BROOD Magazine Christmas Logo
CONFIDENCE

CONFIDENCE

by | Mar 20, 2023 | Edition 10, Featured, Motivation

CONFIDENCE

Confidence is a preference, as Damon Albon (Blur) once stated.

If confidence was indeed something we could choose, would we choose it?

I’m not sure that everyone would drink the magic potion even if it was that easy, as I think confidence can be associated or frankly confused with arrogance, it’s ugly second cousin.

In my opinion you can be confident but not arrogant, you can be proud but not a “show off” you can have self belief and not a “big ego”, but the key ultimately is to be yourself.

Confidence is a combination of your energy, passion and self belief.
Fear is the one to watch out for, it can tear down your confidence, it’s down to you as to how deal with fear.

Confidence is like magic, the secret ingredient, the wind in your sails, the powder beneath the snowboard or in my case the electric propelling the OneWheel forwards. No momentum without confidence.

What is it… Self-belief?
An affirming validation of our own worth.
If we all kept in mind everything we had achieved in our life so far we’d be oozing confidence daily and propelling forwards at an incredible rate. But we forget and somehow we need external validation to help remind ourselves of our strengths to build our confidence.

Oliver Dunn
Oliver Dunn for BROOD MAGAZINE © 

Clearly it fades, confidence needs nurture.
I think it’s important to remember this and respect it. It’s not like some qualification or trophy you can win and that’s it for life, you have to keep earning it, keep nurturing it. Surround yourself with people who fill your cup, who fuel your confidence and remind you of your worth.

We must all relate to a lack of self confidence at some point on our lives, perhaps from our childhood, school days, the feeling of not being enough or not being good enough at something which caused a lack of self belief and low confidence.

I’ve battled with that my whole life, but it’s silly really isn’t it, I mean we can’t be good at everything, okay so maybe some people are, but good for them, be inspired by that, not discouraged, bitter or disappointed by it, just be YOU. That’s all you can do. Be proud of the things you are good at and grateful for the things you enjoy. Stop comparing, stop judging yourself.

Fear kills confidence, but what is fear? Fake events appearing real?
Or a worry about other people’s opinions/ judgement?*
A worry that you’re not good enough?
Well fuck that, all of it, if something brings you joy, do it, keep doing it, that way you will continually get better at it, it’s a fact.
Then comes self belief, the perfect weapon to combat the fear, that’s what I’m prescribing here. I’ll say that again, if something brings you joy, do it and keep doing it!

*It’s important to recognise here that it’s not other people’s judgement that is the problem, it’s your opinion of other people’s judgment, which quite simply might not even be correct, this might simply be something we conjured ourselves in our little worried minds.

Remember “worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.“ (Baz Luhrmann Wear Sunscreen/ Class Of ‘99/ from original speech by Mary Schmich.

Repetition equals confidence just like practice makes perfect. Experience will bring you a strong sense of self belief which will naturally give you confidence.

Fashion.

I simply couldn’t write about confidence and not talk about fashion.
Going back to my school days I remember my confidence being higher when I had a new coat or pair of shoes, as I write this images of said coats flash into my mind along with the smell of a brand new pair of Kickers. Nostalgia.
That new leather smell, the smell of confidence, like a fresh new haircut.
What you wear speaks before you do. I am very mindful about what I wear and the priority is walking tall.

I always advise Kim “dress for you, not for anyone else, also dress for you and not for a place or environment where the expectation is that you either dress down or dress up, just dress for you” – to a certain extent of course.

I try my best to take my own advise and dress for me, to wear what inspires me, you never know who you’re going to see and potentially make an impression on, be memorable, wear what lights you up inside and makes you shine.

Inspiration is exactly how I shop for clothes, Kim always inspires me to try new styles I perhaps hadn’t considered. I might also be inspired by a place, a personality, an artist or a piece of music which has made me feel a certain way and inspired a vibe (it just flows, it’s cool, laid back and without judgement) that I wanted to express.
I love the LA vibe and I love to see what people wear there, it helps me feel connected to the energy of the place, so whether its the tie die Pete Davidson is wearing or the bright colours of Machine Gun Kelly, or even something wild worn by Miley Cyrus, I can take inspiration from everyone I see to be honest, fashion is expression and art, male/ female whatever catches my eye and inspires me, not necessarily the specific items of clothing but I will take inspiration from elements such as colours/ style/ fit.

Music has always played a huge part in what I wear, representing my inner vibe on the outside and therefore attracting likeminded people.

