Canada election update:
The other day my barber asked what I thought of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
I was the customer, so what the hell?
I gave her my answer straight:
“Trudeau is slimy and corrupt. I have never seen a politician so incompetent and inept. He talks like a moron. Everything which comes out of his mouth is banal verbal diarrhea. He’s a joke.”
Turns out Madam Barber was a Trudeau fan. She almost slit my throat with the scissors.
“You’re just saying that because he’s young!” she said. “You’re not giving him a chance. He’s only had 4 years! And he’s young! And everybody says he cannot do the job because he’s young!”
3 problems I have with this:
- 4 years is time aplenty to trust somebody with a country as great as Canada.
- Trudeau is not that young. (He’s 47).
- You’re meant to be my barber…
…Why am I listening to this?
Isn’t the barber’s chair the final stronghold of free speech? Where I can say whatever I damn-well please?
Yesterday I walked past a flyer for a new barber who costs $7 less. Time to make a change? Perhaps…
Because when you run any small business, your success depends on total consistency. When a customer hands you money, they are not just paying for a product or service.
They are investing in a relationship.
If you go to a barber once, you expect to feel a little left out.
You see the barbers chatting with the regulars and feel envious.
So you invest.
You go back 5, 10, 20 times to build the same relationship with the vendor. And you expect to be remembered over time.
Inconsistency can demolish this steady brand-building with the customer.
I’ve been going to this barber for years. I’ve probably spent over a $thousand with them. And if you’re a cheapskate like me, that’s a lot of money to spend on haircuts.
In return, the barber’s chair is my safe space.
(Or at least it was.)
Now I’m wandering the streets in ronin – searching for a barber to cut my aggressively-growing hair. The haircuts were only a side-benefit. I feel like I’ve thrown money down the drain.
While I wollow, you might be asking…
‘If not Trudeau, then who?’
Who should be the next Canadian Prime Minister?
It’s a good question – and a sad one.
Honestly, none of the options excite me.
Canada is a Ferrari with the handbrake on. Of call the developed countries, I cannot think of any with better potential. If only we could get these political clowns out the way and let Canada purr.
It’s all wishful thinking.
And it’s why, rather than pin your hopes on any election, you should focus on what you can do for yourself.
