Source: Fastcompany.com

1. Fast Company

Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and focuses on technology, business, and design. Fast Company’s current editor is Robert Safian, who previously worked with Fortune, Time, and Money. The magazine has won numerous industry awards. (source: Wikipedia)

I really loved sifting through the pages of this magazine: it was a super easy read. Plus, it had a lot of great article insights on innovation in the tech and start-up world. Article of note? The Pivot.

Source: nymag.com

2. New York Magazine

New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New Journalism. (source: Wikipedia)

Being that New York is one of the handful of places that I think makes up the centre of the universe, it’s only natural that I would show huge interest in this mag. Not only are there pieces about NY culture and life, but also some great business articles and current events. Reader be aware – this magazine is TEXT heavy, so get your reading glasses! Article of note?  Hello, I Am Sabu…

Source: strategyonline.ca

3. Strategy Magazine

strategy™ uncovers and shares the “bold vision, brand new ideas” of Canada’s national marketing community. They deliver on this tagline via the monthly strategy magazine, strategyevents, as well as various initiatives with industry partners – from the CASSIES to their presence at Cannes. (source: StrategyOnline.ca)

This magazine is always delivered to my office – and I look forward to reading it cover to cover monthly. It’s important to keep an eye on all innovation within the Canadian market, and strategy serves as a great digest for all the hottest insights. Article of note? McDonalds Transparent Fast Food Mission.

4. Toronto Life

Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings.(source: Wikipedia)

A little under-rated, but a reading necessity for Torontonians – heck, for Canadians! There’s plenty of relevant content that’s focused on the ‘hub’ of Ontario, but also some great value for readers across the nation. Article of note? Trouble In Condoland.

Image Source: torontolife.com

Source: forbes.com

5. Forbes

Forbes needs no introduction – and I think we all know the article of note on this one.. everyone take a moment of silence, this marks the first time Justin Bieber is mentioned on Embrace Disruption. Read the article here.

What about you? Do you have any magazines you simply MUST read each month? Share them in the comments!

1. CasieStewart.com

Nope, there’s no relation (besides maybe being members of IAA – Internet Addicts Anonymous). Casie is always on the cusp of digital – constantly sharing her perspective about product/conference/more. Her image heavy content is always a pleasure to sift through, and you can literally get LOST in her site for hours, so have some fun!

2. ListenToLena.com

A social media expert, lifestyle blogger, and mom. Lena always is able to take relatable experiences and share her insights with the world. She also has a great perspective on new products – and some sweet giveaways!

3. OnTheFourthFloor.com

This blog is run by rock-it promotions. The entire staff is dedicated to highlighting the best in lifestyle, fashion, digital, and more. Each day marks a new and exciting post into the world of this PR firm, and they continue to churn out great content for their readers! Definitely worth checking out, if only for the DIY tips.

4. BunchFamily.ca

A fab site for the foodie in me. I can always count on Bunch to serve up some delicious content, along with some family fun. A big shout out to Bunch recently for their coverage on LGBT parenting – this topic is often sifted over by some family-oriented sites, and Bunch makes a real effort to provide their perspective. Definitely a fun place to look for the whole family.

5. 12Most.com

The name says it all. The 12 Most ______________ – articles that are all based around lists of 12. From professional to ridiculous, it’s always fun to just explore what this team of bloggers have come up with each day. Caution – you will spend a LOT of time looking around on this page!

Also, I mentioned yesterday that I would be posting video of the FourPin+ presentation I gave today. Sadly, the video on my iPhone did not produce the quality I would’ve liked – so I’ll be posting an updated narrated version of the slides from yesterday. Look for that in the near future!

As I mentioned yesterday, I have the pleasure of speaking about Foursquare and Pinterest tomorrow for Torstar Digital’s University program! I’m taking this opportunity to provide you all with a sneak peek at the slides I’ll be presenting with. Have a look, and enjoy the case study videos! Tomorrow, I’ll have a video of the presentation for you to enjoy and learn with! Thanks for checking in, and let me know  if you have any questions about the deck below!

Also, keep your eyes peeled over the next 24 hours for a guest blog post from my dear friend, @shopwithrobin! She’ll be providing some great insights on interview attire!

Download the FourPin+ presentation here.

What are your thoughts? Are you shocked by any of this info? Is there anything you didn’t know?

Chances are: a curse word followed by a swift move to pick up the umbrella on your way out the door are in your near future. Here’s the thing you may be missing -  40% chance of rain actually means 60% of sunshine. Refreshing, right?

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be taking your umbrella out with you in the morning – but also, properly look at the information in front of you, and choose your perspective.

