This is Mona

One of my role models in business is Ivanka Trump. Her book “The Trump Card” is a valuable resource that provides personal accounts and insights from a variety of business environments and occasions. I call it a resource because its the kind of book you can revert back to for reminders and inspiration. Most of her guiding principles are fundamental, smart and down to earth. In fact I just practised what she preaches about “Reaching Out” and “Put it in Writing”. Ivanka makes notes of people who are making moves relevant to her business, or who inspire her by shaking things up in their career. Ivanka’s thinking is that if she is inspired by someone, she’ll do well to let them know about it. She does this on the theory that you never know how people will respond, but chances are it might lead to a positive connection. I’m a firm believer of this. Earlier this afternoon as I turned the final page of her book, I did what I normally do when I finish a good book or read an interesting article, I tweeted its praise. This time I wanted to put more thought into it and include Ivanka’s twitter handle so that I could send it in a form of a personalized note. Realize, I did not write it with the expectation that she would respond.  After all, i’m pretty sure someone of that kind of celebrity probably gets an innumerable amount of tweet mentions. A few hours later opportunity had it with a response from her! Yes, one would say that when someone (me) provides accolades to another (her) on Twitter, especially someone with a product (her book), its a form of Marketing (for her) that deserves a thank you or a response (to me). However, Ivanka’s book actually provided value to me. My tweet about how great her book is probably provided value on a small scale to her. Its a mutually beneficial transaction.

Budding Toronto photographer John McArdle showcases his Street Style photography in BlogTo. This round? King West. Click through the images to the website to check out the full roster of McArdle’s Street Stylin’ King West peeps. Including yours truly :-)

I just watched 500 days of summer and I’m left with a potent need to write.  After watching the movie, a thought I’ve been harboring for the past month prevailed: pegging something, anything, as “the one” will always be premature and unsustainable. Quite obviously, but often dismissed is the notion that nothing in life stays the same; everything from health, career, love and education evolves.  This is why I’ve taken a newfound fondness to the notion of re-calibrating.

(Spoiler)

Back to the movie for a few minutes. In 500 days of summer, Tom is instantly dazzled by Summer. It doesn’t take him long to affirm that she is the only one that can make him happy in life. Summer on the other hand makes it clear to Tom before and after they start dating that she does not want to commit to a relationship.  What’s important to note here is just how sure these two characters are so sure of what they want for themselves and in each other in the long run. As their “non-relationship” progresses, both grow closer to one another, making Tom confident that Summer’s walls are finally dissolving. How this happens and why (revealed only at the end), Summer pulls away and ends the “non relationship”, leaving Tom confused and shattered. He was absolutely certain that what he and Summer had going on was bound to be long lasting. With time, and through a series of coincidental encounters, Tom discovers that Summer is engaged. WHAT? Yep, engaged. The girl who claims she doesn’t want to be anyone’s girlfriend is now someone’s wife. At his favorite park bench he once took her to, Tom finds Summer. She reminds him of an earlier conversation they had about love. In that conversation, Tom tried to convince Summer that love exists and she would “just know” when it happens. Back at the bench Summer tells Tom that she finally found love, by pure coincidence, just not with Tom. He is devastated, but seemingly only for a few minutes. The movie closes with Tom going in for an interview for a position he never had faith he would attain. While waiting for the interview, he meets a girl who is also interviewing for the same position. Small talk leads to a discovery of unrealized crossed paths on Tom’s part at the park bench. Tom: “I never saw you there”. Autumn: “You never looked”.

OK, I am done with the movie rambling and just about done with the philosophy rambling. The context of my opinions are not based on personal relationships. They are based on everything. The message I took away from the movie is that putting faith on a perceived “absolute” is delusional. I have faith on going forward with and sticking to what feels right from a number of different perspectives. I have faith in change and adaptation. This is not to be confused with being non-committal. On the contrary, I believe in committing to something as long as it feels right.

I’m always very interested to keep up with industry trends. I think it adds value not only for my own personal knowledge in a space I am passionate about, but it also provides a leading edge when talking to clients about up and coming ideas. Below is a presentation put together by the folks at Edelman with some  thought starters on how consumer behaviour is shaped by emerging social technologies. Worth a read.

10 Ideas For The New Decade View more documents from David Armano.