As the holiday season approaches, Osborne’s Principals and Senior Advisors take a moment to reflect on the past year, finding gratitude in the traditions that define this festive period. From baking treats to adorning ugly sweaters, we encourage everyone to embrace the essence of the season, cherishing moments with loved ones.
Our sincere hope is that your celebrations are filled with meaningful connections and moments of self-care. Osborne extends warm wishes for a joyous holiday season and a healthy new year. With anticipation and enthusiasm, we eagerly await the opportunities and adventures that 2024 will bring.
I want to take this opportunity to offer best wishes and hearty thanks to all our clients with a special toast to everyone involved in Western Canadian agriculture and their families.
My life has been greatly enriched by a close association with some of the hardest working, resilient and community minded people I have ever known. Through all the challenges that climate change and regulatory regimes throw at them, they maintain a sense of humour and humility that is truly inspiring.
And I would be remiss if didn’t thank my wonderful and talented Osborne colleagues who never disappoint and often invest many additional hours of their own time to ensure our clients meet their objectives.
Obviously world peace and answers to crises of homelessness and addiction would be a true blessing and I am hopeful that 2024 will see progress in how these issues are addressed.
The past year has been filled with many rewarding moments as well as challenging ones. I’ve had the pleasure of working with numerous individuals that bring their knowledge, time and passion to their business or their non-profit. Many of these people are no longer counted as solely business contacts, but friends as well.
Christmas is my favourite time of year. Perhaps it’s my inner child? A time to reflect, to renew and relish the joy of the season. Importantly, it’s a time to prepare for the pending new year.
I wish each of my business contacts and Osborne colleagues a blessed Christmas.
As I reflect on the accomplishments and transformations of 2023, I’m filled with immense gratitude and excitement for the journey that unfolded. On the fitness front, I am thrilled to share that I earned three more professional bodybuilding cards, solidifying my dedication to the sport and pushing my physical limits. The pinnacle of my bodybuilding career was representing Canada at the World Championships, an honour that not only showcased personal achievement but also highlighted the resilience and determination that drive me.
While my focus on bodybuilding was unwavering, so too was my commitment to my valued clients, especially those who have entrusted me with their marketing needs for over five years. Nurturing these professional relationships has been a source of fulfillment, and witnessing the growth and success of their ventures has been rewarding.
Looking ahead to 2024, my goals are set to shift gears. The time and energy devoted to bodybuilding will now be redirected towards business growth and art. As I embark on this new chapter, I’m eager to explore fresh opportunities and take my professional and artistic journey to greater heights.
Equally significant is my desire to spend more quality time with my teenage daughters who are growing up way too fast. The moments I can get them out of their bedrooms are invaluable, and my hope is to create more memorable experiences that they’ll remember for a lifetime.
In the spirit of positive transformation, 2023 has taught me that even amidst global challenges, there are personal victories worth celebrating. It’s a reminder to appreciate the good, adapt to change, and continue striving for excellence in all aspects of life.
As we step into the new year, I wish each of you good health, a happy heart, and true contentment. May 2024 be a year of growth, fulfillment, and the realization of your aspirations.
My wishes this time last year were focused on the desire for politicians, world leaders, policy makers and citizens to listen to each other as a starting point in resolving the many conflicts that exist politically, professionally, and personally. Apparently no one read my comments. It seems politics are more polarized than ever with potential new leaders discouraged to enter the fray due to the constant attacks they’d have to endure. Global conflicts have grown in number and severity with unimaginable collateral damage and suffering. All this impacts the economy, and businesses of all sizes. The challenges involved with running an operation whether a startup, growing or mature business have only become more complex and risky.
Using a coach, advisor or helping hand can reduce the overload, anxiety, stress and risk so many business managers experience. Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help. Osborne is there to lend an ear and helping hand.
I turn sixty-five in January 2024. It’s around that age when things often start to happen; health issues, financial challenges around retirement/semi retirement, friends passing, parents passing. Add that to what is going on in the world today and sometimes it is hard to feel great about the future! While there are a growing number of negatives there are still a lot of positives. I do have a lot to be thankful for; a great marriage – 39 years next May, three healthy, happy children, some amazing travel plans, great friendships and a terrific work environment at Osborne! My hope is that all of the great things continue and grow and the not so good stuff takes a back seat. All the very best to you for 2024!
As we close out 2023 it’s a time to reflect back on the past year and cherish the good memories and also a time to refocus our commitment to family, friends, work and beyond. It’s also a time to reflect and remember those suffering from conflicts and human rights violations this past year. It’s easy to become distracted with the two major conflicts, but any act of kindness by us to those less fortunate is one step closer to the spirit of the season that will last all year. I was reminded of this by a recent posting on X by Ryan Renolds, the Canadian actor. We often paint famous people as disconnected and living in a bubble, but he gives of his time and popularity in this case helping raise funds for SickKids charity in Canada.
