It is my distinct honor to be the featured LeTip member in this issue of Communicare. I have been a member of LeTip of Toronto East/Markham, CDA for 16 years. I am one of several people in our chapter who have been members for as long or longer. This speaks volumes about the importance of our LeTip chapter to its members, commercially and socially.
Over the years, I have served as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Sergeant-At-Arms, Ethics Chair and now Mentor Chair and a Membership Inspector. This has afforded me the opportunity of interacting with chapter members on many levels.
I am not a natural promoter. My business has largely been derived from “word of mouth”. LeTip has enabled me to promote in a manner that befits my temperament and comfort level. It has allowed me to plant “irons in the fire” which have yielded results early and have continued to do so over the years. Early on, one tip resulted in a referral to me yielding business revenues in the six figures over a period of three years. In addition, I have been fortunate to have ongoing business relationships with past members for years after they have left the chapter. LeTip is the gift that keeps on giving.
Our chapter members are not only a source of business but also a source of information. In a pinch, you can call a member having information in a specialty that you need and get your answer quickly and without charge. When I am asked what my greatest research tool is, my answer is (after my law sources) first, the Internet and second, LeTip.
As you may tell, I am a lawyer. I was called to the Bar in 1980. My practice is focused on commercial and residential real estate; estate planning, wills, powers of attorney and estate administration; and corporate and commercial business transactions. I am proud to service banks, credit unions, small and mid-sized corporations, real estate and mortgage brokerages, partnerships, and individual entrepreneurs.
Over the years I have been heavily committed to my extended residential community in many ways to the extent that several years ago I was a recipient of a “Canada 125 Medal” awarded by the then Governor General of Canada for “contribution to community”. LeTip of Toronto East/Markham, CDA has become my “community” for business networking and I hope that I have made, and will continue to make, a significant contribution to my chapter in return for the benefits I have derived from it.
In my law practice, I consider that “my business is helping your business”. Well, LeTip’s business is helping my business and every member’s business. I can enthusiastically attest to the benefits of being a LeTip member. It’s been 16 years. Retirement is not yet on the horizon. However, when it comes, LeTip will be a cherished experience that I will look back on and say with absolute conviction: “That was more than worth it in so many ways!” Thank you, LeTip.
