer.
According to a Neilson Online study in March 2009, social networking was the fourth most popular use of the Internet, e-mail was fifth. ComSource said in May 2009 that social networks had 147 million unique visitors in the USA—74 percent of the entire American Internet audience. Anything that big and powerful and pervasive cannot be ignored.
The Internet culture hates broadcasting and spam but it loves authentic virtual relationships and those generate word-of-mouth messaging from friends and “influentials”. Word-of-mouth is the most effective means we know of to get a message out. People trust other people more than they trust advertising. To prove this point, Taupin quotes a July 2009 Neilson Company survey that found the degree of trust from various forms of advertising was the highest when recommendations came from people you know—a whopping 90 percent trust level. Online consumer opinion polls and newspaper editorial content were trusted at the 70 percent and 69 percent level respectively, while TV was at 62 percent.
WHAT IS THE ACCEPTABLE SOCIAL MEDIA ANSWER FOR GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS?
There are a lot of government and corporate communications people anguishing over that big question. They are in a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” conundrum.
Many big institutions that have used their current communications and relationship building culture and ventured out to populist social networking have been burned—some badly. The consequences have been for the commanders of the control model of communications to proceed cautiously or not at all. Many businesses have adapted and adopted the new world disorder as a new normal for relationship creation, building and nurturing. Many are seeing the benefits of being authentic, genuine and authoritative about their efforts and enterprises in the horizontal, trust-based, open, transparent, accountable power-shared world of social networks. Governments, not so much!
The powers-that-be in these conventional sectors know they are losing the battles for public attention. They sense that they are losing the benefit of the doubt about the legitimacy of their social licenses to operate. The old-school thinkers are sensing they are in some serious jeopardy in both the marketplace and at the ballot box.
IS THERE VALUE FOR BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT?
Businesses see themselves using social networking for the same reasons, whether it is a Fortune 500 enterprise or Fred’s Shoe Shine: According to a recent study, 81 percent use it for enhancing customer/client relations and brand building. Brand building is the perceived value, but the actual reasons are networking and finding out and influencing what people are saying about a business—equally applicable to to governments but, obviously, with a political and public consultation twist.
There are other practical uses of social networking. Recruiting is a big one, both finding and inquiring about qualities and qualifications of staffing opportunities. But, the big payoff for convention-bound traditionalists in business and government is finding communities of similar interests at the executive, management and professional levels. These are the folks who are the change agents in most organizations—usually the same people who are reluctant to make the necessary changes to take positive advantage of Internet based social networking.
Using tools like groups in LinkedIn, these upper level leaders can ease into social media in a way that is more of an extension of the conventional business networking models. Groups comprise like-minded, similarly engaged people at comparable operational and management levels. They join to gather around and share information and opportunities in an area of mutual interest. Someone once called LinkedIn Groups Facebook for grown- ups.
The ability for business and government mangers to find new strategic partners and alliances and to validate suitability can be done virtually via LinkedIn. The principles of engagement are just as they are in the traditional golf clubs, professional lunches, and industry conferences and conventions. LinkedIn is faster, cheaper and easier… an extension and enhancement of the traditional way to recruit staff, find strategic partners, and keep up on what is happening in any area of interest in the familiar “real life” model.
This sense that LinkedIn Groups is more an extension and enhancement of existing behaviours will likely be comforting enough to warrant tentative steps toward Internet based social networking. It’s these manageable, familiar and incremental steps into the networked world that will be more acceptable than the wholesale rethinking of finding, creating and sustaining relationships at the heart of populist social networking.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Business and government will eventually adapt to the rough and tumble world of Internet based social networking out of necessity. In the meantime, they need to start somewhere. They need to stop being paralyzed by their fear from the culture shock of this horizontal, community-based, power-sharing communications reality of the Internet.  
If engaging in transformation is not part of your culture, then default to incrementalism as the go-forward strategy.
A smart starting place for incrementalism engagement might be in the professionally based social networking platform of LinkedIn. And, although it’s not the finish line for effective engagement in the wider and wilder world of social networking for either government or business, it’s definitely a good place to start.
Bottom line: Be brave. Embrace the elephant in the room that is social media. If you don’t learn to live with it, expect to be crushed as it rolls over on you.

