When 22-year-old Margaret Sinclair married the 51-year-old then Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, in 1971, all people seemed to want to talk about was the couple’s 29-year age gap.

Now, Margaret Trudeau wants to talk about her age, too, in her new memoir, The Time of Your Life: Choosing a Vibrant, Joyful, Future.

After living for many years as a “perpetual teenager” who took great delight in not following the rules, Margaret says, she realized one day that she was, in fact, a 65-year-old woman.

“Suddenly I turned 65 and realized, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m old,'” she told The Early Edition‘s Rick Cluff, chuckling. “I think it was when I got into the movie theatres cheaper. Oh, dear.”

In her new book, Trudeau shares her personal reflections and advice on aging, as well as stories from friends and other female figures.

‘Don’t give up on sense of wonder’

While her parents enjoyed very quiet retirements, Trudeau encourages people who are entering the so-called “third act” — a term coined by Jane Fonda — to stay as involved and healthy as possible.

“What I’m advocating [for] is a much more proactive [approach] of fighting into your old age, of taking it on, of still doing everything you’ve always done.

“Maybe not as well or as fast, but the things you love, don’t stop doing them, don’t give up on your sense of wonder.”

Perhaps like mother, like son, Trudeau’s 43-year-old son, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, hasn’t been able to avoid the limelight when it comes to his age, either.

He has often been targeted as being too young and inexperienced to become Canada’s next prime minister.

“Oh, he’s old enough now,” Trudeau said. “After all these attack ads, he’s learned a thing or two.”

CBC.ca/April, 2015

At Speakers’ Spotlight, we contribute to our meetings industry community in the best way we know how—by providing outstanding speakers to attract, engage, educate, inspire, and entertain event audiences! Here are some examples of the amazing speakers we’ve sponsored at events throughout Canada today, and over the past several months:

Today, at MPI NMID events across the country, we have the hilarious comedian Graham Chittenden in Ottawa, hosting a customized Game Show. In Toronto, current affairs commentator Tasha Khierriden is moderating “The Great Debate: Our Industry’s Economic Future”, and in Edmonton, the ever-affable Kit Grant is providing a luncheon keynote to help members strengthen their relationships with staff, clients, and stakeholders.

At Incentive Works 2014, Body Language Expert Mark Bowden and Customer Loyalty Expert Jackie Huba headlined.

As the opening speaker at the 2014 Annual CSAE National Conference in Niagara Falls, Dave Carroll presented his engaging, hilarious, and musical customer service talk, “United Breaks Guitars”.

In Montreal, our speakers book-ended the  2^nd Annual PCMA Canadian Innovation Conference with Mark Tewksbury and Debbie Muir delivering their presentation, “The Great Traits of Champions”, along with master communicator, Mike Lipkin also taking to the stage.

The CSAE-Trillium Chapter’s Winter Summit in Kitchener featured Performance Coach, Leadership, and Cultural Transformation Expert, Dr. Ivan Joseph.

The CSAE  Ottawa-Gatineau Tete a Tete  conference and trade show saw Creativity and Branding Expert Ron Tite explaining how to compete in the “Expression Economy”, and Ottawa Tourism brought Juno Award-Winning Musician and Creativity Expert David Usher to their stage as well.

And, this past March, Speakers’ Spotlight held our Annual Showcase for meeting and event planners to preview a variety of our extraordinary speakers, including former “Dragon” David Chilton, Physician and Bestselling Author Dr. Shimi Kang, and Mental Wellness Advocate (and former NHL goalie), Clint Malarchuk.

Happy NMID!!

April, 2015

Travel Channel’s mesmerizing and cinematic new series, Big Crazy Family Adventure, premiers  Sunday, June 21. It follows wilderness guide, writer and award-winning photographer Bruce Kirkby throughout his epic trip – from his home in Kimberley, British Columbia, to a remote monastery in the Himalaya – with his wife, Christine Pitkanen, and their two young boys: Bodi, 7 and Taj, 3.

