🔴Programme anglais du 26/01/2026: Nebil Cherif , auteur de " I wasn t born to go home"

Always a pleasure to be with you on

Radio Tunis International. Hue, not Huea

Nla. [laughter] I always get confused

with names. Never mind

is on audio engineering. Sophie and

Benjima are live streaming. Hay in the

studio for this daily edition. And today

we have the pleasure to have with us in

the studio Nabil Sharif who has written

a book uh we will be talking about in a

minute. The book is entitled I Wasn't

Born to Go Home. Nabil is from the

northwest of Tunisia from Mindra more

precisely and he has been living in the

US for the last 25 years. He has written

a book as I said entitled I Wasn't Born

to Go Home in which he tells about the

story of the journey of the story of his

life. So, Nibili is going to tell us a

little bit more about the book, but let

me uh first of all start by by this

Nabil. Um the title of your book is a

strong statement.

>> I wasn't born to go home.

>> Yes.

>> Who are you saying that to?

>> Yes. Thank you for having me. It's a

pleasure to be here today and it's

pleasure to come back to my uh country

of birth and I'm very very excited. So

this this title was was really

interesting moment um when my wife this

book was in my heart and my head for 20

years but I did not know how to really

put it together and all that and I

really remember that I wasn't born to go

home it's a concept that I was always

believed in uh when I go to work and

these words sometimes comes out

spontaneously if somebody tells me

something is not going to get done I say

no watch me not because of uh any kind

of pushing or any kind of you know I'm

better than anybody. I'm not I'm still I

don't deserve anything. I'm still

learning. But that that word means I

will not give up. I will not just stop.

I have to find a solution. I will try.

>> I will try one more time.

>> Right.

>> And it connect me with home. And I

always think about my mother back home

in North Africa in Tunisia and

>> that's also always think about the

concept of home to be in the US or to be

in Tunisia. It's very special a family

environment and all that. The book was

as you know we can talk about more why

that sentence came out

>> was spontaneous with

>> we'll get back to it. So I wasn't born

to go home suggests both freedom

>> and rupture.

>> So do you feel that having um that

leaving your home country was an act of

destiny an act of survival or rebellion

or was it all of that?

>> I think it was destiny. uh survival I

was overall okay

>> when I was in the country I I love this

country it's my home it's my people it's

the language all that but I was in a

good position as well I was working

nicely with as you know in the book I

was I have a job I had a little bit

challenges here and there but I was

actually thinking about going to Europe

and also thinking about starting a

business here and the journey of the US

was a destiny I was invited

>> I went there for a month in 1999 9 I

find down the environment and I and I

just finished studying English here at

Burgibbo school that time

>> things was happening you know as they

meant to be and I do believe strongly it

was a destiny and I don't take it for

granted so

>> it was a destiny wonderful well um and

another aspect of the book that you

really emphasize right from the

beginning of your book is the meaning of

your name

>> yes

>> uh so your nameil means noble uh which

is a word associated with uh greatness

with responsibility.

So at what time in your life did that

meaning uh stop being uh a coincidence

and start feeling like a personal

obligation?

>> Very good question. Um as I said in the

book, my mom always told me that live up

to the meaning of your name,

>> right?

>> I heard it. I connected a little bit

with it. It was in my subconscious

belief as we say and I carried it with

me. But I go through life and challenges

like anybody else. And when I was living

in the US, start to understand things.

My first two years I connected with it

again. I was still starting college.

Seven year five years later, I lost that

connection for a while because it was

competition and survival in the US and

understanding the language, the life

system, how things work, immigration,

and all of that.

>> Culture shock.

>> Culture shock. I mean, literally culture

shock. But I was willing to get survive

all of that. I was willing to put the

work to understand it. I can't go back.

Not because I don't want to come back.

It's like it become part of my being

there.

>> It's a challenge.

>> It's a challenge, right?

>> Um seven years later, I start to connect

to that meaning. And after that, when we

the book start to be, you know, start to

be reality in our heads and my wife and

I talked about it. The as as you know,

we run a language company there and we

provide over 100 languages. So we have a

different hund 100 communities and I

always think about their names and I was

like wow that person's name means that

way but sometimes he doesn't act like it

>> so that person does that but he's okay

and I start to connect more with that

and become part of my life after that

and I always like ah I can't do that

it's not

>> and you always remember your mother told

you that [laughter]

>> I should not do that I have to honor the

name that was given to me not in a

prideful way but it's actually how do I

really honor Right. And

>> right um so you're um you you migrated

Yes.

>> U not only to the US but across several

other countries before settling in the

US. So what did migration teach you

about yourself? Uh that uh comfort and

stability maybe um never did or never

could.

>> Uh yes. Uh sometimes I can say a word

they learned from one of my coaches in

the US. Uh we are driven by inspiration

or desperation.

