Adapt Media Inc.

We at Adapt Media Inc. are nothing if not curious souls and we wanted to discover the origins of Victoria Day. Evidently, we've been celebrating this day since 1845 and yes, it is in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. Happy Victoria Day, everyone! May you too feel like a monarch this long weekend!

In honour of Mother's Day, we at Adapt Media Inc. want to spend the next few days honouring our moms and the amazing impact they've had on our careers. Today, Darshan Gor celebrates his wonderful mother. From the earliest days, my mother has been my special person, my guiding light, imparting invaluable wisdom, instilling confidence, and nurturing my ambitions. My mom taught me the importance of perseverance, resilience, and hard work. She was my first role model, demonstrating through her own dedication and determination that anything is possible with unwavering commitment. Her constant support and belief in my abilities have been my greatest source of strength, empowering me to pursue my passions fearlessly and embrace every challenge as an opportunity for growth. But perhaps most importantly, my mom taught me the power of empathy, compassion, and integrity in everything I do. Her values have shaped not only my career path but also the person I am today. As I navigate the complexities of the professional world, I carry with me the lessons and values instilled by my mom. Her influence continues to inspire me to strive for excellence, to lead with compassion, and to make a positive impact in everything I do. On this special day, I extend my deepest gratitude to my mom for her true love, support, and guidance. Thank you for being my greatest mentor and for shaping the person I have become. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Your influence on my life is immeasurable, and I am forever grateful! 

Continuing our series on our mothers and their impact on our professional selves, here is the one and only, the preternaturally youthful Jamie Thompson, Adapt Media Inc.'s CEO, founder, and son of the transcendent Michelle Thompson. In giving tribute to our moms on this most important day, I want to celebrate my mother, Michelle. My mom has always been one of the strongest women I know. An extremely hard worker, professionally, charitably, and athletically, she excels in everything she puts her mind to in a seemingly endless round of daily accomplishments. She is a loving and caring mom with a no nonsense approach to life, never a dirty dish in the sink, and a house as spectacularly spotless as the Queen's! No matter what hardships we've faced as a family, she has always remained vigilant and stayed truly loyal to all of us, no matter the adversity and consequence to herself. She is one of the great cooks in my life, writing and contributing to several cookbooks, including one just for me when I left home at 17 called Winning-Peg Cooking. This cherished touchstone constantly reminded me of my Winnipeg roots as I ventured to Vancouver, and inspired my love of cooking too. God, do I love her tourtiere! I have much to thank of my parents for who I am today, who created a thriving environment, pillared by honesty, integrity and honour for those in our lives and for those that have passed. Thank you, Mom, for always being there for us, no matter what - I love you very much!

In honour of Mother's Day, we at Adapt Media Inc. want to spend the next few days honouring our moms and the amazing impact they've had on our careers. Next in the series is Shannon MacDonald's touching homage to her mom. Dear Mom, On this Mother's Day, I just want you to know how much you mean to me. You've always been my best friend, my rock, and my greatest inspiration. I remember as a kid being so upset when you dropped me off at school, wishing I could spend the entire day with you instead. You've always been my person, and I've always looked up to you. Your strength has been a guiding light in my life. I’ve seen you face every challenge with resilience and grace, and that has shaped how I approach my own struggles. Your ability to bounce back, no matter what life throws at you, is something I deeply admire and aspire to emulate. When I was given the chance to work alongside you, I was able to see your professionalism and how you treat others with respect, empathy, and kindness. It was a lesson in not just how to be a great colleague, but also how to be a compassionate human being. You and Dad have always taught us to treat others the way we want to be treated, and that's a lesson that has helped me build meaningful relationships in both my personal and professional life. You’ve also shown me the importance of integrity and honesty. I remember you telling us that you’d rather hear the truth, even if it was going to upset you. That lesson has stuck with me and has shaped how I approach my relationships. I’m so grateful for the solid foundation you’ve given me, and it has allowed me to create strong bonds with others that I cherish deeply. Mom, thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made and all the love you’ve given us. I truly appreciate everything you've done and continue to do for our family. Words can't express how much I love you and how grateful I am to have you in my life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being you. I love you so much.

