​Black Opportunity Fund, in collaboration with DoorDash, recently launched a non-repayable grant funding to celebrate, amplify, and support Black Chefs and Black-Owned restaurants to showcase the amazing things they are serving up in neighbourhoods across Canada. Thirty restaurants will each receive a $10,220 grant to support their proposed project. Application deadline is December 5, 2025. If you run a Black-controlled restaurant or food business, I encourage you to check this out and apply here. Enjoy this issue where I share some key insights on taxes and personal development. Please remember to share this with everyone in your network:

1. The Top Ten Reasons Why You Pay Too Much in Taxes

Whether you like it or not, taxes affect all of us. In fact, it is probably your biggest household expense. Yet, most people do nothing to manage their taxes. In this article, I discuss the top 10 reasons why you may be paying too much in taxes. Reasons ranging from lack of periodic tax planning, lack of optimization with family members, and a lack of basic knowledge of our Canadian tax laws. You can read the full article here.

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2. You Cannot Deliver What You Have Not Developed

Mastery of any subject or craft takes time and hardwork. If you want to fly an aircraft, you will spend many years in training learning how to fly. If you want to be a great athlete, you will spend hours and hours practicing. If you want to be a great leader, you will master the art of communication. In a presentation by John C. Maxwell in a recent leadership conference I attended, he talked about the four questions you should always ask if you want to communicate effectively as a leader:

1. What do you want people to see?
2. What do you want people to know?
3. What do you want people to feel?
4. What do you want people to do?

If you lead by focusing on others and leveraging your strengths (two of the many laws John Maxwell discussed), your people will see their possibilities, know their value, feel empowered and take action by applying & multiplying. He delivered many value bombs during his presentation, some of which I’ve summarized below:

• If you want to connect with people, you have to get over yourself. People can’t put themselves in the story if you’re in it all the time.
• Understand that leading others is all about them. You have to quit thinking about “you”.
• If you don’t love it, and if you don’t live it, don’t talk about it. In other words, don’t teach or try to communicate what you don’t love or live.
• Your connecting channel is always common grounds. This is how you connect with people, by finding common grounds.
• Action matters and action attracts! The moment you begin to take action on your important priorities, you start to attract new opportunities.

It was a great day of learning and reflection, not just from John Maxwell but also from other great leaders and experts in communication.

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3. Tax-Deferred Is Not The Same As Tax-Free

This is often misunderstood. To be clear, “tax-deferred” does not mean the same thing as “tax-free.” Tax-deferred is something that must eventually have taxes paid on it. On the other hand, tax-free will not need any tax payments made. I discuss the differences in this short article here. And if you want further details on this and how you can take advantage of the tax code to accumulate both tax-free and tax-efficient wealth, then I encourage you to get a copy of my book, Tax-Efficient Wealth.

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4. Nine Ways to Break the Feeling of Lack

Often, we live a life overwhelmed by a feeling of lack. A big reason for this is because we don’t know what is enough for us. According to Vicki Robin, author of the brilliant book, Your Money or Your Life, financial independence has nothing to do with being rich. It is the experience of having enough. Enough is when you get to the peak of your fulfillment curve. In other words, you have enough money to survive and get all the comfort and luxuries you require to experience fulfillment in life. It is quantifiable and achievable. I share more on this in this article, including 9 ways to break this feeling of lack.

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5. CRA Going Digital: Paper Mail Is No Longer the Default

As of June 16, 2025, CRA has switched most businesses to electronic-only mail. Unless you formally opt out, all CRA notices and letters are considered received the day they’re posted online—even if you never see them.

✅ Action: Log into CRA My Business Account and set up email notifications for GST/HST, payroll, and corporate tax accounts. If you prefer paper, submit Form RC681 and renew every two years.