It’s easy to let money—and the idea of having more money—consume your thoughts. As a recent grad with my fair share of debt, the subject is always at the back of my mind. In fact, I’ve often wondered whether school was even the way to go—maybe I should have jumped right into the workplace.

Recently, a blog headline caught my attention: Should an Entrepreneurial High Schooler Go to College?

I guess I’m not the only one thinking this way.

The post helps Andy, a high school student, through the pros and cons of living a few years of profits or a few years of books. Towards the end he makes a very good point:

If you can’t imagine anything better than building this business you’ve started, then go for it… Along the way, save most of what you earn - put it away so you can walk away from the business at a fairly young age. If you’ve built the business into something large and successful and sell the whole thing at age thirty, you can go to college then if you want to.

But that’s not necessarily the route that everyone should take. Another blogger with lots of business potential chose to leave everything for the university experience. In fact, the 20-year-old could have made $200,000 if he hadn’t moved away for his first year of school. He says his decision wasn’t an easy one, but the right one because he’s grown as an individual. It’s something he can take with him in his future endeavours:

I have learned how to take care of myself and how to live away from my parents. I have met some great people and built some key relationships… It would have been much harder to succeed without the strong network that I now have and I surely would have had a tough time taking care of myself without ever living away from my parents.

But, is it financially responsible to leave a profitable venture for a semester of debt and “experience”? I won’t deny the great experience the university provides, but now being out of school, I can honestly say that debt can feel burdensome.

And what about those high schoolers that think university isn’t for them? Are they being financially responsible by heading right for the workplace knowing that he or she could be a dropout in less than twelve months?

MacLean’s magazine’s student blog discusses the possibility of the “unsure high school student” deferring college life for a while:

There’s strong evidence that on average, university education does pay off, but that only means it’s a pretty decent bet for most people. And if you think less than most people about the investment you’re making and your plans for the future, well, betting does tend to favour the thoughtful and the informed.

The important thing to note is that everyone’s situation is, well, his or her own. If you’re finding yourself unhappy with a decision you’ve made, it’s obviously not the right one. University can only be a positive experience if you want to be there. Otherwise, you may find your mind—and your pockets—empty.

From November 6th-10th it will be Vancouver fashion week here in Vancouver and since I am participating in it I thought it would be appropriate to share about the shows and the parties as they happen. Wednesday night was the opening gala and party for VFW which is trying to raise its reputation to the level of other famous fashion weeks like Toronto or New York. At the opening gala and party POP OPERA night club was filled with all the industry professionals in Vancouver. The Vancouver based hair salon “blo me dry” had their promo girls in attendance as well and they enthusiastically pinned a “just blo me” pin on me. The party was great and everyone was talking about the shows that were coming up in the next few days.

Last night, the first runway shows to start off the week began at the exciting venue of a woodworking garage in one of Vancouver's most dangerous neighborhoods. The entire runway was made of giant slabs of timber that proved challenging for the models, especially the girls in heels. The venue had a very unique feel to it as it had high ceilings and wood work examples all around and even the seating was on timber benches. Although the shows started late, the excitement was felt by models, photographers and audience members alike. The shows for VFW on thursday featured clothing by Papillon and leatherwear by Hirad.

Papillons spring collection included a variety of women's long flowing spring dresses. Hirad, on the other hand designs for men, women and children and models showed of black, brown and black high quality Italian leather. I myself was in Hirads show and wore a beige coat over a silk shirt whilst carrying a light leather satchel. My second outfit was a dark brown alligator skin jacket which was worn on my bare skin which made for an interesting show when my zipper wasn't working.

Behind the scenes at a fashion show tensions are high. The space had a limited back stage area and male and female models have to make quick outfit changes without any privacy whatsoever. Getting in order for the shows and constantly being told where to go or not go makes for a stressful time. The biggest problem we faced last night was that the runway was so short that the models (with their long legs) sped through the runway without giving photographers a chance to get any good shots.

VFW is still quite new but its a privilege to be part of something that is really trying to progress to the next level. With MUUM productions providing most of the male models and some of the female ones I have been able to be a big part of it and see my fellow agency models take part too. Tonight the shows continue with eco style clothing and more after parties that Vancouver will be sure to remember.

This blog entry is probably echoing remnants of inspiration from David Suzuki’s speech at the FLICK OFF finale in Ottawa, but since then I’ve been thinking more and more about my commitment to reduce carbon emissions. I’m definitely switching to reusable water bottles (especially since I scored a sweet aluminum one for free at the concert). I’ve been making sure to flick off all of my electronics, laptop, printer, tv and (enviro-friendly) lights… I’ve even been on the lookout for leaky taps!

