Real Life Superpowers

In this episode we speak with Larry Kim. Larry is the CEO of MobileMonkey, the world's fastest growing Facebook Messenger marketing platform, used by millions of users.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/larry-kim-mobilemonkey-wordstream/

He’s also the Founder of WordStream, the World's largest PPC Marketing software platform, managing over a Billion dollars of ad spend for tens of thousands of customers (acquired by USA Today in July 2018 for $150 Million). He’s a top contributor to Medium Magazine and CNBC. He’s received ‘Marketer of the Year’ awards from Search Engine Land, US Search Awards and PPC Hero.

It takes seconds into the interview to sense just how humble Larry is. He’s super down-to-earth and despite building a very successful unicorn he tells us “I would argue that I did everything wrong, so this time around I’d do the opposite to what I did the first time around”.

His mindset is one of “if you can dream it, you can do it”. It’s clear he’s not in it for the money, for him it’s about the challenge. “I want to see if I can do something twice as big in half the time, or take the company public”.

Despite massive success turning WordStream into a unicorn, Larry feels in retrospect there are many things that he would have done differently and, in fact, plans on doing differently this time around. Some examples:

A total addressable market - creating a software that every business could use. He explained that there are about 100M small businesses on Facebook but only about 5M do online advertising. Those businesses were the potential WordStream customers. This time around he wants his product to have a wider pool of potential customers.

Be crazy. You get the people and the investors you deserve. Be more aggressive and take bigger risks “I like to project big bald visions and I wonder if one of the problems was if I wasn’t bold enough”. His big dream was to be a 100M USD business, he then thought it was crazy and hilarious but they actually surpassed those numbers significantly. That made him wonder what might have been if they had bigger and more strategic goals.

Larry attributes his entrepreneurial success to his mom. She was a piano teacher and as a small kid growing up in Canada he learned everything about marketing sales and product differentiation by observing how she managed her small business.

He went to grad school to study engineering. Being the free spirit that he is it’s probably not surprising that he had a hard time being part of the system, needing to “jump through hoops, dealing with assignments and finals and labs”.

After graduating he immigrated to the US and worked at a software-related job for a few years. He then quit and started his own marketing consultancy business, his first client being the company he had quit, and from then, on one client referred another. “As a 20 year old I was making between 150-200K USD a month, it was pretty crazy I was buying houses and cars”. When he got to about 10 customers he realised this wasn’t scalable, so instead of hiring more people he wrote software to automate his “stupid repetitive tasks”. He then figured that instead of trying to build a scalable business he can sell the software instead. He cold emailed hundreds of VCs and through that got tens of meetings and eventually 2 offers. “Anyone who says cold-mailing is useless, just tell them Larry Kim raised 20 million from that”.

Larry shared with us that his friends and family compare him to Forrest Gump. The reason being that as we’ve learned - he’s autistic. He says that’s his superpower as well as his kryptonite. We find this so very impactful and inspiring. It comes to show that everything comes down to mindset. And wow does Larry have the “right” mindset if there’s such a thing. He’s wired for success and nothing will stop him. He envisions and he executes overcoming whatever is required.

In this episode we speak with Enon Landenberg, a serial entrepreneur, well known expert in the interactive media field, highly sought after lecturer at technology conventions and a featured TEDx conference keynote speaker.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/enon-landenberg-bosco-e-dologic-tedx-conference-keynote-speaker/

The way Enon sees it, he spent years motivating people to spend more money on things they don’t need. In 1998, when he was 26 years old he founded E-Dologic, Israel’s first interactive advertising agency. It was a huge success and in 2001 the company was acquired by Publicis Group SA. He stayed busy but kept looking to do something meaningful with the experience he’s gained that will amount to more than just money. “I was feeling that I want to do something that I’m proud of what I’m doing and not only of the results.”

That lead him to participate and lead various ventures such as managing the marketing of the podcast’s featured non-profit - space IL. It’s in his current venture Bosco that he’s found his life’s mission. Bosco is a mobile app that detects unusual events or threats, and notifies parents when their children might need protection.

The venture is on constant growth with offices in Brazil, Mexico, USA, UK, Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey, Indonesia, Japan and Israel. To date they have 450,000 users, and it’s growing.

