Vive le Roi – Considering 2025 and 2026.

 

What was, was. It may not have been as bad as people feared and felt. That is a good omen for 2026. I, like many business people, did a basic calculation of my numbers for last year, analyzed the details and attempted to derive some conclusions from them. Clearly, each business has its own narrative and situation. I will share my key takeaways:

1.    AI did not wipe out the business, translation in my instance. In fact, my invoiced total increased almost 8%. Although it felt there were far too many slow months, I cannot complain. The landscape changed but it is not a post-nuclear apocalypse.

2.   Speaking of AI, like Covid, it has transformed the business world but its effects are far from omnipresent. Specifically, people still have an effective choice to use or ignore AI, just as many people led perfectly normal lives without cellular phones for at least a decade. Some professionals have embraced AI to one degree or another while others ignore it by choice. There is still sufficient room for both groups. In translation, AI has not replaced other machine translation models, merely becoming one of the options. Its use in freelancer business management is still developing.

3.   Having stated that my revenues actually increased, the relative importance of various services and niches changed this year. Some previously regular clients and work decreased signficantly but new niches compensated for the drop. The key to survival is the readiness to explore new opportunities and supplemental services. While it is never optimal to equate previous success to future possibilities, in today’s extremely dynamic market, it is dangerous.

4.   In trying to remain relevant, it is important to seek and take advantage of marketing opportunities, i.e., never stop searching for new business. For example, this week, I am attending a speed marketing event (first time) in Jerusalem. I have no idea whether it will lead to new business but it is vital to make the effort. Marketing is a long-term process and requires consistent effort. Attend conferences of peers and target customers. For translators and interpreters, the Israel Translator Conference in Tel Aviv will occur on February 16-18 and will be available online. I suggest you check out the program. Opportunity comes those that seek it out, as Mr. Buffet said.

5.   Certain essential elements of a service business do not change. Prompt and professional service and communication remain the keys to long-term consumers. Customers prefer to buy from pleasant and capable people.

As the French said, until 1789 at least, le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi, which in English comes out “The King is dead. Long live the King”. 2025 is over. For some, that is quite fortunate. Every business had its challenges and can learn from them. It is now time to make 2026 a successful year. May its reign be well remembered.

Municipal treats – suggested high-tea menus for a sweet tour of European cities

 

As so many people have finished digesting the excesses of Christmas and are preparing for the excesses of New Year’s, it is an ideal time to enjoy the sweeter pleasures of life before the January diet. Alas, with such a variety of pastries and cakes from all around the world to choose from, it is hard to narrow down one’s choice. Thus, I hereby propose a culinary tour of sorts of desserts named after cities in Germany, Austria and France as well as a few from the rest of the world to help you prepare the perfect high tea as they say in England. At the end, I will tell you my favorite choice. Hint: Italians have no reason to be upset with me.

For those wishing to enjoy a Teutonic theme, I suggest a selection of a Leipziger lercher, a Berliner, a Battenberg cake and a Frankfurter kranz. The first has a short crust with almonds, nuts and cherries while the second one is far simpler, a holeless doughnut with jam. The last two are sponge cakes with jam and marzipan or icing, jam and nuts, respectively. All go quite well with a strong cup of tea or weak cup of coffee.

In Austria, I suggest a piece of Lindzer torte with a Viennoiserie. The former is a fruit and butter torte while the latter is a rich croissant.

In France, a menu par ville might include a Paris-Brest and a Gateau Nantais and maybe a Gateau Basque (admittedly not a city). One is a pastry with praline while the second is a pound cake with almonds. The last features jam or cream. Any or all of them are fine accompaniments for an expresso.

For the “rest of the world” category, I would include a Leningrad cake, a New York roll, a Boston cream pie and a Santiago. The first is a Soviet creation featuring chocolate butter cream and cognac. The American ones are half cream and ganache or custard. The final one, of Spanish origin, is lighter with almonds.

