Willful

05/21/2026

Legacy looks different for everyone. Today, we share the story of Morgan Lewis and his father, Mark Lewis.

"I was always really close with my dad. He was my best friend. When I was 15, my rugby team went to New Zealand, and he came as one of the chaperones. There were 50 of us, but I still think of it as a trip that I took just with him. He was always an active parent. Later, when I graduated from university and moved back home during the pandemic, I got a few more years with both of my parents. It's really fun to go from being in a parent–child relationship to being more like friends.

He was diagnosed with lung sarcoma in April 2023 and passed away at the end of July. It got serious pretty quickly, which was scary. He had just turned 61. I think there was a lot that was left unsaid, because we didn't want to think of that outcome as an option. Then it was probably too late, and we didn't have an outline or steps to follow. We tried to piece it together, but it was a stressful time for all of us. I remember thinking even if I was 99% sure about something, I didn't want to be in that 1%. You only get one shot.

I'm always happy to talk about him, because he was an awesome guy. I have 25 years of happy memories and a few weeks of really sad ones. I think if I let the sad ones win, what's the point of the rest? When he passed, so many people told me about the impact he had on their lives. I mean, he was brilliant, and he could have done anything, but he chose to work for workers and represent unions. He worked for something bigger than him, and I saw how much he cared about people and about work.

I think the hardest part is when the world starts to move on, and then the reality of him being gone hits you. Like, my world is completely different, but for everyone else it's the same. I had a lot of support, but I also didn't have any friends who had gone through what I had gone through, so it was tough. I don't think I got past it. But I moved forward. When I think about what I want my life to look like now, I kind of try to follow his example: work really hard at something you believe in, do good, help others, and show up for the people you care about."

04/20/2026

Legacy looks different for everyone. Each month, Willful shares a firsthand story about building, protecting, and passing down what matters most. Today, we share the story of Simran Sidhu.

"My career has always come first. When I graduated, I was rejected a few times from the company I wanted to work for, but I kept going back until I found my way in. Since then, I have poured everything into it. I now run a consulting business where I work with big Canadian tech companies. When you spend years building real relationships and doing good work, eventually, jobs start finding you. It pays off more than you can imagine.

I love my team. And I love my job. But by the time I'm off the clock, I don't have much left to give to strangers on a screen. I've gone on dates, but I find some of the people I meet seem intimidated by my work, or my confidence in how I show up. I stopped forcing it. And I don't really regret it. I have the same close friends I've had since university, a family I'm really present for, and a nephew I'd do anything for.
I'm in a good spot now. I'm financially independent. I own my own place. I travel a few times a year. But I've also started thinking about something I never expected to think about at this age: what happens to everything I've built if something happens to me? I always have people to call, but at certain milestones, I think about it. I'm single. Who will get my savings? Who can access my accounts? Who am I going to put in charge?

I used to think a will was something you sorted out once the big milestones arrived — the partner, the kids, the mortgage. I have a mortgage. But I'm still working on the rest. And I've realized that without a partner or children as a given, nobody is going to make these decisions for me. Whatever that life ends up looking like — I want to be the one who decides what happens to it. I've worked too hard to leave that to chance."

04/11/2026

National Pet Day food for thought 💭

Loving our pets means planning for them, too.

03/26/2026

Helping Canadians protect their loved ones starts with taking care of our own team.

We are so proud to share that our CEO, Erin Bury, has been named one of Canada’s Workplace Health Leaders by The Peak, presented by Alan! This list highlights the people working behind the scenes to improve workplace well-being across the country.

Congrats to all the folks recognized this year for building healthier companies. Check out the full list of leaders: https://www.canadasworkplacehealthleaders.com/

03/24/2026

When we launched Stories by Willful, our goal was to make space for real, personal stories about legacy.

Today, we’re sharing David’s story in his own words:

"My first job was stocking produce at TNT, making $10.25 an hour. I was very active in trying to find a higher paying job. I had studied economics, but it wasn't that useful. It’s hard to get a job without experience. I dropped off my resume to all the big banks. I got interviews, but no replies. At one point, I realized the security guards I was working with made $2 more an hour, so I got my security license. I started looking for higher paying jobs, again, until the casino hired me. I was up from $10.25 to $15 an hour. I was lucky.