Shop for you, dress for you, dance to the beat of your own drum.

Task.

Write down 5 things (or 10 if you want) which you have achieved in the past year.
As you write them, feel the excitement and visualise your confidence being boosted, like some video game graphic, level up with the feeling. 📈
Feel the excitement for these like you felt when you achieved them.
Now write down 5 things you want to achieve in the next 12 months, feel the excitement you will feel once you have achieved them.
Remind yourself you are worthy and ready to achieve the next 5, ready to step out of your comfort zone and into your power.

Go after it, no one else is going to do it for you!

Peace, Love, Choc ‘n’ Roll.

Oliver Dunn aka Oli The Choc

“There is no life I know, to compare with pure imagination, living there you’ll be free, if you truly wish to be.”
Willy Wonka

Oli Choc massive easter egg
Written by Oli Dunn

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles

Links
Follow Us
CONTENT CREATION BY OLI DUNN

CONTENT CREATION BY OLI DUNN

by | Jan 6, 2023 | Edition 9, Featured, Trending, Work

CONTENT CREATION📷

My Perspective On Content Creation by Oli Dunn

I try to create more than I consume, I LOVE the creative process, I love creation of any kind, written, audio, video, painting, photography, the list goes on, it’s expressive, it’s expansive, it’s therapeutic, communication at its best, it’s good for you, in fact I’m addicted to it, as i am writing this I feel a chemical change in my body, excitement in my stomach, my heart beats faster.

Two quotes are coming to my mind as I write this;

“Create more than you consume.”
– Gary Vee.

 

“Do things that make your heart beat faster.”
– Nick Bianchi.

I regularly paraphrase the above. I’ve never linked the two though, until now.
Content creation for me has to be REAL, in the moment, spontaneous, unplanned and unpredictable (like life itself).
But most of all for me at least, it has to be fun, exciting and relatable.

Oliver Dunn
Oliver Dunn for BROOD MAGAZINE © TOM Pitfield Photography 

I’m pretty confident you will already be aware that video is where it’s at, users stay on platforms longer therefore apps like YT, IG, FB generate more dollars from ads the longer people are on their platforms. That said captions and written storytelling are equally important for the very same reason, this can often be undervalued.

My thoughts on Reels/ Shorts are as follows;

A reel is like a good night out, the less planned the better, the impromptu, spontaneous nights are the best right? I think the same applies for shorts. Give people the unexpected, surprise them. Think about where the value is, for example, whether you are a personal brand or a business think in questions, the answer is in the question – literally. If you are asked certain questions, bank and bookmark them, write them down and use them as inspiration and as a theme to create content.

For example, I’ve noted questions people ask me, such as;
How do you temper chocolate?
How do you stay so positive?
How are you so active on social media?
How do you speak in front of camera?

These questions will help you to form a basis for individual pieces of content or even a series of content. Consistency is key, become people’s habit.

Be relatable and authentic. Typically I notice that views are typically higher on shaky POV videos taken on a phone as opposed to a professional camera so don’t overthink it. Use equipment you feel comfortable with, that you can be consistent with. Consistency means you will become someones commodity, if you’re bringing them value, like a coffee in the morning, if users know they can discover fresh, exciting, interesting or entertaining new content from you daily or weekly they will keep coming back for more and you will become part of their routine.

My biggest lesson in social media.

A turning point for me was during lockdown. Generally people do things, people are busy, online and offline, doing, documenting, sharing their own experiences. In other words people are thinking about themselves and their agenda (nothing wrong with that) and not about you and what you’re doing. There’s a lot of noise to cut through. During lockdown a lot of people weren’t really doing anything at all.

I saw this as an opportunity to reach out to people, give them something to do. So I started selling chocolate making kits, this kept me sane, focused, driven and more importantly it gave people something to do at home with their family. This led to me sending out kits for big virtual corporate events around the globe for brands like Paypal, Facebook, Google and Gymshark and subsequently a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people making chocolate together in an online space.

As part of selling the kits initially we needed a call to action.
So Kim and I started a live show on a Saturday morning, called “Saturday Choc Live” inspired by our favourite nostalgic TV shows as kids, such as – Going Live, The Big Breakfast, Blue Peter etc. People could ‘make along’ with us, using the kits and more, singing, dancing, having fun, messing around, giving people lighthearted entertainment with compassion, just what I felt they needed at that time.

PILLAR CONTENT..