>> I always wanted to see the world

literally

madame literally I go to the airport and

I listen to the airplanes moving in

Tunis airport. Mhm.

>> If I can listen that sound, it makes me

I don't know it makes me more I have a

what do you call happy feet or whatever

you call

>> I want to see the world and after that I

start whenever I get a chance to travel

I go and languages I mean I was not

really that good in English when you

know in the book it was balium I was the

worst

>> but I'm glad to hear that Biba school

was really you know the beginning that

triggered all that

>> it was it was [laughter] it was it was

really a fantastic experience and you

know traveling was really part of my

DNA. I think it's it's teaches you a

lot. Doesn't mean it's easy. It teaches

you how to challenge yourself and you

know do do the right thing and figure

out solutions

>> and you learn especially you learn a

lot.

>> Many migrants uh feel um torn they feel

torn between uh who they were, who they

became

>> and who they are expected to be. So

which version of yourself was the

hardest to reconcile and why? Oh boy,

[laughter]

you should have sent me those questions.

>> Well, I've asked you and I said I told

you whether you would like to see the

questions before and you said never

mind, I can answer them. I did.

[laughter]

>> So, let me surprise you just like that.

>> That's good. That's good. I accept that.

Uh I think the the three of them could

you mention that again the three of

those?

>> Okay. The three of them. So um um many

many migrants uh they they feel torn

between who they were

>> uh who they are who they became and who

they are they were expected or they are

expected to be. So which version of

yourself was the hardest to reconcile

and why?

>> I think with my experience they are all

of them. the one you were, the one you

became or the one you are expecting.

>> For them, they are not easy but they

also carry within themselves roots what

you call grains or seeds of growth.

>> Right?

>> Uh what I was I always wanted to be

better. I want to be better than

yesterday. I wanted to understand what's

out there. Doesn't mean what I was.

Doesn't mean it was terrible. It was

there's good things in what I was what I

were. And after that to be where I was

again I don't know that type of growth

or understanding it was always part of

me what I expected to be maybe that's

was a little bit challenging because you

can't please anybody when we say

expectation

>> especially when you have that on the

back of your mind.

>> Yes.

>> Those people who are expecting you you

know to go back home with lots of money

with etc etc. So you know that's another

challenge that you have to put up with

as well.

>> Absolutely. Absolutely. And the

expectation yes from that part of the

the dynamic but also sometimes I expect

too much from myself

>> right

>> sometimes they're like ah what can I do

better how can I be healthier how can I

be in good relationship with people and

that requires work requires discipline

requires good habits and

>> a perseverance

>> a perseverance I think I felt healed the

last three years to not worry about

expectation too much means I do my best

I can't control the results I can

control I I want to see people so

successful and it gives joy to me and I

feel not even a hero in a negative way.

I just I go speak I speak in schools in

the US and some other places and I just

want to see results happening right now

which is not good

>> which is not [laughter] good immediately

>> but I'm too it takes time but to be

expected to be certain way it's not it's

not good to to feel that way because now

you are sabotaging yourself to not

accepting yourself. Well, I I I was

actually I'm reading a book called

Healthy Me, Healthy Us.

>> It helps marriages. It helps business

relationship. How do I The best gift I

can give to anybody is a healthy me.

>> The expectation could be an obstacle if

we keep dwelling into it and I have to

be that way or I have to

>> if we push it too much on on ourselves.

That's right. Yeah.

>> About it.

>> Well, um your book also speaks about um

heartbreaks.

>> Yeah. about struggle, about setbacks.

Um, so was um was there um a moment uh

when life convinced you uh that the

meaning of your name was too heavy to

carry?

>> Oh yeah.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Don't make me cry. Okay. [laughter]

>> Uh yes. I had moment uh it was it was

hard. It was really hard and I had to

make certain decisions.

>> I could feel that through the book.

Yeah, when I have read it.

>> Yeah, the book really it was it was

meant to be as well. It was not a book

to to make the money or it's like it's

it's a healing book. It's a book that I

want somebody when I say and neither

were you. It wasn't you were I wasn't

born to go home. Neither were you. It's

a book that is should not be about me.

It should be about the audience. I want

them to get better.

>> But the the the carrying the name was

heavy. I mean constantly I remind myself

to do the right thing

>> and I felt you were very sincere in

talking about that.

>> Absolutely. And and I I just I said

before I don't deserve anything and u by

God's grace I'm here and I want to do

the right thing as much as I can and I

think I'm not being prideful. I think

I'm so far successful even when I am in

my relationship with my my wife. I'm

learning how to listen. I'm an

interpreter. I speak. I like to talk.

I'm an out out what do you call

activator. I love to do but I'm learning

to calibrate that

>> and I understand that

>> my name is special not from an arrogant

way every name here either with us here

in the studio or people out there it's

really special I had conversation in the

streets of the US in stores I just see

their name tag and I say hey could you

tell me what's your name what's your

name they get shocked and they pull

their phones and like oh my gosh my name

is

>> act like

>> and do they reconcile with that

>> they do actually people everyone smiles

you know when you You know, when you

call a person with their name, they feel

happy.

