Some unexpected advice from Shark Tank's "Mr. Wonderful"...

As a full-time teacher and wife, balancing my part-time PhD, blog, and speaking engagements has been an interesting challenge to say the very least! For this reason, you will rarely catch me in front of the T.V., and as a result, I often miss a lot of popular culture... Regardless of this fact, there are some television personalities that EVERYONE knows or hears about... Kevin O'Leary is certainly one of those individuals! He is a gifted business man, host of a range of shows, such as CBC's Dragon's Den and ABC's Shark Tank, a best-selling writer, and recent owner of his own investment fund company.

O' Leary Funds invited a few investment advisors to meet Kevin at his cottage. My husband, Arsenios Vergis (an investment advisor for BMO Nesbitt Burns), was one of those advisors, and I was his lucky plus one. Not that I really understand much about mutual funds and the stock market, however, I always try to attend his events to gain a better appreciation of his work life.

What I learned while being at Kevin's cottage was that he is a really down to earth, approachable, family man, who like the rest of us has many hidden talents and hobbies. Kevin owns an impressive collection of fine wines (including his O'Leary brand), plays the guitar, and loves photography. I discovered some of his images on Instagram, but actually seeing them enlarged and framed was even more inspiring!

How can someone this busy and sought after, be capable of accomplishing so much? I certainly left feeling motivated and even got the opportunity to seek his advice on the next steps for TransformEd Consulting Services! He definitely left me with a lot to think about...

As a thank you, I decided to share some of the photographs that I captured during my visit to the beautiful O'Leary cottage in Muskoka, Ontario, just off of Lake Joseph. The only regret that I have, was that I didn't ask to take a photo with him... I guess, since he was so "real" and personable, it just didn't feel appropriate... Maybe next time!!!

Enjoy!