1 – The Pen

How do you write anew? How do you continue to post after a long weekend of stuffing your face with turkey and cranberry sauce, to the point where, by holiday Monday you’re lost in a hazy misconstruction of football episodes, your daughter’s Super Monsters Halloween edition and extra pumpkin pie/pumpkin coffee cake streaming through your veins?

I drove into work this morning feeling like I took a 5 month mental hiatus and that it would take another 5 years to get back to where I was last Friday in terms of thought processes and drive. But this sobering feeling, is it better than the former? Which should I be chasing?

I finally arrived and tried my best to ignore CBC and Stephen Quinn. Parked and ready to nap, Daisy thought frustratedly, “If I don’t get to my desk, I will fall further and further away into this sluggish slump. It will impact the rest of my week in a very negative way. I can’t be doing it this way!”

Dang it. “It’s starting already,” quipped a voice on the radio, when suddenly two of them proclaimed, “I’m not ready to travel! Dang you, dang it, DANG YOU!”

Are YOU ready?

I’ve fallen! This will last for 2 hours, then the clock will stop ticking on October 21st. I only have so much time to regroup and reiterate my success using succinct words and a logical progression of content.

She’s gone again. Don’t worry, she will return!

Daisy looked upward, toward the roof and saw a glowing star leaning on its edge, skirts away from abandoning friends and arriving onto a dust covered pillow. Puffy like an oyster, she rolled over in bed, drawing her arms over her face and pushing down to feel that cozy, cold feeling she longed for throughout the day. Today was bright and sunny. Bold rays peered through large windows, allowing light to enter her Brooklyn studio apartment. The girl was ready for A Day, ready to do the job she did best – ‘social media marketing’ for an up-and-coming TED startup company in the SoHo district of Elevententeen.

Elevententeen was a designated area for a group of bright communications pupils. They had three things in common. One – they were all Bipolar Type 10. Two – they had recently quit ‘drinking’. And three – they lived with the intent to impact the digital landscape, as no previous humans could have done it before them.

Daisy grabbed her pillow and immediately clicked on Instagram. That nagging suspicion to see The Need fed her like a rich, decadent chocolate drink costing tons more than a third-hand Prada bag nabbed off Vestiaire (for Seventeen). She quickly clicked, but then something else happened. It did not open, she did not see the grace of her favorite celebrity and his infantry women. She just heard a sound, a long-drawn, slowly creeping vibration of ‘digital air’. The only thing she could think of was, “The content has become redundant however, I can see the validity in re-writing and re-working the same concept several times. That way it will not become null and void. The success that emerged from it originally will still be there. That’s editing!”

“It’s locked!”, “Were you able to get back in?”

No. So, I decide to just write. Write down your thoughts Chona, write them down and write them down again. Get back to your spot on the list, get back to you, this new you. But sadly, I have already developed a headache from the idea of it. Will she be able to leave the content as it is? Will she usurp the value of its flow by editing it down, editing it all out to make complacent sense? Can you back away and still smile and feel success? That is something Alice from Wonderland would say, “Things aren’t worth that much once you start editing out the originality Miss Chona Fe, but I think this is what you think then isn’t that the way?”

Chona looks inward at her periphery, flips her hair, then walks away.

Night

Hi everyone!

It’s weird how important points in life can become permanent as art. I took this photo (Glenbrook Middle School, New Westminster, BC) while on a jog. It captures one interpretation of Simpler & Larger quite accurately. In words, I would describe this photo like the feeling I had as a child with a high fever. It felt like the universe had swallowed me up and I became a planet. So big, my sight became distorted. I would look at my bedroom door and it’s imposition startled me. I tried to comfort myself by huddling underneath the blankets, but they too swallowed me whole. It was and still is, the scariest thing I have ever experienced.

“Life is a never-ending story with no plot, because it has been eaten. The depths of me. When will we forgive what has become of them? When is she thinking too deep that she cannot leave without men? Woe is becoming, not free.” – Chona Fe Canlas

Talk about the things that bother you, even if they seem too weird. This is the first step to creating a partnership.

