Michael Baker

04/14/2026

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝗽𝗺 𝗘𝗦𝗧

I've reviewed the financial statements and tax returns of hundreds of Canadian business owners over the last 30 years.

After I changed roles from public practice to financial planning and advisory, something became clear.

The same 5 gaps in planning show up almost every time.

It isn't anyone's fault.

The regulatory framework and the rules around taxation for business owners has become more complex. The natural response to this has been more specialism, more silos, more focus on compliance — at the expense of planning and strategy.

The result?

Business owners find themselves more alone than ever.

Everyone's focused on life today. The tax return. The filing deadline. The immediate problem.

But the conversation should include life tomorrow. What happens when something breaks. What can be done now to protect you and your business when life comes at you.

That's where the gaps live — not just in compliance, but in planning and the space between today and tomorrow.

We're having this conversation this Thursday and I'd like to invite interested business owners to join.

Free. No pitch. Just 30 years of pattern recognition, laid out plainly.

Link in comments.

04/01/2026

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲

Yup, that's right — please just pick up the phone.

I met with a wholesaler the other day at my office. Since I live in Medicine Hat, Alberta, we are more of a destination than an attraction. So when we get visitors, we feel a bit special. When people ask me why Medicine Hat, I generally say, "well, Medicine Hat is like the mafia — every time I try to leave, it pulls me back in!"

This wholesaler was experienced, had a great way about them, and was genuinely interested in building a relationship with our firm.

After the usual conversation about families and common ground, the discussion shifted to my business and then to theirs. Finally, the conversation tilted to the key question — "Mike, what can we do to help you? How can we make a difference?"

I responded fairly quickly. "To be perfectly honest, I would really like it if you would please pick up the phone."

You could tell that landed. A pause. Maybe a recognition that something important had gotten lost along the way.

And I don't blame them. Their organization is dealing with what a lot of organizations are dealing with right now — people working from home, offshoring, employee turnover, rapid changes in how service is delivered. The list goes on.

But here's the thing — this individual can clearly distinguish themselves by simply picking up the phone or returning a call within a reasonable period of time.

When has the bar ever been lower? This is a massive opportunity and most of us don't realize it.

The organizations that market on social platforms understand this very well. The chance that a lead converts increases significantly if you can contact them within five to ten minutes of the inquiry.

Advisors who work in the ultra-high-net-worth space understand it too. I've had the chance to work with some of these advisors, and they know they need to be available when their clients want to talk — no matter the time or place. As they say, "it comes with the territory."

So here's your tip of the day — it might be a good idea to pick up the phone.

03/29/2026

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀

I'm sorry but this post is not about that great movie with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd back in the day.

What I am talking about is where the self-appointed gurus sell you the overnight success story. In the beginning, you have the money and they have the information. Then you transact and trade places — they now have the money and you have the information.

The reason this works is because it's built on the framework behind every great story we've ever loved — The Hero's Journey.

The story starts with the Hero (you) on a quest for financial freedom. During that quest, you meet a Guide (them) who offers a plan, a call to action and a process to avoid failure so that you can save your family, your business, your community.

Think about Star Wars. Luke returns home, finds it destroyed, and in his desire for justice meets Obi-Wan Kenobi — the Jedi master who mentors him. Luke ends up saving humanity from Darth Vader and the dark side.

We love those stories. We see ourselves in those stories.

Thank goodness Obi-Wan turned out to be the real deal.

Is your guru?

As my mentor Norm Trainor says, we treat facts as facts and we make decisions based on emotions. That's why some genuine experts struggle — the way they communicate can make their services feel too technical, too specific, too transactional. They need help packaging what they do.

The guru's pitch is the opposite problem — too easy, too general and too good to be true. And my concern is that there is no real plan or process behind it, and the attention fades after the sale is made. The harm may not be recognized for years, long after these gurus are done and off to the next big thing.

I have seen firsthand how many people have overcommitted to insurance strategies they didn't have the cash flow for — strategies that didn't even address the first basic need of insurance, which is the correct amount of protection.

There is no single financial tool that is good or bad. There is a series of trade-offs, and the best financial tool is one that you will actually use and implement.

The minute someone demonizes investments, insurance or any other financial tool — cut bait and exit the room. Fast.

But if something catches your attention, take it to a trusted professional. And if that professional blows it off without explanation, push back. Ask them to take the time to walk you through what it actually is — because most of the time, it's a financial tool in a package. It might be the right tool for you. It might not. But you deserve to understand it before you decide.

And you should implement it with someone who will be there with you for the long run.

https://youtu.be/TKgiHMPX7F0

We are all part of the new attention economy. This really is entertainment for most of us. However, this intersects with our lives when we are sold financial...

03/26/2026

𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝟴, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟬.

A big turning point in my life was realizing I might be the source of my own unhappiness.