>> You know, when I go to coffee shops and

it's not a manipulation, it's really

sincere. When I walk in, I'm going to

buy my breakfast or coffee, I mention

their name. I tell them, "Oh my gosh,

your hair is good. Your shoes here is

nice." They get so happy and I get a

nice coffee.

>> That's motivation. That's right.

[laughter]

>> It's it's life. And I mean it so

sincerely that we all we all need each

other

>> and positive attitude really counts a

lot.

>> Absolutely.

>> Right. So you you describe the book as a

love letter to the world.

>> Yes.

>> Right. Uh so in a world which is marked

by division, by fear, by conflict. Uh

what kind of love are you advocating?

>> Um I mean truly to to love one another.

I mean I'm not judging the traffic which

is in the US there's different type of

traffic and different

>> This is one of the values maybe that we

are very familiar with here in our

country. How about in the US? The what

>> how does that sound?

>> Well,

>> the value no the value of of love each

other.

>> It does exist but doesn't mean it's

perfect. It does exist but there is

certain category of people they still

behave not correctly. It's that's the

world. No, there is good and bad in

every place in the world.

>> But to even to change into one person at

at at a time. Do you know the story of

the starfish?

>> No.

>> Okay. This is I think it's a true story.

uh someone on the beach uh fishing.

>> Oh, actually he's in the beach and

there's a lot of starfish coming out. I

can say hundred or thousand of them,

>> right?

>> And he's sitting there and he's he picks

one and throw it back to the ocean. He

picks the second one, throw it back to

the ocean and third one. And there is a

person passing by and he said, he told

him, "What are you doing?"

>> He was surprised. What are you doing? He

said, "Yeah, I'm putting the starfish

back that they can survive and live and

continue to survive in their their habit

>> in their own environment."

>> And this person who was asking him said,

"What are you talking about? Doesn't

make any difference. Look how many of

those thousands."

The other guy gives me goosebumps. He

picked up another one and threw it back

and he said, "We make a difference for

that one." So living life, nobody can

fix anything. Nobody can control

anything. Right.

>> But if I can make that person's morning

well, nice, happy, joyful in the coffee

shop, even even before I leave my house,

I think it's sometimes I feel like it's

duty that I have to do. And it doesn't

mean I do it perfectly, but loving one

another, it's really easy to do, easy

not to do, but it's really sweet.

>> But this is, you know, uh, one way, uh,

that we have to, um, you know, around

which we have to shape maybe our lives.

>> Yeah. Right. and listening a little bit

more and and putting ourselves on the

other person's and ask for forgiveness

and I say I'm sorry

>> which is very hard to do for some people

>> I know doesn't matter wherever I arrive

doesn't matter how much I have much

money I have what doesn't matter

>> if I do something wrong

my nephew or I will say sorry I I

sincerely mean it and that's they say

forgiveness is a unforgiveness is a

poison you drink hoping the other person

will die

>> it doesn't cost much, but it produces a

lot.

>> Absolutely.

>> Right. So, love and ambiguity don't

always coexist peacefully. Did love ever

uh slow you down or did it ultimately

give your journey meaning?

>> Uh, I guess both. Sometimes, uh, gosh,

it's going to make me cry again. Uh,

this is reality.

Love hurt. Maybe there's songs like

that. You practice love. You you you try

to do it. you again, you're not perfect,

but and you get hurt again.

>> And when when you practice it on a on a

daily basis with family or and they

misunderstand you or they think you have

something you want to gain or

>> or maybe it's a weakness

>> or a weakness, they feel like you have a

need. I'm beyond that. Uh when I say

there is no box, people say think out of

the box. It's very big in the US.

[laughter] I feel my for me like what

box? There's no box. box doesn't exist.

Who

>> Pandora box?

>> Yeah. [laughter] Who created this box

that limits me where I am? Of course,

there is limitation in a higher level.

But when I when I really the thing that

broke my heart the most, I am

consciously still learning it. I will

give love and support and do and help

people, but they still hurt you,

especially the closest to you because

they misunderstood you. And I put myself

in their place like, "Oh my gosh, it's

okay." because they don't know.

>> But at the same time, it become a heavy

load. Now I'm starting to be more wise

or I need to also put the oxygen on

myself, you know?

>> I've used so many planes in in my trips

in the world. I mean, sometimes to come

here is four planes,

>> right? Right. So I had I learned

[clears throat] more and more how to be

giving give people strategically

um w without hurting myself too much

because if I keep not being wise about

it I can't help other people and also I

will not receive always I need help from

some other sources

>> and because when you always point one

finger to someone you have four other

fingers which are pointed to you so put

you know yourself into uh uh you know

that uh sphere and ask yourself the

question why it didn't work.