As I look forward to 2024, there will be new opportunities and challenges in our personal and professional careers. It’s with that knowledge we will remain positive and successful throughout the coming year.
For our clients, the economic and environmental turbulence seems to be increasing as we look forward, but as in the past, its resilience, knowledge, and commitment that will ensure positive outcomes in an ever-changing global environment.
My wish for 2024 is that we embrace what’s important in our lives, find the time to give through acts of kindness and help those less fortunate where possible. From my family to yours, we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.
As 2023 draws to a close, we have felt our world once again testing the reaches of our humanity. We are incredibly blessed to live in a country where peace is a given. Yet, seeing the challenges overseas, the reflection around the edges of my mind touches on local situations of hardship, poverty, violence, and anger. These are as real to the local communities experiencing them, as those situations we watch on the news each night. My commitment for 2024 is to savour and appreciate the many blessings I have in my life, not just during the holiday season but every single day of the year. I am committed to start by making a difference locally – to understand the barriers to food security, the triggers for increasing crime, and the local drivers of poverty, that in my mind should never exist in a country as beautiful as Canada. Having the privilege of working with founders and entrepreneurs, I want to embrace their spirit of determination, focus, and resolve to bring my best to 2024. I hope you will join me on this journey. Wishing you all the best of the holiday season, and for the year ahead!
As 2023 comes to a close I am thankful for elected officials, academics and journalists who give us the “goods” based on scientific process, and present the evidence.
And thankful for business leaders who demonstrate you can profit in uncertain times when you are in business for the benefit of all stakeholders.
And I am most grateful for artists of all types who challenge, make us cry, and mostly bring us great joy, pleasure and laughter by sharing through stories, metaphor, and allegory – in the visual arts, dance, literature, film and theatre!
I am thankful for opportunities I have had to listen, learn and be challenged by first nations people who have helped me grow in understanding and experiencing “all my relations” – in community, business and outdoors. And for reminding this biologist that it is only in our minds that we live apart from the natural world!
In the New Year I am looking forward to enhancing and enjoying all my relations, including with family and in business, by taking more time enjoying the biodiversity riches and treasured landscapes of our great country. And by becoming more active in music making!
In the New Year I and my family are looking forward to spending time with our long time friend Bill whom, after a one year wait, and the greatest will to live, has beaten the odds and is this month learning to live with new lungs!
As a new year dawns, what are you thankful for? What will make 2024 the best year ever for you?
What a difference a year makes. Calgary seems to have turned the corner with a year of buoyant energy prices and high levels of in-migration with a relatively affordable housing market in comparison to southern Ontario and the Lower Mainland of BC (despite having a tight rental housing market).
While it is nice to get some of our swagger back, being nimble and forward-thinking will be critical in these challenging times economically. Hold on to your horses (or should I say reindeer) as we head into 2024 and to you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.
PS. If you have been nice in 2023, please add a train service from the Calgary Airport to Banff Rail (CABR) on your letter to Santa; need more information check our Friends of CABR website.
Looking back to my wishes for last year I spoke too soon when I noted that 2022 was a low wildfire season because 2023’s wildfires in BC were terrible – more than 200 homes were lost in my hometown (Kelowna) and my heart goes out to those impacted. Climate change is deeply impacting our country and my hope for 2024 is that we all do more to address this threat.
2023 has brought a significant interim assignment for me with a global business so I have spent many hours on Teams video calls. Reminds me that we are a globally connected world now and we can be very effective operating from our home offices. Remote working tools are so effective that it opens up the world of opportunity for the talented Osborne team – may 2024 be a year of spreading our influence and expertise ever-wider!
I’d like to take this opportunity to extend best wishes to all my Osborne colleagues and clients for a wonderful, relaxing holiday season.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the struggles, economics and politics of our day-to day-lives, let’s also take time to celebrate those positive advances that are a direct result of the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation which are the backbone of our province. Reflecting on past successes allows us to truly appreciate the present, while providing a high level of optimism for 2024.
And as we head into the new year, let’s take ‘us’ time to really appreciate what we have, and acknowledge those we love.
2023 has taught us that war will always be happening somewhere in the world when we should have learned our lessons many decades ago. To see the destruction of people’s lives, homes, and businesses in the Ukraine, Israel and Gaza – we never seem to learn how to avoid creating such turmoil. What will it take to rid the planet of hate and encourage understanding and thoughtfulness? That is the $1 billion question.
I hope that we will see the fighting stop and the economic impacts that the fighting has created, cease. Society, all over the world will pay well into the future for the decisions made today. We need to seriously think about the world we will leave to future generations.
All the best for 2024.
As we approach the festive season, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible journey in 2023. I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this festive time bring joy, peace, and rejuvenation and may 2024 be filled with love, joy, peace and prosperity!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Wishing you great health, the overflowing warmth of love in the family, abundant joy to share with others, peace over everything, and much prosperity as we enter 2024.
May the new year bring many more of these blessings to us all. Happy holidays!