Men's Jackets for PNW Living

Okay folks, let's talk jackets!

As the temperatures swing here in the Pacific North West and we like to small talk about weather, it’s come to my attention that I’ve got lots of opinions on outerwear. Surprising to me, a number of men have been very interested to get my suggestions, which is in stark contrast to my wife’s sighs of exasperation when I talk about napoleon pockets!

While I neither seek to be nor consider myself to be stylish, I do really enjoy nerding out on clothing design, especially outerwear. It’s a lot of fun learning about innovations in apparel and discovering the range of interpretations in this category by brands around the world.

This post spotlights a handful of my personal picks from the journey of researching, trying, and analyzing 100s of different jackets hailing from the major fashion brands to obscure niche clothiers. Over the years, I have also stopped using umbrellas because I’ve found that modern jackets offer sufficient rain protection and it is nice to be handsfree. To that end, I have definitely developed biases to technical materials which I find most suitable for the PNW city dweller lifestyle. So, grab a cuppa and let's dive in!

The ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ (GADA) Hooded Jacket:

First up is the ever important grab-and-go jacket. To me, this piece must combine functionality, versatility, and simplicity. This is your practical jacket that is easy to pair with whatever you’re wearing and fit almost all settings you’ll potentially venture into. I have two picks in this category are on opposite ends of price point and both can be styled to fit snug or sized up to fit over more layers.

For my budget pick, I recommend Uniqlo’s BLOCKTECH 3D Cut Parka. The jacket checks all the boxes, is offered in a dozen colours, has a coat-length option, and is available at Uniqlo shops around the world. MSRP is ~$100 CAD and I’ve regularly seen it discounted up to 50% off. I have not seen a better value pick on the market.

For my premium pick, I recommend the Arris Jacket by Veilance. For me, the Arris represents a jacket nerd’s wet dream and every time you look closely there is something to be delighted by (materials, paneling, design of notches/cuts, cinching…). One note is that the garment runs small and fits a slim frame, so it’s important to try sizing in store. MSRP is $750 and there is limited inventory on the market. No jacket has given me butterflies quite like this one.

The Mid-Layer / Transitional Weather Jacket:

In shoulder season, the versatile mid-layer reigns supreme. Throw this standalone jacket on over a t-shirt / dress shirt and know you’ll be set for the day. Add a sturdier waterproof outer shell, and you can tackle any forest, lake, and mountain. In this category, a jacket that is lightweight, breathable, and able to shift up/down temperature are the key factors for me.

As my pick in this category, I recommend the MerinoLoft Helix Jacket by Icebreaker. Ounce for ounce, I’ve found it to be the highest performing among all the options out there (even the famous Arc’teryx Atom). MSRP is ~$400, with a variety of options for hooded, unhooded, and a vest.

The Long Coat:

Sometimes you have to suit up for formal occasions or it is pouring rain sideways, and in these instances more coverage from the elements is highly desirable. Say hello to the trusty long coat! I’ve had so many coats over the years with a huge diversity of materials, cuts, and colours, which have all experienced the gamet of city life to international travel.

My pick for this category is the Partition AR Coat by Veilance. With its sleek and structured silhouette, technical capabilities, and a detachable hood, I’ve found it to be the perfect long coat that delights with each wear. Seriously, this jacket is absolutely bombproof when it comes to weather- I wore for hours through a rainstorm and my body was bone-dry underneath.

Two notes here: 1) the intention for this coat for layering and knowing Veilance pieces tend to run slim, try for sizing as you might need to go up by even a couple sizes, and 2) there is a similarly named jacket by Veilance called Partition LT Coat which is a completely different garment that is not waterproof.

MSRP is ~$900 and I’ve noticed a solid second-hand market because folks bought on sale or found the styling more formal than they prefer.

Conclusion:

So there you have it, folks – some of my picks for men's jackets that'll keep you looking sharp and feeling cozy across the seasons here in PNW. It’s a lot of fun for me to discover jackets and there really is something for everyone to love. So go ahead, step up your outerwear game and embrace the chaotic weather in style. After all, life's too short to settle for boring jackets, wouldn’t you say?

Making Informed Decisions: The Role of Advisory Services

When it comes to running a business or managing your personal finances, sometimes you need a little extra help. That's where advisory services come in. But what exactly are advisory services, and how can they benefit you? Let's break it down in simple terms.

Advisory services are professional services provided by experts in a particular field. They offer guidance and advice to help individuals or businesses achieve their goals and make informed decisions. These services can cover a wide range of areas, from financial management and investment advice to marketing and communication strategies.