We deserve to know!

Background

Hi everyone! Just some quick notes on my work background and skills (prior to November 2018) –

Team spirit and mutual development / Promoted to Bell Mobility’s Small Business Sales team in 2013 through organized sit-ins with top performers, coaching with account managers/executives and round-the-clock networking with industry peers. I led a workplace presentation based on the best-selling business novel, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson. This learning  opportunity was offered to team members during a time of many departmental shifts and focused on the recognition and understanding of various personalities and motivations within our workspace, an important topic in any evolving, fast-paced industry.

Leading and coordinating others / Selected to work with Bell’s top dealer channel, Preston Mobility for an important account win with the City of Vancouver in August 2015. Every minute of the project was worthwhile – from learning the industry’s technical demands to charging through presentations with confidence and improvisation. Meeting and engaging with customers face-to-face and most importantly, training new users in a fun and fearless group setting was a plus.

Sales and marketing / After earning a BFA with distinction from the University of Calgary in 2003, Bubbles + Blocks was created, a local business partnership specializing in visual/musical artist training, image consultation and the promotion of original branded content for and within various local establishments. In addition, the business produced clothing, accessories, graphic design work, posters, handbills and ads. In our city (Calgary), we were creative engines contributing towards a fashion-forward,  underground evolution.

Lifetime fitness and happiness progression / Completed first short triathlon on July 27, 2015 (Point Grey Triathlon), which involved the development of an eight-week training program during which sports improvement, diet and nutrition were carefully managed. Participation taught enhanced stress and time management, as well as, ways to monitor and evaluate individual and group performance metrics.

Do you like to write about your job? What would you say about it to impress others?

A Wicked Rant

Hi everyone! We have the right to write and speak as we desire. This is a rant, have fun reading it!

I know. I have a lot of opinions and you may not like what you hear. I have a lot of creativity stirring up inside of me that you might find offensive. But you know what? I care.

We can define it. The artist’s grace. For example, look at the letters and sentences in this post, as if they were abstract soldiers from a symbolic world, marching along together or apart, in infinite permutations or combinations. They are terms and teams of ideas, but together, they have not yet been defined. Destinations are cut short, not by the words, but by the soldiers themselves. They have become controllers and they control everything, not just the outcome of the battle, but of the very meaning of what they are battling for. So, how many controllers do we need? And again, who is the controller on this team? Why is there a need for control? What? Why would the impact be the action? Would the sentences be marching? Heading towards…? Now do you see what I mean?

A slice of my day looks like this…

…just a slice…

🙂

Pursuing Success

Hi everyone! The lessons we learn make us responsible for our own success. Apply this bit towards your own positive journey! Some examples of ‘success journeys’ are: running a social media campaign, adopting digital minimalism or losing weight.

Our environment is filled with endless possibilities. It presents us with moments to launch investigations of choice. This power to choose is success and by pursuing it, we become enthusiasts, gatherers of insight and ambassadors for change.

The journeys we choose can nurture the soul. They can change who we are, deep down to our core. They can also provide a broad spectrum of individuals with the inspiration to make life-changing decisions, and they can allow us to reap more frequent and practical rewards.

When an individual becomes a manager of their own success, the implementation of innovative technologies and the free-flowing birth of concepts derived from our surroundings can actually help us. This surge precipitates newer and brighter outcomes.

We may not be experts in measuring success, but we can be experts, motivated by understanding. Let us be well-versed and capable of finding new ways to conceptualize and overcome old theories. If you can adapt an established decision-making process, you are essentially creating a new philosophy!

So many people, from all walks of life, pursue success. What sets you apart from others? For myself, I can make everything sound awesome! Language knows no boundaries!

The Four Agreements

Hi everyone! I am writing about The Four Agreements today. The book is by Don Miguel Ruiz and you can pick up a copy on Amazon for around 8 dollars. A lot of his writing helped me get through the anxiety of having to work with people. It also gave me a directional map on how to treat others. I am going to go through the main points with you today.

