“Dear Wheat… Peace out yo.”
My grocery bill just went up significantly. Worse of all, there were certain things in my grocery list that I can’t say I’m super stoked about. And to add to it, there were definitely some things missing that I love to eat.
Today is day one of a wheat-free diet.
A few months ago, I was having a chat with a friend named Brydon, an impressive guy who lives in the entrepreneurial world. Brydon mentioned that he gave up grains and found that his energy levels were considerably higher. I did some research and it seemed to me that our consumption of grains, especially in the western world, is quite unnecessary.
Necessity is where my thought process continued to be.
When I order food, which I do at least once a day and normally twice, I’m ordering the food that I like the most. If I think about food as a necessity though, then I’m eating a lot of things that I don’t need to eat, and I’m also not eating everything I probably should be eating.
From Brydon, it went on to a conversation with Dean Hughes, who also encouraged the grain-free diet. Then it was Ashlee Cunsolo Willox who encouraged me next. The neat thing is that these people are some of the most productive people I know.
The research continued and led to me deciding to take a stab at a wheat-free diet. By looking at food more as fuel, it’s easy to see that wheat is a food that makes the body tired (through digestion) and doesn’t offer a great deal of nutritional value. By cutting wheat out of my diet, I’m hoping for more consistent energy levels through the day.
There’s also another aspect to it, which is that I’m excited to be cooking at home and to be challenged to come up with food I like to eat that don’t use wheat. While my grocery expenses may have just gone up, I’m quite certain it doesn’t compare to the amount I’ll save by not eating out as much.
So, if you’re a busy body and find yourself going through odd energy cycles, you may want to also consider a diet change. For me personally, I’m willing to make the adjustment if it means more balanced energy, better sleep at night, and an overall improvement in my food intake.
Today, I bought eggs (which I don’t particular enjoy eating) and gluten-free pasta. Crackers were quite a challenge as well, I unfortunately have a bad feeling about the one’s I bought. On the other hand, I was excited to see that there are gluten-free chips out there. I found myself moving away from cereals and breads, and immediately ended up with much healthier breakfast choices.
This is definitely an adjustment that will take some getting used to. It likely will impact my Mom and Dad as well, who often will surprise me with a cooked meal. But, in any case, I’m pumped to be shifting the diet and will be monitoring the progress. As for an ending note, I’ll say this.
Dear Wheat,
Pizza, burgers, breaded shrimp, chicken fingers, Tostito’s, bread with balsamic and olive oil, donuts, bagels, and, more than all else, poutine… These are the things that just won’t be the same without you.
I’ll live.
Peace out yo.
Abid
QRWFHT.. there’s more to it than money!
I have been working hard on a paper over the course of this semester. It is aimed at entrepreneurs, specifically those leading start-up organizations.
I’m lucky enough to know many entrepreneurs and am so grateful for it. Whether it be Ryan, Paige, Rob, Kanika, Tenille, Brian, Daniel, Joey, Michael, Derek, Nate, Donna, my amazing mother Yasmin, or anybody else chasing after some sort of entrepreneurial dream, you can pick any and I can genuinely speak highly of them.
My paper is aimed at the likes of them and others engaged in entrepreneurship. I focus specifically on those so passionate about innovation that they are interested in what kind of working environments foster creativity, and then what kind of strategies in leadership create such environments.
In my mind, entrepreneurship is a beautiful thing. It involves critical thinking, the potential to alleviate problems around the world, opportunity to shape society, and innovation.
I won’t name names here for the sake of not causing more problems, but I had a meeting today with two individuals. One of them I consider a friend and despite a very long day of charity work and school work, I promised to meet him and his business partner about a company they are working on. He’s young, just finishing high school. The other was 27, quite charismatic and passionate.
The business is ACN Inc., a multi-level marketing company that provides phone service, television, energy, etc. through independent sales agents. The pyramid concept being applied 100%, where sales agents recruit others, much like many other direct selling companies around the world. This is the 3rd or 4th time I have been approached by one of these companies to take on a product or service, build my own team, and get rich quick.
After watching a five minute video that was remnant of infomercials and propaganda, not to mention that it had Trump’s face plastered all over it, I gave my feedback. It wasn’t positive.
