After month In the US, 6 days in Tel-Aviv, writing to you from the Bangkok airport (but a delay in sending; I know, I’m working on it): this is your world traveler, the storyteller, your pal whenever you need to chat or have a pint, Nir Zavaro here.

In today’s storytletter:

• Are you happy with your life journey?
• Less is more—how did Shafique win the crowd?
• Some thoughts about passive income

A warm welcome to the 33 new subscribers joining us, many from the US and Australia. If you are working on some cool ideas, mail me, would love to hear
Nir Zavaro

Are you happy?

I wish people would stop asking me if I’m happy. To be honest, I wish they wouldn’t stop asking, but rather wish I could give them a better answer. At least that was my feeling for most of 2023, until New York.

For those of you who are new here, I have been traveling the world since February 19^th, 2023. I left my apartment in Tel-Aviv to see if I could really make my dream of teaching storytelling a reality. With over 60 flights and 40 countries, I travel so much that it often feels exhausting and lonely. People see the glam of social media, but when meeting me face-to-face, people often ask me if I am happy.

I would reply, Sure, but, and the but was long, full of excuses.

This past month, I have realized I have what it takes to build my life however I want, as long as I keep pushing, but more than that, as long as I allow myself time to reflect and change my plans.

My main takeaway has been to own the good and the bad during this marathon. At this stage, I’m maybe at the 25% mark; I have already started the journey, and I know I will finish it. Knowing that achieving my life goals depends on my brain, my will, and my positive mindset, I might as well enjoy it, right? It will be tough; I will want to quit at times, but I need to look ahead and pace myself, so to answer your question, F**K yeah, I’m happy.

Next time you struggle, remember you decided, so either keep going or change your decision.

What is your marathon? How long, and what is your goal? How far along are you in your journey? Reply and let me know.

❤️‍🔥Less is more; short is big

When you get 15 minutes to pitch your idea, ask for five or even three.

Shafique my good friend was asked to promote the Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards at an event last week. It meant a lot to him, so naturally, he was nervous. He had some notes and ideas for an improvised 15-minute talk. Knowing the type of people in the audience and the event style, we agreed to limit his talk to less than 5 minutes and went to work. In a few hours:

He wrote his first draft, which was over 1,300 words.

I asked him to read the first 100 words, and we timed his count at about 120 per minute, slow but good. So, we decided not to use more than 600 words.

We wrote, edited, and spoke about it, and although we are on opposite sides of the world, we understand emotion, being boring, and the importance of bringing value to the audience.

We agreed to use most of the allocated time for an FAQ (to which we added a slide with relevant questions).

the constraints helped Shafique choose his words, structure his story, but more than that, he was able to sculpture, learning that many things are not needed or can be left to the imagination of the audience.

I am not your public speaking coach. Your talk will improve when you become a better storyteller.

Would you be willing to spend 5–10 hours improving your pitch? To scale your business?

🥳 Some indie hacking thoughts

You can make a living by working four hours a day. You can work from anywhere in the world. Well, that’s what the solopreneur’s ads keep saying, so let’s test it.

My world tour means I am a nomad, but I don’t consider myself a real digital nomad, as I’m moving around fast, according to my work schedule rather than enjoying each location for a month or more.

This type of travel has led me to wonder if my next steps should be around scaling the team or scaling the business. What if I can start building an indie business while traveling?

Here are my initial thoughts:

My newsletter—I can probably monetize it. last month, I made 11.63 dollars from one ad. Although the audience just crossed the 300 mark last week, it has a 52% opening rate.

My live cohort—it’s time. Many people have reached out, asking if there is an online course. A big part of my ability to craft and improve my workshops, has been by doing these workshops all over the world, live. I feel like my next step will be a weekly cohort, four to six weeks of teaching, and group sessions.

A platform: They say dreams take time, but this one has eluded me for two years. While the main platform is built and ready, we have had issues with some bugs and budget. It’s been a year since I last worked on my platform, Stook (story meets hook).

There is something very appealing to me about indie hackers and solopreneurs. As I’m starting to think about scale, the next focus points will be on automation, finding the virtual assistant to help me save time, and I think i’m ready to share the progress with you all.

Any ideas? Please reply if you have built an online course, a cohort, or an app to support your work. I look forward to learning from you all

Did you get your F*ck the Slides copy yet?

