Real Life Superpowers: Recent Episodes
Real Life Superpowers
In the Real Life Superpowers podcast (ranked top 10% of global podcasts), Ronen Menipaz and Noa Eshed feature conversations with people they identify as peak performers.
The podcast covers their uncut, no-fluff version of their journey to the top, the challenges, pitfalls, and obstacles – the real-life version of the arc of the hero.
The idea is to help the listeners bridge the gap in social media where successful entrepreneurs are put on a pedestal and seem to be surfing on a rainbow, ringing stock exchange bells, and living a distant dream.
Real Life Superpowers is aimed to be a realistic reminder that there’s no such thing as an overnight success and that behind the scenes, every story is complex. The hope is to inspire the listeners to tap into their own superpowers and become the best version of themselves.
Listeners can tune in from all around the world using podcast streaming services such as Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes, and more.
resonates so strongly throughout the conversation.Not because games are easy.But because games are meant to be played.And the people who keep playing long enough eventually discover that most of the limits they believed in were rules they never had to accept in the first place.
Because eventually everything lands on you.The missed target.The bad hire.The customer issue.The mistake nobody saw coming.At some point there is nobody left to escalate to.Is this for everyone?Over the years, Nadir had multiple people tell him that they always wanted to become entrepreneurs.Then they watched his life and changed their minds.He laughs when he tells the story.But he also understands it.Because he knows what the journey demands.The pressure.The uncertainty.The responsibility.The fact that there are easier ways to make money.
In this episode, we speak with Lior Lamesh - the founder and CEO of GK8, a cybersecurity infrastructure company.At 26, while serving in Israel’s Shin Bet, he helped break into what was considered the most secure crypto custody system in the world, and he did it in just 4 days(!).That moment started GK8.In 3 years, the company was protecting billions of dollars.It was also acquired - twice.This episode is about what happens when someone decides:“I’m going all in. Whatever it takes.”And then? actually does it.״We didn't understand why people think it's a secure product״He didn’t plan to build a company.A friend showed him and his now co-founder a crypto wallet that was supposed to be the most secure in the world.It didn’t make sense to them.So they bought it, tried to break it - and did.That was it.Where that “impossible is nothing” mindset comes fromYou can hear it immediately.He was raised this way. •A mother who didn’t accept 97•A father who pushed competition•Years of professional football•Military units where mistakes get realAt some point early on, effort became the only way he knew.Deciding to sell They were early.They were first-time founders.Things were working.Then COVID hit - and offers actually started rolling in.Lior and Shachar didn’t sell because they wanted out.They sold because they thought it would help them move faster.And as life happens..things didn’t go as planned…..Then things brokeSeven months later, the company that bought them filed for bankruptcy.There was no warning or heads up.Lior wakes up to messages and opens the news.That’s how he finds out.Now think about the position:•The company isn’t yours anymore•You don’t control the situation•But everyone still looks at youEmployees. Customers.Partners.So what do you do?You do what you can control, meaning you just… keep going.The part most people don’t talk aboutHe says this almost casually:You put EVERYTHING aside.Relationships, sleep..life.This probably says it all:“My girlfriend told me - you sleep more with your co-founder than with me.”So if you tell yourself success comes with no costs - think again. Nothing is easy. There’s always a cost.So what actually drives him?It’s not money. He’s very clear about that.It’s the feeling of hitting the goal you set, and the belief that:“If I want something enough, and are willing to pay the price - it will happen.”That belief shows up everywhere in his story.Where he is todayNo. He’s not slowing down.But something did shift.He is starting to be aware of the cost. Not sleeping enough, stress catching upSo he’s trying - slowly - to build boundariesEven small things like:Staying one extra day when he travels, to actually see the placeThat says a lot.Why this conversation stays with youBecause it’s uncomfortable.There’s no clean lesson here.No “do this and you’ll succeed.”There’s a real tension:The thing that makes you exceptional is also the thing that takes from youThere’s no clear line for when it becomes too much.It’s in your hands.
In this episode, we speak with Eli Goodman, co-founder and CEO of Datos, a clickstream intelligence company built for institutional and enterprise markets and acquired by Semrush.After more than two decades across the data ecosystem - including senior roles at Comscore and close work with Gartner - Eli founded Datos in 2020 with a clear focus on trustworthy, high-integrity data in a space shaped by regulation, risk, and long-term dependency.This is a conversation about responsibility, judgment earned over time, and building something that is meant to last.What We Dig Into:The Weight of FoundingEli describes entrepreneurship as constant vigilance.“It’s not that you’re sleeping three hours a night.It’s that you always have one eye open.”Founding, for him, is not about freedom.It is about responsibility.“If you’re not figuring it out, it’s not getting done.”People trust you with their livelihoods.If you care, that weight stays with you.Managing People vs Being Responsible for SurvivalEli draws a clear distinction between leadership inside an established company and founding something from zero.“Every day you wake up and the first thing you think is: when are we out of money?”In a startup:•There is no institution behind you•No inherited structure•No one else to catch what you dropThe company exists only if you keep it alive.“Milk Gate” - When Small Things Reveal Bigger RealitiesOne of the most memorable moments in the episode comes from what Eli jokingly refers to as “Milk Gate”.Early in his career, he describes a company-wide meeting where leadership reprimanded the entire office for drinking too much free milk - milk that was meant for coffee, not cereal.“It didn’t really make sense why the general manager had to sit everyone down about milk.”At the time, it felt irrational.Easy to take personally.In hindsight, it became clear what it really signaled.The company was nearing a sale.Costs were under scrutiny.Every dollar suddenly mattered.“When something feels out of place, it usually is.”The lesson is not about milk.It is about learning to read context instead of ego.Small, insignificant-seeming moments often:•Reflect pressures leadership is not articulating•Signal structural changes before they are announced•Only make sense once you zoom outLearning Not to Personalize the Wrong ThingsEli connects Milk Gate to another early-career moment - pitching an idea that leadership dismissed.At the time, it felt like rejection.Later, he understood it as disinvestment.The takeaway:•Not every “no” is about you•Sometimes it is about timing, incentives, or exit dynamics•Experience teaches you what to internalize and what to observeWhy This Episode MattersThis episode removes mythology from entrepreneurship.It replaces bravado with responsibility and hype with durability.It is especially relevant for founders building infrastructure, data, or long-term platforms.You’ll Walk Away With:•A grounded view of founder responsibility•A lens for interpreting small but meaningful business signals•Clarity on funding alignment and incentives•A practical people-management framework•A reminder that sales still start with humans•A long-term view of trust as strategyMeasured. Honest. Earned over time.Enjoy your listen
In this episode, we speak with James Spiro, a journalist and editor who spent years inside Israel’s tech ecosystem, including as a senior journalist and editor at CTech by Calcalist, where he wrote roughly 1,800 stories and conducted around 350 video interviews.In recent years, James moved beyond legacy media and built The Spiro Circle - an independent publication and podcast focused on long-form, trust-based conversations, often collaborating with Forbes Israel.This conversation is about independence, credibility, and what it takes to build real media value in a noisy ecosystem.What We Dig Into:The Courage to “Jump Off the Cliff”James speaks openly about how scary it is to go independent.“It’s scary... you jump off the cliff, and then you see what happens.”What made it possible:•Becoming a father•Living through the war•A feeling that even “safe” stability can be dangerous“Comfort is really appealing and actually quite dangerous.”Parenthood as a Confidence EngineJames explains that learning how to be a parent reminded him what daily growth feels like.“For the first time in a long time, I was learning every day.”He ties that experience to confidence in other areas.“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly - Then All at Once”James describes how big changes often land.“Some things... happen slowly and then all at once.”It is not a single leap.It is an accumulation of readiness.The Biggest Opportunity in Media Right NowJames names a very specific shift.The new PR and media skill is not the sound bite.It is long-form presence.“The emphasis is not to build a sound bite response for television, but it’s to hone the skills to sit down and talk for 40 minutes, 50 minutes for a podcast like this.”He extends it beyond business:•Politicians•Presidents•Unfiltered, unedited conversations becoming expected“We’re not going back... the public expects... to sit down and talk.”Truth, Reputation, and the New RisksThe conversation goes deep into the modern trust crisis.Key ideas discussed:•Iterative journalism and compounding misinformation•Audience capture through subscription incentives•Echo chambers created by monetization models•AI and LLMs amplifying corrupted inputsJames frames reputation as the long-term defense.“I’m not entitled to an audience. I have to work for my audience.”Where Media Is EvolvingJames believes media will become:•More fragmented•More democratized•Less institution-led•More individual-led“Individuals will be breaking stories... and traditional media outlets won’t be gatekeepers.”Childhood Pattern - Curiosity, People, and StoriesWhy This Episode Matters:This episode is a reality check for anyone building a voice, a platform, or a career path that relies on trust.It explores:•How credibility is built without institutions•Why long-form is becoming the new power format•How truth competes with incentives•What independence demands emotionally and practicallyYou’ll Walk Away With:•A clearer understanding of the shift from institutions to individual credibility•A practical view of why long-form media is rising•A grounded look at what it really takes to go independent•A sharper lens on trust, reputation, and misinformation•A reminder that consistency compounds when you enjoy the craft•A simple framing of “success” as resonance, not vanity metricsMeasured, thoughtful, and highly relevant to anyone building in public.Enjoy your listen.
In this episode we speak with Avichay Nissenbaum. A serial entrepreneur turned investor, and the founding partner of lool Ventures. He built and sold two startups - SmarTeam (acquired by Dassault Systèmes) and Yedda (acquired by AOL) - before dedicating his career to backing founders. Lool Ventures has invested over $200M and helped shape some of Israel’s standout companies, including Beewise, NoTraffic, and Eleos Health.This conversation goes deep into the psychology of decision making, the emotional reality of investing, and the mindset that helps founders and investors navigate uncertainty.What We Dig Into:Pattern Recognition as a SuperpowerAvichay explains why VC is about seeing patterns long before they become obvious. He shares how reviewing 400–800 startups a year sharpens intuition, and why “sensor-tuning” is one of the most important skills an investor develops.He believes founders are often the ones who intuitively sense the future first.The AI Shift: Native vs. AI-Resilient CompaniesAvichay breaks down a framework every founder should understand:•AI Native - companies born on AI-first architecture.•AI Resilient - deep-tech companies that won’t get erased by the next Gemini or GPT feature drop.He calls AI “the biggest shift of wealth of our generation,” and explains why resilience matters more than hype.What Makes a Founder FundableHe is blunt about what truly matters:•Tenacity•Resilience•Skin in the game•Hunger•Ability to execute under pressureHe calls this the capacity to survive a “roller coaster on steroids.”He also explains why lool Ventures loves bootstrappers and founders who have already built a minimal product before fundraising.The Emotional Reality of InvestingOne of the most insightful parts of the discussion. Avichay describes the difficulty of shifting from builder to observer.He talks about:•Seeing founders drive straight into a wall•Knowing the solution but not owning the steering wheel•Balancing heart and logic•Acting as an advisor, not a commanderHis analogy: “It’s like sitting next to the driver and you can’t touch the wheel.”The Role of NaivetyAvichay argues that naivety is often a hidden advantage. It creates the space for original thinking, passion, and courage - the ingredients behind unconventional breakthroughs.His Entrepreneurial BeginningsWe go back to the moment he left a stable career to build something new. At 25, with no entrepreneurial experience, he pitched a radical product vision to his CEO, was turned down, and decided to do it himself.He shares how:•Most early feedback was “no.”•The first yes arrived only after many rejections.•Passion and discomfort worked together to pull him forward.His clarity is powerful: “You don’t know. But something burns inside you.” 🎧 Why This Episode MattersThis episode is a blueprint for founders, operators, and anyone navigating uncertainty.You’ll walk away with:•A clearer lens for evaluating opportunities•A mental model for understanding AI-era resilience•A deeper understanding of what investors really look for•Tools to stay grounded during the inevitable ups and downs•A rare, honest window into the psychology of early-stage investingIt’s packed with wisdom. It’s grounded. And it’s one of those episodes that lingers.Enjoy your listen
In this episode, we speak with Ilan Peleg, co-founder and CEO of LightrunSome founders jump in fast. Ilan Peleg plays the long game.Before launching Lightrun, Ilan had already built deep roots in cybersecurity and engineering leadership. A former national middle-distance champion, he was trained to move with speed - but only when the moment is right.Lightrun, the startup he co-founded with Leonid Blouvshtein, is now backed by Accel and Insight Partners with $70M raised, and is redefining how developers debug in production environments. But behind the company’s technical edge is a methodical, thoughtful story of timing, discipline, and trust.In this conversation, we explore:The startup lifecycle, broken down by phase.Ilan outlines the specific goals-and dangers-of each chapter:Years 0–2: Product-market fit.“You may come up with an amazing product… but is it delightful enough that people and organizations truly love it?”Years 2-4: Go-to-market fit.“You’ve proven value, now can you sell it repeatedly?”Years 4–6: Scaling.“This is where it gets really hard-it demands consistency, leadership maturity, and real operational backbone.”Why founders must resist the urge to scale too soon.Each stage brings its own pressures, and Ilan shares why timing is a competitive advantage few talk about.Vision vs. credibility: how to pitch like a founder who knows both.“Some investors want you to pitch a $100B story or they’ll say you’re not crazy enough. But you can’t just sell the dream-you need believable milestones.”The power of deep domain expertise.Ilan and his co-founder Leonid weren’t startup tourists-they deliberately delayed founding Lightrun until they’d spent years gaining firsthand experience with the problem space.“Once we came up with an idea in the domain we lived by, things moved magnitudes faster.” They moved fast because they’d waited to move.A co-founder story rooted in long-term alignment.Their partnership wasn’t born in a hackathon. It was built over years of shared conversations and career moves with the goal of someday launching something together.“Leonid wasn’t optimizing for salary-he was optimizing for being better skilled for what we’d eventually build.”Why good ideas come with a clock.“If the opportunity’s big enough, others will feel it too. You don’t have unlimited time to act.”How mentorship and networks compound growth.Ilan reflects on the exponential value of getting the right advice-and surrounding yourself with people who’ve failed and succeeded. It’s what helps turn lessons into leverage.Why founders must imagine more than just their company-they must imagine the market.“It’s not only about what you’re building-it’s how the market will evolve by the time you get there.”This episode is for anyone who’s still getting ready-who’s learning, building experience, and wondering when it’s their time to start.Listen in if you want to see what preparation really looks like-and what happens when long-game thinking meets the right idea.
In this episode we speak with Yossi Barishev - one of the most watched founders in cybersecurity today.He’s led security operations and innovation at Sygnia and Fireblocks, advised Fortune 500s, and now, he’s building a stealth-mode venture focused on rethinking identity and trust in the age of AI.He’s been recognized by outlets like Business Insider, NYTech Media, and NewsBlaze as a leader shaping the future of cybersecurity.This episode is about uncertainty, self-trust, and building the internal tools to lead through volatility.In this conversation, we explore:The trap of seeking external validation.Early on, Yossi found himself chasing reassurance from more experienced founders - until he realized that the same validation could shake him when things got hard. “If you trust this external validation too much, whenever some negative signal comes in, it shakes you.”Learning to trust your internal compass.With time, his confidence shifted inward “There’s literally zero way to predict what the hell this journey throws at you… I just believed in my ability to be able to deal with it.”The power of throwing yourself into deep waterHis biggest moments of growth came when everything was uncertain - and the only path was forward. “The times where I usually flourish the most - it’s when my back is against the wall.”Introducing chaos - on your own terms.Rather than waiting for life to disrupt him, Yossi learned to lean into difficult, high-stakes situations. “If you’re able to introduce chaos in a controlled manner, it teaches you a lot more.”Becoming the Swiss Army knife.Yossi chose adaptability over specialization, learning how to show up confidently in any scenario. “Honestly- just throw me in the Bronx with no cash and no clothes. I’ll work it out.”Comparing yourself to others - and what to do with that.He reflects honestly on the emotional weight of watching peers raise money and start companies first. “What did they have that I lack?”Using doubt as fuel.Naysayers weren’t discouragement - they were motivation. “Even if I don't have the answers right now, I believe in my ability to find them… I was like, I’m going to show you that you’re wrong.”How he thinks about advice and mentorship.Advice, he says, is always a mix of data and subjective perspective - and the most useful mentors are those who’ve failed often. “Every single advisor I have is someone who made more mistakes than right decisions.”This episode is for anyone navigating self-doubt, forging a nonlinear path, or learning to lead without a blueprint.🎧 Listen in- and share it with someone learning to trust themselves in uncertain waters.
In this episode, we speak with Andres Richter, CEO of EMET Group, a Tel Aviv–listed services giant with 1,700 employees worldwide.Andres isn’t your typical corporate leader. A turnaround and M&A expert, he stepped into his role in October 2023-just as war broke out-and has already led three successful acquisitions.Previously, as CEO of Priority, he quadrupled the company’s revenues and workforce. Beyond the boardroom, he’s a former IDF special forces officer, an ultramarathon runner, a volunteer in elite-reserve units, and a mentor for at-risk youth.He thrives on challenges-whether in business, endurance sports, or life itself.“I'm a challenge guy. I live from project to project. I get somewhat bored if I do not have an impossible project in front of me.”This episode is about leadership, resilience, and the discipline of making bold visions real.In this conversation, we explore:•Leading through others, not being a solo expert.“I'm not the best technician, I'm not the best marketing guy, I'm not the best sales guy. I'm one of the best managers in terms of putting the strategy, making a certain level of plans, and making sure that the entire team works.”•The necessity of change.“I think that people, companies, and organizations in general have to keep changing. And those who don’t change stay behind.”•Sports as a metaphor for business.“There are people who can stand up from a couch and do a marathon. I'm not like this. I'm not the fastest, I'm not the thinnest, I'm not the youngest… But if you have a plan, and sufficient time, everything is doable.”•Failing without fear.“The older I get, I'm less worried about failing, because I know I could fail. I have failed. It's not that I’ve been 100% successful. So maybe with experience, I’m less afraid of failing, but I do plan to make sure that the impossible is possible.”•Breaking down the impossible into steps.“If I understand how to move from one to 100, (not from one to 1000 - that’s impossible to imagine) - but if I can imagine how to get from one to 100 in a few steps, I know I’ll be able to move from 100 to 2000.”•Finding joy in progress.“I really enjoy looking back and saying, ‘Listen, I started here, look where I am.’ Those are moments of joy for me.”This episode is for anyone who’s ever faced overwhelming challenges and wondered how to move forward. It’s for leaders who want to harness resilience, adapt through change, and build teams that thrive under pressure.🎧 Listen in - and share it with someone who’s ready to turn the impossible into possible.