First, I spoke to the failure rate that exists in these type of business activities. Second, I described my skepticism of the attempt at grabbing a service based ‘recession proof’ business opportunity, considering the complexities and volatility of such market. Third, I described how I didn’t feel that this is something I would ever want connected with me, because it’s not in line with my perception of what entrepreneurship is all about.
My criticism was harsh, especially to two people who were meeting me to talk about a business in a positive light. Nonetheless, the younger of the two specifically asked to meet with me because he knew I would be analytical and wanted my opinion. He took my feedback in stride, though the older one didn’t.
I sat through stories of being called onto stage with Donald Trump, descriptions of a $600 billion industry, and the ability to have both time and money. I’ll be honest, after a day spent writing, I was quick with my critique and while I repeated congratulated this man on his 5-month success, I explained that these sorts of companies have multiple sides. With a quick search, I noticed that ACN has had multiple law suits filed against them and considerable media and articles relating to the words ‘scam’ and ‘fraudulent’.
The 27 year old boasted of being a mentor to a team of approximately fifty individuals, each of whom he had recruited, including my friend. I definitely think it’s an impressive feat to recruit so many and speaks to his passion and recent success. Still, I made it clear to my friend that most people who get involved in this sort of activity do not experience such success in a few short months. I reiterated that I had no desire to get involved, but said if he sent me information, I would pass it along to a couple others who I know have had positive experiences in similar business opportunities.
I’m being rather diplomatic here. Let’s break this down a bit. The conversation was one in which I felt wildly disrespected as I was asked for an opinion and then literally cursed at for having one. I was repeated challenged on my credibility and my understanding of business. I had eyes rolled at me, sarcasm, and money used as a measure of successful entrepreneurship.
At the end of it, I shook both their hands and was happy for it to finish. The waitress even came by after asking what that was all about. Reflecting about it, I was most bothered by the fact that the terms mentorship and entrepreneurship were being used so openly.
I have been so lucky to have mentors in the past few years who have genuinely helped me become a better person. They have worked on my flaws with me, told me the harsh truths, challenged me, and encouraged me. This weekend, I had a meeting with a newly assigned mentor and actually asked her if she was being paid for her role as a mentor. I asked this because mentorship, I believe, should not be driven by money. The idea that at ACN, mentorship is the language used to describe the relationship between a 27 year old salesman and a much younger sales recruit feels wrong. How can one mentor another when they are personally profiting from the mentee taking a certain direction?
As for the language of entrepreneurship, I felt it was a term being cheated. To begin, my opinion is that money is potentially a measure of successful enterprise or business, but not of entrepreneurship. Being an entrepreneur involves taking risks, being innovative, and finding new solutions to problems. Paying $500 for ‘overhead fees’ and then being a salesman and taking commission is not my definition of an entrepreneur. That’s like asking me to pay for my own training at SportChek, paying me commission when I make a sale, and letting me pick my own hours. I don’t think that being a sales associate at SportChek makes somebody an entrepreneur, there is no causal link there.
After the meeting, I ended up calling two people, Ryan Lessard and Dean Hughes. After talking with them, I was considerably calmer than when I was in that meeting. In a quick amount of time, I was reminded that there are those out there who are not in business just for the money, who are passionate about creation and innovation, and who have such a high level of integrity that they would never manipulate others in the spirit of a paycheque.
I think many companies like ACN and other multi-level marketing firms can be spotty, for lack of a better word. I think they can create a corporate culture that feeds on greed, which I feel is detrimental to our society. Using aggressive marketing tactics and targeting individuals who want a ‘get-rich-quick-scheme’, often those who are desperate, these companies can embody values that I simply don’t agree with. No, not all of them are awful. Some are brilliant and do great work. Not all people involved are bad people, many are faced with such circumstance that they end up in such companies.
I have personally observed that they target youth, unemployed, single, and/or uneducated individuals. I think this is a recruiting strategy. I think it’s a smart one for the company. They find people who have the motivation to work extremely hard, have the time to do it… and just in case they fail, the company still profits.
