AMBITION & VULNERABILITY
09 SEP 2026
Read the essay
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Gerry Taft
Gerry Taft
Honest stories. Better questions. A different way forward.
Honest stories. Better questions. A different way forward.
Honest stories. Better questions. A different way forward.
Start a conversation
Start a conversation
Start a conversation
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GOOD CONVERSATIONS.
USEFUL POSSIBILITIES.
GOOD CONVERSATIONS.
USEFUL POSSIBILITIES.
A room full of people. A challenge on your desk. A community at a crossroads. There’s more than one way to work with Gerry.
A room full of people. A challenge on your desk. A community at a crossroads. There’s more than one way to work with Gerry.
A room full of people. A challenge on your desk. A community at a crossroads. There’s more than one way to work with Gerry.
01 / THE ROOM
Speaking
Speaking
Speaking
Keynotes that bring candour and humour to subjects we often find difficult to discuss. Gerry draws on small business, local government, real estate, and his own mental health experience to get people thinking—and talking.
Keynotes that bring candour and humour to subjects we often find difficult to discuss. Gerry draws on small business, local government, real estate, and his own mental health experience to get people thinking—and talking.
Mental health & burnout · Bureaucracy · Community · Housing & real estate
Mental health & burnout · Bureaucracy · Community · Housing & real estate
Talk about your event
Talk about your event
Talk about your event
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02 / THE PERSON
Coaching
Coaching
Coaching
A place to think out loud, untangle a challenge, and explore what comes next. Practical, thoughtful conversations for elected officials, senior local government managers, and entrepreneurs carrying a lot of responsibility.
A place to think out loud, untangle a challenge, and explore what comes next. Practical, thoughtful conversations for elected officials, senior local government managers, and entrepreneurs carrying a lot of responsibility.
Leadership decisions · Work and life capacity · Fresh perspective · What comes next
Leadership decisions · Work and life capacity · Fresh perspective · What comes next
Start a conversation
Start a conversation
Start a conversation
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03 / THE COMMUNITY
Strategizing
Strategizing
Strategizing
Bring the competing priorities, the stuck project, or the difficult decision. Gerry connects experience in local government and business with strategic and tactical planning, land use approvals, and real estate development consulting.
Bring the competing priorities, the stuck project, or the difficult decision. Gerry connects experience in local government and business with strategic and tactical planning, land use approvals, and real estate development consulting.
Local government planning · Land use approvals · Development · Turning ideas into action
Local government planning · Land use approvals · Development · Turning ideas into action
Explore your challenge
Explore your challenge
Explore your challenge
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MEET GERRY
A LIFE WITH
A FEW PLOT
TWISTS.
A LIFE WITH
A FEW PLOT
TWISTS.
A LIFE WITH
A FEW PLOT
TWISTS.
Entrepreneur. Former mayor. Real estate professional. Author. Still figuring a few things out.
Entrepreneur. Former mayor. Real estate professional. Author. Still figuring a few things out.
Entrepreneur. Former mayor. Real estate professional. Author. Still figuring a few things out.
Born and raised in Invermere, Gerry has built businesses, spent a decade as mayor, and worked through the opportunities and pressures of public life. His perspective comes from doing the work—and from the times things didn’t go to plan.
Born and raised in Invermere, Gerry has built businesses, spent a decade as mayor, and worked through the opportunities and pressures of public life. His perspective comes from doing the work—and from the times things didn’t go to plan.
Today, those experiences inform his speaking, coaching, and writing. He’s interested in what happens when we get curious, listen properly, and make room for a more honest conversation.
Today, those experiences inform his speaking, coaching, and writing. He’s interested in what happens when we get curious, listen properly, and make room for a more honest conversation.
More about Gerry
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The best conversations start with listening.
2002. Age 20. Running for council.
Valley Echo / Windermere Valley Museum
From gelato to government.
From gelato to government.
A hot dog cart at 17. Gerry’s Gelati at 21. Mayor at 26. Real estate in 2018. A first book in 2024. Each chapter brings a different view of people, pressure, and possibility.
A hot dog cart at 17. Gerry’s Gelati at 21. Mayor at 26. Real estate in 2018. A first book in 2024. Each chapter brings a different view of people, pressure, and possibility.
Read the story
Read the story
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“
“
“
We need to be curious. We need to have conversations. We need to take time to listen.
We need to be curious. We need to have conversations. We need to take time to listen.
We need to be curious. We need to have conversations. We need to take time to listen.
Gerry Taft — Ask the Questions. Tell the Stories.
Gerry Taft — Ask the Questions. Tell the Stories.
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ESSAYS & REFLECTIONS
STILL CURIOUS.
STILL CURIOUS.
Notes on leadership, life, and the stuff we don’t talk about enough.
Notes on leadership, life, and the stuff we don’t talk about enough.
All writing on Substack
All writing on Substack
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LOCAL LEADERSHIP
24 years...
24 years...
24 years...
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Twenty-four years on council. Twenty-four lessons about asking questions, making decisions, and remembering the people outside the room.
21 AUG 2026
CAPACITY & BUREAUCRACY
Can We Keep Adding?
Can We Keep Adding?
Can We Keep Adding?
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When every new solution adds another layer, what happens to the person—or the system—carrying it all?
14 JUL 2026
CURIOSITY & COMMUNITY
Ask the Questions. Tell the Stories.
Ask the Questions. Tell the Stories.
Ask the Questions. Tell the Stories.
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A late-night walk through Vancouver becomes a reflection on community, assumptions, and the people we too easily overlook.
01 MAY 2026
BUSINESS & BEGINNING AGAIN
I have climbed this hill before
I have climbed this hill before
I have climbed this hill before
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An old roadside sign reveals layers of business, politics, mistakes, and the person Gerry is becoming.
31 MAR 2026
THE HUMAN SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
How Thick is YOUR Skin?
How Thick is YOUR Skin?
How Thick is YOUR Skin?
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Can leaders stay open, empathetic, and human when public life asks them to develop ever-thicker skin?
04 MAR 2025
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVERSATION
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVERSATION
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVERSATION
THE BOOK / GERRY TAFT
THE BOOK / GERRY TAFT
THE BOOK / GERRY TAFT
THE FIRST BOOK BY GERRY TAFT
THE FIRST BOOK BY GERRY TAFT
THE FIRST BOOK BY GERRY TAFT
The safe word
is PINEAPPLE!
The safe word
is PINEAPPLE!
Mayor to Manic — My Journey Through Crazy
Mayor to Manic — My Journey Through Crazy
Mayor to Manic — My Journey Through Crazy
An honest account of burnout, psychosis, and finding a way forward. Gerry’s first book turns a deeply personal experience into a wider conversation about mental health, community, and the systems that shape our lives.
An honest account of burnout, psychosis, and finding a way forward. Gerry’s first book turns a deeply personal experience into a wider conversation about mental health, community, and the systems that shape our lives.
An honest account of burnout, psychosis, and finding a way forward. Gerry’s first book turns a deeply personal experience into a wider conversation about mental health, community, and the systems that shape our lives.
Paperback · eBook · Audiobook
Paperback · eBook · Audiobook
Paperback · eBook · Audiobook
Proceeds help expand mental health support in rural communities, especially Invermere.
Proceeds help expand mental health support in rural communities, especially Invermere.
Proceeds help expand mental health support in rural communities, especially Invermere.
Explore the book’s story
Explore the book’s story
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