Want to share in the Sweetlife

I must start this blog post by saying our Mom is (almost) ALWAYS right... In life in general, but mostly about her creative business ideas.  My sisters and I are proud to boast that my dad, a successful entrepreneur himself, only had the means to start his own business because of our mother's entrepreneurial success.

I'm not sure if everyone would agree, but hearing suggestions from a mother can sometimes be difficult.  Maybe it's because I'm only 23, with the naive idea to be as independent as possible, but I don't always take Mom's suggestions with as much grace and appreciation as they deserve.  I'm working on it though, knowing that my defensiveness is a whole bunch of interpersonal communication jargon manifesting itself into real life.  I'll address the interpersonal ideas in another blog I started with a friend, Chloe English, called twofaced.

Back to Mom...
Upon returning from a year abroad, she had cut out numerous articles that she thought would be interesting to read pertaining to Soom Foods.  Bless her soul.  That was in August.  I just got around to reading them (mid-November) :) Love you, Mama!
One resonated with me in particular: "Restaurant sweetgreen strikes a chord with Sweetlife festival" by Missy Frederick in the Washington Business Journal the week of April 13-19.

Sweetgreen is an amazing brand.  For those of you who don't know, it is a chain of make your own salads, wraps, and yogurt creations.  They pride themselves on being healthy, sustainable, and happy- active, fun members of their community (same hometown PS- Maryland, represent!).  They created an amazing music festival, Sweetlife, "that speaks to sweetgreen's evolution as a brand promoting not just salad, but a healthy - and hip - lifestyle."  BOOM. What I want for Soom Foods.

Our highly classified (read: unfinished) business plan and branding outline discusses the importance we too place on health, sustainability, and staying true to our fun, hip selves (or so we'd like to think.)  My original hope to launch the Soom Foods brand was through a music festival, emulating the 24 hour Nature Parties I love and are popular in Israel (via India.)  Maybe one day!

In the mean time, I'd love to work with a wholesome brand like sweetgreen; hopefully have the opportunity share in the Sweetlife.  Plus, Tehina is a GREAT ingredient for delicious dressings, and can be used as a sweet and healthy yogurt topping!

A love for Foreigners...

... Or being foreign.

Though several weeks from my last blog post, the international capacity of Soom Foods is still very much a hot topic on my mind.


First and foremost:  Jackie and Omri's wedding was AMAZING.
In the picture to the left, Omri had just broken the glass, a tradition in Jewish weddings that brings memory to the destruction of our Temple, but also announces the marriage of the couple.

Our mother's arm in the air (left) and Jackie's elated face (white dress, center) do not begin to do justice to the joy that followed: the food was delicious, the bar tenders worked (very) hard, and the DJ blasted music until 2:30 in the morning.

But, alas, the wedding is over, and work continues.  While Omri and Jackie enjoy two weeks in Italy, I am preparing for our trip back to Ethiopia and maintaining communication with our options for Tehina production here in Israel.

It is amazing to communicate with people of very different places and cultures.  Lucky for me, English is the international language, and business is conducted accordingly.  The Israeli sales associate at the Tehina plant works for two Arab brothers that started the Tehina conglomerate.  Our meetings are conducted in English, with bits of Hebrew I am blessed to know fluently.  In Ethiopia, all meetings are in English, only surrounded by the Amharic greeting, "selam-no" and good-bye, "ciao" with thank you, "ahmesugenalew" (a-mi-sa-genalo) dispersed amongst the conversation.

I genuinely enjoy spending time and speaking with people who's first language is not English.

This past year was spent as an English teacher in Israel, followed by a month of traveling throughout Europe.  Besides colleagues on my program, my cousin whom I traveled with for a week, and the occasional American I befriended, I mostly found myself surrounded by people who's first language was not English.  For instance, four of my seven days in Berlin was spent with an amazing group of ------>
people from France.  I actually loved sitting amongst their French conversations, deciphering their broken-English translations when they remembered to fill me in.

Why do I enjoy foreigners?  Actually, I think the question is: Why do I enjoy being foreign?
 I'm not sure...  I have the upmost respect for people that conduct business in a learned language; and I'm glad to have had experience in understanding English spoken by non-native speakers.  It has greatly prepared me for doing business internationally.

I'll end here with an example of a sign-off from a friend and work-partner in Addis Ababa:

Have a nice day!