Paul Boucher

SUPER useful lighting tips for all of us who have become amateur videographers thanks to Zoom and Teams.

Thanks to This Professional Life for the opportunity to share my living and a passion in this interview. Check out out TPL's other interviews on Alberta companies when you have a chance.

This is great recognition of the dedicated, skilled Film and TV industry in Calgary and Alberta. Hopefully @UCPCaucus is aware. @Moviemaker magazine ranks Calgary 10th on list of ‘best places to live and work’ - Calgary Herald https://apple.news/A-XnK8ailSZK2TYdSqMnbEA

For entrepreneurs struggling with quantifying the return associated with their "online advertising" spend, this is a great piece. Thank you Avery Swartz. https://averyswartz.medium.com/why-online-ads-dont-work-as-

Congratulations to the Forge Audio Company in Calgary, for among other things contributing something to 2020 that *truly* doesn’t suck.

It's always a pleasure and privilege when clients select you to be their voice for a project. Thank you to FILMLESS and ARM for this opportunity to peek into the future.

Historic Plaza Theatre closes its doors; owners hope to lease it to new operatorshttps://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/historic-plaza-theatre-closes-its-doors-owners-hope-to-lease-it-to-new-operators https://calgaryherald.com//historic-plaza-theatre-closes-i

ATB puts out a terrific daily newsletter called The Owl. I learn a lot from it and recommend it for anyone trying to get another bead on Alberta's economy.

As self-employed people, we're aware of some of the legitimate tax deductions that arise out of expenses attributable to and purchases made for our offices. But there's good news for *employees* who are working from home during the pandemic: you're eligible for a lot of those deductions as well (utilities, portion of mortgage interest, equipment, etc.). For my US friends, this article is Canada-specific, although you may find it relevant to investigate things Stateside to make sure. Read on: https://apple.news/AuBC-7qHZR0Wh48o4pG9mlQ

Great story! Braid: With ingenuity and verve, Calgarys food merchants fight for survival https://calgaryherald.com//braid-with-ingenuity-and-verve- #supportlocal

Ryan Gill, president of Calgary company Communo is right when he says ...it will be innovative startups that help Calgary out of the current recession, and hed like to see support for the tech industry to be part of the economic re-entry plan. https://calgaryherald.com//parker-calgary-company-communo-

Braid: Back to work isnt nearly as simple as it sounds for many businesses and workers https://calgaryherald.com//braid-back-to-work-isnt-nearly-

Voice actors may work in isolation ( would ya look at all those padded rooms? lol), but they thrive by being part of a community. I'm privileged to have been part of the In Both Ears Community since the beginning, and we just keep on keepin' on. You need a voice for your commercial, explainer, corporate, medical or eLearning? If my voice is not *quite* the right instrument, you'll see you have no shortage of options. :-)

A couple of suggestions of Calgary businesses to patronize while you consider #supportlocal.

Thanks to Avery Swartz for the pointer to this excellent Hootsuite blog on How To Effectively Host Virtual Events. Tips and Tricks for Zoom, etc. https://blog.hootsuite.com/virtual-events/

Solopreneur VO people, when 9am hits in your time zone, its time to get to work. Immerse yourself in working ON your business so you have a business to work IN. Love me some Nimble CRM work again this morning. If you dont have a CRM, its a great time to evaluate one.

Small business? Need business? What are you doing social media to stay connected? This column from Donita Fowler provides some easily actionable advice.

You know what a great small business accounting firm does when times like this hit? It stands with you. Thank you Clayton Achen, CPA, CA, TEP and Achen Henderson CPAs for your terrific blog pointing to special resources during the COVID-19 crisis: https://www.achenhenderson.ca//resources-for-small-busin/

I don't think I've ever read a better article on depression. It's a Quick Tips sorta thing from someone who's been there and suffered for years. If you know someone who suffers even intermittently from depression, a little bit of quiet time with this article may make them laugh out loud, or shed a tear or two in recognition, but they WILL feel the author's empathy. Worthwhile. Thank you to The Browser daily newsletter for including this among articles about coffee, bulls, games and family. :-) https://nplusonemag.com//online-on/tips-for-the-depressed/

Well then, bonjour and happy Monday! New research suggests being bilingual may help delay symptoms of Alzheimers disease https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-can-being-biling/

Huge red flag for society using AI and facial expressions to determine what people are expressing. Particularly face recognition tech for job interviews. Time to hit pause on that application. Do not rely on facial expressions for how people are feeling https://www.economist.com//do-not-rely-on-facial-expressio

The chief enemy of creativity is good sense Pablo Picasso

Wow! Talk about shattering stereotypes! A 52-year-old ,ex-SEAL "freshman" and "snowflakes" at Yale. Beautiful, inspiring piece. I hope it brightens your day and makes you look at some of the people around you a little differently in a good way.

