Matt Corker

The 20 seconds we share with a stranger passing us on the street is filled with opportunity. We could smile and brighten their day. We could ignore them and give them the cold shoulder. We could trip them, nudge them, yell at them, or even try to steal their iPod.

The interesting thing is that we don’t usually know who that stranger is or, more importantly, who that stranger will become. They may go on to yield incredible influence and be able to shape how our community, our country, our world is led – for better or for worse.

Now imagine if those 20 seconds were the ones that gave them such a positive perception of your community that they went on to create monumental changes for your community.

With the world coming to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we have more than just 20 seconds with some strangers. We have packed buses, crowded streets, and long lines that are filled with opportunity.

We can yell, get frustrated, and complain about all these “stupid tourists.” Or we can smile, have patience, and offer up our seat. We’re not just here to “welcome the world.” We are here to engage with the world. It is with a level of engagement, those small interactions and nuances, that we will be able to leave a lasting impression on the hearts of future world leaders.

They are coming.

How are you going to represent Canada when they are here?

Pick of the post: Kris Allen – Live Like You’re Dying (official music video)

Since August of last year I have been following a great blog called Five Rules For Life. Essentially, readers submit to the author what their five guidelines to leading a “happy, successful, and fulfilling life” are.

In December, I decided to commit to determing what my five rules would be … and I just finished now!

Over the last two months, I asked myself some questions like: What values shape the way I think? How do I want to live my life? What are the rules in work, love, family, community? (…and, the big one) What five lessons would I want to pass on to my children?

So, without further adieu, my five:

1. Say please and thank you. I agree with the SuperForest Humanifesto when it says that these three words will save the human race.  Some may chalk this up as having good manners, while others could categorize this as being respectful, having compassion, or showing gratitude. Those three words encapsulate all of that for me.
2. Make positive changes. Simply stated, it is our responsibility to leave this world a better place than when we first arrived.
3. Invest in people. Put your energy, time and money into developing great leaders and citizens. No other investment will ever provide a greater return than this one does.
4. Be an explorer. Discover new ideas, landscapes, and yourself.
5. Enjoy it.

Nailing down only five from my looooong list was a tough process. That being said, I’m amazed at how refreshing it is to look at these ones. It signals to me that the nail has been hit on the head. Boo yah!

If you had to write five rules to life, what would they be?

Pick of the post: Needtobreathe – Something Beautiful

My black suit hates me. While I’ve worn each piece separately, I don’t think the full suit has seen the light of day (or the tunes at night) for some time. This may be because my love for its step-cousin (the vest) has a firm grip on me or because I just feel boring in it. Wearing it reminds me of those events in business school where everyone is standing in a sea of black suits … bored.

Recently, I started feeling a little boring with my work wardrobe. Not a good sign, as I didn’t want to go out and buy new clothes (and there are only so many ways of wearing the same shirt). Instead, I thought back to this video I saw from the GQ Rules’ Style Minute series last year:

Check! To get back to feeling great in my work wear, I needed to add some pizazz! My totally rad bro-in-law then rocked my world at Christmas with the best find that did just the trick: Happy Socks!

Each time I wear them I get compliments on my sock choice! I then grin even bigger when I get to lean over and say “they’re called HAPPY Socks!” That usually involves both parties chuckling and some even respond with a “of course they are.”

If you’re getting bored of wearing the same outfits to work, save some pennies and grab some socks that will make a statement. These bad boys certainly make MY feet smile!

Pick of the post: I Believe – Nikki Yanofsky (…in honour of my first volunteer shift – today! HEYO!)

Mark today down ladies and gents, cause today we finally got to take it off!

Today we took off our “coming soon” landing page and unveiled the company that I am so proud to be a part of.

Today we start putting the serendipity back into real-life dating – yes, offline!

Thank you to everyone who helped keep us smiling along the way. Now it’s time to make this world a little Mo’Happy!

(Keep up to date with the other smiling faces by following @NoMoSolo or becoming one of our fans on Facebook.)