Linked: Energy membership: Worldwide-35,000, Texas-3000, Alberta-379

Alberta is the Energy Capital of Canada—one of the top oil and gas producers with the largest reserves in the world.
How can it be that the province’s oil and gas sector is so sorely under-represented on Linked:Energy, the largest energy group participating on LinkedIn?
How can it be that an industry that is facing growing scrutiny from environmentalists and politicians isn’t forging alliances with this growing energy network?
How can it be that, of more than 35,000 Linked:Energy members worldwide, only 27 are from Alberta?
Instead of burying its head in the oilsands, surely the oil and gas sector should be taking every advantage of the global reach of a social media network specifically designed for business and professionals.
Linked:Energy is the brainchild of Olivier Taupin, who is the founder and CEO of Linked:Group, a high-tech social media company. He and his partner Jean-Marie Slove own some of the world’s largest Linkedin groups including: Linked:HR with more than 200,000 members, in addition to Linked:Energy, Star:Candidate, Linked:Seattle, and Linked:Golfers. According to Taupin, they advise many corporations on how to use social networking for “brand image development, lead generation, and talent acquisition”. They recently secured funding to launch a new company, BizNetO, a consulting firm focusing on business social networking tailored to the needs of large corporations.

Michael Tingle

An integral aspect of Taupin’s on-line communities is the support provided to manage, moderate and promote group members. For Linked:Energy, that responsibility falls with Michael Tingle, the chief evangelist and group manager. Based in Ontario, he has over 19 years of business development experience in the renewable energy and energy management sectors, and is currently the director of corporate business development at ORTECH Consulting.
Tingle points out that Linked:Energy “includes all of the industries involved the production and sale of energy, including fuel extraction, manufacturing, refining and distribution include all of the green or renewable energy sectors. The biggest discussions, between our members, always revolve around climate change. Besides discussions; jobs, events and networking make up the rest of the areas of value to our members.”
According to his webpage, “LinkedIn limits the number of groups you can join, but you can join 50 subgroups” which means “postings are far more specialized and targeted… and increase your networking capabilities.” Linked:Energy subgroups include executives, venture, oil and gas, energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, bio-energy and wind power to name a few.
When asked why the Alberta energy sector should join Linked: Energy, Tingle was quick to respond: “Recently, I noticed a discussion about request for a subgroup for Houston. They were calling themselves the ‘energy capital of the world’. Being Canadian, I thought Alberta should vie for that title. Albertans should join our group because of the vast opportunities to learn, socialize and promote themselves, and the great Province of Alberta. It is amazing how Alberta and Canada are viewed by our members.”
Tingle confirmed the dismal level of involvement by Alberta companies. “Twenty-seven members is right, a sad number… but I am going to change that today with some effort. I am starting a campaign today directed at all the Albertan members to become larger than the 3,000 Texans that are in our group.”

Kim Kerr

Those efforts will be supplemented by Sales Visionaries Inc., an Edmonton-based company started by Kim Kerr. It is the sole Alberta distributor for Taupin’s ULP Networks, Inc., under which Linked:Group and BizNetO currently operate.
Kerr heads up a team of sales and marketing strategists whose knowledge of Internet market research and innovative tools helps clients identify and engage the best markets for their products and services. She created Linked Alberta, a social network for professionals, and the Linked Alberta Marketplace subgroup where companies can introduce their products and services.
For Kerr, the relationship with Taupin’s networks is a natural progression. “Recently, when looking to connect with people in the energy industry, we were able to talk with members of Linked:Energy. Connecting with others who have similar interests is a ‘warm’ connection, and preferred by most over cold-calling.
“We are working with a local company that develops high-tech services for the energy industry, and they’re looking to us for market research and to assist with scoping out their most likely customers. We’re making solid connections on Linkedin via the Linked:Energy groups and others.”
The gauntlet has been thrown in the ring. It’s time for Alberta’s energy sector to get on board and grow its virtual identity and reputation. √