About two years later, I was doing my own taxes at work when a coworker asked me if I would do theirs too. They paid me $30, and I immediately realized that I could make money doing this. So I did the training, and started my own tax firm. I was young then, in my 20s, and my first kid had just been born. When you have a family to feed, it's this intangible force that pushes you forward. At the casino, I knew a lot of people, and once you prepare people's taxes and give them good service, word of mouth spreads.

I don't just give people tax advice, I tell them how to plan their life. I've always been aggressive in financial planning. I went from having nothing and now, I'm the only one working in my family, feeding three kids and have half a million saved. That is a very good outcome by discipline. I tell my clients, it doesn't matter what you make. It's how much you save. The guy making $100,000 a year who saves will be wealthier than a millionaire who spends it all.

I am struggling to see how I can pass down that discipline mindset to my kids. I think about maybe whether I should send them to China, back to my original place, just so they can struggle a little bit, because I think everyone needs to struggle to reach success.

My role model is Warren Buffett: live frugally, make money. You don’t have to be that smart. I don't own a house, or a car. I invest. If I can become a millionaire by 40, that's fine. That’s my goal. I tell my clients if I can do it, they can too."

03/20/2026

03/19/2026

"I was obsessed with wrestling when I was young. I used to go to the Old Maple Leaf Gardens and buy those toy action figures. That obsession grew into X-Men and other sorts of pop culture things. When my mom found all these Fantastic Four comics from the 50s and 60s, I kind of became the custodian of it too. I would keep this stuff in a box and not play with any of it, thinking, when I'm 25, which, by the way, is forever away when you're eight years old, I'm going to sell this for a lot of money.

It shows crazy discipline as a kid, not to play with things you like. You collect all this stuff, and it's for not for now, it's for 30 years from now. One time, I brought six of my friends with me to a wrestling event to get some cards signed, because they’re worth more when they’re signed. They were like, what are you doing? They laugh at it now, but I still don’t think they get it.

You've caught me at a funny time in life, because when the babies came along, I finally took a moment to breathe and look at my career. I have a plaque that summarizes everything: Grammy-nominated, Brit Award-winning, billion streams, multi-platinum, blah, blah, blah.

But then these bins of things, the whole collection is worth at least 50 grand. Which is not too much, but it'd be a big gift to my kids, you know? I've started selling pieces. I have a wrestling card set from 1990. All the cards are mint, and even now I go see any of these wrestlers who are left, I get them to sign their cards.

But here's what's happening to me: I get rid of a game that I loved, that I feel sad about getting rid of. As the sale is being made, I'm like, should I be doing this?

Now I'm going through my will, trying to figure this out. I have always thought that if I keep these things, the next generation is not going to care, because they didn't grow up with them. The comics are a little different, because stories can keep being told. That's what my mom proved to me.

Going through this process is making me think of all of the things I would have never considered or associated with a will in the past. Who's gonna get the comic books if I croaked tomorrow? I don't know. I have no idea."

03/11/2026

Did you know 57% of Canadians don’t have a will? Even among those who do, about 10% have an outdated one.

Estate planning often gets pushed aside, whether because it feels uncomfortable to think about or because there’s no clear deadline.

Erin Bury , Willful's CEO, joined John De Goey on the Make Better Wealth Decisions podcast to chat about why so many people put it off, and why it’s worth making time for.

Listen to the full episode:

Do you have a will?If not — you’re not alone. Over half of Canadians don’t have wills, and many who do haven’t updated them in years. In this episode, we sit...

03/09/2026

POV: This is Willful’s CEO, Erin, and Co-Founder Kevin 🥺✨

02/11/2026

We’re proud to share that Willful is now Rainbow Registered

This certification reflects months of intentional work behind the scenes, led by Rogan, our Ops Manager, who pushed us to look closely at how we show up, where we can do better, and how to build more inclusive practices across the business.

As we continue to grow our team and the ways we build our products, we’re committed to making Willful a safe, affirming space for 2SLGBTQ+ folks.