It’s two days before and budget hasn’t been agreed, shooting schedule isn’t locked, a patient but understandably frustrated LA-based crew are waiting for confirmation. However, I’m on the plane, Batmobile is booked, Airbnb sorted, meetings booked and 20 hours to figure out the rest. Welcome to the dream chase. Build your wings on the way down. Hope and hustle. Stories Like Us LA edition continues. Let’s get it.
Life lessons from our cab driver. I could talk for days about the contrasting experience of Israel, but I feel like this man embodied it perfectly. Dotan, an orthodox Jewish man, philosopher, father, entrepreneur and a light chuckle in a human form. Dotan decided to recommit to an orthodox following of his faith after hearing what he believed to be the voice of God. On hearing this voice, he followed its instruction and in doing so he was able to take actions that saved his father’s life.
On meeting him, you instantly smile. It’s truly as if life compressed a chuckle and put it in a human form and then named it Dotan. On the first cab ride with him, I notice he turned off the meter 4 minutes before we arrived. No announcements, no speeches, he just turned it off. He wantsed us to save money.
Dotan had stories and facts about Israel all shared with wonder, fascination and love. We agree that we will hire him for two days and he took us on the best history trip ever. I watch him with waiters and people in the street and saw how he greets everyone like they are the most fascinating person in his world, along with his signature light chuckle. This man embodied wisdom, intelligence, hope, playfulness and kindness without seeking a pay off. Here’s to the Dotan’s of the world. Soul goals right here.
“The biggest returns will be out there in the fog. You have to train yourself to work while being scared. Most people won’t do that. If you can keep moving while feeling uncertain, while being scared, that’s where the biggest returns will be. I have learned this to be true of life and investing.”
– John Burbank, owner / founder of Passport Capital, self-made billionaire, and part-owner of the Golden State Warriors. This was taken from the Dream Chaser interview on the mindset and concepts behind his success.
That’s a wrap. California, we need to make this a permanent thing. Encountering new ideas and entrepreneurs way out of my league. Filming self-made billionaires, scientists and philosophers. Racing a batmobile. Feeling grateful and wiped out.
The first episode for the Dream Chaser podcast to come. We’ll be talking bitcoin, becoming a billionaire and the city of San Francisco with one of the owners of the Golden State Warriors. The highlight of the trip was hearing Firecracker aka Helen Moyes laugh after I almost drove the batmobile through the front of their house. Here’s to hope and hustle. Dreams to chase. Let’s get it.
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Dreams on dreams: silly dreams, old dreams, new dreams, dreams that make me shy, dreams that are in touching distance, dreams that touch the edges of every insecurity I have and dreams that feel like returning home.
My love of dreams have a very simple explanation. At one point they were all I had. Ten years of false starts, empty promises, meetings that went nowhere, rejections and returning bouts of depression. Dreams kept me going through it all.
As I write this post, I’m sitting in the clouds flying to San Francisco dreaming of the next stage of the business, which is currently covering me and a team out there to interview one of my personal idols for the Dream Chaser podcast. He is a self made billionaire, a part owner of the Golden State Warriors and one of the real life characters the film The Big Short is based on.
After four years of visualising this exact moment, we got the paperwork signed and today we are interviewing him for the Dream Chaser podcast. So with nerves, excitement and total conviction I can safely say, “Hold on to your dreams.” You really never know where they will take you. Keep dreaming, keep chasing. Hope and hustle my friends. You got this.
New week, same dreams. Very inspired by our new work with Rory McGuire and Nikki Lilly. It’s time to double down and commit to telling stories and sharing ideas that will help, connect, entertain and inspire anyone with an old or new dream.
Podcast equipment has been purchased this week, studio sets are being built for the Dream Chaser news, updates and reviews channels and meetings with new app developers are happening. Here’s to letting go of fantasies and chasing dreams. Let’s get it.
Picking up the keys to our new office/studio with my spiritual advisor/prayer warrior/the best rice, peas and chicken provider and the sounding board to every good and bad idea that floats through my head and heart. Here’s to chasing dreams and celebrating those who shaped, guided and believed when nobody else did. Now let’s go get those Oscar/BAFTA outfits.
Chasing dreams and capturing stories. We watched a film with our logo produce laughter, tears and a loud applause to a full audience in the Palais in Cannes, while working with a team who just hustle, laugh, challenge and support. We’re grateful, but still buzzing and hungrier for more. Not yet where we wanna be, but enjoying the ride.
Last week, on an early morning shoot, the sky embodied the word ‘liminal’. This liminal sky is an in-between sky. Liminal, when you’re not where you used to be and not quite yet where you want to be. You’re in the in-between space. A lot of dream chasing is spent in this space.
It’s good to remember that the sun can’t come up any faster. For Stories Like Us, it’s been our best year. Yet, we often want to hurry along our own dawn sky – hungry for the next season, bigger team, more stories, new storytellers and deeper connections. Those things are coming; yet, for now, we have to hang out longer in this liminal space. Here’s to anyone in that space, leaving the old, heading to the new. The sun will rise.
“Stay humble, stay frightened and keep moving forward and it’s gonna work out for you” -Nolan Bushnell. Nolan invented Atari. He invented the first ever computer game. He was Steve Jobs’ only ever boss and then went on to invent Chuck E Cheese. He created multi-billion dollar businesses.
We’re doing a series of films with him on his new games studio and his life insights. This quote was part of the last interview. His ideas on fear felt new. He looks for it – doesn’t try remove it or overcome it. He says without it you won’t grow. If it scares you, it’s a good sign. So here’s to feeling fear and chasing dreams.