In this episode, we speak with Aharon Horwitz, Co-Founder and CEO of FullpathAharon Horwitz isn’t your typical founder story. He didn’t start with a clear roadmap or a VC-funded plan. Instead, he started with mission, grit, and no backup plan.Before leading one of Israel’s fastest-growing startups, Aharon was fighting antisemitism as a student activist at Columbia University, and founding a social venture accelerator to empower marginalized communities. Today, as CEO of Fullpath, Aharon is scaling a Jerusalem-based company that’s gaining serious momentum-and doing it in his own way, driven by mission, not ego.“We didn’t even know we were going to get money to build it. We were just like, we’re going to do this.”This episode is about resilience, long-game thinking, and the realities of leadership when there’s no roadmap-just relentless belief.In this conversation, we explore:What it takes to grow a startup from hustle to scale.Aharon shares what it was like to grow Fullpath from 30 to over 250 employees-navigating each stage with new challenges and new stakes.“I remember when it was really difficult for us to get 20 paying customers… and then I looked back and we had 350 clients. Then you just started to feel a change in how the go to market worked, where it wasn't all through this Sisyphean feeling of pushing that rock up the hill. Yes, I'm still pushing rocks, but there's also people who are pulling them up, and it's getting easier and easier.”The raw early days: bus benches, borrowed spaces, no rules. From sleeping in stations to squatting in libraries, Aharon recounts the extremes of the company’s earliest days.“The stories I can tell you of that period were pretty intense… they included running out of money, trying to figure out how we're going to pay our bills, personally and professionally for months at a time…,working out of dirty apartments because we we couldn't find an office, or going to the public library at the Hebrew University, and just working there until they kicked us out”Mission as a driver-and obligation as a motivator. Once angel investors came on board, the mindset shifted:“I have to make this work. I took in other people’s money. This has to become a success.”The value and risk of design partnerships. Aharon breaks down the strategy behind building with a customer-even if it doesn’t scale at first-and why Israeli startups excel at this approach.“build it in a way that doesn't scale with that customer, and you understand it, and then you scale, then you figure out how to scale it.”Making the hard calls under pressure. He opens up about rough investor conversations and risky decisions during tough periods-some that led to Fullpath’s most explosive growth.“We had to take some risks that made me feel like, ‘Oh, this is too much.’ But we decided we're going to take the risks. We're going to we're going to do what we need to do, and if necessary, clean things up afterwards. And you know, in the end, it was one of our best growth periods ever; we grew like crazy.Leadership as balance-not certainty.This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered if they have what it takes to start. It’s for those ready to stop waiting for perfect conditions, trust their instincts, and follow a hunch—even without a perfect plan.🎧 Listen in - and share it with someone who’s ready to bet on themselves.
In this episode, we speak with Dor Eligula, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Bridgewise.Dor’s story doesn’t follow the usual tech-founder script. He didn’t come from a coding bootcamp, a combat unit, or a fintech background. He started with a PlayStation controller.As one of Israel’s first-ever professional gamers - crowned a three-time national FIFA champion with his twin brother - Dor learned early how to blend focus, competition, and conviction. That same drive would later power him through a very different arena: AI-driven fintech.Dor went on to co-found Bridgewise, a platform that delivers AI-generated investment research to banks and stock exchanges across 15+ countries. The company has raised $35M, operates in four markets, and serves institutions like Nasdaq, eToro, and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.“Some of our investors, in the early beginning, said, ‘You guys are crazy if you believe you are going to be successful in Japan.’ We told them, ‘We’ll prove you wrong.’ And we are doing it as we speak.”This conversation is about entrepreneurship beyond formulas: how unconventional beginnings, deep self-belief, and a strong sense of impact can fuel global scale.In this conversation, we explore:From pro gamer to tech founder.Dor shares how his early years as a top FIFA player - competing nationally with his twin brother - shaped his competitive edge and drive to excel, long before he stepped into the world of tech.“If you do it, win. Be good at this.”Taking extreme steps toward big goals.He shares why successful founders need to find internal motivation strong enough to justify the risks.“Every person, in order to achieve extraordinary achievements, needs to find the reasoning inside themselves to take extreme steps.”Balancing personal and professional identity.Finding deep satisfaction in the personal moments, like when his mother finally saw her son’s product in a national TV ad.“She said, ‘Now I understand what you guys do.’ It was maybe one of the biggest moments of joy in my life.”The role of connections, partners, and persistence.Beyond luck, his path was shaped by the ability to identify and build with the right people at the right time.Why success is about more than money.To Dor, his startup is about building something that creates real, positive impact.“I want to create a story in Bridgewise that is a story of success, a story of good impact.”This episode is for anyone questioning whether their background is “right” for the startup world - and for anyone who needs a push to “just do it”🎧 Tune in and share with someone writing their own unconventional success story.
In this episode, we speak with Shiri Grosbard, culture architect, community builder, and employer branding expert.Shiri has spent over two decades exploring how people shape companies - and how companies shape people. From co-founding G CMO, Israel’s leading marketing leadership community, to shaping culture at AppsFlyer and Verbit, she’s built her career on connecting values, storytelling, and growth.At its core, her leadership is about building people. A vocal advocate for women’s leadership, Shiri speaks openly about breaking barriers, lifting others as she climbs, and rewriting the narratives that hold women back. Whether mentoring future leaders or challenging limiting norms, she walks the talk.Her approach blends bold self-belief with pragmatic experimentation, and her path illustrates the power of intentionality and presence, whether you’re building culture, a career, or a community.In this conversation, we explore:Seeing is becoming.Representation matters. As Shiri puts it:“You can’t be what you can’t see.”Empowering women by leading visibly, fearlessly, and unapologetically.Shiri shares what it means to model confidence, challenge norms, and speak success into reality - especially for the next generation of women leaders.“I don't like it when women say, ‘Oh, I got lucky.’ We create our own opportunities.”Bold belief at 23. A young Shiri told a potential boss:“I know that I’ll be an asset to any organization that’s going to take me.”That confidence set the tone for her transformative early career.Knowing when to step downLaunching something doesn’t guarantee you can lead it forever:“The fact that you know how to build something from scratch doesn't mean you can run it five years later.”Friction fuels progress. Hearing “no” often signals you’re on to something:“I get motivated when people tell me, ‘No, that’s not a good idea.’ It… motivates me.”Vision, imagination, and fearless action.She combines vivid imagination with a healthy dose of risk-taking:“If I can see it, I can do it. And also, I’m not afraid to fail.”The pre-manifestation ritual. Long before “manifesting” was popular, Shiri tracked and envisioned her goals annually:“If you’re very targeted, if you know what you want, it’s easier to get it.”Entrepreneurship within structure. Not every organization thrives with creative energy:“Some organizations want you to be in your box.”Unexpected entry points.Her biggest career booster? Fluent English - not a tech degree:“What got me the foot in the door was actually my linguistic skills.”Lighten up to level up.Her life mantra is simple:“What’s the worst case scenario? If we’re healthy… we can handle it.”Don’t ask for permission ask for forgivenessShe believes in taking action before waiting for permission:“I’d rather not ask and then say, ‘oops, sorry.'”You are more than your job.She warns against tying identity to employment:“The essence is Shiri. It’s not the place that I work for.”Prepare for the unpredictable. Always have a Plan B - especially later in life:“Always have something else going on so you don’t give someone else that power.”If you’re designing your career, building culture, or carving out leadership on your own terms - this episode offers grounded insights, intentional strategies, and real-world courage. 🎧 Tune in and share it with someone who’s crafting their own path.
In this episode, we speak with Miri Yudovich, Co-founder and CEO of SafeHouse Tech.SafeHouse Tech is on a mission to secure everyone online. Since launching its flagship app BodyGuard in 2019, the cybersecurity startup has protected over 4 million users, become breakeven by 2024, and built a distribution network spanning 5,000 retail outlets across more than 700 cities.Miri co-founded the company and served as COO before stepping into the CEO role - guiding SafeHouse from early vision to wide-scale execution. Her leadership style is pragmatic, resilient, and deeply human.“I'm just a very pragmatic person. I like to do things my way.”This conversation is about calculated risk, women leadership, letting go of control, building systems that scale, and creating balance on your own terms.We explore:How Miri’s path shifted when she chose to follow the unknown.She shares how her entry into SafeHouse wasn’t part of a linear career plan - but rather a leap driven by instinct, curiosity, and a willingness to bet on the unexpected.“I thought to myself, I don't know where this might lead… for me, that was the epitome of risk-taking.”The early days of building in an overlooked market.When Miri and her co-founders pitched B2C cybersecurity, they were dismissed. But years later, they had built what critics said didn’t exist.“Six years ago, we told VCs… they told us, ‘You’ve completely lost it.’ 4 million clients later, we created an industry.”The entrepreneurial grind - and seven phases of hell.Miri gives an honest account of what it takes to scale, especially in markets that are still being shaped.“Every startup goes through seven phases of hell.”How preparing for maternity leave became a case study in scalable leadership.Instead of stepping away reactively, she built an entire department to function without her - turning what could’ve been a liability into one of the company’s biggest strengths.“I had to forgo power and responsibility. I had to bring in people, I had to teach them, because I had a deadline.”What motherhood taught her about control, leadership, and humility.Her transition into parenthood revealed a core truth: you can’t control outcomes, but you can control how you show up and how fast you learn.“Becoming a mother humbled me… and I think that’s the essence of being a CEO, a COO, an entrepreneur. Making decisions, making them quickly, learning from them quickly, and being humble enough to know that you can’t control all outcomes”Balancing ambition and boundaries.Miri shaped SafeHouse’s meeting culture around her life - not the other way around.“Because I was one of the founders, I could dictate the times of the meetings… after 4pm there were no meetings unless it was urgent.”Redefining what ‘doing it all’ means.She challenges the narrative that women must choose between family and career. It’s not about whether there’s a cost - it’s about whether you’re willing to pay the price.“Every choice you make in life has a price. If you’re willing to pay the price, then fantastic.”If you’ve ever wrestled with scale, risk, work-life balance, or carving your own version of leadership, this episode is for you.Listen in and share with someone who’s building on their own terms.
In this episode, we speak with Lior Segal, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Horizon CapitalHorizon Capital is an Israeli venture capital fund backing founders at the Pre-Seed and Seed stages. It’s sector-agnostic by design, built to support early-stage startups wherever opportunity strikes.Lior’s path to venture wasn’t linear. Before launching the fund, he led Data Matching Solutions as CEO until its acquisition by SafeCharge. He stayed on as VP of Gaming Innovation and later helped shape global payment strategies at Nasdaq-listed TSG. His operator-first lens gives him a practical, grounded perspective that shapes how he evaluates and supports startups.Together with his co-founder - Yani Jacobi, who also happens to be his childhood friend - he built Horizon Capital from the ground up, without a traditional investing background. And while their portfolio includes headline names like Verbit, OwnBackup, and Blue Ribbon, this conversation doesn’t focus on the wins. It focuses on the how.“We are trying to master uncertainty.”In this conversation, we dive into what it really takes to run a VC fund like a startup, the importance of founder dynamics, and the discipline required to stay focused in a market defined by noise.We explore:Self-fulfillment and leaving law behind to build in tech.Lior began his career as a lawyer but quickly realized it wasn’t the right path. He shifted into the tech and fintech world, trading legal frameworks for hands-on company building.What it means to build a venture fund from scratch.Lior and his partner launched Horizon without prior investing experience - treating it as a startup in its own right, complete with its own pitch process, learning curve, and pressure to prove value fast.How friendship can work in business - if boundaries are clear.They set ground rules from day one: friendship comes first, business second. Professional disagreements are dealt with directly, and personal trust stays intact.The dynamic between co-founders - and what Horizon pays close attention toFrom subtle looks in meetings to how roles are divided, Horizon places a strong emphasis on how startup founders interact, not just the business model.Why focus matters more than vision at the early stage.Lior urges founders to avoid distractions, skip the five-year plans, and build a short, focused path to the next funding round.“it's very nice to think you know, 5 or 10 years ahead, but in this world, when everything can blow up one morning, you can't really do it. You need to have a great vision, but you need to be very focused."The challenge of monetizing AI products in a crowded market.AI may be everywhere, but few founders know how to turn it into revenue. Lior breaks down the importance of testing pricing early and identifying real user value.The current noise in the AI space - and how to think through it.With so many startups riding the AI wave, it’s harder than ever to stand out. Horizon looks for teams that go beyond tech wrappers and hype, and build something defensible.How staying calm is a strategic advantage.In a market that shifts by the day, Lior shares how he makes decisions without panicking - staying anchored in strategy, even when conditions are unpredictable.If you’re looking for practical insights on founder dynamics, business focus, and building in uncertain times - this one’s for you.Tune in, take notes, and share it with someone who’s building something bold.
In this episode, we speak with Yulia Bassan, Managing Director of Woman2Woman, a powerhouse program dedicated to advancing women in leadership and management roles in Israel.Under Yulia’s leadership, the program has grown into a key force shaping the future of female leadership, expanding its reach, forging partnerships with industry giants, and driving measurable impact.Her mission? To break barriers and create equal opportunities - not just talk about change, but actively lead it.“The mental load is not evenly distributed. Women are still expected to juggle it all. But leadership isn’t about waiting for change - it’s about making it happen.”In this conversation, we dive into what it really takes for women to rise in leadership:The reality of balancing career and family - especially in times of crisis.From the war in Israel to the daily demands of leadership, Yulia sheds light on how external forces impact women’s choices. “Some women don’t have the privilege of choice.”How workplace biases still persist - and how to push back.Yulia shares her own experiences - being asked to take notes in meetings, expected to play a supportive role rather than a leadership one. “The way you say ‘no’ matters. Confidence isn’t just about what you say - it’s how you say it.”Why speaking up is a career strategy.Many women hesitate to claim their achievements. Yulia explains why enthusiasm and visibility are key to professional growth. “If you don’t put yourself forward, no one else will.”How resilience isn’t about doing it alone but about having the right support.Whether in war, career, or personal life, sisterhood and community make the difference. Yulia shares how Woman2Women pivoted during the war to providea sense of belonging and strength.This episode is for anyone who believes leadership should be built on talent - not gender.If you’re looking for inspiration, practical career strategies, and a deeper understanding of the challenges and solutions for women in leadership, this one’s for you.
In this episode, we speak with Marc Gaffan, a three-time startup operator, investor, and current CEO of Ionix, which just raised a $42M Series A. Marc has spent the past two decades in cybersecurity. In 2008, he co-founded Incapsula, later acquired by Imperva, and since then, he’s led, invested in, and mentored multiple cyber startups. But if there’s one thing he’s learned? No two startup rodeos are the same. “Every startup has its own dynamics, its own challenges. There’s no playbook. You can’t ask ChatGPT to write the recipe for doing a startup. When they do that, then I think we’ll be done.” In this conversation, we dive into what it really takes to build, lead, and survive in the startup world: The startup rollercoaster never stops - but you get better at holding on. Marc explains that experience doesn’t mean things get easier. "It’s not that you come up with better answers to problems, but you recognize the common themes. You know it won’t be a smooth sail, and over time, it doesn’t shake you as much as it used to.” Mental and decision-making resilience - the two muscles every founder needs. It’s one thing to push through a tough moment. It’s another to do it over and over again without burning out. “How do you keep your mental resilience going? It’s a tough roller coaster.” The harsh reality of being an investor vs. an operator. We talk about the limits of investor influence - and why control ultimately belongs to those in the trenches. “The only thing a board can really do operationally is fire the CEO. If you really want to have an impact, you can’t be on the sidelines. You have to be in the field.” Why fixing weaknesses is a waste of time - and how to leverage strengths instead. Too many people spend their careers trying to be something they’re not. Marc argues for a different approach: “If you’re not gifted at math, forcing yourself to be really good at it won’t work. Instead, invest heavily in what you are good at. That’s where you’ll find fulfillment and confidence.” The importance of celebrating wins - even when the work isn’t done. It’s easy to focus on the unfinished 15%. The problems. The gaps. The “not there yet.” But Marc reminds us: “You need to stop and appreciate how far you’ve come. Your gut instinct sharpens over time - not because of luck, but because experience refines it.” The innocent bliss of starting something new. “As a CEO, you don’t really know what you’re getting into. And in some ways, that’s good. If you truly understood the odds, you might never take the leap. But the journey matters. And who you take it with matters even more.” Marc has built companies. He’s struggled. He’s succeeded. He’s learned. And now, he’s here to share his perspective. If you’ve ever tried to build something from the ground up - this episode is for you.
