Tax Stories E9 - Itzik Amiel (hub.theswit.ch) - The Attention Switch

Moving to the Netherlands

The fascinating story of Itzik’s life and career at this podcast starts like many life events - by chance. Itzik started teaching at universities because a professor got ill and needed a substitute. Then he moved to study international tax in Leiden, the Netherlands when in the first LLM program there were just 5 students. 

Relations

Itzik suggests that relationships are built for reason, season or lifetime. Investing into people with whom you would like to have relations for the rest of your life shaped his life and career. But how to build relations at the end of 90ies when there was no social networks, just phone and e-mails? That’s when he decided to move to the Netherlands. 

A hug of life

In 1996 while still living in Israel Itzik missed his bus he normally took every morning to work. And that bus had a bomb and no passengers who took that bus survived. Needless to say this event shaped many of his decisions in his life.

Legacy and hunger 

Once you have reached many of your aims one may more start thinking about the others – what do I leave behind? Itzik refers to a motivational speaker Les Brown who said “You have to be hungry in order to be successful”. And at that time Itzik felt comfortable, not hungry. Those two issues started to bother Itzik and he decided he would quit the job and tax and would need to do something else that would help others. 

Art of giving attention

When an opportunity knocks on your door, don’t doubt, because it knocks only once. So, that’s how Itzik turned to business consulting, networking and his bestselling book - The Attention Switch - How to Pay with this Secret Ingredient to Attract,. Influence, Deeply Connect and Get the Success You’ve always Wanted (that you can buy on www.attentionswitch.com). It’s all about listening, not telling. It’s influenced by the book of Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People.Itzik thinks that subconsciously people find relations with people they like to deal with. We also spoke of Benjamin Franklin effect – try the podcast to learn about it. 

People are people, everywhere

The frequent travels (when it was still possible) did not indicate too many cultural differences for Itzik, rather similar patterns of human behaviour. Relationship and knowledge is what nobody can take away from you. The less (and smarter) you work, the more money you make. 

Voldemort for lawyers

Lawyers are afraid of mentioning the s.. word. Cause they don’t sell. Really? And what is the un-selling process? And life is short – pay attention to those people you like, and don’t do things you don’t enjoy! And be authentic to yourself – tell whatever you think to whomever you want, with all the consequences.