The headlines roared about the closing of a major plant and as a result, more than 3,500 people would be out of a job. The spokesperson for the company said, “The skill sets of those impacted do not line up with the long-term trajectory of the business”. What has this got to do with being a husband?

After that, another expert commented on the situation. His take was: change or die.

As a result of the announcement, it got me thinking. We focus so much on our lives to develop skills to get a job. What about the skill set to be a husband and a father? Does a school even exist to teach us? Our very social fabric depends on this. Wives eventually lay us off in the form of divorce. Kids downsize us by not wanting to spend time with us.

Men are natural boneheads. We are fixers, insensitive, visual, and selfish. These inherent qualities do not help us in the role of a husband.

When I first got married, I thought I had arrived in heaven. All my problems are resolved. Marriage is a very expensive place to find out who you are. The spouse is like a mirror. The weaknesses magnify. It is a relationship where you learn by trial and error. You learn as you move along.

Some have a false idea that if they marry someone who practices a certain faith or same ethnic background, it will be different. However, all statistics point in the other direction. Study after study shows that it is no different.

Fatherhood has its joys and its challenges. In a marriage, you change from focusing on you to us. The equation changes with children. The shift in family dynamics brings its own ups and downs.

When I come home tired, I just want to switch the TV, eat and just chill. Jean wants me to play. She wants me to listen to how her day went. She wants me to comment on her paintings. Debbie just laughs all along. Most times, it is fun. Sometimes it is all about self-denial.

Change or die rang in my ears. Modern men have to develop a whole set of soft skills. For instance, listening, patience, kindness, gentleness, communicating, cooking, helping with chores, and changing diapers. For those with strong patriarchal backgrounds giving her importance and equality is important.

Here are some important skills to develop to be a husband:

• Show appreciation
• Listen
• Do not interrupt
• Do not flirt
• Have boundaries
• Be intentional
• Make your marriage a priority
• Watch your tongue
• Validate her emotions
• Be aware of your body language
• Be disciplined
• Say ‘I love you’ daily
• Be open to change
• Be kind and compassionate
• Support her dreams
• Character, character character
• And finally, remember what Nathaniel Bonner said ‘No amount of success is worth personal failure at home’.

End of the day, both roles have made me a better human being. It has made me a balanced person. It has changed my view on life. Jean in all her innocence says I have to become a better listener. She is only 17 years old. I have a long way to go. Children just speak the truth.

The post Ten Skills Required to be a Successful Husband appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

The goal for independent restaurants in this environment is to pivot, learn, grow and adapt and become aware of food trends. The trends will help restaurants in 2022 to keep and attract new customers.

Diners today are Instagram conscious, internet savvy, Yelp aware, and Google Reviews fans. Diners are fanatics about the quality of their food and where it is sourced from. They want locally sourced ingredients, chemical-free, color-free, and free of GMOs. Eating healthy is the benchmark. Diners are aware of the footprint on the environment that food not sourced locally causes.

I talk to Professor Aris Moussoulides from Larnaca College in Cyprus about food trends.

Aris please tell me a little about you? 

I was born and raised in Nicosia, Cyprus. After graduating from the Swiss Hotel Management School Les Roches (Diploma in Hotel Management) with Merit in 1990, I completed in 1992 a Master of Science degree in Hotel Administration at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. After working in top positions in the Swiss and Cypriot Hotel Industry for more than a decade, I joined academia in 2001 working as a tenured lecturer at the then-largest college in Cyprus as well an Associate Researcher on various projects at the Athens University of Economics and Business Management (as a team member of ReSEES). On 9/2/2016 I successfully completed a Dprof (Doctor of Professional studies degree) in Hotel and Tourism Management at Middlesex University, UK and that was a milestone in my academic career as well as my personal life.

Currently, I am employed at the “Larnaca College” where I hold the rank of Full Professor and Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management! At the same time, I am also employed as a Senior Researcher at the world-renowned “International Center for Research on the Environment and the Economy”, working as a full research team member on two EU and one UN-funded project. My current research interests and publications are found in the fields of Sustainable Development, Service Quality in Hotels, and Seasonality in Tourism.

As a professor in a hospitality school, what is your goal in teaching the students? 

My main goal is to pass to them the knowledge regarding Hotel and Tourism Management that I have gained in the three Academic Institutions that I graduated from as well as the knowledge that I have gained during the many years of experience that I had in top management positions in the Tourism Industry.

How important is food in the overall curriculum? 

Food is extremely important since it is a vital element of the Hospitality Industry.

Tell us about the new food trends in Cyprus? 

The latest trend in Cyprus is the creation of small, family-run Cypriot taverns, mostly situated in small villages, that are offering a different type of meze dishes (various small dishes of traditional food items similar to the tapas dishes in Spain) which apart from the local element in them include also the element of experimentation with new ingredients and tastes. 

What is one trend that you like and is sustainable? 

I really like the new trend of the small family-run Cypriot taverns (mentioned above) that are mostly situated in small villages because they offer a sustainable product that respects and supports the local environment, the local community, and the local economy. In order to justify my position let me just tell you that these establishments operate in small villages, normally in premises that have a strong local character (architectural wise), hire local staff from the local community, and buy mostly local ingredients.

No matter what trends come and go food needs to be tasty? 

Definitely because at the end of the day food is a product that needs to be appealing to the palate of the customer.

How has food changed in the last three decades? 

It has become more sophisticated with new trends and ideas influencing international chefs from all over the world. At the same time, it has also become healthier with the inclusion of lighter dishes that have gained popularity over the years (for example sushi meals).

How does eating healthy impact us overall? 

Eating healthy has many advantages. Firstly it fights physical health problems that are related to obesity such as diabetes and heart problems as well as helps immensely with mental health problems including depression. Then it increases productivity and generally leads to a better quality of life.

What advice you would give to students wanting to get into hospitality? 

My advice is to go for it! This is a wonderful Industry that opens many professional doors worldwide and has a lot to offer to a young graduate. Let’s not forget that Tourism (the Hospitality Industry is a sub-sector of the Tourism Industry) is the largest employer on earth. And as I always say to my students all that you need in order to be successful in the field of expertise is a solid education, common sense, discipline, and willingness for hard work.

How do you balance faith family finances and food as a professor? 

With great difficulty, due to my very busy schedule, and some correct time management which is a skill that I have acquired during my undergraduate studies in Switzerland.

The post The New Food Trends in Cyprus appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Do you want to save money? Here are my favorite quotes on saving money.

Never spend your money before you have it. – Thomas Jefferson

Do not save what is left after spending; instead, spend what is left after saving. – Warren Buffett

He who buys what he does not need is stealing from himself. – Swedish Proverb

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. – Henry David Thoreau

Therefore, it is not how much you make, but how much you save that matters.

