A career advice column by a workplace consultant and career coach.
12 CORPORATISM:
Jim Blasingame says the marketplace is not comprised of just fear and greed.
SEPTEMBER 2025
T2 AT A GLANCE
A look at the AI Revolution and how Canadians are taking control of their health.
2 CROSSWORD
Take a coffee break from work and challenge yourself with our crossword.
3 ESSEX ECONOMICS
A series of guest columns by business executives on various trends in the region.
6 PRIME PROPERTY
A look at recent commercial property transfers in the city of Windsor .
7 PRIME PROPERTY
A look at recent commercial property transfers in Essex and Chatham-Kent area.
8 PRIME HOME
A look at residential property sales in Essex County and Chatham-Kent.
10 BUILDING PERMITS
A compilation of construction activity in the Windsor and area market.
11 START UPS
Newly incorporated firms launched in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.
wo local guys have “come home” by taking over the Tilbury-based Waterfront Marina at the mouth of the Thames River and Lake St. Clair. The area, also known as Lighthouse Cove, has been a nautical paradise for decades with numerous marine-related businesses, including the Luken and Cove marinas and Thames River Yacht Club. The Lighthouse Conservation Area is also there.
Gerry O’Neil and Dave Bishop are the new proprietors, who purchased the almost four-acre marina for $2.1 million last summer from the Williams family.
“Dave and I have both grown up on boats. We’ve had experience working at marinas in the past, and it’s been our dream to be entrepreneurs and go into business together,” O’Neil said. “This was a great opportunity to work around our passions of being on the water with boats and customer service.”
Continued on page 4
Gerry O’Neil, left, and Dave Bishop, recently purchased the Waterfront Marina in Tilbury.
By Ron Stang
AT A GLANCE
JUST THE FACTS:
• A recent study showed wellness is becoming the unit by which prosperity and progress are measured.
• The study found 71 percent of Canadians agree that Canadians’ health care needs will soon outpace what the publicly funded system can provide.
• It’s predicted that by 2050, Canadians may be getting more health guidance from AI systems, chatbots and wearable algorithms than from human clinicians.
• Fifty percent of Canadians surveyed agree that virtual health care plays an important role in our health care system.
• Sixty four percent of Canadians are nervous about AI, and only 25 percent believe it will improve their health over the next five years.
• Even physicians are wary, as 79 percent lack confidence in AI's ability to protect patient confidentiality.
• While 85 percent of Canadians don't want to fall behind other countries in health care technology, they're simultaneously the most skeptical among 30 nations surveyed about AI's benefits.
Use of technology such as AI to assist health care professionals
Cues or prevention of diseases
Access to mental health support
The availability of quality health care providers
Wait times for health care
The out-of-pocket cost of health care for me and my family
Source: Ipsos August 2025.
BUSINESS BOOST
“It’s time to make your product. My One Simple Thing – that is, your MOST. Now that you have it, what do you do with it?
“The idea stage has passed, and you need to go into the reality stage. You need to ensure your idea actually works, actually functions, and can do what you think it can. But how do you establish that?
“Start by asking yourself some questions, including these: How do I make it a reality? How do I make a working sample? Where do I go? Whom do I see?
“And, perhaps most important, whom can I trust? After all, this is my big idea, my MOST.
“To convert your idea into reality, you need to let go of the fears that someone will steal your idea. Of course, anything is possible, and that’s why there are methods available to you to protect your idea, even in its beginning stages of development.”
Michael Planit in Operators are Standing By!, McGraw-Hill.
VOLUME 29, ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER 2025
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nadia H. Shousher
ART DIRECTOR David Cowx
CONTRIBUTORS Jim Blasingame, Dan Chase, Mike Chase, Dale Dauten, Paul March, Devan Mighton, J.T. O’Donnell, Ron Stang, Joe Symchyshyn
Windsor Business is published monthly by The Page Publishing Corp. and is distributed through Canada Post to every business address in Windsor and Essex County and Chatham-Kent. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. Copyright The Page Publishing Corp., 2025.
Ihave been reading studies on consumer psychology, and how people make their buying decisions based primarily on emotion. One would think logic and objectivity would be of more import, but that isn’t the case.
Even in business, Average Joe makes at least 95 percent of his B2B purchases subconsciously, and his instinctive feelings about the business product or service “significantly influence” those decisions.