In this episode, we speak with Daniel Leviathan, a truly visionary leader with a diverse and inspiring background, despite being only 27.Daniel’s aspirations can come across as borderline delusional, but I think if anyone can achieve what he’s set off to - it’s him. It’s as Steve Jobs famously said “Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.In 2019, Daniel embarked on a profound personal journey, exploring the depths of shamanism, Buddhism, and other ancient and modern wisdom traditions. His quest for knowledge led him to study at the Highden Mystery School and even spend a month on a deserted island, immersing himself in transformative internal experiences.By 2021, Daniel had founded and led a project called Sync, which brought together individuals from diverse domains into cohesive groups of twelve. Through his facilitation, these groups deepened their trust and coherence, creating powerful connections.In 2023, Daniel co-founded Zoé with Michael Matias. Zoé is a community of heart-driven individuals dedicated to building a sustainable, just, and beautiful world. Through online and in-person experiences in Israel and California, Zoé fosters deep internal connections on a personal level, social level, and with nature. The gatherings focus on building trust, appreciating life's inherent beauty, aligning around shared values, and collaborating on impactful projects and initiatives.We discuss:•the importance of synergy among value-driven, capable individuals to create a more sustainable world•the challenges of food waste, global warming, and the misalignment between real value and incentives•the phenomena of tragedy of the commons, arms race, and misalignment between real value and incentives•the misalignment between GDP metrics and real value and the need for a shift in societal values•the importance of being less attached to outcomes and more focused on the process•The mission of Zoé•And much moreAs you’ll quickly hear, this is a very unique being, deeply devoted to personal growth, empowering others and making the world a better place. We hope you enjoy your listen
In this special episode, we speak with Professor Haim Zvi Dotan.Prof Dotan embodies the intersection of innovation, artistry, and forward-thinking design.He’s an internationally renowned architect, poet, educator, and futurist. He’s the visionary mind behind the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge- the world’s first, longest, and highest glass-bottom bridge - a stunning architectural marvel that has become an iconic landmark in China and a symbol of bold innovation worldwide.He’s been recognized for his groundbreaking contributions, earning numerous honors, including the title of “Honorary Citizen of Zhangjiajie” and the prestigious iNNOVEX Global Leader of Innovation Award. Beyond his architectural accomplishments, he’s a dedicated educator, sharing his expertise as a professor at leading institutions like Fudan University, the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, and the DeTao Masters Academy.And above all of this, he’s truly a special spirit.We discuss:•The concept of time and the journey of life•Prof. Dotan’s belief that every person is a genius if they connect to their inner soul and DNA•The role of education in connecting students to their inner wisdom and the importance of passion and curiosity in achieving success.•How creativity is linked to being fully aware of the now•The concept of being a "startup nation" and how everyone has a unique mission and passion that they should follow•The importance of following one's passion and not being afraid to explore different paths in life•Prof. Dotan’s passion for being a bridge between people and how this has shaped his career and life•The importance of being oneself and not trying to fit into societal expectations or the expectations of others.•And much more!This episode is dedicated to Miri Perlman, a 25-year-old student of Professor Dotan who passed away unexpectedly. Shortly before her passing, Miri attended Professor Dotan’s workshop, “Green Cities and Smart Building” at HIT. During the workshop, she drew a portrait of Professor Dotan, and he captured a photo of her while drawing. Tragically, this photo turned out to be the last picture taken of her alive.In many ways, this episode is a reminder of how fragile life truly is, and how important it is to truly try to tap into the best version of ourselves and do the best with what we have because we only have one life.We hope you listen to this unique episode.
In this episode, we speak with Idan WallerIdan is the founder of the 10M club, one of the most coveted business consulting companies in Israel for SMBs. Through the club Idan has changed lives, helping 10x the paychecks of thousands of entrepreneurs.He’s a die-hard digital entrepreneur, growing up working with the best business minds, marketers and copywriters in the US and Israel. He’s also a leading local Israeli podcast host. His latest metamorphosis was breaking into tech, where he and his brother founded Bluethrone - a startup that acquires product market fit consumer apps from indie developers and small studios, and then grows them into iconic companies.We discuss:•Mediocracy as a driver for growth•How Idan discovered entrepreneurship and his writing abilities •The power of “away motivation”•The value of aggressive goals and facing fears when building a business•Managing scaling teams through systems and processes•What it’s like working with family•The importance of having experienced investors who understand the realities of running a profitable business•And much moreEnjoy your listen
In this episode we speak with someone who has truly climbed his way to the top, starting from humble beginnings and pushing forward with determination.Oshri Deri, began his career at just 14 years old, working as a dishwasher. From there, he transitioned into hospitality, moving from service roles to high-level management.Oshri has managed some of Israel’s most prestigious hotels, and then went on to spearhead Brown Hotels’ European expansion, particularly in Greece. Nowadays he’s a real estate entrepreneur, leading million-dollar deals across Israel and Greece. We discuss:•The importance of optimism, resilience, and the human element in leadership•The challenges faced in the hospitality sector•How crisis can lead to transformative leadership experiences.•The power of constructive feedback as an engine for growth •The value of adapting to new challenges and continuously evolving as a leader•The impact of social media and changing industry dynamics•And more!Enjoy your listen
In this episode, we speak with Shmuel Mizrachi Ginat. He’s an entrepreneur and venture capital investor with deep experience in business development, capital raising, investments, and M&As. Shmuel has helped raise close to 100 million USD for over 80 startups and has personally invested in 17 Israeli startups. He’s the founder of Crowdinnio, a holding company with ventures in P2P lending, secondary markets, crowdfunding, and more. He also founded EvE, an investment banking firm specializing in M&As, guiding startups through capital growth and regulatory challenges. We discuss:• the challenges of investing in early-stage startups and the importance of diversifying investments• how Shmuel’s belief that his generation onwards will live at least till 100 impacts his investment strategy • the importance of chemistry between co-founders and the need for a strong team to support each other• growing a network while being an outsider in a new market• And much more!We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Roy Avidor. Roy is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cymbio, a game-changing retail tech startup. Cymbio is a marketplace and dropship automation platform that helps brands like New Balance, Lacoste, Steve Madden, and many more scale their digital sales effortlessly.With over 15 years of experience in retail, wholesale, and eCommerce, Roy knows the industry inside and out. He's also a shareholder and board member at I.A IL and owns and runs the multi-brand retail chain "Originals." He’s previously served as a Senior Economic Advisor to Israel's Minister of Industry and Trade and is a member of YPO - the global leadership community of extraordinary CEOs.We discuss:- Co-Founder relationship and initial bootstrapping- The importance of working with investors who act as partners- The potential conflict between personal and professional relationships- The power of trust and communication- The significance of listening to customers and adapting to their feedback- Balancing stability and growth - The sense of responsibility and urgency that comes with leading a startup- And much moreWe hope you enjoy your listen.
In this episode, we speak with Aviad Harell - the Managing Partner at Team8, a global VC with deep domain expertise that builds and invests in companies specializing in enterprise technologies, cyber, AI, and fintech. He’s a seasoned angel investor and adviser to numerous startups, VCs, and executives. Before joining Team8, he co-founded Sisense, a powerhouse in the business intelligence space. Under his leadership, Sisense thrived, achieving $150 million in annual revenue and growing to over 800 employees.He's seen the highs and lows of the startup world, and his journey is full of valuable lessons.We discuss:•Aviad’s journey, including the early days of Sisense, working long hours and enjoying the "joy of creation" without much direction or success.•The shift in expectations for new startups, from building a product to generating revenue quickly.•Difficulties the Sisense team faced in raising institutional funding due to lack of professionalism in pitching and business model.•Insights on company growth, funding, and pitching•A professional CEOs' impact on startup growth•What Aviad looks for in founding teams•Where grit plays in •And much moreEnjoy your listen!
In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with a special guest—Prof. Ehud Menipaz. Not only is he an international academic leader and a leading figure in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation, but he also happens to be Ronen’s father, which adds a special dimension to this conversation.Prof. Menipaz's career spans several impressive roles: a former senior partner at Ernst & Young International, a Professor Emeritus at Ben Gurion University, and an esteemed author and lecturer.His expertise stretches across aeronautical, mechanical, and industrial engineering, all the way to business administration. He's significantly influenced academic and professional communities worldwide, serving on prestigious forums under the leadership of global leaders like U.S. Presidents and even Russia’s Putin. He chairs the Board of Governors at The National Association of Engineers, Architects, and Academics in the Technological Sciences and has played a pivotal role in advancing science literacy globally. He's also deeply involved in fostering young entrepreneurs through initiatives like Junior Achievement-Young Entrepreneurs Israel.We discuss:- Entrepreneurship research and its impact on local economies- Gender inequality in tech and entrepreneurship, with insights on innovation in academia- Innovating in academia through an entrepreneurial mindset and tapping into relevant issues- The importance of tenacity and focus- How to maintain Jewish identity and pride in the face of global anti-Semitism- The potential of a small group of people with diverse skills to contribute to the world's future- And much moreWe hope you enjoy your listen
In this episode, we speak with Omri Hurwitz. He's a tech marketer and media strategist. His clients are some of the leading companies, billionaires, and tech startups He is also an investor and owns several media publications in the United States. And yet he’s only 28 years old. We discuss: • Media ownership, investing, and transparency the ease of regulations in the US compared to Israel.• How Omri found solace in writing during difficult times, and his unique approach and self-belief that led to eventual success, despite initial rejection from gatekeepers.• The importance of seeking feedback but not becoming obsessed with it.• The importance of speed in promotion - getting a product or company in a position of trust and influence as quickly as possible.• How podcast interviews with successful investors ended up with Omri becoming an investor.• Decisiveness and aggressiveness in entrepreneurship.• How Omri manifests desires through writing (including gratitude for what has not yet happened!)• The law of attraction, manifestation and asking the universe for opportunities.• A tactic of asking for something bigger after a rejection, to increase the chances of success.• And much more! Enjoy your listen!
In this episode, we interview Sagive Greenspan, a professional with two decades of experience navigating the complexities of the telecom and financial sectors. Sagive has tackled numerous executive roles, managed large-scale projects, and led teams in both development and client engagement. He’s also experienced in business development and running large delivery organizations.Beyond the roles and responsibilities, Sagive has been key in integrating acquired companies into vast organizations, directing teams of over 2000 people.We discuss:•Managing complexities in business, including global expansion, acquisitions, and team management during reserve duty•Managing large-scale operations and teams, with emphasis on culture and strategy alignment. •Company culture, management, and acquisition•Leadership qualities, creativity, and career paths•Stress management, and personal growth•..and much moreEnjoy your listen!
In this episode, we’re excited to be joined by Donna Griffit, a world-renowned corporate storyteller, pitch alchemist, and best-selling author of “Sticking to my Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups”. Her ability to create, edit, and deliver powerful presentations, pitches, and messages has earned her a reputation as one of the most sought-after storytellers in the business world.For over two decades, Donna has been working extensively on a global scale, collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors across more than 30 countries. Her unique approach has led to outstanding results, with her clients collectively raising over $1.5 billion through her guidance.We discuss:•Storytelling for startups and personal growth•Donna’s journey and what the Japanese word “ikigai” has to do with it•The importance of empathy in storytellingThe correlation between fear and excitement•The power of clear communication in business•The mistake of being too factual and straight to the point•Practical tips on how to improve storytelling•The role of credibility, likability, and momentum •Optimism and perception in challenging times•And more!Enjoy your listen!
In this episode, we speak with Roy Gottlieb, currently the co-founder and CEO of a backed stealth cybersecurity startup. Before embarking on this latest venture, he spent almost a decade on the investor front, co-founding and serving as a general partner at Cardumen Capital, serving as an investment manager at Samsung Ventures, and collaborating with industry titans such as Lightspeed, Team8, Insight Partners and more. He was also the co-managing director of the Israeli YVCF (Young Venture Capital Forum) for six years, helping shape the next generation of venture capital leaders.We discuss:•Imposter syndrome, walking around with feelings of not being good enough •The importance of understanding the breadth of a topic and diving deep into one industry •Decision making, focus and choosing what not to do •The unique qualities that make for an industry expert •Competing with the giants of the world•The true power of professional relationships and deal flow in sourcing capital•..and much moreEnjoy your listen
In this episode, we speak with Liron Azrielant, a Founding Managing Partner at Meron Capital - a VC at the forefront of investing in technology companies in Israel. Her track record speaks volumes as she's led investments in tech successes such as Loom Systems, Clear Genetics, Testim, and many others which were subsequently acquired. Prior to Founding Meron, she was a Principal at Blumberg Capital, where she led early-stage deals that also turned into successful exits.Before her venture capital career, she honed her skills as a Strategy and M&A consultant at top-tier firms like Bain & Co. and PwC's PE group in New York. She’s also a fellow of the Kauffman Fellowship, a highly sought-after two-year program for leading venture capitalists. Her list of accolades is long.We discuss:•Entrepreneurship and mental preparation during turbulent times•Resilience, and investment strategies in challenging times•Motivation, and Career Paths•Focusing on solving a specific problem, rather than pursuing fame or money•Developing a business partnership language to argue passionately but constructively•Building skills through practice and repetition•And much moreEnjoy your listen!
In this episode, we speak with Asaf Yanai, a visionary entrepreneur and the Co-founder & CEO of Alison.ai. With a track record of turning ideas into reality, Asaf has left a lasting mark on the tech landscape, with Alison.ai being the third company Asaf founded after successfully selling two tech startups he’s built in previous years.We discuss:•Managing a startup during a crisis•Analyzing video content for fake news and intelligence•Growing up as the son of two entrepreneurs and co-founders•Entrepreneurship, family, and motivation•Learning from mistakes, and starting a business•Self-management, and post-mortem analysis•Personal growth•And much more!Enjoy your listen
In this special wartime episode, we speak with Asaf Shamly, a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader in the AdTech space, who co-founded Browsi, an AdTech AI startup back in 2017, with a mission to create a world where content and ads blend harmoniously.He’s been at the forefront of innovation in the AdTech industry for over 8 years and has a wealth of experience which he’s gained from involvement in three startups. He also takes a lead role in the open-source community, championing transparency. And here's the kicker – despite all his achievements, he’s just 30 years old. We discuss:•Being an entrepreneur during a war•Entrepreneurship struggles and emotional toll•The difference between selling to investors vs. clients•Emotional intelligence, EQ, and managing a team•The lonely road of entrepreneurship •Dealing with failure and learning from mistakesHave a good listen
In this special episode, we’re pleased to have Andy Ram as our guest. Andy made history by becoming the first Israeli tennis player to win a senior Grand Slam event. He achieved this feat at Wimbledon in 2006.His winning streak includes the French Open mixed doubles title and the men's doubles title at the Australian Open.He achieved a World No. 5 doubles ranking in July 2008. Throughout his career, he represented Israel at multiple Summer Olympics, and competed in 36 doubles finals, triumphing in 20 of them, often partnering with Jonathan Erlich, together known in Israel as "AndiYoni." Andy's success on the court is just the beginning of his incredible story.As a former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, Andy used his platform as a tennis player to raise awareness and support for the IDF soldiers and their families. He's also dedicated himself to promoting peace and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians through tennis.In these turbulent days, we discuss:•Resilience and hope in Israel amidst conflict•Overcoming obstacles to becoming a top tennis player despite not being a super talent (Andy’s words not ours!) or coming from a wealthy background.•Resilience and failure in sports and life•The importance of leaning on people for support during tough times•Finding solutions to problems through conversations and maintaining a positive outlook.•Positive thinking and energy management•Passion, discipline, and belief in achieving success•Overcoming challenges•And much moreEnjoy your listen!
In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Becker, a marketing executive for some of Israel's leading technology companies.After she was widowed with three small children in 2008, Pamela co-founded and remains the active chairperson of the Israeli charity Jeremy's Circle, which supports children and teens coping with cancer or cancer loss in their young families.We discuss:•Coping with losing a husband to cancer, with 3 children at home, in need of community support•Needing to be strong for everyone else, and the need to keep going no matter what•The power of healing through helping others: “The way to lift yourself up is to bring someone else up with you”•Mission-driven and powerful companies•The importance of being allowed to screw up•Preparation and proportions as key factors of successWe hope you enjoy this profound episode!
Welcome to another episode of the Real Life Superpowers Podcast, the show that brings you closer to individuals who, through hard work, innovation, and vulnerability redefine the term "superpowers" in our 21st-century context. I’m Noa Eshed co-hosting here with Ronen Menipaz.
In today's episode, we're traveling to the crossroads of cybersecurity and blockchain technology, where our guest has been a prominent figure and an influential force.
Our guest is Idan Ofrat, CPO and co-founder of Fireblocks, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to securing digital assets.
When it comes to defending the cyber frontiers, Idan's track record speaks for itself. Prior to Fireblocks, Idan was a key player at C4 Security.
He's also an expert in decentralized technologies. He was the co-founder and CTO at Yeloha, a disruptive platform aiming to decentralize energy trading, as well as VP of Product at Orbs, a public blockchain designed for high-scale apps.
Today we delve into his story.
So… join us in welcoming Idan to the show.
In this episode, we speak with Yair Snir, he’s the managing partner of Dell Technologies Capital.
With over a decade of experience in building companies, Yair has a keen eye for investing in innovative startups.
His firm has backed over 145 startups, including some of the most successful companies in the tech industry such as DocuSign, JFrog, Netskope, Redis, and Zscaler. Prior to his role at Dell Technologies Capital, Yair held corporate leadership roles at ECI Telecom and Microsoft, where he gained valuable experience in managing teams and developing successful strategies.
He's also founded and worked in various biotech companies, showcasing his versatility as a business leader.
We discuss: • As a mindset, diving into deep waters and learning to swim • Along Yair’s career so far, what led him to choose his next steps • How navigating your career can be like riding a bicycle - keeping your balance and looking forward “If you look downwards at the wheel, you're most likely to fall“ • Overcoming naysayers (who will always be there) • The investment approval process in Dell Technologies Capital • What Yair looks for in a team • The revolution that is AI, and where data plays in • ..and more!
Enjoy your listen!
And if you want to contact Yair his email is: yair.snir@dell.com, his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairsnir
Welcome to our podcast, where we interview trailblazers who have made a significant impact by being human beings performing at their best.
Today, we're excited to have Gur Shatz as our guest.
Gur is an accomplished entrepreneur, having founded Incapsula, a cloud-based web application security and acceleration company that was later acquired by Imperva.
In 2015, he co-founded Cato Networks with Shlomo Kramer, a leading all-in-one enterprise networking and security solution delivered from the cloud.
Gur and Shlomo's vision for Cato Networks has been a resounding success. In just five years, they have raised an impressive $532M at a $2.5B valuation, and as of 2022, have surpassed $100M ARR. This makes Cato the fastest-growing networking and security startup, outperforming even industry giants like LinkedIn. In fact, Cato's growth rate is faster than many consumer-oriented brands, such as Wix, Zapier, Canva, and Shopify.
We discuss:
• How Cato Networks came to be and how experience in a field plays an advantage • How the team went about acquiring market acceptance • Selling to customers before you have a solution that’s 100% functional • The need to convey confidence while experiencing constant paranoia and concern • How past success can also be an impediment to future success • The fear of growing into a large non-agile organization • What happens when leaders lose touch with what’s actually going on in “the trenches” • Gur’s leadership formula for time management • The importance of blocking time eternal learning • And much more!