It was 2001. I was a young, aggressive, investment advisor on Bay Street. A call came in and being the broker of the day I answered.

Meeting potential clients

The caller was in his late 30’s, an executive in the hydro business and his wife was a marketing executive. They had two kids. He wanted to meet with me as he needed help to save money and start saving for retirement.

Are you kidding me? Sure…. It was an opportunity of a lifetime.

I called the wife and told her I would be late for dinner.

I am dressed to kill. The car is washed. I am ready to make an impression. I am ready to open an account and help this couple save money.

I drive around and check the hood. I see a Mercedes and BMW parked outside their home.

I am excited. My heart is beating fast. I have my pitch perfected.

I ring the doorbell and they welcome me.

Zero Savings

After the basic get to know chat, we sit down to have a more serious conversation. The numbers are impressive. They have a total family income of 250,000 plus bonuses. I can work with that. I can give them tips on how to save money.

After that, I ask how much do you save at the end of the month?

Their face completely changed. They had zero savings.

The monthly payment for the mortgage was $ 3,000, each car was leased for $ 500, private school per child was $ 2,000, trips, vacation and eating out took the rest.

I made some recommendations that included some lifestyle changes to be made in order to reach their goals and how to save money.

As a result, I left empty-handed and never heard from them.

As a VP with a US discretionary manager, I covered Ontario and Manitoba. I would only go to see a potential client who had a minimum of $ 750,000 to invest.

I flew to Sudbury to see a surgeon, an executive in the construction business and a retired janitor.

How to save money

As a result, I googled the home of the janitor and it was not impressive. To be honest it was in a derelict state. I thought to myself he probably wants free information on our stock picks and is not interested in our services.

I went to see him at 5 pm and he preferred that we sit out in the balcony. After the usual small talk, I explained a little about our services and asked him the usual getting to know your client questions. I asked him about his net worth and he did not have a clue. He brought out two statements from different banks and the total was about $2.5 million.

As I am looking at all his holdings, he tells me he also has some share certificates and bonds. He brings about 30 share certificates and bonds and they consist of all blue-chip stocks listed in Toronto and New York.  His liquid net worth came to approximately $5 million.

I recommended that he convert them to electronic shares.

Above all, I was fascinated. I wanted to know his story.

He shared that he started off as an 18-year-old janitor and saved a lot of his money and invested in shares. He retired at 55. He was not interested in impressing anyone. He lived within his means and took vacations. Overall, he lived a simple life. He did want to leave a legacy with a few charities. He was good at saving money.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if there is something, I have learned from being two decades in wealth management is that it is not how much you make but how much you save.

It is important to go out, travel, spend time with family, and do other fun stuff but it has to be within your means.

Photo Credits: Michael Longmire Vanessa Lee Javier Reyes Zan Allef Vinicius Benedikt Geyer

The post Its Not How Much You Make But….How Much You save appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Nirmala Srivastava founded Sahaja Yoga in 1970. During meditation, seekers experience self-realization. Sahaja is a Sanskrit term consisting of ‘Saha’ is ‘with’ and ‘ja’ is ‘born’. In the Buddhist dictionary, it is ‘innate, denoting the natural presence of enlightenment or purity’.

Dr. Girish Gupta, a management consultant, and practitioner of Sahaja Yoga Meditation talks about its advantages.

Girish, it is a pleasure to have you here. Please tell my global audience a little about you?

I am a management consultant, advising companies on the best ways to manage and operate their business, which includes business strategy, operational techniques, marketing, branding, and skills like time management. I help companies become efficient, increase synergies and increase their footprint by attracting new business.

What did you do for your Ph.D. thesis?

I did my Ph.D. in Marketing Management.  The thesis was – Study on the Industrial Product Marketing Strategy of selected companies in India.

Explain your yoga style and how it is linked to your faith.

I practice Sahaja Yoga Meditation. It is Self-Realization or Actualization. Sahaja Yoga is given by our Divine Mother, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi who is the founder of Sahaja Yoga. It is practiced in more than 180 countries across the world. For more details, one can visit www.sahajayoga.org. As far as faith, you can see various miracles in your day-to-day life. You also have peace from within.

Is there any special God you worship?

After practicing Sahaja Yoga, you get the knowledge that all Gods are one and equal. They all lead you to take only one path. The path is the truth that one can feel in his/her nervous system.

How do you embrace good and shun evil?

As we practice Sahaja Yoga and get better, we get established in it. At that point, one automatically comes to know through vibration what is evil and good. You act accordingly.

Do you follow any specific diet?

No, I do not follow any specific diet. However, I surely try to follow a disciplined routine. I take Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.  I make sure there is no interval of more than 4 or 5 hours after each meal. For me, a meal can also be having fruit.

What are the advantages of doing yoga?

People perceive yoga as only physical activity, but actually, yoga means one’s Reunion with all-pervading power which is God’s love flowing everywhere. This reunion can be achieved by self-realization meditation only. I also recommend physical exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, going to the gym, and swimming.

Tell me about Indore and some good restaurants and your favorite dishes.

Indore is located in the western part of Madhya Pradesh. It is a developing B-class city in India. Indore was awarded as best city for cleanliness two years in a row.

Indore is famous for food-loving people with a variety of tastes, different food outlets, and restaurants for their sumptuous meals.  Indore has a food market (Also known as khau gali) that operates from 8 PM to 12 PM. You get a variety of food from Chinese, South Indian, pasta, Jalebi, Kachori, Samosa, etc.

I do not have any specific favorite dish. However, I like Kadhi (made from curd), and butter paneer masala and am fond of sweets. Shreemaya, Sayaji, and TGB are some good restaurants in Indore.

Give me some tips on being a good husband and I will follow up with your wife to see if you are doing these things.

I would strongly recommend trusting each other blindly. Keep quiet when the other person is angry (don’t argue at that point in time). Once when things are normal and cooled down explain your point of view. Love each other without any expectations.

How do you balance faith, food, finance, family, and your career?

Don’t take your office worries home and vice versa. After practicing Sahaja Yoga meditation, you get a work-life balance easily.

The post Sahaja Yoga Meditation appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Gardening has taught me so many lessons in life.

I want to give you some quotes from famous people regarding gardening:

I think the true gardener, the older he grows, should more and more develop a humble, grateful and uncertain spirit. – Reginald Farrer

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust. – Gertrude Jekyll

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. – Greek proverb

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. – May Sarton

Introduction

We are one week into fall. As a result, the weather is changing. It is getting darker earlier. The leaves are changing color. In conclusion, it is time to start pruning the garden.

I have been a city boy for most of my life. Therefore, buying a home with a garden was an experience in itself.

We moved in the summer when the flowers and everything in the garden was blooming. However, little did I realize the work involved in maintaining it.