Saturday Choc Live and later, my LIVE YouTube weekly “Choc ‘n’ Roll Show gave me the necessary pressure to create new ideas for recipes and quirky creations but most importantly it gave me repurposing GOLD.

The weekly ‘pillar’ content was genuine fun for us, but off the back of it would be short clips, bloopers or reactions which were totally unplanned but when repurposed would showcase what we do, who we are, what we are all about and would often be the videos with the highest views and the most engagement, often more than the show itself. 15 seconds of a one hour show could be a real asset as a piece of content which would lead us to new and exciting places (that’s the fun part for me, you never know who’s watching and what doors can open).
It gave us and our viewers consistency and people knew exactly when and where they could find us and tap into the madness and hopefully take a shot of positivity away with them as well as maybe some chocolatey inspo.

How can I be consistent?

Commitment to a regular slot, live or pre-recorded content is great for consistency, but also great accountability if you let people know when to expect to see your content, this gives you something to focus on and puts some time sensitivity into the equation giving you, hopefully some excitement and the necessary pressure to find new ideas to share.

Think about how you are going to intrigue people, create curiosity, what’s the hook?
Why should they be interested in watching your videos?

For example;
How I made an Easter egg using a balloon?

Show people the true you, the behind-the-scenes. People love realness. Authenticity.
Share your thoughts, your ideas, even your insecurities. You want your followers to trust and relate to you so the more real/ human like you are the better.

I have a theory that people are interested in people, it’s just human nature, I’ve always found I’ve had more engagement on my personal accounts over my business accounts, so my conclusion is that business accounts should have a personality (or personalities) behind them, so they can be more interesting and relatable.

REPURPOSING..

My Great friend Liam Gardner (who produces the Goin’ in deep podcast, which I host with my friend, Ben Eastwood) often, reminds and encourages me to re-purpose clips. For example, if we record a podcast on Zoom, then repurposing a 30 second clip of our conversation can be of high-value, because naturally we will pick a snippet of the most interesting part of the conversation or action which gives people a valuable insight into the dynamic, and hopefully leaves the viewer wanting to consume the long form content. “Repurposing gold” as Mr Gardner would call it.

LEGACY.

This is becoming a much bigger inspiration for my entire content creation than I could have ever imagined. Now that I’m a Daddy I’m thinking more about the bigger picture and leaving a digital legacy for Romy and her children and her children’s children.
Giving future generations an insight into my thoughts, ideas and way of life. Therefore the emphasis is on “documenting” as opposed to just creating. This is where my YouTube channel will really come into its own. History in the making. Storytelling is how history has been made, literally, way back since prehistoric man engraved their stories inside caves. This is even more motivation for me to be the best version of myself so that I can leave a digital legacy and be a positive example for years to come. Paying it forwards.

So in essence, always be YOU, document everything, it might help or inspire just one person, that person might even be you.
Nothing is ever a bad idea, action always wins and everything leads to something.
Document everything, if it’s a good Instagram story it should be a reel and share on YT shorts and TikTok too, no rules approach, just do it.
You should also consume on all platforms so you can create bespoke content on each one, respecting the platforms trends and styles.

You never know who’s attention you might capture, it’s not all about a high number of likes or views, it’s about being authentic and true to yourself, forget the metrics and do it because it means something to you and because you love it! It’s about 1 person that’s all, that 1 person who you could be inspiring, changing their mood or perspective for the better, or someone who might offer you a fantastic opportunity in the future because you resonated with them, grab their attention. Go after it, try not to worry about being judged or other people’s opinions just be YOU and the rest will figure itself out for you.

I’m going to say that one more time for the people at the back, don’t let views, likes, interactions or engagement metrics dictate what you post or don’t post, definitely don’t let those metrics detract you from being your true self, do the opposite and double down on being you, it’s the authenticity people will love. You never know who’s watching and what’s going to pop as a result of your action, I certainly know what will pop if you don’t take that action, nothing!
Keep posting and you only need that one person to notice what you’re doing who can open doors for you and it will be worth it, but more importantly enjoy the ride, you are you, you are unique, embrace that, be proud of it and share it.

And lastly in the words Jay-Z, “remind yourself nobody built like you you design yourself”.

If you enjoyed this read take a screenshot and tag me and @broodmagazine #ContentCreation

Written by Oli Dunn

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles

Links
Follow Us

THE POWER OF MANIFESTATION BY OLI DUNN

THE POWER OF MANIFESTATION BY OLI DUNN

by | Oct 19, 2022 | Featured, Motivation, Trending

Oli Dunn for BROOD MAGAZINE © TOM Pitfield Photography 

“You can do whatever you want to!”

