Transcript [00:00] So they kicked me out of school in [00:01] seventh grade. Halfway through they told [00:02] me not to come back very nicely. I [00:04] basically invented a product. We did a [00:07] million dollars in sales our first year. [00:08] >> I [snorts] felt like that would solve [00:09] all my problems. Like that's where [00:11] happiness lied. People really really [00:14] don't understand the misery that money [00:16] could bring because when you don't have [00:18] money at least you have the illusion [00:20] that money will make you happy. Once you [00:22] have it that illusion is gone. People [00:24] have this idea in their head that money [00:26] is like peacefulness. We are not here in [00:29] this world to have a peaceful life. [00:31] There was this big red lobster LED sign [00:34] on top of this store called Woolly's [00:36] [music] Lobster. I said, "God, if you're [00:38] real, turn that sign blue." We're [00:40] kicking off our new episode with Tuvie [00:43] Lmberg. Welcome to the Kosher Money set. [00:45] Thank you for having me. Excited to be [00:47] here. [00:48] >> This episode is going to be about Tuvi [00:50] Lmberg. So, people want to know who is [00:53] Tvie Lmberg? [00:54] >> Tvy Lmberg. it. Okay, it sounds weird. [00:57] >> It's you. [00:58] >> Is me. I would say I am someone who is a [01:03] truth seeker, someone who's very [01:05] sensitive [01:06] >> and I was raised in a you know regular [01:10] from house in Lakewood and um I I guess [01:13] you could say an interesting journey to [01:15] get to where I am now. [01:16] >> Where would you say your journey starts? [01:18] Just to preface this whole thing, I [01:20] would say that I don't I don't think [01:21] that my story is necessarily super [01:24] original or um super special or unique [01:27] in any way. I would say that this is my [01:29] unique story and I think it's a good [01:32] story and I think a lot of people will [01:34] be able to relate to it in many ways. Um [01:36] especially people from similar [01:38] backgrounds. I think that my story will [01:41] resonate with a lot of people and [01:43] especially people that have gone through [01:45] the system, were raised from and [01:48] struggled with the system and um yeah, [01:51] my hope is to be able to inspire people [01:52] and make people feel hopeful. Where did [01:55] you go to school growing up? [01:57] >> I went to school in Lakewood called [01:58] Tushbar. That was the elementary school [02:00] that I went to. [02:01] >> Okay. And how was [02:03] that childhood? What was that like? [02:06] >> So I I had a rough childhood for sure. I [02:09] had some problems at home and then I had [02:11] I I don't want to say a learning [02:12] disability, but I had a learning [02:15] disability. [laughter] Okay. I I don't [02:17] know if it was a disability. I just did [02:19] not enjoy learning at all. And I had no [02:21] motivation at all to listen in class. [02:24] The only time I did well in school was [02:25] in sixth grade for 3 months when my [02:27] mother forced me to take riddlein. I did [02:29] really well, but I didn't like how it [02:31] made me very dull and it took away all [02:34] my impulsivity, which I liked. So, I [02:38] felt like I I wasn't myself. [02:39] >> Before those three months, were you [02:41] getting into trouble? [02:42] >> I wouldn't say necessarily getting into [02:44] trouble, but I was just not paying [02:46] attention. I was all I never got good [02:48] grades, like ever besides for those [02:50] three months. Every time a test came [02:52] around, I did poorly. I never studied. [02:55] Um, and I grew up in a house that was [02:57] very hectic. My parents got married [02:59] later. My father was a Baltua and he got [03:01] married at 36 and my mother was 27 and [03:03] they had seven kids in 10 years. So, and [03:06] I'm the second to youngest. So I grew up [03:07] in a very uh intense chaotic household. [03:11] >> So you're not performing well in school. [03:13] Did you feel dejected about that or you [03:15] just didn't care? [03:16] >> Yes. Yes. And I think that's where all [03:18] all the problems started to which [03:20] >> that I felt dejected like not performing [03:22] well in school. Um and I think that a [03:25] lot of the common denominator between [03:28] kids who struggle and go off um and [03:31] leave school is they don't do well in [03:33] school. Um if you're not doing well then [03:36] you're first of all you're not busy. If [03:38] you're studying and you're into the [03:40] things that are going on you'll be busy [03:41] and uh and then you just feel horrible [03:43] about yourself and you feel like uh an [03:46] outcast even if other kids are not doing [03:48] well. You people tend kids especially [03:50] they focus on themselves. So you don't [03:52] realize I I didn't realize when I was in [03:53] school there were I'm sure there were [03:54] other kids not doing well but it was all [03:56] about me obviously and um yeah I did [04:00] very bad. I felt very bad about myself [04:02] and um I started looking for other ways [04:04] to feel good about myself. [04:06] >> If you had the ability to go back if [04:10] your parents were guiding you knowing [04:14] who you are now, what do you think could [04:16] have been done so that you had a [04:18] healthier environment, a healthier sense [04:22] of self um [04:25] without potentially medicating? [04:28] Is there is there would you have done [04:31] anything differently? [04:32] >> I think that uh you know I'm 34 so I was [04:36] born in ' 92. Uh the mentality is [04:39] definitely changed a lot in Kuk but [04:42] there was a lot of things were were more [04:44] cynical and negative and like a lot of [04:46] the young parents now are into that [04:48] super positive stuff like oh you're [04:51] amazing and you're great even if the [04:52] kid's not which I'm not saying that I I [04:54] think that's good. I think a little bit [04:56] of that uh a lot of kids are listening. [04:58] They're they're thinking to themselves, [04:59] "Am I not amazing?" They are amazing, [05:02] but parents have a tendency to say [05:05] they're the best in the world. In their [05:06] mind, they think so. But there's [05:08] certainly a positive flavor to today's [05:11] >> Yeah. And I think that's important. I, [05:13] you know, I think that people need to [05:16] feel good about themselves. And you need [05:18] There's a famous video online called [05:19] Poker Chips. You ever seen it? [05:21] >> Yeah. Yeah. you need to fill your kid up [05:23] with uh self-esteem and um and I think [05:27] you do that by just really really [05:28] putting into their head like finding [05:30] that one thing they're good at and just [05:32] letting them know all the time. And I [05:34] see it with my nephews and nieces and [05:37] the way that their parents raised them [05:39] and it's uh it's definitely it's a world [05:41] of a difference. My parents are [05:43] wonderful people like the best people in [05:45] the world. I love them and my siblings [05:47] are incredible. [05:47] >> Are you doing that positive thing the [05:48] other way? [05:49] >> I'm doing that positive. No, but it [05:50] really is cuz I'm not I'm not here to [05:52] complain about my my childhood. I had a [05:54] rough childhood, but I think it it made [05:55] me into the person that I am and I'm not [05:57] pointing fingers at anybody. I think [05:58] everyone did the best that they could [06:00] and Hashem put me here for a reason. So, [06:02] they kicked me out of school in 7th [06:04] grade halfway through. They told me not [06:05] to come back very nicely. I was [06:07] essentially just not showing up to [06:08] school and being very um impulsive in [06:12] middle of class and speaking out and [06:14] doing a lot of things for attention. Um [06:16] I was kind of like the class clown at [06:17] that point. So, it just didn't make [06:19] sense for me to come back. And uh I [06:21] ended up going to Adelfia. Uh I don't [06:24] think it's around anymore, but Rabin, [06:26] who's a beautiful man, and uh I went [06:28] there for a year. I did 8th grade there [06:31] instead of 9th grade. And then the next [06:33] year, for some reason, I I went to Bell [06:34] Harbor and I did 9th grade again with [06:36] kids my age. [06:37] >> What was your self-confidence like over [06:40] these three, seventh, 8th, 9th grade? [06:42] >> It was not good. It was not good. And at [06:45] that point I was already like viewed [06:47] myself as a I don't want to say loser [06:50] but as someone who like I'm not going [06:52] this path. And what happens is is that [06:54] asc if someone doesn't do well in school [06:58] you want to feel good about yourself. So [06:59] you're going to look for other things [07:01] and you're going to usually go to other [07:02] things right like like let's say girls. [07:05] So if you're not busy in school and [07:07] doing what you're supposed to be doing, [07:08] so then you have much more free time to [07:09] explore that and to hang out with other [07:12] kids that are also not doing well in [07:14] school. So that really led me to when I [07:17] was 15, I dropped out of Bell Harbor and [07:20] and then I was on the street basically [07:22] from there. [07:23] >> What does on the street mean? [07:24] >> Uh not in school. Uh not really working. [07:27] >> Where were you living? [07:28] >> I was living at home. My parents never [07:30] uh they weren't not the type of people [07:32] to kick out a child just because a child [07:35] didn't want to be from or follow the [07:37] rules, but there was definitely a lot of [07:39] conflict in the house. I remember my [07:40] first pair of jeans. Um I used to have [07:43] to put them on in the backyard before I [07:45] left the house and then change back out [07:47] of them when I came home cuz my father [07:49] would hide them. So I mean I I feel bad [07:52] that I had to put him through that [07:54] because you know this guy he gave up [07:55] everything to become from at 30 and now [07:57] his his son is uh you know going in a [08:00] direction that is not what he you know [08:03] his values are but it's good it built [08:05] builds character. [08:06] >> Up until the age of 15 16 did you ever [08:09] start working ever start taking on jobs? [08:13] Um were you pushed in that direction? [08:14] >> I worked at a pizza shop and then a [08:17] bagel store. My work never lasted more [08:20] than a few weeks or a month or two. That [08:22] was my life cycle for work. Um I think a [08:26] lot of the same problems like the [08:28] impulsivity and the that rebelliousness [08:32] that is in me naturally um I didn't [08:34] enjoy working for other people. I [08:37] remember New Year's I decided to go to a [08:39] party and not show up to work. So the [08:41] boss fired me and this was a week in. [08:43] Would you say that it's a natural [08:46] rebelliousness or would you say that the [08:49] system or your surroundings [08:52] didn't fit with your personality? [08:54] Meaning if you grew up on a farm and it [08:58] required impulsivity and you were taking [09:00] care of animals potentially and the [09:03] learning experience was different and [09:06] you fit that maybe there is no [09:09] rebelliousness in you. Do you do you [09:11] think that that's a trait that you [09:13] struggle with or was that a byproduct of [09:14] your surroundings? [09:15] >> That's a really good question and I [09:17] don't know the answer. I'd be lying if I [09:19] said either one. [09:20] >> Did you guys have money growing up or [09:22] was your [09:23] >> No, we did not have money growing up, [09:25] but we actually my father in like the [09:28] late '9s, early 2000s before the dot [09:31] burst, um he was actually making pretty [09:34] good money. My parents were making good [09:36] money. He was doing computer programming [09:38] placements and uh it was really hot back [09:41] then. Uh and then that came crashing [09:43] down with the economy and then basically [09:46] he had to start over and he ended up [09:47] going back to teaching. But no, I did [09:49] not grow up with money. Actually, I [09:51] remember my mother having to get a