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Jason Feifer, the Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of two popular podcasts, and the author of "Build for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in Today's Challenging World of Work".With over a decade of experience in the media industry, Jason has become a thought leader in entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.He’s interviewed countless successful entrepreneurs and innovators, gaining invaluable insights into the mindsets and strategies that have enabled them to achieve their goals.We discuss:•The path to mastery, and what it has to do with “gripping the wheel”•Using what Jason calls “the ZigZag payoff” to break the glass ceiling many of us create by limiting ourselves to a specific skill set. In a nutshell, it’s about tapping into the core interest that drove you to develop the skills that enable you to do what you’re currently doing (and are maybe feeling trapped in)•The power in asking yourself “What do I have? What do I need? What's available?” •Evaluating the cost of action vs. the cost of inaction•Framing new things we do as experiments rather than long-term commitments•What people afraid to lose their job/venture in an era of generative AI can do•And much more!Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned professional, or simply interested in becoming the best version of yourself - this is an episode you won't want to miss. Useful resources: •Jason’s newsletter•His book Build for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in Today's Challenging World of Work•His podcasts Help Wanted, and Build for Tomorrow
Welcome to another episode of the Real Life Superpowers podcast. Today, we have a guest who is a true pioneer in the world of AI and intelligence platforms. He’s currently the CEO of Aiola, a company on a mission to connect the promise of AI to the masses.With his extensive experience in commercial strategy and execution, our guest has driven over $1 billion in impact, for some of the world's leading Fortune 500 companies, across more than 20 industries. He’s held key positions at cybersecurity and digital marketing companies that have been involved in several notable acquisitions by giants such as Microsoft and Facebook.We discuss:•The moment in Amir’s life, after which everything was different, and he realized how fragile life is, and decided to make the most of his short time on earth.•The danger of becoming too comfortable.•The power of partnerships.•Predicting vs. reacting - what dots are you failing to connect?•The impact and potential of storytelling in business and in everyday life.•The threat that AI poses, if not handled ethically and responsibly.•..and much more!Enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Nir Eyal, an expert in behavioral design and author of the bestselling books: “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" and "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life".He’s known as the habits guy, the one who can help understand how to get app users to come back again and again. Bloomberg business week named him “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology”.He’s a former lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He’s also founded and sold two tech companies, and he actively invests in habit-forming products such as Eventbrite, Kahoot, Canva, Product Hunt, and more.In this interview, we explore Nir's insights on how to design products that create user habits, the ethical considerations of persuasive design, and his strategies for overcoming distraction and staying focused in today's always-connected world.We discuss:• The difference between persuasive technology and cohesive technology • The hypocrisy of the media• The abuse of the concept of addiction, as an excuse to not take control of one's life• How to take control of our attention• Phubbing (phone snubbing)• Where pain plays in • The power of planning your day• Reactive work vs reflective work• How labeling feelings helps• And much more!Enjoy this deep dive into Nir’s mind and expertise!
In this episode, we speak with Ifty Kerzner.He׳s first and foremost a creator. He was a fairly known singer, and composer in Israel, with several successful hits, a tv host, and a journalist.But he wasn’t satisfied. So he realigned his goals and pivoted.He co-founded Kissterra - a startup that helps insurance companies increase profitability through artificial intelligence. They’ve raised a $76M Series A, and had refused an offer to sell for $40M (but we don’t go into that in our conversation).His energy can be felt from the get go. He’s sensitive and super passionate, speaking openly about pain and failure, not trying to paint a perfect picture of life. Which is admirable. Listening to him made us wonder how much charisma and the ability to hold a strong stage presence, can be an advantage in entrepreneurship.We discuss:- The difference between competence and arrogance- The effect of parenthood on his self-confidence- How pain fuels his life- The power of strong partnerships - Going to therapy with your business partner- Intuition and emotion- And much moreEnjoy your listen
As we enter the next frontier in artificial intelligence, with generative AI leading the way, this conversation can be super relevant for entrepreneurs who are trying to navigate this new landscape and figure out what skills it makes the most sense to hone in order to stand out.The conversation is with Tomer Dean. He’s the co-Founder, and CEO of Audiolabs - a startup that builds AI technology to convert podcasts into short-form video clips. He’s a tech entrepreneur, listed on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30, full-stack developer, guest writer at TechCrunch, host of 2 podcasts, the list goes on. Growing up in Silicon Valley, he started his digital career at the age of 15. He taught himself how to code his first website, which he later sold at 16 for $10,000. He hasn’t stopped coding and building since.During the years, he’s built many side-projects and companies in SaaS, media, consumer, and e-commerce. Some were bootstrapped, some VC-backed, and some sold.We discuss:• The momentum of generative AI as a perfect time to enter the market with a valuable product• Tomer’s rather aggressive approach to validating products (“we prefer to sell and then build”)• His experience-based, practical methodology for identifying and screening potentially successful ventures • The five elements investors are looking for when you pitch them• How to navigate pitches to investors in order to make sure you’re getting honest feedback (and improving your chances of moving forward with them)• Pro tips for cold emailing • …And much more!Enjoy your listen and if you do - don’t forget to rank the podcast on your native podcast app!We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט – Israel’s leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene.Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin:• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin• Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor – please leave us a review on your native podcast app.
“Entrepreneurship is an instinct, it’s not about experience. It’s either you have it, or you don't. You can learn some of the traits, but I think it's something that is mostly instinctive”.[we apologize for the quality of the sound in this episode, we’re aware it’s challenging to listen to Udi but we decided to release it despite the technical obstacle here because we think he’s worth it]In this episode, we speak with Udi Ziv, CEO of Earnix - a startup that he’s stepped into to scale and successfully turned into a unicorn. He’s a serial entrepreneur, selected by the Wall Street Journal as one of 100 Israeli tech leaders you need to know. He has a lot of experience-based insights on what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. We discuss:•Balance as a theme in life•The product vs service dilemma •Finding a product market fit through providing services and finding commonalities •The problematic trend of overlooking profitability in the pursuit of growth •The shift from startup to enterprise •And much moreEnjoy your listen!We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa.If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene.Image credit: Eli DasaZooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin•Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin•Noa Eshed on Linkedin And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.Some further resources:•Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech•The podcast website
In this episode, we speak with Eilon Reshef, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Gong.He’s a serial entrepreneur. After successfully selling his previous e-commerce startup Webcollage, he went on to co-found Gong, a SaaS solution that as they like to describe themselves - “unlocks reality to help people and companies reach their full potential”.Gong is growing at a rapid rate and is very well known across the sales and marketing industry, having acclaimed several awards and doing marketing work that simply can’t be ignored.We discuss:• Life after an exit• Bringing a new venture to life• Getting your first client and putting your idea into action• Experience-based insights on pitfalls to avoid• The power of hyper-focusing• Hiring people who are underqualified instead of overqualified (don’t)• Why be an entrepreneur in the first place?• ..and much more!There’s a lot to learn from Eilon’s professional and entrepreneurial journey. Enjoy your listen!We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa.If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene.
In this episode, we speak with Oded Barak.Having identified a need in the insurance landscape, he left a promising career as an executive in leading global corporations, to co-found his startup Five Sigma. To date, they’ve raised $26 Million USD, and dozens of insurance carriers and Insurtechs use their solution.We discuss:• The motivations of stepping outside of your comfort zone and walking away from a stable career to “hunt your own food”. • Identifying a supply and demand gap and doubling down on it.• The importance of experimenting and testing ideas, embracing uncertainty, and navigating with it as a given.• The power of agility, paying attention to feedback and not sticking to a “set in stone” plan.• What you need to consider in your go-to-market strategy.• How to work your way up to tier-1 clients for your startup.• Navigating stress.• Actively seeking blind spots.• And much more!Enjoy your listen!We’re excited to collaborate with the Israeli website CTech by Calcalist, owned by Calcalist כלכליסט - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa. If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene.
In this episode, we speak with Alon Gilady. He is a serial entrepreneur who is currently leading Renovai - his third technology startup.
He co-founded his first startup while studying for his BA in economics and philosophy. That venture was in the sports and entertainment collectibles industry. He was able to close licensing deals with brands such as FC Barcelona, NBA, and Disney, selling over 1.5M units through retailers in Europe and the USA such as Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Tesco, and more.
In 2017 he co-founded a 3D-rendering studio with ten employees. The company created virtual reality experiences for architects and interior designers. Based on the knowledge and experience gained in this venture, the idea of Renovai was born with an ambitious mission: to empower online retailers with AI to make professional design and stylist services affordable and accessible for all.
We discuss:
• His “impossible is nothing” mindset, and how he was able to “skip the line” and close deals with some of the world’s leading sports brands and retailers, with zero experience. • His approach to achieving moonshot goals • The power of persistence • Where luck plays in • Pro tips for cold outreach • And much more!
Enjoy your listen!
'If you're an entrepreneur, you need to show me evidence that you've gotten in with these customers, and these customers are just chomping at the bit to get what you have, and they can't get it elsewhere. Because these are the companies that break through. If they can get it from a lot of other sources, you're just never gonna grow really fast, you're gonna be a small - maybe if you execute really well - a medium sized company, but you're never going to take the market.'
In this episode, we speak with Steve Hoffman, also known as Captain Hoff.
He’s a venture investor, serial entrepreneur, award-winning author, and CEO of Founders Space - a global startup accelerator, that’s been ranked by both Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines as the #1 incubator for overseas startups.
Under his many hats, he’s constantly leveraging his vast experience to mentor and empower entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the good, bad, and ugly.
He’s down to earth and has his sleeves rolled up ready to share his knowledge.
We discuss: • What qualities he looks for in entrepreneurs and companies he invests in • The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people (this is a clear common theme, so many of our guests emphasize this) • Where trust plays into teamwork • His unusual career path, led by identifying opportunities and following his passions and interests • The power of listening to your heart in decision making • Identifying where your talents truly lie • When it’s time to give up • How startups fail by assuming they can create demand, something that Steve says is not possible to do. Steve says truly great entrepreneurs don't focus on “just” building a product, they’re what he calls demand hunters. • Why “humans as a service” (consultancies for example) is never a truly scalable type of business • How to recruit talents • How he navigates stress and anxiety • And much more!
Enjoy listening to him!
We’re excited to be collaborating with the Israeli website CTech, owned by Calcalist - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTech is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa.
If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend that you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/home/0,7340,L-5492-580237,00.html
“When you're recording a movie, there are a lot of scenes that don't get into the final movie. The same as with your life, you kind of choose what moves the plot forward. What's the next thing that I need to be putting right now that will move this plot forward. We are the editors. We are the actors, we are the players. We are the directors. We are the everything. Right?”
We don’t get to speak to as many women as we’d like to on this podcast. We’re actively working to change that. We hope that from our little corner of the audio web, we’re helping some women listeners out there tap into their own superpowers and step into their full potential. We know those are big words, but for what it’s worth, we mean them.
In the meantime, when we do get the opportunity to speak to women founders through this platform, those interviews have always been powerful, leaving us with a lot of food for thought.
This episode is no different.
In it, we speak to Meirav Harel.
With over 20 years of experience in finance, technology, and creating award-winning fintech innovation, Meirav Harel is a world-known expert inTech, blockchain, digital disruption, the future of finance and investment, and trading Interfaces.
She was named "1 of the 100 most inspirational women in Blockchain", by Cryptonewspoint, 1 out of 36 “top women Revolutionizing Crypto around the world” by TechRoundUK, and listed twice on the "Women in Fintech Powerlist" by Innovate Finance UK.
She lectures, consults, provides management services and in-depth research, to leading international financial, regulatory, and academic institutions around the world, is an ambassador to EWPN (European Women in Payments Network), Former Head of Strategic Innovation Technologies at BDO, and the list goes on.
We discuss:
• Leaving a stable job, despite being valued and enjoying it, in order to do something of your own. “Am I capable of taking a challenge upon myself and building what I see in my vision of what I can bring to the world, at a larger scale?” • The power of setting goals and stepping outside of your comfort zone • What it takes to be an entrepreneur • The difference between failing and being a failure • The almost endless potential that lies in combining different disciplines with technology • Why everyone should learn to code • The evolution and future of money • How to navigate mentally and emotionally when things get rough at a personal level • How the people you surround yourself with impact your performance, and what traits Meirav looks for in the people around her • And more!
Listen to her, there’s a lot to learn from this real-life superwoman. She's been through a lot and is not afraid to be vulnerable and authentic, sharing her knowledge and hoping to empower others on their journey.
We’re excited to be collaborating with the Israeli website CTECH, owned by Calcalist - Israel's leading business newspaper. CTECH is the gateway of the Israeli high-tech to the tech world and vice versa.
If you’re not already a regular reader, we strongly recommend that you check it out and stay up to date on all high-impact stories from the Israeli tech scene.
“My big takeaway is that planning and hustling and that whole hustle culture and pivoting and you know, just cheat sheets and get my hacks and let's just work harder? That's, to me, that's all in the rearview mirror.”
In this episode we speak with Tim Ash.
Among many accomplishments, he’s a bestselling author and international keynote speaker on evolutionary psychology and digital marketing.
He's considered one of the founding fathers of the discipline of website conversion rate optimization (CRO).
He's worked with companies like Google, American Express, Nestle, and Verizon to name a few.
He’s been ranked a “top 10 online marketing expert” by Forbes magazine, and “top 15 online marketing Influencer to Watch by Entrepreneur magazine,
His book “Unleash Your Primal Brain: Demystifying How We Think And Why We Act” has been endorsed by renowned psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini.
But after all of his great achievements, his conclusion is the brutal honesty that the journey will end, and the journey is just that - a journey. It’s fascinating to hear a person so released from cultural norms and evaluations - on a quest to be a professional - human being.
This episode is very different, you’ll hear for yourself.
Resources
Get in touch with Tim: https://timash.com/
Booking Tim for a speaking Engagement: https://timash.com/for-event-planners/
Tim’s Book unleash Your Primal Brain: Demystifying how we think and why we act: https://www.amazon.com/Unleash-Your-Primal-Brain-Demystifying-ebook/dp/B08BY1WYHM
The mankind project: https://mankindproject.org/
The book king, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine, Robert Moore, Douglas Gillette: https://www.amazon.com/King-Warrior-Magician-Lover-Rediscovering/dp/0062506064
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, David Brooks: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Mountain-David-Brooks/dp/0812993268 Candide, Voltaire: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19380.Candide
Don't Look Up Netflix film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Look_Up
The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram: Nine Faces of the Sou, Sandra Maitri: https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Dimension-Enneagram-Nine-Faces/dp/1585420816/
Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator test: https://tests.enneagraminstitute.com/orders/create
In this episode we speak with Kim Walsh Phillips, founder of Powerful Professionals. We feel it’s one of those interviews that hits you in the gut.
We think many entrepreneurs and business owners are sort of workaholics by default. And this self-made woman, who was once her own slave and experienced pitfalls, now sets her own rules, and it works. So much that she’s:
- Running a multiple seven-figure business coaching and education company.
- The backstage secret of some of the biggest names in business, including Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank, Dan Kennedy, Harley-Davidson, Hilton Hotels and High Point University.
- Shared the stage with some of the world’s leading thought leaders including Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, and Gary Vaynerchuk.
- Named #475 in the Inc 5000.
- Best-selling author of several business books, one of which was named “a must-read by those in business” by Forbes Magazine.
- Doing it all and yet making significant time for her loved ones.
She’s all heart, and she came ready to add value, which we’re sure anyone listening will gain.
Enjoy your listen.
In this episode, we speak with Noam Toister, CEO and co-founder of bookaway.com, a startup that helps travelers with everything to do with ground travel tickets (bus, ferry, train, you name it).
In 2020 when the pandemic struck, the travel industry suffered the largest crisis in 100 years. bookaway crushed from significant revenue to tens of dollars a day.
Some people are generals of peace, some of war. Noam is a general of war. Instead of closing shop, he and the team raised 35 million dollars and bought 3 companies.
It’s a story of resilience, of pushing forward against all odds, and of how choosing the right investors can make or break your chances of success.
Enjoy your listen!
Hey everyone,
Would you agree that we become better people when we’re around other people, and ideally, meeting in person?
Today’s guest certainly does.
David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup - the largest platform in the world for finding and building a local community for people with similar interests.
Meetup was acquired by WeWork in 2017, a year later David was selected by both WeWork and Meetup’s founder to succeed him as CEO.
That move proved itself. Nowadays under David’s leadership Meetup flourishes with over 40 million members, 320,000 Meetup groups and facilitates, and around 12,000 Meetups around the world daily.
David is also the author of a new book called Decide and Conquer: 44 Decisions that will Make or Break All Leaders, where he outlines the challenges leaders face when starting a new position, and then presents a decision framework he applied to overcome challenges in his own career.
He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where he teaches strategic planning and entrepreneurship.
He hosts the podcast Keep Connected, dedicated - you’ve guessed it - to the power of community.
Prior to joining Meetup, David was the CEO of Investopedia where he tripled its revenue over a three-year period.
He also served as the President of SeekingAlpha, a technology company focused on startups seeking financing, and as Senior Vice President for 1-800 Flowers.
He's a fountain of experience, insights, and goodwill.
We discuss:
• The power of storytelling • The role mentors played in David’s life • The correlation between pain and growth • The difference between self-esteem and confidence • The significance of vulnerability • How he overcame the social anxiety he suffered from in his early years • The leadership advice he got from Jack Welch • The radical transparency David leads in Meetup as a trust enhancing policy • How he perceives the role of a CEO and the core KPIs he measures his performance with • The difference between being kind and being nice (and why you should opt for the former) • David’s decision-making framework • And much more!
Enjoy our conversation - we sure did.
As a podcast about peak performance, we get a rare opportunity to speak with some truly remarkable people. And it’s not that we don’t believe every person is or can be remarkable, but some people stand out, making the impossible possible. And it seems they do so by first and maybe foremost being the best version of themselves and inspiring others to do the same.
Such is today's guest. Henry De Sio has shifted the tectonic plates of human history. He’s one of the key players that helped get Barack Obama elected in 2008, serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Obama presidential campaign, and then serving as Deputy Assistant to the President in the Obama White House for two and a half years.
He’s spent many years with the social organization Ashoka. He is a keynote speaker, campaign strategist, and leadership advisor. He’s recently published a book called CHANGEMAKER PLAYBOOK: The New Physics of Leadership in a World of Explosive Change.