The first year I noticed the grass on my lawn going brown. A neighbor told me he sensed it would be white grubs.  Grubs are larvae of beetles and attack the roots of turfgrass.

Since the home was barely new, the builder had put the sod on the original mud rather than a thick layer of topsoil. As I drove around the hood, the best grass was that which was growing on a thick layer of topsoil.

I took the easy route. I went to a construction site. They were offering free topsoil. It was a weed-infested. Guess what no grass showed up but weeds.

Last year I ordered a whole truck of topsoil. I ordered the best grass seeds. For three weeks in September, I mixed the seed and the topsoil. The lawn looks the best in years.

Lessons learned

We need to build our lives on a solid base. Character is important. Discipline will take us through the hard times.

To have a great garden you must have patience, a nurturing spirit, and a willingness to sweat. Nature provides the sun we provide the water, fertilizer, and hard work. To have a career or to excel in anything, you have to work hard.

To see a small seed become a sprout, a plant, and then a tree that gives fruits and flowers is so encouraging. In the same way to see your project, your kids, or a friendship blossom into something is going to be encouraging.

The garden will go through a cycle. Life has its trials and tribulations. There will be things beyond our control. Mother Nature is a formidable foe when she wishes to be. Drought, wind, insects are some of the challenges. Better to approach an uncertain world with an open mind. Stay flexible.

In the backyard, we had a big sumac tree. What was the couple thinking planting in the backyard? I found out the hard way. About 20 feet away from the tree, shoots started coming. It was destroying my grass. Sumac is an aggressive plant and can take over a garden. It took me a whole month to cut the tree and its roots. Keep aggressive, toxic, and nosy people at a distance.

I love perennials. They show up every year. Make sure you have friends like that. As Debbie battled cancer it was the loyal friends who showed up.

Annuals are planted every year. They look beautiful for a reason and for a specific season. Sometimes, we have people like that in our lives only for a short time, for a season, and for a reason.

The garden hose has many choices; focused, mist, spray. We need to encourage a million times, love a billion times, and rebuke but rarely.

Pruning is very important for the plants and at the right time. When we focus on the simple and the practical, life turns around. We embrace change and allow our lives and hearts to grow. Change is a constant factor in our lives.

Flowers and plants that grow in the desert and in a milder climate cannot be grown here. Different soils, ph. levels, weather patterns all have an impact. All our five fingers are different. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. Focus on those and have fun. Comparing yourself to someone else will lead to disaster. Accept the fact the world is unfair and monetize skills differently.

I do not grow fruits or vegetables. My mother-in-law grows them. Potatoes and carrots teach what you do not see matters. Pass on the glitz, glamour, volatility, and the unpredictable in your life.

The result of the garden is the choices you make. People can be flowers in your garden or weeds. Pluck the weeds to let everything grow.

You need a bunch of garden tools. Axes, carts, cords, fork, footwear, hoes, rake, spades, shovel, trellis are some of the tools to be efficient. Education along with practical sense, humility, gentleness, kindness, patience, unconditional love, and emotional intelligence goes a long way in being successful in real life and in the workplace.

We can never be experts in every field. Ask for advice read books. Learn from other people’s mistakes. Go ahead and blossom where you are planted.

These are some of the life lessons I have learned from gardening.

The post Life Lessons From Gardening appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Ricardo Lopes is an award-winning author, speaker, trainer, and coach at Advanced Leadership. Advanced Leadership is a creative and enthusiastic group that’s passionate about empowering businesses, and the people in them, to meet with greater success. It lends expertise and support in communications, training, employee engagement, and performance. In essence, it helps organizations, and the people in them, better communicate, collaborate, and generate extraordinary results, both within the organization and with their customers.  Ricardo has held several communications, training and development, and national sales development roles generating perennial record sales performances over multiple decades. Ricardo has coaching, speaking, and training accreditation from The John C. Maxwell Team and licensed access to its training materials. John C. Maxwell is a many time over best-selling author and is recognized internationally as one of the world’s top leadership and management development experts. Ricardo talks about coaching and how it helps improve performance.

Ricardo please tell me a little about you?

I’m a coach, speaker, and trainer at Advanced Leadership. We’re a learning and performance company that empowers organizations and the people in them, to better communicate, collaborate, and generate extraordinary results – with their peers, customers, and the teams they’re privileged to lead.  I’ve worked for almost 30 years in the business and corporate worlds, contributing in several roles such as a national business development coach and communications specialist more recently, and as a sales manager, sales officer trainer, and communication consultant, etc. prior to that.

How do you help executives increase their unique value proposition?

I work with individuals to identify the strengths that make them unique and help them play to them.  No one does you as well as you do you.  When you contribute to areas of strength, results come more naturally to you and you can accomplish far more in that area than someone who’s struggling or not engaged in the task at hand. The trick is to challenge yourself continually, by applying those strengths to new challenges, to ensure you keep growing.  

How important is it for an executive to communicate effectively?

I can’t think of anything MORE important.  But let’s be clear about something, according to the Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Rule of Personal Communication, words only make up 7% of any message. Voice tonality and body language contribute 38% and 55%, respectively, to the intended meaning of a message.  This is why you can watch two people relay the same request with great variation in how people respond.  There are a number of leadership skills that executives need to develop to better influence, inspire, and generate results.  These are the soft skills that are mandatory and are very accurate predictors of how far any leader will go. No one cares how smart you are, the question is, do you have the leadership skills to influence, inspire, and generate results with a group of uniquely skilled individuals around you?

Is it important to get a little deeper when networking or should we just get the business card?

Less is more.  Meet with fewer people, get to know them, and build trust.  We do business with and create business opportunities for, people we know, like, and trust.  You can have the greatest skills or widget to sell, but if you fail to develop that connection, your business card will meet with someone’s wastepaper basket.  I might be showing my age but I love business cards.  I think they say something about a person.  I like to write two or three things that make that person unique right on the card when I get home and save them. You can only discover that information after investing some time with them. I organize them by groups of people I affiliate with and like to flip through them before I attend an event.  Even with the best of intentions, it’s hard to remember every detail when you meet so many people.  It takes a little bit of effort to flip through these mini cue cards, but the reward is seeing the smile of appreciation on that person’s face when you’ve remembered them and made them feel special.

How important is it for an executive to have balance in their lives?

Very Important. Balance brings a diversity of experience and thought that makes you more valuable to the organization. Balance makes sure you have the energy to endure the crunch. Balance ensures you are clear about your ‘why’.  When you clearly identify what you value outside of work, and allow yourself to participate in those activities or the lives of others, they become inspirations.  They help you find the last bit of gas in the tank that you need, to do what you must, in order to provide the means to continue to enjoy those moments outside of work.

You were in financial services for more than two decades give me some personal advice on finance?

First save, save, save.  Deduct right off your paycheck and learn to live within what’s left.