Here are some common types of advisory services and how they can help you:

• Financial Advisory: Financial advisors provide guidance on investment management, wealth management, retirement planning, tax planning, and estate planning.

• Management Advisory: Management advisors provide guidance on business strategy, organizational design, operational improvement, and change management.

• Risk Advisory: Risk advisors provide guidance on risk management, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and crisis management.

• Technology Advisory: Technology advisors provide guidance on IT strategy, digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

• Human Resources Advisory: Human resources advisors provide guidance on talent management, recruitment and retention, employee engagement, and compensation and benefits.

• Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Advisory: ESG advisors provide guidance on sustainability, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

• Legal Advisory: Legal advisors provide guidance on legal matters such as contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.

• Marketing and Communications Advisory: Marketing and communications advisors provide guidance on brand strategy, advertising, public relations, and digital marketing.

These are just a few examples of the many types of advisory services available. The specific type of advisory services needed will depend on your unique needs and objectives.

As the saying goes, "trust your gut." But when it comes to making important decisions, it's not always that simple. That's where the guidance of an advisor comes in. By working with an advisor, you can trust your instincts while gaining a valuable outside perspective.

Your advisor can help you ask the right questions, challenge your assumptions, and weigh the pros and cons of different options. Together, you can make informed decisions that are based on both your intuition and expert advice. So don't be afraid to trust your gut – just make sure to partner with an advisor to gain the added perspective you need to succeed.

Consulting vs Advisory: What's the Difference?

If you're new to the world of business, you might have heard the terms "consulting" and "advisory" thrown around interchangeably. While the two might sound similar, there are some key differences between the two.

Consulting typically involves working with clients to solve specific business problems or challenges. Consultants are often experts in a specific area, such as finance, marketing, or technology, and are hired to provide guidance and expertise on a particular issue. For example, if a company is struggling with its marketing strategy, they might hire a marketing consultant to help them develop a new plan and maybe even follow up that work to implement the plan.

On the other hand, advisory services are more broad and encompass a wider range of services. While consulting may be a part of advisory services, it can also include guidance and recommendations on broader business issues such as risk management, governance, and compliance. Advisory services are often ongoing or periodic and can involve providing guidance to clients on a wide range of issues related to their business. That said, the most productive client advisory relationships are often long-term, goal-oriented, tailored/adaptive, and most importantly, on the basis of trust and honest communication.

To put it simply, consulting is typically focused on solving specific business problems, while advisory is more focused on providing guidance and recommendations on broader business issues.

For example, a consulting firm might be hired to help a company improve its supply chain efficiency. The consulting firm would work with the company to identify areas of inefficiency and develop a plan to streamline the supply chain. Once the project is completed, the consulting firm's involvement would end. On the other hand, an advisory firm might be hired to provide guidance on risk management. The firm would work with the company on an ongoing basis to identify potential risks to the business and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.

Of course, these are just examples, and the specific services provided by consulting and advisory firms can vary widely depending on the needs of the client, the capabilities of the firm, and the existing village of trusted professionals of the client.

So, which is right for your business or organization? It depends on the specific issues you're facing. If you're dealing with a specific problem or challenge, consulting may be the way to go. If you're looking for ongoing guidance and support on a range of issues, advisory services may be more appropriate.

Ultimately, the key is to find a firm that can provide the expertise and support you need to achieve your business goals and with whom you find good chemistry.

Sep 2020 - Learning: recommendations and personal interests

The best investment you can make is in yourself.

Many folks know me as a person who’s driven by a broad curiosity and who’s keen to explore possibilities. As a result, people often ask me for recommendations on credible resources to learn from based on their knowledge level.

Below I’ve shared my response to recent inquiries as well as some areas I’ve been personally interested in.

People have asked about:

• Macroeconomics: Economics Explained - Youtube

• Personal Finance (foundations): Ramit Sethi - Book

• Minimalism (lifestyle): Matt D’Avella - Youtube

• Startups (resources): Startup School, by Y Combinator

• Sales (foundations): Brian Tracy - Book

• Negotiation: Chris Voss - Book

• China-US Politics: Michael Pillsbury - Book

• Small Business Self-Help: Michael Gerber - Book

• Sci-Fi Series: Pierce Brown - Red Rising Saga

Recent/current personal interests:

• Community (Vancouver): Vital Signs - Research Findings

• Family Business: Family Enterprise Xchange / UBC Sauder

• Coffee: James Hoffmann - Youtube

• Kitchen: Equipment Reviews, by America’s Test Kitchen - YouTube

• Dog Training: Zak George - YouTube

• Consumer Safety (Canada): Marketplace, by CBC - YouTube

• Indian Food (various)

If you’re interested in similar stuff I’ve shared before: Jan 2016, Jun 2018 (re: careers), Dec 2018

Thoughts on the changing times

Change is constant. It can be tricky to navigate, but we usually manage alright. However, the changes of the past five months have had a marked intensity and variety which has given me pause. The constant chaos we’ve collectively experienced as a world has shocked our sense of normalcy and thrown us into a state of confusion.