I know that not everyone is in business for the same reason and there are certainly those who care about one thing above all else, profit. Perhaps I am naive or maybe my idealism is blinding me, but I feel and I am often surrounded by others that feel there is more to business.
It’s not fair to simply dislike those who are in business solely to make money because, for all I know, they are using that money in the most noble of ways. I will say this though, I dislike manipulation of people, convincing people that they can get rich quick, and that there is an easy way through life. It’s like the lottery, except the stakes are much higher and the sacrifices people make are much worse.
Goodness, so much negativity. I haven’t had a rant like this in some time.
To those of you out there who value creativity, innovation, ideas, dignity of people, entrepreneurship, and the idea that a ‘job’ isn’t just about money, I seriously thank you. I often say that I have faith in humanity and it is because of people like you.
What you have to offer to this world cannot be measured.
Share your ideas.
Inspire others.
Time for bed.
PS: If you made it this far, am I being stupid? Is this being pedantic? Is this overly idealistic? What are your motivations for being an entrepreneur? Please comment here on the blog – all feedback appreciated. Thx for reading such a long rant lol
Robocall Steve
I normally stay out of political stuff and straight up, it’s with the hope of people not associating me with a political viewpoint. I find it outrageous that if somebody is associated with a party, then that means that that person must feel a certain way about various complex issues.
I was fortunate enough over the past few days to spend some time with a class at the University of Guelph, taught by Ashlee Cunsolo Willox. A class about climate change, after a semester of learning about it, wanted to move into action. Inspired by votemob, they created a campaign and got people talking.
This should be the point of school. Teach lessons, inspire people, move into action. They organized a day called Robocall Steve, an opportunity to remind the country that Guelph has been a source for positive political action, not just embarrassing election tactics.
The phone call is widespread, with a message about wanting to be a leader in climate change, not a loser. While some who came out were headstrong anti-Harperists, I also think some were not the lefty Sir left that most associate all of Guelph with. These were simply people in Guelph, and some who came from Norwell, coming together to deliver a message to our Prime Minister. Mr. Harper, these people gathered to make sure you know that they care about the climate issues. Please hear them, their message is important and their method is admirable.
That’s all I’ve got.
UNIV 1200 – it’s been a pleasure.
Fortunately, Winter is coming.
My brain hurts. Seriously, it is physically in pain. Subtle, off to the back left side, quietly throbbing.
I hate that I had to do it, but I requested (and was kindly granted) an extension on my major paper about tribal leadership in start-up organizations. Things have been hectic this past couple weeks…
I Have Hope’s logo development process is coming along smoothly, thanks so much to those of you who contributed feedback! We have two full time coop students from Sheridan College that finish up next month, but interns starting this summer. One for sure, hopefully a couple others if all works out well. We wanted to do a big launch this weekend but it has been postponed a month so that we can really rock it out properly. A film that we’re working with CANFAR on is in pre-production right now, while another short goes into production tomorrow. It’s intensely busy at the organization and I’m just counting down the days to the end of school, so that Nathan (our CFO) and I can go full-time and be focused.
An idea for a revenue source has been sparked and I’m working on a grant competition application at the moment. It’s not gonna be my greatest work, unfortunately, due to the rushed timeline, but hopefully it gets us into the semi-finals. Winning the competition would give us enough start-up funds to develop a great program and great revenue source.
This weekend, I’m excited that my brother and his girlfriend Amelia, along with quite a bit of other family, will be around to celebrate my Mom’s wedding. I’ve found myself wildly and painfully inundated with ‘tasks’ and ‘to do lists’ for the wedding, but soon that will be done. I’m so very pumped and happy for my Mom and Karim!
In other news, there’s a bunch of things calling my brain’s attention. Mayor’s Leadership Group in Guelph, update meeting with Mayor Halloran of Waterloo, meeting the HIV activists behind Positive Lite, a Guelph screening of Start With Us, working with Me To We on a smaller industry screening in Toronto, youth designated public space in Guelph, Turn and Punch Productions, Robocall Stephen Harper, and of course… a social life of some sort.