While the small changes I’ve made may have only benefited the environment in a miniscule way, I know at least it’s a step in the right direction. But as I notice the lights in commercial buildings outside my apartment flicker on and off throughout the night, I can’t help but think that
there’s something troubling about the lack of green-efforts coming from the private sector.

It’s no question that the private sector is largely responsible for carbon-emissions and waste, but the feat of challenging a multinational corporation over its green policies would be a huge undertaking. As students, I think there’s an easier way to lobby for changes for the greater environmental good. As students, an easy way to act is within the organizations, companies, institutions that we are already a part of! Are they being socially responsible? Are they being accountable to the communities in which they operate? If we can rally for lower tuition costs, surely we can mobilize student groups to pressure companies, organizations and institutions who aren’t supporting the movement to reduce carbon emissions!

But where to start?

For a few years now, I’ve been hearing that the University of Ottawa is a green campus, a paperless campus, one dedicated to promoting green practices throughout. But I’m starting to wonder how much my student federation is actually doing to deliver on these claims.

I still receive a paper syllabus in all of my classes. I’m required to submit hard-copy (paper) format. I have never been given the option to purchase an e-book. Vending machines on campus still sell plastic water bottles… so what action has really be taken to make uOttawa green?

As a member by default of the student federation (a flawed system in my eyes and another blog for another time), I wanted to see what my student federation was doing about the environment…
Ironic that this particular month I take notice of how environmentally un-friendly my campus is because the student federation at uOttawa has declared the month of October: “Green Weeks”.

I checked out the University of Ottawa’s Student Federation to see what green policies were actually in place. I was somewhat disappointed to see that few of the “initiatives” entailed real action. Instead, it looks like students at uOttawa can look forward to a ‘green website’, a new framework and improved recycling at the SFUO headquarters.

Student federations are supposed to act in the interest of its students. Find out what your student federation is doing to protect our environment. Are some campuses doing it right?

A couple of days ago,Dolphin Entertainment announced that they just scored $100million in financing from Continental Entertainment Capital (CEC) for some flicks they're planning to make - six, to be precise. In the past, the company's made a bunch of made-for-TV movies as well as a couple series on Nickelodeon. Some basic research would tell me its not such a bad deal - except for one big flaw.

Apparently, the investment into Dolphin was based on the big successes of the High School Musical movies. The third movie grossed about $86million since it opened a couple of weeks ago, and had a total budget of about $11million. Those numbers aren't to shabby (although I don't know what kind of cut the studio would end up taking on $86m). Dolphin has had some success with their television series and some of their movies up to this point; it looks like they're ready to take on the big screen and make some mad cash.

Here's my concern with this $100million investment; you've established that there's a market for these High-School Musical-esque movies and all their hype; so what? Big blockbusters like this are hit and miss - For every one tween blockbuster out there, there's got to be fifty tween flicks that do nothing... "Drive Me Crazy" anyone? (the odds are stacked up even worse if you want High School Musical success)

All those odds of success aside (because that's not unique to the film industry and pretty difficult to control), the investors must be questioning the six movies to be financed with this $100million. The first flick is about a girl who gets her arm eaten by a shark, spends time in a hospital and then keeps on surfing when she gets out. There's a movie I definitely want to see as a tween (because I can't wait to be reminded that the main character was a horrific shark attack victim every time she can't high-five her friends and carry her surf board at the same time). I have to give the company some credit for putting something original together.

My concern is that one of the key strengths of this deal is their partnership with Sony Distribution; the caveat being that Sony maintains first right of refusal. If this first movie is a total bomb and Sony says "not interested", that might mean the flick won't be hitting the silver screen. It would be a bad precedent to set. The last thing Dolphin needs is CEC losing trust in their creative discretion - I could imagine them calling for a bunch of creative checks and balances if the first movie gives them any indication that they won't make their cash back.

Any thoughts on the ingredients to the perfect tween blockbuster?

I had the midterm blues, and it inspired me to write a song about it, and then make a music video for that song. Here it is:

October 31, 2008

Hey Ten-Years-Ago Me,

I checked with Thirty-Years-From-Now Me (us?) and he assures me that sufficient research has been done in the field of Historical Self Correspondence to confirm that with minimal hints to what the future holds, it’s fine to write to you. So rather than tell you what happens and warn you how to avoid it, I’ll offer you some insights and some advice that may help you without fundamentally altering the course of your life. This is a huge risk, I warn you. If you don’t want to take the chance of making things worse, then stop reading now. If you dare, however, then continue reading this letter knowing that you may not experience certain things (both good and bad) due to having read it. Let’s go.