>> Absolutely.

>> Right. So, uh well I have learned that

as well.

>> Exactly. [laughter] Sometimes you be

stressed or tired or this or that and

when we are in traffic as we said people

they reacted too.

>> How can I prepare myself to do my best

to not react and loving is not always

easy but it hurts sometimes.

>> Bridging the gap interpreting this is

your company.

>> Yes ma'am.

>> Which is uh more than a company it's a

metaphor. Yes.

>> So what gaps in society are you still

trying to bridge beyond language and

business?

>> Yes. Wonderful question. Um how the

bridging the gap interpreting came

about. I was in San Francisco in 2007

doing a leadership training and I love

experiential learning because it gives

me the aha moment like oh my gosh my

like if I can put this down. It was not

planned. Okay. Mhm.

>> And I put this here and I look at your

jacket and I told you, "Ma'am, Madame

Davy, your jacket is white." You tell

me, "No, my jacket is Oh, no, no." I

tell you, my jacket, let's say you are

wearing a white his his his shirt.

>> All right.

>> He's not. He has white. I would tell

him, "Your sweatshirt is black." He

tells me, "No, no, no. It's white." I

tell him, "No, no, no. It's black." And

we keep going back and forth. He tells

me, you know, "Check your eyes." Like,

"My eyes is great. I can see it's it's

black until I bump into this and I like

oh my gosh he's right

>> it's it's white.

>> So bridging the gap when I was in San

Francisco as I said I was like what what

do I want? I finished the training. I

did all those experience learning to get

this that was aha moment and I went to a

little coffee shop close to the golden

bridge there and I was like what do I

want? What is my ultimate challenge

here? What is the thing that struggle I

struggle with the most? And the thing

the word being understood came up. I

want to be understood because sometimes

either with my belief system or whatever

I feel that I'm not understood.

>> But I was like adding to it. Oh my gosh,

I have to understand others too. It's

not all about me.

>> Promote understanding.

>> Promote understanding. And I looked at

the bridge. I looked at my skills and

gifting. I was an interpreter already.

Like ah I'm starting a company called

bridging the gap because I want to

bridge the language gap. I want to

bridge and now we do it very uniquely my

wife and I. I just pray I hope next time

you will invite her and we we have a

very very clear way of running the

company

>> means we don't do it transactionally a

lot of people say oh you need to do

transaction to make the money yes we are

professional we could we could have our

profit to continue to pay our bills and

grow but we also do it in a relational

way either with the customers every

email every call counts and we are

bridging that gap between the clients

and the interpreters every interpreter

mean a lot to us and how do we prepare

them to do that and sometimes we have a

lot of work sometimes we don't but it's

it's a bridging the gap a very special

thing

>> well it's it's the law of the market

>> yes

>> sometimes right so entrepreneurship is

often framed as financial success

>> so how do you define success you

yourself and how has that definition

changed over time since the time you

started as a little boy renting your

renting your bicycle, you know, I've

read that in the book. So, which which

was really very funny, but very clever.

I mean, coming from a from a boy from a

boy who is about

>> what 10 years old something like seven,

eight years old. That was very clever.

>> Weird. [clears throat] It was bizarre

really. I mean, the audience is

listening and watching us. That moment

was unique when, as you know, in the

book when my brother bought me the the

the the soccer ball and we played with

the kids a little bit and I'm like, you

know what? I always love to put

[laughter] some money aside, you know,

check that out.

>> That's right.

>> And I'm like, I'm going to just rent it.

>> That business mind was, you know, was in

it.

>> It was there. It was so funny. And after

that, the bicycle and the rabbits and

all that. So success, when I define

success, it's not

maybe in a period of my time, my life, I

thought is money and a nice home and uh

two and a half kids.

>> Dream about that. That's right. American

dream. That's right. I mean sometimes

when I think about the American dream

and living there for 25 years and it's

it's not necessarily that the American

dream for me or the life dream or the

world dream that peace inside of your

heart

>> right

>> sometimes they say I don't want to be

too rich because I can become arrogant

and I will hurt other people

>> sometimes money they say is a good uh

servant and bad ma master if we talk

about success and financial

>> it can make you miserable in comfort

>> yeah because you have to manage it and

you have to protect it and you It's not

easy but doesn't mean it's bad to have

it too but how do you manage it for the

good so success you can talk about

financial it's good to be somewhere

balanced and that's my journey right now

I'm making sure that my relationship

with you with him with her with the

streets wherever I go it's somehow

balanced somehow like did I did the

right thing have I respect the people uh

go back to the finance did I manage the

money well do I have debts how do I

clean up the debts why do I have to get

a big loan own because I want to have a

big business and after that struggle

with it how do I pay it back that's the

finance but to have peace to have good

relationships nobody's going to live

forever

>> isn't that very stressful I mean for a

human being to keep evaluating I mean

himself all the time did I do that did I

do did I do the right thing uh was it uh

you know exactly what I should have done

etc I mean I mean that's that's a heavy

burden isn't it

>> it is it is it is and it's for me

sometimes is a calling It's a heavy

burden and it's becoming easier and

easier because I practice a lot. Trust

me, sometimes I go to bed and I'm

exhausted.