Most of us consider ourselves rational and logical, and think we depend on such when buying. In actuality, factors such as trust, confidence and emotional responses to a product or brand have more impact than any objective value; even when it’s a low-cost, inanimate object.
Further, the studies showed while our emotions may lead our initial buying decision, our intellect will often justify the purchase after the fact. Some of the psychological factors that drive B2B decisions are personal feelings, our own experiences and internal biases. Emotions such as fear, excitement and trust can affect perceived value and risk.
Recently, I bought a new SUV. It’s my fourth Ford Explorer, so I did not expect any emotion – including my love of that model – to come into play. But when the guy was driving away with my old ride, I admit I couldn’t watch him leave. I was not prepared for such an extreme emotional reaction.
All the memories, road trips and those precious hours I spent with my beloved papa in that car overwhelmed me. Yes, I bawled my eyes out on a city street.
Way back, I sold our old photocopier. I cleaned it up, filled it with paper and new toner, and then actually hugged it as the buyer was wheeling it away. When I replaced the commercial printer with a machine-thatdoes-everything-but-my-laundry, I spent hours with the owner of the company comparing products and deciding which to buy. In the end, I picked a certain model because of all the bells and whistles that seemed fun to use, not necessarily useful or practical. That gentleman passed away many years later. He was a great guy, and a terrific small business owner with ideas way ahead of his time. And I’ll tell you: in all the years of owning this machine, there hasn’t been one time I took a print out of it, scanned something or collated a stack of papers without thinking fondly of him.
And yes, I hug it all the time, because it’s as fun to use as I expected. No buyer’s remorse over here. Just recognition it’s not the thing that has a certain dollar or utility value. It’s all the feelings, personal attachments and instinctive responses those things represent when we purchase.
Yes, it’s all emotional.
Nadia
H. Shousher is Editor-in-Chief of Windsor Business, a division of The Page Publishing Corp.
ESSEX ECONOMICS
MARGARET GRAZIANO
Some consequences of a mis-hire
Businesses are facing one of the most severe employee engagement crises in history. Burnout, dissatisfaction, transactional mindsets and a global political climate that leaves people either raging with anger or paralyzed by fear, are colliding with a “doom scroll” culture on social media. The challenge for leaders is clear: business-as-usual thinking no longer works.
You have to make sure you’re hiring the right people, for the right reasons, for the right role. Opting out of the job and continuing to get paid is easier than ever in remote and hybrid environments.
Most CEOs and managers understand the financial cost of a bad hire. But the deeper, systemic damage often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Outdated hiring practices can lead to some costly consequences: Fragmented Customer Service. Great service begins with understanding your product or service and why customers use it. Skills and knowledge can be taught. Caring cannot. Behavioral and performance research shows excellent service flows from a set of values, attitudes and beliefs aligned with your service philosophy. When someone takes a customer service role for the wrong reasons, no training will overcome their lack of connection to the work. Customers feel it in the form of apathy and mechanical responses. Early in the process, ask candidates how they measure success, how they know customers are satisfied and how they handle challenges.
Depleted Problem Solving. When you hire purely on résumé keywords without screening for values, conceptual thinking and adaptive problem solving, you risk bringing in someone who doesn’t want or know how to solve problems.
Eroding Workforce Productivity. Rushed hiring decisions almost always lead to turnover. The wrong fit may take months to reveal itself, but by then the damage is done. Hybrid work, shifting generational expectations and the lasting effects of Long COVID are reshaping productivity norms.
Interview tip: Use open-ended questions like, “How much direction do you need to get started?” Distractions and disruptions aren’t going away; AI and technological advancements will only accelerate the pace of change. This makes clarity in hiring more critical than ever. Ask yourself:
• If the company could talk, what would it say is the purpose of this role?
• What return on investment should this role produce?
• If the role could speak, what competencies, attitudes, beliefs and experiences would it ask for? If hiring the right people for the right role matters to you (and it should), then you need to hire slowly, hire mindfully and hire with the end in mind.
Margaret Graziano is the founder and CEO of KeenAlignment and the author of “Ignite Culture.”
