2015 Industry Outlook: 46 Ideas from Channel Leaders

Vertical Systems Reseller Magazine this month published 46 predictions for 2015 by Channel Executives of all backgrounds.

Here are my Channel predictions for 2015:

Tell us the most significant changes you saw occurring in the channel in 2014.

The most significant change is around market sizing and demographics. We all expected the channel numbers to rebound from the 2008 recession along with the rest of the economy.

We are down 36% in total channel companies world-wide with another 10 to 15% decline expected in 2015. 

The other piece is the average age of the channel continues to increase – even with new born-in-the-cloud vendors hitting the scene. It is expected that 40% of current channel professionals will retire in the next 10 years.

Even more significant, is that the 75% of the entire channel will be made up of millennials by the year 2024.

What do you think will be the most radical shift for the channel in 2015?

There are very few radical shifts in the channel. The transformation from client/server and traditional break-fix into cloud, mobility & managed services has taken almost a decade – with no end in sight.

However, the trends we are seeing today will create some radical shift in the years to come. For example, the managed services market has stagnated – with flat growth over the past 3-4 years. 

Only 12% of channel partners drive over 50% of their revenue in a recurring model. Predictions from a few years ago would have over 50% of them driving their revenue this way.

What must solution providers do to stay relevant in 2015? Give us your #1 piece of advice.

Channel partners have always been highly adaptable and tend to gravitate towards opportunity. The shift of over 50% IT spending from the IT department to lines of business have partners building new relationships with sales, marketing, HR, operations and finance executives. 

Understanding how customers buy is also key to stay relevant. 

Researching real-world trends around cloud and SaaS purchases in your industry and geography, not what they hype would tell you it should be. Also, understand that the growth of software recurring revenue models hasn't translated into services and hardware recurring at the same level.

Does your company have tools or resources that may give solution providers a leg up in 2015? 

We build a mobile platform with numerous tools that solve big challenges for channel partners. Working with over a hundred vendors, we have found new and innovative ways to communicate, educate, grow and motivate partners.

Another area we are investing heavily in is “big data” for the channel. Understanding actions and behaviors and being able to predict and prescribe next best actions. Measuring the success of channel programs has always been difficult and many of the direct sales tools that have come to market in the past few years don’t work well in this environment.

What top 3 emerging technologies will be most important to the channel in 2015?

The proliferation of mobile devices and the management around them will continue to be hot. The 

average customer has 3 devices each today and that is growing to 10 by 2018. The internet of things will get a shot in the arm with the launch of the Apple Watch in 2Q.

The iPhone convinced people they needed 2 devices in 2007. The iPad and e-readers increased it to 3 in 2010. The Watch and other fitness devices will increase it to 4 and 5 by the end of 2015. The channel opportunity is when companies find valuable uses for these devices in the business world and need them integrated into the corporate network.

Software defined everything, hybrid clouds and 3D printing will also take hold and be the source of new practices being built by channel partners.

Summary

While the channel is experiencing some of the biggest shifts in size and demographics that we have seen in 30 years, the opportunity to recruit, develop and grow a highly engaged and motivate base of partners has never been stronger.

Those partners that survived (and thrived in) the past 6 years with massive economic and business model turmoil, are incredibly well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in 2015.

As the cloud matures, fear and uncertainty in the channel has turned into anticipation and even excitement. The complexity of IT continues to accelerate and the opportunities are growing faster than ever. 

Even the barriers to entry are increasing, meaning that new competitors, fresh from their A+ certification, aren’t setting up shop in your town.

Read the full article here.

10 Must-Try Channel Growth Hacks for 2015

Welcome to the future. Not the flying cars, robotic future that the Jetson's envisioned, or even the hoverboard, self-tying Nike's from Back to the Future.

The future of the Channel is grounded in new demographics, new business models and new definitions of partnerships. I talked more about these in a previous post:

http://thevarguy.com/cloud-computing-channel-partner-program/082514/10-things-i-learned-about-channel-summer-part-1

It doesn't come as a surprise to Channel Professionals that things are changing faster than ever across the partner ecosystem. A perfect storm of new technologies, transforming business models, rapidly evolving competition, consumerization and economic forces have fundamentally changed the traditional supplier/partner relationship.

