Leo's Lemonade (Birthday Edition)
Postcard 26
Hi friends,
Greetings from Buenos Aires!
Today is my Birthday — I turn 23. Feliz cumpleaños 🥳. I’m so excited because I have prepared something very special for you. Continue reading…
Quick Update — I just wrapped up a week of Spanish. Boy it was intense — 4h / day for 5 days. Since I prioritize sleep over class, I ended up missing half of them. But I still had a great time and will enroll for a second week next week.
On Advice — As a rule, I don’t like telling people what to do. As I say, “Your life; your choice.” But: I’d like to share some perspectives that really cut through to the heart of the matter. Below are 5 people that I hand-picked because I believe they have a lot of wisdom to share.
These are people that I know and trust and like and admire and respect and have personally helped me in my life and are wildly successful in my eyes and in the eyes of the world. But most of all they are good human beings & can bring a lot of value to you.
I ask them 3 questions:
Please explain what you do to an 8-year-old.
What's your favorite spot in the house and why?
What advice would you give to someone turning 23?
Here we go!
Gidon Rotteveel, 26, Madrid, Website
My Relationship With Him
I like to say I have great intuition about people. I can tell when someone is a little bit .. different. Well, Gidon is one of the most unique individuals I've ever met — you'd have to see him in person to know. I met him last week in Buenos Aires. He and I are working on a project together.
Q1: Please explain what you do to an 8-year-old.
🎙 “I manage celebrities, mostly YouTubers, with all their income sources. That means managing their brand deals, managing their collaborations, and helping them with their videos.”
Q2: What’s your favorite spot in the house and why?
🎙 “My favorite spot in the house is definitely my office .. Why? It’s because I'm really creative when I enter that room and it's where the magic happens .. you know? Whatever you think — you have to put into reality. Second of all is my bedroom because sleep is the most important thing for me (haha).”
Q3: What advice would you give to someone turning 23?
🎙 “Dont play it safe go after your dream don't listen to anyone .. BUT.. people that really know you .. and even with them .. be careful with the advice they give. Write it down. Make sure you write a journal every day with the things you like. Write 10 things down. Every single day before you sleep. And whatever of those 10 things that stick with you after a few months — those are the things you really have to do. Don't go for the stable income. Make new friends. Confront your fears. And travel, alone. ‘Cause that's the only way you can really understand who you are.”
Ako Mega, 50, Japan, Website
My Relationship With Her
The first time I met Ako, I was awe-struck by her authenticity. I've been following her journey for several months now. She lives in beautiful Japan where it's wintertime. I like to say — when I visit Japan, the first person I'd see is Ako.
Q1: Please explain what you do to an 8-year-old.
💬 “I help people learn to be more kind, brave, and have more fun being who they are, and help the places they work figure out how to be better places to work.”
Q2: What’s your favorite spot in the house and why?
💬 “My favorite place in the house is the kitchen. Ingredients become good food become good times! It’s where everyone gathers to make chemistry and magic.”
Q3: What advice would you give to someone turning 23?
💬 “Embrace how wide the world is and how deep your heart is! You are probably the most free you will ever be- no dependents, etc. So- if you’re going to tie yourself down to anything, make it your heart’s desire and nothing else!!”
Karena de Souza, 50+, Canada, Website
My Relationship With Her
Karena’s one of my closest friends. As a Mom herself — with kids my age — she has helped me understand my own parents. I give her a lot of credit for helping me forgive my folks. As a traveler herself, she was the one who told me about Visas.
Q1: Please explain what you do to an 8-year-old.
💬 “Futurist - I create stories about the far future. Then figure out how to have fun existing in that future world. Or how to prevent it by making different decisions today.”
Q2: What’s your favorite spot in the house and why?
💬 “My bed. Great pillows, cozy duvet, and good books.”
Q3: What advice would you give to someone turning 23?
💬 “Make great memories. They will fuel you through life's inevitable down times. Be humble. It is the best way to learn.”
Azul Wells, 58, Nomadic, Website
My Relationship With Him
I first approached Azul when I was stressed about money. I thought since he was a “financial advisor”, he’d be able to help me out. Instead of giving me $500, he gave me something 500x better. A mindset, perspective, & a way to bypass my fears. He was the one who put Buenos Aires on the radar for me.
Q1: Please explain what you do to an 8-year-old.
💬 “Financial Adviser. People come to me hoping I am the next Warren Buffett. The truth is no one is; not even Warren himself (he has plenty of 5 year periods where he underperformed the stock market) … Good financial advisers bring clarity to your financial life … Great financial advisers help clients make great decisions over their lifetimes.”
Q2: What’s your favorite spot in the house and why?
💬 “Favorite room in the house. The kitchen. Memories and relationships are built over good meals. A glass of good wine helps as well.”
Q3: What advice would you give to someone turning 23?
🔗 “1. Optimize on life, not your bank account ➖ 2. Do not fear failure ➖ 3. Build your audience. Attention is the most valuable currency in the world. ➖ 4. Borrow from your future self - The piece of advice I wish I knew and followed in my 20s.” See Azul’s full response here. (highly recommend)
Len Prosseda, 68, USA, Website
My Relationship With Him
I hired Len to be my coach for 3 months. Unbelievable support. But the best thing I learned was that our styles did not match. I like to say — I learned more from him after our engagement than during. Super grateful.
Q1: Please explain what you do to an 8-year-old.
💬 “I help people be the best person they can be. I do that by helping them focus on building on their strengths rather than trying to fix their weaknesses.“
Q2: What’s your favorite spot in the house and why?
💬 “The Great Room is a room where I can sit quietly and read, look out over my little town and relax while watching the fire in my wood stove.”
Q3: What advice would you give to someone turning 23?
💬 “Live in the present. Learn from the past. Plan for a better future. Living with intention today will ensure less apprehension about the future. Prepare to succeed, and you will! Setbacks are temporary. Process the good, bad, and things you can learn. Pick yourself up and move forward from where you find yourself at this moment. You can always make another dollar. You can’t make another moment. Spend your time wisely.“
Hope you enjoyed this special birthday issue! 🥳
Have a wonderful weekend,
Leo A
Happy birthday, young man! ENJOY!!
Leo I loved this format! What a beautiful opportunity to get valuable insight from people you admire all while sharing it with the rest of us too. I know this is a stacked list of Karena and Azul are part of. Azul’s long answer was totally worth the click!