BY RON STANG
Plaza sold to acquiring pharmacist
The striking 1350 Provincial Road plaza, updated and expanded a few years ago, has been sold to a pharmacist who has been buying up city properties. Robin Chang purchased the plaza next door to his Provincial Road Pharmacy for $5.5 million. The seller was a Windsor company called Red Scorpion Investments The actual buyer was a numbered company associated with Chang, who could not be reached at press time.
Last summer Chang also purchased the small plaza housing Riverside Medical Pharmacy and other businesses at 7775 Wyandotte Street East for $1.1 million.
Since the renewal, designed by Baird AE (which also has offices there) and built by Grossi Construction, the plaza has been dubbed The Provincial, and has a contemporary look unique for Windsor. It has been fronted by MB Optometry with the plaza sign dominated by its logo. An innova-
tive athletic eyesight business also has a clinic there.
Frank Binder, owner of Royal LePage Binder Real Estate, called it a “beautiful building. We relocated to the original building back in 2014 and then moved when the addition was done,” he said.
Prior to the sale, one online listing had the plaza priced at $6.2 million and listed for 188 days as of that date. The listing described it as “an outstanding commercial investment opportunity.”
Marina
Continued from page 1
Bishop added: “I worked at a marina for a long time and just really enjoyed it.”
They inherited an almostturnkey operation. “The Williams family did such a great job renovating this building, so it was kind of hard to pass up,” they said.
The two had been searching for a water-oriented business. “We both always wanted to own a mari-
in the Cove
na. We missed an opportunity to purchase one in the past, and then this one came up,” said O’Neil.
The facility has 75 slips and a couple of buildings – one an office and the other with two Airbnbs.
The transfer was seamless. “It’s an open, active business,” O’Neil said. “It’s been a very smooth transition.”
There are no changes for the members, and the rates will remain the same. “We weren’t looking to come in and flip things upside down,” O’Neil said. “It’s very family-friendly, and we want to maintain that vibe.”
While local guys, both travelled extensively for many years as pipe liners working on gas pipelines across Canada. “This is something we’ve always looked forward to, to kind of ground us, to bring us back so we can spend more time doing what we love, being at home instead of having to travel all the time,” O’Neil said.
The two plan one major change: a separate building that has been a warehouse and was formerly a restaurant, will be converted back. “There will be an outdoor patio,” O’Neil said. “We’re hoping if we can get things going forward, we can do that for next season.”
There will also be a name change in the new year, which they haven’t yet decided on.
Both O’Neil and Bishop believe as a boating area, Lighthouse Cove is ideal.
“It’s got that smaller community feel. Everybody seems to know each other, and all the houses in the area have docks right out front. The whole area is centralized around boating,” said O’Neil. “If you’re a boating enthusiast, it’s kind of the place to be.”
BY RON STANG
Seller of industrial hoses opens a Windsor outlet LAUNCH
Most people may be familiar with your garden variety hose. But there are numerous hoses for all kind of industries, and now a Vancouverbased company has opened a Windsor outlet to sell them.
Green Line Hose & Fittings has opened a branch, its first in southwestern Ontario outside the Toronto area, on North Talbot Road. A group of employees who previously distributed for Green Line now work directly for the company.
“Green Line approached me,” said branch manager, Mike Atkinson said. “They thought they wanted to come to Windsor and it was more of ‘if you decide you want to do something, let us know.’”
There’s a ready market in this region with its industrial diversity, from mold shops to greenhouses.
THE COMPANY IS ITS OWN NETWORK OF STORES, AS OPPOSED TO RELYING ENTIRELY ON DISTRIBUTORS.
“There are hose and fittings everywhere,” Atkinson said. “There’s a very wide range of products in the hose and fittings business.”
There’s an amazing variety of hose types: there are industrial shops and nail gun hoses, hoses for construction and mining, storm pressure and carpet cleaning, water suction or water discharge. There are steam hoses, fuel dispensing hoses, paint spray hoses, air breathing and fire hoses. And yes, garden hoses as well.
Fittings and valves complement hose assemblies. Fittings are solid objects such as elbows that make a connection. Fittings on hydraulic hoses get crimped on – “you put it in a machine and it crunches down on it, so it stays on, because sometimes those hoses run up to 5,000 to 6,000 psi,” Atkinson said. Green Line custom manufactures assemblies.
The lift truck industry is a big customer, with hoses attached for hydraulics. “Hoses wear out because they’re going up and down all the time,” Atkinson said.