There’s just one catch: on their 13,000-mile adventure they don’t be take ANY airplanes. To fully experience the life-changing and serendipitous moments that exploring the world provides, they got to their final destination through surface travel only including by canoe, container ship, ferry, high-speed train, river boat, tuk tuk, pony, their own eight feet, and more.

“Travel returns each of us to a state of childhood,” says Bruce. “For a moment we look upon the world, crowded with the unrecognizable and incomprehensible, with the same eyes as our kids. And in doing so, the distance between us shrinks, just a bit. These shared experiences, with all their uncertainties, challenges and enchantments, are like fertilizer for family bonds.”

Highlights from Big, Crazy Family Adventure:

• Leg 1: The first leg of the Kirkby family’s 13,000-mile journey involves canoes, camping, a luxury train and taking a container ship to South Korea. Storms, life vests and a run-in with Russian Border Patrol create challenges. Location highlights: Kimberly, B.C.; Canadian Rocky Mountains; Vancouver, B.C.; Nakhodka, Russia; Busan, South Korea

• Leg 2: In South Korea, the family takes their first-ever bullet train, chow on butterfly larvae snacks and sail the Yellow Sea. Bruce gets up close at the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea, while Christine and the boys take a cable car up to the Seoul Tower for an amazing view of the city. Location highlights: Busan, South Korea; The Seoul Tower; DMZ (Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea); Qingdao, China; Beijing

• Leg 3: The family climbs a remote section of the Great Wall of China, known as the “Wild Wall.” A 21-hour train ride from Beijing across China brings them to the start of a five-day acclimatization mission where they’ll slowly elevate up to 10,500 feet. But when Taj doesn’t respond well to the altitude, his health and their Tibetan permits are up in the air. Location highlights: Beijing; the Great Wall of China; Xining, China; Qinghai Lake

• Leg 4: A 27-hour ride on the highest railway in the world brings the family into Tibet where Bodi shows a curiosity in Buddhism and learns to meditate. They make their way to the North Base Camp of Mount Everest, at 16,800 feet elevation, for a breathtaking view and unforgettable moment for Bruce. But time is ticking as they race to reach the Nepal border before their Tibetan visas expire. Location highlights: Xining, China; Lhasa, Tibet; Xigaze; Friendship Highway; Mt. Everest base camp; Nepal/Tibet border

• Leg 5: In Nepal, the Kirkby family meets a Hindu goddess, Bodi exhibits excellent bargaining skills and the family rides elephants in the jungle. Bruce photographs rhinos in Nepal’s first national park – a dream come true – while Christine spends her birthday on the trail of the elusive Bengal Tiger. Location highlights: Nepal/Tibet border; Kathmandu; Chitwan National Park; Nepal/India border

• Leg 6: India brings scorching heat, spicy food, a private boat ride on the holy Ganges River, a special lesson in lassi-making, snake charmers and the burning ghats. But the family finds themselves in a race against time to make a train to the Taj Majal. Location highlights: India/Nepal border; Allahabad; Varanasi; the Ganges (the Holy River); Taj Mahal; Agra

• Leg 7: The Kirkby family explores the renowned Taj Mahal, where youngest son Taj learns about his iconic namesake. The kids learn about poverty and take a Bollywood dance class while Christine cooks an authentic Indian dinner for her family. Later, they explore a rock and water-filled adventure park. Location highlights: Taj Mahal; Agra; New Delhi; Old Delhi; Chandigarh

• Leg 8: Moving deeper into the Indian Himalaya, they board a narrow gauge “toy” train, encounter monkeys at Jakhu Temple and Bruce digs into his family history in the town of Shimla. But when Taj becomes feverish, they must call in a doctor to see if their trip can stay on track. Location highlights: Chandigarh; Shimla; Leh Manali Highway; Manali; Rohtang Pass; Palamo

• Leg 9: To get to their final stop in Ladakh, the family must trek 100 miles of rugged terrain to elevations of 16,700 feet. Along the way they deliver school supplies to children in remote villages, make their way across winding narrow paths with drop offs of several hundred feet and Bodi overcomes another fear as he rides a pony for the first time. Their arrival at the stunning cliff-side monastery, Karsha Gompa, is an emotional milestone. Location highlights: Palamo; Zanskar Sumdo; Chumik Napko; Shingo La Pass; Kargyak River; Testa; Tangzay; Karsha Gompa Monastery

Tune-in in June to see his adventure unfold.