I didn't arrive there through some divine flash of insight. I arrived there because I kept seeing the same patterns — in my work, in my relationships, in how I showed up — and the only consistent factor in all those situations was me.

That realization didn't make things better. If anything, it made things worse. Because now I was responsible for everything. I learned that I couldn't even be responsible for being late — I always had a reason.

That may sound familiar.

What happened on the other side of that discomfort was a sense of freedom I didn't know existed. Not the kind that comes from ego or accomplishment. The kind that doesn't leave when the room does. Relationships shifted. Doors opened that I couldn't have imagined.

Like most things it wasn't free. I lost some people along the way. Old patterns don't go quietly. A mentor of mine once said "a lesson will be repeated until it is learned." He was right — and the tuition is steep.

Here's what nobody tells you: you don't get to skip the timeline. Real change takes 5 years, maybe 8, probably 10. Most people quit before they get there — and end up right back at the beginning, facing the same issues, with fewer decades left to start over.

The person you are today was built over a lifetime. Expecting to undo that in a weekend workshop is a story we would like to be true but deep down we know better.

So why try?

Ask yourself — would you embark on this journey if your life depended on it?

Well… it does.

https://youtu.be/vDdU86IYaqM

In this video I share a story which used to limit me and a way that I found to help me let go of a story that was disempowering.

03/16/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺

I received a lead from an important COI recently. The person who sent me the lead was very excited, and I could see why. On paper, this one had everything. A third-generation business with 7–10 employees, working through a transition, and they'd recently sold a farm property for a significant amount. Then I read in the notes: "does their own investing." My spider senses started tingling.

The meeting was engaging. Like most business owners, they were energized talking about their business. But as we got into things, a pattern started to emerge.

A business marketing firm contacted them out of the blue to prepare a valuation and market their business. I advised them that many times the charge for the valuation is the real cost. They assured me it was free and that they were now exploring other avenues to sell, to avoid a fee, after now having an idea what the business might be worth.

When the farm sale closed, the bank called to offer investment services. When I offered to help with a financial plan, they remarked the bank had already done one. After receiving a lot of value from the bank, they decided to invest the money themselves.

When I offered to look at their situation holistically — cash flow required to become work-optional, estate documents, the tax implications of their family trust — I could feel the conversation shifting. They spoke. "Let's reconnect in a few months."

I'm glad I read Values-Based Selling by Bill Bachrach. He categorizes clients in a way that has been invaluable.

The way I remember it:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 — always shows up on time, is prepared, and ready for the meeting.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 — doesn't always show up and isn't always prepared but has the potential to be a great client.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 — always fun and energetic, over-exaggerates what they're up to, very difficult to get information from, but could be a great client if they ever wake up.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝘀-𝗬𝗼𝘂-𝗳𝗼𝗿-𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 — asks lots of questions, wants technical details that don't belong in a first meeting, and is nearly impossible to move to commitment.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 — no matter what you do, they will never trust you.

The idea is simple: fill your practice with great clients, invest in people who have the potential to become great clients, and learn to recognize the last two categories — the ones who will consume your most valuable resource — your time.

My lead? Fun to talk to. But every signal pointed to Category 4.

I work with people who trust and respect the work of professionals. And they are discerning — as they should be. They also make powerful choices. They want value and trust the process enough to let it work.

Sometimes the hardest skill is learning who to say no to.

https://youtu.be/llyE7WAokIM

In this video I describe a framework provided by Bill Bachrach which allows advisors to distinguish great clients from others that may not be a good fit.

03/15/2026

A few months ago, I listened to 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝘀. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 by David R. Hawkins.

It has haunted me ever since.

The premise is that human behavior is governed by two opposing energies. Power comes from higher consciousness and truth — it creates change without needing to dominate. Force comes from lower consciousness — it creates conflict and consumes more than it gives.

Hawkins developed a scale from 1 to 1,000. Below 200, people are driven by fear, guilt, pride, and shame. Above 200, people act from courage, love, integrity, and wisdom.

Here's the number that stopped me: 85% of the world's population calibrates below 200.

The only reason the impact isn't more devastating is that consciousness is logarithmic. One person at the level of 500 — love — can counterbalance hundreds of thousands below 200.

Read that again.

When I first absorbed this, I felt sadness. The math says the world will need decades — maybe centuries — beyond my lifetime to truly come together.

However, there is hope.

If consciousness is logarithmic, then the work you do on yourself isn't small. It isn't selfish. Every time you choose awareness over autopilot, courage over fear, truth over convenience — you're not just changing your life. You're raising the collective consciousness of everyone around you.

I can't fix the world. But I can make sure I'm not adding to the weight of it.

In my studies I have learned how ideas reach people. It started grandpa telling the family what was happening in the world. Then newspapers. Then radio. Then television. Then computers, the internet, and smartphones.

Each leap gave us more information. But somewhere along the way it stopped making us wiser. Now we have so much information and opinions, we don't know what to believe.

