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Writer's pictureLeah Jones

Falling in love with Chicago again – a brief update from Israel


I’m closing in on a week in Israel. I visited to Dancing Camel for World Cup, beer, comic book delivery and seeing friends. I sat in a cafe in Carmel Market and live-tweeted my day with Ezra. I found a restaurant with an English menu and plenty of protein on the menu. I found a cafe without an English menu and ordered hafuch gadol (big latte). I found a corner with a Cafe Cafe across the street from a Cafe Cafe.

And I shortened my trip by two weeks.

Instead of staying in Israel for a month with two weeks of utter vacation in Jerusalem after ROI Community, I’m going home a day or two after the conference. I cried for a day after making the decision and didn’t see any friends. I’m very sad to be leaving Israel, but very excited for the reason. Now that I’ve told some of my biggest clients and my family, I can tell you.

I’ve accepted a job. A full time job. I need to go home and start my job. Yes, it is an opportunity that is so amazing that I’m giving up my Israel vacation.

It is in Chicago, so dreams of moving to New York or making Aliyah are over. My one foot out of Chicago attitude of the last three years has been replaced with a commitment to the city. Good news for the minyan that I just started with two friends. It means both feet in the city and it also means shuttering my own company.

The tears yesterday were tears of relief. I never expected to shutter Natiiv. Natiiv was going to become a international powerhouse with coaches specializing in different niche industries, but now it becomes a part of my autobiography. Relief over getting out of direct sales and the stress of drumming up business. Relief over making a decision that I started to really consider in March – to find a full-time job, to move to New York, to make aliyah or to continue Natiiv in Chicago.

I can’t tell you where I’m going to be working or what I’m going to be doing. Just that it is in Chicago and so amazing that I’m coming home early and closing my own company. If you know me, you know that it must be really fucking amazing. It also means that I am ready to fall back in love with Chicago, so I’m going to need some people ready to drag me out of the house and get me doing things again.

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