Community

 Community is where we belong. It is also a word that can be described as a feeling. A feeling of connection, a feeling of where you want to be, like home. Where fresh buns are in the oven and dinner is simmering in a pot. What feeling describes community for you? What actions are you taking to create a feeling of community in your work life or home life? Everyone has a reason to be the connection for someone. You can find the greater purpose within you and take the steps to build relationships with those around you.

To bridge the gap that extends beyond coworkers and creates unity from within can reach beyond the four walls of the dealership. Every client, supplier, or delivery person should feel valued interacting with us. Your presence and appreciation for that individual comes through your driving purpose for being today. Every day, thousands of small moments occur across our groups that reflect our shared values, from a technician staying late to finish a repair, a detailer taking extra care on delivery, or a parts driver checking on a customer’s day. These may seem small, but they are the threads that weave our community together.

It’s easy to lose sight of purpose when the days get busy, the work can feel repetitive, and the targets unrelenting. But purpose doesn’t fade when the workload increases, it gets buried under the noise. Our job as leaders, teammates, and contributors is to keep digging it out. To pause long enough to remind ourselves: why did I choose this path? Who am I helping today? Answering these questions leads to purpose-driven work, bringing you back each day to increase the livelihood of our neighbour and our community.

Community is created by a combination of shared identity, purpose, and interests, along with frequent interaction and active participation. It is built on the foundation of connection, belonging, support, and trust of one another to feel a sense of shared purpose and common story. Together we can grow bigger. We need each and every person to make the cog work and it is in the communities we build and our actions that create synergy.

Summer Clouds

 To begin, make yourself comfortable.

Begin to become aware of your breathing.

Notice each breath as it goes in..... and out.....

Take a moment to focus your attention on your breathing, without trying to change anything. Just notice your breathing, focusing intently on each breath.

(pause)

Now see how you can slow the rhythm of your breathing by counting. Breathe in to the count of 4, hold for a count of 3, and exhale to the count of 5.

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Pause...2.....3.....Breathe out....2.....3.....4.....5.....

Again....2....3....4.....Hold...2....3....Exhale....2....3.....4.....5.....

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Hold...2....3....Exhale....2....3.....4.....5.....

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Pause...2.....3.....Breathe out....2.....3.....4.....5.....

Breathe in....2.....3.....4.....Hold...2....3....Exhale....2....3.....4.....5.....

Continue to breathe slowly, smoothly..... relaxing more with each breath.

Feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed.

As you relax, start to create a picture in your mind. Imagine that you are lying on a blanket outside on a warm summer day. The blanket is in the soft grass, next to some trees.

The sun shines down warmly, and a cool breeze blows across your skin.

See the sky above, blue and bright. See the clouds floating by... blowing in the breeze.

Picture in your mind the details. The feel of the sun and breeze on your skin. The soft grass and blanket beneath you. The trees beside you, a mix of leafy trees and conifers.

The leaves on aspens and poplars wave and turn as they blow in the wind. You can hear the rustle of the leaves. Between the leaves, you can see the trunks and branches of large, old trees. The bark is dark with small patches of light colored mosses and lichens. A few spruce trees grow among the aspens. Their branches move slightly up and down, springing back as the wind blows them.

Watch the clouds passing the branches.... drifting by. Notice the different shapes of clouds. Some are round, fluffy cumulus clouds. Others are long, thin, wispy clouds... like streaks of semi-transparent white paint across the blue of the sky. The clouds drift lazily by. Slowly... smoothly.... floating.

It is so relaxing, watching the clouds drift by in the sky above.

The sun shining down warms and relaxes you, creating a calm, sleepy feeling. The breeze keeps you cool and comfortable.

Feel your body relaxing... bit by bit.... as you sink into the soft blanket and grass beneath you. Feeling your muscles relaxing... letting go. Allowing your breathing to slow as you rest peacefully.

(pause)

Imagine the sights and sounds. The sound of the wind in the trees.... birds singing.... Picture the leaves of the trees as you see them moving.... twisting.... the sun shining through the trees... dappled on your face....

Enjoy relaxing, gazing up at the sky. Watching the clouds drift by. Enjoying this beautiful day.

(pause)

When you are ready to leave this peaceful place, slowly begin to return your awareness to the present.

Take a deep breath in.... and out.

Breathe in again.... and out....

Continue to breathe smoothly and regularly, feeling your energy increasing with each breath.