WORDS HAVE POWER – speak with integrity; do not gossip; speak in love.

DON’T TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY – what others do has to do with them, more than you. At best, you can influence and even that is limited. They may say you made them do something, this is only a projection.

DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS – clarify; ask clearly for what you want, don’t assume others will know.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST – your best will always change according to health, circumstance and time; forgive yourself if your best is not perfect.

And that’s it!

I hope this brief summary will help you out, even if it’s taking one step outside of your comfort zone to pursue a new social challenge or to try and wrap your head around why we think and do the things the way we do.

Do you have any tools, tips or tricks for managing social stress or anxiety?

Your Business Acumen

Hi everyone! So, you’ve started a new business. The idea has been in the works for 1-2 years and you’ve saved up a stash of money. You’ve done the work, the necessary  to lift it off the earth. What’s next? Well, it’s time to break things down, come up with some simple and consistent strategies that that will work with you and for you. Note: these tips are aimed towards businesses in the startup phase.

Let’s start off with Your Primary Aim – stay on top of your resources (what you’re selling, who’s selling it for you) and channel your knowledge and passion into dispersing these resources as products and services of their own. Keep a theme, keep it fresh and update your objectives frequently. Next, Your Singular Objective – to make money, as much as possible, and to generate new customers by effectively streaming your knowledge, passion and resources through appropriate platforms and channels. Next up, Your Organizational Strategy – this is simple: be organized, have focus and optimize every process as it relates to your business. Use templates, build files, digitize everything. If your products and services are consistent, you will establish a base and this will create a sturdy platform for growth. Now, we have Your Management Strategy – be loved and love those who work with you and for you, simple as that. Then, we have Your People Strategy – find the best talent, assist in growth and always nurture true potential. We’re leading up to the end, and this is Your Marketing Strategy – this is the easiest and best part of running a business! Apply vision, creativity and a fire within to drive awareness both inwards and outwards. Invest in a variety of means to expand your lot. If people are drawn to your work, understand what they see and observe your business’ impact on their lives. They will invest and return. And, last but not least, we have Your Systems Strategy – you can have it all, the mind-blowing idea, the passion, the drive, but without a systematic and technical flow that will take you through each day, you will become lost, disorganized and lazy. Be tenacious. Be determined. Be happy!

That’s my toonie. How do you keep your business running? Opening up a conversation with you, I’d love to hear your response!

A Sales Manifesto

Hi everyone! I wrote this manifesto when I was selected to join Bell Mobility’s Small Business Sales team in 2013. Some edits have been made to coincide with recent sales experiences. Have a read and please share your comments!

I aim to create a personal brand that relates to the three manifestations of every business – ‘The Entrepreneur’ who forges ahead into new areas of interest, ‘The Manager’ who solidifies the base of operations and ‘The Technician’ who completes the manual overview. If we can understand how these entities co-exist, we can begin to build long-lasting, profitable relationships with the very businesses we aim to connect with.

As ‘Entrepreneur’, I will be passionate in all of my endeavours, staying true to my creative nature through innovation & leadership. As ‘Manager’, I will take action and stick to my word by establishing effective techniques & processes. And finally, as ‘Technician’, I will be persistent and driven in order to produce consistent results that will seal relationships & solidify value.

Nestled within these strategies are goals: to establish reciprocity – to give to customers what I would want to receive; to establish scarcity – to prove uniqueness amongst peers and industry competitors; to establish exclusivity – to prove insight and  service/product knowledge to clients; to proliferate potential business – to exhaust all available networking channels; to leverage current and former contacts – to fully utilize loyalty and feedback; to connect with chief decision-makers – to focus on high-value opportunities with true intellectuals; and last but not least, to commit to a reward at the end of my work – to praise the vigour of my business.

In synergy, these entities can create trust, belief  & faith!

So, love what you want from your sales strategist and make magic together – legitimate, genuine, authentic, real, exclusive, and freely made of irrepressible commitments which together, produce terrible outcomes that  benefit no parties.

Do you agree?