The Unretired fewer folks rockin’ on the porch

Are the so-called “golden years” the best years in a person’s life? It depends who you ask. While some seniors resign themselves to growing older, many are taking a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to life. They are exploring new highways in a motorhome… accepting community service placements… returning to classrooms… volunteering their time…mentoring protégés. A growing number are pursuing further career opportunities, taking similar, or completely different, paths.
Edmontonians spoke with four mature workers who have not accepted getting older as a downward spiral. Instead, they have opted for lifestyles that suit their own circumstances while remaining mentally stimulated, fulfilled, healthy and happy.

John Tanasichuk

John Tanasichuk, PhD., RPsych, is a full-time  instructor in the management studies program at Grant MacEwan University’s School of Business. While his course load shifts, his days are often quite long. “My day generally starts at seven in the morning. But this particular term, it doesn’t end until nine in the evening, because I teach a couple of evening classes.” In addition, there are the many hours devoted to preparation and marking. Although it may sound tedious, Tanasichuk wouldn’t have it any other way: His job provides a way to “work with people and young adults.”
He didn’t seem destined for an instructional position. “I was a management generalist… I worked in the energy services field with primarily Edmonton-based companies,” he explains. “I started out financing and selling heavy equipment and doing strategic planning. I ended up in a pipeline construction company and, by virtue of the previous experience, I became manager of equipment.” When the pipeline industry bottomed out, Tanasichuk moved on to land a management job with Alberta Power (now ATCO Electric).
Alberta Power’s Edmonton office moved to Calgary; however, “The organization didn’t…want to move me laterally.” So, in 1998, Tanasichuk chose to return to school. “I wanted to become an organizational psychologist,” who “works with individuals and systems … to assist individuals to become more efficient and effective in the workplace.” He completed the program five years later and was hired back, this time with ATCO Farmtech. He retired “around 2005.”
The offer to teach came as a surprise. “It was by happenstance. In July 2008, I was having coffee with chair of the commerce program and he said, ‘Would you consider teaching a course in September?’” Tanasichuk jumped at the chance. When the college found itself short one instructor, he stepped up to take on a five-course load..
Tanasichuk, at 62, doesn’t much care for the term “seniors”… nor does he like the notion of mandatory retirement. “I think it’s a concept that has outlived its best before date.” For hime, “It’s about quality of life … if you’re going to do something, then you might as well do something you enjoy.”

Judy Krupp

Judy Krupp also is a firm believer in doing something you enjoy. This “60-plus” dynamo spent much of her professional career working for the provincial government. At the Public Affairs Bureau, she Krupp handled purchasing “…all the specialty items for the government: coats for the Commonwealth Games, millions of lapel pins, retirement and special presentation plaques, those big wood signs where you see ‘Welcome to Alberta’. The rule was anything that had an Alberta signature on it, I did the buying for it”
In 1993, Krupp accepted a buy-out package. That golden handshake changed her life. “I had met this man whose life-long ambition was to sail. Probably within two years, we were on our way to the Caribbean to purchase a sailboat.”
Eventurally hiring on as a deckhand on different vessels, Krupp’s voyages lasted nine years. “I’ve been to 60 countries. I’ve done 22,000 sea miles,” she smiles.
Krupp has plenty of photos and stories she can share. Among her most memorable came when she was sailing from the “ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). We got too close to Cartagena and were heading towards the Panama Canal.” With tremendous water build-up at the north of South America, Krupp and the captain encountered a “horrendous storm.” She was on watch duty that night when water engulfed the boat and it dived under the waves. By some miracle, “the whole boat bounced back up and I was wrapped around the back stay.”
In 2000, Krupp landed in Turkey. “I decided I’d done enough sailing,” but she needed work. She walked onto a luxury yacht and was hired immediately as a stewardess. She plied the Turkish coast for two years.
Since returning to Edmonton, the globetrotter hasn’t slowed down. She bought a motorcycle in 2004, survived a serious crash, and hopped right back on the bike. Call her fearless or a little stubborn, but Krupp still loves to ride. “I’ve tackled too many things in my life to let something go when I didn’t want to let it go. There are three people in life – the doers, the ‘doners’ and the dreamers.”
Now in her so-called retirement years, Krupp does not sit idly at home. She works part-time at the Edmonton Petroleum Club, serves as a personal concierge, and volunteers. Not surprisingly, she says, “I would go bonkers if I had to stay home.”

