I design and so I become... This short video of Jason Silva shared with me by our Marketing Director takes a very simple reality and explains it so well I had to share with all of you.  Enjoy! For many years, I have traveled the world for various reasons and lived in many different communities.  The many lives of "me" I would say. When I returned from...

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Number 1, creating opportunity where there are none, is incredibly rewarding. Even now 7 years after we started organizing our women's co-op in Nabapur, India. The number of women in the co-op at Nabapur has remained roughly around 270 for the last 4 years. However, there is a lot more work, so most of them are now working full time.  Many of them...

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What is an evolution in a small company?  My Pokemon loving kids call it morphing.  In simple terms, it is the expansion of an idea.  As the ripple in the pond expands so does the circumference of a small company. This year we have taken a giant leap and opened a 2nd Toockies project, in a 2nd village.  We have been wanting to do this...

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What is your story?  How are you telling it to others and to yourself?  A life of painful memories can be a story of tragedy and pain or it can be a story of courage and strength. The way we tell our stores casts a light on our being.  I think most people understand this but how can we transform that light if we are...

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I think another expression for what is a woman should include “MacGyver” in it.  So who is MacGyver?  He was a TV show about a fellow who was a detective that got himself into the impossible situations and with the help of seemingly useless stuff like rubber bands, trash, and paperclips he was able to save the day.  Really!!! I feel like that...

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Before my family emigrated to Canada in 1974 I lived in a small fishing village on a small Island in the Azores, with no indoor plumbing and Isolated from the modern world. I was doing well in life because we were not hungry and I loved my mother’s garden. Looking back I now realize that children don’t experience poverty the way adults do....

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The simple path to joy begins with a smile. Even in the most desperate places we can find joy in that simple expression. On my recent trip to India, I visited a small village of untouchables of the lowest cast called Atakara. It's about  two hours drive from Kolkata, India. This village is known for snake charmers. Walking through the village I was astounded by the level of poverty and the overflowing generosity...

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