I am thrilled to share that the book has reached Amazon Best-Seller status.
It was my mission to support and help as many entrepreneurs as possible to become better storytellers, so seeing this happen.

DM me if you have any thoughts.

Turning your passion into a craft that turns into a business?

Pinch me, because it’s been a crazy week, and it’s been so much fun. three workshops, visited four locations, forgot one bottle of wine in an Uber, took the wrong Uber, and went drinking with students, but more than anything, I got to write my story.

in today’s mail

• Write before you do anything else
• My dream is coming true. Join me?
• I’m headlining SouthStart Australia

Thank you for getting us to a 55% opening rate on the last email. You are a huge part of my journey.
Nir Zavaro

Imagine, write, develop, launch

You may need to read this advice twice because it seems so simple: stop building and start writing.
Grab your pen and paper and start writing before working on your next project. Let your imagination run wild. When we start looking at the written words, we may come to the realization that, while expressing an idea may seem simple, writing requires more than just that. When we write, we understand the complexity, the hidden. We can truly visualise the problems and solutions.
Anyone can say, in a sentence or two, that they are going to run a marathon. However, writing and explaining about running a marathon will take a lot more. We will need to clearly articulate how many runs a week, the food regime, and the distances required for training. Suddenly, the big task turns into a checklist, things we can solve, and achieve. We can write a design for a new restaurant or a SAAS platform, before spending a dime on professional work.

Dreams become ideas, which then develop into plans and action items when we begin to dive deep into them. These are all going to be the things we build next.
Write your next plan before wasting time on building dumb shit people don’t need.

IDEA TIME
Are you working on any ideas? Please feel free to reply to this email with a 14-word summary of your idea. Let’s see what you can come up with.

❤️‍🔥Passion and work can align

My dreams are coming together, which is exciting on so many levels. Teaching is one of my greatest passions, and I have taught college classes for nearly a decade and in several universities. Writing books is part of who I am, and being an entrepreneur is an important part of my identity.

Last week marked a significant milestone for me when I was invited to speak to the first class of entrepreneurs to receive my book as part of their curriculum at the University of Georgia.

Speaking and signing books, having lunch with them, are just the beginning. The next goal, and this is where I need your help, is to get the book and method into 100 universities around the world by 2024, allowing young minds to improve their storytelling techniques. We are already getting closer to the first ten, and this is just the beginning.

If you are able to connect with a university or college, please respond and let’s talk.

🥳 Happy to announce i’ll be headlining SouthStart Australia

I often say that my line of work is the closest i’ll ever get to being a rock star, seeing as I can’t sing and I ain’t that good looking. But opening the biggest tech festival in Australia might be one of the coolest things I get to do this year.

In this three day festival, everyone in the tech community will come together to meet, chat, interact, and learn. I’ll be speaking about storytelling and get to spend time in the village to meet everyone.

If you are in Adelaide for this event on March 5-7, ping me. I will also be speaking in Sydney and later that month in Singapore. DM me

I don’t know.

Honestly, I don’t know.

Read these two sentences aloud. Again, now scream, I don’t know!!

Isn’t it almost liberating?

Saying I don’t know is thought to be a negative thing, particularly at work, but also in many social situations. For me, years ago saying I don’t know, helped me secure my largest client at the time for a $100,000 contract and scale my business.

A new lead approached me about developing an entirely new marketing strategy for an industry in which my team had never worked before. Despite the fact that I was highly recommended, I couldn’t understand the jargon during the meeting.

After everyone else had finished speaking, the CEO looked at me and I said, “Well, I’m very good at my job, I don’t know your industry, but we will kickass in two weeks.” I was hired right away.

Nothing bad happens when we admit we don’t know; it’s just the truth. Consider why we don’t know and what we can do about it. It’s not the end of anything, it just might be a good way to start things.

If this is your profession, why are there gaps and how quickly can you catch up? By the way, if you have no desire to learn this at all, now might be a good time to start thinking about a new career.

If it’s social stuff, like sitting around the dinner table and discussing general knowledge, you may not care, and you should not care, but it’s perfectly fine to say, “I don’t know.” Everyone should not have an opinion on everything. In fact, I believe most people say dumb shit because they believe they must demonstrate their knowledge. Remember, kids, that opinions are not facts, and you know what they say about opinions, that they are like assholes, every person has one.

