Subject: culture blog

There are many ways to live an extraordinary life, but one of the most rewarding ways to achieve this is to create and nurture extraordinary relationships. The concept that I’m about to share can be used in every area of your life, whenever it pertains to people. Whether at work or home, with your spouse or child, or even your

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou  Sometimes your product is so good that your standard of customer service is irrelevant. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that luxury and need to establish epic standards of care and detail

I’m sure you’ve all heard of it, in many cases felt it, embraced it, wished you did it, and always love when it happens to you. It’s one of those things in life that doesn’t cost much, doesn’t take up a lot of time, promises a favorable outcome, and most often results in a warm smile. The good news is,

In today’s multitasking, time-sucking, series of events we call life, it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race. We are all so busy doing “stuff”, we put off the great things until tomorrow. We ignore our dreams each day. We often say to ourselves, “I’m busy but when I get through this, I’ll start making my dream happen!”

I’m in the middle of a closely guarded facility where access is granted to only a select few. I’m surrounded by advanced technology that looks like it’s from some big budget science fiction film. The feeling of innovation is palpable; even without knowing much, I know the future is being built here. My guide enthusiastically shouts, “Ok robtos – Go!”

As many of you know, I love to read – a lot! I especially love to read books that allow me to gain insights into some of the world’s best companies. I love learning about how they became great, their trials and tribulations and why they continue to kill it and succeed. Over the past few years, I’ve become fascinated by one of America’s

It’s 6:30am on a dark Saturday morning in February when I begin to hear what sounds like rain hitting the exterior of an aluminum window. As I slowly open my eyes, I see that it’s not raining; instead, it’s our little dog walking around our bedroom doing his best to wake us hoping to avoid peeing on the hardwood floor.

A recent Gallup study shows some staggering numbers regarding workplace engagement and happiness. The latest figures indicate that 70 percent of Americans feel disengaged in their jobs. Meaning they’re checked out, sleepwalking through the day, or worse, just passing time. If that wasn’t bad enough, of those 70 percent, 18 percent are ‘actively disengaged’, meaning they are miserable at work

For the folks who know me well, you know that I’m a huge advocate of social media! I also know that I can be a big pain in the butt when it comes to sharing the benefits of social media. The benefits of personal social media are awesome but for this blog I want to focus on social media for

Keep avoiding failure, I dare you … How’s that working out? The fact is, failures are the secret and most powerful ingredient to success! You may be asking yourself, really? No way? It can’t be true – failing sucks! Truth be told, no one loves to fail but those who fail often come back and win. Does that make you

The retail market is tough! We’ve all seen the much-publicized closures over the past few years and recently even more major retailers have begun to pull the plug. In the past six weeks alone, Target, Mexx and Sony have announced that they will close all of their Canadian stores. Wow. That’s a total of 317 brick and mortar stores that will all leave the landscape shortly. What

You know that new car smell that everyone loves? How about the feeling of cracking open a book for the first time? Maybe you love peeling the plastic off of a new mobile device. All of these are related in a couple of exciting ways, chiefly, the fresh, newness of them all. Not only are they new but they hold

I need to come clean folks. I’m guilty of one of my cardinal sins, even though I’ve repented my old ways. I too had an office and worse yet, had all my leaders in offices at some point. We don’t have them anymore but there was a time when I thought an office was a vital reward for climbing the

“The old rule was to create safe, ordinary products and combine them with great marketing.” Seth Godin, from Purple Cow. We grew up in a by-gone era. Gas was cheap and electronics were expensive. One good income was likely enough for a family to thrive and daddy always got the big piece of chicken (I urge you to Google, Chris Rock big

Leadership can be scary but so can a lot of things in life such as raising a family, going on a first date or skydiving. As scary as those things can be, there’s no shortage of people willing to take on those challenges. I believe that at its’ core leadership is a great opportunity to make a difference in someone’s

While most North American sports are in-season, baseball just wrapped up the World Series a few weeks ago and now begins their offseason. General managers meet to gauge other’s interest in their players while perusing the list of available free agents looking to add key personnel to their teams. While my hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays, hold the distinction

I’m dirty. I’m sweaty I stink and I’m probably a little hungry. Most of all, I’m tired, so very tired. My hands and feet are calloused while my back aches. I want nothing more than to shower and rest. Just when I feel like I’m done, a child pulls me into a game of soccer and I realize that I’ve

“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Joni Mitchell wrote that profound lyric back in 1970 but remains as true today as it was the day it first hit the airwaves. While the author wrote about pressing environmental concerns, it’s equally applicable in many aspects of life; especially how a leader

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” Oscar Wilde. I agree wholeheartedly with one of history’s most quotable authors. Some books are the perfect escape to far away lands; some are inspirational as you learn about someone’s triumphant journey. Other books are so chock full of goodness

Imagine this: you’re hanging out at the dock one day, looking for work and maybe an adventure. You hear rumblings of a great voyage about to take place and are intrigued to learn more. After hearing a few details about the journey you pack your things and board the ship ready for whatever awaits beyond the horizon. Prior to leaving

Roma Moulding, the industry leader in handcrafted fine art and photo frames is proud to announce two additions to its’ Operations Team. Anthony Araguz has been a Roma team member for 16 years and is “excited beyond belief” to be named the Operations Leader at the Los Angeles (L.A.) distribution center. Prior to being named the L.A. Operations Leader, Araguz