May 1st cannot come fast enough. Fortunately, just in time, Winter is coming. The new season of Game of Thrones starts on Sunday and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a television show since the days of Boston Legal. These days, Game of Thrones is a chance for me to completely dive into another world and get lost. Every episode, I find inspiring and compelling. If you haven’t watched the show, I suggest you check it out.
Until the next time I need to clear my head, I bid thee well.
Cheers!
Guelph Mercury, Chris Seto, March 26, 2012
GUELPH — The student community that brought Stephen Harper a vote mob is aiming to deliver him a robocall.
At least 16 students at the University of Guelph are making Prime Minister Stephen Harper a contact in their cellphones.
The first-year students have a bone to pick with the way Canada is handling issues surrounding climate change and they plan on making their voices heard.
On April 4, a group of students will be staging an event called Robocall Steve for Climate Action, in hopes of getting a large number of people to call the Prime Minister’s Office with a message: Make Canada a climate leader, not a climate loser.
The group took their inspiration from their first-year seminar course called Cool heads for a hot planet: Canada and climate change.
“We can’t just sit here and learn about all the bad things that are happening in Canada, or what Canada isn’t doing, and then not do anything about it,” said student Kayley Langdon.
Although referred to as “robocall Steve day,” the calls will be made by individual students, not from an automatic dialer like what was used during the last federal election.
The instructor of the course, Ashlee Cunsolo Willox said the script of the phone call is general and straight-forward, leaving out any specific targets or demands. This way, most Canadians can get behind the message.
“It’s not an anti-conservative or anti-Harper event — it’s a call to all leaders,” she said. “Stephen Harper just happens to be in power now.”
She acknowledged the usual route Canadians take in contacting MP Frank Valeriote, but she said he already champions these issues.
“Why preach to the choir when you can call directly?” she said.
To help organize the event and spread the word, the class turned to Abid Virani, an international development student at the U of G who agreed to help produce a video of the day.
He said the video will be shot and produced with professional gear, with hopes of the message spreading viral online.
“The idea here is not just to create buzz,” he said. “We want to bring positive energy to the dialogue.”
Tyler White said he’s learned some things about climate change in the course that scare him a bit, but he says the issues are not being looked at anymore. The robocall mob is an opportunity for climate change to be put back on the top of the pile.
“I’ve never felt so socially engaged,” he said. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I can affect change.
“Nobody seems to be talking about it, and it’s not like it goes away if it’s not talked about.”
The event will take place one year after the successful vote mob at the university, a youth movement that inspired more than 1,500 students to vote. The vote mob trend was picked up at other universities and went on to make national and international headlines.
Cunsolo Willox said she hopes the robocall event will have the same kind of success.
The class is inviting members of the public to join them in calling the prime minister at 1 p.m. The group will be meeting up behind the University Centre at the cannon, with music, entertainment and a phone booth shaped like a robot.
To reach the Prime Minister’s Office, the number is 1-613-992-4211 and is toll-free from anywhere in Canada.
When people finish making the call and reading the standard script, they will be asked to sign a chart, which will then be sent to Ottawa.
White said he hopes the event will show government leaders that Canadian youth are watching their actions closely.
“We have to live with the decision that are made,” he said. “It’s our future.”
“As long as it’s not brushed under the carpet, it would be a huge victory,” White said.
Published in the Guelph Mercury, March 14, 2012
There are approximately 80,000 registered charitable organizations in Canada, and more than 40 per cent of them are operated entirely by volunteers.
Charities employ nearly two million Canadians, and in 2006, Canadians donated a total of $8.5 billion to charities. I found it staggering to learn that this $8.5 billion in donations, plus government funding, add up to nearly 70 per cent of charitable organization budgets.
As a Canadian, I am passionate about our country’s role in philanthropic efforts. But the unfortunate truth is that sustaining philanthropic efforts is very challenging, especially during economic downturns. While it’s part of daily life for Canadians to give to charitable organizations, it’s the easiest thing to cut back on when the economy turns bad. And during such difficult economic times, governments are also forced to cut back, and charities are then left ill-prepared to sustain themselves.
Today, government, humanitarian organizations, and entrepreneurs are trying to change the dependency charities have on personal donations and the government. Now, we are seeing the popularization of a newer model — the social enterprise. It is in this new model that other challenges Canada is currently facing may find some resolution.