Finally, I don’t know but I’m curious is the best kind of I don’t know. Hobbies, travel, languages, whatever your heart desires. Can you think of anything you’d like to know but haven’t done anything to gain that knowledge? What do you want? One thing, please.

Saying I don’t know allows me to choose my next learning experience and make it enjoyable. I enjoy learning about my field, but right now I’m learning NoCode for fun because I want to know a little bit more than I did yesterday. I’m not going to become a developer, but I’ll feel better.

What is your next learning experience? Please respond to this email and share your thoughts.

I’m going on the road

I’m going back to flying. I have some mixed feelings about it, but i’ll keep that for another time. Right now, i’m focused on trying to break a record of 100 speaking gigs around the world in 2024. Already at about 9% of my target. USA, Australia, and Singapore are already locked.

We are now speaking with people in Hong Kong, Thailand, Bulgaria, and Canada, so feel free to pitch in if you have any ideas or connections. I am excited to meet many of you again this year.

Let’s keep in touch

Thank you for replying, supporting, sharing your thoughts. I’m here to help this amazing community thrive and become better. Say hello by replying to this mail. I’ll see you on the other side.

_{New year resolutions, right?}

New Year’s resolutions, right?

I know, I know, you have a list for January 1st, gym. No, scale your company or lose weight. Should you drink less? Should you write more?

For me, 2023 has been an unpredictable year on so many levels that I’m going to try to use the new year to get back on track and regain my bearing. This year has eternally altered me, and it will have an impact on everything I do from now on. Before we go into 2024, I thought I’d offer my thoughts on change.

In 2023, I realized that there are two kinds of change: those we generate and those that happen to us. The first sort of change occurs when we plan and prepare, even if we are hesitant or scared. It is more about confronting a difficulty and forming a habit. It’s about making a decision and repeating the action. The second type was usually unrelated to us until it was too late. The action or event has occured, now, It is all about how taking action in the face of the new reality.

We often utilize the end of the year to recall, cherish, plan, hope, begin, engage, grow, and look forward to the new year. A new year represents a new beginning, something to strive for.

My request for 2024 is that you write down your goals, whatever they may be. Whether it’s to keep a journal, tweet every day, or run at least twice a week. Remember that success is in the planning.

Feel free to respond to this email and tell me about your hopes and dreams.

The second thing I want you to put down is how you plan to deal with a forced change the next time it occurs. How would you prefer to handle it? Write a note to yourself and keep it close at hand. It will help you deal with whatever life throws at you the next time anything happens.

Unfortunately, I, like everyone else in my country, had to deal with a shift that was imposed on us this year: war. What characterizes us is how we respond to change. A new reality, no matter how difficult, forces us to pause and consider the here and now, what is truly happening, and what must be done to survive. Life carries on anyway. Sad but true, so we must all learn to deal with reality, not how we feel or think, but what is actually happening and how we may get through it.

And it’s difficult, at times unbearable, but you’re strong. Recognize, adjust, execute, and move on. Surround yourself with people you can help and on whom you can rely. If you only focus on one thing this year, make it your community.

Some stats from my 2023

• I launched my third book – F*ck the Slides
• It made it to #1 best seller on Amazon
• Over 50 flights
• I spoke in 30 different locations, from Australia to Brazil, South Africa to UK

Some plans for 2024

• US tour: six cities in five weeks
• Write my first children’s book
• Launch my first online cohort
• Start work on my next book

Let’s keep in touch

I will do my best this year to provide more value to this amazing group of readers. Feel free to reply with any questions. i’ll see you on the other side.

😎 So fast? already? Can’t believe it’s overStop viewing your brand through the eyes of others.You are the brand; be authentic, define your personality, and then identify your target audience. The same goes for your company.Travelling for five months is coming to an end. It’s been a wild journey from Brazil to Australia, South Africa to England, Israel to Portugal. It’s time to come to slow down and prepare for the book launch, but don’t worry, the journey has only just begun. Today’s Storyletter is a special one with some ideas that we should all remember.In this week’s edition: Smiling Passion Time Judgment People Let’s connect? First live office hour is coming next week.

🥳 Smiling is the tech of the future

It has the power to tear down problems, heal hearts, and bring people together. During my travels, smiling proved the most useful took ever. Itcan get you out of trouble, get you free drinks, help create fantastic interactions, fix airline and hotel problems, and even bring you additional job.