First of all, I won’t bother telling you my current status since by the time you’re done this letter and make it to 2008 you may have changed the path. I can say, though, that I do get paid to write and have done some traveling. So those goals can certainly be attained if you strive for them. As for being awesome, was there ever any doubt? Come on. Haha. Trust me when I tell you that the decisions you make now are not going to determine what you can do with your life. At any moment, you have the power to change your path, whether it feels that way or not. Also, life has a funny way of changing that path for you. What may seem like a challenging or distressing event in your life may, in fact, become something positive in the months and years to come.

If you’re going to pursue a post-secondary education the unfortunate reality is that student loans will be a huge part of funding that education. There are other ways to do it and I highly suggest you look into scholarships, bursaries, student credit lines, government funding (for certain programs), contests and competitions (even if they’re canada-wide and you think the odds are slim). And take your time. There’s really no rush to graduate. If you want to take less classes, work while you study or even take time off then go for it. The myths that if you take a break you won’t go back, well it depends entirely on the individual.

You’re going to go through some things that will test you. Certain people will stand in your way and be obstacles, probably for no other reason than to satisfy something within themselves. It won’t be easy and sometimes you’re going to want to quit. Persevere and find creative solutions to these challenges, and become a better person because of them. You can’t control what other people are going to do, so just be the best you can be and keep plugging away at it until you get where you want to be. And if you do have to leave some things behind, then just hope that the future can bring them back to you, if that’s what you truly desire.

Before I go, I want to thank you. Looking back into the past HAS helped me realize some things. Once upon a time I was lost and unaware of the endless possibilities of life. I assumed that things had to take place a certain way and if they didn’t something was wrong with me. I quickly realized that what others do and how they do it, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the way I do it. Had someone told me that I would be where I am in 2008, I likely would not have believed them. I won’t tell you where that is, but rest assured that things could be much much worse (and they have been…sorry). So live your life and learn from the things that don’t quite work, and I’m confident you’ll achieve your goals.

Your Truly,

Your older, but still pretty youthful, Self

P.S. we don’t really call our decade anything. Maybe I’ll write to Ten-Years-From-Now Me to see if the next one is called the Teens.

P.P.S. keep using your French. Tu vas en avoir besoin!

P.P.P.S the wonderful woman says hello :-)

Looking back on the FLICK OFF Express, I can say for certain that it generated some memories that will not be soon departing my top of mind.

The FLICK OFF Express traveled across Ontario, and I with it, as we made stops at 4 major university campuses, being UWO in London, York in Toronto, Queens in Kingston and finally Confederation Park in Ottawa. Spending 4 days with some of the most brilliant environmental minds of our generation such as Dr. David Suzuki, Dr. Faisal Moola, Jose Etcheverry and Dominic Ali from the David Suzuki Foundation, along with Sarah Harmer, Gill Deacon, and the musical talents of The Constantines and Spiral Beach was, in itself, a pretty inspiring experience. What spoke to me the loudest out of the whole deal though was the fact that there are people whose unbridled passion for the environment far exceeds anything that I could possibly generate.

That being said, they rubbed off on me a little bit. Dr. David Suzuki was by far one of the most intense people I've ever met, and the biggest things that I took away from the tour was that we can change the world. But it's going to take a whole lot of action. It's not just about your own personal recycling habits. It's about getting to a sustainable economy to ensure a sustainable ecology.

Here's a video recap of the trip, with Dr. Suzuki speaking in Ottawa and other highlights of the trip:

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel as well for another video of the FLICK OFF Express tour.

A few weeks ago, I learned that all I do is think about myself, worry about myself, and think that I deserve nothing but the best. I don’t really care about others’ perspectives, nor do care about how I may affect those around me. Basically, I’m rude.

And you’re rude, too.

But to our defense, it’s not our fault… we were just raised that way.

In fact, we’re being labeled the “Generation Me”. And there’s a book all about it, appropriately called, “Generation Me”. On author Jean M. Twenge’s website, she defines Generation Me as anyone born in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s:

Generation Me has never known a world that put duty before self, and believes that the needs of the individual should come first. This is not the same thing as being selfish – it is captured, instead, in the phrases we so often hear: "Be yourself," "Believe in yourself," "You must love yourself before you can love someone else."

