Writings on the Wall
If, like me, you come from a world with no entrepreneurial role models, you must be your own coach.
If everyone around you works 9–5, but you dream of building your own path, you need a fresh perspective.
To see life from the mountain top, you must carve your own way.
Over the years, I wrote ideas on my wall—some famous quotes, some my own insights.
Every challenge brought a mental realization, condensed into a few words of wisdom. I call them my writings on the wall: reminders of where I was, and where I want to go.
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They don’t call us by the name, they call us entrepreneurs (2017)
Call yourself using the words that reflect how you want to be seen and how you want your identity to be.
Work on my story
Focus on your own story and forget the rest. Work on your personal story—work on your movie.
Next Level
Go to the next level. Don’t stay where you are—go higher. Aim higher.
Just Do It
It’s the slogan of the world’s most famous apparel company. Don’t get stuck in theory—go out and do it. That’s what separates winners from losers.
OUT – Work, Strategise, Perform, Last
Years ago, when I attended a business conference in Dallas, Texas, one of the main slogans was: Outwork, Outstrategize, Outperform, and Outlast the Competition.
At the end, success will speak for itself (2019)
Too often, we worry about what others think of our actions. But we don’t need to say much—success will speak for itself.
Sales is King (& like sports)
In business, it’s mostly about sales. The one who maintains customer relationships owns the business. Usually, if your company has problems, sales is the answer. No great company or success exists without selling. Selling is very difficult—perhaps the hardest part—because you often hear nine “no’s” before one “yes.” Most people can’t handle rejection. Once again, sales is king.
Vision → Strategy → Share with people
First, you need a vision—a vision of a reality that doesn’t exist yet. Find a new, better way of doing things. From this vision, develop a concrete strategy—a plan of what to do and where to go. Third, share it with people. Build a strong team, because success is a team sport; no one makes it alone. Vision, strategy, team—then go for it.
Risk → Reward
There’s no simple way to achieve great things. Always remember: risk is linked to reward. If you want a comfortable, conformist life, achieving greatness is impossible. You must accept significant risk to reach the reward—that’s how the world works.
2020 = year of Marketing
In 2020, I decided it would be a year of marketing. If sales is pitching a product or service to an individual, marketing does the same on a larger scale. To excel in marketing, you must know how to tell a story. Life itself is a story—our brains have evolved to understand the world this way. Learn to tell stories, often through video in today’s digital world. Marketing is crucial: study competitors, explore other industries, and craft your unique story to show why you matter and why your existence is important.
Moment. Focus. Just Do It ✔
Too often, we get lost in the chaos of the situation at hand. When overwhelmed by thoughts or countless tasks, ground yourself, focus, and just do it.
Nervous? = Reason? → People did greater things without it.
When I feel nervous, I use a mental model to cope. I ask myself why I’m nervous and then explain it to myself. Usually, this reduces nervousness. I also remind myself that people have accomplished far greater things without feeling this level of nervousness, which usually calms me down.
Intelligence is a Commodity → Wisdom comes from Failure
Sometimes we think we need to know it all, but that’s not true. Intelligence—the knowledge to perform tasks—is a commodity you can buy. But true wisdom, knowing why to do something and where it leads, comes only from failure. You must act in the real world and learn from mistakes. As my friend says: sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
Nihil timendum est
That’s the Latin proverb. It means “Fear nothing.”
Creation > Consumption
There are two types of behavior: consumption and creation. Too often, we get stuck in consumption—focused on what to buy or experience. True wealth comes from creation. Instead of asking what to buy, ask what you can contribute, what you can create. We must become creators.
Past < Future < Now
It’s easy to get trapped in past stories we’ve created to explain why things happened. We can become prisoners of past fears. At the same time, we worry about the future and what might happen. The past and future matter, but the most important is the present—the now. Today is a good day to have a good day.
Syndrome = Engineer’s disease
“Engineer’s disease” is a dangerous syndrome—getting stuck perfecting something before showing it to others or the market. Don’t trap yourself in endless refinement. Go out as soon as possible and test your product or service because the market is the ultimate judge. Even a mock-up or presentation can reveal market interest before a real product exists. Beware of engineer’s disease.