We’ve all heard the familiar ‘glass half full’ analogies, and I can honestly admit that I sometimes find them incredibly annoying – particularly when the timing is off. I’ll admit: I spend a majority of my life planning for the worst. I find that there’s great benefits from always expecting the outcome will turn out sour. It prepares your mind in advance of bad news, and if by chance it all goes well – you’re pleasantly surprised.

All of that said, there’s one important concept that can easily be forgotten. You can prepare yourself without allowing negativity or fear to take over. It’s easy to let little things distract you in life, but with a proper perspective – you can be fully prepared to embrace disruption.

When you encounter situations that you find challenging or even a test of your patience, there’s a few questions you can ask yourself to get in the right mindset.

• Can I change the outcome of the situation? If not, accept it and make the best – sweating small stuff isn’t worth the heart attack.

• How can I prepare myself? Think about what you can do to limit the amount of negativity in the situation, and brace yourself for the unexpected.

• Will this matter a year from now? If not, try to figure out how to deal with the situation, and realize that the outcome won’t last forever

• Will it reflect badly on me if I’m resistant to the situation? Chances are, the people who have positive and open mindsets are viewed as more evolved and progressive human beings.

Believe me, I know how tempting it can be to fly off the handle or jump to negative thinking. We’re all guilty of it – we’re human. Hopefully this post can help you work towards seeing the 60% chance of sunshine on the horizon, while still keeping an umbrella in your back pocket (just incase).

I’m here to tell you right now – that a simple cut and paste job into your status will NOT automatically re-instate your rights, or any other objective you have in your head. This paragraph is not legally binding and frankly, the fact that Facebook has gone public is completely unrelated to the privacy of your content.

The fact is: social networks are not made for private storage. What this means for you? That regardless of privacy settings, personal preferences and the like: you should treat every photo, sentence and your shared content as though your grandmother/mother/employer/future employer CAN and WILL see everything.

In light of this, here’s a few things you can do to clean up any questionable stuff you may have lying around in your past:

1. Delete Questionable Photos: If you’re emotionally attached to them, save them somewhere. Regardless of the privacy settings- there are several ways these can be accessed (including by that person who just interviewed you for your dream job).

2. Censor Yourself: Obviously these networks are all made for you to express yourself, but keep in mind that it’s possible that everything you say online can be publicly retrieved. Keep your controversial conversations to ‘in-person’ – it could be the difference between scoring a potential job, client or even a relationship.

3. Download Your Facebook History: This is easy to do by going to your general settings menu (see picture). Sometimes we forget just exactly what we have listed online, and this is a resource to really go back and decipher what should be edited or deleted.

4. Everyone and Everything Is A Brand: Everything you say, everything you do, and everything you endorse is a reflection of yourself online. Put thought into the future when posting in the present – you never know what tomorrow brings.

Do you have additional tips or suggestions to avoid unnecessary disruption? Share them in the comments!

This brings me to a recent encounter with an acquaintance of mine. She… well,  let’s call her ‘Margarita’ for writing’s sake. Margarita had reached a point in her early twenties where she had just graduated school and had no idea what to do with herself. Parents experience empty nest syndrome after youth leave the home, and it’s my firm belief that youth have a similar sort of symptom soon after graduation. This was certainly the case for good old Marg. You see, Margarita has worked the odd job, and even has some fantastic opportunities on the horizon. Her problem? She wasn’t sure if the path she’d paved so far was one she wanted to continue on.

I think this happens to many of us early on in discovering what the world has in store for us. I jumped from job to job for many years – in fact, I can probably walk the streets of Toronto and recall a place of employment within each kilometre of travel. The truth is, everyone moves at their own pace when trying to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. The important thing to remember is: the alphabet has 26 letters, and it’s ok if ‘A to B’ becomes ‘A to Z’.

If there’s any advice I’d be able to give to people in this situation, I think it would be this:

We constantly think that we’re in a race. A race against our peers, our family, and ourselves. We make these master plans that map out exactly how we’re going to accomplish the aspirations we have in life, yet we rarely are actually able to follow these detailed scripts. Take your time, make mistakes, and have some fun – opportunity is always around the corner but don’t just jump into it because you think you HAVE to. It’s ok to take a step back, wait tables, bartend, or work in retail for awhile just until you get things figured out. Sometimes you just have to live life until the right opportunity presents itself.

Please don’t interpret any of this as an encouragement to lose your ambition and drive, because by no means do I think that people should become complacent or simply settle. This is directed at those who know they’re destined for greatness in the world – but have yet to figure out how to unleash their strengths. Have a plan, but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t materialize in the time period you sought out. Practise and patience mixed with progressive behaviour and positivity will take you to your destination. Many of the most successful people I know have arrived where they are after something that wasn’t in their ‘plan’ somehow bumped them off course. As it turns out, sometimes a detour is the faster way to get to your destination.

As for Margarita? I poured her another cocktail, and told her to follow her gut.