Though the company is not yet profitable, this is a great example of the magic that happens when you have a strong “why”, combined with the right team, all aligned around one vision. The app is contagious and anyone listening will most likely agree, it’s one of those products that’s in the right place, at the right time solving a need that any parent has. In a value based economy, this is the upmost example of a win-win venture.

We discuss:

- Parenthood in a digital era, how the internet shifted the position of parents in the house.

- How the concept of privacy has changed these days.

- Being an employee vs. an entrepreneur.

- The stress of an entrepreneurial life.

And much more...

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website

In this episode we speak with Amit Menipaz, former Vice President of eBay global.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/amit-menipaz-former-vp-ebay-global/

At eBay Amit led global product transformations to understand eBay's inventory, simplify selling experiences and build new buying and personalization platforms and experiences by leveraging big data, AI/machine learning, computer vision and a world class team located across the US, Europe and Israel. He also co-authored an academic textbook about International Business that is used in Business schools around the world.

Amit experienced different cultures his entire life. Being a bit of a chameleon and assimilating into a new culture is almost second nature to him. He’s used to walking in and out of different worlds. He was born in Israel, when he was about 18 months old the family moved to the US and kept relocating to a different city or country roughly every 3 years. This wasn’t easy on him but taught him two major life lessons that we can all lean on:

1. Not to be afraid of change - everything is a learning opportunity with the right attitude.

2. There’s no such thing as normal - don't assume you are right, be open minded.

He finished his first (engineering) degree in Canada, moved to Israel where he managed trade negotiations between Israel and Canada. In between he was involved in founding a startup in online content management and worked at consulting firms such as Deloitte and later A.T.Kearney in England. He wanted to go to MBA school in a place where he would be a minority so he moved to France to do his second degree at the prestigious INSEAD. “I find it fascinating to learn how other people think.''

And indeed he’s become an expert on understanding how people think. When working at eBay he led the acquisition of several startups in Europe and Israel for the US based Fortune 500 company. His vast toolkit of skills and global experience helped him identify valuable opportunities and leverage them. He shared what he looks for when searching for a company to buy and how entrepreneurs can wisely craft an exit strategy that’s inline with the need of a larger corporation. However he in no way advocates approaching a negotiation with a stated goal of an exit: “Nobody wants to buy a business that wants to get out of the business ...the most productive and successful acquisitions have always begun as a business partnership”. And what makes a business partnership successful? Amit stresses the significance of trust and shares the following formula:

Trust = (capability*reliability)/self interest

Capability - you have to know what you’re doing, be excellent at your area of expertise.

Reliability - you have to keep your promises. “Unfortunately the startup is in a situation where the big company doesn’t always keep his promises but that’s no excuse for you not to. You’re very much judged on that.”

Self interest - it’s not about the exit it’s about your product or service. Add value. Be great. Find a way to help the company you want to sell to further their strategy by collaborating with you.

We talked about Amit’s own sense of responsibility once he takes on a project and how he has learned to navigate stress.

Amit feels his superpower is his powerful imagination, when he believes in an idea it becomes very real to him. Once it becomes real he walks around and the whole world needs to interact with it, and this draws people and ideas and resources.

Towards the end of the interview Amit quotes from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. “Don’t worry about being successful, worry about being useful”. This mindset is what has led him to his greatest achievements. What wonderful words to live by.

Be sure to listen to the whole episode for many more insights and insider tips from “within the system”.

In this episode we speak with Matan Berkowitz. Interdisciplinary artist, award winning inventor, entrepreneur, Forbes U30, TED speaker.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/matan-berkowitz-entrepreneur-forbes-u30-ted-speaker/

Matan is very self aware and is fueled by a passion to make a real sustainable difference in the world. It’s reflected in everything that he does. From founding a company called Shift, where he worked on creating impact-driven innovations, focusing on developing solutions for people with disabilities. To sharing his unique visions by giving talks and performing in front of large audiences, trying to leave people with a sense of ownership over their lives in stages that include TED, Google, Microsoft and Forbes. To his current project where he’s working to enable tongue driven operating solutions. Matan is determined to actively effect people positively and to do things that are larger than himself (or any one being for that matter).

