Letter from the Editor
the business was to sell and help my sales team, I was also trying to keep the Weekly News a good local newspaper and maybe even make it a little better. After the paper was shuttered, my wife, Staci, became another mentor. As we ventured into something new for us, she taught me different techniques for story creation, and of course, she tried to teach me some grammar. At the time, we didn’t know she would be training me to replace her upon her passing (an impossible task); she just wanted me to be the best version of myself I could be. Of course, these are just a few examples of the people I have looked up to over the years, people who have not only trained me to be good at what I do but also encouraged me to be better than I believed I could be. So, I ask: are you a mentor? If not, why not? Being a mentor not only builds bonds between you and other people, but it is also a way for your knowledge to carry on through to the next generation, and then the next and so on. Don’t have anyone in your life to mentor? Well, September is Big Brothers and Big Sisters month -- have you considered being a mentor to someone who could really use one? Wisdom is like money; you can’t take it with you when you’re gone, so pass it on today!
Recently, someone told me I was like a mentor to them. This was a bit of a surprise; I have always looked to other people as my mentors and never thought of someone looking at me like that. I have learned from some of the best in the business, and not just about the business.
My first mentor was my mom; she was really the one who got me into advertising and sales in the first place. Sure, I earned my diploma in marketing and was a marketing assistant, but she told me I could not only be a salesperson but also a really good one. She has been selling ads since the 80s and was one of the best at it in London. She gave me the confidence to give it a go and got my foot in the door. From there, I learned from her and several other gifted ad folks; from each of them, I took advice and techniques that worked for me and crafted my own style. Other than my mom, who was also my sales manager and therefore paid to make me a better salesperson, others took their own time to show me what works for them, so they could help mould the next generation. After a few years of success in sales, I was then made the office/ sales manager of the St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News here in St. Thomas, where I had the benefit of working with a new type of mentor, Terry Carroll. Terry was a ‘newspaperman’, not a salesperson. Print was in his blood, and while my main focus in
Come join us for the 2024-2025 season
All experience levels are welcome.
New to curling? Try our Learn to Curl League. Every week you will receive instruction on different areas of the game, advancing as the weeks go on. Each lesson is taught by experienced and qualified instructors. Life is about Balance. Come to socialize and exercise.
Registration opens September 1st. Open House is October 1st, 2nd, 3rd. 2:00 and 7:00 pm League play starts October 7th.
Photo by Kelly Taylor
For more information visit our website at stthomascurlingclub.com or email curling@stthomascurlingclub.com
Page 2 Hometown St. Thomas • September 2024
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