The Windsor location serves southwestern Ontario including Sarnia, Chatham-Kent and London.
Besides selling locally, being so close to the U.S. “we’re picking up a lot of the calls from at least the eastern U.S,” and shipping product by courier, Atkinson said. Atkinson said there may be
competitors across the continent, but none directly in Windsor. One thing that distinguishes the company is its own network of stores, as opposed to relying entirely on distributors.
Green Line’s main customers are industry. “But if someone walks in here and wants to buy a lawn sprinkler or garden hose, we have them on the shelf,” Atkinson said.
VESTING ORDER
BY RON STANG
Construction firm buys building
Atwo-storey office building and warehouse in Amherstburg’s Smith Industrial Park has been sold under a vesting order by the Ontario Superior Court, for $4.4 million, to a local construction firm.
The sale of 7091 Smith industrial Drive, a 15-acre property, took place in July and was purchased by DML Enterprises (LaSalle) Inc., associated with Pierascenzi Construction; it is owned by Jamie Pierascenzi and located in the Ojibway Industrial Park in Windsor.
At one point, the property was listed by Woodbridge-based Ren/ Tex Realty Inc. as a “rare small building” with outside storage.
The former company, the name of which couldn’t be confirmed but was identified as an Ontario-numbered company, went into receivership in early 2024. The courtappointed receiver was The Fuller Landau Group of Toronto.
According to receivership documents, the firm’s head office was 2880 Argentia Road, Unit 11, in Mississauga. At one time, that
address was associated with the Robert Allan home furnishings design firm based in the southern U.S. A representative said the company hasn’t had facilities in Canada since 2019.
According to the receiver’s documents, the company had five secured creditors: a mortgage of $5.8 million to Roynat Inc., and to four numbered companies for $4.1 million. There were no unsecured creditors.
The buyer, Jamie Pierascenzi declined to comment.
THE FOLLOWING, PROVIDED BY REALTRACK.COM, REPRESENT SOME OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN THE WINDSOR AREA:
SOLD Address: 685 Indian Rd.
Selling Price: $1.188 million
Vendor: Named Individuals
Purchaser: The Canadian Transit Co.
SOLD
Address: 525 Wyandotte St. W.
Selling Price: $4.8 million
Vendor: Lorasons Holdings Inc.
Purchaser: 525 Wyandotte Inc.
SOLD Address: 511-517 Devonshire Rd.
Selling Price: $1.692 million
Vendor: 5001059 Ontario Inc.
Purchaser: Zuriel Blooming Lifestyles Inc.
SOLD Address: 1234 High St.
Selling Price: $775,000
Vendor: Named Individuals
Purchaser: 1234 High St. Property Ltd.
SOLD
Address: 1985 College Ave.
Selling Price: $1.255 million
Vendor: AV Holdings Ltd.
Purchaser: PS Consulting Ltd.
SOLD
Address: 2275 Tecumseh Rd. E.
Selling Price: $1.2 million
Vendor: 2645533 Ontario Ltd.
Purchaser: 981246 Ontario Ltd.
SOLD
Address: 4255-4275 Tecumseh Rd. E.
Selling Price: $1.6 million
Vendor: 4275 Tecumseh Road Inc.
Purchaser: 1693629 Canada Inc.
SOLD Address: 1904 Olive Rd.
Selling Price: $1.675 million
Vendor: Peltier Developments Inc.
Purchaser: 1974516 Ontario Ltd.
SOLD
Address: 5830 Malden Rd., LaSalle
Selling Price: $3.85 million
Vendor: Malden Apartments Inc.
Purchaser: 5830 Malden Rd. Ltd.
SOLD
Address: 1920 Crowder Ct., Tecumseh
Selling Price: $2.2 million
Vendor: National Mold Inc.
Purchaser: Paskal Canada Ltd.
SOLD
Address: 7368 Howard Ave., Amherstburg
Selling Price: $3 million
Vendor: Desmarais Realty
Holdings Ltd.
Purchaser: Named Individuals
SOLD
Address: 5056 County Rd. 17, Tecumseh
SOLD
Address: 158 Keil Dr. S.
Chatham
Selling Price: $1.6 million
Vendor: Named Individuals
Purchaser: The Corporation of the Town of Tecumseh
Selling Price: $2 million
Vendor: Fazili Investments Inc.