Matan describes the mindset that lead to what he calls falling down the rabbit hole of doing his current project “I know everything is possible deep inside. We can make pretty much anything happen given enough x and y. I believe reality is this bendable, tweak-able matrix-like lucid dream. And I think once you take it out of the comfort zone of ‘can I be a musician/astronaut/something that I want to be. Can I tweak reality to get what I want? What does reality NEED that I can perceive or believe that I can help with?’. It’s not about thinking about the things that are impossible, you think ‘oh this is something that can potentially be done, that can help people, maybe I’ll checkout how to do it’”.

We talk about finding the sweet spot between your passion - what you would do without being paid, without being asked, and what you can SEE and FEEL that the world around you needs.

It’s evident that his superpower is turning ideas into reality quickly and effectively. Checkout the full interview to learn more about his perceptions and how you can also positively bend reality to align with your biggest dreams and aspirations.

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website

In this episode we speak with Tal Zubalsky, Co-founder and CPO of Eko (previously Interlude) - the only streaming service in the world where stories are shaped by viewers as they unfold.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/tal-zubalsky-eko-formerly-interlude/

Eko is a mini-cosmos where any series of choices that people make affect the outcome of the plot. The story of how the company was founded and got to where it’s at today is no different.

Tal’s background is creative. He studied animation in Tel Aviv, and was part of a music band, together with the rest of his Co-founders. It all started when the band members wanted to create a music video for their audience that would be original and different. They created an interactive video, got great feedback and realized they may be onto something big.

From very early on Tal and his co-founders weren’t afraid to take risks. Before they had any technology they pitched to the Israeli version of American Idol and committed to creating an interactive video for the show. When getting a “yes” they then had a very short time frame to deliver. This risk paid off - they were able to create what they had promised and were then ready to turn this into a real business.

Talk about “overnight ten year success” - for a while, they worked on this as a side project and didn’t go all in. Tal had another startup and the rest of the team also had other projects they prioritized. Once they tested the waters enough they gained confidence and made the life changing choice of dropping everything else that they’re doing and focusing on this project solely. For Tal this meant having to leave another startup that he had founded. As in any good story, the startup he left become very successful. No regrets though, Tal didn’t make a bad choice in his storyline - to date Eko has raised over 70 million dollars and has super high level investors on board such as MGM Studios, Intel and Samsung.

The Eko team has been keeping a very agile approach along the way, pivoting and changing business models as they evolved into what they are today. There’s much to be learned from their agility and resilience. They’re driven by passion to bring a new medium to the world. Tal describes their journey as a roller coaster ride. “10 years in, it’s the craziest it’s ever been, being an entrepreneur is NOT easy”.

Now a company of 80 people, one of his main insights is that as a growing startup you don’t necessarily have to hang onto the culture that you had when you set off. The key is to evolve and to constantly learn and improve how you communicate and how you set processes.

When you surround yourself with people who share the same mindset, the “how” is adjustable. And how do you find the right people? In order to assess a good fit, a cool tip Tal shared is to start out with hiring people as contractors and test out how you work together. If things don’t work out it’s much less painful that way.

Another fascinating point in the interview is learning how the dots and previous experiences in life connect. Tal and his co-founder Yoni, struggled writing down the core values of the company. They resorted to asking themselves what the core values of their mutual band are. This was easier for them to answer and through that they created the values of Eko - in their special way they ended up writing this as a poem they called “We Are All Artists”.

There are many more gems in this interview such as Tal’s 3 golden rules for succeeding in making a product that works.

We hope you enjoy your listen. We really ARE all artists.

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

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In this episode we speak with Kfir Damari, COO of Tabookey and Co-Founder of Space IL.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/kfir-damari-space-il-tabookey/

Kfir made history by founding a company that is the first private organization to ever reach the moon! It’s a bitter sweet achievement because the official goal was to soft land on the moon, making Israel the fourth nation in the world to do so. But as life (or physics) would have it, Beresheet, the lunar lander that the team built, failed to do so and crashed on the moon at a speed of 1km per second (making Israel the 7th nation to orbit the moon).

Failure is a funny word to use in this respect for reasons that are self explanatory. But above all, the high level goal of the mission was to create an effect similar to the Apollo effect that will inspire younger generations to go and study science and technology and to set moonshot goals for themselves.

In order to do that Kfir and his team spent years visiting schools across Israel, giving talks to kids, telling them the story of Space IL. As the venture progressed more and more volunteers joined this mission and the educational aspects of the project became the core values of it (and its true success). To date they’ve reached more than a million kids.