job [09:52] and uh pack shelves like stock shelves [09:55] in a local kosher grocery store which [09:58] was quite humiliating for me and like I [10:01] felt very bad to have to watch my like [10:03] mother do that. So that was tough. I [10:05] think that also motivated me to want to [10:06] make money and that pushed me towards I [10:09] never want to be in a situation where [10:11] we're like that, you know. Also, I [10:13] didn't grow up going to Israel when I [10:15] was young or going on vacations. We went [10:17] to Bungalow Colony a few times, but our [10:20] excitement was maybe going to Six Flags [10:22] or something like that. [10:23] >> Was therapy in the cards back then? [10:25] >> Yeah, I started going to therapy I think [10:27] at 12 or 13. [10:29] >> Did you enjoy it? I developed a really [10:31] bad panic disorder, anxiety disorder, [10:34] which I'm sure a lot of people have, um, [10:36] especially nowadays. But yeah, I started [10:38] getting really bad panic attacks. Turned [10:39] into like a full-blown hypochondric. Um, [10:42] this actually started in seventh grade [10:44] where I would make my principal who's on [10:46] atello take my blood pressure cuz I [10:48] would be hyperventilating and think I'm [10:50] going to pass out. Yeah. So that that [10:52] started with my, you know, lifelong uh, [10:55] struggle with anxiety, but, you know, I [10:58] learned how to cope with it. So you're [10:59] 15, 16, you're starting to make money. [11:02] What were you doing and how did that [11:05] develop? [11:06] >> Yeah. So I would work, make like $600, [11:09] $700 a week. It would last for a couple [11:11] weeks or a month or two months, then I [11:14] would quit or get fired. My money was [11:17] always spent before I got paid. So like [11:19] I'd borrow from friends. Like I I was [11:21] not like one of those My wife's the [11:23] opposite of me. She like saved every [11:25] dollar. I would spend everything and [11:27] then some. So that impulsiveness came [11:30] out over there also. So I bounced around [11:32] uh to different jobs. Eventually I ended [11:35] up at 18 years old I ended up getting [11:37] convinced to go to Israel. A recruiter [11:39] from Yeshiva in Israel uh Gishiba is [11:41] called Kesher. It's not around anymore. [11:43] It's similar to N for boys uh you know [11:45] struggling kids. And I got convinced to [11:49] go there. Um and I went there for a [11:51] year. I was miserable. I hated Israel. I [11:54] hated the yeshiva. The whole experience. [11:56] I slept most of the year. slept or went [11:58] to Ben Yehuda and just kind of hung [12:00] around and did nothing. I wasn't ready [12:02] to learn or be part of Yeshiva. I just [12:04] wanted to go to Israel and it was being [12:05] paid for. So, but I was not in a good [12:08] headsp space and my anxiety was really [12:10] bad in Israel, especially like being [12:12] away from home. I didn't love it and [12:15] ended up coming home um towards the end [12:17] of the year. And in Israel, I had [12:19] decided that I want to go into [12:21] videography. Decided I want to go into [12:24] film making and make videos. And I was [12:26] always inspired by videos and movies and [12:28] films. So I wanted to do something like [12:31] that. So I got a camera when I came back [12:34] and I worked in a fish store for two [12:35] months enough to buy a camera. I bought [12:37] my first camera and then I quit. And [12:39] then that was at 19 years old. And then [12:42] for the next 7 years I did photography. [12:44] And one of the things about photography [12:45] that I loved is that I was independent. [12:48] I didn't need to work for anybody. could [12:49] work one day a week, make $1,000, [12:52] $2,000, whatever it is, and then chill, [12:55] do what I want, and my camera was like [12:57] my little money maker. I had a friend [12:59] who lent me the money to go and buy my [13:01] first camera and lens, and uh and that [13:03] was it. And I did that for basically [13:06] until I was 26. [13:07] >> And there's something exciting, I'd [13:10] imagine, about new scenario. Every [13:13] event, every event is different, right? [13:16] It probably plays well into your not [13:19] wanting to be bored. [13:20] >> For sure. For sure. First of all, it's [13:22] extremely rewarding. If a person was [13:25] created by God as a creative individual, [13:28] if you are not using that talent, you [13:30] will not feel good about yourself. You [13:32] will not you're not living your [13:33] potential. I was always creative. So, [13:36] photography made me feel really good [13:37] about myself cuz I was good at it. I had [13:39] a good eye. And then I would get [13:40] feedback from people. And that started [13:42] to like heal my self-image and my [13:44] self-esteem seeing that like I can [13:46] actually like do something. So that was [13:48] really really helpful in that way. And [13:51] uh yeah and it was like it was the [13:52] independence and and I loved it. When I [13:55] was 25 I moved into a house in Jackson [13:58] like 10 minutes from my parents with a [14:00] friend of mine. I was supposed to be [14:01] paying him rent. We were roommates and [14:03] he had some money so he bought the house [14:05] I think in a sheriff sale. I was [14:07] supposed to pay him $1,000 a month and I [14:09] the whole year did not pay him. Even [14:10] though I was doing photography, I wasn't [14:12] getting a lot of jobs and I wasn't very [14:14] motivated necessarily to go out there [14:15] and work all the time. So, and um you [14:18] know, I was still dealing with like some [14:19] of like that bad money management [14:21] mentality where I would make money, [14:23] spend it all, and uh so I didn't have [14:26] any savings. And basically, he kicked me [14:28] out towards the end of the year. Um but [14:31] right before it kicked me out, I had [14:32] come up with an idea [14:34] >> which turned into my first business that [14:37] I started. [14:38] >> Second business you were running [14:41] >> the TV camera, [14:43] >> right? I guess technically LLC. [14:45] >> I went around begging a few people for [14:48] money to give me capital to start it. I [14:50] needed $24,000. I I spent like two weeks [14:54] writing a business plan. I was really [14:55] serious. Also, I didn't want to go back [14:56] home to my parents house. So, I was [14:58] like, I got to start making money. I [14:59] don't want to be stuck in my parents [15:00] house. So, I was really motivated and I [15:02] basically had these big white like uh [15:04] foam boards that I would stick pins in [15:06] with little notes kind of like one of [15:07] those FBI investigations where, you [15:09] know, and I had all my ideas exactly how [15:11] I'm going to do it. And then a really [15:14] close friend of mine, his name is Morty, [15:16] told me that he'll give me the money. [15:18] And he had money. He was doing well in [15:19] real estate. He was a commercial real [15:21] estate broker. Um and he gave me the [15:24] $24,000. [15:25] uh ended up being closer to 100, but I [15:29] um you know that's not something that I [15:31] guess you could predict, but that [15:33] happens a lot of time. I think most [15:34] people start businesses, they end up it [15:35] ends up costing more than they think. We [15:37] did well. The business really it was a [15:39] really good idea. I basically invented a [15:41] product. Um we did a million dollars in [15:44] sales our first year. Definitely not [15:45] profit, but revenue. Um that's all I [15:48] cared about then. [15:49] >> What was the product? [15:50] >> Uh it's called uh Vflat. uh company was [15:53] called Vflat World and it was a product [15:56] for photographers. So the product [15:58] already existed but it was a DIY product [16:00] photographers would make themselves out [16:02] of big pieces of black and white foam [16:03] board. Um, and I essentially took that [16:06] and made it foldable. Um, and made it a [16:09] commercial product. And, uh, the company [16:12] is in the process of transitioning now [16:14] and being sold. And I'm not really [16:16] involved, but we've sold in the last 8 [16:18] years probably a few hundred,000 units [16:20] of this uh, of this product. And then we [16:23] went on to add more products and we got [16:24] it into stores like B&H Photo and [16:26] Adorama and uh, then a distributor in [16:29] Europe. So, it definitely uh the company [16:32] it definitely it had some years where it [16:34] did really really well. [16:35] >> What was the cost on your side to make [16:37] the product? [16:38] >> About 60 to $65. [16:41] >> I feel like I'm on Shark Tank. And how [16:43] much were you selling it for? [16:45] >> Oh, we're selling it for around $200. [16:47] >> Yeah. But the shipping was really [16:49] expensive. Like it was like $50 to ship [16:51] it. [16:51] >> So, I'll invest I'll invest in a company [16:53] like that at a uh 10% stake. Okay. So, [16:56] so money is starting to come in. Are you [16:58] feeling good? [16:59] Yeah. So 26, we start this business. Uh [17:04] my partner who my friend Morty, you [17:07] know, he he made sure I got into a [17:08] salary. The company was paying me a [17:10] salary. I I finally had some money. I [17:13] remember I sw I had a really old Toyota [17:15] Camry banged up that I bought off my [17:17] brother-in-law. Um I don't know if I [17:19] even paid him, but I got it from my [17:20] brother-in-law. And then I remember [17:22] telling my partner, I was like, I I need [17:23] a nice car cuz one of my employees had a [17:25] nicer car than me. I was like, this like [17:27] is not cool. like I'm coming to work in [17:29] this in this Toyota. This guy's a brand [17:31] new Kia or whatever. So, he ended up [17:33] helping me uh get and my credit was [17:35] terrible. It was like a 480. Uh I when I [17:38] was like 19 or 20, I had gotten a bunch [17:40] of credit cards and maxed them all out [17:43] and just I just thought it was free [17:44] money. So, uh definitely don't advise [17:47] that at all. As someone who's married [17:49] now with a kid on the way, you want good [17:51] credit. [17:52] >> Is your credit better? [17:53] >> It's good now. It's actually really [17:54] good. It's like in the eights. Did you [17:55] ever pay that original guy the $1,000 a [17:58] month? [17:59] >> Yes, I ended up paying my friend Jake [18:02] all that money back. Okay. Yeah. I paid [18:04] him four grand at a time basically. Like [18:06] Yeah. [18:07] >> I want to take a minute because there [18:09] are families in Israel in dire need of [18:12] food, shelter, and so much more. I want [18:15] to tell you about an organization. You [18:17] know them. They're making a real [18:19] difference every single day. Kabad. We [18:21] spend a lot of time on the show talking [18:22] about money, how to earn it, save it, [18:24] invest it, and use it wisely. But one of [18:26] the greatest uses of money is helping [18:28] someone who simply can't make ends meet. [18:31] For more than 200 years, yes, 200 years, [18:34] Kabat has been supporting families [18:36] across the great country of Israel with [18:38] food, emergency financial assistance, [18:41] critical help. We're talking widows, [18:43] orphans, people going through incredibly [18:45] difficult times. They're on the ground. [18:47] They know the families personally many [18:49] times and they work quickly to get help [18:51] where it's needed most. The reality is [18:53] that there are parents who are working [18:54] hard and still struggling to put food on [18:56] the table or cover basic necessities [18:58] with dignity. And that's where your [19:00] support can make an immediate impact. If [19:02] you're in a position to help, whether [19:04] it's a large donation or even a small [19:06] one, every contribution matters. Visit [19:08] kabad.org/coseroney, [19:10] the links in the show notes, and give [19:12] what you can. Thank you. Thank you for [19:14] helping families who truly need it. I'm [19:17] curious. Do you think if if someone [19:18] handed you a camera in 8th or 9th grade, [19:21] your trajectory would be a bit [19:24] different? You would have found meaning [19:26] in