But the one smile I enjoy the most is greeting over-the-counter staff, such as those at a coffee shop or a hotel desk. See them, actually see them; they are not artificial intelligence, but real people. Every person represents an opportunity to do good, and I needed to remind myself of this from time to time. Unfortunately, some people did not smile when they should have. Begin with a smile and end with a smile.

Your mission: Enter a coffee shop, smile, wait, and ask how they doing. Wait for a response, a smile, and then place your order. You could make their day, and they could make someone else’s day. It’s entirely up to us.In the pic: Friends, smiles, gratitude.

❤️‍🔥 Passion will help you overcome challenges

In Bangkok, Thailand, it was half past midnight. I rented a poor motel by accident, the type I stayed in when I had no money many years ago.Everything about the place was revolting, like a rock bottom experience. I was on my way to the islands for a five-day holiday, had just returned from Australia after hosting wonderful sessions, but had to cope with the situation at home, life, business, Israel is on fire.

I woke up hot and unhappy in the middle of the night, glued to the mattress, but chose to look on the bright side: I was given just one day to explore Bangkok. After 12 hours and more than 20 kilometres, I can say it was a fantastic day.

I kept telling myself I chose this life, this nomad lifestyle. It took me many years to find my passion, combining my abilities into one main thing, and when it gets tough, I remind myself it’s just the start. Heat, trouble, money, it’s all part of the challenge and I will overcome.

For you: Life is a game, and some turns will be bad; it’s all part of the game. Aim for something positive to focus onand keep going. It’s okay to be down, but float those negative thoughts and change them into good ones, and life becomes simpler. Not sure how to do it? Feel free reply to this email.In the pic: Got lost and found this.

🕰️ Things take time

Lisbon, Portugal, November 2021. I decided to start writing a new book titled: F*ck the Slides. I had no clue it would take me two years to finish, but I also realised the idea is just the beginning. A year into the process, I decided to rewrite the entire book, but kept doing workshops in over 15 countries.During that time, the book kept getting better, with each session. taking my time, also meant My business will focus around storytelling, workshops, and a completely new way of thinking about my passion.

Start fast and improve slowly: in your business, take your idea, develop it, talk about it, and launch quickly. Instead of perfecting something no one will use, keep improving over time (many brands make this error while rebranding, but that’s a topic for another book).In the pic: The most southern point in Portugal.

👩‍⚖️

Stop judging yourself

I made serious mistakes and fought for the wrong things. I walked blindly into traps I set for myself, convinced that I was doing good. We make mistakes; some we can correct, while others we mark off and go on. Don’t be so hard on yourself; it’s a waste of time, and regardless of the outcome, you’ll still have to spend a lot of time with yourself. Be kind with yourself.

Note to self: Instead of passing judgement, debrief. What happened, what could you have done better, and what was your desired outcome? Debriefing is beneficial since it promotes learning. Keep going after you’ve written it down. We can only learn from the past, but we cannot alter it.In the pic: London workshop. Had a blast, more workshops coming to London in November.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 We are the same People are people; we are all the same everywhere. True, there are cultural differences and linguistic limitations, but we all have the same needs and desires; we just approach them from different perspectives.Remember, everyone around the world prefers to dance and sing on social media rather than argue. But it also means that the same things make us tick, so if we can calm down, think, and identify the triggers, we may achieve great things. Aside from that, it suggests that most of us know what we should do to have a better life, yet we fail to actually do it.Idea: Evaluate your job and enhance anything that could make your life easier or your client happier. Do it once a month for an hour and your life will be transformed forever.In the pic: Blur concert, 70,000 people cheering together. loved it

☎️

Live Office Hours – Surprise

The reaction to the workshops has been genuinely tremendous. As more individuals keep reaching out, many with similiar type of questions, so I decided to make it interesting. Once a week, live office hours will be held; the time will be posted below at the bottom of the Storyletter.Please feel free to ask me anything, and I will do my best to respond. Sessions will be recorded and open to anyone who wishes to participate. This way, I’ll be able to share the content on social media later and help even more people.The first session will take place next week, on Wednesday, July 26th, at 17:00 Israel Time. Sign up by clicking here or on the image below.

