The winter is a shrewd, stealth-like hunter with an unquenchable thirst for blood. You never really see it coming until it jumps up, bites you in the face and bleeds your soul of all hope and humanity. Even though I always just accept it when it comes, and my soul is never really bled of any hope, I still pine for those glorious days of summer when all seems right in the world.

So here’s to you winter, may your days of harsh dry occupation bring you all the joy you seek. And here’s to the other, more compassionate seasons that seem to genuinely care about how I feel. 

The world of client services is not for the faint of heart. So if you are sensitive, have a weak stomach or prefer the quiet comfort of your own bed to the mean streets of that big bad world out there please stop here.

Okay. Let’s get into it:

More often than not, to get things done in an exceedingly great fashion we must simply take a step back, open our eyes, take it all in and then ask ourselves if what we’re doing or saying or recommending makes sense. It’s almost humorous how many of the things in this world that translate into success are derived from common sense. There is no manual on how to make things good, great or better and the world is far too subjective of a place for right and wrong. It is a combination of many things, with common sense being somewhere near the top. And client services is no different..

..It is about making people happy by showing that you care, showing that you understand, and showing that you are an evangelist to their needs – both in the short and long term. We are all humans (except for the robots and aliens) with emotional states that are affected by the interactions we encounter. These interactions are all experienced through varying degrees of relationships – some deep, some shallow, some long lasting and others short lived. At any level the relationship takes, satisfaction and the resulting degree of happiness will innately be felt and will influence how future encounters are defined. But what this all really boils down to is being sensical about how you treat people and understanding their point of view.

Now, it’s not about rolling over and saying yes whenever a request comes in. In fact, the ability to say no or at least to say hold on, translates into perceptions of strength and respect in the eyes of the requester. Questioning whether or not this request A) make sense to the overall needs of the client (which you should know like the back of your smartphone holding hand); B) fits into the current schedule you must work within, and; C) is in line with the current strategy that is being employed for all executions are questions that will help to demonstrate your evangelism for their interests and show that you are not simply an order taker, but a big picture purveyor who strives for macro level success.

Growing a strong relationship with clients has its roots firmly planted in the trust that is fostered when we genuinely do what’s right. Whether that is derived from saying yes, saying no or offering an alternative or extended interpretation of what they are looking for, we must ensure that strategic objectives are considered. When we get on a call or return an email from a client who wants us to scope something out for them we should as much as possible do so through a strategic lens. What does that mean? Think about integrated campaigns: client wants us to design an in-store display. Awesome. But what else can we do to help improve the impact of this display? Do we know what the program objectives are? Are they selling something? Generating awareness? Is there a mobile website we can push consumers to in order to gain more info or sign up for something? How do we create an integrated experience across multiple channels to help extend the brand messaging beyond the first level and thus provide a more efficient and well-rounded experience? This is not rocket science my friends, it is common sense stuff that comes from being a reasonable human being.

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, relationships are the number one driver for success and too often poor service reigns champion and unhappiness endures. Don’t get too swept up by the sound of your own voice - it is far more endearing to provide a thoughtful ear and an intelligent response that makes sense. 

Ping pong has recently come back into my life in a big way. My close friend Ryan Fisher will be opening SPiN Toronto this summer - a 12,000 sq. foot ping pong social club in the heart of Toronto’s swanky King West neighbourhood - a refreshing addition to the swath of restaurants and clubs. Franchised from the super successful New York establishment, SPiN is a place for players at all levels and brings about a buzz as unique as the sport itself.

In light of this summer’s impending opening of SPiN Toronto, Ryan has boldly gone where few condo owners have gone before and acquired a ping pong table for his personal domain. It has become the de facto gathering place where we get ourselves into form for a night on the town, a pre-escape escape that often leads to the missing of last call, an occurrence that has happened on numerous occasions. And on the nights when we successfully drag ourselves away from the lure of the paddle, it usually ends up becoming the after-party location where we gather to pong the night away often with strangers in tow.  