With all these options, I personally would still prefer to sit down with a good éclair and a cannoli, which are not named after cities but my stomach doesn’t care. They both have a wonderful dough (choux as compared to crispy) and delicious cream. They make for a perfect afternoon treat.

So, as you eagerly await the upcoming Wednesday night binge, take some time and enjoy a properly made pastry or cake. It is not really important if it is named after a city or not. Seize the moment.

Keys to the house – the essence of an effective oral presentation

 

From classrooms to courtrooms, conferences to company meeting rooms and legislatures to webinars, one key to long-term professional success is the ability to make a persuasive oral argument. Due to the pervasive nature of English worldwide, many, if not most, presenters must make their statements in a foreign language. To quite a few non-native language speakers, this task seems Herculean, i.e., not only to stand up and talk in front of people but to do so in a second or even third language. Yet, the relative disadvantages of foreign speakers do not need to prejudice the effectiveness of their presentation because the most important elements of an impactful presentation are in their power.

First, it is vital to understand the dual purpose of an oral presentation. Clearly, listeners expect to receive the information they need or want (or told they need or want). They appreciate clear and appropriately deep explanations with sufficient support. They do not want to have masses of small print on a projector screen or need to interpret data. They can do that from the comfort of their desks. For the speaker, presentations offer the perfect opportunity for people to show their value. It is not always about being the greatest expert but rather about their effectiveness in transmitting that knowledge. A well-presented explanation creates a positive opinion of the person’s ability and strengths. This impression lasts far longer than the details or relevance of the actual information. Thus, both the audience and the presenter can benefit.

Contrary to popular belief, the accuracy and level of the language have only a minor impact on the long-term effect. Given the high percentage of presentations in English made by non-native speakers, native English speakers generally have some tolerance for minor grammar errors as long as they do not affect meaning. Occasional pronunciation, usually misaccented words, is accepted for the most part. Choosing simpler words, as many foreigners do, is not only not a sin but can actually a virtue in many cases. As for sentence structure, even native speakers get confused when making presentations. While a perfect presentation in terms of language is the goal, it is only an ideal, not a reality. As long as the language and message are clear, to err is human.

The truly significant elements of a successful presentation are preparation, fluency and confidence. The best lecturers make their presentations seem effortless just as NBA players make free throws seem easy (except for Shaq O’Neil). Their ease and comfort are partly a matter of personality and experience but much more a matter of organization and practice. They know what they will say because they have arranged the material and spoken about it so many times beforehand, albeit to their dog or cat or another willing listener. Practice does make almost perfect. This preparation allows the presenter to speak fluently since it frees the mind to focus on language and the audience, not on the content. In other words, they know what they want to say and can thus apply their effort to reaching the audience. Furthermore, fluency creates the image of confidence, which most listeners accept without question, i.e.,  if the speaker acts as if s/he knows the material, the listener can trust that person. Together, organizing, practice, fluency and confidence are the hallmarks of an effective lecture.

It is important to note that the issue of language mastery does not affect those elements. Many native speakers are awful lecturers, as anybody who ever studied at an American or British university can attest. Instead, the most important aspects of an impressive lecture are in the hands of any speaker, native or not. Clearly, foreign speakers require greater time and effort than native ones. Of course, extremely subpar language can render listening painful. However, as long as the language issues are minor, any English speaker can produce an effective presentation.

A foot on each side – a perspective on a freelance/salary job mix

 

Every entrepreneur has experienced the fear of leaving the gilded cage of a salary to enter the financial uncertainty of independence. Not only is that fear justified but, depending on the circumstances, the sudden dive into the deep water may not be a wise option. Consequently, many freelancers initially maintained a second job to reduce the feeling of insecurity and allow themselves to build their business and confidence. As in most decisions, it carries benefits and costs, some more obvious than others.

