Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. I had a great childhood and really couldn’t find anything to complain about if I tried. I’m not sure there’s anything I would say that shaped my adult life because it seems like the experiences I have moved me one step at a time, sometimes forward sometimes backward, and the cumulation of all those steps have created Steve the adult today.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

I wish I would have realized that running can be enjoyable and a great way to expand and create ideas. My mom was/is a big runner but I never seemed to pay attention and didn’t like it at all. Now that I have started running I understand the health benefits both mentally and physically and wish I would have started sooner, even though I’m sure my mom tried to tell me these things when I was young.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Do x, y then z. People all have their own journey to self-fulfillment and there’s no one path to the outcome we’re looking for.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

Honesty is always the best policy.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

Hard work done creatively.

What is your morning routine?

5:30 – 6:00 – Wake up, hydrate, caffeinate, meditate

6:00 – 6:20 – read

6:20 – 6:50 – Workout

6:50 – 7:50 – Wake up kids, Get them ready. Leave to school.

8:30 – 9:00 – Walk the dog

I’m all about mind, body & spirit in the morning.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Follow my excitement – it seems to keep life interesting

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

I’ve gone through a lot of phases with productivity and the one that has stuck is GTD methodology. Getting ideas out of my mind into a trusted system has been a game changer for me allowing me to have more ideas and know they’ll be reviewed and acted upon at a certain time in the future.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – Incredibly eye-opening learning how the subconscious mind can be such a powerful tool.

Getting Things Done by David Allen – Helped me to harness my ideas and turn them into a reality.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

“What any person can do, any person can do”. The quote originally said man, not person, but I think it’s important for me to adjust that because there are so many amazing men and women accomplishing amazing things. When setting goals or visualizing my future that quote reminds me that there are so many others who have gone before me and done it that surely I can too.