All this talk about ping pong is making me thirsty. Thirsty for the dominance that has so far eluded me from our top 2 players. You know who you are and know that I am coming for you.

Goddamn, I can’t wait to get my paddle on.

AA flight 2173 blasted off the rain soaked tarmac into the gusty winds of the Toronto sky and began its timidly violent ascent that bounced and shook for what seemed like an eternity. The eyebrow raised glance exchanged with the older Latino fellow who looked remarkably like Lee Travino sitting next to me required no words to interpret. I suppose it was somewhat comforting to know that he was on the same page as me, mutually accepting that the last people we will see before plummeting into the ground at 500 km/h will be each other. Nice knowing you señor.

Lurched stomachs began to settle as we broke through the cloud cover and leveled off into the sun bleached canopy at 30,000 feet. A few turbulent jolts later and we landed in Miami where, with time working very much against me, I rushed to catch my connecting flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. A relatively uneventful 2 hours later I touched down in SPS and was almost immediately engulfed by the 95 degree heat. And it felt amazing.

My first 2 nights were spent in a town called Copan Ruinas, about a 3 hour bus ride from San Pedro Sula. Mayan ruins, cobblestone streets, very few gringo´s and almost no English, I fumbled through broken Spanish learning more with each interaction with restaurant staff and other persons I was required to communicate with. Me gusto mi amigo´s.

I am now in Guatemala in a town by a lake and have been enjoying everything immensely. I hiked up a volcano in the last town I was in (Antigua) which was a 3KM trek up 45 degree ascending angles. It was one of the more challenging treks I have embarked upon and it was no less rewarding than it was difficult.

It feels good to be unplugged from the digital world for a little while (except now of course as I titillate your sense with this post) and I can´t say enough about the friendly, smiling people. And the fact that it is balmy and beautiful everyday doesn´t hurt either.

Until next time, stay classy my friends.

If only I had brought a shirt with the phrase ‘no gracias’ across the front to point to each time I was haggled to buy something from one of the vendors, stalls, dudes/women/infants who wandered around with a basket full of cheap goods resting on their heads. But alas, it takes much more to dampen these spirits than a few pushy locals trying to make a living. It just would have been easier to point to the shirt. And I’m all about efficiency.

Guatemala ended with a night in Guatemala City, a place where in 2010, there were on average 55 murders reported per week. That’s roughly the same, if not more than all of Iraq over the course of the year (according to an American I met who works for the Department of Justice). So by that logic it is safer to visit Iraq than Guatemala City. I hear Baghdad is beautiful at Christmas. Anyone?

Murder City was just a stopover for the night before returning to Honduras for the final leg of my Central American escapade in the sleepy beach town of Tela, nestled cozily along the Caribbean ocean in the northern part of the country. I am stayingabout 10 minutes outside of town in a Garifuna village in a beautifully rustic place right on the beach. Emilio, a Peruvian expat who has been living in Honduras for the past 2 decades or so, owns the beach inn and lives here with his family. I’m the only guest at the moment and it has been amazing. They are a very genuine and pleasant family hellbent on making my stay as comfortable as they possibly can. The food is unreal - each meal prepared with items purchased fresh daily at the local market - fish, chicken, rice, fruit, vegetables - all prepared in the language of delicious.

Days are spent lazing in a shaded hammock reading books, dozing, generally contemplating, quick dips in the ocean and aimless walks along the beach. Nights are spent talking to Emilio, eating, reading and falling asleep to the gentle lap of the waves while the warm ocean breeze blows across my room. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting to finish my trip.

