Mentoring truly inspirational companies in Rammala is an honour

4 days in and I discover there’s bacon on the menu in the Movenpick Rammala!! And the chef made a really mean bacon, mushroom and cheese omellete. However, based on the long days, I had started accompanying this protein fest with some mini pain au chocolat and a few cups of very good strong coffee.

Today started with mentoring sessions for the companies that have requested my mentorship and over the last couple days have met some pretty amazing people and companies, some of them are so thirsty for knowledge and direction it’s amazing, perhaps more so are those that then take action and implement what they are learning. Truly inspirational I have to say. If you listen to many successful Entrepreneurs out there, one common thread in their teachings is that Taking Action, is perhaps to most important and hardest step to take. So many people take notes, attend training, read and absorb information. But a very very small percentage of people actually implement their learning/notes or training. A number of my mentees inspired me with their attitude and ‘can do’ approach.

Delivered 2nd presentation today as well which was well received but no water and presenting really sucks! Post presentation I had another 2 hours of mentorship and then a break! Phew. Internet connectivity in the office I was using was also a little sketchy so patience is a must. Can be very frustrating though when you operate online businesses 🙂

We had one last meeting scheduled for today. This was a meeting more in line with the ‘Western’ approach of doing business in a social environment. The meeting was dinner with  Sam from Lionheart Consulting and this evening was by far the most entertaining of my time in Palestine. I am eternally grateful to Sam for offering his tour guide services and taking Scott and I to Jerusalem! Sam is the kind of of guy who you want to help succeed. He is a sales man through and through, and despite having spent a lot of time outside his home country of Palestine, is striving to help his economy by building business to thrive in the Palestinian market.

What an awesome experience – we celebrated Iftar together and talked generically and a little business. As we had eaten our fill, Sam asked if i had been to Jerusalem and if not, would I get the chance. As I wasn’t going to get a chance to go, he categorically told me I had to go. A quick trip back to the hotel to get my passport and we were in his car on the way to Jerusalem. Sam was brilliant, he took us up the Mount of Olives and looking down onto the old city and across the Jewish graveyards was incredible. Then down to the Garden of Gesthemane and the ornate building there. It was late evening so we couldn’t actually get in but even just being there was awe inspiring. Then we actually went into the old city, saw the Dome of the rock, al Aksa mosque, the wailing wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Again to see all the Muslims, Jews and Christians all praying to their gods within metres of each other made me wonder about all the so called ‘religious’ differences around the world. In my mind I thought that the old city was a preserved ‘tourist’ attraction but it’s a fully operational city where Muslims and Jews literally live on top of each other. We walked the city streets on the Jewish side and the Muslim side. I walked the route that Jesus walked bearing the cross (The way of the Cross) all the way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It blew my mind to actually walk in the Old City and just be there.   A truly memorable evening topped off with a very very strong Arabic coffee from a street vendor just outside the Old City. This evening’s experience will stay with me forever, the impulsiveness of the trip made it even more enjoyable and Sam’s tour guide skills are to be commended on every level. Thank you Sam.

A couple of pics below. But I only had my iPhone with me and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to take pictures or not really. So quality isn’t great.