Good Morning Mailbag’ers,

Good golly miss molly, it feels good to be back. Refreshed and rejuvenated. Feels like the seasons are a’ changing so let’s consider this the 1st summer edition of 2016…

• We’re coming out of the gates with a very heartfelt piece written by St. Louis Blues forward and Fort McMurray native, Scottie Upshall, via The Players Tribune. It really speaks to the sense of community and hometown pride that all Canadians feel, irrespective of where the dot they grew up in lies on the map.

• I really liked this piece titled “Are you in survival mode?” as it almost speaks to a “fight or flight mode” many companies and employees find themselves in within the energy sector. There is no question that our sector is greatly influenced by global commodity indexes; however, what we do control is our attitude, entrepreneurial spirit, grit, perseverance and how to make lemonade when life gives you sour lemons. Businesses and families alike have to hunker down and exercise significant fiscal responsibility and discipline but it doesn’t mean we can’t look to find new avenues for growth and innovation. A biker in the Tour de France doesn’t say a hill is too steep nor does a world class chef say his cut of meat isn’t tender enough to grill. The biker shifts down a gear and pushes to reach a new peak power output and a great chef will find a way to tenderize the meat by choosing an alternative cooking method to grilling. Bad examples or not, we as an industry must look to thrive in all market environments, not just when a $ index has three digits in front of it.

• Next up is Sheryl Sandberg’s commencement address to the 2016 Class at the University of California Class titled “The Lessons That I Only Learned in Death” via MacLeans magazine. Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and tragically lost her husband a little over a year ago while on vacation in Mexico. She shares the lessons learned from her struggles over the past year and they are very introspective and authentic insights that we can all learn from. Especially, if you’ve gone through something similar. Thanks for sending this one, Mom.

• I’m really enjoying writing this Mailbag and I feel like we’re on a roll here so why stop now… Ryan Holiday is one of my favorite thought leaders in the game right now, he’s young, ambitious and not afraid to speak his mind and tell it like it is. This piece titled “The One Trick People Who Really Love Their Jobs Know, While Others Continue Grinding It Out in Obscurity” really resonated with me as I am turning the page into a new chapter of my career and professional development in general. I, like many other aspiring business professionals, spend a lot of time trying to objectively (not subjectively) understand our value proposition to employers and/or investors. This piece really spoke to me on the perspective and mindset required to be great at what you do, not just good or good enough to get by.

• Speaking of hard work and the many late nights and early mornings it requires doing whatever it is you need to do to hone your craft, doing so requires your mind to razor sharp. Sometimes music is needed and other times silence. However, if you’re like me, you often need some sort of ambient noise in the background. Check out the website Calm which has all sorts of natural environments you can “immerse” yourself in while trying to focus.

Song of the Week: “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be” – The Black Keys. The inspiration behind this song is to put something, some event, some notion, some internal belief, some roadblock behind you going into the summer of 2016. Just because things may have been hard once upon a time (career, romantic relationship, mental health struggles, family turmoil, whatever) doesn’t mean that previous time of your life should define you or consume your current self. Everyone is or has fought battles behind closed doors so don’t feel alone or beat yourself up over it. Just do your best to change things so they “ain’t like they used to be.”

Quote of the Week: “At one point in your life, you’ll have the thing you want or the reasons why you don’t.” – Andy Roddick

Keep Calm & Carry On,

Mike