He's engaged with the world’s leading social and business entrepreneurs, bringing his change-making framework to board rooms, newsrooms, community forums, university institutions, and governmental halls all over the world.
He's helped global leaders cultivate in themselves and in others the qualities of the changemaker as he defines them:
- an innovative mind
- a service heart
- an entrepreneurial spirit
- and a collaborative outlook.
In our conversation, we delve into all of that and more.
Enjoy your listen.
In this episode, we speak with professor Ran Ginosar, co-founder and President of Ramon.Space, a space computing startup, developing the computer-in-Space technology of the future.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/ran-ginosar-co-founder-ramon-space/
Ran founded Ramon.Space to manufacture and deliver computers that can fly to, and survive in outer space.
Over the past 15 years, the company managed to build some of the world’s best Space computers and is a key player in the global Space industry
We discuss:
• Navigating a high stakes environment, dealing with multiple fronts on a daily basis • Future-proofing space computer technology so that it can be prepared for next generation innovations • The challenge of recruiting talent, and how much compensation is a factor (vs mission) • What it takes to become the best in what you do • How Ramon.Space came to be • Startup challenges • And more!
Enjoy an interesting perspective from someone in a hands-on position, that you don't get to hear too often!
In this episode we speak with international businessman Jacques Benkoski , General Partner of U.S. Venture partners (USVP).
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/jacques-benkoski-bgeneral-partner-usvp/
For those who somehow didn’t hear of USVP it’s a very well known Silicon Valley venture firm that’s invested in more than 500 companies, including Box, Check Point, Mellanox, Epsagon, Guidewire, HeartFlow, HotelTonight, Imperva, Inspire Medical, Luminate, Medigate, Omada Health, Pluto TV, Trusteer, Yammer - the list goes on.
We discuss his journey, perspective and experience in helping entrepreneurs execute their vision and grow into significant sustainable businesses.
Some key topics we delved into:
• The power of Karma • The profound significance of focusing on adding value, (always) doing the right thing and creating a deep positive impact on the people around you • What legacy truly means • Where money plays in • Why the CEO must be the one managing the board and not vice versa • And much more!
Checkout the episode for some gems on what the top investors in the world are looking for in a startup, the passion that drives it all, and many other valuable insights.
In this episode, we speak with Nir Meganzi and Lynette Winter – two of Intel’s (Fortune 500) leadership coaches.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/episode-43-nir-megnazi-lynette-winter-leadership-coaches-at-intel/
In late 2018 Lynette and Nir, two senior leadership coaches with extensive experience, were recruited by Intel's senior management to envision and create a leadership coaching program to invest in the company’s managers.
For those unfamiliar with Intel, it’s the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer, ranked No. 45 in the Fortune 500 list of the largest US corporations.
What do Nir and Lynette do? They coach Intel’s managers, helping them lead through empathy and become the type of leaders that people want to follow.
For a large corporation such as Intel, accurate leadership is a necessity.
But what applies on a large scale, is super relevant for any organization.
At the end of the day, it’s all about human beings moving things, together.
And how.
Lynette and Nir are pros that know how to shine a light into the right areas and work through growing from them.
You’ll immediately hear how passionate they are and how much they truly care about their mission.
We discuss:
• The power of truly seeing people, and meeting them in an empathetic way • The fundamental expectation of teams to be coached by their managers • The (humble) role of a manager with respect to coaching • The importance of not being a bottleneck and instead helping others unlock their ability to truly contribute. “If I’m leading a team, and I’m the one who’s that bottleneck for solving the real challenges, then the team is only as smart as I am. And that’s a problem, because if I have a team of 10 or 1,000, that team is infinitely more smart, creative, capable, than the one” • How to be self-critical and know when to not interfere and not try to fix what your team doesn’t need you to fix • Leveraging the opportunity of a challenge to help the team unpack what they’re capable of achieving • The fundamental human need for contribution • How to ask guiding questions that will help your team reach solutions themselves (and not assuming you know the answers more than them!) • The concept of PPC (production and production capabilities) • The importance of mindfulness and being present to receive what’s truly happening around you • How each decision shapes the company culture, what we say and what we don’t say • The four elements that inspire people to stay in an organization (contribution, meaning, belonging, agency) • ..and so much more!
Anyone who wants to become more effective, when working with people, will hopefully find value in this unique episode. These guys know what they’re talking about, and are very practical and eager to share their knowledge.
Enjoy your listen!
P.S. you can find out more about Nir here: https://www.nirmegnazi.com/ and you can reach out to both via LinkedIn
In this episode we speak with Ory Weihs.
He’s an experienced founder and investor.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/ory-weihs-team-odeon-founder-of-xlmedia-investor/
He founded XLMedia PLC in 2003 and ran it for 16 years, growing it from a small startup to a London Stock Exchange listed leader.
In 2020 he founded Team Odeon, which focuses on the higher education and vocational training sectors. I think all of us at the Real Life Superpowers community can relate to any doing that is focused on vocation and self-fulfilment.
He’s super successful and as you’ll hear, very down to earth and modest. There's an underlying theme of serendipity in his life and openness to trying new things and taking chances. That seems like a good baseline to positioning for success.
We discuss:
• What it feels like to scale up to a company that’s listed in a stock exchange • Why you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a CFO in your venture • The advantages and disadvantages of taking a company public • Lifestyle businesses, businesses that aren’t profitable for years, and everything in between • What he looks for when investing in a startup • And much more..!
We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we enjoyed having it.
We think it’s fair to say that in order to be successful and live a fulfilled life, you need to change and grow.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/peter-bregman-1-executive-coach-howie-jacobson-health-coach-bestselling-author/
Which makes this episode a valuable listen to anyone who wants to do just that, and to make more impact on the people around them.
In the episode, we speak with Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson, authors of YOU CAN CHANGE OTHER PEOPLE: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees—Even Family—Up Their Game.
Peter is the #1 executive coach in the world, bestselling author of 5 books, and host of Bregman Leadership Podcast - a top 10 business podcast with over 1.5 million downloads. He coaches C-level executives in many of the world’s premier organizations. His work appears frequently in the Harvard Business Review, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, CNN, and NPR.
He’s created and leads the #1 leadership development program in the world - the Bregman Leadership Intensive.
He’s given four TEDx talks, regularly delivers keynotes. The list goes on..
Howie is an executive coach to leaders ranging from startup founders to Fortune 100 executives. He’s Director of Coaching at Bregman Partners, and Head Coach at the Healthy Minds Initiative. He’s also the host of the Plant Yourself Podcast and author of 4 more books. His writings have also appeared in Fast Company and Harvard Business Review.
We discuss:
• The process of co-writing a book • The huge misconception around the concept of feedback • The difference between feedback and coaching • The four steps to truly helping people WANT to change, and then actually changing • When to let go • And much more
There’s so much to be learned from these accomplished gentlemen, check out the episode, we think it’s not an exaggeration to say it’ll probably inspire you to be better.
In this month’s episode, we speak with Hillel Fuld.
He’s a one-man legend who’s very known in the tech landscape as a top influencer.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/episode-40-hillel-fuld-israels-unofficial-tech-ambassador/
He’s a person that accomplished everything, by just doing what he loves and hoping that people will love what he does.
He started off by literally just posting his musings online as a diary, which led him to work with the top tech companies in the world.
He’s super active, leveraging his talent and passion in many areas, all with one common ground - empowering entrepreneurs and adding value: • Helping startups - he spends a lot of time mentoring entrepreneurs and tech founders. Helping them scale. Amazingly 95% of the time he spends on that front is with no strings attached. He doesn’t charge them any money. Where is the income from then? Some of those startups end up coming back offering Hillel to join them long term wise either as a paying consultant or for equity. Brilliant, right? • Writing - he writes for the Jerusalem Post, Inc Magazine, Mashable, TechCrunch, Business Insider, and more. He’s officially ranked among the top ten tech bloggers in the world. • Evangelism - he’s an unofficial ambassador of the Israeli tech landscape - leveraging his influence to help get Israeli tech founders become known and recognized globally • Public speaking - he hosts a podcast called Bootstrap and speaks on stages around the world • Collaborating with brand - he works with some of the top tech brands in the world as an influencer • Educating - he’s recently launched an entrepreneurship course • The list goes on.. We discuss: • His business philosophy - focusing on building trust rather than accumulating equity • The fundamental difference between sales and marketing • A MUST KNOW time-optimizing hack • The importance of content in any startups’ marketing strategy • A marketing tip that can truly help startups establish relationships with influencers in their industry, get website traffic and elevate their brand • Being intune with yourself and following your heart • The power of simplicity • Much more!
Listening to Hillel you’ll quickly notice his elegance and how being an approachable human being can lead to incredible places. He’s living proof that empowering others while having impactful fun is a gateway to becoming the best version of yourself.
Check it out
In this episode we speak with Paula Davis, Founder, and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute, helping organizations prevent burnout, and build resilience.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/paula-davis-founder-and-ceo-the-stress-resilience-institute/
She’s the author of Beating Burnout At Work: why teams hold the secret to well-being and resilience. The Financial Times recently included her book in its March roundup of best business books.
Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, and many more. She’s a contributor to Forbes, Fast Company, and Psychology Today.
Her journey is one of self-awareness and empowerment.
Having experienced burnout, she left a promising law career and started exploring the topic of well-being, burnout prevention, and stress management.
She set forth on a mission to help individuals and organizations become more resilient.
She’s since trained thousands of professionals, leaders, and teams in many industries, including many of the world's largest law firms, plus work with the military training more than 40,000 soldiers and their family members.
She’s a walking testament of how when we’re attuned to ourselves we can be the best versions of ourselves and make an impact on the world while we’re at it.
We discuss:
• How to identify burnout • What entrepreneurs need to be extra mindful to • Job demands vs. job resources • The importance of being self-aware and deep self-reflection • The serendipitous way that led to her discovering the discipline of positive psychology and how her career shifted from that point on • The power of learning from what we go through as individuals and teams • Practicing resilience and building the “resilience muscle” (as opposed to just assuming resilience is an innate quality beyond our control) • Encouraging teams to celebrate small wins • ..and much more!
In addition to being inspired by her journey, this interview can help leaders identify burnout in their teams, and gain practical tips on how to navigate it. And if you think that providing the likes of yoga classes for your team is the way to go, this will hopefully make you revisit that notion as the solution goes way deeper than that, and entails true awareness and devotion.
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Ido Safruti, co-founder and CTO of PerimeterX, a company that provides digital threat protection for businesses and is valued at nearly a billion dollars.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/ido-safruti-co-founder-and-cto-of-parameter-x/
The company was named number 49 on Deloitte’s Fast 500 Ranking Highlights with an incredible 3,637% Growth in just Three Years.
We discuss:
• His path to founding his own startup • The challenge of selling a solution in the realm of protection and prevention where the pain isn’t necessarily felt till it’s too late • How they gained their first customers and the POC process they went through • The concept of design partnerships with users as part of a validation process. “People are extremely happy to talk when you’re not trying to sell them a product, once you move over and say OK now I have a product and I want you to buy it, they’re more suspicious and care about their time. But I know for myself, if a founder calls and says ‘hey I have an idea, I want to get your perspective on it’ I’m always happy to share some time and provide feedback” • The importance of listening to your potential clients’ needs and challenges • The power of human relationships • Navigating team growth • The cost of a wrong hire • Much more!
There’s a lot entrepreneurs and intraprenuers can learn from this guy, we hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Vik Harrison, who’s most known as the co-creator of Charity: Water, a nonprofit that provides drinking water to people in developing nations.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/vik-harrison-charity-water-the-branded-startup/
Since it was founded in 2006, Charity: Water has inspired a movement of one million supporters from 100 countries and to date, they’ve helped 10 million people around the world get access to clean water.
Vik is the brains behind the charity’s design and branding, she's played a major role in its success.
She now has her own consulting firm - The Branded Startup, where she brings all her knowledge and experience to help purpose-driven entrepreneurs and nonprofits clarify their vision and tell their stories.
We discuss:
• The challenge of balancing family and a fulfilling career • Procrastination and overcoming fears by having faith in yourself and by setting a clear pubic deadline (which you’ll then be accountable for) • Choosing herself at a young age, and despite her family’s objection, leaving a promising career in the advertising world to join Charity: Water • The power of authentic storytelling and transparency • The importance of conveying trust, confidence and control as opposed to a desperate narrative when raising money (whether for a startup or a nonprofit) - people like to take part and invest in something successful that’s working • Warmth and competence - the two reasons we trust brands. Consider this, does your brand have warmth, does it feel human? And do you convey to your target audience that you are capable of helping them? • The importance of switching motives, at one point or another in life, from setting up our own life to contributing to the world in a bigger way • The difference between fear and dread • Not settling for vague company values and making sure to accompany values and with actionable examples that bring true meaning • Enneagram personalities • …and much more!
If you’ve heard of Charity: Water - you probably already know why this episode is a gem. If you haven’t - you’re about to find out. And if you manage a nonprofit - this is simply a must listen.
Episode 36 - Lisa Sweetingham (author and journalist)
In this episode, we speak with journalist and author Lisa Sweetingham. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Parade, Spin, Time Out New York, Health Affairs, and many other publications.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/lisa-sweetingham-author-and-journalist/
Her track record includes the coverage of high-profile murder trials and Supreme Court nomination hearings for Court TV online.
She’s super total - in order to bring her first book Chemical Cowboys: The DEA's Secret Mission to Hunt Down a Notorious Ecstasy Kingpin, to life, she’s spent four years following in the footsteps of DEA agents and Ecstasy traffickers.
Among other achievements, she’s also a contributor to the New York Times bestseller Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World, which she wrote with Scott Harrison the co-founder of charity water.
We discuss:
• Storytelling, journalism, and the search for truth • The power of doing work that’s meaningful to you • How having a clear mission and vision can help make self-conscious choices, what to allocate your time and attention towards • The danger in getting too comfortable “you stop growing” • ...and much more!
In an era of information and content overload, she’s leading an impressive career as a peak performing creator, honing her craft and putting out content that’s truly impactful.
There’s a lot that can be learned from her outlook on life. We hope you enjoy your listen!
P.S. we had a technical issue on our end with our recording equipment, please excuse the poor sound quality from our end.
In this episode, we speak with Pat Dossett.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/pat-dossett-navy-seal-and-co-founder-ceo-of-madefor/
Pat’s a former Navy Seal and Google exec who left Silicon Valley to start a business called Madefor - a company that helps people reach their greatest potential by forming positive habits through principles of Neuroscience, positive physiology, wellness, and health.
As a podcast about peak performance with a goal of inspiring people to tap into their true potential, we think this interview can not be more relevant.
Madefor believe a better world starts with a better you - what a great mission.
We discuss:
• What Madefor is all about, and how we actually can rewire our brain over the course of our lifetime. • The power of small consistent steps done over time. • Some of his insights from his challenges as a former navy seal (for example how the right mindset can make what appears to be impossible - possible). • The correlation between peak performance and positive psychology. • Breaking everything you do in life into small purposeful, consistent steps, and adopting a humble mindset of “crawl, walk, run”. • The idea of a growth mindset: “when we get uncomfortable, when we find ourselves stressed or when we find that we’re having to navigate a challenging circumstance, or we’re trying to work hard to unlock problem, that feeling that we get, that resistance to the progress, isn’t a sign of us being incapable of achieving the thing we want to achieve, rather it’s a sign of ‘this is what it feels like to move towards our goal, this is what it feels like to progress, to grow stronger, to get better and if you can map that effort and that resistance and make that a positive or frame that in a positive light, very quickly you understand that it’s hard because it’s a sign you’re achieving something”. • Focusing on process and not outcomes. • A mission-focused mindset - evaluate everything you do under the lens of its potential contribution to the mission at hand while recognizing you’ll never have 100% certainty. • The OODA loop - the cycle of “observe–orient–decide–act”. • The importance of continuing to learn. “The people that have done the most, that their opinions hold a lot of weight, are the ones that never stop learning, that are always trying to figure out how ‘how can I be better? what’s different? what’s changing?’. And those that are very rigid and hold on to dogmatically ‘this is the way it’s done, it’s the way it’s always been done’, are generally people that are really dangerous to have on a team”. • Much more!
Hopefully, this episode will help you become a better you!
Enjoy your listen!
”I like founders who are trying to solve a problem they have personally.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/liron-rose-the-investor-in-israeli-unicorns/
They’re facing some kind of a challenge, they don’t find a solution, they don’t have a product that solves it, and they say - ok, I’m going to find a way to make this problem go away for myself. What usually happens later is that as soon as they do that and find a solution, they find out that there’s a product market fit. They’re not the only ones with this kind of a problem, there’s more people on the planet who are facing this same problem.”
In this episode we speak with Liron Rose, also known as the investor in Israeli unicorns.
He’s a serial entrepreneur and investor, with a few unicorns under his belt. His portfolio includes companies such as Similarweb, Kenshoo, Dynamic Yield, Fiverr and many more.
He’s the co-founder of After Download, a company he grew from 0 to 30M in revenue in 3 years. In 2013 he sold it to Iron Source for 28M.
He’s the founder and CEO of the Techstars Israel - the local branch of the prestigious global Fintech accelerator.
He does business consulting for global companies helping startups that are raising capital.
We discuss: • What makes a growing startup promising from an investor’s perspective • The importance of the team that comprises a startup • The x-factor • Liron’s journey to becoming a leading investor, and the unconventional career choices he made along the way • The importance of being a pioneer • Risk mitigation • The endowment effect (more painful to lose something you already had than not gain it in the first place) • Much more!
He’s very modest and there’s a lot that entrepreneurs can learn about what investors are looking for, by getting this unabridged peek inside his head.
We hope you enjoy your listen!
“The worst problem is when people don’t know what they want to do and who they want to be. My advice to them is go back to your childhood because when you’re a kid you don’t have the mindset that’s from society or from your parents.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/anastasiya-stepanova-space-journalist-engineer-human-test-subject-mars160-mission/
Hey everyone, you’re quite a clean sheet of paper and you just explore the world – if you like something – you like something.”
In this episode, we speak with Anastasiya Stepanova.