The Power Of Manifestation…. ✏️

This is a topic I get VERY excited when talking about, I LOVE talking about manifestation, especially when I’m feeling aligned and in full attraction mode. If this all sounds a bit strange to you, stick with it, it should make sense by the end.

So many things have happened “for” me in my life that I now have a section in the notes on my phone lovingly called “coincidences” with a hint of friendly sarcasm or irony that is.
I believe there’s no such thing as a coincidence, by the way maybe there is but I believe there’s another type which we might sometimes mistake as a coincidence when in actual fact we talked such a circumstance, thing or event into our reality, willed it into our existence, made it happen, tuned into its frequency and sucked it right in, like a tractor beam (if your a Dumb and Dumber fan you’ll know the sound!).😜

Before I go any further I just want to be clear about something, what I write about in my Brood magazine column is purely my perspective, the way I see it, my take and I appreciate that these things are all subjective. I would never claim that my version is the correct or exact way, it’s just my way, based on my learnings and experiences and it’s a pleasure to share my thoughts with you. I hope it provides an interesting read and perhaps even conjures up some new and exciting thoughts and ideas for you which may be interesting for you too, if it does I would love to hear from you!

Oliver Dunn
Oliver Dunn for BROOD MAGAZINE © TOM Pitfield Photography 

On we go…

It might seem unusual to have a note section in my phone called “Coincidences” which cheekily means Manifestations. The reason I have this is mainly to remind myself that through my life I’m proving this theory to be not just working but worthy of sharing with others as part of my narrative. As I’ve said before, what actually matters to me in life more than anything else, (the bigger picture) is that I want to show others that anything is possible in life, one little or big, or plain crazy manifestation at a time.

You can do whatever you want to. 💭

Fun little task, finish this sentence, “if I could do or be whoever I wanted to be, it would be this (blank) and my life would look like this (blank).

Back to my point;

I know what you’re thinking, come on then give us an example of a manifestation. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Well okay here’s a couple from most recent memory.

Manifestations for me are anything from life long ambitions to the most random small ‘wants’.

I will give you an example of each.

I think the random small ones are more fun, playful and manifest quicker because there’s absolutely no resistance to them and for me it’s the universe confirming to me that I’m aligned and everything is working out, not happening to me but for me.

About a year ago I said to Kim, “I really wish McDonalds did clothing, it would just be so cool”, I don’t know how this came to mind but I was fixated on it and getting excited about it, imagining it and how it would look, but no matter how hard I Googled I couldn’t find it, because it didn’t exist. FFWD a year and it was my birthday (13th August if you want to add to your calendar 😜) a great friend of ours gave me a birthday present, it was a bright blue McDonalds shirt, designed with their signature red packet French Fries all over it.
The point of this is that our friend was able to get this shirt after doing some work with McDonalds and this exclusive merch wasn’t available for sale to the public, coincidence?

This leads me on to a very different but equally exciting manifestation in my life which has come around in the last 18 months.

Some manifestations do require action or more specifically inspired action (I’ll save that for another time) but I believe the importance of the action is as key to showing the world you are worthy of what you want to attract (and are ready to receive) as the actual work itself.

If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up when I was 10 years old I would have probably told you I wanted to be a radio or TV presenter, a more confident version of myself who could entertain and have fun, be myself and meet interesting people out in the big wide world. There was a notion or a feeling that this wasn’t “realistic” that I should probably focus on a trade, a career, something more achievable or within reach, I got into the family business, I have no regrets doing that, I loved it and still do now. Curiously though I firmly believe I planted a seed deep within myself that I was on a journey to become a presenter. FFWD to 38 year old me (this one took a little longer to manifest) and I’m hosting live shows for Disney on TikTok with Zavvi at THG Studios, a place which I’ve regularly driven past and thought to myself “I would love to look around in there, or better still do some presenting in there one day.”
There’s a longer story as to how I got this opportunity but I’ll share that with you another time, perhaps through a video on my YT channel.
I’ve been on a journey in the last 18 months into presenting live shopping shows, that journey has been complex, satisfying and interesting to me in how its played out. More importantly doing these shows really fulfils my childhood ambition to be a presenter.
It’s powerful for me that I’m able to present live shows outside of my chocolate world (which I love and will always be a part of me).
I’m excited to grow as both Oli The Choc and as Oli The Presenter too with more live shows in the pipeline, I’m feeling very grateful for these opportunities.

