“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other” ~ John F Kennedy
The Grainger Team strives to prove leadership in our community and in Real Estate, and believes that all learning is an integral part of this process. Learning is continuous, whether it is imposed on us as part of the minimum standard Realtors are expected to maintain, or whether it is sought out as it was recently when we traveled to Toronto to attend a series of seminars.
The first seminar we attended was presented by Andrew Pyke, a sought after expert in the design community. Andrew believes in keeping up on the new trends and presenting fresh ideas in decorating through the use of colour, fabric, tile, lighting and 
furniture. Most recently Andrew has been intrigued by how simple yet effective shiplap can be. Shiplap, according to Andrew, provides small spaces with visual interest without clutter. Certainly this is a trend we see in Muskoka homes & cottages, and is a relatively simple and quick way to update your space. To read more on Andrew’s insights into ship lap, visit his blog “Shiplap, My New Design Crush” here.
Refreshing a space can be as simple as a can of paint and some interesting design elements. The hottest colours for 2019 were revealed. They included some of the standard colours we see year over year, as well as surprises such as coral and black. Framing some of your decorating basics such as different metals, wood or leather products with current trends and colour means you can update your space on a budget.
Colours of the Year: Paint: Pantone: Living Coral, Para: Ginger Scent, Benjamin Moore: Metropolitan, Sico: Grand Manan Black, PPG: Night Watch (Dark Green/Grey), Benjamin Moore: Oxford White
We also attended seminars put on by Kelsey Ramsden who was named Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneur two years running and has been recognized globally for building multiple, multi-million dollar business. Kelsey is an engineer by trade, a wife, mother and cancer survivor. The core of her message was that fundamentally, every successful person is a beginner at every stage, because only those who continue to strive are those who survive in business. It is that simple and that hard.
Designer Cory Christopher seminar resonated with the Grainger team. Christopher, a regular presence in the media, with appearances on CTV Edmonton, Global Edmonton, CBC Radio Active and features in news and national print, he encourages everyone he meets to discover their inner creative potential and add a little more beauty to their lives. Christopher’s message was clear: never give up, when you are willing to grow and change with the times and give each customer personal attention you will be successful.
The bottom line to all of this is to have the persistence to continue, don’t give up and keep changing and keep up with what is current in the market and of course always remember the customer. Make each customer feel special every time they come into your business whether you are selling a cup of coffee, a toy to a child, grandmother, or one of your biggest investments in life your home/cottage or land it is all the same technique. Our job is to keep current in learning while using our past knowledge and keep adding new knowledge. Then we need to add the special ingredient of love in everything we do by making the customers feel important and special to us. Everyone matters it is not just business.