>> Experience.

>> Experience. Yeah, it's

>> you know there's something it's funny I

hope I will say it right.

>> I ask myself or there is a kind of a

concept how do you make uh good

decisions?

>> If I ask somebody it's not a tricky

question.

>> How do you know?

>> Yeah. How how do I make good decision?

One two words make good choices. How do

I make good choices? One word,

experience. How do I get experience?

>> Two words, bad experiences. [laughter]

>> You learn.

>> You learn. Actually, I read a book and

my coach uh he wrote over 100 books.

He's 75 years old. His name is John

Maxwell and it was really good.

>> Yeah, I will talk about it.

>> It's interesting. Uh sometimes we say

sometimes we win, people say sometimes

we lose and it's not true really.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we learn. If

we are consciously wanting to learn,

>> we don't lose, but we learn.

>> We learn. You said it's a heavy burden

to do that. It is true. But I made a

decision to keep working on it because

the other side of it is worse.

>> Mhm.

>> There's another saying discipline is um

weighs

uh

ounces, regrets weighs tons. So if I

don't continue to teach myself to be

that person,

>> I will pay the price on the other side

>> eventually sooner or later. Doesn't mean

I'm going to do it all perfectly, but I

took on myself to work on that until I'm

not here anymore.

>> Right. You as as a certified

motivational teacher and you were

talking about the John Maxwell uh team

which which you were part of or you are

still part of.

>> You teach them to lead themselves. So

what is uh the hardest lesson you still

struggle to teach yourself?

>> Oh, Maxwell said uh everything

worthwhile is uphill.

>> Uhhuh.

>> Uh also uh there is no two days two

consecutive days that they are good for

a leader or for a teacher or for

somebody who wants to make a difference.

>> Um could you put ask the question again?

As a certified motivator motivational

teacher with John Maxwell team, you

teach others to lead themselves. So what

is the hardest lesson you still struggle

to teach yourself?

>> The hard lesson to struggle to teach

myself is to

uh I guess I don't want to look for

perfection is to be there for them and

support them without putting too much

pressure. A leader leads from behind as

well. You just let them let them be. let

them learn also by example. And

sometimes sometimes I I I'm afraid if I

did not do it well or I missed something

or that person because the way I said it

or I did not listen enough.

>> Perfectionists always think that way

>> in a certain way in a certain actually

my wife is she's perfectionist. She's so

good. Uh love you Emily. But it's it's a

it's something that sometimes concerns

me. I want to be have I want to have

good results

>> and maybe sometimes I push a little bit

too hard and I tell them I will work

work with you. I will shovel with you. I

will do whatever it takes that will be

successful. I'm not just going to leave

you by yourself and take a seat and

watch you. I'll be there with you.

>> Right?

>> But sometimes they don't believe that.

And that's the to teach myself how to

figure that out without the expectation

or the misunderstanding. It's not easy.

It's always calibrating and

recalibrating and getting

>> and maybe that's the the hardest part is

really when when you you do your work

and you expect the results and then you

keep following that up.

>> Yes.

>> And uh you are always hopeful that what

you had taught you know would really uh

you know bring better or good results.

But sometimes you know uh as we say fade

but in fact they do not fade but they

learn the lesson that maybe that's

something that did not work and they

have to do it otherwise. Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely. And you know, when I look at

people that I had the privilege to lead,

>> I need to learn from them.

>> Sure.

>> I don't learning goes both ways. That's

right.

>> I mean, I I my nephew is with me all the

time and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, he

taught me that lesson today." I'm

thinking my gosh, he's right. I should

not see it in blind spots. We always

have blind [clears throat] spots and

it's it's just the the life we live. if

if I am always I think about Maxwell

it's uh he said one time um he he go to

speak to his teams and um and he was a

big speak it was a conference and he

told them everything wrong with him I

did this wrong I did this wrong and I'm

weak in this area I'm weak in this area

and and he's teaching these leaders to

go out and do the same thing and one of

the leaders he's strong he's you know

very serious he came at the end of the

conference and was talking to him and

said uh I I don't agree that I don't

admit that.

>> I don't admit that. I don't agree that I

have to be I don't have to tell them all

my weakness.

>> I don't have to I need to be serious. He

said, "Listen, they know it already."

>> That's right.

>> It's better to say it up front and win

them better than trying to fight it.

That's right.

>> I know it.

>> That's right.

>> Nobody's [laughter] going to hide.

