“Wow, what an amazing email address you have!”

That’s what my new business partner told me this week, as our new venture is coming to life right before our eyes.

“How did you come up with that email?”

Now I’m guessing you’re wondering the same thing – what’s her email?

Don’t go anywhere, I’m about to tell you.

Ask me

Honestly, as I sit here writing this, it’s pretty incredible to realize how that one meeting shaped my entire professional path over the past decade since becoming self-employed. It even ended up becoming my personal brand – the more “serious” version of me, now complete with an actual website :)

So, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane.

We’re in Budapest, 2014.

I had moved there in 2012 for a work relocation – a one-year assignment that got extended.

By the time the original purpose for my move was no longer relevant, there was only one thing I knew for sure:

We weren’t going back yet. The kids had settled in, we’d built a life, and we wanted to stay and see where this could take us.

Sounds amazing, right?

Well… not exactly. It was more like waking up every morning, getting the kids off to school, and feeling frustrated – because becoming self-employed and reinventing myself had never been my dream.

I knew I was an excellent employee with years of experience in many fields, but me? Running my own business?

It felt frustrating, stressful, and scary.

So… what does all of this have to do with my email address?

We’re getting there.

One of the friends I met in the city owned a travel agency, and he suggested I join him in helping Israelis visiting Budapest – arranging airport transfers, recommending hotels, and booking guided tours.

At the time, I had just started dabbling in real estate for my own purposes, and thought it might be nice to combine the two.

I came in for a meeting with him, and the question came up: “We need to set up an email for you. What should it be?”

We talked about my advantage – being able to help people both in their native language and as a “local.”

And then he simply said:

“How about… AskMeirav?”

And just like that, we created the email address that went on to serve thousands of clients – answering all kinds of questions, far beyond the world of tourism .

As I like to say – you can ask me anything.

If I don’t know the answer, I won’t pretend I do – but I’ll do everything I can to find it for you.

So… what do you say?

Do you have something to ask?