My Story - Why I Get Up in The Morning

Allow me to share my story, the gift I was given - the compass I needed to create - to provide me with direction as a rudderless child and a young adult.

In the photo, the little boy in the background seems to be looking right at me, asking...

Where is Rick and What Have You Done With Him?

It’s almost spooky.

I was the 4th child, a baby boomer (and proud of it), living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We weren’t poor; my parents were God-fearing and gave me all the necessary moral guidance... … but beyond that…, I learned to be creative, making a few friends and making many life choices on my own.

My First Traumatic Experience – Even Though I Didn’t Realise It Was…at the Time

When I was very young, 4 or 5 Circa 1950, I disappeared for about half a day. What happened is that some teenagers had come into my backyard to steal some crab apples off our tree and left the back gate open. As a curious little boy, I wandered off down the street towards the Red River. I’m sure my parents were frantic. But, 2 young ladies found me and took me to a soda shop where my parents found me. My parents said they never did find out who those 2 young ladies were. Also, in case you’re wondering, this story was told to me by my parents. I don’t remember a single part of it. But, whoever those 2 young ladies were… Thank you!

My Malleable Clay Phase

I was, and still am introverted and experienced occasional bullying.

I remember having one good friend early in my life. His name was Marvin, a Jewish boy down the street. I also remember accidentally punching him and giving him a bleeding nose. I think he took it personally because he never spoke to me again.

I was always getting into mischief, like stepping on nails, getting arrested for shoplifting and getting in fights. I remember Jackie Robinson, who was probably the fastest runner in the neighbourhood, if not the city and almost catching him after teasing me about my bicycle. He got me so riled, I chased after him and almost caught him, but he was too fast. He was very smart, very athletic, and personable. Despite the bicycle incident, I liked him. He was the first person in my life where I experienced and felt the loss – He died very young from brain cancer.

My first pet was a budgie, which died when I was very young. My next pet was a mongrel black dog, which I aptly called Blacky. I knew nothing about raising dogs, so it ran a bit wild. It was always bringing things home like tire tubes, pitcher gloves and a lot of other stuff, which I do remember. We finally gave him back to the farm where we got it. Apparently, it started going after the chickens. Well, I think we can all guess where that ended. My now divorced wife had a cocker spaniel, Missy, well-trained. So, it was never a problem. But that’s jumping too far ahead.

Flashback - While I was a teenager, I used to ride my bike a lot, especially up-and-down the monkey trails, as they were known. It was like riding a roller coaster on a bicycle. Up until then, I had never experienced so much fun. Even today, when I think about it, I still experience the adrenaline rush.

My First Memorable Experience

One of my most memorable experiences was St. Stephen’s Island, in Lake of the Woods Ontario, with the YMCA. We were young teenagers having lots of fun. I especially remember playing strip poker with about 7 other kids… I lost and had to run down the beach, buck naked. Now that was an adrenaline rush!  Another time we spent overnight on a remote island with the only roof, when we went to sleep at night, was the canoe that we came in. Of course, we hadn’t realized we put our sleeping bags right on top of an anthill… That was fun! We also told ghost stories that night. I don’t recall what they were. All I know is they were scary.

Alone and Afraid in the Bamaji Jungle

I could tell you a hundred stories of what happened to me in as a teenager and a young adult, but my favourite is what I call

Alone and Afraid in the Bamaji Jungle

Somewhat melodramatic, I know… but you’ll understand why as you read it.

The names and places have been changed to protect the innocent.

What I’m about to tell you…

is a story of adventure, danger, and intrigue, while I was working as a geologist for a mining company in the middle of the Bamaji Jungle.

So, try to stay with me… as I carry you along this journey… which had a profound impact on my life.

The scene can be best described with volcanoes and lava flows older than dinosaurs, hot and humid sundrenched forests thicker than the jungles of Borneo. I can’t forget the parasite-infested swamps and bugs bigger than any I’d seen before.  