Second, there’s a great little button on most income tax software, “How much can I borrow such that my tax refund will pay off the loan”.  Now take your refund and pay off the loan you just took to grow your savings.  Let’s say you borrowed five grand and deposited it to your RRSP savings, now you have five grand plus all the growth it’s going to generate between now and the day in retirement when you take it out. All this, for what it cost you in nominal interest charges incurred from the day you borrowed and the day your tax refund was applied against the loan.

How is your coaching unique and helps executives feeling more empowered?

I love that word! If I could describe what we do in three words, it would be “Authentically you, empowered”. I would say my approach to coaching draws a clear line between coaching and mentoring.  They are not one and the same.  It’s troubling to watch pairings of individuals where the expectation is that a poor millennial is supposed to somehow follow, and start emulating, a decorated baby boomer or GenX for example.  I’ve met with success in leadership positions driving sales etc., but it would be a less productive coaching session if I tried to grow a mini-me.  What worked for me played to my strengths and worked in a time and place.  Even if I executed exactly as I did some years ago, the dynamics and circumstances could have changed and hence the same approach, by the same person, executed the same way, isn’t guaranteed to work.  I encourage clients to identify their strengths and play to them, this generates small and large wins that build confidence and momentum.

One other unique aspect I would say is addressing belief paradigms and the battle between the conscious and unconscious mind.  The unconscious is supposed to protect us and keep us safe from the unknown or re-experiencing something that put us in harm’s way.  Sometimes, those belief paradigms serve us well, other times they’re holding us back, and we need someone outside our head to encourage us to push past them. Once we’ve pushed past them and succeed, our subconscious accepts a new normal and will no longer generate the very real physical manifestation of pain, anxiety, etc. in its attempts to discourage us from going for it!

What other value do you bring to help authentically empower others?

I like to describe our company as a passionate and enthusiastic bunch who enjoy empowering organizations and the people in them, to meet with greater success.  How we help, is by lending support and expertise in four key areas; communications, training, employee engagement, and performance.  What we do essentially is to help organizations and the people in them better communicate, collaborate, and generate extraordinary results, both within the organization and with their customers.  As an example, to kick off the new year in 2019, we’re doing training for entrepreneurs and small business that is open to the general public.  We’re helping them craft messages to effectively promote their business in public and close the sale while building their confidence. Many wonderful people are great artisans, service people, or craftspeople, but they are not salespeople and may never be. When you get big enough, you can pass on promoting your business in public and closing the sale of your widget or book to someone else. Until then, you need to get it done yourself, or risk being one of 50% of businesses who fail within the first five years. Often, the failure has nothing to do with the service or product they provide, the challenge is their inability to sell it.  It’s also heart-wrenching to meet a perennial networker whose own inner circle is hard-pressed to describe what that person does!  Even with the best intentions, their inner circle doesn’t know how to promote their fellow networker because they don’t have clear messaging regarding just what they do or sell.  Our event will empower these folks to conquer their fear of public speaking, promote their business and close the sale. Together we’ll craft engaging value propositions, elevator speeches, and on stage / public presentations in a 3-day over 4-weeks experiential learning workshop.

How do you balance food, faith, finance, and family in the 21st century?

Balance to me means you acknowledge the importance of different aspects of a full, and well-functioning life.  That involves setting goals and executing them in each area.  Food is your body’s enricher.  Garbage in, garbage out. Plan and do the work to eat well.  Faith, if you’re blessed with it, will help you better appreciate you’re a spiritual being having a human experience, not the other way around.  That said, take care of your body such that you have a place to carry your inner being, while having the strength and wellness to do, and experience, all that you can on this journey.  Finance is an enabler; it’s not the most important thing in one’s life, but it’s right up there next to oxygen! Family love you, often unconditionally.  It’s hard to find a stronger set of raving fans.  Schedule time together, even if it’s the most mundane “I drive you to x event”, and “mom drives you to y event”.  Put down the smartphone and talk to each other, be present.  Schedule couple time/family time with as much commitment as you would the most important thing you have to do because it is.

The post How Coaching Improves Performance appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Julia is the Pastry Chef at Eden at the Rimrock Resort in Banff Alberta Canada, 5 Diamond BCAA rating, one of three 5 diamond restaurants in Canada. She grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, and started cooking at 19 years old. She did a 4-year apprenticeship while completing her Culinary Certification at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria’s downtown core.  She has lived in 3 different provinces and worked in luxury hotels across Canada, as well as training under a Michelin star pastry chef in Ontario.  When not in the kitchen, you can find her at the CrossFit gym, or at home working on whatever project that she is momentarily obsessed with. At the moment she is taking some online courses in food journalism and Adobe Photoshop to build her skills and improve a baking blog she started last year.  To honor all the employees who have lost their jobs in the hospitality sector due to COVID, I want to highlight some of these talented people.

Julia welcome, what made you decide to become a pastry chef?

I started my career as a cook. I spent 5 years working my way up through the ranks of the restaurant – prep cook, garde mangier, entremetier, and saucier. I finished my culinary red seal and did a few competitions – Chaine de Rotisseurs and Hawksworth Young Chefs scholarship. I decided to leave the line and switch to pastry because I liked the creativity it offered. Generally, a pastry chef gets to create their own menus, whereas line cooks and sous chefs do not. It is also a totally different skill set in regards to technique and that was something I wanted to learn. 

As a pastry chef, where do you get your inspiration from when making desserts?

I get a lot of my ideas from memories – things I would make with my family as a kid, a dessert a person I know loves, or a place I have been and I try to recreate that memory with flavors. I made one dessert entirely out of corn when I was in Ontario to reflect the farmland that was near the restaurant. Another example is a chestnut mont blanc with gingerbread ice cream because we always play “the Christmas song” while making gingerbread cookies as children. I also get ideas for recipes and presentations from the previous chefs I have worked with and books like “The Elements of Dessert” and “So good magazine”. And there is always Instagram. Instagram is a stellar tool to get some ideas going. 

Name me some of your favorite ingredients you like to work with as a pastry chef?

At the moment my favorite ingredient to work with is Ruby Chocolate – It is quite unique as it is a newly discovered chocolate that is naturally pink with a light, fruity flavor profile. It is relatively new to the Canadian market and I am quite excited about this new type of chocolate to play with. 

Walk me through a day in the pastry kitchen?

The first thing I do is get bread going. I pull any dough made the previous day and let it rise for service. I feed the sourdough culture and make the starter for our sough dough and multigrain bread that needs a 24 hr fermentation period. Then I make raisin bread that will rise for at least 8 hours before continuing the fermentation in the fridge overnight. After that, the sourdough and whole wheat doughs are kneaded from the previous days’ starter for the next day’s service. 