Kenna McKinnon

Kenna McKinnon, however, does stay home. Not that you would refer to her as the “retiring type”. Now “a proud” 65, she has run her transcription service, Kenna MacKinnon & Associates, from her home for the past 11 years. “I provide business support services… mainly transcription of digital files.”
This wasn’t a planned as a career path. “I have a BA with distinction from the U. of A …graduated in 1975…majored in anthropology and my minors were psychology and sociology.” Eventually, “I was a transcriptionist for a dental oral pathologist. I worked for him for eight years.”
When he retired, McKinnon “didn’t want to start all over again.” She took what she knew best and opened a home-based business. Her son Steve Wild, who owns High Tech Assist, keeps her computer running “tickety-boo”. She employs a collective of “other transcriptionists who work from home.” No coincidence that this group is also “mature”—trusted friends and colleagues who are very experienced, a desired trait.
McKinnon welcomes the arrival of both OAS and CPP to supplement her income, although she lives an unassuming lifestyle. Her apartment, shich she jokingly call her “hobbit hole”, is small, and she does not own a car. Perhaps her biggest expense is ongoing classes, which she enjoys taking for both personal and professional development. Included were several marketing courses through NAIT. “I had thought, at one time, I might go into marketing…but decided that would not be my forté,” she explains. Being fascinated by languages, McKinnon is tackling Japanese this winter, and would like to “take courses in Greek and Latin… and photography.”
McKinnon’s passion, however, is writing. She has four novels completed and is just itching to find a publisher. She lives by the motto that personal success and happiness are all about doing what you love. “Do what you want to do; have fun.”

Frank Flaman

Frank Flaman, now a spry 75 years old, is the owner of Frank Flaman Sales Ltd. The king of fitness equipment, he deals in agricultural equipment and trailer rentals, without direct competition. “We are doing something nobody else is doing. Say a farmer needs a piece of equipment one day a year. We have that available. We have 60 (Flaman Rentals)agents in Alberta and 20 or so in Saskatchewan. We have about 10 different items and so a farmer doesn’t have to go out and buy it. He can rent it for one day.” 
A former Saskatchewan farmer himself, Flaman found his niche as an entrepreneur and now has devoted 50 years to business. His business is not even hard work. “Every day is a holiday.”
Flaman hangs around his shop for close to 40 hours per week. Not only does he oversee operations, he often can be found literally hanging upside down on the demonstration inversion table.
Surviving in business for half a century isn’t always easy, but Flaman is an intelligent and forward-thinking businessman. He’s also recognized for being a generous philanthropist. “Most of my income, I give away now.”  He has created the Frank Flaman Foundation which actively supports a large number of causes.
“Well really, I was always a giver. Now, because you have a foundation it doesn’t change that much. I still give most of my profits away to places like abused women’s shelters; we feed 100 hungry kids in Edmonton every year. But mostly in the Third World we provide water wells in Nicaragua, schools in Peru, schools for girls and the list goes on and on. Through Operation Eyesight there, now over 5,000 people have their eyesight because of my contributions over the years.”
By his own admission, Flaman is a bit of an eccentric who constantly dreams up new ideas. He is currently looking at bringing in a line of exercise bikes which, when pedaled, generate electricity. “Say a kid wants to watch TV: ‘Hey, Joe. If want to watch TV, get on your bike… You’ve got to make electricity to make the TV work.’”
Overall, Flaman remains modest. “My woman and I live in a two-bedroom condo instead of a multi million dollar house. And most of the time I drive a Smart car.”
Continuing to work rather than retiring is a popular option. The 2006 national census reports that aging of Canada’s labour force intensified, with 15.3 percent of workers aged 55 and over in 2006, compared to 11.7 percent in 2001. It’s safe to assume that the next census in 2011 will show even greater numbers of mature workers. No doubt many of the census takers will be among the “golden agers”—knocking on your door for something meaningful and productive to do. √

