From the age of twelve, I worked to afford the things I wanted. My parents didn't have much money; they had opened a natural peanut butter factory, but they were ten years ahead of their time and eventually went bankrupt. I never felt poor, but I became my own provider—paying for my clothes, my classes, and my dreams.
By fifteen, I was running my own festival stall, selling my handmade jewelry. I remember selling a piece for eighty shekels when I overheard a woman say, "Let’s buy from her now, because in a few years, this will cost much more." Those words stayed with me. I told myself: one day, my time will be worth more.
At twenty-eight, while working at a gallery in the Old City of Jerusalem, I began showcasing my own jewelry and paintings. When people started buying them at gallery prices, it shifted something within me. It restored my sense of value.
I’ve taken out loans several times in my life, and each time was a leap of faith that brought me to the next level. The first allowed me to buy the camera that turned me into a video artist. The second bought me a car, which gave me wings and let me reach every fair and corner of the country. The third was for a ceramic kiln; just one month later, I received an order for 5,000 bowls that covered the loan and more.
In every instance, I felt G-d’s hand guiding the way. The fourth time was to open Malchuta. By then, I had the confidence to know it would work. I realized that the secret is in "expanding the vessel." Every time I expanded my capacity, the abundance returned to fill it, plus so much more.
That is the secret of growth: when you expand your vessels, you create more space for abundance to flow.