Next, I check our take-home gifts – a hand-made Twix bar made with shortbread & salted caramel and enrobed in chocolate. I usually make 60 – 120 bars at a time depending on business levels. 

After that, I start topping up our desserts and make any components that will be needed before assembly. This includes a hazelnut cake, praline caramel and hazelnut mousse for the hazelnut entremets, lemon fluid gel and honey parfait, sweet pastry, cheesecake, mirror glaze all need to be made before assembly. I make ice cream and sorbet a day in advance as it needs to freeze solid before being put through the paco jet. 

Next is petite fours – we serve each guest 3 petite fours at the end of their meal and I like to have a rotating, seasonal menu for this that changes often. Sometimes I make hand-painted bonbons, a variety of pat de fruit, fudge in rotating flavors, toffee, and other confections. We also serve a selection of coffee service items that I rotate as well. Gingerbread and mincemeat tarts for Christmas, ruby chocolate dipped shortbread, Financier, and other treats. 

Lastly, I top up the garnishes for each dessert as these take the least amount of time. Poached fruit, fluid gels, tempered chocolate work, creams, and crumbs. 

On days that I have a bit of extra time, I sort out and test ideas for upcoming menus. 

In short, pastry takes a lot of planning. Start with the jobs that take the most time, like bread, then anything with a multi-step process. Next are items that need time to set overnight before being processed or cut, and lastly, jobs that are quick. 

Help me understand how the mentality is changing toward women in the kitchen?

Honestly, it really depends on who you’re working with and how you decide to present yourself. I believe it is both parties’ responsibility to influence change. I find with the younger generation of chefs, there is equal opportunity for men and women, hard work is rewarded and promotions are given to those putting in effort regardless of gender. But in saying that I have also worked with some older chefs that refuse to put a woman on the hotline, touch meat or move out of a commis position. There was one chef that called me “sweetheart” instead of learning my name, but even then, I still had every opportunity to advance if I worked hard. I think some of the certain behavior is used to test people, see what they are made of. The boys get yelled at, and the girls are underestimated. Kitchens are high-stress environments and if you can’t take being treated poorly sometimes it probably isn’t for you, and that goes for both men and women.  At the end of the day, the kitchen needs hands, and nobody cares what gender those hands are attached to. 

Talk to me about what women empowerment means to you?

Empowerment is allowing yourself and others to pursue what is meaningful for personal success.

To empower another person is to encourage them to try new things, make mistakes, learn something and celebrate their success. It is a process of trying, failing, refining, and trying again. 

What are your future goals?

This is a tough one, there are a lot of things I would like to do. For now, I want to continue building my skills as a pastry chef, as well as working on my food writing and photography skills through Instagram and blogging. I would love to work abroad, and maybe write a book down the road.  

How do you cope with the long hours in the kitchen?

There was one job I worked at last year, it was a brand new hotel opening with a full-service restaurant. That was probably the hardest job I have had when it came to long hours. In my first few weeks, I worked from 9 am to 11 or 12 pm for 13 days straight. When things settled down we all continued to work 12 hour days 5 days a week. I learned a lot about myself and others, and we really bonded as a team. A good team definitely makes the long days easier. Right now I am at a new restaurant and the hours are much better, still long days here and there but not every day. I think the most important thing for me when it comes to dealing with long stretches is making time for myself. I do my best to stick to a weekly schedule of going to CrossFit a few days a week before work as well as having a project or two on the side so I feel like I still have a life, and that I am working towards my personal goals as well. Over time, a person gets used to the long days in some respect. There is a flow to the season; work hard in the summer and chill in the winter. 

Can you also talk about something challenging you have been through and how you dealt with it?

I think my biggest challenge was dealing with my own lack of self-confidence and the depression that went with it. It controlled my life for quite a few years and stopped me from doing what I wanted and experiencing life in a happy way. At that time my life was just working (5 am shifts) coming home in the afternoon and sleeping, I basically did nothing with my life outside of work for like, 3 or 4 years. Its probably going to sound silly, but I started watching youtube videos with themes around living your best life, and Jordan Petersons 12 rules for life and started applying those principles to mine, one at a time. Eventually, I started setting goals and actually accomplishing them and over time it has completely changed my views. 

If you had a choice to get rid of a few ingredients in the pastry kitchen what would those be and why?

As a pastry chef, I make everything from scratch, so each ingredient serves a purpose in a recipe and to simply omit one would yield a different product. The trend these days leans to vegan and gluten-free baking, and if thoughtful swaps are made to replace eggs, butter, and flour, a product can be made, but it will never be the same as the original. Baking is a series of formulas and each ingredient is there for a reason because someone has tested it and found that this recipe was the best way to make it. 

If I had to get rid of something, it would probably be convenience products like fake flavored syrups. It is easy enough to make your own infusions. 

Any special music you listen to you while working?

I don’t usually listen to music when I am working – sometimes I’ll listen to chill step, electronic music and sometimes I listen to podcasts. 

Some Rapid Fire Questions:

Favorite food – Any type of fresh seafood – oysters, scallops, salmon, and sushi. Sushi is the best. 

Favorite drink – A latte from discovery coffee.

Favorite dessert – Cheesecake, but I think most people love cheesecake. 

Tequila in dessert – I’m not really a tequila person, If I use alcohol in desserts I usually go for rum or Grand Marnier.  

The post Julia Palfrey: Milk & Honey appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I am super excited to present Carlotta Salvini. Carlotta was born in the beautiful Tuscan town of Siena, Italy, and is fascinated by the wine industry. She graduated in 2013, in agriculture from the University of Florence. Carlotta continued her training in the wine industry, obtaining WSET level 3 in 2016, certified FISAR sommelier in 2017, and recently graduated in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Florence. In November 2019, Carlotta won FISAR’s best sommelier at the national finals in Livorno, Italy.

Carlotta, a pleasure to have a sommelier on board. Please tell my global audience a little about you?

My exposure to the “wine world” began in 2010 when I took part in a grape harvest at a winery. I will never forget the scents, colors and everything was in perfect harmony with the land. In those fields and vineyards, I found a deep connection and admiration, for the grape and the land that was beyond the wine itself. It was an indelible moment that left a deep mark on my conscience and decided to make a career in the wine industry. I currently work in a winery and collaborate with organizations and associations leading wine tastings and events.

Congrats on winning the best sommelier of Italy in 2019. Walk me through the process of how you won this competition?

The exams consist of theory, practical, and a research paper. The theory consists of 1-hour paper on viticulture, vinification, wine appellations of Italy and the world, wine and food pairing, handling of wine, the business of wine, and contemporary issues. The practical is a blind tasting, a tasting evaluation, and a simulation of restaurant service (how to present a bottle, open, and serve it to a customer). The research paper is an individual project on a topic chosen by the candidate.