Just watch me… beating the odds in a downturn

Al Rysko

“There’s a lot of quiet money in this town,” says Al Rysko. He should know. He’s waiting for a client to pick up his special order $300,000 Rolex.
Al Rysko has been surrounded by watches and beautiful jewels since the age of four. He’s now the owner of Swedish Jewellers, which is currently celebrating its sixtieth year of operation. For three generations, it has been part of his family. His dedication to perfection is reflected in countless precisely cut and set precious stones that grace the store’s expansive downtown location in the historic Moser Ryder Block. Swedish Jewellers is known for bringing the Rolex brand to Edmonton in the early 1950s. In the late ’70s, Rysko’s uncle, Ted, who had worked as a watchmaker, took over the business. And since that time, Rysko has been fascinated with the inner workings of watches; he started fixing clocks when he was 11 under the tutelage of both his uncle and father, Anatoli. As a teenager, he worked with smaller time pieces and enjoyed “turning a dirty old watch into a new masterpiece and seeing the joy on a customer’s face.” After years of learning from his mentors, Rysko became Swedish Jewellers’ owner in 1992 and expanded it three times in three different locations, culminating in the current 10,000 square foot space. He’s gone from working with small timepieces with 50 to 75 parts to complicated Rolex watches with upwards of 200 components. Over the years, Rysko has seen many repeat customers whose children eventually became patrons as well. Some were just a few years old when they first accompanied their parents to the store and now, this second generation also enjoys marking special occasions with a purchase from Swedish Jewellers. “I am a third generation businessman and I’ve seen the generational transition with my customers. The service we provide is more than just monetary. It’s amazing to serve these customers and know that someday their children may become customers of my children.” Rysko’s eldest daughter, 17-year old Carissa, is showing serious interest in becoming part of the family business upon completing an international business degree from the University of Alberta. He’s is proud and excited by his daughter’s involvement. With five other daughters ranging in age from three to 14, he muses: “Perhaps, we’ll have six locations of Swedish Jewellers eventually.” From her father, Carissa is learning the importance of dedication and persistence through both the good and the bad times. As with any business, Rysko says, Swedish Jewellers has experienced both economic highs and lows through the course of its 60 years in operation. However, throughout it all, the business stayed strong, something he credits to consumer attitude. “Edmontonians have resilience.” Rysko recalls the early 1980s when Albertans were still reeling from the NEP-induced recession. “I was working with my dad and started a new retail store in a mall in 1983. I didn’t even feel the recession… those were our best years. By 1989, the store was debt-free, my house was paid off, and I treated myself to a very expensive car.” Recognizing that the Alberta retail sales figures are flat, Rysko points to his August fiscal year-end figures. “We’re down one percent from last year… that’s pretty good. Our clients remain the force of power… they are extremely loyal. There’s a lot of quiet money in this town.” Overall, he attributes Swedish Jewellers’ success and longevity to being dedicated to fine workmanship and personalized service. “Because I am a trained watchmaker, I appreciate the quality of craftsmanship we produce here. The sense of pride that’s attached to the work is valued by our customers.” It takes a full year of exacting materials and production to complete one Rolex timepiece and to perfect the oscillator movement, the heartbeat of every Rolex. The store carries a stunning selection of Rolex watches, ranging in price from $5,000 to $60,000. Since its inception, the business has added nearly 50 renowned brands, with pieces reminiscent of the jewels that bedeck Hollywood celebrities and adorn models on the runways of New York and Paris. Along with carrying internationally recognized, prestigious brands like Hearts on Fire, Chopard and A-Link, known for their precisely-cut diamonds, the store creates custom designed pieces limited only by the customer’s imagination. Rysko recalls a particularly stunning necklace, containing over 200 diamonds and a ruby centrepiece. The necklace was a gift from a husband to his wife in celebration of their fortieth anniversary. He says it was an honour to be part of such a milestone in their lives. “They are a great couple and, since I’ve known them for several years, it was amazing to create something to celebrate such an important occasion.” A business, according to Rysko, “needs to have balance; business owners should be dedicated to their craft and also dedicated to customers and the community.” The company is involved in numerous charities throughout the year. And, in honour of Swedish Jewellers’ milestone anniversary, he donated a portion of November sales to children in need. “As a father, I have a kind heart towards children, especially since there are those in the world that are ignored or abused. So, it’s our endeavour to keep doing what we can.” √