Bill Gates keenly said that we overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Let's focus here on the next 12 to 24 months.

Not only are things moving much faster, the relationships have become significantly more complex. Ten years ago, a solid email, portal, phone, advertising and events strategy was all that was needed to communicate effectively to partners and customers.

Today we have more than 30 marketing vehicles in play, and the level of noise and clutter is, at times, out of control.

So with that in mind, how do we plan for 2015? How do we recruit the right new partners, develop our current partners to be stars, and take our top performing partners to the next level?


1. Go Mobile

Five years ago the average partner had one device (usually a laptop or desktop). Today the average is in the 3-4 range including smartphones, tablets and perhaps a rudimentary wearable device. By 2018, top researchers predict that number to be 10.

Cars, watches, smart walls, and other devices will drive new types of partner interaction and provide the platform for innovative selling and support tools.

Top vendors today are using technologies such as GPS, cameras, video and social in new and interesting ways that would have been unheard of even a few years ago.

Over 65% of partners report they prefer to use mobile as a primary source of doing business. With over half of all internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, many Channel vendors and distributors do not have a viable platform to leverage and grab a competitive advantage.


2. Leverage Big Data

Is your partner program still segmented by historic revenue? Perhaps you are thinking that a survey or partner advisory council meeting will give you the secrets to what is happening out there.

In reality, there are hundreds of data points that allow you to understand partner performance and loyalty to your brand. If you were able to combine these into one powerful set of predictive and prescriptive analytics, what changes would you make in your program?

Your partners keep telling you that they want better communication and support from your team. That doesn't mean sending more emails - it means understanding your partner deeper and connecting in the way that they prefer.

What if your partner program was ultra-customized by individual person and company? Understanding the who, what, where, when, and why of each partner persona could be the biggest channel growth hack you can make in 2015.

3. Expand Automation

The recent surge in marketing automation popularity has not yet worked its way into Channel communication. The ability to set automatic triggers based on a partner’s behavior results in a new level of insight.

Scoring each individual partner based on their actions can improve future communication and content to be more relevant and focused.

The win here is implementing a drip campaign across the channel catering to each person based on where they are in the marketing/sales funnel.

4. Move Away from Partner Portal as Primary Contact

Surveys show that 95% of partners do not regularly use partner portals. In fact, unless they are forced to log in for deal registration or mandatory education to keep their status, many partners do not come at all.

Channel marketing and communication has increasingly become a push versus a pull exercise.

There is no magic in push - every individual is different and making your program easier and more accessible across the myriad of communication vehicles is a must (unfortunately).


5. Re-look at Communities

You think your company is complex to deal with? The partner ecosystem is large and diverse, with dozens of different specialties, business models and types.

There are many sub-communities that have formed to serve these differences. These take the form of associations, online forums, social media, media groups, vendor & distributor groups, user and peer groups.

Communities tend to be more focused and specialized and have people that support each other with common interests and challenges. What makes them powerful is the ability to influence through the implied endorsement of the larger membership.

In many cases, participation is the only cost of entry.


6. Put your Social Activities into Context

Social media is no longer the “new” platform and has proven not to be the utopia that was once promised.

That being said, social is very important and is a core platform for communicating with the Channel. It is a place to amplify content, handle real-time conversations and extend branding and promotion.

Running a mix of 5-6 social platforms as part of your overall communication strategy is important. Social media will provide a place where you can listen to your partners, engage on a different level and interact in real-time.

7. Educate your Partners - Stop Selling them

Content marketing is becoming one of the most important tools for recruiting and nurturing your Channel. Finding your brand voice and sharing your domain knowledge with your partners on a consistent basis will build trust and keep them plugged in.

When combined with #6 above, a solid piece of content will amplify itself across numerous channels and give multiple ways to re-purpose throughout the time period.

As the old saying goes, you can't kid a kidder. So stop selling your best salespeople. Strong content - especially technical in nature - will go a long way to driving attention.


8. Re-invigorate your Press Strategy

Much like communities in number 5 above, the channel media have cultivated strong followings across multiple vehicles.

