The What It Takes Podcast Ep 9: Facts About Living in Israel ft. Eli Freedman

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Why Your "Easy" Life Is Actually Holding You Back | Facts About Living in Israel ft. Eli Freedman How does a glass restoration entrepreneur from Montreal end up running a luxury wine concierge service in Israel? In this episode, we sit down with Eli Freedman, the founder of Cork & Cellar. Eli shares his incredible journey of running multiple businesses simultaneously, the life-changing decision to move his family to Israel, and how he built a new, innovative company from the ground up just months before the war began. He pulls back the curtain on the realities of making Aliyah—the bureaucracy, the fears, the mindset shift, and the ultimate rewards. From a chance encounter that saved his business to a divine-inspired idea that launched his next venture, this is a story of faith, risk, and relentless adaptation. 💡 In This Episode, We Discuss: ◼️ The chaotic reality of managing a full-time job and a side business simultaneously ◼️ The moment he decided to move to Israel and the "absolute decision" to have no regrets ◼️ The arduous, frustrating, and often comical process of Israeli bureaucracy and buying an apartment ◼️ Why the "easy life" isn't the point of life, and the beauty of a simpler existence in Israel ◼️ The "lightbulb" dream that sparked his luxury wine concierge business, Cork & Cellar ◼️ Launching a half-million dollar business 3 months before October 7th—and how he had to pivot overnight ◼️ The birth of his new wine club, shipping unique Israeli wines directly to American homes ◼️ Practical, hard-earned advice for anyone considering Aliyah: from making a plan to the #1 mindset you need to survive and thrive ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 The Man Who Ran a Business From His Boss's Office 2:08 How a $1M Contract Almost Broke the Business 5:03 The Stranger Who Flew In With a Miracle Solution 9:54 The Demo Day That Almost Failed 11:28 Building a Lucrative, Seasonal Empire 13:52 "I'm Ready to Move to Israel" - The Decision That Changed Everything 16:38 The Brutal Reality of the Aliyah Paperwork 18:10 Selling Everything & The Year of Transition 20:04 The Israeli Real Estate Mind Game 21:03 Let Go & Let God: The Mindset for Life in Israel 23:01 The Dream That Launched a Wine Business 27:43 The War, The Pivot, and Saving the Business 30:57 The Phone Call From Nebraska That Changed Everything 33:25 Inside the Cork & Cellar Israeli Wine Club 38:50 The #1 Piece of Advice for Moving to Israel 🔗 Connect with Eli Freedman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-freedman/ 🔗 Connect with Tuli Kraus X (Twitter): https://x.com/TuliKraus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbird.recruiting/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuli-kraus/