Introducing Dan
I’m Dan, 42 years old and from South Wales.
I belong to Kath and my two legends, Dex and Ollie.
I have been dealing with a variety of mental health challenges since a very young age.
I now leverage that experience to help others heal and thrive.
My unique experience was borne from alopecia.
This trauma helped inform how I have matured into a social entrepreneur and mentor.
Dan's Story - Alopecia
There were many challenges in my childhood that I had to navigate, where early experiences of stress, anxiety and depression would surface. I became a very introverted teenager to the point where I eventually just got bored of being in my own head.
Shortly I started to venture out, I was a victim of an unprovoked assault. It was a shock to the system but I was quick to bounce back. However, my hair seemed to have different ideas. Shortly after the event, the first patch appeared then another, then another until eventually – over a space of a couple of years – I had more skin than hair. The legacy of the attack became the reflection in the mirror.
I made a decision. Shave it off. Accept it. Suffer the pain and then start to heal.
The challenge with my form of alopecia is that it teases and taunts you as it comes and goes. My head was like an atlas! The most important thing around experiencing identity-shifting conditions is to make peace with it and I aim to help others do the same whether it is alopecia, male pattern baldness or temporary hair-loss due to cancer treatments.
I have now brought BALDILOCKS into the world. This venture will enlist barbers, salons and spas to make it known that baldies are welcome there. The reconnection to these spaces, to personal grooming and to a compassionate community will play a massive part in keeping people, affected by this trauma, in a positive mind-frame.
BALDILOCKS also provides a coaching service to those who need to overcome confidence issues and a lack of self-belief to help them achieve their personal and/or professional goals. I can speak of a number of challenges where I had to persevere and strategise my way through most of my adult life so I wouldn’t cave in and allow the condition, and the trauma, to derail my potential. I am determined to play my part in the betterment of humanity with my GROW, FLOW and GLOW model so people can also get out of their heads and take action in spite of adversity.
There will also be a podcast where my guests will share how their personal experiences have driven their professional achievements by being vulnerable and honest about their own struggles along the way. This will inspire those who are struggling to navigate inner conflict, self-doubt and impostor syndrome. Watch this space for BEYOND THE COLLAR.
Please check out my Instagram content where I return to the barbers after 20 years to take the chair in what becomes an intense emotional experience.
Connect With Dan
Email: [email protected]