“What are you seeing out there? What should we be doing?” These questions have been tough for me to address, despite having a perspective from directly engaging in deep discussions with hundreds of business and charity leaders across the country. The situation seemed to change rapidly with each passing day, and patterns I’d theorized were not reliably holding up when applied to different situations.

I feel an obligation to those who trust me as their advisor to develop better clarity of thought on what is happening; to make space for this reflection, I committed a full weekend that included a digital detox. What are the meaningful implications for our future? This is the question I am exploring further.

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What’s been informing my perspective

As the world turned upside down, my focuses shifted to crisis response banking work, adapting to pandemic realities, managing a home renovation, and launching/hosting executive roundtables nationally.

It’s been thought-provoking to directly engage with hundreds of people who serve in leading commercial enterprise, scientific and technological research, industry associations, not for profits, and government agencies across the country. It has not been easy for anybody to maintain the focus and mental resilience through this period; most of us have had to dig deep in order to show up, work hard, have a good attitude, and try to deliver meaningful outcomes, whether in our personal lives or in business.

This has been a tragic time for many, and this has touched close to home. It pains me greatly that there is not more compassion even when faced with this stark reminder of our fragility, as humans and as a society.

I am grateful that these five months have provided the opportunity for more time than ever before with my wife, in nature, to read and write, and to focus on my wellness. The other side of the coin is that these five months have been a period where I’ve had less time than ever before with cherished family, friends, and communities.

What do I think is going on?

I’ve always found it useful to think across multiple domains in order to identify the trends that could reliably provide an outlook into what the future holds.

As I worked through this exercise, it dawned on me that the 20+ major trends I identified would not surprise any seasoned professional (e.g. generational transfer, digitization, borderless world, supply/demand diversification - more on these in another entry). Rather, the abrupt change in global circumstances became a forced stress test on all of the systems individuals and organizations had in place.

Chaos ensued, and everybody is forced to adapt. Some have been able to thrive, while others have struggled - in either case, sometimes by luck. What is certain is that one should not cling to the hope of things returning to their pre-pandemic state; a re-calibrated approach is a must.

Change can be tough, especially if we have not anticipated and actively prepared for them. With so much change happening all at once and without an oracle to provide guidance, people are feeling unsettled on some level. With many questions looming unanswered and with no end in sight, people are feeling disoriented and becoming fatigued.

This is the current reality we have transitioned to and will be living in, and it is one we are well served to accept.

thematic highlights

The headliner is - no surprise - the world being rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, an infectious disease of unprecedented proportions for any person alive. Many trends have accelerated to the forefront as a result of this, including those of health & safety, more disciplined financial management, increased focus on digitization, and the changing nature of work.

Baby boomers are retiring, and are likely now push for an accelerated timeline. While seemingly innocuous, I see a tremendous amount at stake with this. This is the generation with a high propensity to hoard and save, has amassed substantial wealth, and has defined the world order in their lifetime. This will be the largest transfer of wealth in history. It is of marked importance to highlight that the majority of this wealth is made up of private companies, most of which are small and medium businesses. The transition of these businesses and of positions of authority will be chaotic; I think the world will undergo radical change for the next 10-20 years before reaching a state of stability again.

Finally, one trend that is less obvious and more abstract is a notable shift in the balance of power. Authoritarian regimes are coming into power all over the world, and there will be great cost to individual personal freedoms and the global stability most have known for their entire lives. Serious implications to this one.

Parting Thoughts

There is great inefficiency in times of change, the inflection of change is upon us, and time is on our side for those who act. Herein lies tremendous opportunity for those savvy enough and well positioned to take advantage.

Let’s set aside our idea of how things have been or should be, and let’s move from inaction to conscious action.

Our best bet is to baseline our current situation, assess which trends are relevant to us, they will affect us, what actions we can set to prepare for them, and put in the work to lead changes while we can to get ahead of them.

Years into the future, this will have passed. How will you have navigated these changing times?

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tl;dr

• The current reality is that everybody is feeling unsettled and fatigued;

• Significant recent changes happened at breakneck speeds, most people weren’t ready, and society hasn’t had time to adjust;

• Even more rapid and significant change is coming, and tremendous opportunities await those with the readiness to take advantage.

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Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash