Columbus. Darwin. Gagarin. Zuckerberg. Clemens?

Christopher Columbus was believed to have been in his early 30s when he began planning his voyage search of India, and instead found a whole new world. Charles Darwin was in his early 20s when the historic "Voyage of the Beagle" took place; a historic journey to the Galapagos islands that would change Darwin, and science forever. Yuri Gagarin was in his mid twenties when he became the first human to orbit the earth. Mark Zuckerberg was barely in his early twenties when he created Facebook, and last week, and the ripe old age of 28, his estimated net worth was $19.1 billion. Last week I, at the tender age of 24, built a shelf in my kitchen.

Ok... so that might seem like the most inspiring bit of information, but let me get to my point. I have had this speech with three of my friends now, who were all setting off for their great adventures. While taking a risk on something might seem like a daring and daunting task, why not see it as your own great Columbus voyage? Your Darwin moment? Were these individuals any different then you or me? I would argue not. I think everyone has the capacity for greatness, and it's all about seizing the opportunity when you get the chance.

There is more to it than that of course. If you have read Malcolm Gladwell you would know the idea that success is not merely about effort, but also has a great deal of luck involved. Had Bill Gates not been able to access a computer at a time when they were incredibly rare he would never had been able to gather the skills to be successful. Columbus wasn't just some guy with a boat, he was believed to have started sailing as early as 10 years old. I remember a quote with George Stroumboulopolous where he talked about not just being in the right place at the right time, but also having the right skills. While surely it is great to have the opportunity for greatness, what if you don't have the skills to pull it off?

A great example of this is every musicians's dream story. In 1973, a 19 year old Scott Haplin had gone to see The Who play. Keith Moon, as notorious for his ability to ingest copious amounts of alcohol and drugs as his drumming, decided on this occasion to ingest horse tranquilizers. Let me say that again, horse tranquilizers. Anyways, of course after a few terribly executed songs, Moon of course collapsed on his drum kit. Then comes the dream, the band calls out for anyone who can play the remaining songs. Haplin's friend volunteered him for the duty, and he was picked out of the crowd and finished the set. What if Haplin didn't know how to play the drums? I know this seems like a silly question, but I'm just trying to make the point of keeping your skills honed because you never know when your opportunity for greatness will come.

Worth millions.... Thinks horse tranquilizers are ideal for recreational drug use

The point of this is to never give up on your dreams. Sometime's they may seem more trouble than their worth, but don't give up. What if Columbus had just decided to go fishing instead of getting lost and "discovering" a new world? While it might seem easier sometimes just to stay home, take a chance. Keep your skills and knowledge of your craft at their peak, and when the opportunity arises, or when you make your own opportunity, seize it.

My Top Music Picks of the Year (so far)

Here's my top 5 Album picks of the year so far. (Doesn't mean it came out this year, just what I've been listening to)

Arkells - Michigan Left

Massive Attack - Collected 

Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour

Hundred Waters - Hundred Waters

Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales

What is Success?

I remember having this conversation with a friend of mine in University. The idea that happiness was paramount, and so long as we could enjoy what we are doing, that was all that mattered. He's now in culinary school, because he realized that it was what actually made him happy.

I'm lucky at this point in my life that I have the opportunity to do what I love to do, with two of my best friends. I've known both these guys basically my entire life, even though we all went in different directions for school, somehow we all ended up working together. Life's kinda crazy like that.

Life for me, has always been about the little things. I've never been one that wanted the crazy big car, or huge house, so when it comes to success for me, I think simply going to work, doing what you love to do, with people that are awesome, well, that's pretty snazzy to me.

Yes... that is corn. 

Success for me though, doesn't stop when the clock does. I was lucky enough to find someone that understood my sense of humor. Now, for some of you more clever folks out there, there may be an abundance of people out there that get your jokes; ask anyone that knows me, I only got one. So I married her.

Don't be fooled though; simply because my success isn't primarily focused on money doesn't mean I'm not competitive. The exact opposite is true. I am incredibly competitive, it's just I am competitive at doing the best work I can possibly do, and being the best at what I do. The problem is that I chose something that is ever changing. Digital strategy is something that changes every hour of every day. That's why I love it.

So I guess to me success is having a roof over my head, a home filled with laughter, work that is rewarding for its impact, and coworkers that are fun to work with.

My Hockey Story

My hockey story isn't like "The Hockey Sweater" or many other Canadian's stories of playing as a youth. I grew up in a hockey town, but didn't start playing hockey until after I moved away for university. My town was dominated by people who loved the Maple Leafs, but I liked the Red Wings, because my dad worked in Detroit, so those were the games I got to see.

When I started university I was seventeen, and not the most sociable. I maybe left my room in my off campus residence once during the first week. However, over time, I got to know the group I was living with, and that there was a shared interest among many of them; ball hockey.  Now, you might say ball hockey isn't quite as serious as the real deal, but trust me, these games got intense. There were lines drawn up, rivalries, and even fights during games. 

Now, I wasn't the most athletic person, I played soccer growing up, but I was always more a music kinda guy. So I didn't join the ball hockey team. Although I did play a couple games, and was asked as nicely as possible to not come back. 

That winter came though, and I was lucky enough to live with a guy who had taught little kids how to play hockey at his dad's hockey school. In reality, those little kids were probably better suited than I was for the task, however, he suited me up with a bunch of his old equipment, and we went to public skating to practice. I may have forgotten to mention that in addition to not playing hockey, I also had only skated a handful of times before. 

So my first year of hockey may not have been a huge success. I was the guy that everyone avoided because I couldn't stop, and even when they let me shoot, I would just fall over (I think this actually happened again this year too). However, I was determined to stick with it. I was lucky enough that I played with a bunch of guys that were fine with me coming, so long as I payed my ten bucks. 

My next year wasn't much better. I could now stop, but I was as slow as molasses, and I couldn't shoot or pass, or, well anything. This was the year in fact where my girlfriend (now wife) started taping our games, and where we all realized that while we felt as though we were moving at NHL speeds, we were actually moving at a quarter of their pace (and that's being generous). 

After university, I basically took a year off of hockey. However, I picked it up again through a summer, and then last winter I played twice a week. Hockey has been one of the funnest things I've ever taken up, and I think it's gotten a bad rep in some ways. When you are purely playing for the fun of the game (no fighting, no hitting, none of the clique stuff) it takes on a completely different meaning. You feel connected to all of the players before you, and you really start to understand why it is our national pastime. 

This summer I am playing in my first actual organized league. I am captaining my team by virtue of having a functioning email address. Although I'm never going to be the best out there, I am always happy that I stuck with it, and can at least contribute in some way to our country's great game. It's important to keep in mind I am the furthest thing from a "Jock" you could imagine. To quote Mitch Hedberg, "I'm not into sports. If I had athlete's foot, my first reaction would be, 'that's not my ... foot!". However, I think this experience has taught me a sense of competitiveness, camaraderie, and determination that I didn't know before. So whether you played as a kid or not, I would highly recommend trying out hockey, or whatever sport. You can never know if you like something or not without trying it.