Redefining Age: The Woman With No Limits

On her way to an interior design job at a villa in the south of Israel, Eva Samuelov got off the train, drew out her phone, switched on the camera, and recorded herself declaring: "I have no limits." Three short words, a single video, one small train station in Israel's south — and then the internet erupted. Hundreds of thousands of views, countless shares, a surprise parody by celebrity chef Eyal Shani, and an outpouring of responses that hasn't stopped since.

For Eva Samuelov, a 73-year-old interior designer with half a century of experience, this moment was far from a passing joke. It was an awakening - the realization that she had discovered her digital voice at precisely the age when society expects you to stop innovating or redefining yourself.

A Digital Arsenal, Decades in the Making
Eva was not raised on TikTok, nor did she learn video editing at a young age, and she never once asked her grandchildren to explain a new app. Quite the contrary - she learned, experimented, sampled, edited and uploaded all on her own. For her, technology is neither a challenge nor a barrier; it is the very foundation of independence. Screens do not intimidate her, she never waits for someone to show her the way, and she needs no translation for concepts like AI or Reels. "It's not an age thing," she says. "It's a matter of attitude."

"Two and a half years ago, I realized TikTok was about to become the next big thing," she recounts. "Because staying up to date in my profession is something I always prioritize, I enrolled in a TikTok workshop for business owners. It was a serious course - full of CEOs of major companies and a doctor of strategy. Even they didn't expect to see a 71-year-old woman there."

How did you get started on a network considered the domain of the young?
"In the beginning, I posted videos as an interior designer, things like: 'If you choose a purple couch, make sure the wall behind it is white.' I did this for several months. Then, while designing a house in Kibbutz Gevim (located in the western part of the northern Negev), I arrived by train, got off at Sderot station, turned around, pulled out my phone and recorded myself saying, 'I have no limits! I come all the way to Sderot for work, I have no limits!' That's when everything went viral."

Some clients were taken aback. "One client told me, 'If I'd seen your TikTok, I would never have chosen you as my designer'," she says, laughing. "But later, not only did he commission me for five additional projects, now he insists we make joint videos as well. I'm a woman who does what feels right for me. I honestly don't care what others think."

This shift - from society's demand to do things "correctly" or "by the book", to unapologetic spontaneity - is precisely what won the internet over. Her feed is bursting with life, color, a touch of madness, freedom, and above all, a refusal to blend in. At 73, her digital toolkit surpasses that of most of the young people around her. ChatGPT? She has long used it fluently. Apps that generate images from photos? Installed and running. Video editing software? She has several, and she uses them herself, churning out videos at a dizzying pace. After all, she has fans to please.

"I don't wait for anyone," she insists. "Not my grandchildren, not my son, not my neighbor. If I want to do something, I learn and I do it. Simple as that."

Do you truly learn everything on your own, without anyone's help?
"Absolutely. I don't need to bother anyone, waste any time waiting for them to be available, or interrupt their routine. I like being in control of my own schedule - it's liberating. If a new app catches my attention, I dive in and play around until I understand how it works. That's my pace, and that's what suits me."

Bridging TikTok and Design
Eva thrives in the digital world, managing everything from her smartphone with a host of apps. "I have friends who don't use a quarter of the apps I do, but I love advancing. Wherever the pace is fast - that's where you'll find me."

How do you combine TikTok with your life as an interior designer?
"I've been an interior designer for 50 years, and I've always kept up with the newest trends. For me, innovation is pure joy. TikTok is now an inseparable part of my professional life - I upload videos of works in progress, completed projects, and sometimes just a car ride to my next client.

"I love my job and my clients keep coming back, whether for their next home or office. My joie de vivre and love for people come through in my videos, and in the way I approach every project.

"Today, a significant part of my work is with the SEA ONE PRIVATE CLUB project. I was invited to design their sales office, even though I'd never designed a sales office before. I was personally chosen by Shira Oren-Nahmias, Deputy CEO of Oranim Group, who told me that of all the interior designers she interviewed, I was the only one who immediately grasped the heart of the 'resort living' concept they wanted to express. The Oranim Group was so delighted with the results that now I accompany residents moving into the resort, helping them fulfill their dream of a beachfront apartment tailored to their unique personality. I also work with the resort's GM, Sahar Tal, designing special spaces set to open as the project progresses".

New Dreams Born on TikTok
With followers and exposure came an unexpected stream of responses -not just likes and emojis, but stories of a deeply personal nature. "Everyone who asks me for a video greeting always gets one," she says. "But one day I was contacted by a group of friends: 'We have a friend seriously ill from a medical complication. We're visiting him on Saturday. Would you send him a video greeting?' I gladly agreed. I sent a heartfelt personal video and thought nothing more of it. Two days later, I received a response video that changed my life. I open it and see a group of young men, some holding weapons, all shouting, 'I have no limits!' and in the middle stands the friend I had greeted - someone who could barely speak, now suddenly standing and smiling. That overwhelmed me. I understood that what I do online is not just entertainment; it can also be healing.

"That's when it hit me - I couldn't just remain behind the screen. That very week, I enrolled in a medical clowning course."

Today, Eva works in rehabilitation and geriatric hospitals, bringing the same warmth and unconventional approach that made her an online phenomenon - this time, without filters or screens. Her dream: to be a medical clown for soldiers. "First and foremost, I look them in the eyes," she explains. "No unnecessary chitchat. Once there's eye contact, you see the person. Sometimes, even without a word, you can return a fragment of their self to them."

Accelerating Into New Chapters
Eva is not slowing down; if anything, she's stepping on the gas. For her, settling for what you already know is a recipe for stagnation. "I see women and men my age who are afraid of technology," she admits. "Afraid to register, download an app, try something new - it's a shame. If you don't move forward, you're left behind. And being left behind is simply not for me.

"There's no such thing as 'too late'," she concludes. Unafraid of the new, Eva proves that with the right mindset, there truly are no limits.

In collaboration with Oranim Group