Since I first gained interest in philanthropic efforts, I have been an avid supporter of Free The Children. In 2008, the founders of that organization, Marc and Craig Kielburger, launched a for-profit company called Me to We. The company sells socially responsible products and offers travelling opportunities for youth.
To date, more than $11 million has been provided from the social enterprise to Free The Children. In 2011, Free The Children was named one of Canada’s top employers for young people, and this has certainly been made possible with the support of social enterprise.
A social enterprise can be structured as either a for-profit company or a non-profit organization. It is an entity that applies business strategy to achieve philanthropic goals. For charities, a social enterprise is an opportunity to decrease dependency on government grants and personal donors. The partnership and integration of a social enterprise in charity is perhaps the greatest opportunity that philanthropic organizations have to be sustainable. In some cases, it may be the only chance for some organizations to survive an economic recession.
The Canadian Revenue Agency has indicated that charities can operate for-profit business activities if they are “linked to a charity’s purpose” and “subordinate to that purpose.”
Young Canadians are passionate about having an impact on the world, but we also want to buy homes, pay off our student debt, and put our education to work. In social enterprise lies not only an opportunity to sustain philanthropic efforts and minimize dependency, but to also employ young Canadians.
During the Great Recession, 175,000 Canadian youth have left the workforce. I have many friends who have graduated with honours degrees, master’s degrees, and teaching diplomas who are all working outside of their specialty. I also have friends who are working 12-hour days in the corporate world, finding themselves increasingly dissatisfied with healthy paychecks, despite being stimulated in competitive working environments.
Social enterprise offers the opportunity to create rewarding, sustainable, and stimulating working environments for Canada’s youth. It also has the opportunity to sustain philanthropic organizations, meaning that personal donors could save more and the government could be depended upon less.
While Ottawa works hard to identify the legal constructs necessary to support such activity, we are already seeing widespread success in social enterprise, as exemplified by Free The Children’s partnership with Me to We.
It is time for charity to be redefined and it is time for charities to be held increasingly accountable for creating dependency. Some industries and businesses require support from the government in their infant stage, but the support cannot continue indefinitely. Charities understand the role of self-sustainability, as it is often the goal of the work that charities do.
Now is the time that charities ought to apply the same methodology to their own funding, and move toward social enterprise and sustainability.
Resolved: It’s time to push harder.
When Start With Us came out in December, I crashed. It was natural and almost expected. The immediate crash involved days in bed, some very tearful conversations, and a body in revolt of poor treatment. The worse part was the impact on my mind as creative energies seemed extinguished, or even drowned.
About a month ago, three months later, I started feeling increasingly passionate, excited, determined, and ready. I was resurfacing.
Well, now that I gear up for my birthday, I feel that I have resurfaced.
So what’s coming?
I Have Hope is at a crossroads. We have an amazing team working everyday to further our goals and work towards our vision. Our vision is exciting and while we work on getting better at communicating it, those who know it truly love it. When I met Craig Kielburger when I was younger, I told him an idea and it sparked this organization. Yesterday, we met again, and he drilled me on my pitch to corporations, foundations, grant readers, and VCs. He offered advice on what we need to work on, how to focus our resources, and also what not to worry about just yet. He reassured me that the direction we are taking is the right one and that we’re on to something special.
The next six months are going to pivotal for I Have Hope in establishing itself, as well as sustaining itself. With partnerships being developed with Me to We, CANFAR, and other organizations, I feel incredibly excited about where things are moving. I am also excited about the potential reach of our materials, how incredibly Connect Cambodia went, and about the team that building at I Have Hope.
I Have Hope is moving in the right direction. We know what we need to do in coming days, months, and even years.
The first challenge: surviving the next month.
The work load at the moment is crazy.
