Palmer Blog

November 13, 2014

I love fresh thinking

We’ve been doing a little reorganizing at our office and made space for a treat table of sorts. Often people bring in donuts or muffins and now we have a designated place to share these snacks, healthy and not so healthy, with our team. When I was doing my weekend shop Dads cookies were on sale and so I picked up a couple of bags for the office. I hadn’t purchased anything like this in […]
November 7, 2014

A Good Start to the Day

On my way in to work each morning, I typically start my day with a drive thru coffee at Tim Hortons. I have 2 potential spots on my drive from the Kipling Queensway area in Toronto to the airport area. The first is on the south side of Queensway, just a few minutes down the road. I can see the drive thru lane as I approach the entrance and if it’s good, I pull into […]
June 9, 2014

Life is a game of inches

I recently watched an old Pacino movie “Any Given Sunday”. Somewhere in the body of the film, there’s a motivational speech about how the game (in this case football) is won an inch at a time. It really stuck with me. After thinking more about it and relating it to my own experiences, I broke down life’s problem solving situations to 3 approaches: Door #1:  We come up against an obstacle and by hanging with it, work our […]
February 14, 2013

7 tips to mastering the game

At this stage of the game, I’m a better guitar player than a golfer. But, there are similarities in the two activities. What do improving your golf game and getting better at guitar have in common? Here are my thoughts: 1/ You’ve got to practice. Playing a lot certainly helps. But, without practise, you’re going to get stuck at a certain level and not advance…which might lead you to my next point… 2/ Stop trying […]
January 31, 2013

What’s happened to good old fashioned service?

I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that I’m in the middle of a house renovation. One of the elements involved is replacing the 30 year old siding. There were two ugly old phone lines sweeping in over our newly constructed deck to an even uglier receptacle at the back of our house and I called Bell to see about moving them before installing the new siding. When I called, I got their automated attendant. No problem. […]
January 4, 2013

My Top 10 Goal Setting Tips for 2013

I asked a good friend and very successful one, what New Year’s resolutions she had made for 2013. Her answer: “None, why do it if you’re not going to make them happen and I never do”. That’s one approach that certainly protects your confidence and why set yourself up for failure? Because the holiday season is the one time of year that we can all take a break, I do tend to reflect and set […]
December 20, 2012

Looking back at 2012…my last sermon of the year

I haven’t been writing as much lately, for a number of reasons; sold our condo, doing a major house Reno, got a new pup, recorded a full length CD and busier than crap at work. Anyway, I thought I should send one more out for 2012. It was a good year for us and the industry too. Caution is still King but not as many complaints around…everyone has made the adjustments needed to cope with […]
November 28, 2012

Dropping the ball…and recovering!

I am currently involved in an extensive home renovation. Because our condo sold in a matter of days, with a quick closing, we are now living mid-renovation and about a month behind schedule in our new home. For those of you who have gone through the process and like me, are about as handy as a fencepost, your fate rests in someone else’s hands. I have done the renovation thing several times before and I’m […]
November 1, 2012

A desperate call

We get weekly inquiries from small and big business alike, asking for help with their marketing. But in my 25 years of business it was the first time the call was quite this desperate in nature. “I’m going to lose my business unless you can think of some way to save me.” The first thing I thought of was “The Dragons Den” and all the small business people on the show who  poured everything they […]