To give you a sense of the danger, my most terrifying experience was the attack by killer wasps.

I only briefly remember brushing up against some loose shrub… And then the intense pain in my left hand as it swelled to the size of a softball. I had been stunned before… But never like this. I was alone in the middle of the jungle, paddling with a small boat back to safety. Obviously, I survived this… and other adventures. More about that later. Back to why I was here in the first place.

Couchtuner Williams Gold Mines hired me to… help find gold, nickel, copper, lead and other precious metals.

The experience was of initial apprehension.  I was introverted and afraid.

It was my first leadership role. I was had to learn new technical, delegation and leadership skills, all at once.

I was responsible for the success of a project I’ve never done before and the direction of 10 people I’d never met before.

In a very short period, I was thrust… from being an introvert on the inside… to an extrovert on the outside. It was like being 2 people that didn’t like each other very well. But eventually, they learn to get along.

There was let’s say… some humiliating experiences, craziness, and triumphs that helped shape my life.

The first humiliating experience was simply a lack of technical expertise… I did not drill a test hole deep enough, and my boss made me have the drillers redo it.

The second was perhaps more humiliating… was when I got lost. I had walked off in the areal map. My native guide had to lead me back to base camp.

At times we also got a little crazy. And as a leader, I should have known better.

While the crew was retelling ghost stories had told them, I snuck into the house where we were staying… screaming and scaring the living K out of a crew member. I was lucky… He managed to pull back his fist, which he had aimed squarely at my jaw.

In another incident, our kamikaze bush pilot strafed… less the gunfire, the house we’re staying in. The worst part was that I permitted him to do it while I was in the plane… and the others in the house. Again, lucky I am here, no one was hurt, and I didn’t go to jail.

On the positive side, I learned, like this story, we sometimes exaggerate or fears.

In reality, Bamaji is a lake in Ontario with thick bush, swamps, lakes, giant mosquitoes, black flies and yellow jacket wasps and long-dead volcanos and lava flows… 4 billion years old.  

Everything else is true, including the intense pain and size of the wasp sting. Though I survived… the year before, another crew member was not so lucky when he was swarmed and died. The dangers are REAL… If somewhat exaggerated. Despite the real risks, I learned to reduce my fear of trying new things. Learning from my mistakes… Treating them more as lessons rather than failures.

The most important lessons I learned were from the crew… about leadership. Such as…

• the importance of having a good team
• earning respect… and giving respect to the people who look up to me for direction
• when to empower them to lead.
• And most important… that I can lead.

Underneath my veneer, I am introverted, have real fears but learned I must push myself, get out of my own way, if I’m to continue to grow.

The 2 people inside me still have disagreements, but I’m happy to say that we’re learning to support each other more every day.

I obviously exaggerated and stretched the narrative, but like most legends, it’s based on fact, and I was in it.

If you want to learn more about the real story and where it really happened, reach out… I’d be happy to connect.

Leaving the Nest

You may surmise from my last adventure; I graduated as a geologist…  then moving to Calgary, Alberta, where I worked here in the Energy Industry for 25 years, where the adventure continued.

Early on, after moving to Calgary, I made some… let’s say interesting friends.

One, let’s call him R.D., was very outgoing and positive, but with a questionable compass. To protect the innocent…or not so innocent, in some of the stories I’m about to share, I’ll refrain from using real names. R.D. helped me escape my shell, a turning point in my life. Leading me to my formal introduction to networking and to some people, I wished I hadn’t met.

I continued, without much guidance, to make my own decisions…  some with negative consequences.

Through R.D., I met A.N., who sucked me into my first business venture.

What a disaster: a traumatic black hole…emotionally, financially and physically.

It involved some nasty stuff. The anxiety was nauseating. Even though, through behind the scenes actions ------------, everything worked out… I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. (In deference to my family, I’ve redacted some content. If you want to learn more, I’d be happy to share them with you in private.)