I can speak about the issue since I wear two hats. On the one hand, I am a full-time freelance translator. I invest my heart, money and energy in improving my skills and business. I identify myself as a Hebrew-English translator. Yet, I also teach English half-time at a local engineering college and have done so for more than 30 years. I teach some 8 hours a week, two hours a day in the afternoons. I retained this job as I built up my freelancing business and still retain it by choice. Thus, I have two language-related but quite different professions.

Clearly, a second job has financial benefits and, therefore,  provides emotional security,  especially in the early stages of a career as an independent. A second source of income means that a person will be able to pay the vital bills, such as mortgage/rent and electricity, even during slow months or a dry period. As a result, it makes it easier to demand higher rates and make wiser long-term decisions. It is known that the ability to walk away from a deal is one of the keys to success in negotiation. With a salary arriving every month in the bank account, it is possible to have some financial security.

A second job also provides a means of balancing job satisfaction. All professions tend to demand extraordinary effort in one direction or another, whether that is the ability to concentrate at a computer, deal with the public or any other requirement. Likewise, every job fails to involve elements that are vital for human happiness. For example, home-based professionals often suffer from social isolation. A second job offers the opportunity to create a balance. In my case, spending time with young adults with the future in front of them keeps me young and socially interacting, counteracting the hours staring at the screen. Second jobs can emotionally complement a main job.

However, they can also create great stress due to time demands. Many positions involve varying levels of investment. The factors affecting the required effort at any given time include seasons, special projects and annual deadlines. Freelancing generally cannot predict the quantity or scale of projects to come. Thus, when both the salaried job and independent career suddenly become time-intensive at the same time, it can lead to extraordinary pressure for a short period. Despite all the best efforts to manage this stress, such double-peak times are challenging.

A second cost of having two jobs is the ultimate necessity to make one secondary. In other words, one’s self-worth and effort tend to heavily focus on one job to the relative neglect of the second. Depending on the level of perfectionism of the individual, this compromise can be personally painful. On a wider level, colleagues in the second job may not “appreciate” your lack of total commitment even if they understand the reason. If they are totally dedicated to the “team”, they may disrespect the “slacker”, who may not be able to focus solely on the job. While nothing that the person can do will probably change this attitude, it is nonetheless unpleasant to be looked down on by colleagues. This status is a more subtle price of having two jobs.

In the long term, it may be simpler just to take the dive, become a freelancer and leave the old life behind. However, such a risk is not appropriate for every person and every situation. Clearly,  a schizophrenic work life can provide financial and emotional security. However, the potential workload can become overwhelming and create professional identity issues. A person’s choice to dive into the deep end or wade in from the shallows is a personal choice. No answer is wrong; merely a matter of choosing the consequences.

Gaby á Paris – A birthday remembrance

 

Today is my late mother’s birthday. She would have turned 98 today, but did live to 96. As birthdays are times to bring up happy memories, I will share the connection that was Paris and my mother.

 As a matter of background, she was born and spent her first 20 or so years in Paris, in the Marais, aside from a few years during the war in southern France. She immigrated to the United States in the early 1950s but made frequent visits to Paris to see her friends and family once she married and was financially able to do so. In fact, later in their lives, for many years, my parents owned an apartment in Paris, also in the Marais, where they spent a month or so twice a year. Thus, she and my father were regular visitors to Paris and felt at home there.

One of my mother’s “pilgrimages” in Paris was a champagne and caviar snack at the bar at one of the department stores (whose name I have forgotten). She truly relished both champagne and caviar. However, I believe that the greatest joy she experienced on these visits was the thrill of being able to afford it after growing up in a neighborhood and family that enjoyed an abundance of love but was rather limited in available funds. It was an “I did it” moment.

On a more familial note, she used to stop by the delicatessen of a dear friend for a good Jewish lunch. Her childhood friend ran an old-fashioned Jewish delicatessen. I myself spent much time there. You could get poppy pastries, not too sweet, tasty rye bread, delicious corn beef and tongue, and, of course, some schnapps. There were barrels of salted herring and other fish. It was a feast for the eyes, nose and tongue. During all the years it was open, my parents would stop by to say hello to Robert but also to her past with its rich memories. It was time travel of the best kind.