Many vendors look at the media as a source of advertising and not much else.

Over the past number of years, industry media has been forced to expand their offerings and deliver more value to their readers and sponsors. Getting access to their community of readers through co-marketing, sharing your updates and content, webinars, events and newsletters can be a very effective way to reach your established and prospective audience.

It can be surprisingly cost effective as well with the right level of negotiation, time commitment and bundling.

9. Go Back to the Basics - Direct Mail

Yes, I said it. Direct mail!

Most companies have abandoned direct mail over the past few years as the number of marketing vehicles have exploded.

Depending on the size of your Channel, sending physical mail to partners can be a cost effective way to connect. Keep in mind the average age of Channel professionals has grown every year since the 1980s and this demographic tends to prefer face-to-face, mail and phone calls to electronic communication.

Sending out innovative and useful sales kits can be done for only a few dollars per partner (or prospect) and may cost less than attending a tradeshow. Plus, you can achieve a high open rate and your competitors are likely not doing it.


10. Double Down on Tradeshows

Many Vendors I talk to look at tradeshows as an industry "tax". It is an area where a lot of opportunity (and money) is wasted.

Some of the common errors include:

• Paying for platinum status without getting much more than a "logo on a page" in return
• Paying for a breakfast/lunch/party and getting small signage that no one notices
• Thinking that booth hours are where the real action happens – then the real action usually happens in the hallways and the hotel lobby bar late at night
• Not having a plan covering pre-show, show-within-the-show and post-show tactics
• Spending too much money on trinkets and giveaways
• Not having a visible leader in your business that can seek out the media, develop strategic partnerships, and recruit based on reputation alone.

The vendors who take advantage of the tradeshow circuit by avoiding most of these pitfalls report it is there number one way to grow channel revenue.

It all comes down to recruiting the right partners, developing current partners to be stars, and taking top performing partners to the next level.


Happy New Year - And good luck in 2015!

Jay's 37 Favorite Movies of All Time

Movies are one of the most difficult things to rank.

How do you compare an action movie with a comedy? A historical documentary with science fiction? The answer, for me at least, is the emotional connection it created and the impact it had on your life at the time.

For example, I loved Superman I and II - not because of the superhero aspect (I never read the comics) - but for the story of a boy growing up different than others and how he copes. He could have been a track or football star - but he didn't. In the second movie he gives up all his powers for love, and that had impactful on me.

Of the 37 favorite movies, one was from the 70's (my favorite - Superman), 11 from the 80's, 18 from the 90's, 6 from the 2000's and only one from the 2010's. I am not a big fan of older movies and black and white is difficult for me to connect to for some reason (other than Schindler's List).

Some movies had lasting effects. For example, Top Gun has had an impact on my passion for cars and speed in general. Read more in My Car Story Blog.

Oddly enough, I think Pretty Woman made me very interested in business. I named my cat Austin Powers - oh, and yes, "Danger" is his middle name. Movies such as Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Forrest Gump, & National Lampoon's Vacation have become soundtracks to my life - with almost daily references to lines such as:

"Just a little buffing"

"I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is"

"If they are going to close a road, they will put up big signs"

Some movies were the perfect genre at the perfect time in my life - examples like Rocky, Top Gun, Terminator 2 and Back to the Future.

Anyway, enough talk, let's get to the list - in order - of the best movies of my life:


1. Superman (1978)

An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.

Director: Richard Donner
Writers: Jerry Siegel (creator), Joe Shuster (creator)
Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman



2. Superman II (1980)

Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to marry Lois, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.

Directors: Richard Lester, Richard Donner (uncredited)
Writers: Joe Shuster (character created by: Superman), Jerry Siegel (character created by: Superman)
Stars: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder



3. The Sixth Sense (1999)

A boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette



4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving with an obnoxious slob of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion.

Director: John Hughes
Writer: John Hughes
Stars: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins



5. August Rush (2007)

A drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents.

Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Writers: Nick Castle (screenplay), James V. Hart (screenplay)
Stars: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers



6. Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Winston Groom (novel), Eric Roth (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise



7. Schindler's List (1993)

In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Thomas Keneally (book), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)
Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley



8. Pretty Woman (1990)

A man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love.

