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Burning the Midnight Oil

This past Saturday, I had the good fortune to celebrate my friend Andrij Harasymowicz’s birthday at Harry Stinson’s brand new (and quite extraordinary) 1 King West in Toronto.

For those who don’t know, Stinson is the ‘Condo King’ of Toronto, having cornered the market first as a broker (he owned Stinson Realty until selling in 1998), and now as a developer (he is often called, mainly by me, the Canadian Donald Trump, although apparently he isn’t so fond of the comparison).

The Cotel (it’s a combination of condominium and hotel units) is gorgeous, and the members-only Dominion Club on the second floor has to be seen, with its soaring ceilings and marble floors.

Stinson is known for his work ethic, and I can definitely attest to this.  While we were walking out the front doors of his building, waiting for his vintage Rolls Royce to take our group to the jazz club the birthday was taking place at, Stinson was inside his office (with no closing door, it’s right next to the Hotel front desk) hard at work.  He was sketching a building.  When you do what you love, you never clock out.

You cannot determine how hard anyone else works, or how successful they will be. You can only decide what you’re willing to do and how determined you are to see your vision turn into reality. This will determine your result in life. Stinson had a dream; it took him from being a salesperson, to becoming one of the biggest developers in Toronto Real Estate.

Where is your dream taking you?

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