>> You cannot cheat on that.

>> You cannot cheat, you know, and you just

deal with their response and

>> Sure.

>> Yeah.

>> So, was founding your interpreting

company? Um then was that uh a strategic

business uh decision or a personal

response um to uh the the what you

witnessed or lived through?

>> Yeah. And there's a couple chapter about

that and uh maybe one of them you

remember it. Do do we get paid for that?

>> The whole thing you know I was asking

myself the whole thing happened I I felt

I felt into it. I mean I fell into it.

Um every one of us has gifts. And if we

look at our gifts and somebody can help

us to figure out what is how can I use

that gift and turn it to a skill. You

have to make it better the gift better.

>> That's the most important thing.

>> Exactly. The marketplace and your life

will change.

>> A lot of people they have high degrees

and they work in jobs they don't like

either in the US or here and they put

their gifts and their dreams aside and

it's hard.

>> I took the challenge to say you know

what

>> it happened to me. I was I was walking

in the street. I I tried to work regular

jobs and as you know getting the

immigration and the paperwork, the the

green card, this and that and such and

like okay

>> I mean I'm an educated guy. I speak

different languages. I'm living in the

US but I don't want to get paid $11 an

hour. Sure.

>> You know here in Tunisia maybe they

maybe some people understand it but $11

an hour it's not a good wage of seven.

It's not especially when you are an

adult.

>> And literally this is the truth. I was

walking in this area. It was nice area.

I want to get away from everything and I

received a phone call. It's in the book.

An interpreter, a friend. I don't know

even I didn't know if she was an

interpreter at that time. She was in

college with me and she just checked on

me. Hey, Nibil, how are you? I said, you

know what? I don't know. I I need to I

just need to live better. I think I'm I

came here for a reason. This is not

enough for me. Not in an arrogant way.

>> She said, you mean work? You mean

finances? Yeah, that's one of the

things. This is important, especially in

the US. You know,

>> I'm not I'm not judging the US. Even the

the locals, if you don't,

yeah, people take care of each other,

but if you don't go and compete and and

survive it, you'll be in trouble. So she

said, "Hey, listen. You speak French and

Arabic. Can you speak English? What are

you doing? You need to be an

interpreter." Like, interpreter? I know

the interpreter as you know in the book

at the United Nation level or conference

interpreter, all that. I told her, "Do

they pay for that?"

>> She was like, "Are you kidding me? I

have a Polish English interpreter. She's

from Poland." And I like, who do you

work? I said, "I'm not competing to you.

I don't speak Polish. Tell me, I need to

do that." She gave me the name of the

company. The next morning, I was making

11. I was doing security and this and

that and uh what do you call nursing

home that time, hotels and stuff,

>> security is being kind. It's not to be

security, just kind [laughter] people.

Hey, what kind of how can I serve you?

So, the next day I went to this company

and uh right away they hired me for both

languages, paying me $35 an hour. So I

fell into it and I was like, "Huh, I

always have this entrepreneur mind. I

want to go back to it. If there is one

company, there's more one more than one

in the in the area. There's five." I

applied. I was working with them all and

I was so busy.

>> And I like if they can do it, they can

do it.

>> Opportunity is there.

>> So just find it.

>> It was find it was not easy to start and

it was just a whole process. And the

company as you know went through a lot

of ups and down and uh but when I met

Emily she's an interpreter too and you

know the story she put me together I

mean by God's grace and her really

>> behind every successful man

>> a successful woman

>> there is a woman [laughter]

>> yes I will say there is a good woman

without her uh I I don't think I could

survive all of that. Yeah, sure. But the

you know the funny part of of the of the

sentence you know I have read that when

I was when I was in the US as well they

say behind every successful man there is

a woman and then the other part of the

telling him he's no good. [laughter]

>> Yes.

You know that Greek movie maybe the my

big wet fat wedding

the lady said the man is the uh the head

but the woman is the neck. She can turn

[laughter] his head anywhere she wants.

So

>> right. So would you say that the company

um is in a way uh the practice um no not

the practice but the the practical um

concentration of your book uh the place

where you your values

>> Yes.

>> became action.

>> Yes.

>> Because you you you speak a lot of the

values in your book.

>> Yes. And these are maybe the core uh you

know or or the bone

>> the backbone of your book

>> right. So these are the core values. So

do you believe that your company is

really like an extension like a

materialization of those values in

action in your company?

>> Oh absolutely. It's like our our guide

our lighthouse. All those values we

really keep ourselves accountable. Once

again I mean everybody's hearing me.

would never be perfect but we strive

every day to live those value and to

take them as an action who who we talk

to how do we treat them and we bring

those value to our work and and you know

what again accepting to do the right

thing when I say accepting means you

really got to believe in it and say you

know what I'm going to do the right

thing

>> my nephew last week we went to Tobarco

last two weeks and we ate some food and

they they with the food they gave give

us a bottle of water and we had the I

had it on my hand and we walked out and

he said, "Oh my god, we did not pay for

it and he knows me and I mean I'm proud

of him." I didn't even say anything. He

went back and paid for it.

