London is a city bursting with history.
Especially if you like romantic comedies.
In a very unexpected way, I found myself in front of the door that Hugh Grant famously stepped out to greet the press after sleeping with Julia Roberts in the charming and heart-squeezing classic rom-com “Notting Hill.”
And I wasn’t alone, I was with two Polish friends who were also eager to explore the city and had suggested visiting the area.
I had posted that I was in London on my Instagram a day earlier, and while scrolling stories found out that my friend Julia was also visiting the city with her friend Blanka. (You can see a quick interview I had with her in my 30-minute “Why I love Warsaw, Poland” Youtube documentary here…which has over 7,000 views!)
We met for breakfast and I joined the girls to walk around Notting Hill. It was a bit rainy and gray, but it was exciting to journey through the streets.
Later, I found out my friend Nick was also in London and we all met up that afternoon for tea.
It’s funny how social media can SOMETIMES bring people together in random circumstances.
What Brought Me To London
I came to London in November 2024 to attend my first workshop with Strategic Coach.
It’s a program to help entrepreneurs upgrade their business skills and learn powerful techniques to improve their companies (and their lives)
It consists of four full-day workshops each quarter that take place in four cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and London.
Since I’m in Dubai, London was the best option.
I arrived a few days earlier to soak up the city.
For travel, I love Emirates business class, which makes the 8-hour trek a true joy. The lounge is incredible at the Dubai airport and in the sky it’s like you’re in a 5-star hotel with yummy food, every type of movie you could want and comfy seats that fully recline.
On my first day to explore the city on my own, I went to a few of the classic sites such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.
I love walking through the streets that are filled with iconic red telephone booths.
London has book stores that sell OLD books (and somehow stay in business!)
The cobblestone street and old lamp posts feel like they’re out of an old movie.
I was staying in Knightsbridge, which is a high-end area with beautiful townhouses around.
Buildings are small, and rarely go higher than 3 or 4 stories…which is novel compared to Dubai which is full of skyscrapers.
The Christmas Spirit
The city was cold (7 degrees by day!) but had a wonderful Christmas spirit.
Lights were everywhere.
People were walking around and shopping.
I was raised Jewish, but I love Christmas time and music.
(My favorite tune is “Last Christmas” by Wham.)
While shopping, the stores had people singing and it really felt special.
As I shopped and dined, it felt just as pricey as Dubai.
But the food was surprisingly good!
I had the best fish and chips of my life at Harrod’s.
The fish was crispy and fresh. The chips (aka fries) were large and soft inside with a crunchy exterior. It was paired with a homemade tartar sauce and smashed peas.
It wasn’t healthy, but it hit the spot!
And of course I had to experience an authentic English breakfast with beans, eggs, sausage, toast, mushrooms and tomatoes,
What I Learned At The Strategic Coach Workshop
On the 3rd day of my trip, I did my full-day workshop.
There were about 30 of us in a room, all entrepreneurs with a huge variety of businesses.
My company was the largest (at $10 million in revenue!) and I had a blast sharing tips and techniques.
We all learned from each other and my favorite takeaway was a time management technique called “Buffer, Focus and Free Days”
Most entrepreneurs don’t know how to plan their days efficiently.
Instead you assign a “theme” to each day:
Buffer Days: These days are about preparation. On these work days, you take care of all of your busy work and meetings. You check emails, go through data, meet with internal staff and ANYTHING that you need to do that doesn’t grow your revenue. You can post to social media. You can review your company dashboards.
Focus Days: These days are about productivity. You can ONLY do tasks that grow your business. This could include visiting prospective clients to generate business. Or making sales calls. Or working on a marketing campaign. Or seeking joint venture partners. But you have to NOT do any non-sales work. Your staff also knows not to contact you. It requires focus…but it’s worth it!
Free Days: These days are about rejuvenation. These are guilt-free days to enjoy life and time with people that recharge your soul. You can do a bit of housework or regular “life errands” but it’s good to have at least 1 Free Day to just do things you love.
I loved this concept and my team knows about all of my days (because they can see my calendar)
On my Buffer days I:
- Meet with my executive assistant
- Meet with key LIFT Enrichment staff members
- Run my weekly Clinic assist meeting
- Check emails
- Check my project management software
- Check my financials
- Meet with my CFO
- Review other peoples’ progress and To do lists
On my Focus Days I:
- Visit dental clinics in-person (I try to do 10 per day)
- Create long-form posts that help give value to prospective clients
- Call prospective clients
On my Free Days I:
- Focus on sleep and recovery
- Go to dinner with friends
- Play board games
- Go to local spas
- Go for long walks
- Take care of basic errands
- Spend time with my girlfriend
Here’s what I stopped doing: Having “half Buffer Days” and “half Free Days” which are days when you work from 9am-12pm, and then try to have fun from 1pm-4pm. It doesn’t work…and I try to really make sure each day has this theme.
There were other key techniques we shared, but this was my favorite by far and has helped me a lot!
The Bad Parts About London:
London has been through a lot in the past few years, and like the United States (which I moved away from over a year ago) it has problems like:
High-Crime Rates: You have to be very careful with your cell phone in public and touristy areas as there are many reports of theft. It’s also not safe for women late at night.
Cold, Gloomy Weather: It was freezing at night and by day it was rarely sunny.
Dirty Streets: Like a lot of US cities, there’s a decent amount of trash…and some homelessness.
High-Cost of Living: I heard from friends that it’s very expensive to live there. If you have kids, private schools have very high costs and high taxes.
High Traffic: Getting around the city took a long time when traffic started to pile up after 4:00pm
It’s not a perfect place, but it’s fun to visit for a few days.
I’ll be back there in March, June and September for my workshops and look forward to trying new spots
Also here’s a video I made venturing through the large parks
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