Some opinions make for more thoughtful "food for thought" than others. Like this article. Especially for those in the creative arts industry, it's a great reminder to stay "current" in your craft and outlook. Stay curious. Embrace the new, and more.

For most of our lives, we've heard apocalyptic predictions of population growth and what it means for the planet. BUT, what if they're dead-wrong? There's a new book worth taking note of that a lot of demographers outside the UN agree with. Enjoy.

Ready to breathe a sigh of relief in your business? Here's a little common sense in our data-tsunami of a world.

The actual, fact-based truth, always important, is something you can help. It's a bit more complicated than engaging and refuting lies though. Read on. Thanks WIRED WIRED . #fakenews #truth

If youre looking for a hugely effective way to begin managing the business of your voiceover career...

To counter the narrative about "no jobs in tech" and the resulting exodus of Millenials from Calgary, Mary Moran of Calgary Economic Development spoke with Rob Brown of CBC. Good interview and solid food for thought. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1693497923516 #tech #calgary #calgaryjobs

Lots of good in the world if you bother to look for it. :-) Video: Former homeless military veterans grateful for new Mustard Seed tiny homes - The Globe and Mail https://www.theglobeandmail.com//video-former-homeless-mi/

Looking to run your own business? New Brunswick is creating a support for entrepreneurs that should be available in EVERY province, including Alberta. Brilliant! https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-unbs-innovative-/

Here are some people doing some unconditional good in the world. Particularly in Calgary and Edmonton. Please volunteer if you can, or simply spread this around for people to discover.

Thanks Propeller Studiosyyc for sharing the news.

Note for small business owners about an iPhone setting with good intentions but unintended consequences. If you "Silence Unknown Callers", how will new prospective customers reach you? Answer: they won't; they'll go straight to voice mail. Or maybe they'll just give up.

My business benefits enormously from the folks at Achen Henderson CPAs. Yours could as well. They've created a Calgary Private Company Workshop series and their first one is year-end tax planning on Thursday the 30th at 5:30. More info hhttps://www.meetup.com/AchenHendersonCPAs/?_af_cid=AchenHendersonCPAs&rv=wm2&_xtd=gatlbWFpbF9jbGlja9oAJGQyZmE0OWU0LWZlOGItNDU2MC1iMTM2LTExNzFmZTE5MGU1MQ&_af=chapter.

For my fellow voice actors, particularly those who are passionate about narrating audiobooks. The resurgence of oral storytelling shouldn't be a surprise according to this article, BUT could *you* commit a whole book/story to memory?

At the behest of good friend and RBC Wealth Manager Sean Baylis, I'm spreading word about a terrific annual even they have coming up this Thursday, January 23rd. Here's the scoop: "RBC's Annual Client and Friends Appreciation Event is occurring on Thursday, January 23rd at 6pm at the Calgary Public Library. We will once again have our Chief Portfolio Strategist, Jim Allworth, share his insights into what lies ahead in markets in 2020. We have organized a great event that f...eatures an early tour of the Library starting at 5pm, catering by Hotel Arts and a great list of speakers focusing on investments and tax strategies for the transfer of wealth to the next generation. We have lots of space for this event and thus appreciate everyones efforts in both attending and sharing the invite with family, friends, clients and colleagues that would be interested in attending." You view the whole invite via the pdf here: http://ow.ly/WSnj50xYICy. See more

Indie filmmakers have a new friend in Canada - TIFF, thinking inside the new box (as opposed to actually thinking outside the box). TIFF & CIFF should partner with fellow festivals for the people who actually make THEIR events possible: the filmmakers. http://ow.ly/ctMV30qagwu

I'm more about looking forward than endlessly re-examining what's in the rear view mirror, but this article on 3 marketing myths busted by Google in 2019 will bear fruit for many of us running small businesses in 2020. Enjoy: http://ow.ly/4LFl50xLStx

The headline is a bit much, but there are some genuinely great conversation-starters - especially for networking events. 10 Smart Questions That Will Make People Remember You and Like You in 2020 https://flip.it/g.leXx

'Tis the season of Office gift giving. If you're done with boring, there are a couple of very cool ideas on this list. Enjoy - and Happy Holidays/Joyeux Noël! https://www.inc.com//the-20-best-office-christmas-gifts-fo