When I went to a hotel school in Switzerland, I visited a lot of vineyards and restaurants in Switzerland, France, and Germany. I never came across a female sommelier. Talk to me about how you got into the profession, the schooling, hard work, and how you developed a taste for wines?

I decided to attend a sommelier course because I felt I was interested in wine. However, I did not have the right tools to understand it. I kept improving my skills by attending wine fairs and wine tasting events to taste and discover as much about wines as possible.

Is the wine business still dominated by men? Are women breaking through the ice ceiling? 

I believe that it is increasingly important to raise awareness not only of the female sommelier but also the role of women working in the restaurant and wine industry. It is a beautiful opportunity to provide greater awareness of the interdisciplinary skills currently required in the wine industry. A sommelier needs to know English, understand marketing, comprehend digital communication, come up with wine tourism techniques, enology and hospitality.

Let’s talk about wine, which is better as an aperitif, red or white, and why?

The aperitif can be white, red, still, or sparkling. The most important thing is that it shouldn’t be too strong. Sparkling wine is pleasant as it contributes to the cleaning of the taste buds, waiting for the following bite. White wine, generally, is perfect for summer! Its fruity and floral notes spice up the palate, but only if it is served at the right temperatures. Light red wines are the most suitable in winter and give a pleasant sensation of warmth.

There is this old-school mentality that white wine with white meat and red with red meat. Is that true? Can someone have a white with a medium steak?

These days, you’re more likely to hear, “Drink what you like, eat what you like.”

But there are still guidelines that can help the wine pairing choice to be a sound one: do your best to match the weight and mouthfeel of the wine and food, balance their intensity, and try to either match flavors or counterbalance them. Intense foods call for intense wines. Red wines typically pair well with red meat because meat stands up to the tannins, but you can substitute rich, full-bodied whites. I find it really depends on how the meat is prepared and what kind of sauce or side dish is served. For example, I might pair a grilled steak with a Sangiovese or I’d pair a steak topped with a sour cream salsa and thyme with an oaked Chardonnay.

Snobbishness rules the wine world and all the terminology. If I am at a restaurant and the sommelier pours me some wine to taste, do I have to taste bread, shake the glass, smell it, smell the cork, check the temp, check the mineral deposit, gargle the wine or just taste it and go with it?

Too many rules to follow! Just make sure that the wine you are tasting is the one you ordered and enjoy it!

What is the number one mistake customers make when ordering wine?

Well, the biggest mistake is people thinking the screw cap is for cheap wines. Screwcap is fantastic for aromatic wines because you don’t have the risk of cork taint. Especially with wines from the new world and New Zealand, some of the best wines are bottled as a screw cap. Another one is that people tend to have a lack of confidence in their own taste, and they also tend to be a bit conservative. So, they always choose the grapes and wines they know. And it happens also that people don’t ask a waiter/bartender for their wine selection. When I order wines by the glass, I always say ‘Which wines do you have by the glass?’ If you go to a place, what should always happen, if you say ‘I’d like a glass of white wine,’ they’ll say A, B, or C — if they just hand you a glass of white wine it’s probably a sign they’re not taking it seriously.

It’s all marketing.

If you had a choice to drink only one red and one white for the rest of your life what would it be and please do not tell me it is the wine that you work for?

White: Champagne Françoise Bedel Cuvée Robert Winer 1996

Red: Montevertine Le Pergole Torte 1999

The wine world is full of cliches. If you had a choice what would you like to get rid of?

When someone says that the wine is too young to be drunk. If the wine is released to the market, it is ready to be drunk. You just need to look for the right food to pair it with.

Help me understand some overrated and underrated wines?

Can there be any other area in the world—and I include whole nations such as Argentina and Chile in this—where wines are more underrated than in France’s Loire Valley? When you think about both the originality and the exemplary quality issued by the best producers in Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur, Sancerre, Vouvray, Muscadet, Savennières, Quarts de Chaume, Bonnezeaux, and Coteaux du Layon. Look at the prices of even the finest producers from the zones and you’ll agree the only word is “underrated.”

Super Tuscans are more literally overrated, as someone seems to think that Italian reds just aren’t great if they don’t have some Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah in them. Moreover, even good ones are just generic reds from anywhere. Think about it — what should a Super Tuscan taste like? What distinguishes that from an Australian Cabernet-Shiraz, or from, say, Big House Red?

I want some exquisite pairings besides oyster and Chablis and Prosecco and caviar?

Mosel Riesling and sushi

Sauternes and Foie Gras

Champagne and “porchetta”

Talk to me about the city you live in, the culture, the food scene, some amazing restaurants and why we should visit it?

Siena is one of the most famous Italian cities and a place every tourist aims to visit during a trip to Tuscany. It is famous for its Palio that takes place twice a year, and for its characteristic narrow streets flanked by brick buildings. The historic city is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO and is filled with beautiful and interesting places to visit like the main square Piazza del Campo or the Dome of Siena. You can find many traditional dishes in Siena. Wild boar, Cinta Senese or hare make for delicious croutons, pappardelle pasta, and grilled meat. Then there are local sausages, cheese, liver, ribollita soup and more. Siena and its province also have great wines: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. There is also plenty of choice for dessert: cantucci biscuits, Ricciarelli, Panforte and Cavallucci, accompanied by the classic Vin Santo.

Rapid-fire questions:

Favorite meal: Spaghetti!

Favorite drink: Wine for sure

Favorite book: Umberto Eco “il nome della rosa”

Favorite city to relax: Paris

If you had a choice to have a glass of wine with three people, who would it be and what would you talk to them about?

Angela Merkel: the most influential woman according to Forbes. I would be honored to spend even just a minute with her!

Jancis Robinson: my favorite MW! I would love to hear her “wine tips”

Madonna: my idol! I would love to listen to her singing live for me “Holiday”

If you were chosen to go to Mars and only had to take 5 things from the earth what would it be and why?

My dog, I cannot live without him!

A wine opener.. you never know..

A book, to relax

Mascara and lipstick.. if I meet someone else!

A bottle of wine… to share with someone else!

Tell me a good wine joke?

The secret of enjoying a good bottle of wine:

1. Open the bottle to allow it to breathe.
2. If it doesn’t look like it’s breathing, give it mouth-to-mouth.

Photo Credits: Brett Jordan Zan Kamil Kalbarczyk Brett Jordan Sandra Grünewald  Riccardo Bergamini

The post Carlotta Salvini: The Best Sommelier in Italy appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

What is the meaning of life?

I have known Mayple Dorrington since I started my career at Scotia Bank. Mayple was Director, Communications and Change Management at Scotia Bank.  Mayple recently wrote a book called Finding: The Oasis in my Soul. It is a journal, an encouraging journey through the spectrum of real-life experiences of trials and triumphs. As you read her book, you can relate to it. You will see a reflection of your own experiences. The book asks some relevant questions about having an empty void within us, do we have doubts about our gifts, weaknesses,  our purpose, and our identity?

