Today’s newsletter is coming to you straight out of Bari, Italy.
You might be asking yourself, how did I end up here? Well, funny story. I was scrolling on Instagram and saw a young woman talking about leaving Canada to move to Bari. And I was like, what’s Bari? Where is it?
Did a quick search online and booked a ticket. Spent 36 hours in Rome, ran by the Colosseum at sundown, and had way too much coffee and pasta.
I’m on the hunt for the next place to sit down and finish some serious writing. Is Bari the place for me? Let’s see. Got any good recommendations?
Customer journey is a feeling
This week’s thoughts are about creating an emotional customer journey helping people find what they want, guiding them toward certainty, and showing them you are the one they’ve been searching for.
“All people on the planet are the same.”
That’s a sentence I keep repeating in my talks, my books, and interviews.
We communicate through stories and emotions yet most brands want to get to the point quickly: the sale, the ask.
That’s not how people communicate.
But it does say a lot about how they will feel.
When people say they don’t like salespeople, or when they’re afraid to leave details on your form, or they simply don’t enjoy your process, it’s all emotional. And unfortunately, you gave them the negative side of that emotion.
Why?
Because the customer journey wasn’t designed the right way.
This week I had the pleasure of meeting a company connecting surrogates with couples. Their form had a 60% dropout rate.
When you look at it, it feels like an interrogation, extracting details instead of welcoming someone into a deeply personal experience.
There was nothing about the emotional rollercoaster these young women might go through or why this company would be there for them.
We spoke about changing that. About explaining and clarifying every part. About understanding what motivates these women and helping them feel like they’ve finally found the right place.
Another example: I worked with a leader in the event industry. Their team is top-tier. Everything they offer is premium.
But their customer journey had too many gaps. In some cases, clients had no idea what was coming next or what to expect.
And then, a great session with an edtech company helping high school students learn entrepreneurship.
The missing piece? Giving the students a reason why they should care.
What sounds exciting to adults can feel like a boring school task to a teenager.
Why should they learn about their attributes?
Why should they care about soft skills?
So, we added simple explainers. Framed the journey as a choice:
If you want to achieve more, here’s how.
We’ll teach you why failing is the best way to grow, how to ask for help, and why storytelling matters (lucky for them, that’s my thing).
Because it’s called a journey—a customer journey.
Take people on one.
- Identify each step of the journey
- Design the tools and messages for each step
- Bring the emotion to the surface
- Let them feel seen, understood, and supported
Even a no is a chance to leave a good impression for next time.
Make sure you make them feel the way you want them to feel—otherwise, they’ll fall into the gap of uncertainty, filled with everything they don’t understand or don’t like.
Want to sell more? stop selling, start feeling.
N.Zavaro
Evening run in Rome
A month at home was just what the doctor (and the accountant) ordered.
When you’re building something, you often feel caught between the long-term vision and the day-to-day tasks required to survive, what we might simply refer to as work.
Having one month at home, focused on family, friends, and existing clients, made my time intentional. From my father’s 80th birthday to reading my niece a bedtime story, I enjoyed it all.
On the work front:
I really appreciated the chance to meet existing clients for the first time. I had the pleasure of running a sales workshop with an amazing team of 15 people. Another half-day session focused on a brand I’ve worked with for years. They wanted to explore where the brand is headed. The outcome? We restructured their customer journey and decided to spotlight their amazing team in future marketing.
A special moment came during a session with PhD students, teaching them how to use storytelling in their pitch. Their demo day went extremely well. I feel privileged to touch so many lives, help so many people, and call it my work. My craft.
I met dozens of great startups, signed four new clients, and finally sat face-to-face with some of my long-time partners. One of my clients wrapped up their first funding round. A fund I’m working with also secured their first $3 million.
The highlight?
The event at Google for Startups, in partnership with the Israeli High-Tech Association. Over 130 people came to learn how to pitch differently (nearly 500 signed up, but space was limited). Seeing people engage, ask questions, and pick up my book was truly special.
A big shoutout to Tal Fakiri, who ran the show, it was excellent.
On a personal note:
I’m on a journey. Since April 2024, I’ve been writing, reflecting, and figuring things out. This past month was what I call chapter two (the first was six months in Thailand and Vietnam).
I’m learning more about myself. I feel proud of my work, of sharpening my craft, of knowing what I want to do in life.
But like the U2 song goes: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
Thank you for being here.
Feel free to reply. Let me know where this post meets you on your own journey.
Join me on my journey
Feeling very grateful for this community and this journey. Let’s keep learning, building, and improving together. 💡
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About Building in Public
Sharing the journey in an open, unfiltered way—the good, the bad, and the behind-the-scenes of scaling my next idea.
Just for Fun
Web stuff I’d like to share with you
🎧 Music:
This week’s newsletter was created while listening to this really good music set.
🎬 Automate your SEO for $1:
Not your usual movie trailer—this guy is impressive. Check out this guide.
🍿 I love cards and world records:
This guy stacked cards—not the way you think—to break a world record in domino cards.
