3 Things I Learned In Sudbury

This past weekend, I decided that it would be a good idea to hop in a car for four and half hours and make a trek up to Sudbury for an ultimate tournament. In the snow. Here’s what I learned this weekend:

1. Go Ahead. Get Dirty.
Sudbury is one of the dirtiest cities I have ever been in. And I’ve been to Manila in the 90s. I think it has something to do with the mining town, but I feel like the entire place is covered by a layer of brown soot. In Canada, normally even the dirtiest places get covered by snow to look beautiful. Not Sudbury.

So what did we do? We embraced it. It was the situation that we were in, and we couldn’t change it. Too often, people search for the perfect idea. They automatically reject the “dirty” ones because they have flaws. You have to accept your circumstances and make the best of them. If only dirty ideas are coming to you, embrace them. Try to find a way to turn them into something you can use. Even if it’s a little dirty.

2. Be Nice.
Sudbury had some of the nicest people I have ever met. They were laid back and accepting. I found that whenever we were in a pickle, they were more than happy to help. All you had to do was ask nicely. It’s a concept that’s taught to us in elementary school: be nice. But it’s something that we often forget when we allow ourselves to get swallowed by myopia and busy schedules. Instead, we tend to focus solely on our needs and forget the power that politeness provides. In business, I’ve found that being nice to the “gatekeepers” (like the receptionist or secretary that controls people’s schedules) will get you farther than you expect.

3. Get Out Of The City.
Every Torontonian thinks that Toronto is the centre of the universe. The same applies for New Yorkers. And people who live in LA. The truth is that the vast majority of the world doesn’t live in those cities. You have to leave your safety bubble of a giant metropolis with countless entertainment and cultural options. You have to experience what it’s like to be a “normal” Canadian. To interact with the people who compose the majority of the country. Who buy the majority of your products. Who voted for the guy that you didn’t vote for in the last election. It’s always refreshing to exit the big city and interact with people who have different experiences, insights and perspectives.

So, this is what I learned this weekend. That, and playing ultimate in the snow is a lot of fun.

- Christian