These thoughts of mine are the result of watching a documentary on the CBC called, Rude: Where are our manners? The show looked at how society has grown to be accepting of rudeness and the perpetual state that got us here. It also looked at how we can get ourselves out of this mess—but it’s not gonna be easy.

It’s not gonna to be easy because one day we’re going to have to face the reality that we’re not the only individuals on this planet. For some of us, it’s going to be a difficult realization to come to.

The documentary briefly discussed the impact this will have on us when we’re in the workplace. Apparently, the attitudes of some people in Generation Me will not only hinder their performance in the workplace, it may be a barrier keeping them from getting there altogether.

So, are we set up for failure? If we believe that we are entitled to things in life, will we not correctly prepare for the future? If we believe that we are entitled to things in life, will we not prepare ourselves financially for our future? According to the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, the number of students taking on student loans increased 76% between 1996 and 2004, and the average graduate with a bachelor degree owed about $20,000 to all sources. I know that tuition has increased over the years making it more difficult for students to pay for their education, but could we be proactive and properly prepare for that?

Are there any students out there who are in debt because they thought funding your education would have been easier?

Anyways, I should probably get going. I have a lot of stuff to get to. I know I can manage because I’m pretty good at getting things accomplished. I just hope I have time to do it all… I’m very busy…

I’m always on the search for more money saving blogs and info for students and recently I came across a blog called “the simple dollar”. This website is packed with blogs about practically any and every financial issue someone could have and the high readership makes for an enormous amount of comments. The thing I like about the comments is how serious and honest they are which helps me understand the issue at hand because there is someone else going through the same problem.

One of the most useful blogs is a series of blogs called “31 days to fix your finances” . It starts at the very foundation and then builds up your finances to the level they should be at. The recommendation starts with the reader writing down a list of their financial goals. The thing that I really respect about this blog is that it gets down to some core issues with our financial state of mind. For example the “simple dollar” claims that the set of values we work around make the biggest difference.

“The real truth is that we live according to a set of values. We continually perform actions based on values: our values mixed with the values of others. For example, my top value is my family. I want a good, fulfilling life for my wife and my son so that they can easily define and follow their own values.”

“Every person has a set of between four and six primary values that underline their life (we may have other values, but those values are secondary to the primary ones). Financial problems occur through distortions of those values: we come to believe that some things are vital to these values when they really don’t matter. Generally, this is what advertising seeks to do: it tries to express a core value that some people have and make their product seem essential to achieving that value.”

For me this gets to the really serious issues that plague most of us that are struggling financially. The values that “the simple dollar” are talking about refers to when our lives become financial unbalanced and we begin spending money on things that are not in line with our values and goals and then our cash flow becomes unbalanced.

One of my next favorites is titled “ten steps to financial success for a minimum wage earner” and it's perfect for the struggling student or young person that still wants to do well even if they are making peanuts.

The first tip for this topic is a little ridiculous but interesting. The blog claims that you should “go rural” and find a place to rent for $200 a month because it's much easier to live on minimum wage in a small town. Other tips include not driving as it sucks your money away, not being prideful with money and getting an education. The blog ends with some inspiration on working hard and believing you can make it:

“One final tip: don’t give up the dream. If you’re working a minimum wage job, either you’re very young, very lazy, or very unlucky. All of these can be overcome, but they take time and commitment and a lot of hard work. It’s very easy to give up the dream of a better life when you’re doing this. Don’t. You can succeed and you will succeed if you spend every day taking steps in the right direction. Surround yourself with people who are also fighting to go in the right direction. Don’t be resentful of people in a better situation than you - instead, use them as inspiration and realize that if you keep on the path, you’ll get there too.”

The Simple Dollar is a serious blog that deals with major financial problems that old and young people face. It is full of answers to tons of financial questions and often sheds light on the problems with a moral or ethical perspective which is interesting. So whether your rich or poor, young or old, The Simple Dollar is a blog to keep your eye on.

Yet another part in a series about producing your own short film. In this video, I looks at the production binder, and how it is a necessity to creating a short film, or any video production.

It's no secret that the Venture Capital scene in Canada is... well, less than impressive. Some say that its because Canada hasn't yet recovered from the 2001 bust (I think that argument worked in 2003). Its true that Canada's Venture Capital industry is below levels it achieved in the mid to late 1990's, but there's a litany of other issues the market is facing that are keeping it from being as big and bad as our southern neighbours.