There’s a lot to be learned from Kfir’s mindset. We asked him what set his heart to go for the project. He said “it was mainly that it was an impossible mission”. He wanted to do something bigger than life. To make an impact. To take an impossible mission and show that it’s possible.

We discuss:

• How Space IL started

• Why it’s so difficult to land on the moon

• Persistence - it took Kfir and his team about 24 hours to announce they’re going to try again

• The non-material rewards of solving a problem of such magnitude and the motivations for taking on such a challenge

• Why founders are like stem cells

• The importance of asking a lot of questions and speaking out

• Kfir’s current venture Tabookey and its super original value proposition (that can potentially disrupt how companies do business with end users)

Much more!

The Apollo effect spun-off a host of inventions that permeate the US economy (and probably the global one) to this day. It’s fascinating to see what the Beresheet effect will yield, what the future holds for Space IL’s second stab at the impossible, and what Kfir will do next on his overall mission to make a dent in the universe.

We hope you enjoy your listen

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website

In this episode we speak with Mari Smith. Mari is a world class expert on relationship marketing.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/mari-smith/

She’s one of the world's leading social media thought leaders, a bestselling author, keynote speaker (she frequently shares the stage with notable leaders and celebrities including Sir Richard Branson, the Dalai Lama, Tony Robbins, Guy Kawasaki, and Paula Abdul), she was named a top social media power influencer by Forbes ...and the list goes on.

In a world where the only constant is change, Mari helps millions of marketers and businesses focus on proven evergreen strategies. We cover some of those, for example:

It will never go out of style to provide amazing customer service. What’s changing is the technology and delivery mechanism. Businesses will always need to have clear brand guidelines, trained community managers and customer service reps.

Basically, Mari says that the evergreen formula is to produce great content, engage with people in the way in which they want to engage and then convert them by clearly inviting them to do business with you.

Mari is no stranger to hustling and building a business from the ground up. She wasn’t born into financial wealth. Her parents got divorced when she was a young girl, after which she moved to Scotland with her dad and 4 sisters. In Scotland she always felt she was missing out on the action going on in the big city life. She spent the first years of her career working admin and sales jobs. Her internal compass always pointed to computers and people - and she followed it. But she wasn’t fulfilled and wanted to do bigger things.

She planned to open her own business in Scotland and spent an entire year working on that business. She even started to get some clients. Yet as serendipity had it, she bumped into a long lost friend who invited her to immigrate to San Diego. Although she was flat broke, she bravely decided to listen to her heart, packed up her belongings and set off on a journey to open her (now mega successful) business in the US.

We spoke about the distinction between knowing and believing. Mari says believing can be great but then doubts can creep in or maybe you borrow someone else’s beliefs until you have your own. Knowing, however, is visceral. It’s just that. When you know you have no doubt.

We also spoke about the power of networking. On top of the importance of “who you know”, she stresses the importance of who knows YOU. Who can make introductions for you. Who will recommend you. And how do you stand out and get remembered? By giving selflessly and adding value.

We cover many more topics to do with self fulfillment, growth, awareness, mindfulness, peak performance and satisfaction (the latter which as humans we tend to rarely feel).

Mari is inspiring, humble and fascinating. This is a must listen for any person aspiring to become a better version of themselves whilst staying true to themselves. We hope you enjoy your listen!

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Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website

In this episode we speak with Chef Guy Vaknin, a vegan entrepreneur, owner of Beyond Sushi - a NY Sushi Chain that currently serves over 2 million people.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/guy-vaknin-beyond-sushi/

Guy had a lot of experience working various jobs in the restaurant business. But before going all in he enrolled in college to study computer engineering. Then, like many entrepreneurs we speak with, the college system didn’t feel right and he dropped out after 3 months. In his unique case, his father, who was already in the business, encouraged him to drop out and join him in business.

6 years later, after working alongside his dad, who enabled and empowered him to fail and experience the real world, he felt ready to open up his own business and Beyond Sushi came to life. He realised there’s business potential in the vegetarian food business and despite most people around him telling him he’s insane, he took all his money, loaned more from his father and invested it all, fully believing in his idea. When he opened the first restaurant he had 1000 USD left in his bank account, it HAD to work or else he’d have to close and go back to working for his father.