A little gratitude in the last paragraph there, never goes a miss and goes a long way.
I believe gratitude to be a powerful element of manifesting what you want in life.

If I could give you some advise on manifestation, here it is, set your intentions when you are aligned, when your heart is beating faster, you are buzzing, excited, feeling like the best version of yourself.
Have fun with it, be unrealistic, your manifestations don’t have to make sense to you or others but follow whatever the inspiration is from within and don’t be afraid to dream big or dream silly. Often for me it’s the funny, silly things that manifest, because there’s no resistance to it, almost no expectation either.

I’m very intentional about my thoughts, words and actions. This year I’ve become more aligned and more in tune with who I am and who I want to be, more worthy and ready to receive the life I want. I’m very responsible for my own energy and for the energy I attract, for what I listen to and am influenced by. Becoming a Dad has been the making of me in respect of knowing myself and loving myself more.

Some advise to myself on this which you can take from if you wish, when you are feeling aligned make your intentions clear to yourself, write them down, visualise and get excited about what you are going to manifest. Be excited about the future because you can create the life you want, your own reality, your version of life. For me time writing in solitude early morning, when on a train or a plane, by the ocean or simply talking to myself in the car are all powerful spaces for me to practice the above.

Now walk tall, remind yourself of your strengths, step into your power and go manifest yourself the life you want! 💥

Written by Oli Dunn
Tom Pitfield and his daughter Iris
Photography by Tom Pitfield
Rob Stubbs
Digital Editor: Rob Stubbs

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles

Links
Follow Us

DIARY OF A DADPRENEUR BY OLI DUNN

DIARY OF A DADPRENEUR BY OLI DUNN

by | Sep 22, 2022 | Edition 6, Work

Oli Dunn
Morson Group - Find your next job

The Diary Of A Dadpreneur…
By Oli The Choc…

Time Flies, but I’m not complaining! We’re just so bloody lucky to be here in the first place!

The year flies by quick, but time flies when you’re having fun, even quicker when you have offspring, businesses, busy social lives, fitness aspirations, hobbies and an insatiable appetite for travel, new experiences and meeting new people.
Therefore I have no qualms about time moving by so fast, time is a blessing and I’m grateful to have it at my disposal in the first place, the opportunity to spend it how I want, abundantly, lovingly and in a nutshell cramming as much as possible into every single day.

So we’re into the months ending with “ber” already, well I’m not even mad at that, I’m flipping and it I’m inspired by it instead.

The start of the academic year, almost feels like a new year do you agree? Except with added pressure and urgency, if we haven’t succeeded in ticking some big ones off the list then now is the time to get it done before the year is up.

Even though New Years resolutions can be cliché, tacky and last about as long as the conversations you have about them, I am a little bit of a sucker for them. I feel a power in the new year and I get sucked into the hype and excitement of the opportunity to redesign my life.

However, every day is a new beginning and every “now” is the beginning of a brand new creative process, the opportunity to have a new thought, that leads to a new thing, that grows, expands, develops and manifests into amazing new experiences and circumstances.

They say a thought thinks, so I choose those little sparks of energy very carefully because I believe they aren’t as insignificant as most people tend to think, they grow and gain momentum, which is why you can manifest what you do want or what you don’t want, whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not.

I’m hyper aware of this throughout the year but I also thrive under pressure. I only really get things done either because the desire is so strong or the pressure to get it done can’t be challenged.

I call it the power of the 11th hour, I embrace that along with any other quirks in my personality which I’ll uncover in good time. I give myself a break.

So my New Years resolution was to be more curious and I feel that I have been more curious in 2022, asked more questions and discovered new answers.

I’m going to double down on curiosity for this last quarter of the year.

It’s time to ask more questions, of myself and others in order to learn more about both and the world around us, creating even more new and exciting opportunities. Who knows what stories I’ll be telling by New Years Eve and not just those about chasing a toddler around an airport lounge or military style nappy changes, but stories about things I’ve been able to achieve and exciting situations I’ve found myself in.

I feel it’s my job to prove to others what’s possible in life, anything.

My point is it’s not too late for resolutions, it’s never to late to become a better you, improve your life and create new opportunities, even do something completely different if you want to, or have multiple things on the go, even if one of those is raising a small human, there’s no rules, the only barriers are the ones we tend to put up in front of ourselves.

Also don’t be too hard on yourself, embrace who you are and how far you’ve come.
Remind yourself of what you’ve achieved this year so far and the ways in which you have grown, then also remember we still have 4 months left of this year so it’s never too late, it’s always the beginning.