In honour of Mother's Day, we at Adapt Media Inc. want to spend the next few days honouring our moms and the amazing impact they've had on our careers. Next in the series is Mary Janozeski's tribute to her brave and inspiring mother. My mother has always been a guiding light, instilling in me the belief that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, and encouraging kindness and compassion toward myself and others. Known as the life of the party and cherished by her students as Mrs. Jay, she is not only my rock but also my closet confidante. Emigrating to Canada as a child, accompanied solely by my single grandmother and one small bag, she became the first woman in her family to pursue a higher education - earning not only an undergraduate degree but also a master's - to subsequently forge a long and successful career. My mother has taught me invaluable lessons about the power of hard work and perseverance. She never wavered in her pursuit of her dreams, and she constantly reminds me to do the same. Happy Mother's Day to my best friend, my world, my mom. 

In honour of Mother's Day, we at Adapt Media Inc. want to spend the next few days honouring our moms and the amazing impact they've had on our careers. Next up is Amanda Newell and her incandescent mother, Brenda Newell. Brenda Newell is the voice inside my head telling me to be kinder and gentler. She is my empathy, understanding, humility, and gratitude. She is the one who taught me the value of living in another's skin, of looking at another angle, of the importance of charity, and the oft-overlooked quality of patience. Everything that is good in me comes from her teachings and her actions. While I often credit my father for my drive and ambition, my mother's success was as the result of the unbreakable client relationships she created in real estate, and the trust she generated both there and in her teaching career. She was beauty, grace, and charm incarnate, and on my best day, I am a mere shadow of what she was. Happy Mother's Day, Mummy. I miss you every moment.

Adapt Media was a proud sponsor of last week's POCAM - People of Colour in Advertising & Marketing hackathon event at George Brown dockside. Thank you Justin Senior and Michelle Lee for leading us, all the amazing submissions by the teams, and the winners, of course. We all have to keep hacking the system if we are going to make a change! Omnicom Media Group dentsu EssenceMediacom AVCommunications Barrett and Welsh Inc The Trade Desk IPG Mediabrands Canada Publicis Groupe Canada FUSE Create WPP Cossette GroupM Dig Insights Account Planning Group of Canada - APG Canada inca | Nexxt Intelligence Touché! Visionnaire Believeco:Partners

In honour of Mother's Day, we at Adapt Media Inc. want to spend the next few days honouring our moms and the amazing impact they've had on our careers. First up is Diane Wilson and her beautiful mom, Joan Wilson. A mother’s influence on a career can happen at an early age. My mom passed away when I was 23, and just getting into the advertising business. Three things have impacted me that I carry with me every day. 1) Always a way. My mom was creative. She taught art to our small school in our rural Northern Quebec community while we lived there. “There’s no such thing as can’t in art” she repeatedly told us. It drove me crazy, but I learned there is always a way – even if it may be different looking than originally pictured in our minds. 2) It’s never too late to learn. We moved to Niagara when I was in 7th grade, and even though I considered my mother pretty old at the time (in her early 30’s) she realized she needed credentials to work in this larger market, so went back full time to get her diploma in Graphic Arts. She said she wanted to graduate post-secondary before we did. She then got a job running the print press/graphics for Skylon Tower. Never seen her happier. Figure out a way to do what you love. 3. Character. It seemed whenever there was a challenge, rather than delving into a pity party with me, Mom would simply brighten her smile and say with kindness “it’s character building”. I recall shortly after I started my sales career, getting into an elevator after a particularly brutal encounter with a client, looking up to the ceiling (my mom had recently passed away) and asking in an exasperated, loud voice… “Okay Mom, but how much character can one person POSSIBLY NEED?!” Apparently it’s endless.  So this Mother’s Day, I salute my Mom, Joan, and thank her for her influence. I’m still here, doing what I love, helping solve challenges and building my repository of character.  

Pablo Picasso once said that, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" so Adapt did some soul-scouring this week as the media sponsor of the Toronto Arts Foundation Mayor's Arts Lunch. Many congratulations are due to the awe-inspiring Arts Lunch winners who trip the light fantastic while bringing light and lightness into our world; Rina Fraticelli, Anthony Gebrehiwot, Laurence Lemieux, Pan Fantasy, and Destinie Adelakun, we are humbled in the face of your talent and your unflagging commitment to your communities. Shown are Jamie Thompson exchanging smile couplets with Toronto's Poet Laureate, Lillian Allen, the day's winners being justifiably feted, and Toronto's Mayor, Olivia Chow, delighting in the day.

Yesterday, we posted about OOH advertising's amazing performance in the first two months of 2024 (the medium is up 15%! Insert fist pumps and wild cheering here!) Today, we're making the link between that performance and Canada's economic recovery - as recession fears subside, celebratory investment on outdoor/indoor/place-based OOH advertising booms!