She’s an engineer at the Institute of Biomedical Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences, a Space journalist, co-author of the book “I Wish You A Good Flight”, a test subject in first in the world female dry-immersion experiment at the Institute of biomedical problems, a Health and safety officer and crew journalist in the international project “Mars160” through which she’s spent 80 days at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah and 30 days at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on the uninhabited Devon island in Canada.
She’s also spent 120 days in isolation as a Mission specialist in an international isolation experiment. And on top of those, she’s also a rescuer at the public search and rescue squad “SpasReserv” and an ambassador of the charity project Unity helping to send children’s dreams to space.
We discuss:
- How she ended up with such a unique career in the first place
- The power of motivation and your “why” when facing challenges
- The importance of following your passions without caving in to fear
- How to discover what you should spend your time doing that’ll make work not just about money (what would make you feel fulfilled?)
- so much more
We hope you enjoy this episode (please forgive us for the quality of sound in this episode – Anastasiya was speaking to us from her car. We think it’s still very much worth your listen!)
Derek is a lecturer, author of Ego, Authority, Failure©, and a negotiations trainer and coach at the Black Swan Group. Some of you may be familiar with the Black Swan Group as it is managed by Chris Voss the author of the bestselling book “Never Split the Difference”.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/derek-gaunt-instructor-expert-coach-author-black-swan-group/
He has 29 years of law enforcement experience, 20 of which as a team member, leader and then commander of hostage negotiations teams in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
He is a hostage negotiation and incident command subject matter expert who frequently speaks at hostage negotiations and SWAT conferences across the US.
If you’re asking yourself what this has to do with you, the answer is a LOT.
Derek teaches leaders how to apply hostage negotiation practices and principles to their world.
Spoiler? It’s all about interpersonal communications and increasing performance by changing the way we think about communicating.
We discuss:
• How to smartly elicit required responses in a negotiation • Tactical empathy - seeing things from the other side’s eyes (as opposed to trying to “walk in their shoes”). • Deal-killers • The power of curiosity - going into every conversation assuming you have something to learn • The importance of determining early in the cogeneration whether you’re the “fool or the favorite” • Asking labels - “When you say to someone it seems like you have a vision of how this is going to work out, they immediately become a narrator of how this is playing in their head, and they tell you exactly what’s important to them” • Identifying and navigating the black swans in every conversion (the unexpected occurrences that are bound to happen) • The advantage of empathetic listening • Finding the real motivation when someone is asking you for something • The core reasons for someone being counterproductive in a negotiation • And much more!
We hope you enjoy this special episode.
And if you’re curious to learn more about him, checkout the Black Swan website and his book on Amazon
With millions of followers across the world through his blog, podcast “Marketing School” and social channels - it’s very unlikely you are not familiar with the work of Neil Patel.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/neil-patel-crazy-egg-hello-bar-kissmetrics/
He’s a New York Times best-selling author, named top influencer on the web by The Wall Street Journal, one of the top 10 marketers in the world according to Forbes, recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama no less and recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations.
Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies out there. He’s the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics. He helps companies like Amazon, NBC, Microsoft, Airbnb, Google, General Motors, SalesForce, HP and Viacom grow through marketing.
We discussed:
– How he started his career at the age of 16 and what motivated him – His approach to rejection – What success means to him – The significance of being (truly) passionate about what you do – The power of creativity – Not taking focus for granted: “if you take one thing and do it extremely well for a long time in a big enough market - you’ll build a huge business” – The importance of going for the big TAMs (Total Addressable Markets) – And much more
Check it out - he’s awesome and there’s a lot to be learned from listening to how he looks at life!
In this special episode, we speak with David Benjamin, the co-author of CRACKING COMPLEXITY: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/david-benjamin-syntegrity-cracking-complexity-formula/
In the book, he and his co-author David Komlos, share their proven formula for dramatically shortening processes and cracking an organization’s toughest challenges.
David regularly guides leaders and their teams through their application of the formula. In this capacity, he’s become a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and US government leaders on how to organize for complexity and find traction in the face of the intractable.
We discuss:
– How he and his business partner had to reinvent themselves after the dot com bubble, and how one methodology they got introduced to changed the course of their career – How his passion for numbers and puzzles drew him to embark on a journey to formulate challenges and connect dots that made the world fall into logical sense, and made David’s vocation clear – The magic of problem-solving and approaching them with a different lens. “Expect the unexpected, trust that as you stare at something and think about it for a long time, something is going to emerge. Answers don’t just come the first time you try, it’s about the perseverance of really digging in and committing yourself to finding an answer and trusting that it’ll come - trusting that your brain is far more active and creative than even you give it credit for, if you give it time to marinate the problem” – The power of asking the right questions and articulating what you’re trying to solve – Breakthrough thinking – The importance of being passionate about what you do (and what are some good cues that you’re on track) – How learning to listen can be beneficial – The power of creativity – Dealing with resistance – The opportunity for self-growth that’s hidden in Covid-19 – and so much more!
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Massimo Chieruzzi GM and co-founder at AdEspresso which is a tool for SMBs to manage, analyze and optimize Facebook Ads and which was acquired by Hootsuite in 2017.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/massimo-chieruzzi-adespresso/
He’s a multi-hyphen dude. He’s been a radio speaker, journalist, developer, marketer, entrepreneur and angel investor.
At 14 years old he was the youngest Italian guy indicted in cyber crime for running a pirate BBS and making countless intercontinental calls with his modem to avoid paying the bills through boxing.
He later founded Creative Web, the leading web development agency in Italy and biggest provider in Europe for eBay and other companies.
He founded AdEspresso after getting fed up with Facebook ad scaling and optimizing solutions. In the early days of AdEspresso Massimo helped scale the blog from 0 to 700,000 visits per month and build a profitable business with just inbound marketing and 0 people on sales, making AdEspresso the most used Facebook Ads product worldwide.
We discuss:
– Bending rules and the concept of “subjective justice” as a possible entrepreneurial necessity – The importance of mitigating risk and never relying on one customer/traffic source/product/etc. – Massimo’s two cents on how to handle the uncertainty created by Covid-19 – The power in being aware of your weaknesses – Striking a balance between avoidance out of fear vs self-awareness about what you should and shouldn’t spend time doing – And much more
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Neal Schaffer, a recognized leader and university educator who helps businesses maximize their social media presence through his:
– Social media agency – Strategy consulting – Keynote speaking and – Award-winning books
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/neal-schaffer-forbes-top-50-social-media-power-influencer-keynote-speaker-author/
He’s been named a Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer two years in a row.
His portfolio includes:
– Fortune 50 enterprises – Grammy award-winning musicians – and leading brands
He’s a man of the world with a deep connection to his internal compass, pursuing his hobbies and professions with passion and vigour.
He studied Chinese in University. In his senior year he switched to Japanese and started working in a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer in Kyoto, marking the “official” kickstart of his exceptional career. He started out in accounting and finance but after two years, he found more interest in sales and marketing and transitioned into a role in the company’s overseas sales department.
He was certain there’s strong business potential for the company in China, so he paved his way into leading the launch of the company operations in China. He didn’t sit around and wait for anyone to choose him – he charged forward and made it happen.
The next step in his journey was joining a Canadian startup to launch their Asian operations, helping to grow their Asian market share dramatically.
After 9 years in Japan he returned to the US. Returning wasn’t an easy ride and he came to the realisation that he needed to reinvent himself and to build something of his own – something that nobody could take away from him.
And another thing clicked – since he had returned to the US he had been gaining a lot of experience and understanding of Linkedin and the business potential it bears.
These notions kickstarted his current solopreneur chapter – he wrote a book, which led to speaking deals, which led to him opening his current consulting business.
In many ways his experiences in the Far East equipped him with a special skill set that brings a deep and unique dimension to his doing.
We discuss:
– The Deming Cycle – PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Action) and how it influenced the way he approaches processes and strategies – Navigating cultural differences – Sales – the power of patience, listening, adding value and turning down prospects that aren’t a good fit – Influencer marketing – inciting word of mouth – The challenges of being a solopreneur – The significance of building personal brand – The tremendous importance of personal relationships – Pivoting as an ongoing reality – And more!
This is a super-important listen to anyone looking to calibrate their doing and to be in sync with their gut, their interests and their abilities. We hope you enjoy it!
In this episode we speak with the fantastic Eric Siu, CEO of digital marketing agency Single Grain.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/eric-siu-single-grain/
Single Grain has worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Uber and Salesforce to help them acquire more customers.
He also hosts two podcasts: Marketing School with Neil Patel and Growth Everywhere, an entrepreneurial podcast where he dissects growth levers that help businesses scale.
Eric is a gamer and from early on in life he seeked a life that would feel like a game. This is so important because when we’re enjoying what we do at such levels, it’s almost impossible to not make progress, grow our skill set and reach high levels of performance.
We cover a lot of ground including:
– The importance of building an audience – What he looks for in a mentor – Why culture and core values matter – How he ended up joining Single Grain and eventually becoming the sole owner for only 2 USD – The concept of redeploying capital – How he navigates challenging relationships – The significance of keeping a positive mindset – Persistence as a drive for success – And much more!
Eric will be publishing a book next year. In the meantime be sure to checkout levelingup.com/giveaway for a giveaway of an assortment of Eric’s favorite books to help people grow!
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Eugene Levin, the Chief Strategy Officer at SEMrush, a software solutions company that offers online visibility and marketing analytics data to over 5,000,000 registered users.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/eugene-levin-semrush/
He’s super analytical and pragmatic, making very calculated and aware choices but at the same time super-intuitive and follows his heart. His career path is quite extraordinary.
We discuss:
• His unique journey from being an engineer in Russia to becoming a successful investor (and partner in several VCs), then founder of several startups to now a c-level employee at SEMrush. • His investment philosophy. • When things go right, what bears more profit potential - being an investor or a startup founder? • His decision making process with respect to his career • What makes a good team • And much more
Anyone considering their next step or curious about the world of investing can find inspiration in this episode.
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Tal Zvi Nethanel, CEO and Co-founder of SHOWFIELDS, the pioneering next-generation brick-and-mortar retail store that was recently listed as one of the Top Young Israeli Startups in New York by Forbes Israel.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/episode-25-tal-zvi-nethanel-showfields/
Tal is a serial entrepreneur and innovator at heart, he’s co-founded several accomplished businesses, including Bluestone Group - which Live Nation (the entertainment conglomerate managing legends such as Madonna, Shakira and Bon Jovi) acquired a majority stake in, and MyCheck - which was acquired by Shiji Group.
He’s never worked for anyone. He founded his first company when he was 21. That company pivoted several times, eventually becoming one of the largest production companies in Israel. His second startup also pivoted more than once, teaching him valuable business lessons as his journey progressed.
In retrospect he can connect the dots and attribute many of the skills he’s acquired in the production landscape, from his business-focussed decision making process to his ability nowadays to bring to life his current ambitious startup of creating “the most interesting store in the world”.
We discuss: – His entrepreneurship philosophy which combines creativeness with practicality. “When you look at the nature of starting a business, a business is a way to monetize from a product and a product is an answer to a question, a solution to a problem”. – Pivoting - Tal always makes sure the path he’s going down is one that answers a real life need. He looks for areas where he can add value. He’s mission-oriented and doesn’t become “pot-committed” to a predetermined business model - he’s not afraid to change directions as much as reality calls for. “It’s about constantly trying to feel where you drive more value and not necessarily a situation of the sky falling and needing to find a solution”. – Growth and the importance of pushing beyond our comfort zones, both for people and for businesses – Much more
Tal is passionate about making the impossible possible. He’s devoted to constant transformation and growth. That spirit is contagious. Listen to him and go do your thing. It is possible.
In this episode, we speak with Gal Leibovich, Co-Founder and COO of visit.org, an employee-driven corporate social responsibility platform.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/gal-leibovich-visit-org/
Visit.org’s mission is to help companies do good through their platform. Employees can “shop” the platform and choose a cause they’d like to help by volunteering, or contributing money to (directly or by taking part in an activity where the profits are donated).
Gal’s background is corporate. He joined visit.org because he wanted to make an impact. He wasn’t aware it was possible to be in the tech scene and combine it with contributing to society. Once he found out that’s possible he looked for a startup where he could do that. “For me having a job where you get paid but you’re also doing a lot of good and you change the face of doing good and the community around you is amazing and something you can’t say no to”.
We discuss: – The movement towards doing good amongst companies and millennials – What it’s like to work in a scaling, driven mission startup – The importance of messaging in the non-profit landscape – Gal’s personal motivations and drives – And much more
This episode made us self-reflect on how we can do more things that are bigger than ourselves and contribute to society. We hope it’ll move you to action as well.
Enjoy your listen!
Mark is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School where he teaches sales, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/mark-roberge-bestselling-author-harvard-business-lecturer/
He is also Managing Director at Stage 2 Capital, a venture capital firm backed and run by go-to-market executives, helping startups build world class go-to-market capabilities. He is the author of the bestselling book The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million.
Prior to these roles, Mark served as SVP of Global Sales and Services at HubSpot, scaling revenue from $0 to $100 million.
Mark was ranked #19 in Forbes' Top 30 Social Sellers in the World. He is an MIT graduate and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Boston Globe, TechCrunch, Harvard Business Review, and other major publications for his entrepreneurial ventures.
Mark is very open to seizing opportunities. Throughout his career he didn’t cling to a predetermined path. He had an initial grand plan, but none of the big career achievements in his life (leading the sales in HubSpot, writing a book, joining the faculty at HBS, starting a VC firm) ended up a part of it. They all happened because when opportunities knocked he had the wisdom and openness to go along with them. No tunnel vision, no traditional textbook plan. His choices are probably not the first connotations that come to mind when envisioning a career path of a lecturer in Harvard, and it’s probably what makes him so unique and a source of actionable insights and inspiration.
Early on in his career Mark fell in love with the startup scene. He was passionate about it and was not deterred by the risk factor, realising stability at big companies wasn’t guaranteed either. In general, contrary to popular belief Mark doesn’t think it’s that risky to go to startup. “An individual startup is risky, but if you pick a hot industry, and you get the company wrong, you usually have significantly increased your market ability and even stability”.
Inline with the overall arch of his career, going into sales and joining HubSpot wasn’t a path he had planned in advance. It fell on his lap in a serendipitous way. It was at a stage where a startup he had founded wasn’t working as he had hoped. He had a mortgage, student loans, his wife was pregnant and he had a baby at home. He thought he might have to go work at a big company, which would have been soul crushing for him as a passionate entrepreneur. Brian and Darmesh, the HubSpot founders asked him to join, and he figured he could collect a steady paycheck for four months and get his feet under himself. “10 years later we’re ringing the bell on the NY stock exchange taking this thing public”.
Following his success in HubSpot he set forth on a life mission to help entrepreneurs generate revenue and dramatically decrease the failure rates of startups. That mission has become the compass for all of his career choices.
We discuss:
Business schools - when is it a good idea to take that path What to look for when hiring What he looks for in a company from an investor perspective (revenue isn’t as high up on the list as many would assume) Things to consider both during a sales process and when raising money Much more
If you’re at a crossroad in life, hesitating whether to take on one risk or another, this episode might just be the inspirational wind beneath the wings you’re in need of.
All of you business guys out there, no matter what your role is, we strongly recommend reading his book. Here’s a link: https://amzn.to/30YSWZE
We hope you enjoy your listen!
In this episode we speak with Marc Ensign. Marc has shared the stage with the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk, Brené Brown, Simon Sinek, Chelsea Clinton, and many more. His writing has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, CNN, The New York Post, and many other publications.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/marc-ensign-leadership-keynote-speaker-personal-branding/
Through Marc’s personal branding agency LoudMouse, Marc helps people build a brand around themselves. Marc’s background is in music, he’s a bass player. He went to Berkley college of music in Boston, graduated with a degree in music performance and moved in with his mom as an unemployed musician. He dreamt of working on Broadway, so he started creating a personal brand around himself. Fresh out of college, he was unqualified and with zero experience. Still, he started positioning himself as an authority. He created a logo for himself, got headshots done and started hanging around Broadway and networking (or stalking people as he also refers to it). He reached out to Bass Player magazine and told them he’s friends with all these people on Broadway and he could do a story for them about what it’s like to be on Broadway. They loved the idea and gave him 350USD. Now he was able to call people and say he’s writing an article for a prestigious magazine and offer to interview them. He went as far as to set terms: “an hour interview”, “get a copy of the music of their show”, “let him watch their show from the pit”. Those who disagreed were off “the list”. By the time the article came out he had successfully positioned himself as an authority. He ended up playing in the show RENT on Broadway for 10 years.
He made the transition to the marketing and branding world when he realised that marketing comes naturally to him and he wanted to help other people. He founded a company helping musicians and artists market themselves. At some stage someone at American Express saw his work with the artists, which was very creative, and reached out to him. That was a tipping point for his business. American Express lead to Nike, Berkshire Hathaway and other mega brands. It took him 10 years in that business to realise he hates working for corporations. “The world doesn’t need someone to sell an extra can of Pepsi. I want to make an impact in the world and, working for those companies, I’m not doing that”. That’s fascinating to us because it seems like an evolution many of our guests went through, when searching for meaning. He decided he wanted to work with people rather than being a cog in the wheel of big companies. He left that company and all of the benefits that came along with it and followed his true passion trying to help change the lives of people for the better. He opted to walk away with nothing. That’s how passionate he was about this. And he has no regrets. “Looking back it was the best thing I ever did, things happened the way they were supposed to happen”.
He founded LoudMouse with a notion of doing for people what he did for companies. With years of experience, a natural talent and TONS of passion to do good, the success that followed seems natural.
Marc shared some practical tips on how to build your own personal brand:
-
Be clear about who you are and who you’re communicating with. “Who are the people that are stuck awake at night worried about this problem that I’m going to fix?”. Understanding that is an absolute must. It requires digging in deep. If your only motivation is money and you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, who you want to help and why, people are going to see right through that.
-
Have a clear visual brand (like he did from as early as his days as a college grad).
-
The chase for as many followers and likes as possible is a distraction. It’s not about the number of followers that you have, it’s about how much they’re sold on you and love you.
...and more.