As you breathe, allow your body to reawaken. Feel the energy flowing through your muscles.

Raise your shoulders as you breathe in, and lower them as you breathe out. Feel your muscles reawaken.

Keep with you the feeling of calm and relaxation, while returning to a state of wakefulness.

When you are ready return to your day, feeling alert and calm.

Knowledge is Power

 Teams with strong development programs outperform others by 24% in productivity and profitability.

It’s not just a business metric — it’s a human one.

Whether someone shows up “average” or “excellent” can often come down to the time and effort you invest in developing them.

But here’s the thing: you can’t just offer one training session and expect greatness to stick — consistency is key.

Once a week, or even once every two weeks, development needs to become part of the rhythm.

After all, you wouldn’t hit one home run and call yourself a Major League player. Excellence comes from practice, coaching, and showing up — again and again.

That’s what education does: it turns potential into progress. And when you commit to developing others, you’re also growing yourself as a leader.

 As leaders, we get to decide: are we just filling roles, or are we developing people?

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. - Nelson Mandela

Education is society's most effective lever for equality. It arms people with the ability to think critically, contribute meaningfully, and rise beyond limitation of their circumstances. From the classroom to the boardroom, education empowers individuals with the confidence and competence to participate fully in society.

Think back to the teacher, mentor, or boss who changed the trajectory of your life. That’s the power of education.

In every community, and across every industry, we see the same truth repeated: opportunity is not evenly distributed but education has the power to shift that. Education is a structured path out of generational cycles. It's the spark that ignites someone's potential. It is the training ground where quiet strength and untapped brilliance are brought to life.

Education doesn't stop with formal learning, it continues with how we manage our people. We must ask ourselves;

Are we developing our teams for the runway ahead?

Can they not only do this job they're in today but the next role after that?

Am I doing what's needed as a leader to prepare them for my role and beyond?

If your employee turned in their updated resume every six months, would it reflect growth? Would it show new skills, greater confidence, and deeper impact?

That's the True Test of Leadership!

We must want our people to succeed, whether they stay or go. That's how we build a culture of excellence, mentorship, and shared success. When we pour into people with intention, we create leaders who will carry that forward through our teams, our industry, and our community.

This week, invest in one person. Teach them one new skill. Ask them one deeper question. That’s how the ripple begins.

Movement Brings Clarity

 NEED PRECISION?

Take this journey

No headphones, no phones, just you and your shoes.

The world around you is quiet, but your mind is not.

You walk, not to get somewhere, but to get out of somewhere, out of the tangle of your thoughts, out of the meeting that did not go well, out of the inbox that becomes overwhelming. 

The pavement doesn’t ask anything of you. It just receives your steps. And somehow, that’s enough to loosen what’s tight inside.

With each step the noise begins to thin, the fog starts to lift gradually, by the time you loop back to the dealership you feel calmer, clearer, and more capable to make decisions.

Movement isn’t procrastination.

It’s not avoidance.

It is a Strategy.

When the answers won’t come, stop pressing and start pacing.

When clarity is hiding, go walk where it can find you.

 

Movement away from the shuffle will guide mental sharpness.

THE FACTS

Just 20 minutes of walking can significantly lower cortisol levels. This is the hormone responsible for stress, helping the brain shift from reactive to reflective.

Walking increases creative output by 60% compared to sitting. The boost is consistent whether indoors or outdoors, and the enhanced creativity persists even after returning to work. Stanford University

Regular physical exercise not only lifts mood by releasing endorphins but also builds resilience to stress and enhances long-term brain health through increased neuroplasticity. Amen Clinic

Just six months of moderate aerobic exercise can increase the volume of the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning, by up to 2%, effectively reversing age-related decline. Health.harvard.edu

Muscle is the organ of longevity. It is our largest endocrine organ where muscle governs metabolism, immunity, stress, resilience and brain function. Gabrielle Lyon Forever Strong

Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body, and soul. Your Self-esteem and confidence will boost leaving you feeling strong and powerful. Healthful

Movement creates new brain cells, a process called neurogenesis, adding creativity and inspiration to your mental energy. Walden University

Exercise stimulates the release of feel-good neurotransmitters, increases blood flow to the brain, and helps retain connections that are crucial for memory and thinking, all of which support mental clarity and resilience. Mayo Clinic

Work Functions

 

This is us. The work crew hanging out on a Saturday night. Good Times, Great Food, and Excellent Company. Over half the team showed up along with their favorite other, speaking volumes to the culture we are building together.