something or mentally you just [19:28] weren't ready for that? Uh, well, the [19:30] problem was is that it's like trying to [19:32] stop a giant boulder falling down a very [19:35] steep mountain. By the time I had gotten [19:37] to eighth and ninth grade, I was already [19:40] so done with the system. And my heart [19:43] was already set on chasing certain [19:45] things that I thought would be really [19:47] appealing that like, you know, things [19:48] from the the the not Jewish world that [19:51] looked really exciting to me. You know, [19:53] I would go to the mall and I'd be this [19:55] 14-year-old with uh my white shirt and [19:59] I'd be looking at all these like not [20:00] Jewish kids and it just looked so much [20:02] more fun. you know, guys and girls [20:04] hanging out and eating what you what you [20:06] want. And that lifestyle just looks so [20:10] enticing to me. I felt like that would [20:13] solve all my problems. Like that's where [20:15] happiness lied. And there [20:17] >> lied. Happiness lied. That's where h [20:19] that is so deep, Tubby. [20:21] >> That's where happiness lied. [20:23] >> This could be the hook. [20:24] >> That this is the hook. [20:26] >> Wow. Yeah. I mean, it's hard to blame a [20:29] kid who who maybe didn't feel good about [20:32] himself or definitively didn't feel good [20:34] about himself and and was looking for [20:36] some sense of happiness, validation. But [20:40] I do hear that putting a camera in your [20:43] hands, you weren't ready for that. No, I [20:45] had people trying to intervene like when [20:47] I was like about to drop out for good, [20:49] bribing me and this and that. Like there [20:52] was nothing that would have, you know, [20:54] and I had already met friends that were [20:55] like-minded that were also dropping out. [20:57] Um, kids in the in the neighborhood and [21:00] back then there were like maybe 20 30 [21:01] kids in Lakewood that like were the [21:03] dropouts and we all kind of met each [21:05] other by the pizza shop and uh [21:07] >> back when Lakewood had only one pizza [21:09] shop. [21:09] >> Exactly. So, you're 26. You're making [21:12] good money. You're finding meaning. I'm [21:15] sure your relationships were starting to [21:18] improve. [21:19] King of the Hill. Were you king of the [21:22] hill or not? It definitely felt like [21:24] that. I would say for the first two [21:26] years, I was first of all so focused on [21:29] growing the business and our social [21:31] media was also growing really fast. Like [21:33] in the first year, we we went from zero [21:35] to like 30,000 followers on Instagram. [21:37] >> What year was this? This was in 2018. [21:40] And then by year two, we were at close [21:42] to 100. And then we'd go to trade shows [21:44] in Vegas and people would come up to our [21:46] booth. I love your product. And we'd get [21:48] these big orders from B&H Photo. 50 60 [21:51] $70,000 at a time. Be sending them like [21:53] these big trucks. I would personally [21:54] drive the truck. Like in the first two [21:56] years of the business, I drove all all [21:57] the truck deliveries. I wanted to see [21:58] how the warehouse by B&H looks. I would [22:00] say the first two years, I felt really [22:03] really good. I started getting [22:04] recognition. People started looking at [22:06] me like, "Oh, this guy." And then I got [22:08] a BMW also. Like I I went from my ES 350 [22:11] Lexus. [22:12] >> Take that worker. [22:14] Toyota Camry. [22:14] >> I got an X7. I think it was right when [22:16] like the X7 came out or a little bit [22:18] after. I took over someone's lease back [22:20] when they were still under a,000 a [22:22] month. [22:22] >> And yeah, everything was just like [22:24] company expense, you know, company [22:25] expense. And my partner was a real [22:27] sweetheart. He wasn't taking a salary. [22:29] He was a silent partner. [22:30] >> So I just looked at this business like [22:32] my my cash friend. like I could just go [22:35] out, go on vacation, you know, eat what [22:38] I want and uh not have to worry about [22:41] the money. I've always been a pretty [22:43] spiritual person. So even when I wasn't [22:46] religious for the 12, 13 years that I [22:49] wasn't, I always spoke to Hashem. Like [22:52] I'd be alone in the car and like I'd be [22:54] in pain about something and I would look [22:57] up and I would either say something to [22:58] Helim like a mama Kim or something that [23:00] I know and I would I would communicate [23:02] with Hashem like I you know obviously [23:04] there were times where I felt it [23:06] stronger than others. Um I remember I [23:08] remember one time driving down Route 9 [23:10] going to the mall by myself. I had been [23:13] this was when I was I think 18 or 19 [23:15] years old. I was doing a driving job for [23:18] a friend who had a really nice car. He [23:19] let me have his car and I was like I [23:21] felt so alone and miserable and I [23:25] couldn't understand why. Like I'm I'm [23:27] driving a really nice car, a nice [23:28] Mercedes and the guy needed me for like [23:31] 3 weeks. So I like had it for like 3 [23:33] weeks and I remember like after the [23:34] first week it totally like wasn't [23:35] exciting anymore. So I'm driving to the [23:37] mall and I said I felt very I was by [23:40] myself. I felt very, I guess, [23:42] vulnerable. And I decided to to ask [23:45] Hashem to like I was like, "Hashem, if [23:47] you're real, I want you to show yourself [23:49] to me and I'll never question you [23:50] again." And there was this big red [23:53] lobster LED sign on top of this store [23:56] called Woolly's Lobster. I said, "God, [23:59] if you're real, turn that sign blue." [24:01] So, obviously the sign didn't turn blue, [24:03] but what what did happen is that as I [24:06] passed the sign, I start looking in my [24:08] rearview mirror and I I was like, I [24:11] God's going to do something. Like, I [24:12] just felt it. I came from such a deep, [24:14] authentic, vulnerable place. I was like, [24:16] he's going to do something. As I'm [24:18] looking in the rearview mirror, this [24:20] giant blue square Exxon sign blocks the [24:23] whole vision of the Red Lobster. And no [24:26] matter over my shoulder, no matter how I [24:28] looked, it was blocked by this big blue [24:30] Exxon sign. And I was like, "Wow." I [24:33] felt like he just literally answered me, [24:35] you know, because obviously God doesn't [24:37] just do open miracles, but it it felt [24:38] like a miracle. And then that lasted for [24:40] like 3 weeks. And then I started [24:42] questioning him again. But [24:43] >> you got to go visit the Red Lobster sign [24:46] every 3 weeks. [24:46] >> It's funny cuz my new company's office [24:48] is right next to it. [24:50] >> And the sign is blue now. [24:51] >> It's still red. [24:52] >> Still red. [24:53] >> And the Exxon sign is gone. It's a [24:55] 7-Eleven, so it's green. [24:56] >> Okay, go on. I want to hear more about [24:58] this story. [24:59] >> Because I was always a deeply spiritual [25:01] person and even when I wasn't religious [25:02] for a bunch of years, I would still put [25:05] filling on sometimes once a week, [25:07] sometimes every other day, but like I [25:11] wanted to. I think what happened was is [25:13] that as the success started getting more [25:16] and more and I started having money and [25:19] it's not really that I started having [25:20] money, I started having the image of [25:22] having money. So the company it was [25:24] doing okay. It was doing three four $5 [25:25] million a year in revenue but I I was I [25:29] was maybe making a couple hundred grand [25:31] which is good money but a lot of people [25:32] would laugh at that but for a young kid [25:34] someone in their 20s for me that was a [25:36] lot. It was more than what I've ever [25:37] seen. [25:38] >> Still is a lot. [25:39] >> It still is a lot but for me it was more [25:42] about the image. People looked at me [25:43] like I was a successful guy and they [25:45] treated me that way and I got coveted. I [25:48] think what h started happening a after [25:49] some time uh I started feeling very very [25:53] empty and I think that the the I [25:55] realized I always had this illusion that [25:57] I'd be happy once I make money. My first [25:59] illusion was that I would be happy if [26:01] I'm not religious and I don't have any [26:02] rules in life do whatever I want. That [26:04] turned out to not be true at all. [26:06] Although the first few years when a [26:08] person goes off I'm sure I mean for me [26:10] at least it's very exciting because [26:11] there's so much newness happening. [26:12] You're so busy. But as you get a little [26:15] older and things start to settle like [26:17] you're there's no there's no happiness [26:18] in a lack of discipline. Like one of my [26:21] favorite lines is happiness is on the [26:23] other side of discipline which is very [26:26] simple but you can't do what you want [26:28] and be happy. It just doesn't doesn't [26:29] exist. That's fits perfectly with our [26:32] previous guest Reb David Bashkin who [26:34] talked about disciplined desire, right? [26:37] Controlling desire and the other side of [26:40] that is he didn't want to say happiness [26:43] but some sense of contentment. [26:46] >> Yeah, that was great. I actually saw [26:48] that he has his like 46 36 what's his [26:51] channel 1840 [26:51] >> 1840. Yeah. [26:52] >> Yeah. [26:53] >> It's good. He he they go deep and he you [26:56] know at the end of the day it's it's sad [26:58] that people don't believe things until [27:00] they experience it themselves. [27:02] Especially when it comes to money like [27:04] people say money doesn't buy happiness [27:06] and people keep and and people always [27:08] respond saying well I'd rather cry in a [27:09] Ferrari than a Toyota or like something [27:11] along those lines. People really really [27:14] don't understand the misery that money [27:16] could bring because when you don't have [27:18] money at least you have the illusion [27:20] that money will make you happy. Once you [27:22] have it, that illusion is gone. So, you [27:24] don't have anything to hope for anymore. [27:26] So, you really need to figure out how to [27:28] be happy. Like, for real. And I think [27:31] that that's what started turning in my [27:33] head as I started having the success. [27:37] Again, not millions, but a couple [27:39] hundred thousand enough to enough for a [27:41] single guy living with his parents to be [27:43] able to go to Florida and fly first [27:46] class and eat at restaurants and have a [27:48] nice car and all that stuff. So I [27:50] started becoming really really unhappy. [27:52] I would say 2 years into the business [27:54] and I started I also was getting closer [27:57] to 30. I was like 28 and I I knew in the [28:01] depths of my heart I want to raise a [28:03] nice from Jewish family. Um I think I [28:06] just pushed it off cuz it was a [28:07] difficult task and there were all these [28:09] things I'd have to start doing that I [28:10] was that I had bad habits of not doing. [28:13] So, I really pushed it off. But getting [28:15] closer to 30 started really uh awakening [28:17] me and my inside, you know, started [28:20] talking to me. My conscious started [28:22] really talking to me. So, I went to a [28:25] therapist. Someone recommended me to a [28:27] really good therapist. I wouldn't even [28:29] call him a therapist. I consider him my [28:30] rebi. He got a bra under my extremely [28:34] close with him till this day. Even when [28:36] I stopped seeing him as a therapist, we [28:38] still communicated and he, you know, we [28:40] still he's still my rebby. And uh he's [28:42] just an incredible person who's been [28:43] through a lot in his own life and has [28:45] overcome so much. And I think that also [28:47] helped me really uh value what he says [28:51] uh because of his own experiences. And [28:55] when I showed up the first day when I [28:57] was 28, he asked me, he's like, "What do [28:58] you want to accomplish?" And I told him, [29:00] I said, "When I went off when I was 15, [29:03] I threw away not