Before I went to bed last night, I was forwarded the video below. It is a compilation of different interviews Will Smith has done over his career that shows his philosophy on success and achieving your dreams. I just sat there listening to him in awe. While what he says may not be earth shattering or extremely different, the conviction he has as he says it is! It means  something more to him because he fundamentally believes it. He truly lives it!

This reminded me that there are times when we should talk about inspiring minds, loving what we do, and making an impact – and then there are times when we need to go out and do it. As Will says: “there is a redemptive power in making a choice.”

Choose to commit to being your best self.

Pick of the post: Madi Diaz – Nothing At All

This past weekend, Warren Springer and I were asked to present at the SFU Student Leadership Summit, so, naturally, we talked about creating Purple Cows. The room was packed (and hot) and Warren was just nailing it. We had a blast up there and, as a result, we saw lightbulb after lightbuld turn on above all the delegates’ heads. I love getting that wide-eyed look of “wow – I get it” when we present.

More importantly was the brief conversation I had with a delegate that filtered in as we were cleaning up. She was taking her seat for the session that was after our presentation. Our exchange went something like this:

Matt: <turning down our loud music> Oh, sorry, this isn’t for the next session.

Girl 1: <big sigh of relief with disgusted look on her face> Thank God! Sounds pretty stupid.

It was in those 2 seconds that I was thankful we had found our target audience for our presentation (and she wasn’t in it). Creating raving fans from your attendees always feels good, but having a critic was SO reassuring. It’s important to have critics – it means it is worth critiquing!

So Girl 1, thank you for being so disgusted with how you thought we presented. You were our critic of the day! And while critics are important to have, its the raving fans that are important to listen to.

“[Critics] can say whatever they want. I’m not back on my bike for them.”

Pick of the post: Ke$ha – Blah Blah Blah

With only 18 days to go, I must admit, I’m officially drunk off the Olympic Kool-Aid.

When the first call for volunteers for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games went out, I was looking forward to the opportunity to help “welcome the world” to the city I call home. As you may now, I would love to be a professional volunteer, so me signing up to volunteer for the Games wasn’t a big shock to anyone.

However, it wasn’t until recently that I finally reached that tipping point – the one between “this is kind of neat” and “HOLY WOW THIS IS AMAZING!” Being a part of the Games has made me smile a little bit bigger and hold my chest out a little prouder each day. From the free transit rides, the cool volunteer gear we get, the e-mail from John Furlong asking all staff & volunteers to donate to Haiti relief, to the heart-warming videos (like the one below):

For the first time I can remember, I am truly, genuinely, and fully proud to be a Canadian. No slam by Shane…

…or song by Classified…

can truly sum up what I am feeling. (They do a pretty good job though!)

This is my last full week of work before I go into my own little “Games Time” mode. I couldn’t be more excited to spend the month of February at Thunderbird Arena volunteering as part of the on-site Communications Crew and in rehearsals for my gig with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. (I wish I could tell you more about the later, but you’ll just have to tune in to see the magic unfold. You won’t want to miss it – THAT I can guarantee!)

If this is just the start of the inebriation, I don’t even want to think of what the hangover is going to be like. Like everything in life, let’s enjoy this while it lasts.

Pick of the post: Two Foot Falls – We Were Electric (music video)

… cause then you can say yes!

Having lunch yesterday with the always hilarious Conor Topley reminded me of the power of “no.” As he put it:

Saying no to something is really saying yes to something else.

TRUTH BOMB! Sometimes we feel guilty about saying no. We feel like we “have” to do things. But, next time you feel you “need” to do something, remember you always have a choice. And may I recommend choosing to say no every once in a while. Why?

When you click “not attending” you are able to click “attending” to something better. When you refuse to add something on your to do list, you are making time for the things you want to do. When you say “no” to the voices inside your head that are telling  you “you’re not good enough,” you’re saying yes to your true abilities!