>> Of course,

>> it's those those things when we treat

the the client or the interpreters,

>> you go back to the meaning of your name.

>> Yes, you have to. And and it's it's

helping us because sometimes, oh, I'm

going to cut corners and I'm going to do

this. We think we're going to win by

cutting corners. No, we don't even win

with our piece. We cannot sleep well.

>> That's right.

>> And it's not perfection, but I think we

should all strive for that. Good result

will happen.

>> Uh so any any future writing projects

after I wasn't born to go home and maybe

what themes are you um trying to

explore? Are you eager to explore? Maybe

uh migration, maybe leadership, maybe

entrepreneurship, or maybe anything we

haven't heard of yet.

Yes, I have a lot of books in my head,

[laughter]

but I I I still believe without my wife,

I can write any other next book. I I

can't an awesome awesome, you know, I

had moment in this book.

>> I I know it. You believe me? I do know

that we do 16 17 hours on the on the

table and she was there. I have videos

of it means she pushed me to the limit.

in some stories. I said 3:00 a.m. like I

can't I don't want to do that. I don't

want to go deeper that way. And there's

things I did not talk about. And she

just she said we got we got to do it.

You got to if we're going to do this

authentically and do it right, it's

going to be painful. So there is several

books um in our heads and mainly I tend

to think about growth. I tend to think

about solutions.

>> I tend to think you know people or me

included as well. We take life sometimes

easy. It's it's it's a battle and the

only person I can lead is myself. So

growth and leadership and helping people

to see their blind spots and as much as

I write or write with my wife, I

discovered my own right, you know, blind

spots and we have books like that. We

have [clears throat] books of u there's

a my wife wants to write a book about

TCK which is third culture kids.

>> Third culture kids is she is as well a

third culture kids. you know, her dad is

American, her mom is Costa Rican, and

and there's a bunch of others situation.

You saw those kids, they have two

different culture, two different

language, they struggle

>> and it's it's it's rich. It's not if you

look at from a richness. You remind me I

had a proposal uh uh you know when I was

a student something that I really wanted

to write about at that time was uh the

impact of you know multiculturalism

on second and third generation

immigrants in the UN in the US

unfortunately you know

>> right together [laughter]

>> well that was you know one of my

projects at that time but anyway

>> in in the US it's really unique because

as you all know the world is there

there's a lot of people from different

culture And some of them they really

struggle. You remember in the book if

you remember

>> uh why I switched to leadership,

>> right?

>> I'm I'm limiting my interpreting. We

have we duplicated ourselves. And I just

we train the interpreters. We help them.

We encourage them. I don't interpret as

I used to. My wife was I mean I'm not

bragging about her. She's one of the

best Spanish interpreter. I

>> I could feel her impact on the book.

>> She's powerful.

>> Powerful. She is wonderful. And the uh

we call it the heart of the interpreter,

>> right? It's very few and I know there's

interpreters here and Sonia and other

people we know they're awesome people.

Uh the heart of the interpreter is as we

talked about it when you imagine the the

family or the people they need your help

when you walk into the place and you are

their voice and you do it well you

really change lives. It it's really

unique and we love the game and we want

to continue to train the interpreters

write books about that. um writing books

about you know how to be that unique

person. It's all it's kind of combined

growth leadership and interpreting and

languages and there is books written

like one of them is called when culture

collides.

>> It's not necessarily we're bad. We just

misunderstand each other. I say it in a

way that is different. I shake your hand

differently. I I walk in the room

differently. I cross my hands

differently. And the other person gets

offended or something and from there,

you know, the whole world is is messed

up. So

to to do our we go back to be

understood. So

>> that's right. That's the most important

message I guess

>> we're going to wrote in that.

>> Well, so when do we expect another book?

>> Oh, a lot of pressure which is good

pressure in a certain way. Um we're

thinking about maybe we're giving

ourselves 2026. We have few things we

want to work in the company and do more

hiring and we're learning to hire slow

and fire fast. [laughter] I when I think

about firing means the people they we

have to let them go. They're not bad.

It's just they belong somewhere else

>> for their own good. It just did not

work. And to hire the right people is

not easy. And we're hoping maybe 2027 28

we start writing again. And my wife is

journaling a lot. I have a lot of

thoughts and journaling. I'm learning to

journal more like my wife, right?

>> But in a certain way, maybe the next

year or two.

>> Well, good luck.

>> Or we going to do this what we call 2.0.

Uh I'm I'm taking notes even through

this trip.

>> What can I add to this book? Different

chapter. Um,

you know, I have a book in my heart.

>> Another revised version of this one.