🥱 Storyletter #3 – words can go a long wayRio, I think I love youAnd, it’s a wrap. Websummit Rio is done, and me? I have decided to stay in Rio, writing to you from Copacabana.Let me begin by congratulating the 39 new subscribers to my Storyletter. We’ve met all across the world in various kinds of circumstances, so thank you for joining me on my quest to teach a million people how to be great storytellers.In this edition; Websummit Rio, Stook is ready to test, Turkish Airlines, and what happened to my computer screen?

🥳 Thank you WebSummitWebsummit Rio demonstrated how much potential Brazil has. The attendees were friendly, the ideas were brilliant, and I am confident that this event will continue to evolve quickly.When it came to startups, one thing was clear: there was a lack of clarity. Most of them couldn’t even articulate what they do or what they offer. Another aspect worth highlighting is that I’m not certain that every idea presented there should be turned into a startup, let alone a heavily-funded one.Many people, in my opinion, should consider going the Indiehacker route. Build fewer things, improve their messaging, gain clients, and scale. The emphasis on building the next unicorn and while trying to raise huge sums might be the incorrect road, one that is long and, in many cases, catastrophic.Just my two cents.

🔨 Building in publicI’m about to launch my Stook platform. Before starting a new undertaking, there is an inherent fear. The struggle is failing no one want to fail, especially in front of you lot. But now it’s time to put it out there and seek for your aid and support.I’m delighted to introduce you as my first Beta testers. Yes, certain items are still missing, and other portions are clumsy, but we need your assistance to fix them.Here is a free signup link. All you have to do is register your company as a startup and begin writing your own story. Please send me an email if you have any questions; I’ll be happy to respond and, if necessary, hop on a call with you.Be kind, you are the first to witness this in person.P.SYo can also upload your existing deck (go to design, choose Toilet Deck and upload). Once done, you can share that deck with anyone, using one link.

🫣 Customer journey – The Turkish screenShit happens, all the time, and the important thing for us as people and as brands is how we choose to react. flight 0193 from Istanbul to Sao-Paulo, about 45 minutes before landing when I decided to open my laptop, to edit some notes. A few minutes later, a tech horror, my worst nightmare came to life. The person in the chair in front of me reclined, fast. It felt like slow-motion, but there was nothing I could do. That sound, when my screen bent just a little too much, the soft clicking sound. The screen went bust. The person next to me was shocked. The cabin crew came by, they opened a ticket, took pictures, and suggested I should also reach customer support, which I did. The reply mail I received was truly, a lesson in how not to reply as a customer service:Well, this is awkward. Reading this mail a few times, only to realize it says nothing, caught me off guard. You see, Turkish Airlines is a company with an outstanding level of customer service, so dropping the ball here, that sucks. Reading my ask, not a complaint, an ask, they could have gone in many directions, but this semi translated reply, means they do not care.they could then proceed to offer any number of options from lounge access, flight upgrade on a free to fly basis, or even a discount if I upgrade to business. I imagine I would feel good, they did something so small for them, but a huge gesture for me. Just think I the outcome would be me spending another thousand dollars to upgrade my flight.Twitting about the broken screen got people to sign up for this newsletter, an invitation to do an interview in a podcast and a new potential client for my platform. Turn bad into good.

Every week, I share a customer journey good or bad, with tips to keep or change. Got a story? Mail me.

P.SThank you to my team for helping me with the Tiktok account, editing, ideas and just being there for me. 

📢 Storyletter #2 – I’m ready to tryI resigned from my agency, postponed the book launch, and am giving away my flat. What does all of this have to do with you?Keep reading

🥳 time to change locations

Regret is a powerful emotion. We all know how it feels, what could have been or what could have been said. I’m not sure what will come of this adventure, but I know it shouldn’t end up in the regret drawer.I’m leaving my apartment, stashing my motorcycle, and embarking on a new adventure around the world with just me and my camera.What began as an idea, that I could travel the world and teach people about marketing, storytelling, sales, and branding, became a reality, and on February 19th, I’ll be leaving my life to travel around the world for at least six months, has become a reality.The changes I’ve been working on began months ago with a new strategy for my agency Streetwise, and we believe that if I stay focused on creative and strategy, it will scale better.”Where will I go?” you may wonder. The goal is to reach one million people worldwide. I’ll begin in Europe and then travel to South America, Africa, and Australia, as well as anywhere else I’m invited.I never imagined myself leaving my own company after 12 years. Although it is more of a technical issue, Shmulik and the team have allowed me to focus on what I truly enjoy: creating and teaching.The majority of my visits will include meeting entrepreneurs, giving talks, and leading workshops. I’m looking for assistance and connections.I’m hoping to connect with you while juggling travel, speaking, and a camera.I’d love to meet, chat, and connect with you.I’m looking to attend and speak at as many companies, universities, and global events as possible.For the complete travel itinerary and the most recent news, please visit my website, nirzavaro.com