I love learning. It’s ingrained in everything I do as I seek new ways to develop as a person and a leader. I’ve had the privilege of traveling the world to attend incredible keynotes and conferences that have aided me in my pursuit. However, even with technology assisting us getting the content we desire, I remain steadfast on this simple

From a very young age, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. As the firstborn child of an entrepreneur, it was clear that my family wanted me to be heavily involved with the business my father started 30 years ago. So it’s fitting that growing up, I knew I wanted to be a CEO. I attended

I have a problem that I’d like to share with you. If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I truly believe that people and culture are your only differentiators and your biggest competitive advantage. I refuse to look at people like a commodity or resource. People are the collection of hopes, dreams, ambitions and passions; not a widget to

In the previous blog, we started to look at the two sides of our lives, professional and personal. We defined that you are more likely to hit your personal and professional goals, despite having very little choice when compared to your professional life. We began to examine the role of policies and procedures in the workplace and posed the hypothetical

Recently, I had an epiphany; a euphoric moment of clarity that I’d like to share with you all. Let’s take a quick look at our lives. You go to work and then you go home. Let’s divide the two and call one your professional life and the other your personal life. At home, just like at work, we have goals.

I was pumped for my vacation. Between running a company, mentoring my team and being available for my family and community, there’s not a lot of time left over. I’m fortunate to be able to do what I love but that doesn’t mean I don’t look forward to some relaxation. After attending Leadercast Live in Atlanta, I met up with

I love being a leader. It’s something I’ve worked very hard to achieve and here’s my secret: I work even harder to maintain my position as a company’s leader. Anyone who knows me or who regularly follows this blog, knows that I passionately pursue opportunities to stretch my boundaries and become a better leader. Why am I so motivated to

Do you remember that time when you met someone who simultaneously inspired and challenged you? That person who made you a little uncomfortable because they took you outside of your comfort zone; the one whose expertise and guidance helped you to achieve a goal you previously thought was unattainable. They were an “A” player and the kind of person you

I’m 35 years old and live my life knowing I have roughly 40 more years on this planet before I suck earth for the rest of eternity (based on average life expectancy). That may seem like a depressing way of starting a blog but it’s the truth and like many things in life, it’s entirely based around how you look at

A hush falls over the energetic crowd. Everyone holds his or her breath for a moment, awaiting the final verdict. Numbers are announced over loud speakers as the crowd once again erupts with joyous applause. After the performance of a lifetime, a dream has been realized; an athlete has won Olympic gold. As we watch the Olympics unfold, it’s important

“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself,” Augustine of Hippo. Leadership is about vision! It’s also equally about creating and fostering a climate of truth, where you and your team can hear the good and the bad. For one to lead, you must instill a culture where people can

We live in a world full of devices that tend to keep us apart. Every year amazing advances in technology afford us new opportunities – such as seeing our loved ones face when we speak across great distances. Cloud computing provides the opportunity to share documents and work collaboratively despite being miles away from each other. There’s even well established

When I bought my home, it was a hot mess. While it had beautiful mature trees, a stunning lot and incredible structural integrity, it also had purple toilets, scratched and dented floors as well as windows so old the wind blew right through! I had the option of tearing the whole thing down and starting with a fresh canvas but

After reading the title of this blog, you must be thinking. “What? Are you nuts? How could you fire all your managers? What’s going on there?” Before I explain our philosophy, let’s quickly take a look at the definition of a couple of key words. Manager: a person who has control of an institution, business. Leader: a person who guides, moves

The curtains are drawn while I pace calmly, going over in my mind what will happen next. The lights are bright and the stage is set as a hush falls over the crowd. The anticipation has been building for months, leading to this moment; the moment I’ve waited for since I last walked off this stage on April 4 at

At 37 years old Tim Duncan thrives in a sport dominated by younger men in their 20s’. Duncan and his San Antonio teammates just wrapped up their battle with the Miami Heat for the 2013 NBA Championship. How can Duncan, already a four-time champion and future Hall of Famer, defy age and continue to dominate while propelling his team to

Zoom. The bullet whizzes past your head as you jockey for position and a clear shot. A head peaks around the corner as you steady your aim, waiting for the precise moment to strike. With lighting fast reflexes you squeeze the trigger then duck for cover. You’re panting with excitement as you hear, “You got me. That’s it – You

The alarming sound awakes you from your slumber.  The insistent beeping from your phone or clock won’t let up until reality sets in. Your pulse quickens and palms become slick with fresh perspiration.  Today is the day; your first day at your new job. Do you remember your first day or first week at a new job? Stop – take

Company culture is a key component to any thriving business. It has been described as the only truly unique competitive advantage one company has over the other; it is the DNA or soul of the organization. For that reason, when a company’s culture is strong, aligned, defined, and properly guided, magical things happen! For us at Roma Moulding, magical things

Why Company Culture is So Important! Each company is defined by it. Not many know it by name and many don’t even know it exists! It’s your company culture. Your DNA, if you will, of your organization! A company’s culture is the only truly unique identifier. Things like your products, your strategies and even your techniques can be duplicated. The

Today’s world is a very different place than just a few years ago.  Today, we live in an ultra fast paced world with an abundance of everything from toothpaste to TV stations, computers to cars; the market place is filled with tons of choices! One major choice in people’s lives is a job or career.  Gone are the days of reviewing the career section in