The connection between past and present expressed itself best in my mother’s feelings arriving and leaving Paris after a month. Upon arrival, she relished checking on the neighborhood, buying food and drinks for the apartment and catching up with her “bande”, those friends and family that had survived the war, as well as newer friends that happened to be in Paris at the time. My parents never went to bed before 1 or 2 in the morning in Paris, going out every night. During the day, they would listen to Bach at a church or see a museum, occasionally taking a train to somewhere outside of Paris if they wanted a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, towards the end of the visit, my mother, having drunk from her fountain of youth, was ready to leave the gray clouds and noise of Paris to return to the sun, sports (tennis and golf) and peacefulness of Los Angeles. My mother was as happy to leave as she was to arrive, knowing that she would be back in some six months to begin the cycle again. For my mother, Paris was who she was, but only a part of it.

In short, my mother and Paris never parted even if she did leave the city. Happy birthday, Gaby, from le fils de Gaby.

On time and timelessness – the Historical Dictionary

 

This last week, the Israel Translators Association organized a fascinating online lecture on the historical dictionary in Israel. For those unfamiliar with the term, this type of dictionary documents the meaning, use and spelling of words throughout history, using both handwritten and printed texts. As the Hebrew language is one of the most ancient tongues, its history is especially rich and varied. From the points raised by Ayelet Harel, the presenter and a former researcher at the National Dictionary, it was clear that despite its historical focus, the work was intended for the present and future as evidenced by the choice of technology and its intended use. Furthermore, the results of this work clearly demonstrate that the opus will never end and its approach also applies to all languages.

It was quite remarkable that the organizing founders of the dictionary immediately considered the future. From the start in the 1950s, they have chose to use the most advanced digital methods available to record the texts intended to be analyzed in the future. These methods included, at various times, punch cards, and CDs and now involve direct online search. Keeping in mind the complex, costly, and time-consuming nature of advanced digital records at any time but especially in the past, the decision shows the importance placed on long-term thinking. In the same vein, current researchers, often two or more staff members, do not use AI so as to ensure that the final result accurately reflects the use of any term in the text.

Likewise, in its approach, the project took the long-term approach and began by creating a corpus of texts in Hebrew throughout the history of written Hebrew. Early texts, through the invention of the printing press, are often have illegible or unclear. The compilers took care to reflect and note this ambiguity in the material entered into the databank. It also chose to enter a wide variety of texts in order to provide a sufficient basis to identify the development of the Hebrew language over its history.  Researchers then carefully examined the meaning of and spelling of each Hebrew word in a given text, comparing it to the concordance. Today, a researcher or simply any curious person can go to the dictionary site and view the history of any given word from the Bible to today. The slow and steady approach has created a treasure of knowledge for future generations.

Given the nature of language, this tracking of language will always be relevant because language development is a never-ending process. Every generation selectively modifies the use and even spelling of the words. For example, in English, the “gay 90’s” referred to the optimistic time before the 20^th century (alas, not realized), not a trend in sexual relationships. In terms of spelling, people consider “shoppe” rather quaint while few people today get upset with “thru”. As languages are dynamic, tracking their changes will always be timely.

Clearly, the Hebrew historical dictionary is neither the only nor even first such project. Most languages have etymological sources and keep digital records of their language. While for some, the view of the past may seem a useless and merely an intellectual pursuit, like all history, language paints a picture of the world that was, elucidates the world that is and provides an indication of the world that will be. The historical dictionary is both of timely and timeless value.

Intuition in freelancing – Practical examples of listening to the inner voice

 

A vital but unquantifiable part of business success, whether small or large, is the use of intuition. It tells us to fight or flee, engage or avoid or seize or ignore. To be clear, intuition may sometimes feel similar to fear or enthusiasm. However, it transcends those temporary reactions and guides business people in deciding whether to work with a certain customer, take on a given project or invest time and money in a specific marketing initiative. While listening to intuition may not guarantee success, ignoring it can lead to disaster.