just not just my [29:06] Judaism, but I threw away all my [29:09] discipline and everything of being a [29:11] human. I woke up whenever I wanted, ate [29:14] what I wanted. I I just all the rules [29:17] just completely gone and it's making me [29:19] miserable and I want to get all that [29:22] back. I want to get my discipline back [29:24] and I want to start, you know, putting [29:26] the pieces of the puzzle back together." [29:28] So he really really he really helped me. [29:30] We worked together for a couple years [29:32] and we tackled every every problem [29:34] individually. You know, quitting smoking [29:36] cigarettes, stopping to smoke weed, [29:39] starting to keep shabas, starting to be [29:42] more careful with different things. You [29:44] know, I remember when I started wearing [29:45] tits, it was incredibly difficult for me [29:47] because [29:49] there were like let's say just for [29:50] example, it's silly, but I would go to [29:52] my local Starbucks to get coffee and [29:54] they all knew me as someone who didn't [29:55] wear yamakart scissors. So when I [29:57] started wearing a Yamaka and sets, I was [30:01] almost embarrassed to go there cuz [30:02] they're going to be like, "This guy's [30:03] such a loser." I was insecure. Even [30:04] though like from their perspective, it [30:06] probably wasn't such a big deal. Like [30:07] whatever. So that was really hard. But I [30:10] I am really glad that like I pushed [30:12] through that because now I always walk [30:14] around with my situs out. I love titus. [30:16] Titus are the greatest deterrent from [30:18] doing a sin in my opinion. I didn't [30:20] understand why it's important to wear [30:21] titus until I started wearing them. You [30:23] will not go into a place you shouldn't [30:25] go if you have big tits hanging. That's [30:27] just a fact. If you do, that's I don't [30:30] know. [30:30] >> You need bigger tits. [30:31] >> You need big bigger tits. You need at [30:34] that point. [30:35] >> Maybe that's the blue light. [30:37] >> The blue light. Oh, hey, [laughter] [30:41] I like that. Yeah. So, I started [30:43] becoming more I got very into the point [30:46] where I bought a guitar and taught [30:47] myself guitar when I was like 29. And [30:49] like I would go everywhere with my [30:50] guitar. Do you see how how your [30:53] impulsivity is now your superpower? [30:55] >> For sure. [30:56] >> Right. [30:56] >> Oh, totally. [30:56] >> You had an idea, you made a product. You [30:58] want to learn guitar, you made guitar. [31:00] You want to drive trucks? Yes. And [31:02] you're going to also tour the factories, [31:03] right? [31:04] >> Not just that, by the way, all the [31:06] rejection, all the schools that kicked [31:08] me out and all the people at the camps [31:10] that told me no. And all that rejection [31:13] of being a kid who struggled and [31:15] whatever, didn't do well. That was the [31:17] greatest thing ever because that taught [31:19] me how to not care about people saying [31:21] no. And I was not So many people have [31:23] these genius business ideas that sit in [31:26] their notepad for years because they're [31:28] afraid of failure. I could not care [31:30] less. I've been I was built for failure. [31:32] Um, and people ask me, "You're not [31:34] afraid to lose someone else's money?" I [31:36] feel bad saying it, but no. If someone [31:39] has extra money to invest, that they're [31:41] taking a risk, and they should know the [31:43] risk involved. Now you you should work [31:46] as hard as possible to make sure that [31:48] person gets their money back and I've [31:50] definitely made mistakes with my first [31:51] business for sure. You know if I could [31:54] go back there are definitely things that [31:55] I would I would have done differently. [31:56] Um but everything happens for a reason. [31:59] But at the end of the day, if you want [32:01] to start a business, you have to be able [32:02] to take risk. And it's like that with [32:04] anything in life, even getting married, [32:05] walking down the it's a huge risk. It's [32:08] everything is uh you know, so that's it. [32:10] But that's where comes into play. And [32:12] that's where uh really really working on [32:14] your your relationship with Hashem, I [32:16] think, is extremely important. [32:18] >> We'll be right back to this great [32:19] episode. We spend a lot of time on [32:21] Kosher Money talking about making smart [32:23] decisions before your money is already [32:25] spent. And if you're building something, [32:27] here's a tip for you. Don't pay an [32:30] architect to learn your world on your [32:32] project. Whether you're developing an [32:34] entire neighborhood, building a school [32:36] campus or a shul, planning an office [32:38] park, or finally creating your custom [32:40] home, there are a thousand decisions [32:42] that need to be right long before [32:44] construction begins. 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A lot of people, especially with AI, [34:09] they have ideas, right? And you always [34:12] hear, "I don't want to share my idea cuz [34:14] then someone's going to run with it." [34:16] and you're on the other side of the idea [34:19] where you have an idea and you run with [34:22] it, right? When you created that [34:25] product, I'm sure it was not great in [34:28] the beginning and you had some levels of [34:32] failure, but you pushed past it. Even [34:36] you're mentioning selling a company now, [34:38] right? And I'd love to talk about the [34:40] company that that you're currently um [34:42] working on and what that looks like. Um, [34:45] would you say that that's a fear [34:47] assessment of of who you are? Not just [34:50] being comfortable with failure, but your [34:53] constant drive to get to where the [34:58] vision originally was to see it to [35:00] fruition. That's that's what pays your [35:03] bills inside. Every entrepreneur, anyone [35:05] who has their own business, deals with [35:08] issues all the time. It's not like, oh, [35:10] you start a business, like you [35:12] [clears throat] sell product and all of [35:13] a sudden now you're successful and you [35:15] you have the dream. Like, it's not like [35:17] that at all. It's actually really the [35:19] opposite because the real problems start [35:21] to come in once you have something worth [35:24] losing. For me to start that first [35:25] business was actually very easy cuz I [35:27] was broke. Uh, I was just kicked out of [35:30] the house I was living in. I had to move [35:31] back in with my parents and I had [35:33] nothing to lose. Um, I had a bunch of [35:36] debt and so for me it was actually easy. [35:39] What got hard was two years in when the [35:41] company was doing nice revenue and it [35:44] was paying my bills and then the fear of [35:46] something going wrong then because now I [35:48] have a lifestyle and I think it says [35:50] somewhere kazal if you have two people [35:52] to give to Dhaka someone who was [35:53] originally wealthy and now poor or [35:55] someone who's always poor you have to [35:57] give the person who was wealthy first [35:58] because that person was accustomed to a [36:00] certain lifestyle so I think it actually [36:03] gets much more difficult I mean look at [36:04] rich people look at people that have [36:06] their own businesses they're almost [36:08] always tense. I'm saying the there's few [36:11] that are not and those people probably [36:13] worked very hard on themselves, but it's [36:15] it's extremely stressful. Um, and it's [36:17] kind of funny because people have this [36:19] idea in their head that money is like [36:21] peacefulness. We are not here in this [36:23] world to have a peaceful life. You'll [36:25] have a peaceful life if you figure out [36:27] the spiritual part of your life. If you [36:29] build that relationship with God and you [36:30] learn how to take all your problems and [36:32] say, "This is from Hashem. This is just [36:34] a test." And you learn your lesson the [36:36] way Hashem wants you to. Otherwise, no, [36:39] no one's here to enjoy. I mean, Elon [36:40] Musk posted on his Twitter literally a [36:42] few months ago, uh, you saw that post. [36:45] He said, "Money doesn't buy happiness." [36:46] Who all those people who said that we're [36:48] right. We're talking about a guy worth [36:49] about a trillion dollars. He can buy [36:51] whatever he wants. And it's just it's [36:55] just sad that people don't really [36:57] internalize that. And it's sad that [36:58] there's so much [37:00] lack of self-esteem and people need to [37:03] fit in with the community. And I I'm a [37:06] victim of that myself. You know, when [37:08] every guy in Shul has nice shoes from [37:10] Tas or Bies or Farragama, whatever it [37:12] is, you're going to feel stupid, you [37:14] know, wearing $40 shoes. It's just a [37:17] fact. But it is sad that it's that way. [37:19] And there definitely needs to be a [37:20] balance. And people need to I think the [37:22] key is to really really work on oneself [37:24] internally. Meditate, you know, learn [37:27] how to love yourself. There are books [37:28] and farm and plenty of things that [37:30] people could do that that will help in [37:32] that regard. basan has been like my [37:35] biggest thing ever. I started doing that [37:37] two years ago. I think it's what helped [37:39] me get married and helped me with [37:41] business and everything because you [37:43] realize that it's it's short and to the [37:46] point bas um and obviously there's like [37:48] a lot of people know Michael Sapi's [37:50] WhatsApp group which is excellent. I [37:52] listen every day but I also read it [37:53] myself. I think it goes in differently [37:54] when you actually read it and I do it [37:56] with my wife. We we do it every single [37:57] day since we got married. Person needs [37:58] to realize that all their challenges are [38:00] from God. Everything is from God. the [38:02] money that you're going to have, the [38:03] money that the other person has. You [38:05] know, one of the lessons in Basil Levy [38:06] is that if two people are sick, if the [38:09] doctor treats the guy next to you with a [38:10] certain medicine and gives you a [38:12] different medicine, you're not going to [38:13] complain to the doctor for giving that [38:14] guy that medicine. That was he, you [38:16] know, you have different illnesses. You [38:17] need to be treated differently. And it's [38:18] the same thing with everything that a [38:20] person has or doesn't have. You know, [38:21] the guy who's very rich, but then has a [38:23] kid who, god forbid, is uh missing a [38:25] hand or blind or whatever it is, special [38:28] needs, you know, they have a whole [38:29] different set of challenges and [38:30] suffering in their own way. And the [38:32] person who is very tight on money but [38:34] has a big beautiful happy family and [38:36] they're always together and there's [38:37] peace and whatever you know that's you [38:39] know that's that's incredible. So [38:41] >> money can't buy that. [38:42] >> No it cannot buy that at all. And a lot [38:44] of times it really confuses people [38:46] money. It does the opposite. It it makes [38:49] people I've been in the homes of very [38:50] wealthy people and they have challenges [38:53] you would not wish on your worst [38:55] enemies. The fights that go on [38:57] internally. the it's just stuff that's [39:01] just so ridiculous and [39:02] >> they they they have or not all wealthy [39:05] people but wealthy people have a [39:07] different set of challenges and and [39:08] often times when when someone shares [39:11] some of the thoughts that that um you've [39:14] expressed someone will say yeah okay [39:16] easy for them to say I'm struggling to [39:20] pay my bills so give me the money and [39:22] then I'll overcome whatever challenges [39:24] and and sure there is merit to that and [39:27] and the point of it is not to say that [39:29] someone who is struggling to make it or [39:32] h is fighting debt isn't in a in a in a [39:36] tough situation. [39:38] But just realize that [39:42] every situation that someone finds [39:44] themselves in isn't always going to be [39:48] blissful. So if Hashem chose that at one [39:52] point in your life, you're going to be [39:54] battling with [39:57] money and and and the swarms say the [40:00] world's cyclical. Everyone has a point [40:02] in their life where they're going [40:03] through that. And it doesn't I don't [40:04] mean to to downplay that, but just [40:08] realize that winning the lottery isn't [40:13] all that it's cracked up to be. Because [40:16] yes, for a short period of time, many of [40:20] your previous problems will be solved, [40:22] but it brings on a whole new [40:26] onset of challenges that not every [40:29] person is able to overcome. So, I think [40:33] part of the message that you're sharing [40:35] and and as I I love when different types [40:38] of people come in and share it from [40:40] their own perspective, [40:43] it allows people that may have been [40:48] through some of your experiences. um it [40:51] resonates more, but also it opens the [40:54] mind of somebody that in the back of [40:57] their head they'd be thinking, you know, [40:58] if I only had a million, if I only had [41:01] $10 million, my life would be blissful. [41:04] But can we make a list of all the [41:06] challenges that come along with that? [41:08] >> I'll say one thing to that, and I agree [41:10] with everything that you're saying. The [41:12] thing that people don't realize is that [41:14] when you don't have something, that [41:16] drive towards it and that curiosity [41:19] about it sometimes is [41:22] is that sometimes helps people sleep at [41:24] night because they're hopeful, that [41:26] hope. When you shatter that illusion, [41:30] you don't have that hope anymore. So if [41:32] a person wins the lottery they when you [41:35] dream of something your whole life when [41:37] you have expectations [41:38] and then you you get that thing and it's [41:41] like this with everything gosh miss not [41:43] just money it's like this if a guy wants [41:45] a Lamborghini and that was his dream his [41:47] whole life I don't know how long that [41:50] that I mean I do know it's it's if it's [41:53] your first time getting something really [41:54] nice maybe two months maybe two months [41:58] that adrenaline I remember my first nice [42:01] I I would be excited to get up in the [42:02] morning so I I could get into it and be [42:05] seen in it and park it backwards so you [42:07] could see the big BMW grill. It goes [42:10] away so quick. [42:11] >> That's why you need a new car. [42:12] >> I'm begging my wife for a Tesla. I have [42:14] an X7. I want to give her and I've had [42:16] it for a couple I financed it. It's [42:18] almost paid off. Like what? At this [42:19] point, it doesn't make sense to get rid [42:20] of it. But I want to give her the car [42:22] and I want to get a Tesla. I [42:24] >> They say anyone who has a Tesla has [42:26] found eternal happiness. [42:29] Listen, I want to be able to have the [42:30] car dry for me and be able to space out. [42:33] >> That's that's that's what makes you [42:34] happy. [42:35] >> Yeah. That's what makes them so happy [42:37] that the swarm say it's impossible to [42:40] not be happy after you leave the car [42:42] when it self drove you somewhere. [42:44] >> Yeah, it's true. [42:44] >> It's brought down in generations. [42:46] [laughter] [42:46] I think if you if you walk away with one [42:50] thing from this episode, it's that you [42:54] should buy a Tesla. [42:55] >> For sure. And we're not even sponsored [42:57] here from [42:58] >> Not yet. Not yet. [42:59] >> Not yet. So, what are you up to now? [43:00] What What do you What What does your [43:02] day-to-day look like? [43:03] >> My car. [43:04] >> No. Um I mean, we have the BMW, but in [43:07] work. [43:08] >> Okay. So, I just I want to I just want [43:10] to continue the story to where I'm up to [43:12] now. So, basically, I started working [43:14] with this my Rebby/ therapist. Uh got [43:17] really started getting really spiritual. [43:19] One of the beautiful things when you [43:20] start keeping Shabas if you have him for [43:22] a long time is that Hashem I don't know [43:24] where I read this but I saw it [43:25] somewhere. Hashem in the beginning gives [43:28] you some extra energy when someone takes [43:30] on a new mitzvah that's difficult. [43:32] There's like a certain rush. I I was so [43:34] connected to Shabas the first few [43:36] months. [43:36] >> You kept Shabas all week. [43:38] >> Uh no, but you know I would start [43:39] getting ready Thursday night. I would [43:41] buy stuff. I would marinate meats. I [43:43] would listen to music all day. I was I [43:45] was high on kabak. Uh Kabak literally [43:48] took my nishama and gave me that dose of [43:52] ykite that I needed. [43:53] >> You'd love [43:55] >> I do love sass. [43:56] >> Yeah, you have that nishama. [43:57] >> I have that nishama, but I don't I don't [43:59] like the weirdness of it. Like meaning I [44:01] want normal people to be able to [44:03] connect. I don't want it to have to be [44:05] like you have to be some guy with huge [44:07] breast of pis and doing crazy [44:11] >> hits us already. So you're halfway in. [44:13] >> Um but no, there's uh many personalities [44:15] in in Svas. I love the peacefulness. I [44:17] love being high up in the mountain. I [44:19] love the friendliness and the love [44:21] that's in the air. I I I there's a [44:24] certain just eerie feeling. It is a city [44:26] of ear. [44:27] >> Hold on. A I R. [44:29] >> A I R. Right. [44:30] >> E E R. [44:31] >> No. A I R. [44:32] >> You said eerie feeling and then you said [44:33] so it's a city of a ear. [44:35] >> Yeah. [44:36] >> Like that's brought down. [44:37] >> Yeah. There's the four holy cities in [44:39] Israel. There's which is fire. Torah [44:41] fire. There's uh Tavaria which is water [44:46] where the our forefathers are buried [44:48] which is uh which is earth and then [44:50] there's air which is cool. [44:53] >> Yeah. That's not I didn't make that up. [44:54] >> A lot of scuba diving. [44:55] >> A lot of scuba diving. Yeah. I don't [44:57] even think it's technically part of the [44:58] >> It's not. It's not. [45:00] >> Okay. So, you're working through it. I [45:02] like it. Everyone needs a a good rebby [45:04] in their life. You found it. We're grow [45:06] I'm growing spiritually asking him all [45:07] my questions and I had a lot of [45:09] questions and a lot of just you know [45:11] like the basic stuff like how do I know [45:13] God really cares if I do this? What [45:15] about all the things I've done in the [45:16] past? How will I ever be forgiven for [45:18] all the sins that I did in the past? And [45:20] I really worked very very slow and [45:22] steady. And one of the things about a [45:25] lot of a lot of guys go off they tend to [45:27] come back relatively soon maybe a couple [45:29] years. I was like a good 13 years [45:32] totally checked out. Um although I was [45:34] spiritual, I didn't see myself [45:36] necessarily like [45:38] coming back in that way. But it was [45:41] really um like I said, you know, getting [45:44] close to 30 and really the the achieving [45:46] the financial success that I thought [45:48] would bring me happiness really started [45:49] driving me and motivating me and I [45:51] wanted to start building a family and [45:53] and be able to get the girl that I [45:55] wanted. Um which leads me to the next [45:57] part of the story. I got married a year [46:00] ago and I met a beautiful girl inside [46:04] and outside at a uh Ura Rabbitson [46:07] retreat. Ura does [46:08] >> Why was Tovi Lambert at an Ura Rabbitson [46:11] retreat? Were you the photographer? [46:13] >> Are you familiar with the Ura Rebbitson [46:15] retreat? [46:15] >> No. No. Should I be? [46:16] >> So, URA URA has uh besides for the KV [46:19] and the wonderful things that they do [46:20] there, um they have something called a [46:22] Rabbitson network which they have uh [46:25] Shatanim on payroll full-time to just [46:27] deal with singles that are older. Um and [46:30] then also people that are out of the [46:31] box. So, not like your mainstream, you [46:33] know, the BMG people, they have all [46:34] their Shhat Khanim and whatever. So, [46:36] this is for people that are working [46:37] people, people that are from out of [46:39] town. So, they do it twice a year, [46:41] winter and summer. They have in the boy [46:42] zone in upstate New York they get 300 [46:44] people singles 150 guys 150 girls give [46:47] or take and they have a big singles [46:49] shabas and they have 50 shhatanim and [46:51] you just get to know people you network [46:53] uh I went on three of them I met my wife [46:55] on the third one my brother actually met [46:57] his wife there my brother's much more [46:59] mainstream he went to BMG so it's a big [47:01] uh spectrum but I started going to these [47:03] things I was already fully from and [47:05] keeping everything and so my brother [47:06] actually met the shakan who introduced [47:08] him to his wife a week later so me and [47:10] my brother both got married thanks to [47:11] them. So, a huge hikarotype to everybody [47:13] there. [47:14] >> I want to pause this episode for one [47:16] second. I want to tell you about someone [47:17] who a lot of people have come to trust [47:19] with big financial decisions. His name [47:22] Shyitz. You probably know him from the [47:24] mortgage world, but that's a fraction of [47:26] what actually does. Buying a home, [47:29] refinancing, looking at an investment [47:31] property, figuring out business [47:33] financing. Sometimes you just need [47:35] someone with experience to talk it and [47:37] think it through with you. Well, that's [47:39] Schmal. He has spent years helping [47:41] people understand their options and ask [47:44] the right questions before they sign [47:46] anything. Don't touch that pen without [47:48] speaking to. So even if you're not ready [47:50] to move on something right now, one [47:52] conversation can save you real money and [47:54] a lot of stress later. You're going to [47:56] do all that research and then find out [47:58] at the last second that this is not [48:00] something for you. You could have spoken [48:02] to Schmool on day one. He is a coach at [48:05] Living Smarter Jewish, which many of you [48:07] know him from there. But if you have a [48:08] financial question or you're weighing [48:10] your next move, go to coachmo.comlsj. [48:15] That's coachmmoil.comlsj. [48:18] It's in the show notes. Schedule a [48:20] conversation and tell them kosher money [48:22] sent you. Everyone, including you, has a [48:25] money question. No matter where you're [48:27] holding in life, you deserve a real [48:29] answer. So don't sleep on this. It's my [48:32] tip to you, Coachell. You're welcome. [48:35] I've also heard of the Shiddik Lounge [48:37] more recently where they have these [48:39] events across different communities and [48:42] it's based on age or different types of [48:46] people. Um it's really cool to see what [48:49] innovative things are being done in the [48:52] matchmaking world. So love that. [48:54] >> Yeah. And it's really nice how also when [48:57] I was single and I was an older single, [48:59] don't forget I didn't start dating till [49:01] I was like 31 because I wanted to [49:03] achieve a certain I started dating at 30 [49:06] and then I realized that 6 months later [49:08] I w I started dating I was like I'll go [49:10] out with girls who don't care to cover [49:12] their hair when they get married or will [49:13] wear pants but are fully kosher and show [49:15] her shabas and you know everything. But [49:17] then 6 months later I was like no I want [49:19] I want my wife to cover her hair and I [49:21] want her to wear a skirt. Six months [49:23] after that, I was like, I want her to [49:24] wear a longer skirt. I started to evolve [49:26] and my my spirituality was growing and [49:27] growing and I wanted and I and I started [49:29] really valuing having a real like good [49:31] from house. Another thing is is that [49:34] because it took me so because I had a [49:35] long time outside of the from