In this episode we speak with Anese Cavanaugh. Anese is devoted to helping people show up and bring their best selves to the table in order to create significant positive impact in their lives. She appears on stages around the world, guest lectures at universities, and writes (a lot). She is the creator of the IEP Method® (Intentional Energetic Presence®).
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/anese-cavanaugh-award-winning-leadership-advisor-strategist-and-aurhor/
She’s an advisor and thinking partner to leaders and organizations around the world, and author of CONTAGIOUS CULTURE: Show Up, Set the Tone, and Intentionally Create an Organization That Thrives and CONTAGIOUS YOU: Unlock Your Power to Influence Lead and Create the Impact you Want (which was released a few weeks ago).
Her areas of expertise are on topics we’re passionate about and try to uncover in this podcast. She’s a leading voice on intention, energy, and presence, she helps people unlock greater leadership potential, collaborate more inspiringly, create more openly, intuit more bravely, and lead more joyfully and effectively. She believes that we all have our divine areas of expertise and talents and gifts, and that part of the reason why we’re on the planet is to pay those gifts forward.
At 14 years old, she desperately needed a job so as to be able to help out with bills at home, following her parents’ messy divorce. This lead her to lie on her application and say she was actually 15. By the end of the interview, she admitted that she had lied. They surprised her by hiring her anyway based on her integrity and the fact that she came forward with the truth. “I remember the feeling in my body of being afraid to tell the truth but knowing it was the right thing to do. That was a major moment, where I got in touch with what integrity meant and how good that felt and that I wanted more of it”. Later on, after starting that job, she was having a hard time with her family’s situation and the things she had to give up in order to support the family. She was feeling sorry for herself and thinking how terrible her life was going to be. She then suddenly thought “what if your life doesn’t have to be terrible? What if what’s happening isn’t happening to you but for you? And it’s giving you skills that you can learn?” In that moment she got in touch with the concept of choice. Right then and there she made a decision to live a really awesome life.
As you’ll hear, Anese is very visceral and connected to her feelings. As such, she was able to achieve a very high level of flow in her work and pay forward her insights in a way that’s very intuitive to relate to and learn from.
We cover a lot of ground:
- The impact of how the way we show up to situations has on everything that we do
- How the way we take care of ourselves influences our ability to influence other people
- How post-it notes and vision lead her to her dream occupation doing what she loves and fulfilling herself
- How the choices we make become choice points affecting our future choices and forming new neural-pathways in our brains
- The importance of emotional authenticity
- How holding accountability is essential for organisational success
- How true leadership isn’t possible without self-care ...& much more
About half way through our video call, Ronen had to step out of shot several times in order to go blow his nose. Naturally he didn’t want to interrupt the recording and the flow of the conversation but it was becoming odd not to explain to Anese what was going on. This became a real life lesson in what Anese is preaching - the environmental energy was shifting around those circumstances and by addressing it we were able to put Anese at ease and confirm this had nothing to do with our conversation. Had we not done that, this would be hanging over our heads, unspoken of, and we wouldn’t have had her full emotional bandwidth.
In this Episode we speak with Marcus Sheridan. Named “1 of 20 speakers you don’t want to miss” by Forbes, he’s been called a “Web Marketing Guru” by the New York Times.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/marcus-sheridan-impact-bestselling-author-web-marketing-guru-keynote-speaker/
His Book, “They Ask, You Answer” was rated the #1 Marketing Book to Read in 2017 by Mashable. Today, he gives over 70 Global Keynotes yearly on the subjects of sales, marketing and the future of business while also owning IMPACT, a leading inbound marketing agency.
Rather early in his career, Marcus figured out a somewhat intuitive methodology that can help businesses grow and retain their customer base. That sounds like a promise that would make any critical thinker raise an eyebrow. But the fact of the matter is, Marcus is calling out a truth that is such common sense that once listening to him, you can only be left to wonder how come it’s not a best practice. TLDR; be transparent and make sure you provide your prospects and customers with ALL the info they want to know. And that includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. The reality is that most companies aren’t willing to address the hard questions.
There’s so much more to be learned from Marcus. The second edition of Marcus’s book has been released. In the following link you can find the first several chapters available as a download for free: https://marcussheridan.com/they-ask-you-answer/
We strongly recommend reading it and, of course, listening to this interview.
In this episode we speak with Larry Kim. Larry is the CEO of MobileMonkey, the world's fastest growing Facebook Messenger marketing platform, used by millions of users.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/larry-kim-mobilemonkey-wordstream/
He’s also the Founder of WordStream, the World's largest PPC Marketing software platform, managing over a Billion dollars of ad spend for tens of thousands of customers (acquired by USA Today in July 2018 for $150 Million). He’s a top contributor to Medium Magazine and CNBC. He’s received ‘Marketer of the Year’ awards from Search Engine Land, US Search Awards and PPC Hero.
It takes seconds into the interview to sense just how humble Larry is. He’s super down-to-earth and despite building a very successful unicorn he tells us “I would argue that I did everything wrong, so this time around I’d do the opposite to what I did the first time around”. His mindset is one of “if you can dream it, you can do it”. It’s clear he’s not in it for the money, for him it’s about the challenge. “I want to see if I can do something twice as big in half the time, or take the company public”.
Despite massive success turning WordStream into a unicorn, Larry feels in retrospect there are many things that he would have done differently and, in fact, plans on doing differently this time around. Some examples:
A total addressable market - creating a software that every business could use. He explained that there are about 100M small businesses on Facebook but only about 5M do online advertising. Those businesses were the potential WordStream customers. This time around he wants his product to have a wider pool of potential customers.
Be crazy. You get the people and the investors you deserve. Be more aggressive and take bigger risks “I like to project big bald visions and I wonder if one of the problems was if I wasn’t bold enough”. His big dream was to be a 100M USD business, he then thought it was crazy and hilarious but they actually surpassed those numbers significantly. That made him wonder what might have been if they had bigger and more strategic goals.
Larry attributes his entrepreneurial success to his mom. She was a piano teacher and as a small kid growing up in Canada he learned everything about marketing sales and product differentiation by observing how she managed her small business.
He went to grad school to study engineering. Being the free spirit that he is it’s probably not surprising that he had a hard time being part of the system, needing to “jump through hoops, dealing with assignments and finals and labs”.
After graduating he immigrated to the US and worked at a software-related job for a few years. He then quit and started his own marketing consultancy business, his first client being the company he had quit, and from then, on one client referred another. “As a 20 year old I was making between 150-200K USD a month, it was pretty crazy I was buying houses and cars”. When he got to about 10 customers he realised this wasn’t scalable, so instead of hiring more people he wrote software to automate his “stupid repetitive tasks”. He then figured that instead of trying to build a scalable business he can sell the software instead. He cold emailed hundreds of VCs and through that got tens of meetings and eventually 2 offers. “Anyone who says cold-mailing is useless, just tell them Larry Kim raised 20 million from that”.
Larry shared with us that his friends and family compare him to Forrest Gump. The reason being that as we’ve learned - he’s autistic. He says that’s his superpower as well as his kryptonite. We find this so very impactful and inspiring. It comes to show that everything comes down to mindset. And wow does Larry have the “right” mindset if there’s such a thing. He’s wired for success and nothing will stop him. He envisions and he executes overcoming whatever is required.
In this episode we speak with Enon Landenberg, a serial entrepreneur, well known expert in the interactive media field, highly sought after lecturer at technology conventions and a featured TEDx conference keynote speaker.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/enon-landenberg-bosco-e-dologic-tedx-conference-keynote-speaker/
The way Enon sees it, he spent years motivating people to spend more money on things they don’t need. In 1998, when he was 26 years old he founded E-Dologic, Israel’s first interactive advertising agency. It was a huge success and in 2001 the company was acquired by Publicis Group SA. He stayed busy but kept looking to do something meaningful with the experience he’s gained that will amount to more than just money. “I was feeling that I want to do something that I’m proud of what I’m doing and not only of the results.”
That lead him to participate and lead various ventures such as managing the marketing of the podcast’s featured non-profit - space IL. It’s in his current venture Bosco that he’s found his life’s mission. Bosco is a mobile app that detects unusual events or threats, and notifies parents when their children might need protection.
The venture is on constant growth with offices in Brazil, Mexico, USA, UK, Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey, Indonesia, Japan and Israel. To date they have 450,000 users, and it’s growing.
Though the company is not yet profitable, this is a great example of the magic that happens when you have a strong “why”, combined with the right team, all aligned around one vision. The app is contagious and anyone listening will most likely agree, it’s one of those products that’s in the right place, at the right time solving a need that any parent has. In a value based economy, this is the upmost example of a win-win venture.
We discuss:
- Parenthood in a digital era, how the internet shifted the position of parents in the house.
- How the concept of privacy has changed these days.
- Being an employee vs. an entrepreneur.
- The stress of an entrepreneurial life.
And much more...
In this episode we speak with Amit Menipaz, former Vice President of eBay global.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/amit-menipaz-former-vp-ebay-global/
At eBay Amit led global product transformations to understand eBay's inventory, simplify selling experiences and build new buying and personalization platforms and experiences by leveraging big data, AI/machine learning, computer vision and a world class team located across the US, Europe and Israel. He also co-authored an academic textbook about International Business that is used in Business schools around the world.
Amit experienced different cultures his entire life. Being a bit of a chameleon and assimilating into a new culture is almost second nature to him. He’s used to walking in and out of different worlds. He was born in Israel, when he was about 18 months old the family moved to the US and kept relocating to a different city or country roughly every 3 years. This wasn’t easy on him but taught him two major life lessons that we can all lean on:
- Not to be afraid of change - everything is a learning opportunity with the right attitude.
- There’s no such thing as normal - don't assume you are right, be open minded.
He finished his first (engineering) degree in Canada, moved to Israel where he managed trade negotiations between Israel and Canada. In between he was involved in founding a startup in online content management and worked at consulting firms such as Deloitte and later A.T.Kearney in England. He wanted to go to MBA school in a place where he would be a minority so he moved to France to do his second degree at the prestigious INSEAD. “I find it fascinating to learn how other people think.''
And indeed he’s become an expert on understanding how people think. When working at eBay he led the acquisition of several startups in Europe and Israel for the US based Fortune 500 company. His vast toolkit of skills and global experience helped him identify valuable opportunities and leverage them. He shared what he looks for when searching for a company to buy and how entrepreneurs can wisely craft an exit strategy that’s inline with the need of a larger corporation. However he in no way advocates approaching a negotiation with a stated goal of an exit: “Nobody wants to buy a business that wants to get out of the business ...the most productive and successful acquisitions have always begun as a business partnership”. And what makes a business partnership successful? Amit stresses the significance of trust and shares the following formula:
Trust = (capability*reliability)/self interest
Capability - you have to know what you’re doing, be excellent at your area of expertise. Reliability - you have to keep your promises. “Unfortunately the startup is in a situation where the big company doesn’t always keep his promises but that’s no excuse for you not to. You’re very much judged on that.” Self interest - it’s not about the exit it’s about your product or service. Add value. Be great. Find a way to help the company you want to sell to further their strategy by collaborating with you.
We talked about Amit’s own sense of responsibility once he takes on a project and how he has learned to navigate stress.
Amit feels his superpower is his powerful imagination, when he believes in an idea it becomes very real to him. Once it becomes real he walks around and the whole world needs to interact with it, and this draws people and ideas and resources.
Towards the end of the interview Amit quotes from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. “Don’t worry about being successful, worry about being useful”. This mindset is what has led him to his greatest achievements. What wonderful words to live by.
Be sure to listen to the whole episode for many more insights and insider tips from “within the system”.
In this episode we speak with Matan Berkowitz. Interdisciplinary artist, award winning inventor, entrepreneur, Forbes U30, TED speaker.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/matan-berkowitz-entrepreneur-forbes-u30-ted-speaker/
Matan is very self aware and is fueled by a passion to make a real sustainable difference in the world. It’s reflected in everything that he does. From founding a company called Shift, where he worked on creating impact-driven innovations, focusing on developing solutions for people with disabilities. To sharing his unique visions by giving talks and performing in front of large audiences, trying to leave people with a sense of ownership over their lives in stages that include TED, Google, Microsoft and Forbes. To his current project where he’s working to enable tongue driven operating solutions. Matan is determined to actively effect people positively and to do things that are larger than himself (or any one being for that matter).
Matan describes the mindset that lead to what he calls falling down the rabbit hole of doing his current project “I know everything is possible deep inside. We can make pretty much anything happen given enough x and y. I believe reality is this bendable, tweak-able matrix-like lucid dream. And I think once you take it out of the comfort zone of ‘can I be a musician/astronaut/something that I want to be. Can I tweak reality to get what I want? What does reality NEED that I can perceive or believe that I can help with?’. It’s not about thinking about the things that are impossible, you think ‘oh this is something that can potentially be done, that can help people, maybe I’ll checkout how to do it’”.
We talk about finding the sweet spot between your passion - what you would do without being paid, without being asked, and what you can SEE and FEEL that the world around you needs.
It’s evident that his superpower is turning ideas into reality quickly and effectively. Checkout the full interview to learn more about his perceptions and how you can also positively bend reality to align with your biggest dreams and aspirations.
In this episode we speak with Tal Zubalsky, Co-founder and CPO of Eko (previously Interlude) - the only streaming service in the world where stories are shaped by viewers as they unfold.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/tal-zubalsky-eko-formerly-interlude/
Eko is a mini-cosmos where any series of choices that people make affect the outcome of the plot. The story of how the company was founded and got to where it’s at today is no different.
Tal’s background is creative. He studied animation in Tel Aviv, and was part of a music band, together with the rest of his Co-founders. It all started when the band members wanted to create a music video for their audience that would be original and different. They created an interactive video, got great feedback and realized they may be onto something big.
From very early on Tal and his co-founders weren’t afraid to take risks. Before they had any technology they pitched to the Israeli version of American Idol and committed to creating an interactive video for the show. When getting a “yes” they then had a very short time frame to deliver. This risk paid off - they were able to create what they had promised and were then ready to turn this into a real business.
Talk about “overnight ten year success” - for a while, they worked on this as a side project and didn’t go all in. Tal had another startup and the rest of the team also had other projects they prioritized. Once they tested the waters enough they gained confidence and made the life changing choice of dropping everything else that they’re doing and focusing on this project solely. For Tal this meant having to leave another startup that he had founded. As in any good story, the startup he left become very successful. No regrets though, Tal didn’t make a bad choice in his storyline - to date Eko has raised over 70 million dollars and has super high level investors on board such as MGM Studios, Intel and Samsung.
The Eko team has been keeping a very agile approach along the way, pivoting and changing business models as they evolved into what they are today. There’s much to be learned from their agility and resilience. They’re driven by passion to bring a new medium to the world. Tal describes their journey as a roller coaster ride. “10 years in, it’s the craziest it’s ever been, being an entrepreneur is NOT easy”.
Now a company of 80 people, one of his main insights is that as a growing startup you don’t necessarily have to hang onto the culture that you had when you set off. The key is to evolve and to constantly learn and improve how you communicate and how you set processes.
When you surround yourself with people who share the same mindset, the “how” is adjustable. And how do you find the right people? In order to assess a good fit, a cool tip Tal shared is to start out with hiring people as contractors and test out how you work together. If things don’t work out it’s much less painful that way.
Another fascinating point in the interview is learning how the dots and previous experiences in life connect. Tal and his co-founder Yoni, struggled writing down the core values of the company. They resorted to asking themselves what the core values of their mutual band are. This was easier for them to answer and through that they created the values of Eko - in their special way they ended up writing this as a poem they called “We Are All Artists”.
There are many more gems in this interview such as Tal’s 3 golden rules for succeeding in making a product that works.
We hope you enjoy your listen. We really ARE all artists.
In this episode we speak with Kfir Damari, COO of Tabookey and Co-Founder of Space IL.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/kfir-damari-space-il-tabookey/
Kfir made history by founding a company that is the first private organization to ever reach the moon! It’s a bitter sweet achievement because the official goal was to soft land on the moon, making Israel the fourth nation in the world to do so. But as life (or physics) would have it, Beresheet, the lunar lander that the team built, failed to do so and crashed on the moon at a speed of 1km per second (making Israel the 7th nation to orbit the moon).
Failure is a funny word to use in this respect for reasons that are self explanatory. But above all, the high level goal of the mission was to create an effect similar to the Apollo effect that will inspire younger generations to go and study science and technology and to set moonshot goals for themselves.
In order to do that Kfir and his team spent years visiting schools across Israel, giving talks to kids, telling them the story of Space IL. As the venture progressed more and more volunteers joined this mission and the educational aspects of the project became the core values of it (and its true success). To date they’ve reached more than a million kids.
There’s a lot to be learned from Kfir’s mindset. We asked him what set his heart to go for the project. He said “it was mainly that it was an impossible mission”. He wanted to do something bigger than life. To make an impact. To take an impossible mission and show that it’s possible.
We discuss:
• How Space IL started • Why it’s so difficult to land on the moon • Persistence - it took Kfir and his team about 24 hours to announce they’re going to try again • The non-material rewards of solving a problem of such magnitude and the motivations for taking on such a challenge • Why founders are like stem cells • The importance of asking a lot of questions and speaking out • Kfir’s current venture Tabookey and its super original value proposition (that can potentially disrupt how companies do business with end users) Much more!
The Apollo effect spun-off a host of inventions that permeate the US economy (and probably the global one) to this day. It’s fascinating to see what the Beresheet effect will yield, what the future holds for Space IL’s second stab at the impossible, and what Kfir will do next on his overall mission to make a dent in the universe.
We hope you enjoy your listen
In this episode we speak with Mari Smith. Mari is a world class expert on relationship marketing.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/mari-smith/
She’s one of the world's leading social media thought leaders, a bestselling author, keynote speaker (she frequently shares the stage with notable leaders and celebrities including Sir Richard Branson, the Dalai Lama, Tony Robbins, Guy Kawasaki, and Paula Abdul), she was named a top social media power influencer by Forbes ...and the list goes on.
In a world where the only constant is change, Mari helps millions of marketers and businesses focus on proven evergreen strategies. We cover some of those, for example:
It will never go out of style to provide amazing customer service. What’s changing is the technology and delivery mechanism. Businesses will always need to have clear brand guidelines, trained community managers and customer service reps.
