Toni Newman, a professional speaker on innovation topics, recently spoke in Halifax at InnovatioNS, a workshop for the tourism industry. However, she refers to herself as a "professional catalyst", and indeed she lives up to that moniker, inspiring attendees to come up with new ways of thinking, of examining every possibility as a potential opportunity.

She divides businesses into those run by people who ask "Why?" and those who ask "Why not?" The "Why" people tend to be traditional thinkers who rely on past practises to move forward, as in "Why would you change things?". The "Why not?" people tend to think "Why not? Let's think it through and then let's give it a try - we just might be on to the next big thing!".

It all ties into the need to not just be better - being better is a given in business today - but to be DIFFERENT from your competition.