A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits. (R. Nixon)
An amazing quote from a former U.S. President—completely self-explanatory.
Force of Nature
Have you ever felt, on a warm summer evening, a storm forming—before lightning, before thunder—just the strong wind and the change in nature all around? There’s no escape. In the same way, you must become a force of nature, a beautiful creation of the universe. Don’t let yourself be anything less than a storm.
Network (like Harvard Business School)
Ivy League schools excel at teaching students to master networking. That’s why most graduates become successful—they truly know how to connect.
Fearless = Heart of a Hustler (2023)
50 Cent said it best in his book: “Be fearless and have the heart of a hustler.” It’s self-explanatory.
Breath, Hakuna Matata
It means no worries for the rest of your days—a problem-free philosophy: Hakuna Matata. We worry too much and should listen to this beautiful song more often. Breath.
Difficult = default, Impossible = take little more, Miracles – on request
Three words that hold us back: overthinking, sabotage, and procrastination. Stop overthinking—you already know enough; now execute. Stop self-sabotage—it’s usually you, not circumstances, holding you back. Stop procrastinating—the best time is now. Do it. Now.
Stop Overthinking – you already know enough… now just execute, Stop Self-sabotage, Stop Procrastinating – do it now.
Three words that hold us back: overthinking, sabotage, and procrastination. Stop overthinking—you already know enough; now execute. Stop self-sabotage—it’s usually you, not circumstances, holding you back. Stop procrastinating—the best time is now. Do it. Now.
They say they do it, like I do it with no mask on
Be authentic and real—don’t hide behind a facade or pretend.
Slave = Fear → Leader = Freedom
Fear and freedom—two great opposites. If we’re born into fear, it’s our duty to move toward freedom. A slave mentality is ruled by fear, but to be a leader, we must embrace freedom and become fearless. Being fearless doesn’t mean living without fear; it means not letting fear control you and being willing to conquer it to live freely.
Idea of Unrealized Dreams (Stallone)
One of the greatest movies, in my opinion, is Rocky. Stallone’s main idea in life was his obsession with unrealized dreams—he feared living without fulfilling them. So, live fully and go after your dreams. “If you think winning is pricey, wait until you get a check for regrets.”
Life is a daring adventure, or nothing at all.
Self-explanatory.
COURAGE, OM, 🙂
Three ideas: First, have courage to do what matters and fills your life with joy and pride. Second, relax, letters O and M remind you of that. Use them in meditation while exhaling to stay calm. Third, smiley face—stay positive, happy, funny, and cheerful.
In the Times of AI→ REAL ACTION matters the most
In the age of AI, real action matters most. Even if AI handles intellectual tasks, true distinction comes from real-world action: distributing pamphlets, calling people, presenting offers, and speaking up—actions AI can’t replace.
Speed = Relative → you can do order of magnitude faster
When we think about speed, we estimate tasks—two months, three weeks—but speed is relative. You can go orders of magnitude faster by focusing on the most impactful.
Most Important is how You Speak with Yourself 💜
No dialogue in your life is more important than the one happening in your head. How you speak with yourself is crucial. Be your best friend. Watch how you treat yourself in these inner conversations. Be gentle, supportive, and encouraging. Be your best coach, your best everything, because the voice in your head shapes everything—how you interact with the world and what your life becomes. And remember, it’s all a story. The way you tell your story to yourself is not just important—it’s everything.
Find a Best Buddy and be a Friend to Them.
Your life partner should be your best buddy. Soul mate. Period.
Love, love all people, because the sooner you love, the sooner you will be loved too.
An old Slovenian song teaches a fundamental truth about life: karma. Give love, and sooner or later, you’ll receive love in return. Act with love.
You don’t need to take more shit or stress anymore; it’s been enough.
If you decide that you need more shit in your life, guess what? You will get more shit in your life. But if you decide that you want to win in your life and you want to achieve great things and beautiful things, guess what? You will achieve them. It’s all in the state of the mind.