Guy says that when you’re unique you draw attention. It’s then a matter of executing at a high level. He’s referring to the restaurant industry but we think this can be applied in all industries.

He’s a master at pitching. Not long ago he was on Shark Tank and got the sharks to invest 1.5 million dollars for 15% in Beyond Sushi and 30% in another business he’s working on. He shares insider tips on how to pitch. Among other things he says it’s important to show business potential and back it up with numbers “the numbers don't lie”.

He knows how to combine creativeness with pragmatism, listening to him can be very inspiring for creatives trying to figure out how to ground their passion.

We hope you enjoy your listen.

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website

In this episode we speak with Jordana Guimaraes, co-Founder and PR director of FASHINNOVATION, a startup that is the fashion world’s version of TED. An intersection between the fashion industry and the technology industry.

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/jordana-guimaraes-fashinnovation/

Jordana is fearless, she calls herself a “wild-spirit”. After high-school she decided not to take the college path and started experimenting with different jobs. For each job she figured out what the rules of the game are and then reached a level of performance that got her praises. But she was bored quickly.

At the age of 23 she wanted to find a job that would “stick” and she’d be passionate about. She went to Barnes & Noble, found an encyclopedia of “all jobs” and stumbled upon PR. It resonated and so she bought and read “PR for dummies”. She tells us how from that starting point she landed a dream PR internship working with tier-1 brands, and how as soon as she understood the PR world’s basic she proceeded to opening her own PR firm. In addition, she’s a philanthropist. She’s publishing her first book this month. It’s called “It can be you” and the goal of it is to give a face to homelessness. All profits from the book will go to charity.

Jordana is a real inspiration. She provides TONs of self fulfillment tips and tips on how to turn dreams into a reality.

She says that getting the right person on the phone and then creating rapport with them is like a game. She says you can’t speak to everybody in the same way. You have to adapt their energy into yours and you have to do the research before, in order to be able to conduct an informed conversation. Then, once you get the job (or close the sale for that matter), even if you don’t know exactly how to deliver, you can learn along the way as all knowledge is out there for you to google.

It’s all about humanizing situations.

We discuss the power of persistence, the importance of not being afraid of getting turned down, how failure is inevitable, the importance of having “life cheerleaders” and much much more.

Be sure to checkout the full interview. For more inspiration follow Jordana on Instagram @aclbyjojo

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website

In this episode we speak with Ishay Green, a serial entrepreneur and investor after 2 exits (and 2 secondary exits - don’t worry he explains what that means).

Listen on RealLifeSuperPowers website: https://reallifesuperpowers.com/podcast/ishay-green-soluto-onigma-spot-im/

Ishay seems to have figured out the formula for making money, or as he calls it “he sees the machine”. We talk about what he looks for when considering investing in a startup. What differs between startups that have figured out the money machine and those that haven’t. And what this all has to do with “the Uber napkin”.

We asked Ishay how come he sold companies with a clear potential to make him a billionaire. He answered that the amount of money that you need is equal to the force you want to apply on the world. He feels he has enough money to retire so he can afford to focus on creating the impact he wants on the world.

We talk about the role of the CEO in a startup - Ishay believes the CEO is the king of the company with almost limitless powers.

He shared that in retrospect, he feels that had he been the CEO in companies he’s sold, he could have led them further than the point he was able to without the powers of the CEO.

Ishay believes that the chances of creating a billion dollar startup nowadays are against entrepreneurs. He explains why and what it has to do with the “frequency graph”. Hint: you’d need to create a new heroin in a world where heroin already exists.

We talk about the scary brainwashing process we’re all exposed to as a society. Through online platforms, a few large companies are basically controlling our brains and decision making processes. Ishay backs this up with data from an academic research that has yet to be published but proves this isn’t fiction. It’s real and none of us are above it.

Checkout the full interview and enjoy your listen

Zooming out, if you like listening to this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss new conversations with peak performers, serving as a reminder we can all tap into the best versions of ourselves.

You’re also welcome to follow Ronen and Noa on Linkedin

• Ronen Menipaz on Linkedin

• Noa Eshed on Linkedin

And if we may ask for a favor - please leave us a review on your native podcast app.

Some further resources:

• Real Life Superpowers podcast on Ctech

• The podcast website