An entire year for just one discovery.
I love writing, but not about ballet.
Have you missed me? I hope so, as I’ve missed you and these writings.
Today marks exactly one year since I sent out the first That’s Jaw Dropping letter. I was very consistent in delivering weekly selections of the best shows across Europe. However, after eight months, something changed. I know exactly what went wrong—I discovered that I enjoyed writing more than I had anticipated. At the same time, the routine of endlessly rotating the same artists from city to city became somewhat repetitive. Please don’t get me wrong: the artists I recommended are among the brightest in the world, and I genuinely enjoyed following them and sharing my knowledge. But I struggled to zoom out and see the broader picture of these selections as a whole.
Another factor was my real life, which shifted my focus. I transitioned from being a curator and art advisor with sophisticated hobbies to an entrepreneur leading a promising creative venture with a team of fifteen people—and a dog. I haven’t attended a single performance since June, and, to be completely honest, I’m not even particularly interested in them these days.
What I am interested in is studying and developing professional skills; learning about branding and the sociology of business; diving into the world venture capital; philanthropy as a soft power; hunting for emerging artists and designers; food as community builder and the hospitality industry; embracing female entrepreneurship; media tech; networking; building a strong teams, nurturing their talents, and helping people overcome their fears; coaching; relationships, friendship, and love; sex and body wellness; and, of course, practicing (?) fashion and read a lot of books.
All these areas excite me and make my mind wander, but they aren’t necessarily jaw-dropping. The discoveries I’ve made are jaw-dropping to me, but I doubt they would have the same impact on those who initially subscribed to this newsletter for event recommendations.
That said, I’m delighted to invite you to continue this journey with me under a new name and with different content. Two things will remain unchanged: my tone of voice and my taste.
REBRANDING - WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT?
New Title: EVERYDAY WONDERS by Miri Nissi
Pitch: A very personal journal about everything and nothing that makes my mind wander, centered around collectibles, cultural lifestyle, and business. Accompanied by notes on sophisticated self-entertainment, relationships, and fashion.
Going-Ons: TJD’s Goings-On will transition into a quarterly booklet featuring major blockbusters and great events across Europe and the UK. This booklet will be paid and protected from unauthorized sharing.
Frequency: EVERYDAY WONDERS will land in your inbox every two weeks, with occasional extras in between.
What Else? I’ve stopped hiding behind a fictional persona. If you’re unfamiliar with my real name and story, please read this post:
I’d love for you to join me on this exciting new journey, but if you decide not to, I’ll completely understand.
The five months of my silence have been incredibly fruitful and productive. I’d like to share three major chapters that have shaped the rebranding of this newsletter and some other significant shifts in my life.
Chapter I: TAAD - International design and art fair
In September 2022, based on my advisory practice, I conceived the idea of launching an international design and art fair in Tel Aviv. Over the course of one month, I developed the concept and business plan. It then took six months to secure my first angel investor—now my co-founder—and eighteen months to prepare for the fair’s announcement and initial sales. Here I gave a bit of historical overview. TAAD is set to open this coming March, and I already have countless ideas for expansion and refinement.
This venture has been a dream come true, teaching me that the glass ceiling is much further away than I once thought. Growing and pushing it further has been an exhilarating adventure.
Chapter II: STUDYING AND LEARNING
Alongside building TAAD, I felt a pressing need for professional growth. I decided to hire a coach—a move some of my friends questioned. My response was simple: isn’t the desire for growth reason enough?
Initially, I wanted to improve my communication skills and prepare for future expansions, though I wasn’t sure where to start. Should I focus on becoming a better negotiator? Strengthening relationships with employees or investors? Or perhaps (definitely!) enhancing my social media presence?
I began with a workshop led by my brilliant friend Julia Vydolob, fashion journalist and a mentor for creators, and asked her for a workshop. That was an hour and half of a invaluable insights. She even redefined my perspective on success, grounding me in the notion that as a “niche sophisticated heroine,” my goals should reflect quality over quantity. No jokes, I’m thinking to take this definition of me further and use it for dating apps bio. She mentioned Aliza Licht and her podcast Leave Your Mark. From there, I dove into learning:
I invested in a MasterClass subscription (the best $180 I’ve ever spent!) and completed four courses in row on topics like career design, communication, and negotiation.
The next step was obvious: Books!
absorbed it all like a sponge. Finally, the coaching industry started to make sense—it works! Following all the advice, especially the insights from Elaine Welteroth MasterClass, I created a Career Masterplan or all the ventures I want to pursue, a Content Strategy, Signature Style Blocks and Zone of Genius toolset.
Career Masterplan:
My Zone of Genius, as it turns out, is…. Strategy.
Signature Style Blocks
I borrowed all the toolsets and experiences and implemented them. For a dreamer like me, it’s an incredible exercise that encourages me to move forward. In the end, I found a great coach who helps me navigate all the daily challenges of being a Founder. Now, I’m a person who has both a coach and a shrink. Voila!
Chapter III: MATTEO
The last five months were dedicated to a new family member—Matteo, a.k.a. Motya. An adorable, intimidatingly smart, annoyingly mischievous, and tender badass Lagotto puppy. He arrived in Israel from Bulgaria at the beginning of August and completely changed my life. No matter how much you expect a change, it always comes on a bigger scale and shifts things more drastically than you imagined.
Discovering each other, we’ve become a great team. It only took five minutes to truly fall in love with him, and I can’t imagine life without him (though I do sometimes miss what life was like before).
By getting such a chic Italian dog, I have to keep up appearances and continue the fashion tradition in our family. Naturally, I’ve indulged in an absurd amount of time browsing online shops for stylish pet accessories.
These past months have been exciting, demanding, and full of growth. I’m ready for this new chapter and hope you’ll join me on the journey.
Happy New Year! May it be the most joyful one yet!
Yours,
Miri
What a journey! And it’s only the beginning.
And big thanks for mentioning me, that made me very happy.
bravo miri!