"The crooked tree lives out its natural life. The straight tree becomes lumber."

Adapted from Zhuangzi, 4th century BCE

I am a very crooked tree. For more than five decades I have moved from one challenge to the next, never following the straight path that leads to a cubicle or a corner office. One is the bottom of the ladder and the other is the top, but to a straight tree they are the same destination: cut, planed, and put to someone else's purpose. I grew the other way, toward problems that interested me and solutions other people didn't see. It hasn't always been the easy road, but it has been my own.

About

"I solve problems and find solutions other people don't see."

I live in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, and I have been working for more than 55 years. In that time I have sold, marketed and managed consumer products for Johnson & Johnson and Beiersdorf, built a barcode system for Whistler Blackcomb, consulted for companies from Kraft Foods to BC Hydro, taught at George Brown College, and owned and operated The Wine Factory for fifteen years.

I have also sat on volunteer boards for more than sixty years. I founded Parkcrest Child Care Society and chaired it for 22 years, served eleven years on the board of the Kenneth Gordon School, and today I am president of the Royal City Curling Club.

These days my time goes to The Tool Village, the curling club, and my writing.

Get in touch

For speaking, interviews, or anything to do with the book, email me at harmw@duck.com.