Yesterday I spent half the day exploring a nearby nature reserve with a local Garifuna who is part time guide, part time park ranger and full time lover of the outdoors. Part of the way there was on a horse drawn cart until the horse decided he had had enough. We hiked the rest of the way along a path surrounded by fields of various vegetation and the occasional iguana eyeballing us with its creepy little suspicious iguana eyes. When we reached the park we jumped into a boat and paddled down a river surrounded by mangrove trees and thick jungle underbrush while on the
lookout for the interesting mix of birds and animals that reside within the reserve. My guide, who spoke a reasonable amount of English, was able to point out the various species of herons and

monkeys that roamed around us. We spotted one crocodile and some sort of super raccoon that was hunting for crabs within the thick tangled jungle. About halfway through the expedition we decided to do some land exploration to see if we could get a closer look at one of the white faced monkeys. We pulled the boat to the edge of a mangrove tree and hopped up on land to enter the dense jungle. Constant harassment from mosquitoes and other pestering insects did nothing to slow us down as we faught our way through the brush sometimes ankle deep in mud and while being watched by the thousands of crabs that scurried about, pincers at the ready. We finally caught a glimpse of one monkey as it jumped and hollored from tree to tree.

Back on the boat we continued on, slowly making our way through the narrow channels off the main body of water. With the midday sun blistering above and the windless heat reaching and surpassing 100 degrees we decided to head back to drink from the cool refreshing water from a few coconuts that we had set aside before departing. Apparently the natural filtration system built into the trees makes the coconut one of the cleanest sources of water. And it tasted amazing.

We took a different path back as we opted for the breeze off the ocean which was a 3 km hike along the beach to where I was staying. It was all quite glorious.

Tomorrow I leave but not without a head full of memories, a camera full of pictures and a heart full of appreciation for this small corner of the world tucked neatly between north and south America. There is so much more to see and one day I hope to return, but for now I am more than content with the journey I have taken, the people I have met and the pure enjoyment that traveling brings. Adios Central America, you have been good to me.

It is by no means a ground-breaking assertion to say that Apple is a dominant force in today’s technology world. Surely this has been said over a billion times, or at least as many times as there have been apps downloaded. But what is interesting is how Apple approaches their branding. Controlled, calculated and downright brilliant. Never mind the beautiful design of their products, the intuitive UI or their clever advertising. Let’s take it a step further and discuss one very specific aspect that is (at least in my opinion) a perfect metaphor for Apple as a company: the sounds available with the iPhone.

There are a dozen or so sounds available for your ringtone/alarm/notifications etc. and unless you download a ringtone creation app (and go through the tedious task of setting it up once you connect your phone to your computer), you cannot add your own sounds. Is this Apple just being Apple and not wanting to provide it’s users with too much choice? Or is this part of a branding initiative to ensure that Apple is not only recognizable through their look, feel and user experience but through the way their products sound?

I like to believe that Apple wants you to know instantly when you hear an iPhone ringtone go off that it is an iPhone. You recognize it right away and boom - another impression for Apple is earned, albeit one almost virtually immeasurable. How many times have you heard your text message alert notification go off only to realize that it was the dude walking behind you on the street whose iPhone went off and not yours? It happens to me all the time.

It is an interesting notion that Apple wants their branding to resonate through all the human senses, not just touch and sight. Sound is no less important and in the coming months/years look for Apple to continue this trend as they continue to innovate. Now they just need to develop the Apple smell – choose from half a dozen branded scents, but don’t even think about uploading your own. Apple wants to own it all.

I know all you photography purists out there are Instagram haters, and that’s fine. But maybe you should just accept that some of us enjoy the convenience of taking pictures that make everything you shoot look far cooler than it really is. And that is just the fun factor. When you consider the concept of personal expression it offers a pretty interesting opportunity especially for those who are far less inclined to tweet, blog, email, text, or write letters. Photo apps provide us with a glimpse into the world of friends and strangers alike on a sensory level that is often times much more satisfying than that of the written word. Scrolling through images from across the globe at least for myself, is a nice break from muddling through the seemingly endless number of tweets that make up this brave new microblogging world. 

When I go to Central America in a few days will I be taking pictures with my iPhone? No. But when I’m living my life day-to-day I do not carry a digital SLR around either. I opt for convenience to capture all of the weirdness that I come across in my getting-weirder-by-the-day life. That is what Instagram is for. And that is what sharing real moments in real life is all about.