I am a big fan of gratitude, and this book challenges my thinking to transform my mind and to get a deeper conviction of love and purpose in my life. If you are struggling with insecurity, fear, uncertainty, or anxiety, get the book, become empowered, lead an authentic life, and transform yourself into what you are intended to be.  This is the first of a two-part interview.

Mayple, a true honor to have you talk to four columns. Tell my audience a little bit about you?

Jerry, firstly I want to thank you for the opportunity to participate in your blog. I’m deeply honored to be having this dialogue with you and your audience.

Born on the beautiful island of Jamaica I grew up in a happy, loving family cushioned in a viable business environment.   The business became a casualty following the aftermath of the 1970s economic downturn in my country and the outcome later triggered my family’s immigration to another beautiful country, Canada. With a business mindset, I later pursued that area of study and embarked on an amazing career in the financial industry that spanned 3 continents with direct access to over 27 countries.  Alongside my banking occupation of choice, I am an author and a motivational speaker.  My professional designations include an economist, chartered banker, high school teacher and a personal financial planner.

I am a devout Christian who anchored my beliefs, decisions, and hope in the power of the risen Jesus Christ.  With my teaching discipline, I constantly volunteer my skills for mentoring and coaching and by my mentees’ own admission, I have the knack to identify, develop and empower countless persons in reaching their personal goals.

Having said that, my passion is primarily centered around the relationships I forged working with people drawn from across the globe and living in the most multicultural city in the world. Through these experiences, I learned how to coexist with people, understand their behaviors, outlook, and preferences, and dispense greater tolerance, acceptance, and compassion in helping others. An area that keeps me growing is to intentionally embrace the power of mindfulness. This awareness constantly provokes and inspires me to challenge my mind, peel away layers of obscurity, to look deeper and wider for insights toward the path in finding truths.

Finding: The oasis in my soul. It is an intense name for a book. How did the book come about? What is the main message? Who is the audience? What is unique and different about the message?  

Jerry, there’s lots to unpack here… yes,  the name is indeed intense. You may notice I deliberately said “Finding” and not “Find” or “Found” because it’s a journey, not a destination. My book chronicles an inspiring journey through the lens of my real-life experiences of trials and triumphs and using what I have been through to come to a place of what I now know for sure.

Strangely the genesis of my book was drawn from my wanderlust nature.  Traveling to many countries, living amongst diverse nationalities, and conversing with numerous people from different walks of life, age, and outlook; hearing their stories, the many dreams realized, the hardships overcame, and bouncing back from mistakes, I realized how much we all have in common.

I wrote the book to expose our human commonality and to express how I cultivate the power to confront and stare down the debilitating state of uncertainty, worry, and fear.  How like myself, we can overcome our shortcomings and elevate our talents and self-worth to be the best.

During my speaking engagements, after sharing my story, which is often intertwined with slices from the lives of many others, seeing the visceral reaction of agreement from my diverse audience, I validated how we all want to feel valued, loved, and accepted. The main point is to have a positive self-image of not who I am, but who God intended me to be.  How I claim truth and confidence from the backdrop of biblical examples of trust, faith, and obedience.  Each chapter illustrates a meaningful life experience, which is brutally frank about what I learned, the impact of the practical application, and my spiritual transformation. Each reader will walk away with valuable nuggets to build their confidence and self-worth.

My core objective and the key message are to challenge the readers’ thinking and arouse a sense of gratitude, wonder, and introspection, allowing us to draw from an ever-renewing Oasis where we can replace worry, fear, and doubt with the joyful assurance of God’s promises and faithfulness.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive that this is exactly the response it evokes. I painted a graphic picture of my experiences, whether illness, a hero to zero career moves, friendship betrayal, family choices, to be transformed, to come to a place of rest, not a place of stop, but resting on the dependence and assurance of God’s love while seeking new adventures to spread my wings.  The overarching message may not be unique or different, but it’s worth reinforcing to keep us building self-awareness on how we can draw inspiration and hope from seemingly common encounters and events in our lives. It about seeing and acknowledging God’s love and handiwork in all aspects of our lives.

Explain to me what does women’s empowerment means to you?    

Empowerment is about acting on my own volition, having options, having the autonomy to make choices.  Really, Jerry, it’s to emancipate me from the sense of powerlessness, to become self-determined, being able to take charge of my life by owning my decisions, circumstances, hopes, and dreams, growing stronger, wiser, and more confident.

Having said that, for me, I do not believe women’s empowerment is independent of the influence of men. I strongly believe men and women were created with different, but complementary traits. When working in unity, we unleash the freedom to both look outward, naturally curious in opening ourselves to the universe, feeling supported to take risks, and to reimagine possibilities based on the imagery of how to think, rather than the limitation of what to think.

I have countless examples of gender neutrality during brainstorming, problem-solving, and trouble-shooting that delivered the optimum results, mainly because women are allowed the latitude, civility, and respect to explore and articulate their thoughts without judgment or fear. This type of liberation allows me to embrace and benefit from a diversity of thoughts; to see ideas from various points of view, despite differences reaching common ground, by filtering everything through what is pleasing to God. Why, because like all good things, true and authentic empowerment comes from honoring the will of God.

I am a big fan of being authentic and leading a transparent life. Help me understand what you mean by living an authentic life?    

Yes, Jerry, authentic and transparent are two buzz words presently tossed around a lot! Irrespective of the scholarly definition, at the core, this is about living one’s truth, what we know for sure, which can be shaped by our many experiences.

For me, it is when my values and beliefs are compatible with the integrity of my doctrine, actions, and words. It’s about self-awareness, knowing myself at a deep level, accepting my multi-faceted traits, my strengths, and imperfections; having the desire to continuously grow as I reconcile my good, bad and ugly qualities, which are common to all of us. I find that oftentimes, with increasing societal pressure, we lean into what the world prescribed as a success.  Whether to gain wealth, fame, alter our appearance or job aspiration, we can compromise who we are created to be which often leads to self-loathing, and unhappiness.

To justify my point, let’s take a look at the billions in revenue generated from cosmetic industries, fake content, scamming, Ponzi schemes, and the like. You see, in our humanness, our hearts are deceitful, full of pride, and can easily trap us in a state of denial and falseness to elevate ourselves. I am not immune to this pretense, but growing in spiritual maturity and wisdom, I try to be deliberate in not allowing this malignant state to frighten or paralyze me, but to be powered by my dependence on the spirit God graciously places within us.  As I summon the courage to live from a place of acceptance, growth, humility, and inner peace, only then, I can be the best expression of myself, which will be evident to impact others as I attract, influence, and sustain meaningful relationships.

