John's Blog

  Living Beyond the Box: Breaking Free from the Habits That Trap Us Have you ever felt stuck? Not physically, but mentally—trapped in the predictable patterns of daily life. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. But it’s also limiting. Living “inside the box” is about following routines that protect us from discomfort yet keep us from experiencing growth, excitement, or purpose. Living beyond the box requires courage. It means challenging the habits, fears, and mindsets that keep us confined. In this blog, we’ll explore four things that keep people trapped and offer four strategies—plan, principles, persistence, and purpose—to help you break free. What Keeps Us Inside the Box? 1. Fear of Failure Fear is one of the strongest barriers to change. Whether it’s fear of embarrassment, rejection, or the unknown, it convinces us that staying where we are is safer than taking risks. For example, think of the countless people who dream of starting their own business but never try because they’re afra...

  10 Skills to Carry the Average Person Beyond 2025 It’s no secret that the world is shifting faster than we can say "AI." Technology is advancing at breakneck speed, industries are reshaping, and the skills that served us a decade ago are no longer enough.  For parents guiding teenagers or business owners leading teams, the question is no longer, "What’s next?" but rather, "Are we ready for what’s next?" So, what skills do we need to thrive beyond 2025? These aren’t just hard technical abilities; they’re soft skills that are adaptable, universal, and timeless. Let’s unpack the top 10 skills you or your teenager need to navigate the future. 1. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Imagine two equally qualified candidates are up for promotion. One knows how to write flawless reports, but the other understands how to manage team conflicts, inspire peers, and handle criticism with grace. Who gets the job? EQ is the X-factor that turns good leaders into great ones...

Aligning Policies and Procedures: Why "My Policies Don’t Match the Procedures on the Ground" is a Red Flag for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses In the world of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), owners juggle countless priorities—sales, operations, customer relations, and compliance, to name a few.  In the hustle of running a business, many overlook one crucial aspect: ensuring that their policies match the procedures carried out daily. As a safety consultant, I wish I had a quarter for every time a business owner or a manager said that the work they do is very different from the policies on file. This is concerning for many reasons.  This disconnect puts the business owner at risk and has an effect on operational efficiency, posing severe operational, legal, and financial risks. Although this issue is particularly obvious around safety management, where the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), 85 of 1993 , requires a thorough alignment between safety policies...

  The Power of Focus: The Game-Changer for Success in 2025 Success is built on four unshakeable pillars: clarity, focus, momentum, and influence. Of these, focus is the keystone, the one that holds everything else together. Without it, your momentum falters, your influence wavers, and your vision blurs into a distant dream.  Focus is the fuel that powers action and the light that cuts through the chaos. If you’re a business owner or someone with a big goal in 2025, focus isn’t just important—it’s your superpower. Why Focus is the Cornerstone of Success Let me ask you something. How often do you feel like you’re juggling too many balls at once? Meetings, emails, social media, family obligations, that new business idea you’ve been dreaming of—it’s like you’re spinning plates, praying none of them shatter.  Here’s the hard truth: scattered energy leads to scattered results. Focus sharpens your actions like a laser. It aligns your energy, time, and resources toward what t...

  The Buzz About Bees: Why Our Survival Depends on Them Imagine a world without apples, almonds, coffee, or even chocolate. Unsettling, isn't it? These staples of our diets, along with countless other fruits, vegetables, and nuts, depend on the unassuming yet extraordinary pollinators we call bees. Despite their small size, bees play an outsized role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and supporting human life. However, these industrious creatures are facing severe challenges, and it’s up to us to ensure their survival—and ours. A Keystone Species Bees, particularly honeybees, are often referred to as keystone species. This term means that their activities are crucial to the health and sustainability of ecosystems. Bees pollinate about 75% of the world's flowering plants, including more than 130 types of fruits and vegetables. Without bees, many plants would fail to reproduce, leading to cascading effects throughout the food web. Animals that depend on these plants wou...