April 2015

In a world where winning meant everything, her biggest competitor was herself.

In 2006, when Clara Hughes stepped onto the Olympic podium in Torino, Italy, she became the first and only athlete ever to win multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Games. Four years later, she was proud to carry the Canadian flag at the head of the Canadian team as they participated in the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. But there’s another story behind her celebrated career as an athlete, behind her signature billboard smile.

While most professional athletes devote their entire lives to training, Clara spent her teenage years using drugs and drinking to escape the stifling home life her alcoholic father had created in Elmwood, Winnipeg. She was headed nowhere fast when, at sixteen, she watched transfixed in her living room as gold medal speed skater Gaétan Boucher effortlessly raced in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Dreaming of one day competing herself, Clara channeled her anger, frustration, and raw ambition into the endurance sports of speed skating and cycling. By 2010, she had become a six-time Olympic champion.

But after more than a decade in the grueling world of professional sports that stripped away her confidence and bruised her body, Clara began to realize that her physical extremes, her emotional setbacks, and her partying habits were masking a severe depression. After winning bronze in the last speed skating race of her career, she decided to retire, determined to repair herself. She has emerged as one of our most committed humanitarians, advocating for a variety of social causes both in Canada and around the world. In 2010, she became national spokesperson for Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk campaign in support of mental health awareness, using her Olympic standing to share the positive message of the power of forgiveness.

Told with honesty and passion, Open Heart, Open Mind is Clara’s personal journey through physical and mental pain to a life where love and understanding can thrive. This revelatory and inspiring story will touch the hearts of all Canadians.

April, 2015

Many of us don’t even give ourselves a chance to win. A common dialogue that I hear from people goes something like this: “I know what I need to do to succeed, and I do well when I get started, but I just stop doing it after a while. I am just not the type of person who always follows through with things.”

If you tell yourself this, what are the chances that you will actually follow through with something? Virtually nil. So why do we handicap ourselves? The answer is that it is easier to do so. It is easier to have low expectations for ourselves. We won’t disappoint ourselves if we didn’t expect to perform well in the first place.

Our brain does not like our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour to be out of sync. If there is a disconnect, one of the three will adjust to realign with the rest. This is why we make excuses. Let’s say you like to think of yourself as a responsible person; yet, you failed to finish an important project on time. Your behaviour of failing to complete the project does not align with your thoughts of being responsible. So you make an excuse. “The workload was too much …,” “People kept interrupting me…,” …“ It wasn’t an important task anyway…,” and so on and so on.

Excuses are a form of self-preservation. They are pacifiers for mental anguish – you don’t have to feel bad for underperforming because it wasn’t your fault. The highly successful, however, know that excuses lead us straight to the status quo. If you want to perform at a high level, you have the right mindset.

The first step is to start telling yourself that you do possess the qualities necessary for success. Develop an identity statement (i.e., a self-description designed to improve how you see yourself in relation to your goals) to remind yourself that you have what it takes to create the life you want and the goals you hope to achieve.

Is it important that you wake up early to get a head start on your tasks for the day? If so, then stop telling yourself that you are not a morning person. Is it important that you always finish what you start? Then stop telling yourself that you have a hard time following through. Is it important that you outwork your competition? Then stop telling yourself that you are lazy. If we tell ourselves that we aren’t someone who does x, we feel no pressure to actually do it. This takes off the pressure to perform at a high level and promotes underachievement. These are the biggest form of excuses.

