Framing the Future, One Set at a Time

Navigating Tariffs, Netflix Productions, and a Shifting Economy

I've got a lot of things going through my mind at the moment. These tariffs have had a really big impact on my life recently. Ever since the announcements on March 4th, 2025, for the 25 percent tariff on Canada, I got laid off on that day and saw my investment portfolio lose up to $30,000 over the course of a month.

I managed to scrabble and find another job within a few weeks afterward. I got a job offer recently from Set Manitoba to build the upcoming production for Little House on the Prairie, the remake that's coming to Netflix. As of May 5th, 2025, Trump made an announcement threatening 100 percent tariffs on the movie industry. The timing couldn't be worse.

I'm taking the big risk though—it’s only for 8 weeks—but it gives me the opportunity to develop my carpentry skills in windows, doors, and framing. I think in today's society you need to be able to pivot. We no longer live in our parents' generation where there were ample opportunities. You need to be able to take risks.

I've come to the realization that the best job security is developing a deadly skill set, so I've decided to take it into my own hands and buy the book The Complete Visual Guide to Building a House. Essentially, what an employer is paying you to do is solve a problem—to make a problem disappear.

I believe future generations have to be able to become self-reliant, have the capacity to fail, try something, and eventually find the solution to the problem. Not everything in my life is a complete shit show right now. I did manage to hit my early goal of $165,000 in my investment portfolio.

If I had to make a prediction of which way the wind's blowing, I couldn't tell you. But one thing I can say with high certainty is that asset prices are going to balloon upwards over the next couple of decades. If you think about it, there's a limited amount of land, resources, stocks, and housing—every person on this planet is competing for a finite supply of resources.

Recently, Mark Carney became the Prime Minister of Canada. I'm currently really interested in his housing initiative for the government to act as the developer to provide capital. I want to position my skill set to be the first person they call when that opportunity comes knocking. So currently, that's the bet I'm making.

Sometimes the best response to reducing unnecessary suffering is doing nothing. If you ever observed a horse in the rain, it just stands there. When we stop fighting our circumstances, it gives us opportunities to seize the moment and recognize when we can escape, if presented.