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Do you want something really bad?  So bad that you can smell it. You can taste the sweetness of success. You can hear the cheers of your fans. Doesn't it feel great?

The ability to be a visionary is a gift. Many of us get scared to share our vision of the future. We feel judged so we keep our hopes and desires to ourselves.

The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is the dreamer doesn't have a plan of action. The visionary is a rare breed.

Our communities need visionaries. Our regions need people that are not afraid to fail. My province has seen two world class entrepreneurial visionaries in K.C Irving and Harrison McCain. Others have done extremely well but not world class like these two kingpins. Love them or hate them, no one can deny their fearless ambition and their unwillingness to accept a lower lot in life.

I'm going to take off my mask and be completely vulnerable. I am going to take a company to world-class status. I am going to build a company that one day is compared to the two great companies in our neck of the woods.

You can laugh. You can roll your eyes. Guess what? Many did the same when Harrison McCain used to talk about being a leader in the frozen french fry business.

I may be a bit over confident. Isn't that required?

Some will say I'm dreaming. I don't think so. I have a plan. My plan is so clear I turned down an opportunity earlier this year that will cost me millions of dollars.

Roll your eyes. Laugh.

Do you have a plan?

I do. And I'm focused on it.

Who gave you the right?

There's an old television commercial of a fisherman and his son on a boat. The fisherman throws garbage overboard and the son asks where does the garbage go (when it goes into the water). The fisherman answers in stoic fashion, "Away".

The commercial was developed to promote anti littering campaigns on the water, emphasizing the drastic effects it can have on marine life.

Texas developed a formidable campaign addressing the same littering issues. "Don't Mess with Texas" was a strong message that delivered a clear desired outcome.

There seems to be less littering in our society today than there was thirty years ago. But there is still one area that needs major attention: Cigarette butts.

Walk down the street of any community and you'll see the nasty discarded fragments of desperation following you wherever you go.

Both my parents smoked cigarettes when I was young. I was used to having ashtrays around the house, cigarette butts in the car and breathing second hand smoke. It was a different time.

Today as more and more understand the dangers of smoking, times have changed. Second hand smoke seems to be a thing of the past as more smokers are forced to smoke outside. I haven't seen a used ashtray in years. They don't even put them in cars any more. Not to mention the cigarette lighter has been replaced with the electrical outlet most cars.

Given all of these social changes, many who do smoke still don't respect their environment. As a restauranteur we would periodically go outside and pick up butts from customers who would fling their discarded cancer sticks before enjoying a hearty breakfast. Although the paper and burnt up tobacco disintegrates with a bit of rain, the filter lingers.

Pick a day, any day and you can find someone flick their butt out a car window. Do people realize that the filter ends up polluting our beautiful communities?

Although less people are throwing litter in the ditches, smokers continue to devalue our communities with their habits.

I am sympathetic to those who smoke. It is something either they like to do or something they cannot quit. And since we live in a free country, I believe it is their right to smoke away.

If you're a smoker, keep your butts in a bottle in the car. Why does the world have to clean up your discarded garbage?

Like the commercial from the early eighties, do you think your butts just go away?

Patience is a virtue I was not blessed with

I grew up poor. Not living on the street poor. Sharing a bedroom with my sister poor. Bringing butter sandwiches to school poor. Mixing canned milk with water poor.

We had all the necessities to survive. There just weren't any extras. We never went hungry. But somedays we lived on tomato soup to get us to grocery day, which in effect was mom or dad's payday.

Those years are long behind me, but I never forgot how I felt.

I've been accused on many occasions of being an impatient person. When I want something, I want it now. I read recently that many successful entrepreneurs suffer from the same condition.

In my ongoing search for growth, I wonder what drives my impatience. A friend told me that impatience is derived from fear. Fear from what?

Another friend told me that his impatience is derived from a a fear of loss. He's afraid to lose money, time and power. I liked the answer so much I identified with it and believed my impatience may be coming from the same place.

This made sense until I had a coffee with another good friend. He honestly told me that I like to be in control - almost a control freak.  He was right. I could easily explain every major event in my life when I lost my patience. Each time I was afraid of losing control. Control of my future, control of my finances, control of my life. Someone else controlled me and I fought back.

Here's what's ironic: when I lose my patience, I lose control of my emotions. What I'm afraid of losing is actually lost the second I fear losing it.

I think the fear of losing control has something to do with my childhood. I can't change my past. I can only change what I do now.

I'm working really hard to let the fear go.

Wish me luck!

It's natural

How often do we assume that something is good for us because of company claims that it's all natural?

Every time I hear a company claiming their natural components, I laugh inside. Just because something naturally occurs in nature does not mean it's good for you. A couple products that are naturally occurring in nature that we wouldn't consider a healthy choice: Opium, arsenic, tobacco, uranium, not to mention those little red berries that my mom always told me not to eat in the summertime.

Cobras are a part of nature.  Does that mean their naturally produced venom is also good for us?

I get it. In a world of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, breast implants, genetically modified foods, synthetic chemicals, andeouldnt plastic surgery, natural seems to be the more healthier option but it doesn't grant 100% certainty that it's good for us.

Give me an emotional reason to buy. Natural may be important to some, but it isn't to me.

Is the economy the real problem?

There isn't a day that goes by that someone doesn't complain about our crappy economy.

I was in the restaurant industry for seven years. In those seven years I became accustomed to my colleagues complaining a sucky environment. I used to nod but I have never supported that position. I can testify that in my time of being in the restaurant industry I never had one declining year in combined sales. Why was my business growing when others were failing? Is that indicative a failing economy?

Granted there are times when there's an economic slowdown and many companies and industries suffer from the economic slowdown.  Although 2008 was tough on communities that had huge layoffs, mine was not one of them. The economy is our scapegoat. And that's not just.

Here are some of my experience over the last four weeks:

I called a roofer to fix my roof. He showed up the same day to assess the damages. I called three times to get a price quote. He never returned any of my calls.  After four weeks, I had to call someone else.

I needed some drywall done. My drywall guy took 5 months to show up. When he finally did show up he told me it was one week job. One week turned into three weeks. The quality was ok but the inconvenience of living in dust for three weeks was too much. I'm sure he'll blame the economy as less people use his services.

I had a plumbing problem. Plumber told me he was really busy for two days, but promised to assess the problem on day three. That was three weeks ago. Where is my plumber? I'm sure the economy has something to do with his declining sales.

I had to call an electrician four times in order to get him to install the wiring required for my hot tub. I haven't received his invoice yet. Maybe he'll have to call me four times to get paid. Would that be acceptable? And now I have to call him back because he didn't finish the work that he promised he would. Again I'm sure the economy will be the blame for any downsizing of his business.

I wanted a hot tub. So I visited two local companies and asked for a quote. One company took three weeks to respond to my request. They were too late, I already made my decision. Again the damn economy will be the downfall of another local company.

If you're in business, do yourself a favor. Blame the things you can control and stop worrying about the things you can't. Unless you're in the shoe business and everybody stops growing feet, the economy is probably not your problem. Newsflash you're the problem!

Face the music.  Put on your big girl panties. Stop blaming everyone but yourself, and get to work. The economy should be blaming you for defamation. You're hurting the economy by giving crappy service.