Director: Garry Marshall
Writer: J.F. Lawton
Stars: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander



9. Top Gun (1986)

As students at the Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young flyer learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Director: Tony Scott
Writers: Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr.
Stars: Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis



10. Fight Club (1999)

An insomniac office worker looking for a way to change his life crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker and they form an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more...

Director: David Fincher
Writers: Chuck Palahniuk (novel), Jim Uhls (screenplay)
Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter



11. Titanic (1997)

A seventeen-year-old aristocrat, expecting to be married to a rich claimant by her mother, falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.

Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane



12. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.

Director: Jonathan Demme
Writers: Thomas Harris (novel), Ted Tally (screenplay)
Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney



13. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten-year-old son, John, from a more advanced cyborg, made out of liquid metal.

Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron, William Wisher Jr.
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong



14. The Skeleton Key (2005)

A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.

Director: Iain Softley
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Stars: Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant



15. The Usual Suspects (1995)

A sole survivor tells of the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which begin when five criminals meet at a seemingly random police lineup.

Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri



16. Life Is Beautiful (1997)

A Jewish man has a wonderful romance with the help of his humour, but must use that same quality to protect his son in a Nazi concentration camp.

Director: Richard Donner
Writers: Jerry Siegel (creator), Joe Shuster (creator)
Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman



17. The Green Mile (1999)

The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift.

Director: Frank Darabont
Writers: Stephen King (novel), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse



18. Rocky III (1982)

Rocky has been holding the title as the heavyweight champion until he is defeated by a brutal challenger, and now must regain his fighting spirit through a big rematch, trained by an unlikely ally: his old nemesis Apollo Creed.

Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young



19. Rocky IV (1985)

After iron man Drago, a highly intimidating 6-foot-5, 261-pound Soviet athlete, kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition match, Rocky comes to the heart of Russia for 15 pile-driving boxing rounds of revenge.

Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young



20. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

The Griswold family's cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.

Director: Harold Ramis
Writers: John Hughes (screenplay), John Hughes (short story "Vacation '58")
Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca



21. Back to the Future (1985)

A young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson



22. The Shining (1980)

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writers: Stephen King (novel), Stanley Kubrick (screenplay)
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd



23. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Writers: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck
Stars: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck



24. Dirty Dancing (1987)

Spending the summer in a holiday camp with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor Johnny Castle.

Director: Emile Ardolino
Writer: Eleanor Bergstein
Stars: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach



25. Austin Powers (1997)

A 1960s hipster secret agent is brought out of cryofreeze to oppose his greatest enemy in the 1990s, where his social attitudes are glaringly out of place.

DDirector: Jay Roach
Writer: Mike Myers
Stars: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York



26. Se7en (1995)

Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey



27. Stand by Me (1986)

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.

Director: Rob Reiner
Writers: Stephen King (novel), Raynold Gideon (screenplay)
Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman



28. The Matrix (1999)

A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.

Directors: Andy Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers) , Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)
Writers: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss



29. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Director: Frank Darabont
Writers: Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton



30. Star Trek (2009)

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful, time-traveling Romulan creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg



31. Ghost (1990)

After being killed during a botched mugging, a man's love for his partner enables him to remain on earth as a ghost.

Director: Jerry Zucker
Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin
Stars: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg



32. Braveheart (1995)

When his secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier who tried to rape her, William Wallace begins a revolt and leads Scottish warriors against the cruel English tyrant who rules Scotland with an iron fist.

Director: Mel Gibson
Writer: Randall Wallace
Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan



33. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(1982)

A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home-world.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Melissa Mathison
Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote



34. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.

DDirectors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Writers: Simon Beaufoy (screenplay), Vikas Swarup (novel)
Stars: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Saurabh Shukla



35. Juno (2007)

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Stars: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner



36. The Notebook (2004)

A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. They soon are separated by their social differences.

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Writers: Jeremy Leven (screenplay), Jan Sardi (adaptation)
Stars: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Rachel McAdams



37. 12 Years a Slave (2013)

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

Director: Steve McQueen
Writers: John Ridley (screenplay), Solomon Northup (based on "Twelve Years a Slave" by)
Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender



So there they are - Jay's top movies of all time. I will come back and update this as new movies earn their spot on this list.