Basically, Mari says that the evergreen formula is to produce great content, engage with people in the way in which they want to engage and then convert them by clearly inviting them to do business with you.
Mari is no stranger to hustling and building a business from the ground up. She wasn’t born into financial wealth. Her parents got divorced when she was a young girl, after which she moved to Scotland with her dad and 4 sisters. In Scotland she always felt she was missing out on the action going on in the big city life. She spent the first years of her career working admin and sales jobs. Her internal compass always pointed to computers and people - and she followed it. But she wasn’t fulfilled and wanted to do bigger things.
She planned to open her own business in Scotland and spent an entire year working on that business. She even started to get some clients. Yet as serendipity had it, she bumped into a long lost friend who invited her to immigrate to San Diego. Although she was flat broke, she bravely decided to listen to her heart, packed up her belongings and set off on a journey to open her (now mega successful) business in the US.
We spoke about the distinction between knowing and believing. Mari says believing can be great but then doubts can creep in or maybe you borrow someone else’s beliefs until you have your own. Knowing, however, is visceral. It’s just that. When you know you have no doubt.
We also spoke about the power of networking. On top of the importance of “who you know”, she stresses the importance of who knows YOU. Who can make introductions for you. Who will recommend you. And how do you stand out and get remembered? By giving selflessly and adding value.
We cover many more topics to do with self fulfillment, growth, awareness, mindfulness, peak performance and satisfaction (the latter which as humans we tend to rarely feel).
Mari is inspiring, humble and fascinating. This is a must listen for any person aspiring to become a better version of themselves whilst staying true to themselves. We hope you enjoy your listen!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reallifesuperpowers/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RealLifeSuperpowers Twitter: https://twitter.com/RLSuperpowers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlsuperpowers/
In this episode we speak with Chef Guy Vaknin, a vegan entrepreneur, owner of Beyond Sushi - a NY Sushi Chain that currently serves over 2 million people.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/guy-vaknin-beyond-sushi/
Guy had a lot of experience working various jobs in the restaurant business. But before going all in he enrolled in college to study computer engineering. Then, like many entrepreneurs we speak with, the college system didn’t feel right and he dropped out after 3 months. In his unique case, his father, who was already in the business, encouraged him to drop out and join him in business.
6 years later, after working alongside his dad, who enabled and empowered him to fail and experience the real world, he felt ready to open up his own business and Beyond Sushi came to life. He realised there’s business potential in the vegetarian food business and despite most people around him telling him he’s insane, he took all his money, loaned more from his father and invested it all, fully believing in his idea. When he opened the first restaurant he had 1000 USD left in his bank account, it HAD to work or else he’d have to close and go back to working for his father.
Guy says that when you’re unique you draw attention. It’s then a matter of executing at a high level. He’s referring to the restaurant industry but we think this can be applied in all industries.
He’s a master at pitching. Not long ago he was on Shark Tank and got the sharks to invest 1.5 million dollars for 15% in Beyond Sushi and 30% in another business he’s working on. He shares insider tips on how to pitch. Among other things he says it’s important to show business potential and back it up with numbers “the numbers don't lie”.
He knows how to combine creativeness with pragmatism, listening to him can be very inspiring for creatives trying to figure out how to ground their passion.
We hope you enjoy your listen.
In this episode we speak with Jordana Guimaraes, co-Founder and PR director of FASHINNOVATION, a startup that is the fashion world’s version of TED. An intersection between the fashion industry and the technology industry.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/jordana-guimaraes-fashinnovation/
Jordana is fearless, she calls herself a “wild-spirit”. After high-school she decided not to take the college path and started experimenting with different jobs. For each job she figured out what the rules of the game are and then reached a level of performance that got her praises. But she was bored quickly.
At the age of 23 she wanted to find a job that would “stick” and she’d be passionate about. She went to Barnes & Noble, found an encyclopedia of “all jobs” and stumbled upon PR. It resonated and so she bought and read “PR for dummies”. She tells us how from that starting point she landed a dream PR internship working with tier-1 brands, and how as soon as she understood the PR world’s basic she proceeded to opening her own PR firm. In addition, she’s a philanthropist. She’s publishing her first book this month. It’s called “It can be you” and the goal of it is to give a face to homelessness. All profits from the book will go to charity.
Jordana is a real inspiration. She provides TONs of self fulfillment tips and tips on how to turn dreams into a reality.
She says that getting the right person on the phone and then creating rapport with them is like a game. She says you can’t speak to everybody in the same way. You have to adapt their energy into yours and you have to do the research before, in order to be able to conduct an informed conversation. Then, once you get the job (or close the sale for that matter), even if you don’t know exactly how to deliver, you can learn along the way as all knowledge is out there for you to google.
It’s all about humanizing situations.
We discuss the power of persistence, the importance of not being afraid of getting turned down, how failure is inevitable, the importance of having “life cheerleaders” and much much more.
Be sure to checkout the full interview. For more inspiration follow Jordana on Instagram @aclbyjojo
In this episode we speak with Ishay Green, a serial entrepreneur and investor after 2 exits (and 2 secondary exits - don’t worry he explains what that means).
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/ishay-green-soluto-onigma-spot-im/
Ishay seems to have figured out the formula for making money, or as he calls it “he sees the machine”. We talk about what he looks for when considering investing in a startup. What differs between startups that have figured out the money machine and those that haven’t. And what this all has to do with “the Uber napkin”.
We asked Ishay how come he sold companies with a clear potential to make him a billionaire. He answered that the amount of money that you need is equal to the force you want to apply on the world. He feels he has enough money to retire so he can afford to focus on creating the impact he wants on the world.
We talk about the role of the CEO in a startup - Ishay believes the CEO is the king of the company with almost limitless powers. He shared that in retrospect, he feels that had he been the CEO in companies he’s sold, he could have led them further than the point he was able to without the powers of the CEO.
Ishay believes that the chances of creating a billion dollar startup nowadays are against entrepreneurs. He explains why and what it has to do with the “frequency graph”. Hint: you’d need to create a new heroin in a world where heroin already exists.
We talk about the scary brainwashing process we’re all exposed to as a society. Through online platforms, a few large companies are basically controlling our brains and decision making processes. Ishay backs this up with data from an academic research that has yet to be published but proves this isn’t fiction. It’s real and none of us are above it.
Checkout the full interview and enjoy your listen
Since we’ve launched the podcast in July, we’ve had the privilege of interviewing peak performers across several industries. We’ve been inspired by the willingness of winners to share their journey in an egoless and open way. We think we’re starting to identify common patterns among people who are at the top of their game.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/end-of-2018-special/
In this end of year special, we sat down to reflect on our insights thus far, and to talk about the upcoming year.
Based on the feedback we’ve been getting - it seems we’re tapping into somewhat unspoken forms of deep wisdom, which have the potential to move the needle and inspire people to reflect and take action in their own lives.
We plan on continuing to uncover self-fulfillment formulas in 2019. Thank you for listening. Don’t hesitate to hit us up anywhere on the internet for any feedback.
Some of the episodes we’ve mentioned:
Brian Halligan co-Founder and CEO of HubSpot.iTunes: https://goo.gl/1HoMhQ Stitcher: https://goo.gl/HF8bvy Roei Deutsch co-Founder and CEO of Jolt. iTunes: https://goo.gl/Yq3FkX Stitcher: https://goo.gl/n98kxa Rank Fishkin co-Founder of MOZ, iTunes: https://goo.gl/nvNMSe Stitcher: https://goo.gl/WW1363 Yam Regev co-Founder and CEO of zest.io, iTunes: https://goo.gl/8TdYb6 Stitcher: https://goo.gl/XrrBYt
Books mentioned:
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio Traction by Gino Wackman
In this episode we speak with Yam Regev, co-founder and CEO of zest.is - a professional-knowledge discovery platform for modern self learners, aimed at helping busy professionals screen through noise and tap into relevant knowledge sources in order to become better versions of themselves.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/yam-regev-zest/
Zest is community driven. Machine learning and AI algorithms screen content and submit it to professionals from the Zest community for quality control. Content that’s approved by the community is then served back to Zest users in a personalized manner.
The human factor is crucial in Zest and early on in the conversation it becomes evident that Yam is all about people and human relationships himself. He relates to himself as a “farm-boy from the north part of Israel” and admits he didn’t even have an email address when he founded his first business which was a digital marketing agency. He teamed up with childhood friends, identified an opportunity and went for it.
Ever since that first agency he’s been founding and taking part in ventures whilst listening to his heart and moving on to further challenges, even at a cost of pausing his involvement in successful businesses. When listening to him share his journey, its clear that he’s evidently choosing self fulfillment over comfort time and again.
We discuss the modern dilemma of going to college vs getting hands-on experience. Yam dropped out of college and is a clear advocate of the latter. He aims to surround himself with people who are “doers”. He doesn’t care about titles and academic degrees, he wants to know what the people he works with actually DID. He values practical failure over theoretical learning from the sidelines.
We discuss how the power of relationships and community fuels Zest’s mission and helps users build their own micro learning path.
Yam values transparency, authenticity and vulnerability. He tells us all about his fundraising strategy and how he got 700 potential investors to reach out to Zest by leveraging those values.
Yam’s modesty and honesty is captivating. Checkout the full interview for a real educational treat.
In this episode we speak with SEO genius, author and serial entrepreneur Rand Fishkin. Rand built MOZ a 45 million dollar a year venture that’s a b2b software for marketers helping companies rank well in Google.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/rand-fishkin-moz/
He’s recently founded a new company called SparkToro. He’s also published a new book called Lost and Founder, which is basically a cheat roadmap for entrepreneurs. It’s PACKED with experience based tips on what actually works without BS. It’s egoless and transparent at almost unbelievable levels, and as you’ll hear, such is Rand.
We discuss:
The irony of founding a company that makes millions in revenue but not being able to become rich due the complexity of being venture backed
How so called “lifestyle businesses” are underestimated and essentially only one path is marketed to entrepreneurs, making it appear as if there’s only one choice - to be venture backed “all of the attention and all of the accolades go to a handful of companies that grow fast and have big exits and big fundraising events. You never read in the newspaper in the tech press about a company that makes 2M dollars and 500K of that is profit for its owners, even though that’s a great story that’s wonderful for the founders, that’s never talked about, never read about, reporters don’t investigate. BUT someone raises 2M dollars - that story is everywhere even though 90% of venture outcomes don’t return enough money to be considered a success for the fund”.
The complexity of working with family.
The risks of becoming overconfident and turning down acquisition offers under the assumption that you can do better. “In this world where dollars are chasing, not dollars, not profitable businesses, not sort of good survivable businesses but growth and growth alone, you should recognize that even at small revenue numbers, having a high growth rate is potentially your most exciting asset. And when you have a very high growth rate, even when you’re small, that might be a great time to market and sell your business”
The power of vulnerability.
And so much more..
We hope you enjoy this and learn from him as much as we did!
In this episode we speak with Roei Deutch, Co-founder and CEO of Jolt, a startup that’s a school for employees craving to learn and grow in the new employment world. Jolt has campuses in Tel Aviv and soon in London - following a new 7.5 million USD round of investment that was made public a few days after our interview.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/yariv-bash-flytrex-2/
Studying in Jolt is done via a “gym membership for learning” model whereby people can take as many classes as they want. The school attempts to break the traditional paradigms of higher education. Breaking paradigms is evident in everything Roei is involved in. When Roei has a vision he paves his own path - inventing self tailored methodologies that will get him and his teams to where they want to be. Pushing forward originally in a world of what he likes to call “made up jobs”.
He started his career early, at the age of 14 he founded his first company, which he sold a year later. He has been listed in the prestigious Forbes under 30, founded several successful companies and has already published 3 books.
Roei believes that people connect through vulnerability, so he makes sure to present his real self rather than his ״best״ self. In this episode he genuinely took us inside his world, setting forth his unique innovative way of thinking that is an inseparable part of his impressive track record of success.
He is always asking himself reflective, non compromising questions, and then deciding on his short and long term actions based on the answers to those questions. For example, before starting Jolt he took time to ask himself what type of CEO he wants to be. This type of action structuring is something everyone can apply in their daily doing.
Among other things we spoke about his ideology of extreme transparency in leadership. We asked him if he’s not afraid employees will walk away if you’re transparent with them when things get rough, his answer was:
“People respect what they helped build. When someone has been part of the journey when it was rough and when it was good - when shit hits the fan, they’re actually more committed and more accountable. People are good - they don’t walk away from danger if they feel they were part of creating that danger”.
We also discuss:
- how he structured his company culture based on core traits all people on board have to posses and how to uncover such traits when recruiting
- all about his invented employment model of 2 year “chapterships”
- how his greatest fears drive him
- how he comes up with ideas
- his approach towards fundraising
- the “airport test”
- ..much much more
We hope you enjoy your listen
In this episode, we speak with Micha Berkuz, founder and CEO of Giftedd, an employee recognition and customer retention e-gifting SaaS aiming to revolutionize corporate gifting by empowering teams.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/micha-berkuz-giftedd/
It all started in 2008 when Micha’s girlfriend at the time bought him a Sony Playstation and he realized there were no available online gift cards for buying games for the console. This lead to founding what is now a very successful local Israeli Digital Gift-Cards Solutions company called BuyMe, and of which Giftedd is a spin-off of.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. When trying to raise money, Micha and his co-founder were initially thrown out of every boardroom yet giving up was not an option.
As an ex-professional athlete (basketball), who was kicked out of high school, Micha was no stranger to hurdles and overcoming them. Building a company from the ground up despite being turned down by investors was not a reason to step away - it was a challenge to overcome.
“I think that sports brings a lot of good values and methodologies into your life, from working hard, practice is a huge part. You play the game - the game is 40 minutes, you work out the whole week before that to get ready for the game next week. There’s a certain level of discipline that comes with that”.
In the interview, we learn all about his journey. Among other aspects, his theory is that you can’t force someone to do something they don’t like for a long time. So if you’re doing something you like and pair up with people who are good at things you're not good at - you become unstoppable.
Micha has inspiring clarity about his pathway and about where he and his team are heading. Check out the full interview to learn all about his journey and what you can adopt in your own personal path.
In this episode we speak with Yariv Bash, co-founder and CEO of Flytrex, a leading consumer drone company and founder of Space IL - an Israeli non-profit that in December 2018 will launch a spaceship to the moon making Israel the 4th nation to land a spaceship on the moon.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/yariv-bash-flytrex/
Yariv is always in motion, he always has something he’s working on, he’s persistent and an endless optimist (which is probably his superpower). He’s taken on the most ambitious projects with a goal of influencing entire generations and making a dent in the world. He lives to solve problems and he believes he can take on almost anything , especially if it’s a challenge that was solved before.
With respect to landing a spaceship on the moon, I asked him, how did you gain that confidence? How did you know? I mean you must have had some doubts..
His answer teaches a lot of his relentless mindset “So, it’s a problem that has been solved on a bigger scale with more funds nonetheless, but still, the first time it was solved was back in the sixties...”
I interrupt “yeah, solved by countries” but he doesn’t get confused “you know, the difference between individuals and countries is always shrinking”
We learned that one of the keys to success is to believe to the verge of stupidity and despite other people’s skepticism BUT to always validate and have a plan b (and c, and d)
“I found myself surrounded by people who don’t think anything can stop them”. What a magnificent state of mind. We know we’re going to work on this attitude. We hope listening to him will help you too.
You can follow Yariv’s work on: http://flytrex.com/ and http://www.spaceil.com/
In this episode, we speak with Chen Levanon CEO & Co-founder of SimilarTech (a super SAAS tool that’s a SimilarWeb spinoff) and one of the most influential women in Silicon Valley.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/chen-levanon-similartech/
Chen was a competitive athlete, an investment banker in Lehman Brothers Inc, one of the youngest female global CEO's in Israel (Clicksmob) and more. Chen's journey started very differently than one might expect - she invested all of her youth on the track as an Olympic-level hurdler. Since then she never stopped competing and jumping over hurdles. As we see it, her superpower is making her dreams a reality by not taking NO for an answer. She changed career paths four times and she never looked back. Once Chen decides what her next goal is, not achieving it is not an option. "I heard that this guy that I wanted to work for was at my gym, he didn’t know that I would be on his team.. but I did".
We believe that every human being has a superpower, the problem is that most people do not recognize their superpower or do not channel their energies correctly. The most successful people, the Chen’s find their specialties during their career and nurture the advantages that make them who they are.
Enjoy your listen.
In this episode we speak with Dari Shechter, VP of Creative & Design at MindSpace Inc, a global coworking community with locations in the US, England, Holland, Germany, Poland, Romania and Israel.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/dari-shechter-mindspace/
Mindspace’s exponential growth is largely attributed to of the unique experience that Mindspace provides. Dari who had no previous experience, is the creative mind that designed and lead the artistic vision for the community and company. The way we see it, her superpowers are her ability to think out of the box combined with extreme optimism that helps her maintain exploding energies. In this podcast she explains how she acknowledged her strengths and then utilized them. "In the beginning no one listened to me, when I felt like no one cared I started doing stuff without approval. I lucked out because I did a good job, sometimes taking chances is important".
Checkout this episode to learn all about her journey.
In this episode, we speak with Brian Halligan the Co-founder and CEO of HubSpot. He’s also the co-author of two books, "Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs" and "Marketing Lessons From The Grateful Dead" AND a senior lecturer at MIT.
Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/brian-halligan-hubspot/
In some circles, Brian is referred to as the Steve Jobs of the marketing world. When listening to his world views on leadership and learning about his journey it’s hard not to spot the admirable similarities. Brian, whose company raised more than $100 million in funding, gone public, and brought in $375 million in total revenue in 2017 alone, doesn’t take any shortcuts. He’s very self-critical. He starts the interview by telling us he’s just stepped out of a meeting about packaging and pricing to which he says “I would give us a C on the way we price it [HubSpot] I think we can do it in a much smarter way”.
There’s a lot to be learned from Brian and his journey. His self awareness and reflection is evident all throughout our conversation. He doesn’t like conventional wisdom, he encourages constant learning and unpacking of information “feedback is breakfast for champions”, he’s never satisfied, he strives to utmost transparency amongst management and he’s very tolerant to mistakes, so long as they’re not repeated.
Brian is a real life superhero - we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.