In another, not so traumatic event, I joined a group of similar “friends” in Canmore (a town west of Calgary), for a pot party. We had picked up 4 AWOL Queen’s Own Guards along the way. Their importance will become apparent shortly. My poison of the day was Apple Jack (pre-iPhone). I smoked no pot, other than the fog that filled the room – I guess that counts as smoking the stuff.

Soon into our little “happy party”, I heard a LOUD banging at the door. Three guesses and the first one doesn’t count. Well, you could have blown over with a puff of smoke…It was the RCMP (The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, for those across the pond who may not know, our version of the FBI). There may have been 3 or 4 not, sure.

It’s a RAID; Everyone Face Down on the Floor

Ok. No one said, “Everyone Face Down on the Floor”. I just put that in there, because I always wanted to say it. And…It sounded good for dramatic effect to get your attention. However, everything else I’ve said and I am about to say is true, to the best of my recollection.

As one coach told me...

Everything you believe is true until it isn’t

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

...it was total chaos. The RCMP officers were running throughout the house, tearing things apart, interviewing everyone. I think the landlord was flushing something down the toilet. The only calm, I recall was little-0L incent me sipping (I think I was sipping), on my Apple Jack.

SUDDENLY… the ruckus, noise, and chaos were BROKEN... by dead silence.

Until I looked up from my bottle of Apple Jack, I was numb to what had so immediately disrupted the party - the RCMP had created for themselves.

Remember the 4 AWOL Queen’s Own Guards and telling you how important they were to the story. One of the RCMP officers had just told everyone...

we’re leaving NOW!

It turned out that the last group of people they interviewed were those Queen’s Own Guards. It would have created a disastrous incident for the RCMP to be caught questioning them, potentially insulting the Queen.

So, they left… IMMEDIATELY. We were left to get back to our “happy party”.

To this day, I don’t know what the report in the RCMP said, or whatever happened to those Queen’s Own Guards. I think they may have been given some free pot…because they probably saved a lot of A***s.

Transformed and Transforming

I could probably write a book, just about my adventures.

• Like the Time an angry wind caused our helicopter to crash into the side of a mountain
• How we almost got socked in the mountains where it was a 10-mile walk through treacherous, fog-covered mountain paths - more like goat trails.
• How I almost got trapped on a steep mountain goat trail.

You might say that all my adventures, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes terrifying, helped shaped who I am, and continue to shape me, toady.

Our story is a living breathing organism, starting from our birth and follows us, and changes us along our journey. It includes the legacy we leave behind because our story doesn’t end with our passing, affecting those who may remember us.

Why I do What I Do

My story helped to form my character and led me to my career in the Energy Industry, where it did start to give me some direction and purpose…

... for refining my personal, strategic, and technical skills in developing systems… for helping businesses to simplify processes.

… leading me into marketing.

I know I enjoyed it, and still do, but until I reflected on my own story, I didn’t know why and worse… how.

I discovered very quickly that I sucked in helping anybody market anything… still looking for my own rudder.

My biggest problem was that I was not clear about how I could solve others’ problems. It put me DEEPER in debt and on more rabbit trails than I would care to name...

… Until I sought help form coaches…. to understand business and how to market myself… Never mind anybody else.

One of my coaches was David Shiang, who more than anyone else, influenced and accelerated my learning… where he turned on the firehose…

... introducing me to concepts and mentors.

It took me many months to develop a fundamental understanding of what marketing is all about… And I am still learning.

Now he is my partner, and I help companies convert more leads into sales.

The most important lesson I learned is that our customers have one favourite radio station, WIIFM...

What’s in it for me, ~Zig Ziglar.

I know now why I love what I do in helping businesses grow…  because I know what it’s like to be alone…  without the guidance we all need.

It energizes me every Time I create some breakthrough for someone who was struggling with some issue in their life or business - The reason I get up in the morning.

On closing, let me leave with my gratitude…

...to those who have allowed me to guide them on their journey as I gained wisdom from them along my journey

 ~ Rick