Discover Saint John

Introducing Victoria Clarke

Victoria Clarke has an enviable job for all of those who live and love Saint John, New Brunswick. Back in July, Victoria took the job as Executive Director of Discover Saint John, the destination marketing organization for the place that the Boiling Point calls home. For many, Saint John is a city you drive past on the highway on your way to other destinations. However, for those in the know, Saint John is a hidden gem consisting of authentic, genuine people, unique surroundings, and quaint businesses and services. Like Victoria says, Saint John is like the prettiest girl at the dance with low self-esteem; sometimes those who live in the city forget just how great they have it.

Part of Victoria’s mandate is to encourage those in the business world to bring their conferences and annual general meetings to Saint John. The city is a terrific spot for such events because of the close proximity of hotels, world-class restaurants, activities, and some of the most welcoming people you could find. Those who come in from the bigger cities are impressed with all this little place can offer in convenience and quality.

Check out Boiling Point this week for a love-in for the city we hold so dear, Saint John.

In this episode

• Dave starts us out with a little story about running into Victoria in a hotel parking lot.
• We talk about what we love about the city of Saint John and what makes the city so unique.
• Greg makes a pitch to sell his waterfront cottage in Quispamsis.
• Victoria reminds us of some of the great activities and sights that tourists and stay-cationers can take part in.
• We talk about the unique personality of the city and its people.
• Victoria reminds all Saint Johners to be ambassadors of their city.
• She also tells us how Discover Saint John can be an asset to planning your unique event.
• Everyone shares one of their own quirky Saint John finds.

Links

- Discover Saint John website

- Discover Saint John YouTube

- Discover Saint John Facebook

- Discover Saint John Twitter

Understanding DisAbilities

Introducing Shawn Smith

Shawn Smith grew up believing he was a dumb kid. Though he tried in school, he didn’t receive the marks he had hoped for. He failed grade eight and made 32 attempts to complete his 18 credits for high school. It wasn’t until the age of 30, that he was finally diagnosed with ADHD and was given a prescription for Ritalin that he realized that his difficulties were not from a lack of motivation but a lapse in communication.

Shawn has since received his masters’ degree in education and counseling and fights the stigma of disability with his organization, Don’t Dis My Ability. He now helps families, individuals, and companies that deal with the issue of disability with a message that it isn’t motivation that is lacking but communication. He offers tools to those that are currently struggling with disability, which can turn a problem into an opportunity with an asset-based mentality. Tune into this week’s episode of the Boiling Point to hear how we are all brilliant in our own way.

In this episode

• We recognize the importance of National Inclusion Month.
• Shawn tells his story of growing up thinking something was wrong with him and how it all changed with his diagnosis at age 30.
• Shawn explains what he means by saying it isn’t what is wrong with him but what is right.
• He explains why often there is not an absence of motivation but proper communication.
• We hear a tale of an employee that Shawn worked with in New Brunswick, and the amazing turn-around that happened.
• Shawn explains a few of the tools he uses to produce results.
• He explains what he means by an asset-based mentality.
• Shawn also tells us about apps and animations being developed along side previous BP guest Gene Fowler.
• We also hear about a camp for children with learning disabilities that Shawn is currently working on.
• Dave is moved by Shawnn’s ability to share a story in order to help people understand an issue.
• Greg believes that employers need to continue to educate themselves and always strive for empathy with their employees and that everyone is brilliant in their own way.

Links

- Don't Dis My Ability

- Gene Fowler's BP Episode

The Era of Creative Leadership

Introducing Nelson Cabral

Businesses that specialize in the creative understand that a creative leadership style can be very advantageous to a company culture. However, this leadership style can often be missing in in traditional industries. The old-style, top-down leadership structure of the past just isn’t working anymore for some businesses and the old guard of traditional leaders is looking for an innovative approach to change their company cultures.

Nelson Cabral is one of the people leading the charge to change the way we lead. Nelson spent many years traversing the different creative industries. He was a former creative director at an advertising firm, a film director, and even a musical theatre leading man. Now, Nelson is a public speaker, trainer and seminar leader, and his company Cabral Creative is teaching the skills of creative leadership to numerous companies. 

A study from IBM a few years back surveyed CEOs from around the world found that creativity was the number one, most important quality from any leader. Tune into this week’s Boiling Point to find out how you and your organization could improve with creative leadership.

In this episode

• Nelson suggests a new way for Greg and Dave to greet our guests.
• We hear how Nelson is a creative leadership triple threat and what his over two-decade experience in the advertising business taught him about creativity.
• We discuss how EVERYONE can be creative, not just “creative-types”.
• Nelson explains how many leaders get stuck in their typical way of leading which is predictable and risk-adverse.
• We distinguish what creative leadership looks like.
• Nelson brings us through his “Creative Storm” and how it aids in changing company culture.
• He tells us that leaders need to set the stage for creativity but not necessarily perform on it.
• We discuss why creative leadership is so important now and some examples of those leading the creative leadership charge.
• Dave is impressed with Nelson’s energetic approach and how the coaching approach can be very similar to the creative leadership approach.
• Dave also notes that it may be easier to change your current company culture than to just move on to somewhere else.
• Greg emphasizes how everyone can be creative, not just “creative-types”.

Links

- Cabral Creative 

- NelsonCabral.ca

- Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull 

Where your passions will take you

Introducing Mark Hemmings

Almost every younger brother looks up to his older sibling, and there is no exception in the Hemmings family. Greg’s older brother, Mark, shaped his likes, choices, and life. They shared similar interests and even found themselves in similar industries coincidentally.

Mark is an internationally renowned photographer that specializes in travel, fashion, commercial, and architectural photography. In 1997, Mark was a student at the University of New Brunswick-Saint John, when he was hired by the university to travel to Japan to recruit English-as-a-second-language students. Mark turned out to be a horrible recruiter, but left the country with a new passion. Mark had started taking pictures, really, for the first time in his life and fell in love with the art. Photography is a passion that he falls in love with more each and every day.

Mark now works around the world at his craft and was also able to fuse two more of his passions into his career, which are travel and teaching.   Mark holds photography workshops around the world for those of any skill level and piece of equipment. His workshops span the gamut; his students travel to such places as Mexico, Japan, Eastern Europe, and South Korea.

Check out this week’s episode to learn how you can turn your passion into your career.

In this episode 

• We hear how Greg and Mark got into very similar industries completely separately.
• Mark tells us how a trip to Japan changed the course of his life.
• He tells us how he got is start in photography in the movie industry.
• Mark tells us how he teaches students how to capture amazing images regardless of their skill level or type of equipment.
• He tells us about how his love of photography grows every day.
• We hear how Greg is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, and how Mark seems to be a master of anything he touches.
• Mark tells us how technology changes in the photography industry keep his passion fueled.
• He also explains how his work must always honor the people, city, and culture of the places he photographs and about his favorite gig in Transylvania.
• Dave admires Mark’s spiritual side and how he uses his art to change the world.
• Greg believes that you don’t have to be a professional to get that great feeling and results of art and that technology has little to do with the output of art.

Links

- MarkHemmings.com

- Mark's Instagram

- Mark's Twitter

- Mark's Facebook