Purchaser: Tatro Development Corp. Ltd.
Address: 498 Texas Rd., Amherstburg
Selling Price: $3,460,400
Vendor: Honeywell Ltd.
Purchaser: Athens Canada Advanced Materials
Address: 19150 Harbour Ave., Lakeshore
Selling Price: $2.175 million
Vendor: 2729637 Ontario Inc.
Purchaser: Great Lakes Rentals Inc.
SOLD
Address: 1072-76 County Rd. 22/1062-68 Hwy. 2, Lakeshore
Selling Price: $3.84 million
Vendor: 2461415 Ontario Ltd.
Purchaser: 1001322657 Ontario Inc. SOLD
PRIME HOME SALES
Where: 3540 Wolfe Crt.
Property Size: 45’ x irr.
# Bedrooms: 4 + 1
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes:/a n
Listed For: $499,900
Sold For: $508,500
Where: 1259 Erie St. E.
Property Size: 32’ x 125’
# Bedrooms: 3 + 1
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $2,370
Listed For: $389,900 Sold For: $350,000 SOLD
Where: 847 Francois Crt.
Property Size: 45’ x irr.
# Bedrooms: 2
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $2,221
Listed For: $299,900
Sold For: $300,000 SOLD
Where: 1188 Glidden Ave.
Property Size: 80’ x 140’
# Bedrooms: 2
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $3,247
Listed For: $399,000
Sold For: $399,900
SOLD
Where: 3616 Matchette
Property Size: 40’ x 100’
# Bedrooms: 2
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $1,508
Listed For: $304,900 Sold For: $320,000 SOLD
Where: 3994 Roseland W.
Property Size: 68’ x irr.
# Bedrooms: 2 + 1
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $6,220
Listed For: $699,900 Sold For: $640,000
SOLD
Where: 3293 Virginia Park
Property Size: 93’ x 110’
# Bedrooms: 2 + 2
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $5,343
Listed For: $559,900 Sold For: $538,335
SOLD
Where: 1816 Buckingham
Property Size: 65’ x 146’
# Bedrooms: 3
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $2,577
Listed For: $379,900
Sold For: $450,000
When you advertise in another forum, do you really know who’s seeing your message?
PRIME HOME SALES
SOLD
Where: 2235 Kevin St., LaSalle
Property Size: 29’ x 119’
# Bedrooms: 2 + 2
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $3,753
Listed For: $569,900
Sold For: $541,500
SOLD
Where: 12835 Dillon Dr., Tecumseh
Property Size: 50’ x irr.
# Bedrooms: 3 + 1
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $3,840
Listed For: $579,500
Sold For: $575,000
SOLD
Where: 1460 Mullins Dr., Lakeshore
Property Size: 60’ x 170’
# Bedrooms: 3 + 2
SOLD
Where: 225 Golfview Dr., Amherstburg
Property Size: 70’ x 125’
# Bedrooms: 4 + 1
# Bathrooms: 3
Taxes: $5,316
Listed For: $749,999
Sold For: $749,900
SOLD
Where: 794 Erie Shores Dr., Essex
Property Size: 40’ x 201’
# Bedrooms: 2 + 1
# Bathrooms: 4
Taxes: $4,308
Listed For: $799,888
Sold For: $799,888
SOLD
Where: 23811 Merlin Rd., Tilbury
Property Size: 123’ x irr.
# Bedrooms: 3
# Bathrooms: 3
Taxes: $7,145
Listed For: $949,000
Sold For: $910,000
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $2,272
Listed For: $379,900
Sold For: $384,900
SOLD
Where: 830 Cottage Grove Ave., Kingsville
Property Size: 60’ x 133’
# Bedrooms: 3
# Bathrooms: 3
Taxes: $4,268
Listed For: $679,900
Sold For: $650,000
SOLD
Where: 51 Marentette
Beach Rd., Leamington
Property Size: 50’ x 244’
# Bedrooms: 3
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $2,917
Listed For: $589,900
Sold For: $560,000
MUNICIPALITY OF LEAMINGTON COMMERCIAL:
• Contractors are starting construction on a manufacturing facility on Conc. 3, W. Value of construction: $19.1 million.
• Contractors are building an agri-
cultural warehouse on Mer-sea Conc. 9. Value of construction: $1.5 million.