world, all [49:37] that pain and those things that I felt [49:39] were forced on me and all those traumas, [49:41] I had so much time to get past that. So, [49:43] I wasn't in a place of anger. Uh there [49:45] wasn't any anger or resentment or [49:47] anything. I didn't get upset when I saw [49:49] yes people. When I was 15, I had a very [49:52] hard time and I stayed in Lakewood. So, [49:54] there was a lot of conflict with me and [49:56] people who I felt like were the enemy. [49:58] But in any case, I just don't like the [50:00] driving in Lakewood. That's it. I'm sure [50:02] it's probably just as bad here. [50:03] >> That's the Tesla I keep telling you [50:05] about, [50:05] >> right? That's why that's why we need [50:06] more Teslas. [50:07] >> Yeah. [50:07] >> So, then I held off dating for a little [50:09] while, but I dealt with a lot of [50:10] rejection in dating. I I would I would [50:12] get red girls that were a little bit [50:16] >> older. [50:18] Um, so they were more desperate. And a [50:20] girl who's 27, 28 that comes from a [50:22] mainstream background might go out with [50:24] a guy who's, let's say, 31 and had a [50:26] past. But then I would get rejected [50:28] after like two dates. I'm very open [50:30] person as you can see. Like I don't [50:32] really have any secrets. Um, so I would [50:36] be maybe too open, share too much or [50:37] whatever it is and then scare them away [50:39] or you know, but then there were even [50:41] times where I went out with girls that [50:42] liked me a lot. Um, and I felt like they [50:45] weren't they weren't from enough. And [50:46] these were girls that went through the [50:47] regular basic system. I just felt like [50:49] there wasn't authenticity there. Like I [50:50] I sat here, I fought the last [50:54] 3, four years to to work on myself and [50:56] to build this genuine connection to [50:58] Hashem and like real love for Yiddish [50:59] and like learning and things like that. [51:01] And it was super exciting for me. And [51:02] I'm going out with someone who's totally [51:04] burnt out and like doesn't have a real [51:06] authentic, you know, relationship. So, [51:09] so that was also hard. Before I met my [51:11] wife, I had gone out a few months before [51:13] that. I had gone out with a girl. We [51:14] went out a bunch of times. Um, I liked [51:17] her. I think I liked more the idea of [51:18] her. Um, you know, a good girl from a [51:21] good background. Uh, she was like out of [51:23] town, so it seemed like a good, you [51:24] know, and and then after six dates, [51:27] really good dates, she just like she [51:28] said no. And I was I was devastated. I [51:30] was ready to get married. Like it wasn't [51:32] about her necessarily. It was like I was [51:34] just ready to get married. [51:37] Um, and boy am I thankful it didn't work [51:39] out cuz obviously like I met my wife. [51:41] After that, I took a few month break and [51:43] I started really focusing on my betan [51:45] and I started doing bas every single day [51:48] and I really started living and [51:49] breathing it and uh I also moved out of [51:52] my parents house. I moved to an [51:53] apartment in an area which is all young [51:55] couples, Coventry in Lakewood. They say [51:58] Shauna Malcolm Sha Mazle. So switch up [52:00] my masle a little bit. I went there uh [52:02] and then 3 months after I moved there is [52:04] when I met my wife on this retreat. 5 [52:06] weeks later we were engaged. You know [52:08] what's cool about you? [52:10] A lot of times growing up we hear [52:12] stories about perfect people. People [52:15] that became gdylm and you can see why in [52:19] the sense that [52:21] they've learned tyra their entire life. [52:24] They've never done anything outlandish. [52:27] They've been focused. Pure sadik. And [52:31] then you have people that may have went [52:34] wayward and and came back. And they're [52:39] for some people even more inspiring [52:41] because [52:43] in some ways everyone has um challenges [52:47] and and times in which they're [52:50] so-called off right from what they're [52:53] supposed to be doing and then to see [52:56] someone like you. I intentionally did [52:57] not do any research. Yako said I I just [53:00] spoke to this fellow you have to have [53:02] him on. And I said okay great. you know, [53:05] he's like, "Okay, there's a money angle [53:06] business or whatnot." And I I'm not of a [53:08] believer that the entire episode or [53:10] every episode has to be about how to [53:12] make more money or or invest more money. [53:15] Um, but it's it's really inspiring [53:17] because I I think if you look through [53:19] Tanakh or or Tomi, [53:22] you you can see people that weren't [53:25] perfect, right? [53:27] >> Relish, right? not not to not to compare [53:30] your situations because you know he he [53:33] wasn't a great person for a a a period [53:36] of his life right he was a robber a [53:38] thief and you look through Tanakh and [53:41] and and know not everything that we [53:43] think is a vera in Tanakh is is actually [53:45] a vera we have to look at that but I [53:48] think it's refreshing to hear that [53:51] somebody that had challenges was able to [53:55] overcome it the the comparison that's [53:58] given is that somebody who is a balchuva [54:01] is in some ways closer to a kadeshbaru [54:04] because the knot the the string was [54:07] ripped. So in order to return you have [54:09] to tie it and now the string becomes [54:11] shorter so you're closer to the end [54:14] source. Yeah, it's very I I appreciate [54:17] you saying that and really that's really [54:19] why I I I was happy to be on the show is [54:23] because I felt like a lot of people feel [54:27] like it's too late to change. It's too [54:29] late to do something. And again, I'm 34. [54:32] I'm about to have my first kid very [54:35] soon. And I could not be happier. I I [54:39] wouldn't change anything. None of my [54:41] traumas, nothing. Again, there are [54:42] things that again I'm not going to say I [54:44] want to go back and do sins. I'm very [54:45] happy with my my lot in life. I could [54:48] not have dabbed for someone greater than [54:49] her. Besides for the fact that she [54:51] >> she married you already. You're good. [54:53] >> No. [laughter] Yeah. Right. Besides the [54:55] fact that she has she compliments me. [54:56] We're very opposite. She's the opposite [54:58] of impulsive. I I got married to her [55:00] with that. She [55:01] >> She hates day. [55:03] >> She hates daydreaming. [55:04] >> Hates. [55:06] >> She's not a big daydreamer. I don't [55:08] think so. Are you? [55:08] >> Yeah. But you said uh she did save [55:10] growing up. So, I got my this is why [55:13] we're a perfect should have cuz I had [55:14] debt and she had savings. So, literally [55:16] this is the the money podcast. No, but [55:18] seriously, we just think differently in [55:20] that sense and it compliments it's it's [55:22] really good. My parents are also [55:23] opposites. So, you know, a lot of times [55:25] it works really well. Not always, but [55:27] but the point is is that she came from a [55:29] unique background. My past didn't mean [55:31] anything to her. She she she was raised [55:33] in Queens Bkarian. Uh her parents uh [55:36] were refugees here. She grew up going to [55:38] Jewish schools, but she's she only [55:40] became fully from at like 17. But she [55:43] also had that mainstream mentality [55:45] because she went to these from schools [55:46] in Queens. So, it was kind of like the [55:48] best of both worlds. She a good quality [55:50] girl. And [55:51] >> shout out to Kazak EMTT. [55:53] >> EMTT everything. Yeah. [55:55] >> Yeah. and and then her whole family and [55:57] then for first her sister became from [55:59] her older sister then she did and then [56:00] now her whole her parents became fully [56:02] from and and show her everything over co [56:05] like so it's it's really so beautiful [56:06] and I'm I'm so and they're such [56:08] wonderful people [56:09] >> but you you you think who am I going to [56:12] get like why would I get you know Hashem [56:13] will [snorts] give you who you need to [56:14] get you'll get someone from a unique [56:16] background who understands you who's [56:18] who's perfect in in the way that you [56:20] need you know and um I wrote a whole [56:23] message to send to the URA people as as [56:25] a thank you. And then she wrote one and [56:28] I wrote about Ara Yakov getting married [56:30] later. My father, my uncle got married [56:32] at 40 and had four kids and and now has [56:34] a grandkid and like, you know, more to [56:36] come. And there's so much. Don't feel [56:39] like it's too late. Don't feel like it's [56:41] done. Like, you know, and uh and you [56:43] know, you're you're above you're above [56:45] tea. So, long story short, we got [56:48] married. I'm kind of in between things [56:51] because my other business the la the the [56:54] the photography one the product one uh [56:56] it the last few years had a bunch of uh [56:59] different struggles. Uh the main [57:01] struggle was that I lost my desire to be [57:04] a part of it and a big part of that was [57:06] because of the level of teneas and the [57:10] spiritual things that were bothering me [57:12] in that business. a lot of the marketing [57:14] we were doing, the ads, the social media [57:16] post, um, and things like that. People [57:18] were tagging us in studios, a lot of [57:20] very notious things. I And as I grew [57:22] spiritually, I really did not want to be [57:25] a part of that. By the way, I think [57:27] that's a great message because there are [57:30] sometimes people will have business [57:31] success when it comes to clothing. And [57:35] in order to sell, sometimes people lean [57:38] into that and someone might remove [57:40] themsel from the equation and say, "Oh, [57:42] it's the business. I have nothing to do [57:43] with the marketing department, but it [57:45] takes a real man to real person to say I [57:50] want to separate myself from that in a [57:52] real way. For sure. And by the way, B&H [57:54] Photo, uh, shout out B&H. They're [57:57] probably the biggest sadikim in any [57:58] business. They employ, I think, 3,000 [58:00] yidden. They give $5,000 bonuses to [58:03] people who marry off a kid that year. [58:05] The owner is the most simple yid in the [58:07] world. He's a a multi-billionaire. [58:08] >> I think he has a flip phone, right? [58:10] >> I think he has a flip phone. drives a [58:11] really old car, lives in a his old bar [58:13] park, rundown house. Um, the guy is just [58:16] totally totally not about the gosh [58:19] world. He gives tons of sedaka, tons. [58:22] And they don't do they're not open on [58:25] Chabas. They're not open on Yantiff. [58:27] They [58:28] >> maybe they want to sponsor if we ever [58:29] make a beautiful amazing brand new [58:32] studio. Okay. No, whatever. Okay. We'll [58:33] talk about that later. [58:34] >> I'm I'm sure they'll they'll help out in [58:36] some way. You know, on B&H also, they've [58:37] helped us tremendously. They've given us [58:39] a big chance on us. We were very small [58:41] when we started and we were not easy to [58:42] work with cuz they would list our [58:44] product, it would sell out and then we'd [58:45] be out of stock and they're very nice to [58:47] stick with us for a while. And um but [58:50] the point is is that they don't show [58:51] anything not sne [58:54] for our listing images that were not [58:56] sneiff enough for them and we'd have [58:58] some guy you know Yi at B&H Photo like [59:00] we can't approve this. So you know and [59:02] they're incredible and they're huge and [59:04] they sell to every major Hollywood [59:06] studio company everybody. They're [59:07] multi-billion dollar company. So, you're [59:09] transitioning out of that business. [59:11] >> So, the the business also wasn't making [59:13] the money that it was and it was it had [59:15] other issues and I could go on and on [59:17] about it. I don't really want to it's [59:18] we're in the process of selling it and I [59:20] I don't want to talk too much about that [59:22] only because it still needs to get sold. [59:24] But I will tell you that the business [59:26] right now is cash flow positive. Um, and [59:29] whoever buys it is going to be very [59:30] lucky. [laughter] [59:31] It just needs someone who can is [59:34] interested in running it. [59:35] >> Are you pitching the business on the [59:37] pod? I like that. We've never done that [59:39] before, but if you do want to purchase [59:42] the business, um there are some suitors [59:44] already, but uh feel free to reach out. [59:47] Should we put your contact? [59:48] >> No, no, no, no. I I don't want to sell [59:49] >> Not for the business selling, but but if [59:51] people have questions or uh uh comments, [59:54] um they might want to contact you. [59:55] Should we put your uh Gmail in there? [59:57] >> Yeah, absolutely. What is it? [59:58] >> It's tvy lmberergmail.com. [60:00] tu v y l e m e rgmail.com. [60:05] Beautiful. Anybody can reach out. Hold [60:07] the wire because the episode ends with [60:09] even more wisdom. But before that, I [60:11] want to ask you, have you ever wondered [60:13] who created Torah Any Times Technology [60:16] or Eastern Union's loan processing [60:18] platform that processed over $50 billion [60:21] or for prompt logistics, which is a [60:24] freight logistics company, but you knew [60:26] that they created custom software [60:28] involving carriers, instant rate quotes, [60:30] and comparisons, and doing everything [60:32] beautifully and simply. Well, that was [60:35] none other than Bitbeam. Stop working [60:37] with archaic software. It's 2026 or when [60:40] you're listening to this, maybe 2028. [60:42] You should get what you want when you [60:44] want at a fraction of the price it used [60:45] to cost because of AI. And to do it [60:48] right, you're going to contact my [60:49] friends at bitbean.com. Links in the [60:51] show notes. It's a nocost conversation. [60:53] You have to see what's possible. Stop [60:55] living inside Google Sheets. Alex over [60:58] at Bitbeam is going to take good care of [60:59] you and your business or organization as [61:02] he and the team have for many hundreds [61:04] just like you. If you've seen what [61:05] Kazdelay's been up to, that has Bitbeam [61:08] written all over it. Go to bitbean.com, [61:10] click on their case studies, click on [61:12] AI, click on their contact, they will [61:14] take good care of you, but you have to [61:16] take the first step. [61:18] >> And there are other things that we're [61:19] going to discuss that are are that I [61:20] want to give, you know, I feel like I [61:22] have advice that I can share to go ahead [61:24] >> uh to the firm world. [61:25] >> We have a few minutes left. So, when I [61:26] got married, um I was trying to figure [61:29] out what to do. The first two months I I [61:32] was literally just hanging out at home [61:34] annoying my wife and uh I had very [61:38] little motivation. I I I I really didn't [61:40] know what to go into and I wanted to I [61:42] wanted to do something and I wanted to [61:44] go into something new and I I really [61:45] didn't have any good ideas. and a friend [61:49] of mine who had this company, Primal [61:51] Crisp, um approached me and asked me for [61:54] help cuz I I have eight years of [61:57] experience in e-commerce and dealing [61:59] with uh Facebook ads and dealing with [62:01] Google ads and dealing with Shopify, [62:03] webs, all these things. He asked me for [62:06] help. Um the product was delicious. I [62:08] was already a buyer, like a consumer of [62:10] the product and I helped them with their [62:14] website. Um, we got their conversion [62:16] rate up 300% in like two days. I redid [62:18] their whole website. Like two days [62:20] later, their conversion rate, conversion [62:22] rate is out of 100 people, how many [62:23] people buy the product? So, if five [62:25] people buy it, that's a 5% conversion [62:27] rate. So, we got their conversion rate [62:29] up 300%. Which is huge. And then he [62:31] basically came back to me and he was [62:32] like, okay, we want you to join the [62:34] company. And they offered me a equity in [62:36] the company. And I earned the equity [62:39] through achieving certain milestones in [62:41] sales, which we broke through very [62:43] quickly, Barashem. but then needed to [62:44] figure out what to do. So, Primal Crisp [62:47] came along and literally just fell into [62:50] my lap. And one of the things that [62:51] bothered me the most was that I put [62:54] eight years of my hard work into that [62:57] other business building it. And it was [62:59] struggling and I didn't understand why [63:01] God would make me work for so long to I [63:04] felt so useless. You build a company, [63:06] you think you're going to exit one day, [63:07] walk away with 5, 10, 20 million, [63:09] whatever, you know, whatever it is. And [63:11] here the company has some of its own [63:14] debt and it has and I'm not making money [63:16] from it and it's got its own problems [63:18] and I'm basically we're trying to figure [63:20] out how to sell it, you know, and just [63:22] get our money back and just pay the [63:24] debt, right? And [63:27] I was just really really frustrated and [63:29] I really really really tried tapping [63:31] into a lot all that I been focusing on [63:34] and really learning the last two years [63:36] and it really helped and it really [63:37] really it helped me feel calm and I knew [63:39] something's going to come. I didn't know [63:40] how, but I really felt that I knew that [63:42] God has a plan. Like I, you know, and [63:44] then this thing came along and I was [63:46] able to scale this company so fast for [63:48] all the eight years that I put into that [63:50] business. I took all that knowledge, I [63:52] put it right into this business, which [63:53] is a kosher business. And people who [63:55] underestimate how big a kosher food [63:57] product could be, I think that they're [63:59] they don't understand the market. And [64:00] I'm not saying that everybody should go [64:02] into the market. Food is not a it's not [64:03] an easy market. But Jewish people eat a [64:06] lot. And there are a lot of grocery [64:09] stores that push a lot of volume. And [64:12] the thing that we did and the thing that [64:14] I was really able to contribute to this [64:15] business is we made it a really [64:17] successful direct to consumer business. [64:20] Majority of our sales like 75% of our [64:22] sales are on our website. And I took all [64:24] that e-commerce digital marketing [64:26] knowledge. We run Facebook ads really [64:28] successfully. Um I don't see many other [64:30] Jewish business doing it successfully. [64:33] Um and especially not in the food [64:35] industry. [64:36] >> You should consult I I have a little [64:38] bit. I The problem is I have a hard time [64:39] charging people. Uh I I feel bad [64:42] charging people. [64:42] >> So you need a consultant to help you. [64:44] >> I need a consultant to or like someone [64:46] to manage. Yeah. You know. [64:47] >> Yeah. [64:48] >> Cuz people ask me for help and then I'm [64:49] like I just talk to them for 3 hours, [64:51] give them advice, and then they, you [64:53] know, I don't get paid for it or they [64:56] need hands-on help and then like I tell [64:58] them I'm too busy because I I am very [65:00] busy running this thing and we're we're [65:01] trying to really really build this thing [65:02] big. But yeah, the product was it was a [65:05] no-brainer. I mean, this is uh it's a [65:08] new category in the meat category within [65:10] the meat category. Um, and it's a [65:13] delicious product. It's it's healthy. [65:15] >> Full disclosure, they they do advertise [65:17] on Yaka's podcast, but that has nothing [65:19] to do with so happens to be that's where [65:22] partly they connected, but um I did have [65:24] it. We do have some here actually the [65:27] the meat chips. Go ahead, tell us a [65:29] little bit about these chips. So my [65:31] other business I a lot of times I felt a [65:33] little bit of like a fraud selling some [65:34] of the products because if you don't [65:35] fully believe in your own product it's [65:37] hard to sell it. This product I I am [65:40] someone who eats it literally every [65:41] single day me and my wife. So like we [65:43] generally [65:43] >> healthy [65:44] >> it it's healthy. Yeah. Don't don't show [65:46] that bag. That's our We ran out of [65:47] packaging. [65:48] >> Oh okay. [65:49] >> Show show [laughter] one of the Yeah. [65:51] [snorts] [65:51] >> How about this bag? [65:53] >> Yeah. There you go. What is that? That's [65:54] chicken. That's a chicken chip. [65:56] >> Okay. [65:57] I had the meat chip before. Chicken chip [66:00] schwarma made with 100% chicken. [66:03] >> Yeah, there's no fillers. A lot of [66:04] companies, they make different meat [66:05] products. They put in like grain [66:07] fillers. This is pure. There's no sugar. [66:10] It's gluten-free. It has every every [66:12] good thing that you could imagine. It's [66:13] >> based in Jackson. Manufactured. Is that [66:16] where you go to work? [66:17] >> It's not made in Jackson. The company's [66:18] based out of the LLC is based out of [66:20] Jackson. But [66:21] >> I got it. [66:22] >> It's made in Connecticut. [66:23] >> So, when should someone eat this? Is [66:25] this watching yo gold's tish above [66:28] video? No, you can't eat on tishabove. [66:30] But you're watching nice kosher film. [66:33] You're snacking on this. [66:35] >> Yeah. [66:35] >> Is this a meal? [66:36] >> It's uh it's 40 g of protein in there. [66:38] It's basically a half a pound of before [66:40] it's two it's a 2 oz bag, but it's a [66:42] half a pound before we cook it. It loses [66:44] a lot of its water weight. So, you're [66:45] just left with very dense uh protein. [66:47] Yeah, that kind of looks like a [66:55] >> I guess you guys will delete it if he [66:56] doesn't like it. [66:57] >> No. Tastes like shwama. [66:59] >> Yeah. Does it actually good? People say [67:01] like falafili [67:03] >> that like Israeli seasoning. [67:05] >> Yeah. We have people that buy a lot. I I [67:08] have a customer who orders $3,000 a [67:11] month of this stuff. They [67:13] >> his house [67:13] >> to his house. Yeah. He gives it out to [67:15] his whole family. He asks people for [67:16] shabas. Gives it out. Obviously a [67:18] wealthy individual. [67:18] >> So you think direct to consumer is under [67:21] underfocused or not not uh tapped into [67:24] enough? [67:25] >> Absolutely. I I think if there's one [67:27] message, business message that I could [67:29] give in this whole podcast interview is [67:31] that there is so much untapped potential [67:34] in [67:35] >> the crunch. [laughter] [67:37] >> Yeah, [67:37] >> there's so much untapped potential in [67:39] the direct to consumer marketplace, [67:42] meaning selling your product on your [67:43] website directly towards people. [67:44] Everybody's used to buying things [67:45] online. We all buy on Amazon. We all [67:47] buy, you know, and there's a lot I could [67:50] say about Amazon, and I I'm not a big [67:51] believer in building Amazon businesses. [67:53] I'm a big believer in building real [67:54] brands. It takes longer, but it's uh it [67:56] pays off. And [67:57] >> it's like people who have their entire [67:58] business contingent on their Instagram [68:01] account. [68:01] >> Yeah. [68:01] >> You don't really own a business. You're [68:03] >> right. [68:04] >> You don't. Amazon's the same thing. And [68:05] there were a lot of aggregators, these [68:07] big companies that bought out a lot of [68:08] Amazon companies. And almost all the [68:11] these venture capitalists firms or [68:12] whatever. They would be buying out these [68:14] these Amazon companies that were doing [68:16] like 50 million a year. They were paying [68:18] crazy numbers for them. And I think [68:20] almost all of them went bankrupt because [68:21] it needs to it needs that behind the [68:23] wheel to run it. And one of the things [68:25] that we're trying to do now is figure [68:27] out a way to build a business in a way [68:28] where it runs on