Good watching!

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Read some other stories from A Few Thoughts - Jay McBain:

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My Love Story - Michelle and met on October 15, 2010 in a serendipitous way. We were both part of a charity in Raleigh, NC and one night at a dinner struck up a conversation about many things - including our love of travel.

My Housing Story - After 13 moves and stops in three Canadian Provinces and three U.S. States, here is my journey in pictures from the Northwest to the Southeast of North America.

My Car Story - I have the dubious honor of getting speeding tickets on all 6 driveable continents - lucky that there are no cars in Antarctica! Did I ever tell you the time I passed the Polizia in Italy with my mom?

My Travel Story - The story started with a "Rollerblades and Red Bull" journey to 100 countries. It is now expanding in every direction after hitting 7 continents and the 7 wonders of the world (most with kids in tow).

My Nautical Story - I am pretty sure the love of water started in 1972 when I was six weeks old and my grandparents Bob and Dona McBain retired to Shuswap, British Columbia, Canada, and built a log cabin.

My Crazy MBA Story - In the summer of 2017, while climbing Machu Picchu, Peru as part of my wife Michelle’s International MBA from Manhattan College, I thought – why not me?

My Hockey Story - As long as I can remember, I have been playing hockey. Over four and a half decades and thousands of games later, I still lace them up a couple times a week, year-round.

My Cycling Story - When the Covid-19 pandemic first took hold in March 2020 we responded quickly as a family - including strict stay at home orders and no outside contact until we could get a handle on the risks. My attention now turned to exercise - and biking across North America (virtually).

My Retirement Story - I have no interest in disconnecting fully from the work that makes me so fulfilled. I could never see myself  in bingo-playing retired life. I want to stay curious, engaged, and adding value past the (very specific) date in 2034 that I am aiming for.

My Christmas Story - Whether traveling to see family, or going to Disney or Hawaii, or simply staying home - the season is packed with memories of family and friends.

My Music Story - My favorite music can be best defined as sad / emotional / multi-level slow music. Oddly, it is opposite of my worldview - which is normally overly-positive and optimistic.

My Movie Story - Oddly enough, I think Pretty Woman made me very interested in business. I named my cat Austin Powers - oh, and yes, "Danger" is his middle name. Our current dog is named August Rush (Auggie Doggy). Movies such as Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Forrest Gump, & National Lampoon's Vacation have become soundtracks to my life.

Memories of Christmas - Since 1972

Christmas is a very special time for me.

I was looking over some old photos today and thought I would create a visual memory of Christmas past. Whether traveling to see family, or going to Disney, Hawaii, Antarctica, or simply staying home - the season is packed with memories of family and friends.

So here are years of Christmas memories (back to 1972), in reverse order:

2025 - Christmas time again!

2024 - A trip to Calgary for skiing and Harrison Hot Springs for mom's new house!

2023 - A Disney Christmas!

2022 - A visit from Santa, also a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica!

2021 - Our second pandemic Christmas

2020 - Our first pandemic Christmas, rare picture without masks!

2019 - Christmas in our crazy pajamas

2018 - Christmas in our new home in Boynton Beach, Florida

2017 - First Christmas (in shorts) in Florida

2016 - Cali's First Christmas in New York

2015 - Family in New York, days before Cali is born!

2014 - Brooklyn's First Christmas in New York

2013 - Christmas in Myrtle Beach

2012 - Christmas in New York

2011 - Christmas in New York

2010 - Christmas in Chicago

2009 - Christmas in North Carolina

2008 - Christmas on Sunshine Coast, B.C.

