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the wildest week of my dreams (and what I learnt)

the wildest week of my dreams (and what I learnt)

Dan Pope
October 24, 2025

Yooooooooo my G’s

Hope you’ve had a great week?

I’ve always deeply and unflappably believed Podcasting Is Your Passport to Extraordinary.

Last week, I had a fucking EXTRA-ordinary week.

Feels like the 5 years of consistent graft is finally paying off.

So so grateful to everyone who tunes into my chaotic waffle. Eternally gratefule.

Anyhoo I learned some WILD shit.

Strap Up. It’s gunna get WILD.

Poddy’d with fucking Tom Kerridge - WHAAAAAAAAAA THAAA FUCK

Poddy’d with Chief Strategy Officer at Uncommon Creative, Tobey Duncan - who’s also Bold Bean Co’s secret weapon - WHAAAAAAAA THA FUCK

Had spicy tacos and cold beers with Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Elton John and Oasis’s PR Manager and PR Guru Rich Daws from Dawbell PR- WHAAAAA THE FUCK

Here’s what I learned.

With Tom Kerridge explored: Matthew McConaughey’s book “Green Lights”

1. “The Future is a Monster” - Matthew McConaughey

The future is the monster

The past is something we’re trying to outrun tomorrow

The monster is the future

The unknown

The boundaries not yet crossed

The potential not yet met

So we should lift our heads, face it straight on, watch it heed

Tom’s hustled in the restaurant game for 23 years and the one thing he’s said to himself everyday to push through any obstacle “This is meant to be hard”.

Always lean into hard, that’s where the magic happens.

2. “There’s a Difference between a Good Man and a Nice Guy” - Matthew McConaughey

Hard decisions require a Good Woman or Man.
Easy decisions require a Nice Guy or Nice Girl.

So many leaders crave being liked more than making the right business decision.

We are Nice Guys and Girls all housing that little bit of David Brent.

The hard decision is always right decision. The Hard decision requires you to move from Nice Girl or Guy to Good Woman or Good Man.

Tom told me to separate “YOU” from the “hard conversation” or “hard business decision”.

What’s the hard decision or conversation you’re avoiding?
The thing you fear the most, you must do the most?

With Oasis PR Guru, Rich Dawes we discussed… “I Don’t Like This Man I Must Get to Know Him Better” - Abraham Lincoln

I LOVE this quote from Man Like-Abra-Going-HAM-Fam Lincoln.

To me, the quote, reinforces that our greatest power is our ability to change our mind.

who is someone you don’t like, but should get to know better?
who is someone you disagree with, but should take for a beer?
what’s a belief you currently have, that you should investigate or challenge

That night, I was on the sofa, nursing a packet of Dark Chocolate Digestives…

Watching a documentary about Piccadilly Train Station being rebuilt in the 1920’s, when, suddenly, completely out the blue, I came

across this picture of Piccadilly Train Station that the government displayed to the public.

How fucking WILD is that?

I’ve walked across Piccadilly Circus many times. Stress-scurried through the tube station. Quaffed coffee in Starbucks. Polished Pret Sarnies. Sunk pints. Hurtled into boozers.

Never, Have I, Ever… thought about what’s going on below the surface?

To me, this picture of Piccadilly Tube station is a visual representation of “I Don’t Like This Man I Must Get to Know Him Better”

dig below the surface of people you don’t know or like
ask better questions about people you don’t know or like
be more curious as you interface with the world
take nothing at face value. question. question. question. why. why. why.

Internal. vs. External Brand Strategy

Jesus, I am a PROPER THICKO sometimes
… I got this COMPLETELY wrong about brand strategy

Sincere apologies, utterly ashamed for being a silly billy

Original thinking:

Great strategy is boiled down to one pithy and emotional sentence.

The Founder or Brand Strategist pulls a pithy, poetic, emotional sentence out their shit box.

McDonalds - I’m Lovin’ it
Tesco - Every Little Helps
Apple - Think Different
Nike - Just Do It

Bosh. Done.
Stick that in your office bogs.

One sentence to rule them all.

Every decision, guided by the compass of that one sentence.

Absolutely bollocks, mate.

McDonalds aren’t making decisions based on “I’m Lovin it” - they’d say yes to everything.

Nike aren’t making decisions based on “Just Do It” - they’d say yes to everything.

Tobey Duncan, Chief Brand Strategist at Uncommon Creative revealed the game changing nuance.

World Class strategy requires TWO sentences:

INTERNAL Foundation Strategy Sentence (employee facing)
EXTERNAL Emotional Strategy Sentence (consumer facing)

The internal foundation strategy sentence must COME FIRST.

The external emotional strategy sentence must COME SECOND.

It’s downstream.

The internal foundation strategy sentence is “boring” “long” “objective” “rational”.

The external emotional strategy sentence is “fun” “emotional” “playful” “feeling”.

Let’s use Apple as an example

INTERNAL Foundation Strategy Sentence (employee facing)

Apple's strategy is to create an ecosystem of innovative and seamlessly integrated products, built on a strong foundation of design, simplicity, and user experience, which builds brand loyalty and encourages customers to buy more products over time

EXTERNAL Emotional Strategy Sentence (consumer facing)

Think Different.

Where most founders (including me) get stuck.

They get excited and jump straight into whipping some pithy poetic sentence out their glitterbox.

That’s why so many brands are rudderless and listless.

Gorgeous homes need strong foundations.
Gorgeous brands need strong strategic sentences.

A pithy sentence with out a strong strategic foundation SIMPLY doesn’t work.