Reflect for clarity and confidence to launch you into this last quarter.

It’s time to step into your power! 💥

Peace, Love, Choc ‘n’ Roll….
Oli ✌🏼

Oli Dunn Chocolatier
Written by Oli Dunn

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles

Links
Follow Us

Oli’s Dadpreneur Diary

Oli’s Dadpreneur Diary

by | Aug 15, 2022 | Edition 5, Work

Oli & Kim Dunn and thier Daughter Romy for BROOD MAGAZINE © TOM Pitfield Photography 

“Becoming a Dad has inspired me.”

Hi I’m Oli, you might know me as Oli The Choc, I’ve been a chocolatier for 20 years, growing up in the family business Simon Dunn Chocolatier I watched my parents start a business from scratch and that inspired me to do the same.
My Mum and Dad own a chocolate shop so they are the “product” whereas I’m the “service”, entertaining people with chocolate and teaching them how to make things, this gives me incredible satisfaction when I see them get into their creative flow and learn something new, kids or adults. I’ve created my own crazy little world on social media and on Chocolate Street in High Lane, Stockport. I’m passionate about working with chocolate and about being me, having fun and sharing what I do with the world.

In the last couple of years I’ve been on a journey into podcasting, presenting and appearing on TV shows such as Blue Peter and Stephs Packed Lunch.
I’m delighted to be part of the Brood family, as a new Dad, self confessed big kid and running my own business I’m here to share some of those experiences, lessons, thoughts and hopefully adding some value and interestingness (is that even a word?) to you👇🏼 and here to remind you that you can still pursue your dreams and achieve your goals whilst being a parent.

On the 13th June 2021 Romy Star was born into the world thanks to a very special beautiful lady, her Mama, my wife Kim. People told us life will never be the same, and you won’t be able to do the things you used to. Well I’m here to tell you that you can, yes it’s different and there’s a lot of juggling, challenges and sometimes frustration but the most significant fact for me is that my “why” is much stronger than ever before.

In becoming a Dad I feel I now have a greater purpose in being the best version of myself, succeeding in business/ career and most importantly being happy.
Therefore this has cemented who I am as a person, embracing my own madness and desire to play and be a big kid. After all who ever said we have to stop having fun when we become adults and more so parents, so I’m doubling down on that!

My advise to any parent would be, make time for yourself when you can, read, write, walk, run or in my case Onewheel (if you follow me on IG you’ll know what that is) to give you that reset, refocus, clear mind, fresh perspective and your own identity outside of being a parent which will strengthen your parenting skills

Oli Dunn Chocolatier
Oli Dunn Choc
Oli The Choc presenting

Becoming a Dad has inspired me.
It’s important for me to show Romy you can do something you love and pursue random fun experiences in life, just because you want to. You can live the life you want and you can show others that they can too.

As a child I wanted to be a TV or radio presenter but I always felt from feedback that this was “unrealistic” so I joined the family business and became a chocolatier. Which I loved then and love even more now.
This actually led me down a path of presenting which I didn’t realise at the time, hosting children’s parties and corporate events. The main skill aside from working with chocolate was presenting and entertaining.
This has opened doors and created opportunities for me outside of chocolate in that I have a Podcast called Goin’ In Deep, and I host live shopping shows on TikTok working with brands such as I Saw It First, Disney, Warner Bros, Zavvi, Lego etc.

I want to be able to say to Romy that she can be and do whatever she feels inspired to and to know that nothing is “unrealistic”, so my drive is to be able to show her that this is true through how I’ve lived my life. Living proof.

You can create the life you want and if you truly want to do something, you can and you will.
You have to be patient and work hard but trust the process. Give yourself a pat on the back now and again and remind yourself how far you have come. Nothing will get in your way, not even becoming a parent. Everything you do leads to something else, opportunities are everywhere, so keep going.

I’m excited to share that message to Romy and to see where she takes this perspective in her life, the sky is the limit.

I am excited to share more of my perspectives and experiences with you through my Brood articles and I hope you will come with me on my journey and I hope as well you will be able to relate and take something away.

Until next time, but for now I’ll leave you with this thought;
Stop what you’re doing and be Grateful AF for what you have and have achieved so far.
Keep being the best ‘you’ you can be and remember to enjoy the journey, every single thing you do leads to something else. Trust the process.

Yours Chocolatey,

Oli
@Oli_The_Choc

Written by Oli Dunn

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles

Links
Follow Us