The post Mayple Dorrington: Finding the Meaning of Life appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

February is Black History Month. Jean Augustine in 1995 passed a motion in Canada’s House of Commons to officially recognize February as the month to honor Black Canadians. I am proud to present Kunle Tauhid. Kunle is smart, intelligent, humble, and someone who works hard, an example of a successful immigrant in Canada.

Kunle Tauhid is Vice President of Financing and Consulting at BDC. The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) promotes entrepreneurship by providing highly tailored financing, venture capital, and consulting services to entrepreneurs. As the Vice President for the Financing and Consulting Business in Eastern and Northern Ontario, he is responsible for leading a team of dedicated sales force that is focused on growing existing client relationships and helping Canadian entrepreneurs achieve their goals. Kunle talks about his own journey as an immigrant to Canada.

Kunle, please tell me a little about you?

My name is Kunle Tauhid, from Nigeria, married to Esther and we have two kids, Alexandra (21) and Andrew (19) both students at York University.

Your hard work, persistence is an inspiration to me.  Walk me through your immigration to Canada, the challenges and how you ended up at BDC?

Thanks, Jerry. My family immigrated to Canada in 2002.

I was a professional banker in my native country Nigeria where I obtained a Bachelors’s degree in finance and a master’s in banking and international finance from two elite Nigerian universities. Canada is an international hub of immigrants and professionals but luckily, having come from a Commonwealth nation it was easy to get my degree accredited and recognized as an equivalent to a Canadian university, through the University of Toronto.

I had a challenge getting into the system and getting senior leadership roles. In Nigeria, I had a decade of experience in banking, of which the last 3 were in leadership roles. It was a humbling experience, which I am thankful for, to have had to start from scratch again being given an opportunity to work for RBC as a bank teller. My last role in Nigeria was as a Manager responsible for a team of professionals with all the perks such as an official car, driver, return tickets and spending allowance to Europe for vacation.

Talk a little about your faith and how it helps you daily?

As an immigrant to Canada required taking a leap of faith for both myself and my wife. We had and have no immediate family here and relied on mostly information from friends who had come earlier. Our faith in God and the comfort of knowing that we had a Church family to come to through the International Church of Christ of which we were members in Nigeria helped a lot. The Church community here helped us a lot in our initial settling down and finding resources for us and the kids. I have to confess that the transition of my career was tough. I was able to overcome the challenges, learned humility through Christ. I had highs and rejoiced and lows and I cried. However, a great combination of hard work, positive attitude, and determination never fail.

Give my audience three tips on their household finances?

First, don’t spend what you don’t have. As an immigrant to Canada coming from a cash environment taught us this lesson early.
Secondly have a budget every month. We have been married for over 23 years and never gone a month without writing out our budget. A budget that is not documented is not a budget. It saves you a lot of stress
Third have a backup plan. Save for the rainy day.

How important is it for someone to maintain their credit rating?

In North America and indeed most credit-driven economies a positive and good credit rating gives you access to opportunities. Not only do you need a good credit history for access to financing but you also need it to earn your income. Today employers as part of due diligence use one’s credit history as a determining factor to hire as it speaks to one’s character. Landlords use it to determine if one will be a good renter. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a positive credit rating and history. And there are very simple tricks to maintaining that.

Explain the different kinds of credit ratings?

In Canada, Equifax and TransUnion are the two major rating agencies and the higher one’s credit score the better their rating. They range from poor, fair, good to excellent. Good to excellent give you better access to personal and commercial credit facilities

How has becoming a husband changed your life?

Becoming a husband has made me a better man. I have been blessed by God to have a beautiful and God-fearing woman, Esther as a wife for 23 years. Lessons in humility, listening, caring, extending grace, giving people a benefit of doubt and most important having someone to share with have come from being a husband. Despite being the finance “man” of the home, the discipline of having a budget came from my wife even before we got married. I made a lot more money than her but was always broke before the next pay cycle. It was my wife (fiancé at the time) who introduced me to the concept of budgeting and since then we have not looked back.

Has your approach to life and finances changed after having children?

Not at all. With life, God comes first and we teach our children to understand the same. The values that were instilled in us by our parents, we instill in our children. The financial discipline we had before having children is what we still maintain and our kids see and luckily are embracing those values as well. They understand that credit card is not free money and is used to create a positive credit history. My daughter has a credit card but uses it to make purchases that she already has the cash to pay for and as soon it is done, she transfers money to pay off the balance even before the statement arrives.

Give new immigrants some tips, advice on how to become successful like you?

Canada is a great country and every employer wants to hire and grow with employees that will help them succeed.

As an immigrant to Canada, do not be intimidated by the color of your skin, your accent or foreign degree. This is a beautiful country that is inclusive and embraces diversity. Be confident in your abilities and skill set. Be humble. Your first job may not be the high-power job you had in your country. Take your entry-level job as your door opener that will enable you to prove your mettle and capabilities. Come daily with a positive attitude and can-do mentality. Do not settle. Do not join water cooler conversations at work. Focus on your job and give it your best daily. Your employer and manager will reward those that help them succeed. Develop yourself professionally at an earlier opportunity and keep learning and taking personal lessons. There are many free resources that can help you to be better at your job. Give back. Volunteer, be part of your community.

Most importantly hold on to your faith. God and your faith that saw you through and brought you to this country don’t change.

When we move to a new country, we need to acquire a new skill set, explain what it means to do that for the corporate world?

As an immigrant to Canada, we may never get a job exactly in the field we were in, so it is important to be open-minded. For example, my wife worked in a PR agency in Nigeria but we found out quickly that the setting was different here and so we acted quickly after trying for a couple of months. She looked at other options for a career that she would enjoy. Since she liked working with kids and had lots of fun in our Church’s children’s ministry decided to go back to school to obtain an Early Childhood Education certificate in one of the colleges here. A job was waiting for her as soon as she was done schooling and she had a good career working for YMCA starting as a daycare teacher and rising through the ranks to a manager and then Director before leaving for another opportunity.

Tell me little about your culture, and where can I find good Nigerian food in Toronto?

I am from the western part of Nigeria of the Yoruba tribe. What we call Naija proper.  There are a few good Nigerian restaurants in the west part of Toronto, especially on the Jane street axis and Weston road. There is also a popular “suya “joint in the Etobicoke area.

As an immigrant to Canada, how do you balance faith, family, finance and food in the 21st century?

The 21st century is a fast-paced era in every aspect of life. With advanced technology, family dynamics have changed. Gone are the days when as kids fun was all outside playing soccer, running around, playing in the rain. As an immigrant to Canada and to keep one’s sanity there has to be balance. I have to remember that creation was set by a higher power and our wisdom with which we make things happen here is superseded by a higher power. I remain grounded in my faith.

The post How to be a Successful Immigrant in Canada appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.