The new-year vacation was meant to be a celebration, a graduation present. My two weeks in St. Moritz, Switzerland, turned into a much-needed rest and the realization that I simply needed more time to process the previous few months.Nothing beats good friends and fresh snow when everything seems lost or confusing. Another dream on the bucket list is done. What are your bucket list things? Go get them before it’s too late.

🔨 Building in public

When people say it’s difficult to launch a SaaS platform or start a new business as a side hustle, WOW, it’s even more difficult when you’re juggling so much else.

In this section, I will provide an update on my journey to launch ‘STOOK,’ a SaaS platform that aims to assist start-ups in creating a more compelling story.

The plan was to have a soft launch on October 2022 with the book draft in editing, but, I discovered that the Nocode company I had hired had screwed me over. The platform looked nice, but nothing really worked under the hood.

It was probably a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to go over many aspects of the book’s methodology and make changes. The platform is ready for testing, and I will begin inviting people on February 20th.

If you know any start-ups, please invite them to sign up or DM me, as the first beta testers will also receive free marketing, pitch, and brand work from me. This alone could be worth thousands of dollars, so any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

This week’s top pick

We all struggle from time to time to find the right words, a better sentence, or simply a synonyms word to describe something more accurately. Many people do not speak English as their first language, which is where Quillbot can help.A fantastic website and Chrome extension that can save your life, or at least your e-mails to clients, with a lifetime free version, you must try it. I personally use the premium version and have provided a paid account to each employee in my agency.

P.SFeel free to reach out if you have any questions, connections, or ideas.Hope we meet somewhere on this gorgeous planet. 

🥱 My first Storyletter – 12 hours at the Istanbul airport

Stuck at Sabiha gokcen airport in Istanbul with no hotel, no lounge, and a barely functioning internet connection. Decided to make the best of it. Posted on LinkedIn offering my help with marketing and storytelling. Got the chance to help seven companies, or was it 8?

Anyway, it was epic. Helping for a few hours could potentially positively impact thousands of people.What are you good at? Help one person with that. Let me know how it goes.

🥳 My first storyletter to you all. 

Thank you to the hundred-plus people who already signed up. I am still figuring out the plan so let’s have fun, shall we?Feel free to mail me back with suggestions, ideas, and notes. Book update – it is not easy, but I decided to postpone my draft until the end of the year. I feel it finally got to where it should be in terms of the methodology. The draft is almost done. And yes, I know, I said that a few months ago, but I feel I need to keep editing it a certain way. Patience, it will be worth it.

🔨 Building in public

Some of you might have heard, but in the last few months, I have also started a new project called ‘STOOK’, a SaaS platform aimed at helping startups create a more compelling story. The methodology of the book, F*ck the Slides will be online.Yes, it will be aimed at helping anyone that needs to present. If you are looking to improve the soft skill of storytelling, this is for you. entrepreneurs, managers, sales teams, and students, this is for you.I plan on launching the testing phase by the first week of October and beta testers will work with me online to ensure they get their best pitch ready.So if you are one of those, let me know, and reply to this mail. Let’s chat. Tell me what you need and maybe you will get some free sessions with me.

Until we meet again – here is the talk I gave in Toronto, last June. Enjoy 

P.SWe can go along way alone, we can go further together. Just want to recognize Guy, who helped me set up the storyletter.Thank you man. 

😎 So fast? already? Can’t believe it’s overStop viewing your brand through the eyes of others.You are the brand; be authentic, define your personality, and then identify your target audience. The same goes for your company.Travelling for five months is coming to an end. It’s been a wild journey from Brazil to Australia, South Africa to England, Israel to Portugal. It’s time to come to slow down and prepare for the book launch, but don’t worry, the journey has only just begun. Today’s Storyletter is a special one with some ideas that we should all remember.In this week’s edition: Smiling Passion Time Judgment People Let’s connect? First live office hour is coming next week.