The beautiful setting in the Okanagan was just the baseline to truly special evening where we continually create the opportunity to erase the invisible lines that often separate us at work. Departments can sometimes feel like islands. And with the busy flow of work and lifestyle sometimes connecting with each other is a task beyond the normal working hours.

Why It Matters?

Work functions are social events that build culture. They remind us that collaboration is smoother when we understand each other, not just our roles, but as human beings and makes another happy. Work functions allow teams to strengthen trust to get through the grind while also giving us a chance to lead with humanity - because leadership isn't only about strategy and results. It's also about connection.

Never underestimate the value of creating space for others to connect outside of routine. It's in these moments that loyalty deepens, silos fade, and the foundation for real teamwork is built.

The Courage for New

 I watched My Year at Oxford this week, and something in me stirred.

Not because I’ve ever dreamed of attending Oxford, but because I know what it feels like to walk into a room—into a season of life—where I’m unsure if I belong, yet determined to make my mark.

The main character in the film has a life  experience that is reshaped by a single year in a new place. She became surrounded by unfamiliar traditions, new expectations, and people who see the world differently. It’s not just about academics; it’s about identity, courage, and the willingness to be changed by the experience.

We all have our “Oxford” moments. They might not look like ancient stone halls or candlelit debates, but they’re those life chapters where everything feels foreign… and yet something inside us insists, This is where I’m meant to grow.

I thought about how often in leadership—and in life—we avoid stepping into new rooms. We stay in the spaces where we feel certain, where we know the language and the rules. But the growth happens when we sit with the discomfort long enough to learn something new and long enough to be shaped by it. This is the active part of being uncomfortable.

As leaders, our job is not just to enter those rooms ourselves, but to invite others into theirs—and to remind them that feeling uncertain is often a sign they’re exactly where they need to be.

Maybe for you, the “Oxford” moment is taking on a project you don’t feel ready for.
Maybe it’s starting the business you’ve always dreamed about.
Or maybe it’s learning something purely because it excites you—even if it scares you, too.

Growth rarely comes from standing still. Sometimes it starts with walking into a room you’re not sure you belong in… and discovering that you do.

The world doesn’t just need you where you’re comfortable—it needs you where you’re becoming.

Mattering

 CONTRIBUTION

Do I matter?

 Mattering – is the experience of feeling significant to those around us because we feel valued and know that we add value.

 It is not a grand gesture that creates this. Mattering happens in everyday moments, in the tone of a conversation, in a glance of recognition, and in the way we’re listened to and responded to.

 For Leaders, this means TRULY seeing and hearing the people you lead. Not just as employees, but as individuals whose contributions shape the culture and outcome of the organization

 SEEING – acknowledging them and paying attention to the details, ebbs, and flows of their life and work.

 HEARING – showing a genuine curiosity abouts someone’s thoughts, ideas, and challenges and responding in a way that creates trust and psychological safety.

 When people feel seen and heard, they feel that they matter. And when they matter, they give more of their best selves to the work, to the team, and to the mission.

People rise when they feel seen, believed in and backed.

The Unsung Engine

After years of caring for his aging father, Marco found himself searching for purpose—and a paycheck. He took a job as a detailer, not realizing just how vital he would become to the heartbeat of the store.

From the outside, it looked simple—washing, vacuuming, wiping down vehicles. But on the inside, Marco quickly learned something: everyone depended on him.

The service team needed clean, polished cars ready for pickup—customers didn’t consider the job “done” until they saw their vehicle sparkling.

The sales team needed cars prepped to perfection—deliveries couldn’t go out, photos couldn’t be taken, and deals couldn’t close without his final touch.

The pressure was real. The pace was fast. And yet, some days, Marco still found himself battling a quiet doubt: I wish I were doing something more important.

    Am I just the guy who cleans up after everyone else?

One afternoon, his manager caught him between vehicles and said:

“Marco, you’re not just detailing cars. You’re keeping the whole operation moving. When service finishes a repair, you’re the one who completes the experience. When sales makes a promise to a customer, you’re the one who brings it to life. We can’t deliver without you. You’re the closer.”

That was the moment it clicked.

Marco began to see himself not as support—but as essential. His hands helped finish stories: the relief of a repaired vehicle, the joy of a new delivery, the trust that a customer feels when everything looks just right.

He wasn’t in the background. He was in the flow. 

And the dealership? It didn’t run around him—it ran with him.