Dream, Dare, Do

We’re about 6 weeks into the New Year, and almost 2 weeks since the end of January. How many promises, resolutions to ourselves have been kept? How many diets, attempts to quit smoking, memberships to the gym, new job applications, changes to our lives have been maintained?

As the owner of a bar/restaurant (which I’ll come to later), I’ve been at the ‘coal face’ of “Dry January”. But the turn of the year also often brings about reflections on, 'are we doing what makes us happy' - professionally or personally??

So this post is about having the courage to make a change - Dream, Dare, Do.,? or as T.S.Elliott stated - “If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, then you must accept?the terms it offers you.” It is also intended to give more context to my last, belated post/update about my change of role.

I left PUMA ‘in pursuit of happiness’. Friends where dying, and quotes (‘signals’/‘signs’) such as “the only regret old people have, is not having taken more risks.”; were telling me…’pursue your dreams’. Dream, Dare, Do!!! Plus ‘ageism’ (something else very topical), prompted me that it was increasingly ‘now or never’.

So, as a passionate advocate of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), both professionally and from personal experience, I set up as a consultant to hopefully bring my experience to the benefit of individuals and companies alike. To date I have had the opportunity to work with Watches of Switzerland, AC Milan, YouTube and Clarks among others. Then another ‘dream’ opportunity came up in 2020…to purchase a well known bar in Nurnberg.?

In my roles at PUMA and Apple, I was often the project lead (unofficial host) of events and activations, that gave me a taste for hospitality. In particular, Cafe Moskau, a brand activation during the World Cup of 2006, which became the instigator and template for PUMA’s tournament activations thereafter…especially PUMA Yard during the Olympics of 2012.

September 2020, Covid had already gripped the world for 6 months, but I ‘bit the bullet’ and bought the bar. My calculated risk assessment was that it would only be another 6 months - a year in total - then things would be back to ‘normal’. It turned out to be another 18 months, and the pain was really felt. But in September 2024, we celebrated 4 years…just about!!!

The Original Bar, as I named it, has the branding - Vinyl - Rum - Chicken:-

• Vinyl, represents the reverence and attitude vinyl record collectors have towards music (and not that all DJ’s play vinyl - although many do;
• Rum, the warm hospitality and cultures of the Caribbean, that I want the bar to reflect;
• Chicken, well that’s just soul food. It’s hard to eat it without passion.

As a marketeer at heart, I wanted to convey a passion and emotionalise my guests.

During the summers, and special occasions, we serve food…of course Jerk Chicken is on the menu. We are also the only bar in Nurnberg that serves Red Stripe. An incredible success, given that people questioned bringing a foreign beer to Bavaria/Franconia.

These three elements and the overall concept, combine and reflect my own brand marketing experiences at PUMA and Apple. I want the bar to be an experience and not just a place to buy drinks and listen to music. I want to create a desire for an experience, that manifests in a visit to the bar and the feeling it gives you.

So when I posted my ‘job change’ - the introduction of The Original Entertainment GmbH, a few weeks ago, it was to finally put it ‘out there’, and indeed to demonstrate that it is more than a bar, but the fusion of my professional experiences and personal interests.

1) known as an ‘International/Jamaican bar’, it is undoubtedly the most diverse location in Nurnberg. The staff have consisted of Indian, Nigerian, Jamaican, Ukranian, Slovenian, Polish, Moroccan, Iranian, etc, and sometimes German.?

The party events and genres of music further reflect a unique diversity in the city. Perhaps most importantly, the more serious events we have held and/or hosted, such as ‘Black Dads Germany’ (a support group for fathers estranged from their partners/children with the additional challenges of the German system), CSD book reading with Thomas Hitzlsperger and supported by PUMA Group , and We Integrate (an organisation supporting migrants in Germany), to name a few. These demonstrate that the bar has truly become a “community hub” (as many have called it).

2) I wanted to finally shout about it on LinkedIn, because it’s not a ‘side hustle’ or a “midlife crisis”. It’s :-

• a reflection of the entrepreneurial spirit that took me to Apple and PUMA, and made me emigrate to Italy (United Nations) and now Germany;
• I’m the CEO, CMO, CPO, CFO running a business in an extremely tough environment. Skills that were previously delegated when working within larger organisations;
• In previous leadership roles as mentioned, hosting (whether key accounts or consumers) was key. As such, hosting people from all backgrounds and providing a space that reflects my passion for DEI, has been a poignant outcome of what has been achieved so far.

Twice last year, I either hosted or presented with Thomas Hitzlsperger (Hitz the Hammer) , about his battle and fears in ‘coming out’. Once with Watches of Switzerland Group PLC Foundation at the Princes' Trust (now Kings Trust).?The other in the bar itself.

On both occasions I was ‘haunted’ when listening to him, in my own mind, by the fact that I have?been reluctant to post on LinkedIn about my own bar. I had always feared that it may be interpreted by some people as a ‘side hustle’ or hobby. But then, I asked myself…”am I making assumptions about what people may think?”, “What would I tell myself if I were the client?” ?

I now recognise, that the bar and the journey, are to be celebrated. They complement. They are about me, my convictions, and my role in what I offer as a consultant, whether Marketing and/or DEI. But more than anything…it reflects the journey so far, and the spirit I believe in -

Dream, Dare, Do.

#ageism #DEI #diversityandinclusion #diversity #inclusion #equality