Trying to balance I Have Hope and school has become the hardest that it’s ever been. Today, I sat down with Dean Hughes of the CME at the University of Guelph to go over a paper proposal. On Thursday, I have a third year paper due. On Saturday, I’ll be alongside Trillium Foundation and some incredibly inspiring social entrepreneurs to talk to grant evaluators and Trillium members about changes in the public benefit sector. On Friday next week, a draft of my paper for Dean Hughes about Tribal Leadership in Start-Up Organizations is due. Tomorrow happens to be my birthday and the Persian New Years, which my family celebrates. In about ten days, Mom gets married and family visits. By April 2nd, a social enterprise business plan grant application is due. Exams hit and another paper comes by.
If this all had come this way just one month ago, I probably would have been completely overwhelmed. But, instead, I feel like it’s time. This coming month is going to be testing me for the hardworking months ahead.
It’s time to step it up.
While I personally dubbed the year of 21 as the year that was supposed to be the best yet, the most fun, and the most exciting (which it was), I am taking a different direction for this coming year.
I’m ready for the most productive year of my life, where I truly commit 100% (without any distraction) to I Have Hope, to developing a sustainable revenue model alongside an incredible team, and working towards our vision. Time for risk, time for sixty-hour work-weeks, time for focus.
Two other focuses for the coming year are as follows:
- Finish projects that haven’t been completed. Specifically, it’s time to finish writing the book.
- Health as a whole. When school finishes, I may start a no-wheat diet, which I want to compliment with an active gym regiment. I’m not trying to get tanked (because, that could obviously happen, right?), but it’s time to get back into shape and specifically, it’s time to beat my big brother in a footrace.
I will not run myself down, I promise I’ve learned from that in the past. This coming year, I will strategically be pushing myself physically to get in better shape, and similarly pushing myself artistically and intellectually to make a difference.
Friends and family… I hope you understand and I hope you can continue to put up with me! Your support, love, friendship, and constructive criticism are all key to every single little victory along the way.
Time to rock it out.
A.
Birthday time!
Yep, that’s right… It’s nearly done.
When I turned 21, I promised myself that it would be the best year I’d had so far. It was. Simply put, it really was.
It also came with a fair share of challenges but at the end of it all, I have very few regrets over this past year.
Last year, many dear friends and family donated blood as a Birthday gift to me. Well, to end 21 on a bang, I thought I would upload this video and set the goal for this birthday at 22 blood donations.
Step-by-Step To Make Birthday Gift Contribution:
- Call 1-888-2-DONATE
- Book an appointment
- Comment on YouTube video or Facebook so I know you’re donating with the date of your appointment!
- When you go to donate, ask for your contribution to go towards “Partners For Life – ABID011652”
- Let me know how it went after you’re all done!
Video of my friend Amanda donating blood as a birthday gift last year:
http://youtu.be/368Zr6twwBo
Dishing Out Thoughts
I’ve long used writing as a way to clear my head. So here goes that.
1. In a time where so many around the world are fighting for democracy, Canada is breaking the rules of it. I don’t really care about what individual is responsible, the simple truth is that Canada is quickly becoming a place that I’m less proud of. Whether it be our climate actions, our robo-call issues, our attention to aboriginal communities… I’m just upset. We’re quick to put the spotlight else in the world, but we really need to pay attention to our own country as well. There is value in leading, but more in leading by example.
2. KONY2012 is inspiring, but not perfect. There’s a lot of fake facts being used in arguments all over the web and it’s tiresome. I wish Invisible Children the best of luck and congratulate them on engaging millions into a dialogue about something that nobody seemed to be talking about.
3. Paper due tomorrow at midnight. Want to finish it by 7pm. My mind is exhausted today, so tomorrow will be an intense day of writing. Early to bed, early to start, going to pump through it. I really wish I could dive into school differently than I am right now. I should consider taking a single class this semester and actually keep up with readings.
4. Last night was a blast.
5. Work hard. Play hard. Trying to live by it, wow it’s hard!
6. Considering giving up wheat as a whole, though vegetarianism is becoming an intriguing idea as well, especially considering the recent Harvard study.
7. Trying to get a screening of Start With Us in Guelph is turning out to be quite challenging. I hope the community likes the film. I really hope so.
It’s time to rest. Human Impact on the Environment, I shall see you tomorrow.
Thoughts unloaded, nice.
Shit People Say About AIDS
I’m thrilled somebody made this video. Kudos to Poz.