Set the stage for your success by developing your own identity statement. Follow these steps:

1. Determine what it is that you actually want to accomplish. Be specific. Do you want to make a certain salary per year? Do you want to be a better husband? Do you want to loose weight and life a healthier lifestyle? Choose no more than three things, and the more specific and measurable, the better. For example, “I want to loose 20 pounds, have more energy to enjoy life with my wife and children, and make one million dollars per year.”

2. What qualities, characteristics, or behaviour will be required to accomplish these things? For example, “I need to have a positive outlook,” “I need to have strong will-power,” and “I need to make more client calls.”

3. Put these qualities together in an identity statement. State these qualities as if you already posses them. Limit this to no more than two sentences. For example, “I always stay focused on the positive, and I follow through with what I tell myself I will do. I make 15 client calls per day and return home full of energy to my wife and kids.”

Commit to reciting your identity statement to yourself once a day for the next five days and pay attention to the effect this has on your motivation and productivity. Write your identity statement on a note card and place it somewhere in plain sight to remind yourself.

Being great isn’t easy. It isn’t supposed to be easy. No one is born with all of the qualities required for greatness, but the highly successful have made the sacrifices to make these qualities a reality in themselves. Request more of yourself, and start by telling yourself you have what it takes. Avoid making the ultimate excuse and give yourself a chance to win.

Dr. Jason Selk/Globe and Mail/Spring, 2015

Ontario’s move to join Quebec and California in a cap-and-trade pact for carbon emissions may seem like an environmental win, but whether it’s actually a meaningful step towards battling climate change or just a cash grab by the province, well, you can be the judge.

Cap-and-trade schemes create a market for emissions credits that allow a fixed amount of carbon to go into the atmosphere. If an emitter wants to go over its allotment, it can buy surplus credits through an open trading market.

In this case the market will be sizeable. Together, Ontario and Quebec account for more than half of Canada’s economy. Such clout, at least on the surface, would seem to offer a nice offset to the lack of federal government action on carbon emissions. Throw in California’s mega-economy, the eighth largest in the world, and the cross-border agreement appears to be a bold step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the picture becomes less rosy once you look at how the market for credits actually works.

Cap-and-trade systems have a nasty habit of turning into cap-and-fade. Emissions prices, which even at inception are generally modest, typically fall within a few years to a fraction of their original level. The reason is hardly a great mystery.

Just as printing more money lowers the value of existing bank notes, the more credits a government issues, the less valuable they become. Credits on the European Climate Exchange (ECX), for example, once traded for as much as €30 per ton. Today, the price is down to €7 per ton. Similarly, California’s trading system, which Ontario is poised to join, has seen the price of emissions halved from $23 a ton in 2011 to slightly more than $12.

What exactly do those types of emissions prices accomplish, aside from providing billions in new revenues to cash-strapped governments? I wonder if California Governor Jerry Brown, who has just implemented a 25-per-cent cut to water usage due to a state-wide drought, thinks $12 a ton is enough as he looks at the vanishing snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Similarly, what impact does German Chancellor Angela Merkel think a €7 charge on emissions is having on coal usage, which is booming in her country as a response to shuttered nuclear plants.

If such costs aren’t already low enough, consider that some large emitters are exempt from paying even those token rates. Quebec’s system, for instance, provides free emissions credits to two oil refineries, as well as the province’s aluminum plants. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne will no doubt seek exemptions for own pet industries, such as the auto sector.

Politicians claim that key industries need to be exempt from paying for emissions or they’ll risk losing ground to competitors. Instead, the practice of exempting some industries while forcing others to comply is a sure-fire path to create economic distortions that do anything but bolster competitiveness.

