The What It Takes Podcast Ep 9: Facts About Living in Israel ft. Eli Freedman
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 The Man Who Ran a Business From His Boss's Office How a $1M Contract Almost Broke the Business The Stranger Who Flew In With a Miracle Solution The Demo Day That Almost Failed Building a Lucrative, Seasonal Empire "I'm Ready to Move to Israel" - The Decision That Changed Everything The Brutal Reality of the Aliyah Paperwork Selling Everything & The Year of Transition The Israeli Real Estate Mind Game Let Go & Let God: The Mindset for Life in Israel The Dream That Launched a Wine Business The War, The Pivot, and Saving the Business The Phone Call From Nebraska That Changed Everything Inside the Cork & Cellar Israeli Wine Club 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/