25 Olive Oils and Macadamia Nuts

I often feel like when we get new perspectives on our own psyche, they are perspectives we’ve once thought about a long time ago in another era, different environment, or essentially an alternate reality to the current moment. Like when you’re a little kid and you want to be a pro baseball player, maybe that little kid energy comes back as a Junior in High School after a 2 home run game.

Current State of things

I love this blog. I think of it as a filtered perspective on the world as I see it. I’ve discussed its purpose in previous entries — I do it with the optimism that one day this writing action and writing ability, which I want to and do continue to develop, will carry me forward in my career, dreams, or whatever that may be.

Though I do think there’s something lacking in this blog.

It’s that magnetic pull inwards. Let me explain:

When the blog started — the central purpose was to specifically document my time travelling through Europe finding the next new great olive oil grove. Fast forward to May 2025, I was really hoping this blog would morph into that central purpose, but I realize that if I forced myself into a purpose that I didn’t truly believe in, then it’ll either show up in the writing or I just wouldn’t write. So I essentially released all potential magnetism and started to freewheel.

While the freewheeling has been great for me in terms of consistent action, there is no central purpose to the writing. It’s simply thought dumping ground for myself — which has been fine.

What changed

Well, nothing yet in terms of the blog. But regarding my perspective on self. I’m just going to start listing observations I made today

• My love for food is partially due to a social insecurity I have at big events with a lot of people. Food becomes my outlet for avoiding conversation. I’m sure others may have this with alcohol, bathroom visits, phone usage, etc. For me, it’s food. It’s a compulsion that I remember having going back to 13 years old, through Fraternity Rush, Wall Street Networking Events, and even up until now — like tonight. I was attending my coworking space’s 1 year anniversary party (which was done great btw shoutout to fabrik) and I kept going back for more spring rolls. I was not hungry, and the spring rolls were a 6/10 at best. Yet the second, and i mean it, the second I felt a bit of discomfort in trying to make new conversation or even a lack of desire to be in an existing conversation, eyes on the prize — steamed spring roll with bitter cabbage and raw carrots. That’s when you know…

• The central magnetic pull for me is meant to be food , which of course is open ended. The perspective I’ve gained tonight is instead of feeling like making this a me project out to you 1 on 1, it’s me leading a community of food lovers that want to learn more and learn to want to understand cool products in the way that I do. This may sound corny or whatever but I think that small change in perspective changes everything for me. It gives me the motivation to want to continue to make youtube videos. IT’s really the central purpose behind all of it. Build a community around fine foods and ingredients. That’s really it. The current state I’ve been battling for 1.5 years is whether to sacrifice my identity for youtube followers, but it’s not that. IT’s — do you want to lead a community thorugh your content? The answer is yes — and the filter for new content is whether it’s community building or not. Is it the proper community of poeple you want around you? Are the people that are watching who you want to watch your content. If so, push forward. If not, adjust and be sure to stay in your lane. It’s so easy to lose your niche and get sucked into doing whateveryoen else tells you to do or may be doing on platforms. What the big accounts are doing. Yet what’s most important is you stick to who you are and what you stand for. That will come out in the content itself, and eventually with enough consistnecy you will get what you want over the long term

For the 1 year anniversary tonight I was asked to answer 1 question to throw on a note card: 

What are you building?

Note: The community is very founder-centric

IT took me 6 notecards of writing out what I wanted to build in order to get an answer that sat well with me. But I think that answer is a true representation of what I’m trying to do. It’s why I do what I do and while I didn’t realize it at the time, it is part of why I started an olive oil brand altogehter.

While I forgot to taek a picture of it, the notecard said something like:

“I want to find food snobs that want to taste 25 different olive oils, dark chocolates, and macadamia nuts with me.”

Exhale. I know it’s awkward, but it’s the the most accurate depiction of that inner burning desire. Having people around me join me on my ourney / quest. Sure I went to Europe alone, but don’t think while out there I wasn’t envisioning one day bringing a group of people with me. Of course that was in mind. Big part of why I wanted to build a company. Have a group of people around me all focused and working towards the same concentric goal.

That right there is the long term play. Building a universe of people who care —whether they already care and are finding this as supplemental material or they don’t care at all but somehow I’ve inspired them to care. Doesn’t make a difference to me. Just want to open up peoples’ minds into a new world they don’t particularly experience.

If you made it here, thank you. I’m flattered because I frankly think today was a tough one to get through, but what I’ll say is I feel good now having typed it. So thank you for reading. Have a great night. Happy Almost or already friday!

-Jack