>> Yeah, another revised, but I I don't

know. It's came up back to my heart

right now. I want to write a book to say

I'm home.

>> I'm home. Well, the the the word home, I

mean, in your book, I could feel it.

>> Uh the meaning of home.

>> Yeah.

>> Um

it was very powerful even when I read

about it.

>> Yeah. Uh, and I could feel, you know,

how you felt about home, the one that

you left here, the one you migrated to

several times. And uh,

>> and um, that was a big question mark.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, home.

>> Yeah.

>> Home with with uh, you know, uh, um,

what do you call it? Capital letter.

>> Cabalia.

>> Yeah, that's right.

>> So, let's end up with home.

>> Yes. [clears throat]

>> So, you are home now. Is this the home

you identify with?

>> I feel like I'm almost there. Um, you

know, when I every time I arrive to the

airport and I want to hug everybody. I

really do.

>> Yeah.

>> The police, the the the customs, the

everyone. And sometimes it's a little

hard, but it's fine. And

>> it's belongingness.

>> Yeah. Yeah. To belong. To belong. When I

arrived to my own home with my mother,

um, you mentioned culture shock. I I the

first time I came back to the US I mean

to Tunisia is like after 11 years and I

had a really reverse culture shock not

not the country the stuff I can navigate

that I've been to many countries it's

fine the traffic but to and as you said

new people new concept new things and

when I went to my own home there's a

concept when you go back home it's still

it's small it's so small it feels small

>> and I'm trying to connect with it in a

in a deeper level

>> and sometimes I'm Not sure. I'm still

trying to figure that out. I have a home

in the US. I have a home here. The

beauty for for my thinking as well for

me, I'm home here with you and with the

team here and everybody. How do I live

that every moment? If I go to my

mother's house or to my neighborhood, my

neighbors, I want to feel home. I'm

maybe I'm 70%. I still I'm being very

candid and honest. I'm still struggling

a little bit.

>> Yeah.

I know it's hard.

>> Yeah,

>> I know it's hard.

>> But I have joy too. Sometimes I go to

coffee shops here and I want to hug the

students and everybody and

>> but home is it's it's unique.

>> Home is sweet home.

>> It's home. Yeah. And I do enjoy being

here and uh I love the food and the

culture and the people and

>> Well, um

>> yes.

>> Wish you uh an enjoyable, you know, trip

back home to your second home.

>> Yes. I'm privileged to have two homes.

Yeah.

>> Yeah, that's right. Well, uh, at a

certain moment in life, you know, uh, we

have to make choices as we said.

Absolutely.

>> Earlier and, uh, this is your destiny.

>> Yes.

>> And, uh, you live up to it.

>> Absolutely. And Tunisia [laughter] is my

home and the US is my home. I don't make

it complicated. The US just people and

life and

>> that's right. The people that's what

matters really. That's what matters.

>> The people they are not nice and do your

best to be nice. That's right. Reflects

that. So,

>> well, thank you so much, Nabil. It was

uh very enjoyable to talk to you about

this book.

>> Before I finish, I have a gift for you.

>> Thank you. [laughter]

>> I don't know. This is from my wife

>> on air just like that.

>> That's hilarious. [laughter]

>> This is for you.

>> Oh, that's sweet.

>> You keep it. You can give it to anybody.

>> Thank you so much.

>> And [laughter] I have something else for

the team. I carried it from Kansas City.

This box is from Tunisia.

>> Oh, thank you.

>> This is some chocolate for you guys.

>> Thanks. That's very sweet of you. Thank

you.

>> And I'm going to sign you the book here

for you because uh this is nice.

>> That's right. Because

>> that one has a lot of battle

>> actually. Actually, uh you know, I I

have to uh thank my friend Sonia Shisha

who lent me this book. Absolutely. And I

have read it through and um actually I I

hope that she's listening. I've sent her

a message to tell her that you will be

with me on air today. So uh I hope that

uh uh you know I am up to uh the the you

know the task. SA

>> thank [laughter] you SA as well and uh

that's the people we live with and they

encourage us. They believe in us. So I'm

going to leave you with this actually.

It calls about home. Uh you can read it

later. How do we prepare to come home

and how do we prepare to go back?

>> That's right.

>> I'm going to sign this for you. Today is

the 26th, right?

>> That's right.

>> January 26. And I am going to um to

dedicate the next song to you because I

know that you know part of your book you

talked a lot of your about your mom.

>> Yes.

>> Uh that you love so much that she has

been with you you know since you started

uh up to now and you came back now

specifically to visit her. So the song

is for mama by Ray Charles.

>> Thank you so much.

>> And the song after that is dedicated to

Emily. It is by John Legend. All of me.

That's so sweet. [laughter] Thank you.

>> I feel like, as I said, I know you

forever. So, thank you so much.

>> Thank you so much.

>> I'm going to write this for you.

>> [music]