🥳 Smiling is the tech of the future

It has the power to tear down problems, heal hearts, and bring people together. During my travels, smiling proved the most useful took ever. Itcan get you out of trouble, get you free drinks, help create fantastic interactions, fix airline and hotel problems, and even bring you additional job.

But the one smile I enjoy the most is greeting over-the-counter staff, such as those at a coffee shop or a hotel desk. See them, actually see them; they are not artificial intelligence, but real people. Every person represents an opportunity to do good, and I needed to remind myself of this from time to time. Unfortunately, some people did not smile when they should have. Begin with a smile and end with a smile.

Your mission: Enter a coffee shop, smile, wait, and ask how they doing. Wait for a response, a smile, and then place your order. You could make their day, and they could make someone else’s day. It’s entirely up to us.In the pic: Friends, smiles, gratitude.

❤️‍🔥 Passion will help you overcome challenges

In Bangkok, Thailand, it was half past midnight. I rented a poor motel by accident, the type I stayed in when I had no money many years ago.Everything about the place was revolting, like a rock bottom experience. I was on my way to the islands for a five-day holiday, had just returned from Australia after hosting wonderful sessions, but had to cope with the situation at home, life, business, Israel is on fire.

I woke up hot and unhappy in the middle of the night, glued to the mattress, but chose to look on the bright side: I was given just one day to explore Bangkok. After 12 hours and more than 20 kilometres, I can say it was a fantastic day.

I kept telling myself I chose this life, this nomad lifestyle. It took me many years to find my passion, combining my abilities into one main thing, and when it gets tough, I remind myself it’s just the start. Heat, trouble, money, it’s all part of the challenge and I will overcome.

For you: Life is a game, and some turns will be bad; it’s all part of the game. Aim for something positive to focus onand keep going. It’s okay to be down, but float those negative thoughts and change them into good ones, and life becomes simpler. Not sure how to do it? Feel free reply to this email.In the pic: Got lost and found this.

🕰️ Things take time

Lisbon, Portugal, November 2021. I decided to start writing a new book titled: F*ck the Slides. I had no clue it would take me two years to finish, but I also realised the idea is just the beginning. A year into the process, I decided to rewrite the entire book, but kept doing workshops in over 15 countries.During that time, the book kept getting better, with each session. taking my time, also meant My business will focus around storytelling, workshops, and a completely new way of thinking about my passion.

Start fast and improve slowly: in your business, take your idea, develop it, talk about it, and launch quickly. Instead of perfecting something no one will use, keep improving over time (many brands make this error while rebranding, but that’s a topic for another book).In the pic: The most southern point in Portugal.

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Stop judging yourself

I made serious mistakes and fought for the wrong things. I walked blindly into traps I set for myself, convinced that I was doing good. We make mistakes; some we can correct, while others we mark off and go on. Don’t be so hard on yourself; it’s a waste of time, and regardless of the outcome, you’ll still have to spend a lot of time with yourself. Be kind with yourself.

Note to self: Instead of passing judgement, debrief. What happened, what could you have done better, and what was your desired outcome? Debriefing is beneficial since it promotes learning. Keep going after you’ve written it down. We can only learn from the past, but we cannot alter it.In the pic: London workshop. Had a blast, more workshops coming to London in November.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 We are the same People are people; we are all the same everywhere. True, there are cultural differences and linguistic limitations, but we all have the same needs and desires; we just approach them from different perspectives.Remember, everyone around the world prefers to dance and sing on social media rather than argue. But it also means that the same things make us tick, so if we can calm down, think, and identify the triggers, we may achieve great things. Aside from that, it suggests that most of us know what we should do to have a better life, yet we fail to actually do it.Idea: Evaluate your job and enhance anything that could make your life easier or your client happier. Do it once a month for an hour and your life will be transformed forever.In the pic: Blur concert, 70,000 people cheering together. loved it

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Live Office Hours – Surprise

The reaction to the workshops has been genuinely tremendous. As more individuals keep reaching out, many with similiar type of questions, so I decided to make it interesting. Once a week, live office hours will be held; the time will be posted below at the bottom of the Storyletter.Please feel free to ask me anything, and I will do my best to respond. Sessions will be recorded and open to anyone who wishes to participate. This way, I’ll be able to share the content on social media later and help even more people.The first session will take place next week, on Wednesday, July 26th, at 17:00 Israel Time. Sign up by clicking here or on the image below.