Ontarians would do well to question why their Premier has chosen to join a costly and complex cap-and-trade system instead of opting for a simpler B.C.-style carbon tax. A straightforward $30 a ton tax, which is offset by lower personal income taxes and hence is revenue neutral, shifts the tax base in B.C. from income to carbon fuels. It’s precisely the direction tax policy must go if we’re to stabilize the already dangerous levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Why didn’t Ontario choose that route? The answer is simple – the two alternatives serve different purposes. Carbon taxes work to reduce emissions while being fiscally neutral at the same time. Cap-and-trade schemes, in contrast, are designed to foster a perception that emissions are going lower without actually doing much environmental good. At the end of the day, the main beneficiary is the provincial treasury. For a premier looking to paint a new source of revenue in greenwash, it’s a perfect choice.

Jeff Rubin/Globe and Mail/April, 2015

Real Estate is always a good investment

According to Kevin O’Leary too many people invest in real estate when they’re too young, can’t afford it or when the market is in a bad place. Real estate isn’t a sure thing so be aware of your personal circumstances.

Invest in real estate in your 20s

Your 20s is a time to pay off debt (student loans) and find a great job. Renting allows you to be more mobile and go where the money is instead of being locked down.

Falling rates will help first-time buyers

The current market tends to transfer wealth from young, first-time home buyers to mature home-owners who sell their houses. This is especially true in residential neighbourhoods.  The condo market is shaking things up a bit, but falling rates only help first time buyers so long as the market stays the same.

A mortgage shouldn’t exceed 25% of your income

According to Kevin this is true unless the area you’re shopping in exceeds the average price (looking in an expensive city). In that case, you can allocate 30%, but these numbers should include everything – taxes, lawyer fees and so on.

Don’t carry a mortgage into retirement

Always clear your debt before you retire says O’Leary. Even if that means selling your house and renting in order to pay off the mortgage. Your first priority at all ages should be paying off the debt.

CTV/April, 2015

Ever formed a snowball, thrown it across the street and hit a telephone pole dead on?

If you did, you probably turned to a companion who missed the whole thing and tried to re-create the throw. That second throw, odds are, missed the pole by a yard.

That second throw is an example of how pressure, even at a minuscule level, diminishes performance.

It turns out there is a lot of research on performance under pressure, but that research has not trickled out to most employers, coaches or parents. Particularly those who yell at their kids from the sidelines.

“One of the central ideas of how to handle pressure is trust. That trust is so important,”  Dr. J.P. Pawliw-Fry said.

Dr. Pawliw-Fry, co-author of the new Crown Business book “Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most,” said as one gains technical ability, there is a level of knowing one can do an activity or perform a task.

For instance, a top notch skier can expertly navigate a mountain with ease, a mastery that brings a sense of euphoria when the skis carve perfect turns into the snow. It’s that same feeling of firing off a basketball shot from the three-point line, just knowing it will go in.

But then put a timer on and add a sense that either of those activities are central to winning an important event and watch form fall apart.

It turns out, that happens for all of us. The paradox of pressure is that at the moment that we need our skills to be at their very best is when those skills are diminished the most.

And the worst thing a coach or employer can do is to stress the magnitude of why an athlete’s, or a worker’s, performance needs to be at its best.

The truth is, Dr. Pawliw-Fry said, that in most pressure situations, you will fail. The swing on a pitch in the ninth inning will be a strike, the three-point shot will be an air ball, and the skier will take the turn too hard and too wide.

The trick, he said, is how we respond. If someone ruminates over the failure, the next time they try they will fail as well. But if they trust themselves and, as the old Nike slogan says, “Just do it,” they can succeed.

Coaches who do their coaching in practice and then at game time say, “You’ve got this,” are more reassuring than those who scream “get your hands up” to their point guard. And players who play to be their best do better in pressure situations than those who are afraid to lose.

The same goes for business. In a clutch situation, the best thing a leader can do is turn to the team and reassure them they can do their jobs.

Ann Belser /Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/April, 2015

Did you always want to work in the speaking industry? If not, what other careers did you consider?

Before I started working at Speakers’ Spotlight many moons ago, I wasn’t even aware that there was a speaking industry. I stumbled into working here because a friend of mine posted a job opportunity on his Facebook page and the rest is history. Back then, I was working toward a career in radio, and switched gears since it was really difficult to find steady work in the broadcasting world.