• Contractors are building a greenhouse connector bay on Mersea Rd. 8. Value of construction: $1,541,126.40.
• A contractor is doing site servic-
ing to a lot on Talbot St. E. Value of construction: $475,000.
• A developer is building the shell of a retail store on Talbot St. E. Value of construction: $200,000.
• A developer is building a restaurant on Talbot St. E. Value of construction: $410,000.
MUNICIPALITY OF LEAMINGTON RESIDENTIAL:
• Individuals are building an Accessory Dwelling Unit to a residence on Marlborough St. E. Value of construction: $20,000.
• A contractor is building a singlefamily home on Mersea Rd. 21. Value of construction: $2 million.
• A contractor is building a singlefamily home on Andrews Crt. Value of construction: $900,000.
TOWN OF ESSEX RESIDENTIAL:
• Individuals are building a Secondary Dwelling Unit on Erie Rd. S. Value of construction: $400,000.
• Abraham Construction is build-
ing a Secondary Dwelling Unit on Ducharme Lane. Value of construction: $252,000.
• Individuals are building a Secondary Dwelling Unit on 4th Conc. Rd. Value of construction: $738,000.
• A contractor is building an addition to a single-family residence on Victoria Ave. Value of construction: $107,000.
• Individuals are building an addition to a single-family residence on Huffman Rd. Value of construction: $266,000.
• Individuals are building an addition to a single-family residence on Church St. Value of construction: $120,000.
• Individuals are building a Secondary Dwelling Unit to a residence on County Rd. 20. Value of construction: $338,000.
THE WORLD OF WORK
BY JEANINE “J.T.” O’DONNELL
Negotiation is not rude, when it’s done right
Dear J.T. & Dale: I’m trying to negotiate a job offer, but I’m afraid of blowing the opportunity if I ask for too much. How do I negotiate without looking ungrateful, or losing the offer altogether?” —Don
J.T.: It’s good you’re thinking strategically about this. A lot of job seekers either avoid negotiating altogether, or rush into it emotionally. But let me assure you: Negotiation is not rude, greedy or risky when done right. It’s a normal, expected part of the hiring process.
Many people worry if they ask for more money or benefits, the company will revoke the offer. In reality, that rarely happens. Companies make offers because they want you. They’ve invested time and resources into choosing you. So if you come to the table with thoughtful, data-driven questions or requests, you’re simply serious and well-informed.
The key is to frame your negotiation as a conversation, not a confrontation. You’re not demanding more. You’re seeking clarity and alignment. That’s a healthy approach for both sides.
1. Do your homework: Before you respond to an offer, research the salary range for similar roles in your industry and location. Use sites like Glassdoor.com, or Salary.com. Look for patterns, not just isolated numbers.
Also, consider your own data. What’s your target salary based on your experience, current financial needs and cost of living? What kind of benefits are important to you: health care, flexibility, vacation time, career development, equity? Compensation is a full package, not just a number.
2. Acknowledge the offer first. When you receive the offer, start by thanking them. Acknowledge that you’re excited about the opportunity and appreciate the offer. This sets a collaborative tone from the beginning.
3. Ask for time to review. A professional response would be: “I’d like to take a day to review the offer and think through a couple of questions. Is that okay with your timeline?” This gives you space to review everything with a clear head, and to plan your response.
4. Identify your priorities. You may not get everything you ask for, so decide what matters most. Is it base salary? Remote work flexibility? Rank your top two to three priorities, so you know what you’re willing to trade off.
When you approach that conversation with professionalism,
research and confidence, you’re not hurting your chances – you’re reinforcing your worth.
J.T. O'Donnell is the founder and CEO of the job search career coaching platform Work It Daily. Visit workitdaily.com to submit your questions.
START UPS
THE FOLLOWING WINDSOR, ESSEX COUNTY AND CHATHAM-KENT COMPANIES WERE RECENTLY ISSUED CERTIFICATES OF INCORPORATION UNDER ONTARIO’S BUSINESS CORPORATIONS ACT:
• A Z Trades Mechanical Inc.
• Amiral Financiere Canada Inc.
• Amiral Financiere Canada Inc.
• Arch & Aura Medical Wellness
• Arctic North Holdings Inc.
• Asera Canada Inc.
• Avens Travel World Inc.
• Backyard Outfitters Inc.