2007 - Christmas at Disney World

2006 - Christmas in Markham, Ontario

2005 - Christmas in Markham, Ontario

2004 - Christmas in Markham, Ontario

2003 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

2002 - Christmas at Disney World

2001 - Christmas in Newmarket, Ontario

2000 - Christmas in Newmarket, Ontario

1999 - Mila's First Christmas in Winnipeg, Manitoba

1998 - Christmas in Winnipeg, Manitoba

1997 - Danica's First Christmas in Winnipeg, Manitoba

1996 - Christmas in Winnipeg, Manitoba

1995 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1994 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1993 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1992 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1991 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1990 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1989 - Christmas in Hawaii

1988 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1987 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1986 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1985 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1984 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1983 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1982 - Christmas in Calgary, Alberta

1981 - Christmas in St. Albert, Alberta

1980 - Christmas with Oreo in St. Albert, Alberta

1979 - Christmas with crazy dad in St. Albert, Alberta

1978 - Christmas in St. Albert, Alberta

1977 - Christmas with Grandma Dona in Shuswap, B.C.

1976 - Christmas with Grandpa Bob in Shuswap, B.C.

1975 - Christmas in St. Albert, Alberta

1974 - Christmas in St. Albert, Alberta

1973 - Christmas with Tracey in Virden, Manitoba

1972 - Christmas in Edmonton, Alberta

Christmas is also about music. Perhaps you have read my blog on my favorite songs.


Here are my favorite Christmas songs - in order. You can also listen to them all together in this YouTube playlist.


1. The Greatest Gift - Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Virginia Bocelli

2. Christmas Eve - Gwen Stefani

3. Christmas Time - Bryan Adams

4. 2000 Miles - The Pretenders

 

5. Happy Xmas (War is over) - John Lennon





6. Little Drummer Boy - Pentatonix




7. O Holy Night - Josh Grobin




8. Mary's Boy Child - Boney M



9. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid

10. Hallelujah - Pentatonix

11. Silent Night - Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire



12. The First Noel - Carrie Underwood



13. O Come All Ye Faithful - Josh Grobin



I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas & Holiday season and may all of your hopes
and dreams be fulfilled!

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Read some other stories from A Few Thoughts - Jay McBain:

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My Life Story - Have you ever thought about the impact of big decisions that you made in your life? How about the small ones or the ones made for you? How would have your life turned out if things went the other way?

My Love Story - Michelle and met on October 15, 2010 in a serendipitous way. We were both part of a charity in Raleigh, NC and one night at a dinner struck up a conversation about many things - including our love of travel.

My Housing Story - After 13 moves and stops in three Canadian Provinces and three U.S. States, here is my journey in pictures from the Northwest to the Southeast of North America.

My Car Story - I have the dubious honor of getting speeding tickets on all 6 driveable continents - lucky that there are no cars in Antarctica! Did I ever tell you the time I passed the Polizia in Italy with my mom?

My Travel Story - The story started with a "Rollerblades and Red Bull" journey to 100 countries. It is now expanding in every direction after hitting 7 continents and the 7 wonders of the world (most with kids in tow).

My Nautical Story - I am pretty sure the love of water started in 1972 when I was six weeks old and my grandparents Bob and Dona McBain retired to Shuswap, British Columbia, Canada, and built a log cabin.

My Crazy MBA Story - In the summer of 2017, while climbing Machu Picchu, Peru as part of my wife Michelle’s International MBA from Manhattan College, I thought – why not me?

My Hockey Story - As long as I can remember, I have been playing hockey. Over four and a half decades and thousands of games later, I still lace them up a couple times a week, year-round.

My Cycling Story - When the Covid-19 pandemic first took hold in March 2020 we responded quickly as a family - including strict stay at home orders and no outside contact until we could get a handle on the risks. My attention now turned to exercise - and biking across North America (virtually).

My Retirement Story - I have no interest in disconnecting fully from the work that makes me so fulfilled. I could never see myself  in bingo-playing retired life. I want to stay curious, engaged, and adding value past the (very specific) date in 2034 that I am aiming for.

My Music Story - My favorite music can be best defined as sad / emotional / multi-level slow music. Oddly, it is opposite of my worldview - which is normally overly-positive and optimistic.

My Movie Story - Oddly enough, I think Pretty Woman made me very interested in business. I named my cat Austin Powers - oh, and yes, "Danger" is his middle name. Our current dog is named August Rush (Auggie Doggy). Movies such as Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Forrest Gump, & National Lampoon's Vacation have become soundtracks to my life.