3 Books With Neil Pasricha

Chapter 155: Bulle the Bookseller broadens borders and births bibliophiles

December 4, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Bulle, the guest in "Chapter 155: Bulle the Bookseller broadens borders and births bibliophiles" of the podcast "3 Books With Neil Pasricha," was raised by his wise, camel-herding grandmother who instilled the wisdom that "silence is golden" and to treat strangers as brothers and sisters. 
  • Kenya is characterized by rapid growth, a young demographic, and significant innovation, notably being the birthplace of M-Pesa mobile money transfer and having a notable adoption of cryptocurrency. 
  • Nuria Bookstore's success stems from an innovative business model that champions self-published and independent African authors, refusing to reject any author despite traditional bookstore concerns about shelf space and sales performance. 
  • Bookstores play a vital role in shaping humanity and advancing societies by conveying the pains and aspirations of the community, going beyond academic instruction to shape better human beings. 
  • Consistent, organic growth in business, like social media posting or opening a bookstore on Sundays, should be shaped by customer data, patience, and listening to community needs. 
  • The concept of visualizing goals and leaving them to the subconscious mind, as discussed in relation to Joseph Murphy's book, is a powerful tool for creating new neural pathways toward success, similar to writing down important commitments. 

Segments

Kenyan Culture and Innovation Overview
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(00:05:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Kenya is defined by its champions in marathon running, significant technological innovation like M-Pesa, and a very young demographic.
  • Summary: Kenya is known globally as the home of marathon champions, including Eliud Kipchoge. The country pioneered M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer system subscribed to by nearly 60 million people, showcasing its lead in technology adoption. Furthermore, Kenya possesses one of the world’s youngest demographics, with an average age estimated between 18 and 25.
Bulle’s Background and Education
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(00:09:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Bulle transitioned from an eight-and-a-half-year career in marketing and banking to bookstore ownership, having grown up in Wajir, 700km north of Nairobi.
  • Summary: Bulle is Somali Muslim, born in Wajir, and was raised largely by his camel-herding grandmother after his father passed away when he was young. His father, who taught himself Swahili, English, and Arabic, prioritized education, leading Bulle to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting. He worked for seven and a half years in banking, eventually becoming a credit manager before pivoting away from business sabbatical in 2015.
Wisdom from Grandmother
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(00:17:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Bulle’s uneducated, camel-herding grandmother imparted wisdom rooted in nature, emphasizing silence and welcoming strangers.
  • Summary: The grandmother taught that ‘silence is golden,’ advising to use eyes and ears more than the mouth, encapsulated in the Somali phrase ‘Afdabolan dahab’ (A closed mouth is gold). She also blessed travelers with the wish that the people of their destination become their brothers and sisters, offering spiritual protection.
Subconscious Mind Influence
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(00:22:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind taught Bulle that visualization and action are necessary to harness the 95% of life controlled unconsciously.
  • Summary: The subconscious mind controls over 90% of bodily functions and behavior, operating largely outside conscious awareness. Visualization, or programming the subconscious mind with desired outcomes, is a key technique for manifestation, but it must be paired with action, echoing the ‘Just Do It’ philosophy.
Nuria Bookstore Founding Story
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(00:36:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Nuria Books began organically in 2015 when colleagues asked to buy books Bulle was lending out during his lunch breaks from his banking job.
  • Summary: After failing in several small businesses, Bulle immersed himself in reading while working at the bank, leading colleagues to ask to purchase his books. He launched Nuria Books online via Facebook in December 2015, choosing the name Nuria (meaning ’light’ in Arabic/Swahili) because it was his mother’s name and the logo designer approved it. His banking career ended abruptly in 2016 when the bank was put under receivership.
Institutional Impact on Prosperity
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(00:40:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The book Why Nations Fail posits that man-made political and economic institutions, not culture or geography, determine national prosperity, evidenced by divided nations like North and South Korea.
  • Summary: The authors argue that institutional trajectories—whether inclusive or extractive—are the primary drivers of economic success or poverty. This concept is illustrated by stark local divisions in Kenya between wealthy neighborhoods like Mudaiga and poor areas like Madare, separated only by a road. The book’s research suggests that institutional differences explain vast wealth disparities even among homogenous populations.
Kenyan Reading Culture Shift
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(00:50:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Kenyan education historically treated reading as forced memorization for exams, leading to low leisure readership post-university, which Nuria Books combats by promoting self-education.
  • Summary: Due to the educational system focusing on passing exams, reading is often perceived as a punishment rather than a source of pleasure or self-improvement. Nuria Books markets self-help and self-education as the bridge to change this perception, reminding Kenyans that books are essential for personal betterment beyond academic requirements. Kenya ranks third in African readership, behind Nigeria and South Africa, partly due to lower purchasing power.
Bookstore Marketing and Operations
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(00:55:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Sustaining a bookstore requires intense, consistent marketing, with Nuria Books posting organically across all social media platforms multiple times daily.
  • Summary: Bulle advises that opening a bookstore demands patience, consistency, and heavy marketing, noting that his store posts about 20 times daily across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They prioritize organic content posted as soon as it is ready, rather than adhering to rigid scheduling guidelines. The store operates seven days a week, opening for a half-day on Sundays due to customer demand.
Listener Feedback and Push
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(01:15:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Listener feedback provides unfiltered insight into which podcast segments resonate or fail to connect with the audience.
  • Summary: Phoebe from Charlotte called in to offer an honest critique of the previous guest’s rambling style, noting that only the host’s curated quotes were tolerable. This highlights the value of listener lines for gauging content reception. The host encourages listeners to call in with feedback or book recommendations to receive a signed book.
Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud Success
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(01:15:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud gratitude practice is showing positive attitudinal shifts in young children within one weekend of implementation.
  • Summary: Sarah S. reported successfully implementing the Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud game at bedtime with her husband and three children, noting a shift in her nine-year-old’s attitude regarding unmet expectations. She is also beginning the morning practice of letting go and focusing, finding letting go easier than anticipated. This practice is the basis for the ‘Two Minute Evenings’ journal.
Word of the Podcast: Afdabalon
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(01:17:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The Somali proverb ‘Afdabalon’ translates to ‘A closed mouth is gold,’ offering wisdom contrary to the host’s talkative style.
  • Summary: The word of the podcast is ‘Afdabalon,’ a famous Somali proverb meaning ‘A closed mouth is gold.’ This wisdom is attributed to Bulle’s 101-year-old camel-herding grandmother. The host acknowledges this contrasts with his own tendency to speak extensively on the show.
Community Building and Gratitude
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(01:18:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The podcast’s core mission is sharing stories and building a dedicated community of listeners who value reading.
  • Summary: The host reflects on the journey since starting the podcast in 2018, emphasizing the importance of sharing stories and fostering community among listeners. Listeners who consistently follow every chapter are recognized as dedicated community members. The host invites continued engagement via email or phone calls.