• Bezaire Woodworks Inc.
• Bitbanki Ltd.
• Blatz Concrete Inc.
• Bridgeview Pharmacy Inc.
• CCOR Interior Contracting
• Colovic & Grundner Financial
Services Inc.
• DKL Investment Inc.
• Elite Diesel Truck Repair Inc.
• Fresh Arregoite Ltd.
• Friesen Group Holdings Ltd.
• Gillen Family Investments Inc.
• Hillside Investments Inc.
• Innovate-Ed Design & Consulting Solutions Inc.
• JLM (Can) Capital Holdings
• JY Construction And Renovations Limited
• Kingsonic Transport Inc.
• M. Tomac Psychotherapy
Professional Corp.
• Marketing Mama Inc.
• Memory Box -The Find It Game Inc.
• Mindsight Counselling Services Inc.
• NTB Horticultural Solutions
• Nubatia Wellness Pharmacy
• O'Halloran Chiropractic Professional Corp
• On Time Jewellers Ltd.
• Park West Auto Sale Inc.
• Pineda Massage Therapy Professional Corp.
The marketplace is not comprised of just fear and greed
Fear and greed, it has been said, are the two primal emotions that drive the marketplace. These two words were handy in their ability to deliver the most meaning with the least letters. But brevity often paints with a broad brush, and the result can deliver an unfortunate impression.
These two words both have such negative connotations. I’ve often wondered why some people look down on business people, and speak of capitalism as if it were the
worst of all the “isms.”
It is true what they say about fear and greed, however; they do motivate. But I propose there are other emotions that are much more prominent in the marketplace which could have been used in place of these two.
Security: Ever since it was decided Homo sapiens would be warm blooded, we’ve been cursed with the physiological need to eat every day. And about the same time, we were also given a body
that requires clothing and shelter for survival. When a customer does business with a friend of mine, instead of saying, “Thanks for the business,” he says, “Thanks for the food and shelter.”
Family: Unlike birds or reptiles, human babies take a long time to fledge from the nest. And it’s just as well because they’re so darn cute, and we just like having them around (at least until about 13). My primordial urge to take a mate and procreate, combined with paternal
instincts, were pretty strong emotions that motivated me to do quite a bit of productive hunting and gathering in the marketplace. Self-respect: If nothing else, humans are social beings. We create and live in communities. But community comes with a price that must be paid in a currency we call responsibility. Our ability to think in the abstract produces the concept of self. Self-awareness blended with responsibility creates selfrespect.
Ambition: The harness-mate of self-respect, ambition motivates us beyond mere survival. Of all my examples, it’s perhaps the nearest kin to greed. But unlike ambition, greed doesn’t blend well with any of the emotions on my list. However, when ambition is forged with self-respect, a very positive alloy is born: the quest for excellence. And this produces the intellectual infrastructure upon which productive organizations and markets are built.
Innovation: There are many things that separate humans from other life forms, but perhaps the most interesting is our primordial passion for tinkering. To any human worth his or her protoplasm, nothing we have is ever “quite right.” There surely must be a better way or another route. Without their nucleic need to innovate, Mr. Edison might never have created the light bulb, and Mr. Kellogg would never have discovered the corn flake.
Lori
Seguin (Client Service Associate), Mark Abraham (Senior Investment Advisor), Tori
Creativity: The harness-mate of innovation, creativity wells up from a deeper visceral spring. Unlike innovation, which is typically born of a need, creativity is its own reward. In terms of purity, this motivator may be the most sublime, because it often manifests with total disregard for compensation, whether emotional or contractual. An artist must sell his work in order to have security, but few create just to have security.
Curiosity: This is perhaps the only emotion on my list that we actually share with other sentient beings. Everyone knows what killed the cat. But curiosity is different in humans, in that we can actually do something with the evidence found in our inquiries. And that “something” is often of benefit to others.
In humans, curiosity may be our most basic emotion, because when we pursue a curiosity, we do so with the knowledge that we very likely will be able to create innovations that provide security, produce self-respect, and feed our ambition – a handy emotion to have around.
Write this on a rock: Fear and greed are strong motivators, but there are many more emotions than these two at work in the marketplace.
Jim Blasingame is the author of The 3rd Ingredient, the Journey of Analog Ethics into the World of Digital Fear and Greed. Visit jimblasingame.com.