To define the term, intuition is the feeling that an individual experiences upon exposure to a new person, idea or proposal even before knowing any or all of the facts. The opportunity seems clearly “right” or “not right” without a person being able to put a finger on the reasons. Further analysis can confirm or cancel the feeling or merely confuse the issue but the initial intuition, like a first impression of a person, is generally correct. One of the difficulties in trusting intuition is its similarity to more fleeting sensations, notably fear and enthusiasm. In other words, people may be in an emotional state in which they want an idea to work even if all the indications are contrary or, by contrast, they refuse to believe in the success despite all the positive signs. Intuition is a deeper feeling and remains constant. In fact, one of the tests of intuition is to delay the decision for a short time and test whether the previous willingness or reluctance remains. It is amazing how often, in hindsight, we knew what to do from the start.

One of the major business decisions where intuition is vital is the choice to take on a given new customer. Even with due diligence, many entrepreneurs generally lack all the facts to objectively assess the benefits/risks of working with a given person or company. While the benefits of a new customer are evident, i.e., short-term and long-term revenue, the hidden risks can sometimes outweigh them. For example, some customers could be reluctant payers while others work in such an inefficient manner that it greatly increases the work required. As they say about friends, with customers like these, who needs rivals? In practice, the tone and content of the emails and spoken conversation often provide a window into the inner workings of the potential customer. Granted, if they are working in a foreign language or come from a different culture, an unpleasant tone or approach may merely indicate lack of fluency or cultural variance. However, in most cases, if a red light goes off in the brain when negotiating with a new customer, the freelancer needs to think twice. In many cases, avoiding the person or company is a good idea regardless of the lack of objective proof to the contrary.

Freelancers work by projects but must apply intuition in choosing which project to take on. There is a concept in economics called “opportunity cost”. It means that one price of taking project A is the inability to take on project B. Moreover, customers never forget an improperly executed job even if they sometimes forgive it. The significance is that a freelancer or company should not take on a project that “feels” beyond its ability or below its interest. In the first case, the result cannot be ideal because it involves learning at the customer’s expense, never a great idea. Similarly, the lack of interest in a project generally negatively affects the level of execution. Poor work is one of the primary reasons businesses lose customers. Curiously, freelancers generally “know” whether or not to take on a given project. However, illusions of grandeur or desperation lead people to roll the dice. Just as the vast majority of gamblers lose in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, “wrong” projects too often go awry. By contrast, calculated risks taken with open eyes are often the keys to opening up doors of opportunity. Wisdom is hearing and following intuition.

Finally, intuition also plays a role in marketing decisions. Freelancers sometimes receive invitations to join various sites, conferences and events both in their industry and outside it. These opportunities require an investment of time and/or money. It is hard, if not impossible, to know which of these will pan out. A postponed decision too often becomes an unmade decision as other urgent matters arrive on the desk. Thus, it is worthwhile investing two minutes to investigate the opportunity in order to ascertain whether it has potential or not. Intuition is a key element in the decision as it is difficult to access all of the factors. Of course, mental fatigue and work pressure tend to make it easier to pass on them. However, this laziness may result in a lost opportunity. If a marketing lead feels relevant, it is often worthwhile to sign up immediately or, at least, put on an active “to do” list for further investigation. As Fleetwood Mac sang, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.

Clearly, intuition is neither infallible nor clear. People find it difficult to distinguish it from their internal want or fear list or simply do not trust it. However, freelancers, without dedicated marketing and financial departments to conduct a full investigation, have to depend on it. Faced with the limitations of time and energy, a quick but careful decision in line with intuition leads to far greater success than one in opposition to it. Of course, it is always advisable to check the facts to look for traps. Yet, in a world where partial knowledge is the best we have, intuition is an important tool for every business person. Ignore your inner voice at your own peril.