I’m humbled, fortunate and very proud that Modern Mississauga Media turns five on December 1st, 2020.
I’ve met remarkably inspiring people, experienced many memorable events, travelled, learned about myself, learned from others far smarter than myself, made new friends, challenged myself, earned wonderful wins and experienced valuable teaching moments, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have been strongly supported by family and friends, colleagues, advertisers, readers, writers, our community, and strangers.

I’ve had bad days, down days, lost days, frustrating days, days where I was a click away from shutting the company down.
And I wouldn’t change any single step on my journey.

Thank you to absolutely everyone for the first five years; I’m just getting started.

Know. Your. Worth.
I felt bad when I was hammered down on price because “losing” a deal wasn’t ideal.
What’s worse is reducing your worth, having the word spread that “Jay always drops the price with enough asking” and then never being able to recover your lost worth.

Be acutely aware of finances
This is the key driver in any successful business. Having a mother who’s been a CRA accountant for decades who instilled the importance of understanding and managing finances helped.
It’s not about being “rich.” It’s about being money smart to enable future opportunities and growth.

Support your community
Our community has supported me through my ongoing journey and it’s imperative that I give back whenever and however I can. Remember where you came from and those who have helped you.

Ask for help
Nobody can do everything on their own.  Instead of struggling and stumbling through something, ask for help and or guidance. It’s not a weakness; it’s strength to realize you don’t know everything.

Wait, don’t chase
The harder I’ve chased, the further the goal. I’ve learned to be patient in all aspects of my life instead of running full tilt. It’s a matter of strategy and knowing when to give someone space.
Also, it’s a free dating tip!

You’ll be burned
And that’s ok.
I understand things can change quickly and unexpectedly; I don’t take it personally as I cannot control anyone’s behaviour or actions.
It still happens and will continue to happen. It’s the reaction and recourse that matter.

Create opportunities
If we always did what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we’ve always got.
Whether small, medium or large scale, be an active thinker on how you can improve what you do.
Journaling/white boarding works quite well for me.

There’s a lesson in everything
Whether it’s new or reaffirmed, being aware of the lesson in every interaction and moment today strengthens you tomorrow.
Your greatest wins and your strongest learning moments are accompanied with lessons.

Apologize swiftly, sincerely and succinctly
Yup, I’ve screwed up, sometimes severely. When I do, I’ve never side-stepped responsibility for it.
Own it. Understand it. Learn from it. And for goodness sake when you apologize for it, do it the right way, or don’t do it at all.

Not everything you attempt will be successful at first
I’ve had some self-proclaimed brilliant ideas that have been received as well as a screen door on a submarine.  Some have been saved by tweaking them and others have been shelved. The key point is knowing that every path will lead to your destination. Sometimes it’s a different road; other times it’s a different vehicle.

Others will try and break you
And that’s also ok – you cannot control anyone’s actions/ reactions. Whether it’s their insecurity, their jealousy or something else, attempt to have an open conversation with them to find out what the real issue is.
My key takeaway is to realize the reasoning before rushing to react.

Give back whenever possible
If you can, regardless of size or amount, give back, I encourage you to do so. We’re all in different places with our time and finances but if you can give something…anything, reinvesting in your world/community is the right thing to do.

It’s not personal
It took me a year to figure this out and I’m happier because of it. Whether it’s a client backing out of a deal at the 11th hour and 59th minute to ignoring my emails/calls and yet commenting on my social media posts, I believe it’s not personal; it’s business. 
Understanding the difference and not losing sleep over it has been one of the strongest lessons.

The days are long and the years are short
I used to joke that I felt like my days were 30 hours long and my weeks had 12 days as that’s how it truly felt, and still sometimes does. The fact that I’m writing this five-year summary has a surreal feeling as it truly doesn’t feel that so much time has elapsed.

Be grateful
Every. Damn. Day. I. Am. Grateful. For. What. I. Have.
I’m very fortunate to be where I am and my approach is that anything can change in an instant.
Being grateful is hard wired in for me and I take absolutely nothing for granted in all aspects of my life.

Keep learning
Nobody knows it all, experts included.  Broadening my knowledge base daily has helped my journey.
From keyboard shortcuts to web design to the financial side and everything in between, there’s something to be learned daily. Invest in your business and yourself.

Adapt and innovate
Print is dead.
That was a tough realization as Modern Mississauga was founded on print. Switching gears to an interactive digital magazine wasn’t easy but necessary.
Adapting to the changing world is paramount.
Don’t believe me? Ask Blockbuster, Blackberry, Kodak, MySpace, and Toys "R" Us.

Doing > Thinking
You simply cannot will something into existence. All the “power of positive thinking” does nothing unless you move forward and execute. I’ve over-thought ideas to the point where I’ve nearly talked myself out of it.
Create, research, plan and most importantly, do.

Pay well, pay promptly
You get what you pay for. That’s it. Full stop.
Don’t make your partners/vendors wait to get paid. Fluid cash flow can make or break any business.

Communicate clearly
I, ummm, well, kinda sorta wanted to, maybe, if, uhhh, the thing is, what I might mean…hmmm, let’s see..well.
Be clear and concise to eliminate confusion and misinterpretation.

You’re not for everyone
I wish I realized this from a professional aspect earlier. Being the try-hard people pleaser as an entrepreneur may sound good but it’s damaging, unsustainable and exhausting long-term.
Simply put, you can’t be everything to everyone.

Right over rushed
Being first isn’t always best. The early days of Modern Mississauga saw me rush everything with an unsustainable sense of time. Once I slowed down, I understood that it’s better to be second and specific than first and flustered.

Take care of your team
I am nothing without my team, so I do my best to ensure they get everything they want and need to be successful. Shout out to Liz Wise who’s been with me through it all and has created a simply stunning magazine, year after year.

Be resourceful
Have I used a discarded piece of post-Halloween pumpkin to prop up a camera? Yep.
Have I duct taped a camera to a car because the suction mount broke? Yep.
Professionally, “no” means “find a different way.” Even if it’s way out there.

Steer clear of vanity metrics
I know, I know, I know…it’s so tempting to want a social media account with enormous follower counts.
Me? I’m prefer slow, steady growth with the right community than inflated, purchased followers.
Definitely be aspirational but also be realistic and smart about it.

Embrace competition
I no longer feel threatened by my competition. It’s now part of the mix to up my game.
Oh, and never, ever, under any circumstances, speak ill of your competitors to anyone. Ever. Never.
It’s unbecoming and unprofessional.