Newsletter #47: Harley Finkelstein in Paris, David Goggins, and trying new things

Hi there,

I hope you're feeling good.

I’m feeling pretty energized. The Shopify ecosystem is on fire, and summer is coming. My friends are starting to lay out plans for the holidays, and it’s looking good! I personally have plans for June and September. Between the two, I’ll improvise.

In today’s edition, we’re discussing Harley Finkelstein in Paris, David Goggins, and trying new things.

Let's dive in.

Work

When I attend a Shopify event, I usually write about it in the introduction of my newsletter.

I’m making an exception today. The last event I attended was so big that it deserves its own section.

On May 22nd, 2024, my friend Youness Idbakkasse and his business partner Rocco Ghrenassia organized a memorable event dedicated to the French Shopify community.

70+ people gathered in a beautiful parisian restaurant called Boubalé. There were Shopify merchants (The Bradery, Maison Kitsuné), Shopify agencies (Maestrooo, Colorz, Axome, W3Lead, Dedi, Rainbow, LobsTTer), ecommerce solutions (Stripe, Global-E, Payplug), and of course, the Shopify team led by Deann Evans (Managing Director EMEA), Emilie Benoit-Vernay (Director of EMEA Partnerships), and Lara Rosquët (Country Manager France).

After a little networking time, the guest of honor arrived…

It was Harley Finkelstein, the President of Shopify.

This was Harley’s third trip to France, and his first one as part of his position at Shopify. What an honor to have him there with us!

Youness and Harley sat down together and discussed diverse topics such as building with partners in mind, having skin in the game, and Shopify's relevance for the biggest merchants in the world.

It was supposed to be an interview but it did not look like one at all. What we saw was a genuine conversation between two passionate people who share a common vision that can be summed up in two words: Shopify everywhere.

I'm so incredibly happy for Youness because I know that being able to meet Harley, and express his gratitude, was a dream come true. Truth is it was a dream come true for me too.

Thank you so much, Harley, for your time. Thank you for seeing us and caring so deeply.

And thank you to Emilie Benoit-Vernay. You've been an inspiration for me for many years now.

Cheers to a bright future in commerce!

Inspire

Many of us draw inspiration from the stories of successful people, and from personal development books.

We happily go through them, with several questions in mind: how did this person become so successful? What is their routine? We’re looking for answers.

More or less consciously, we believe that copying the routine of successful people will make us successful too. We try the miracle morning, the atomic habits, and the cold plunges.

Self development books, podcasts and conferences are not inherently bad. In fact, anything that can help someone have a realization and turn things in their life for the better is a positive thing. What can be bad is relying on them as a sole source of fuel to get things moving. No new routine is miraculously going to make you an accomplished human being. For that, you need to add something else to it.

As David Goggins says, "you know exactly what you need to do". And this thing is called work.

David Goggins is one of my biggest inspirations. According to his Wikipedia page, he is an American retired United States Navy SEAL. He is also an ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, author of two memoirs, and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in sport.

Above this formal description, David Goggins is someone who believes that struggling (through sports, for example) enables humans to find their inner strength and get to know themselves. And because he likes to engage in constant struggles, he is very good at showing people that what they thought was impossible is actually possible. Not only is it possible but it’s also within their reach if they're willing to work hard for it.

Among his many accomplishments, David Goggins managed to run 205 miles in 39 hours. He also holds the world record for the most pull-ups done in 24 hours: he did 4,030 pull ups in 17 hours and 45 minutes. He tore up his hands up to a third-degree burn in the process.

Most people would have stopped long before that, when it started to hurt a little.

What happens when you don't stop?

His long list of accomplishments takes care of answering that question for you.

Reading this, you're probably thinking that David Goggins is crazy, or that he has a natural ability in sports. He is not, and he does not. He "just" works extremely hard, every single day.

As Andrew Huberman says, David Goggins "masters the process of internal dialogue". He built an incredible inner strength. He constantly fights and wins the battles against that voice in his head telling him he is useless and can't do anything.

David Goggins is not gifted, he is driven. Obsessed, even.

And hearing him talk about his journey is a big punch in the face.

My favorite interview of him is the first one he did with Joe Rogan, in 2018. I strongly recommend watching it.

Explore

This week, to unplug from work and start exploring, let me share with you a question that I regularly ask myself: when was the last time you did something for the first time?

If you struggle to remember, or if the last time is indeed far away, I invite you to try something new today.

It does not have to be big. You could try a new recipe, or discover a new part of your city.

They say we only have one life. Let's make the most of it.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this edition until the end.

I'll talk to you soon.

Take good care of yourself.

Coralie