Maybe that's not the crisis we think it is. Maybe it's the invitation.

When you learn that you can't outsource truth, you're forced to look inward and decide what's true for yourself.

I remember Christmas dinners at my grandparents' house. My parents working hard — my mother in the workforce when most mothers stayed home. It made life better financially, but the pressure broke them apart when I was a teenager.

I got my first phone when I was 34.

My parents would be stunned to see the life I've built. I think that's true for many of you. You've built something your parents couldn't have imagined. You've outpaced the scarcity you grew up in.

But here's what Hawkins helped me name:

Most of us are still operating from that scarcity. Still running on fear and obligation even though the circumstances changed long ago. Still looking outside for answers that were always inside.

The hard truth? As humans, we seem to require adversity to change. We wait for the diagnosis. The divorce. The business crisis.

What if you didn't wait?

What if you stopped right now — in the middle of everything working — and asked yourself one honest question:

Am I taking full responsibility for the life I am living?

02/20/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽

Your sensory systems process approximately 1 billion bits of information per second.

Your conscious mind? Just 10-50 bits per second.

No wonder we're drawn to simple solutions.

Recently, I've noticed how we all try to eliminate complexity rather than work with it:

A friend suggested I skip fasting and keto for a GLP-1 injection instead.

A family I was talking to was worried about meeting some new relatives from the US because "they're conservatives."

An ad states how to make millions without a financial advisor—just $30/month for the course. (Spoiler: They made their millions selling the course.)

As my mentor Norm Trainor says: "The art is dealing with complexity without reducing the complexity."

Yet we keep falling for the easy fix. It starts with blame—the banks, the government, insert villain here.

And it always starts the same: you have the money, they have the information. Then you trade places. Now they have the money, and you have the information.

But did that information actually help?

I get it. When I started as a financial advisor, I desperately wanted something to believe in. Fortunately, I found it.

Back then, many advisors wanted to partner with me because I'm a CPA. But their presentations didn't make sense to me.

I had one question that I needed to answer: "What would make the difference for people to have their finances support their dreams for the future?"

Almost a decade later, I've come full circle.

There is no one right answer.

Some might think pondering one question for a decade is excessive. But wrestling with difficult questions over time develops the sense and perspective that can make a real difference for others.

Helping someone see something new for themselves can change their life.

And changing lives changes the world.

02/06/2026

"𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆" - the great Dicky Fox from the move Jerry Maguire.

https://youtu.be/54namSltN08

My philosophy is simple - give so much to the world that it would be unreasonable for me not to achieve success in my profession.

02/05/2026

Here is a new video that summarizes a lot of the ideas and concepts I have learned over the last decade. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/G3-HJytMdUU?si=jHSyV6clmQxmQUsQ

This is the first video that I have made that pulls together a lot of the ideas and concepts that I have learned and developed in almost a decade as a financ...

07/15/2025

𝗔 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝟭𝟱 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗼...

As a parent and professional, I've learned that life's biggest challenges often become our greatest teachers.

Fifteen years ago today, my wife and I welcomed our children to this world. And yes, I said children being plural. You may have guessed twins, and you would be incorrect as we had triplets on July 15, 2010.

We knew our lives were going to change and we had no clue in what way or how difficult things might get. Looking back that is probably a good thing. I am convinced life has a way to make sure that we do not understand the nature and scope of life changing events to make sure that these events continue to happen!

My wife and I married later in life and after years of trying, getting pregnant just wasn't happening for us. Then we met Dr. Imran Pirwany of Oasis Fertility who changed our lives. After years of testing with other professionals, he sent us straight to IVF and we conceived on the first cycle. Three embryos went in and 34 weeks and 6 days later, three came out - two girls and one boy!

The accountant in me thought that was a pretty good deal to get three kids for the same price as one. I think it's the last "deal" we've received since!

So many memories have been flooding in today. Here are a few lessons that we have learned along the way:

𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱.

I remember when the kids were young and how my wife and I thought we won the lottery when we got another hour of sleep. These days it's a miracle if we get through dinner without the kids arguing about something. As they get older, seeing your youth fade in the mirror while getting the odd grunt as they pass you on the way to the kitchen can be a bit much.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲.

There are moments when you see discernible evidence that you've raised a wonderful human being. When they run up to hold the door for someone or when they can get out of their heads and be free of the self-consciousness that being a teen brings. Those times you just know you gave them what they needed to be successful in life.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀.

It's not that you stop having dreams or goals, it's just an awareness that where you are is just fine. And actually, where you are is perfect.

Parenting triplets has taught me more about life, love, crisis, patience, persistence and management than any MBA program could. We're looking forward to the next 15 years with our beautiful children.

Oh and before I forget - DQ ice cream cake tonight! Winning!!

Fellow parents - what's the biggest life lesson parenthood has taught you?