Clearly, no is the new yes!

Random sidenote: This week I was asked to comment on the UBC AMS elections by a blog called the UBC Spectator. If you’re interested, check out my post on how to choose your AMS candidate in 7 minutes (or less). Saying yes to voting will allow you to say no to many people running – which is, again, a good thing!

Pick of the Post: Super Junior – Sorry Sorry (music video – why this song is stuck in my head I have NO idea)

Every year, over 30 alumni from the Sauder School of Business help coach the UBC delegation for the JDC West Business Competition. We spend about 4 months running the teams through cases, presentation techniques, training practices, and team building exercises. I can proudly say that coaching the Social Team is one of the best parts of my year. (These four just light up my days!)

Last night was the awards ceremony for JDC West 2010, but, unfortunately for all the proud supporters of the UBC team, it was all the way up in Prince George. This year – however – we (and 200+ people) were still able to participate and celebrate with our teams.

Using USTREAM, a free online broadcasting system, we were able to be right there with the action as they streamed the awards ceremony live. They even played all the team videos while we were waiting for it to begin. Even better, the viewers were able to chat with each other online and tweet updates directly from the site. The online viewers cheered each other on and also held our breathes in those moments of intense anticipation. Sitting in my room felt like being surrounded by all the other UBC coaches (and supporters) and the alumni from the different schools. It felt like we were really there.

Best part of the night was also seeing Sauder clean-up with the awards:

• 1st in Debate
• 3rd in Accounting – Academic Case
• 3rd in Business Strategy – Academic Case
• 1st in Finance – Academic Case
• 2nd in Human Resources – Academic Case
• 1st in Management Information Systems – Academic Case
• 1st in Finance – Academic Case
• 1st in Marketing – Academic Case
• 1st in Participation

This hard work and commitment to excellence helped them bring back the title of SCHOOL OF THE YEAR to Sauder. 1st Place overall! The crowd, both online and offline, went wild! Below is the entire gala, but if you fast forward to 2h:06, you can join in the excitement of the big announcement:

Next time you are planning an event, take a note from the JDC West 2010 planning committee’s book and think about how you are engaging the community of those who aren’t able to attend. Technology can help remove some of those pesky geographic boundaries. After all, great communities want to celebrate (and learn, and laugh) together.

Congratulations, again, to the JDC West 2010 UBC team. You made us proud this weekend.

break

Pick of the post: Jason Mraz – Kickin’ With You (a newly released Mraz song to celebrate!)

When energy is able to flow without resistance, we feel more fully alive. When challenges, confusion, and wrong information block our energy, we tend to feel restricted or frustrated. That breath of fresh air that comes after overcoming a challenge in life is that awesome feeling of letting the energy flow again!

I strive to keep energy flowing so try removing resistances (both mental and physical) whenever possible. I call this my “easy philosophy.” I believe it should be easy to be successful, easy to feel happy, easy to be a part of your community, easy to share, etc. One way of making things easy is to find solutions (or ways of presenting the pre-determined solution) to frequently asked questions/problems.

UBC student’s common question/problem? “How do I get involved?”
The easy answer? “Go to the new Centre for Student Involvement in Brock Hall.”

Finally(!!) a one-stop shop for students that wish to explore the variety of involvement opportunities available to them in the different faculties, clubs, and units on campus. The space is close to the SUB and the bus loop, and in the same building as where students would pay tuition, pick up transcripts or get a campus tour. Better yet, some friendly students greet you on the way in and are there to help provide advice and different options to visitors if they wish to get a student’s perspective!

Dreamed of 10 years ago, designed by an incredible UBC alumna last year (who is an interior designer by day, jewelery artist by night), and then championed by a rockstar student and staff team – the space is now open and ready to keep the energy flowing.

A new (and easy) answer to a common problem! I think I just heard another silo fall. Sherry, Geoff, and Chad – you should be very proud.

Pick of the post: Charlie Winston – In Your Hands (official, freakin awesome, music video)