Marketing Guru Reveals: "After Years of Struggling, Something Amazing Happened"

The coronavirus, which has accompanied us over these recent months, has left many business owners at a loss. Their ventures are floundering and not as active as before, debt is mounting, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, for Shlomi Cohen, who is in the business marketing field, things appear entirely different.

Cohen points out that around last Passover, he found himself, along with many other business owners in Israel, facing severe financial challenges due to the coronavirus crisis. However, he had already embarked on a journey of connecting with his Jewish roots.

"It wasn't new to me because I have always been familiar with Judaism," he emphasizes. "I come from a Yemeni home rooted in tradition. I studied with the rabbi as a child and had my first Aliyah to the Torah at age three. However, over the years, I drifted away, eventually removing my kippah. I later turned to study business marketing and pursued it professionally."

"I don't know why," he adds, "but throughout the years, I felt my business was not taking off and that I wasn't achieving my goals. It frustrated me greatly, as I put in so much effort to succeed. I took multiple courses, studied both locally and abroad, investing tens of thousands of shekels annually in business development, yet something felt stuck. As someone who understands marketing well, I sought answers and, after years of struggle, found it in Judaism."

Photo Credit: Dana Ofir

"If Hashem Doesn't Help, You Won't Get Anywhere"

What was the main factor that made you strengthen your connection?

"I think it's the fact that as a marketer, I dealt with numerous company campaigns and observed firsthand how some campaigns skyrocketed while others failed. There was no logical explanation. Only when I delved into Judaism did I realize that there is someone above who decides on success or failure, and it's truly not up to us. In the past year, I've been privileged to listen to lectures by Rabbi Zamir and others like Rabbi Yigal Cohen and Rabbi Eliyahu Amar. I heard their words and began to understand that you can turn the world upside down and exert endless effort, but unless Hashem helps you, it will lead nowhere".

Since Cohen began this strengthening process, it has accompanied him everywhere. "I would drive to business meetings, consistently listening to Torah lessons along the way, began reading the weekly Torah portion, and strengthening my appreciation because I heard that if you say thank you, you'd begin to see blessings."

Ever since his return to his roots, Cohen strives to base his business practices on Jewish principles, both for his own business and those he consults for. He even changed his business name to 'Shlomi Cohen, Jewish Marketing'. "I constantly find more and more Jewish sources that speak directly about marketing topics, it's amazing," he says. "When I sit with my clients and advise them, I quote Jewish sources, tell them about blessings for livelihood, and recommend things not directly related to business marketing but which certainly impact it, such as giving ma'aser tithe, expressing gratitude, showing respect, avoiding gossip, and the like. These are things that, when adhered to, bring blessing."

Do your clients resonate with these messages? Do you think they influence them?

"At this stage, most clients who come to me are unaware of the process I've undergone and the change in approach. They come because I'm a Facebook advertising expert, but I'm definitely busy these days developing a new niche for businesses that want to operate according to Jewish spirit and even grow from it, as I believe it's a big and very significant thing.

"When you're a business owner and understand that 'everything Hashem does is for the best', there's no doubt you'll be able to leverage yourself, for the simple reason - you'll learn to say thank you because you'll understand that nothing is taken for granted, and within gratitude itself lies salvation.

"In real-time, it's not always easy to implement, and I can attest to that from close experience, but I believe it's okay to fail and be confused, because it's through experience that we learn. I deeply connected to what Rabbi Eliyahu Amar said in one of his lectures 'Emunah (faith) comes from the word Imun (training)', you need to practice it, and only after repeatedly practicing, and sometimes failing, do you succeed in acquiring it. This understanding makes you look differently at all the challenges in life, which completely changes them".

Photo Credit: Dana Ofir

Seeing Blessings

And just then, the coronavirus struck you hard...

"True, it was indeed a blow. I am sure that if I hadn't been connected to my roots, I would have experienced the coronavirus wave far more harshly. My business faced difficulties, and I saw up close the businesses I consult with facing significant financial challenges. For some, it almost led to collapse."

However, he also notes it was amazing to see how some businesses experienced their greatest crisis during these days, yet for others, the coronavirus led to flourishing and growth as they learned to work digitally and even saw improved sales. "This again demonstrated to me how success isn't dependent on our external data but solely on Hashem's will," he says. "I realized clearly that if Hashem wants you to have sustenance, then no external factors matter - you will receive it."

During this period, a representative from Hidabroot called him, explaining the organization's need for donations and asked him to contribute a larger than usual sum. "After such a long period of strengthening and trying to draw closer to Hashem, I knew to tell myself that although it's not easy for me to donate, as I'm not in a time of financial abundance, this is certainly another test sent from the Creator - He wants to see if I believe that by giving money, there will only be blessing, and that I won't experience any loss by increasing my donation. Eventually, I donated to the organization a sum equivalent to a fifth of my salary, which is considered 'extravagant tithing'."

Since then, Cohen notes with excitement, he only sees progress, far beyond the natural way. "I've started receiving more and more client requests, and experienced a real leap forward. I attribute this success only to Hashem, because precisely during this coronavirus period when my business has been flourishing, after years of stagnation. I see clearly how Hashem is sending me the message - 'It's not the clients bringing you success, but I am sending it to you. The moment you learned to rely on Me, I prove it to you with full force'."