Do you have any great stories from events you’ve attended featuring Speakers’ Spotlight speakers?

I recall an event where the great Max Valiquette’s A/V just would not work, and ever the cool customer and professional, he still wowed the crowd with his presentation. It didn’t even faze him! He handled the technical snafu with grace, humour and, since he knows his stuff inside and out, everyone in the audience forgot by the end there was even a technical difficulty to begin with! It was pretty amazing.

What is your favourite thing about working with our speakers? With clients?

I think my favourite thing about working at Speakers’ Spotlight is the access we have to so many great ideas! We have the opportunity to meet and work with people from all different sectors, and learn about the kind of work they do in the corporate world, the non-profit world, and with associations. I was floored when I found out there was an association for snack foods!

There is so much to learn, and so many interesting organizations out there that require our help in matching the right speakers for their events! I also love that we get to learn what the speakers on our roster are up to when they come to meet with our team. It’s pretty fascinating to find out what they’re working on next!

Best subject in school?

Drama, and oddly French class. I can still conjugate être in two seconds flat! Je suis, tu es, il est…you catch my drift.

Which Canadian city is your favourite?

I was born and raised in my favourite Canadian city of all time, Toronto! I just think this is a pretty great city. There are so many different neighbourhoods that are all pretty distinctive, great food, tons of good places to see bands, plus there’s dogs everywhere! Toronto, you’re alright by me and I love you, just be better at sports okay?

Desert island album?

This question plagues me, it keeps me up at night tossing and turning. I don’t want to answer it, but I know that I must. I’m not even sure I know if my pick is THE ONE, since I am crazy about so many musicians and bands.

Anyway, here we go–I would have to say that if I was stuck on a desert island the one album I would take with me would be The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. See, because I’d be exiled and likely very bored, this classic double album would keep me boogying on the beach for hours. And this album has the hits that just won’t quit: Tumbling Dice, Happy, Sweet Virginia, Rocks Off, Ventilator Blues, and my personal favourite Loving Cup. Good gravy, that is one helluva song!

The whole history behind this crazy album is amazing–the Stones had tax problems in Britain at the time, so they had to leave and much of it was recorded at the Villa Nellcote in the south of France, and the sessions were pretty loosey-goosey. Keith Richards had all sorts of people hanging around, like Gram Parsons who was asked to leave after awhile because he was apparently a bad influence on Keith’s excesses. The rest was recorded in Los Angeles with some cool guests like Billy Preston and Dr. John! (I’d like to sneak Elephant by the White Stripes in my bindle for the desert island too, but that’s a story for another time friends.)

Last book you read?

Had Me A Real Good Time: The Faces, Before, During & After. Oh man, this book is so great! It’s all about the formation of The Faces, one of the great rock n’ roll bands of our time! It traces the history of the band with members Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones, and Ronnie Lane when they started out in England with Steve Marriott in The Small Faces, while Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart were cutting their teeth with the Jeff Beck Group and touring the US.

Steve Marriott left The Small Faces, Woody and Rod got fed up with Jeff Beck and BOOM…The Faces were born! I mean, here’s just a taste of the book: “Initially ignored by the hip cognoscenti in Britain who regarded them as passé, the Faces were quick to make their mark in America. Through a potent combination of hard work, creativity, and a readily identifiable image of approachable lads next door at the best party you ever had, they overcame this initial indifference toward them to become one of the biggest and best loved bands of the Seventies.” Now please watch this fantastic performance of their song Stay With Me, and enjoy Rod’s cool man-blouse.

What speaker(s) alive, or who have already passed away, would you love to hear speak?

I really wish I had the chance to see Rubin Carter speak. I worked with him a lot in my time here at Speakers’ Spotlight on events, and he was always so warm, friendly, and funny! His story is so unbelievable and powerful that it would have been really motivating to see him in action.