Poll Station with Linda Banister

As winter sets in, many Edmontonians dream of traveling south to exchange the ice and snow for the sun and the sand. However, this year’s top newsmakers are sure to influence the choices of many eager adventurers. For this month’s Poll Station, we asked Edmontonians whether security concerns, the global H1N1 scare, or the continuing economic downturn has had an influence on their travel plans.
HAVE YOU TRAVELED OUTSIDE CANADA IN THE PAST YEAR?To begin the survey, respondents were asked whether they, or someone in their household, had traveled outside Canada within the past year. More than half (58 percent) of all respondents reported they had, while 42 percent indicated they had not. Those who traveled outside of Canada most frequently indicated they went with family (55 percent) or friends (21 percent). Of the remaining 24 percent, seven percent left the country with a travel group, while the remainder traveled alone (17 percent).
DO YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE CANADA IN THE NEXT YEAR?
Next, respondents were asked whether they or someone in their household is planning to travel outside of the country within the next year. The majority (59 percent) indicated they are, while 39 percent are not, and two percent are unsure. 
Of those that are planning to travel abroad, 83 percent considered health issues (i.e. H1N1 virus) in destination countries an important consideration when making their travel plans. Seventy-seven percent of those planning to travel also considered security issues (i.e. political unrest, crime, etc.) an important factor when deciding whether or not to travel.
WHERE DO YOU GET INFORMATION?
When asked where they would turn for information about passports, travel visas, currency rates, and other related issues before leaving on their trip, the majority of respondents reported they would use the Internet (59 percent). Respondents also frequently said they would use the Government of Canada website (17 percent), a travel agent or agency (15 percent), AMA Travel Services (nine percent), newspapers/TV (seven percent), or find out by word of mouth (five percent).
HAS THE ECONOMIC RECESSION AFFECTED YOUR TRAVEL PLANS?
One-third of respondents (34 percent) indicated the global economic recession has had an affect on their travel plans. Of these respondents, financial constraints (35 percent) and reduced income due to or unemployment (15 percent) were most frequently mentioned as ways in which the economic recession has affected travel. Twenty-one percent (21 percent) of total respondents also indicated the value of the Canadian dollar has affected their plans. When asked how the value of the Loonie has impacted their travel plans, the strong dollar was most frequently mentioned as being a travel incentive (38 percent), followed by exchange rates being a factor in general (24 percent).
Finally, respondents were asked if any other factors have impacted their travel plans. While 24 percent indicated no, nine percent cited being too busy, six percent mentioned the general expense of travel, five percent stated personal health issues, four percent indicated having young children, and three percent referred to their age as other factors that have impacted their travel plans. √