I mean, your first instinct has got to be our proximity to innovation; We don't really have any thing the least bit similar to Silicon Valley that attracts the same, copious amounts of cash that the they do. What few innovative clusters we do have spitting out potentially successful innovations (i.e. Waterloo, maybe some stuff coming out of MaRS) , Canadian Venture Capitalists have been known to - for lack of a better phrase - screw it up. They end up buying into the idea too soon, the firm burns through the cash just in R&D and... that's it (or follow-up financing, but if you're a Canadian Venture Capitalist, chances are you don't have a lot of cash to play with in the first place).

Canadian VC seems pretty dismal; Its probably not as bad as I'm making it out to be; Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) publishes an interesting report that outlines the million and one things wrong with Venture Capital in Canada and gives some suggestions on how to fix it.

On the lists of Why VC just isn't flying here:

1) Government doesn't dole out enough cash money to finance R&D; VCs end up paying for it.

2) Each round of fund raising (that's when a VC firm raises money from people to invest in business) is A LOT smaller than the USA. So that means less time spent on good investments and more time spent fund raising (not good).

3) 4.1% return on average (according to McKinsey, its -2% over five years and 2% over 10, versus 2% and 20% respectively in the US). I don't think the risk justifies the reward.

What does it come down to? Canada's VC scene is just a reflection of it's entrepreneurial scene; I don't think Canadians make great and innovative entrepreneurs. The BlackBerry Fund (in which RBC Ventures has a big stake) just forked out over $16million this past week - but not in Canada. I just don't know if we're innovative enough.

Thoughts? (and don't try telling me the zipper is innovative)

April 7, 1998

Hey Ten-Years-From-Now Me,

I know you probably won’t respond, because you’re too busy writing books, traveling the world, helping the poor or just being all-around awesome. I figured I would try anyway, though. As you know, since you were once in this exact spot, I have the decision to make of what to do with my life. I feel like what I decide at this very moment, freshly turned 18, will determine the rest of my life. Doesn’t seem to make sense to do it this way, does it? Because I get good grades, it’s assumed that I’ll go to university. I’ve been accepted into a couple of different ones but I don’t really know what I wanna do, so is it wise to just go anyway? That seems to be what most people are telling me I should do.

Other options would be to go to a college of some sort, and do something more hands-on and practical. I hear the courses don’t take nearly as long and there’s a better chance of finding a job. Or, I could just try to work and/or travel, since I might not get the chance to do it later. I sure would like to see Europe. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it there someday. One thing I want to do, as you know, is write a book. With writing being something I enjoy, maybe I should pursue that. I just don’t know. So hard to decide what I want to do right NOW. If I don’t do it now, will it ever happen?

With teachers talking about STILL paying off their student loans, is that just the way it has to work? Might there be other ways of doing it? I don’t have much money saved, and the scholarship isn’t that much. I feel like graduating from university with such a huge debt load is counter-productive, a little. I could start my life right now and just jump right into it, and see where it takes me. But that’s so risky and against what everyone is suggesting I should do. You must be well into paying off your student loans, since I assume you graduated years ago. Man, I hope you’re doing alright because right now I’m not so sure where this is all heading.

Is that the point, Ten-Years-From-Now Me? That life will take you in all kinds of directions and that the smallest decisions can change SO much? Oh no, I probably shouldn’t ask you for a response to this letter at all, since your answers might make things worse. Part of me wants to know the future but that might ruin it for me, if I try to change things. I’m so confused. All I know is that I really enjoy learning. Unfortunately I have entirely too many interests and can’t really choose what to pursue. I guess that’s part of life though, right? Making mistakes, learning, moving on and rolling with the punches.

Well, it seems that even without your response, I’ve figured out something about the future: it’s uncertain and I’ll just have to follow my heart and see where that takes me (us?). I hope this letter finds you well, and who knows, maybe you learned something from ME. Haha. Wouldn’t that be funny, if hearing from Ten-Years-Ago You somehow helped you figure out YOUR future. Say hi to the wonderful woman I hope you’ve found by now, and tell her I look forward to meeting her. Does that even make sense? Man, this whole writing letters to future selves thing…kinda confusing. Take care!

Sincerely,

Your more youthful self

ps: being in the 90’s, I can’t help but wonder what you call the decade YOU’RE in! The 0’s? 2000’s?

pps: mom says if I don’t speak French that I’ll lose it. J’éspère que tu comprends encore le français!