Yet more news about people having low job satisfaction this week. Not for the first time, I count myself lucky that after years of hard work and putting in endless hours for various companies to further my career, I decided to pursue my dream of studying design and then starting my own business.
Sure, at first I'm not sure my friends and family reacted like they thought I was being serious - 'another one of his crazy moods' more like! But after talking about it properly with my father and my two closest friends - who are all now my partners in Greenbo - and presenting them with the products we were all quickly convinced that we wanted to do it and that we could do it.
Yes, it hasn't been without its challenges - the struggles seemed endless at times and you are faced with them every step of the way - but I enjoy so many things about being an entrepreneur, particularly the product invention, design and strategy. I like the creative side of the work most, but once your business is loved and growing you put your whole heart into everything, from the smallest and most enjoyable tasks to the hardest ones.
The most rewarding moment so far was travelling around Israel and abroad and seeing so many balconies with our Greenbo flower boxes. When we talked to customers from around the world and they thanked us for our products, telling us how much they enjoy them and that they're looking forward to news ones, that's the most satisfying moment we could ask for.
Another great moment has been creating a business based on mutual understanding, cooperation and humanity. For example, when planning our production phase and choosing a factory it was very important for us to do things in the correct way.
The factory is located in Israel and is a partnership between Arabs and Israeli owners and workers. This Israeli-Arab partnership is a winning business model, combining different expertise and capabilities in order to produce state of the art products which contribute a lot to Greenbo's success. But, above all, it's an important example of Israeli-Arab cooperation and proof that peace, mutual understanding and support can break down walls and solve disputes for a better future.
Perhaps the top acknowledgement you can receive, though, is winning an award. That was always a dream of mine. It's a dream I'm pleased to say I might be able to realise soon. I have been shortlisted as a finalist in the YBI Entrepreneur of the Year competition which is run by Youth Business International and supported by Barclays. I feel very honoured and excited to be travelling to London in October to take part in the awards event. I've read about my competitors in the final - Cheuk Wing Au from Hong Kong and Naibo Yu from China - and their businesses. I was very impressed by their achievements and devotion to their goals - I think we're all worthy winners but we'll have to wait until 16 October to find out who the top prize goes to.
Greenbo is on a bit of a winning streak already though. Earlier this year the Greenbo XL flower box, our second product, won the prestigious Red Dot product design prize, alongside global companies like Apple and Porsche. Participating in the winner's ceremony and being announced the winner was a special moment for us which will be long remembered.
So, do I have job satisfaction? A resounding 'yes'. My plans for the future are to take Greenbo as far as it can go - we want to be an industry leading company in product design and manufacturing. We have so many ideas and new products, we believe in doing things differently, we enjoy creating and creation and we'll keep on doing it for that reason.