Avil Beckford's Page

Originally from Jamaica, I have been living in Canada since 1984, except for the 1 ½ years I spent in New York City. I enjoy writing, reading, traveling and digital photography, and have traveled to a few Caribbean islands, several US states and Beijing and Shanghai in China.

My first name Avil is pretty unusual, so if I come across another person with that name I want to learn more about them. Eight years ago, I attended a luncheon event in Toronto where I live, and while I was walking up the stairs I noticed that a woman coming down the stairs had the same first name. We looked at each other, looked at the name tags to make sure that we were actually seeing what we thought we were seeing. We walked over to each other and hugged. We chatted for a bit and it turns out that I knew her daughter Wendy. A few years later, an employment opportunity came across my desk, which was suitable for Wendy. I wrote an introduction and used this story. The personal introduction got Wendy an interview and she ultimately got the job.

By the way, in case you are interested in what I do, I am Chief Invisible Mentor, check out my blog The Invisible Mentor http://theinvisiblementor.com.