In a world that feels out-of-control, focus your business on the things you can control.
29-SEP-2026 Open any social media, turn on the radio, or even check your email. Let’s face it: in the 21st century, we’re dealing with a lot. It can sometimes feel chaotic and out of control. But in fact, chaos and uncertainty have been around for a long time. Over 2,000 years ago, the Emperor of […]
What makes for a stable economy?
23-June-2026 Open any media app or YouTube channel, and it hits us in the face. Disruption, volatility and uncertainty swirl around us. We worry about wars raging in Europe, the Middle East and beyond. We fret over trade negotiations and the imposition of punishing tariffs. We toss and turn about artificial intelligence and social media […]
A.I. isn’t going to take your job. An artist is going to take your job.
Artificial intelligence isn’t going to take your job. Your job will be taken by another human who knows how to connect with other humans in a world where A.I. is dominant. 13-JUNE-2026 Walter Smith is not a well-known character, but he had an enormous impact on the transformation of 19th century New England into an […]
Optimism isn’t a right. You have to earn it.
You’re not alone in feeling like the world has become unhinged. It has. And it’s probably going to get worse. Todd Hirsch 26-MAY-2026 Optimism. It’s a scarce commodity these days. All around us, the news headlines are sending our anxiety into overdrive. War. Inflation. Political division. Economics. Crumbling democracy. Climate change. Micro-plastics! TICKS!! In such […]
Has social media hit “Peak Dumpster Fire”?
Is it possible that we’ve recognized the danger and are beginning to take corrective steps? Todd Hirsch 27-APR-2026 In 2026, it’s easy to draw a straight line connecting disasters to our collective addiction to social media. Everything from the tragic shootings in Tumbler Ridge to the global crisis of youth mental health seems, at least […]
What Lies at the Core of the Sacred Economy?
Markets do not replace human relationships. They rely on them. 6-APRIL-2026 Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith is often regarded as the father of modern economics. In his seminal work The Wealth of Nations, Smith lays out the vivid metaphor of “the invisible hand” of the market. Sadly, Smith’s work is often derided as promoting […]
The real reason governments can’t balance their budgets?
We’re trying to fund 21st-century expectations with 20th-century tax systems. Todd Hirsch 25-MARCH-2026 Canada’s recent federal and provincial budgets share two defining features: enormous deficits and no credible plan to eliminate them. Last fall, Ottawa posted a deficit of $78.3 billion. This spring, provinces such as Alberta, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia added tens of […]
The global economy: what’s the worst that could happen?
Can the premeditation of evil help us successfully navigate a tumultuous economy? Todd Hirsch 9-MAR-2026 More than two thousand years ago, long before spreadsheets, central banks, and quarterly earnings calls, a group of philosophers developed a surprisingly practical technique for dealing with uncertainty. It was used by teachers, scholars, statesmen, and even a Roman emperor. […]
Economic chaos? Take a tip from your GPS.
Todd Hirsch 2-MAR-2026 My GPS has better emotional regulation than most humans. I miss a turn. No problem. “Recalculating,” chirps the female voice, almost as if she’s pleased. I fail to stay in the right lane to merge. No worries. “Recalculating.” I turn on the wrong set of lights. Hey, it happens. “Recalculating.” No raised […]
Welcome Home: Why the Economy Starts in Your Living Room
10-Feb-2026 The Greek root of the word economics is oikos—meaning house or home. It’s a reminder that the economy was never meant to be abstract. It was never supposed to live only in charts, forecasts, or trading screens. At its core, the economy begins at home. Home is where economic life becomes real. When people […]