its own. So it becomes [68:30] the type of business where you could [68:32] exit at some point because people don't [68:34] want to buy a business if if if it's [68:36] very dependent on the the CEO and on the [68:39] operator. Um so that's something that's [68:41] extremely important. Um but yeah, [68:43] there's so much potential with Facebook [68:44] ads. I don't know why from I don't see [68:46] other from businesses not doing it. I [68:47] think people what happens is that with a [68:49] Facebook ad that's my strong suit. [68:51] People look at Facebook ads. [68:53] >> Is this an ad? It's probably like an ad [68:55] for them. Yeah. [68:56] >> People look at Facebook ads and they [68:58] assume that people people own companies, [69:01] e-commerce companies in the firm world. [69:03] They try Facebook ads. They spend a ton [69:05] of money, thousands of dollars. They [69:06] don't see any results, so they quit. [69:08] They don't understand how to do it [69:10] effectively. And a lot of times you need [69:12] to try dozens and dozens of ads before [69:14] you have a winner. [69:15] >> Right. Lowcost ads. [69:17] >> Low cost. Yeah. And and that's also the [69:19] thing with our product is like we have a [69:21] certain number, a dollar number that [69:23] we're able to acquire a customer for. If [69:25] that number goes higher, then we're not [69:26] profitable anymore. And also because we [69:28] have a like 50% of our customers are [69:31] returning customers, I don't need to [69:33] make money on my first order. I can make [69:34] it on the second order because so I [69:36] could spend a lot of money to acquire [69:37] that first customer because the second [69:39] purchase is where I'll make the profit [69:42] or the third purchase. [69:43] >> Um, this is awesome. We could probably [69:44] talk for hours. What would be your [69:46] closing remark? something you didn't [69:47] share that you want to leave people with [69:49] outside of uh chicken chips from Primal [69:53] Crisp. My closing remarks would be that [69:58] it's never too late to start something. [70:00] Doesn't matter how old you are. If you [70:02] want to learn how to play guitar, you [70:03] could start even if you're 60. If you're [70:06] still single and you're older and you [70:08] feel hopeless, don't. Uh my aunt has a [70:11] niece who just got married a year ago [70:14] and had her first kid at 48. Don't look [70:17] at yourself as someone who is above [70:19] nature. You're Hashem's child. You're [70:21] above nature. Um, when it comes to [70:24] business, if you feel like the world is [70:26] crashing down on you and you can't pay [70:27] your bills and you're poor and you're [70:29] broke and things are terrible, [70:31] understand, [70:33] really, really, really try to work on [70:35] your buy the Bakan and try to understand [70:39] that the reason you are probably in the [70:41] struggle you're in is because you're [70:42] still suffering. Meaning, as soon as you [70:44] stop letting it bother you and you start [70:46] realizing letting go and letting God, [70:48] that's probably when your problems will [70:50] end. It's the people that are like [70:52] they're everything they're so all the [70:54] time like things are terrible. Maybe [70:56] that's why you're still there. Maybe [70:57] because and I'm not saying this in an [70:59] insensitive way. I'm saying that if [71:01] Hashem is trying to teach you a lesson [71:03] and you're not learning the lesson, he's [71:04] going to keep you in that situation. [71:07] There's a plenty of money. People don't [71:09] understand how much money is in the [71:11] economy. I think there's right now $20 [71:12] trillion floating in the economy. Like [71:14] cash floating. [71:15] >> Grab it. [71:16] >> Yeah. So there's there's enough money [71:19] for everybody. There's enough everything [71:20] for everybody. Your wife, your husband [71:22] is out there. Um peace, love, unity, [71:25] respect. Cut that, please. [laughter] [71:28] No, we're keeping that in. By the way, [71:29] I'm going to end off with this. Um we [71:31] just did an episode on the power or a [71:33] mini episode on the power of [71:34] compounding. The team at Collective [71:36] Kindness put that together and it said [71:40] if you realize the power of compounding, [71:42] if you invest at 20 instead of 40, it [71:46] it's so big. And people get dejected cuz [71:49] they hear, "Oh, I'm 40 now. I I didn't [71:51] start investing." And we wrote people [71:53] talk about the last 20 years as if the [71:55] next 40 don't matter. You're 40 years [71:58] old. You have another 80 years. Start [72:01] investing. Yeah. Right. Watch what [72:03] happens in 10, 20, 30 years. Those years [72:06] matter. So you want to have a tinge of a [72:09] regret, enjoy it, bask in it, but move [72:11] on. [72:12] >> Yeah, I totally I totally agree. I I saw [72:15] that video. It was like two episodes [72:16] ago. [72:16] >> Yeah, [72:17] >> that was really really powerful. Like [72:18] the amount of money like if you invest [72:20] just like a little bit. [72:22] >> Well, ask your wife. She's the one [72:23] investing. [72:25] >> Yeah, my wife is uh she's a big saver. [72:27] She's very she thinks ahead of things. [72:29] She's not impulsive. She she's literally [72:31] she's the opposite of me. Um, but you [72:33] know, at the end of the day, yeah, I'm [72:35] very very blessed and very lucky. Bar [72:37] Hashem, I think everybody is. If you [72:39] really if you if you really really look [72:41] hard, some people don't need to look so [72:43] hard, but everybody has blessings. [72:44] Everyone's here for a reason. Don't be [72:46] jealous of other people, rich, poor, you [72:49] don't know who's walking around the [72:50] happiest inside. You should be jealous [72:52] of someone who's genuinely happy. And [72:54] you should ask them, "How did you get [72:56] there?" Cuz if they're genuinely happy, [72:58] I'm sure they'll have some words of [73:00] wisdom to share. Toby, thank you so [73:02] much. This was a real treat. [73:04] >> Thank you. Thank you for having me. [73:06] >> No pun intended. Chicken crisps. We'll [73:08] see you next time. [73:09] >> Thank you. [73:10] >> What a story. I think one of the most [73:11] powerful things about this conversation [73:13] with Tuvie is that his journey wasn't [73:15] necessarily a straight line. This is [73:17] someone who struggled in school, was [73:19] kicked out, he dealt with anxiety, [73:21] bounced between jobs, and for years he [73:23] felt like he didn't fit the mold that [73:24] was expected of him. And yet, some of [73:26] those very same qualities that made his [73:28] childhood so difficult, his impulsivity, [73:31] his creativity, the willingness to take [73:33] risks, eventually became some of his [73:36] greatest strengths. Toby built a [73:38] successful business, more than one. He [73:41] experienced [music] the recognition, the [73:42] nice cars, and the lifestyle that he [73:45] thought would finally make him happy. [73:47] And then he discovered something that [73:48] we've heard from quite a few guests on [73:50] kosher money that having more money [73:53] doesn't automatically mean having more [73:55] happiness. And you know it's true. What [73:57] I especially appreciated about to story [73:59] is that he didn't stop there. He began [74:01] working on himself, reconnecting with [74:03] his Yiddish kai, developing his faith [74:05] [music] in Hashem, and ultimately [74:07] building the family and life that he [74:09] truly wanted. And I think there's an [74:11] important message here for parents, [74:12] educators, and really all of us. Just [74:15] because someone isn't succeeding in one [74:17] environment doesn't mean they aren't [74:19] capable of extraordinary things. [74:21] Sometimes they simply haven't discovered [74:23] where their strengths belong. And [74:25] whether you're 20, 40, or 60 years old, [74:28] even 80, it's not too late to start. Not [74:30] too late to build a business, get your [74:32] finances in order, strengthen your [74:34] relationship with Hashem, or become the [74:36] person you've always wanted to be. A [74:38] tremendous thank you to Tuvi, his wife, [74:40] for being so open and sharing their [74:42] journey with us. And of course, thank [74:44] you to our incredible sponsors who make [74:46] these conversations possible. [music] [74:48] You love them, right? First, a thank you [74:50] to Kabad for partnering with us on this [74:53] episode. Dozens of episodes already. For [74:55] more than 200 years, Kabad has been [74:57] helping families across Israel with [74:59] food, financial assistance, and support [75:01] when they need it most. So, if you're in [75:03] a position to help, even a small [75:05] contribution, a dollar, $10, $18, [75:07] [music] it can make a real difference. [75:09] Visit kohkabad.org/coseroney /cosermoney [75:11] to learn more and [music] support their [75:13] incredible work. We also want to thank [75:15] coach Schmool Shyitz of Approved [75:18] Funding. We've told you quite a bit [75:19] about him. A lot of financial stress [75:22] comes from making a big decision before [75:24] fully understanding the numbers. So [75:26] whether you're thinking about buying a [75:27] home, refinancing, looking at an [75:29] investment property, exploring business [75:32] financing, or any business decision, [75:34] Coach Smoosh Shyz can help you [75:36] understand your options before you sign [75:39] on [music] that dotted line. Visit the [75:41] link in our show notes to schedule a [75:43] conversation. He is super [music] nice. [75:45] Tell him the great folks at Kosher Money [75:47] sent you. You are in good hands with [75:50] Coachell. A thank you to BF Design. If [75:52] you're building something significant, a [75:54] home, healthcare facility, school, shul [75:56] development, or a commercial property, [75:58] you want an architecture team that [76:00] understands the world you're building [76:01] before they even start designing. And [76:04] that is BF Design. They have more [76:06] [music] than 20 years of experience and [76:08] dedicated teams across multiple sectors. [76:11] By the way, they are super nice as well. [76:13] Check out their work at bfdesign.com. [76:15] [music] [76:16] And you know, you can drop the kosh [76:18] money name, Ellie Langer, whatever you [76:19] want. Also, thank you to our friends at [76:21] Bitbeam. If you're looking for a custom [76:22] software solution, if you're looking for [76:24] someone to build a team to build [76:26] powerful systems with elite talent at a [76:29] fraction of the cost you'd expect, visit [76:31] bitbean.com. [76:32] So much more is possible with AI. Have a [76:35] team like Bitbean in [music] your [76:37] corner. All the links are in the show [76:39] notes, but I want to share a couple more [76:41] resources with [music] you. Living [76:43] Smarter Jewish have already helped [76:45] thousands of families and individuals. [76:47] So, if you feel like your finances are [76:49] running you instead of you running your [76:51] finances, [music] Living Smarter Jewish [76:53] exists to help families and individuals [76:55] get clarity and build a real plan. [76:57] They'll help spouses get [music] on the [76:58] same page. They have coaches just like [77:00] Schmai who understand the financial [77:02] realities of Jewish [music] life and can [77:04] help you work through them. And there's [77:06] no judgment. And best of all, it's free. [77:09] I've used them. My friends have used [77:10] them. Yakov [music] has used them. Use [77:13] them. And best of all, yes, it's free. [77:16] But I also want to let you know that it [77:18] is free. So take my free thoughts. Visit [77:23] livingsmarterjwe.org [music] to learn [77:25] more. I also want to shout out the newer [77:27] or kosher debt help from collective [77:30] kindness. [music] [77:31] If debt has gotten to the point where [77:32] you don't know what the next move is, [77:34] don't ignore it and hope it disappears. [77:36] There is now a resource for you. Kosher [77:38] debt helps [music] people understand
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