EP 58: F* Being Humble, Gas Yourself Up!

Welcome to another Episode of the Sew Flipping Extra Podcast!

A platform for me to express, explore, connect and over all be Sew Flipping Extra... why because that brings me joy.

Have you ever wondered how a career in creativity can flourish alongside motherhood? Join me, as I share my exhilarating journey through the worlds of modeling, presenting, and more. From the excitement of creating a video advertisement for "This Morning" to the empowering experience of modeling at the World Travel Market, every opportunity keeps my creative spirit alive. Despite facing challenges like a young pregnancy, I've embraced my ambitions, proving that life's dreams don't need to be sidelined. With passion fueling my diverse roles, including makeup artistry and upcycling, I find joy in the growing representation of black and brown countries at major events. 

Feeling stuck waiting for validation to pursue your dreams? Let me inspire you to take action and create your own opportunities. By starting my own platform during lockdown, I honed my presenting skills with the "Sew Flipping Extra" live show. I learned invaluable lessons about self-promotion and the joy of making others feel seen. With a lively personality and a commitment to spreading positive vibes, I invite you to connect with me and join the journey every Sunday. Together, let’s celebrate achievements, embrace passions, and uplift one another in our shared creative pursuits.

Chapters

• 0:00 Daniela's Diverse and Exciting Career
• 7:03 Empowerment Through Pursuing Passion and Self-Promotion
• 17:24 Engaging Self-Promotion Through Podcasting

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Daniela.

Speaker 1: 0:00

Daniela, let me get a picture.

Speaker 1: 0:02

You're famous, you're famous. And I was just like because people look at me like huh, and he's like, yeah, she's on TV, she's on TV. And I was like stop it, stop, don't stop, stop. So, yeah, we're back Like we never left.

Speaker 1: 0:19

Excuse the beat face today, but I have been shooting a VT which is the adverts for this morning. I'm not going to lie, it's giving professional. The guy who was doing the, who was recording today. So the videographer guy, he was like you guys have done this before and I was like, well, technically, yeah, but I haven't done VTs for this morning before. So as many times as I've been on the show, I've never done their ads. So it was really great to just do it, have a new side of what, what it is that I'm doing there, because I've been modeling on this morning now for over a year and, yeah, I've done location shoots a couple times, but this is the first time I've done the ad. So, yeah, I feel very, very blessed and very privileged to, yeah, just keep going. I really enjoy doing this morning. It's it's a highlight.

Speaker 1: 1:13

I done an event this week where I was modeling at Excel for the world travel market, which is a massive event at excel. I didn't realize it was so big, where the basically if you've gone to an event at excel before the x, you everyone has different rooms, so whatever the event is, they'll have, like I don't know, s4 to s6 and whatever, so that in excel there's always loads of different events happening. But this is the first time that I've gone to Excel and it is one event in the whole of Excel just taken over. So on both sides is part of the world travel market and all the countries are represented there. And it was really interesting because on the way home I met one of the I don't know, I can't remember what his title was, but he was like an organiser or something and he said he came over three years ago. But he said it's just amazing how massive it's grown since he joined the company a couple of years ago and the representation from black and brown countries, because he's like three years ago it wasn't, there wasn't such a big representation, but just like he's Indian. So he said the Indian representation and the black and African and Caribbean representation has grown so much. So that was nice to know.

Speaker 1: 2:31

Oh, there was a reason. I was telling you that there was a guy and as obviously I'm there modelling, I'm wearing the carnival costume and he's like Daniela, daniela, let me get a picture, you're famous, you're famous. And I was just like because people look at me like huh, and he's like, yeah, she's on TV, she's on TV. And I was like stop it, stop, don't stop, stop. So, yeah, it's really cool, like I just enjoy it, I just enjoy doing it. So, yeah, it's always nice to continue doing stuff with this Morning and yeah, all the things that I'm doing. Like it's amazing I say this all the time Every week is not the same.

Speaker 1: 3:10

In one week I'm doing like four or five different jobs and to say I love it is an understatement, because one thing about me that I've learned over the years is that I get bored really easily and I've always found it quite hard to just do something and stick to it Because you know, I'm like, oh, it's not, something's not happening. So this way it kind of feeds a lot of different things. So like from when I do the makeup artistryry to, you know, doing the content creation, to doing the upcycling, to doing the presenting, to doing the modeling, these are all things that when I say I've wanted to do that since I was a little girl. I'm not lying to you. The only thing that I'm not doing, that I've always wanted to do, is do theatre and do performing arts.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Obviously, I studied performing arts for two years and absolutely loved it. I fell in love with performing arts. I fell in love with, you know, the whole just performance and dance and dancing and acting and singing, that whole world when I done performing arts. But what I love about what performing arts has done for me is it has allowed, it gave me a skill, it gave me a lot more confidence because I also done drama. I used to go to a place called Identity Drama School and I think I done that after. Yeah, I did, I done that after performing arts. But I don't know, drama alone just wasn't enough. I always wanted to do musical theatre, I wanted to do the musical lifestyle.

Speaker 1: 4:44

I loved that and I think shortly, while I was still doing drama, I actually got pregnant with Caden and, as much as I know now, life doesn't have to finish. It doesn't have to end because you have a child. I was 23 when I had my son and that was still so young, but for me there was a lot of things that I thought I can't do that anymore because I'm a parent now, I'm a mum now and I have to go out and be an adult and I have to get a real job and I have to do all of these things. And so anyone I don't think I have a young audience that listens, but maybe there's someone who is older you might be an older sister or older cousin and you have someone in your family and they're aspiring to do all these kind of really creative things and maybe they have, you know, gotten, had a young pregnancy or something, so they might be 23 and got pregnant. Please let them know that it doesn't mean that everything has to end like you might put things on pause for a period of time, but as long as that person has family and friends that are around them to help them, and even if they don't, it doesn't mean that your dreams have to end. And it was really great actually this week because on Sunday I went to Sorry jokes, no jokes. On Sunday I went to Minos Lee Kinta, lord of Mercy Sorry jokes, no jokes.

Speaker 1: 6:05

So on Sunday I went to watch the London Lions. My friend invited me to watch the London Lions and I decided to bring my microphone, my new BFF with me and I'd done some interviews while I was there. So I like to go out and ask people, you know what makes them X-Char when they think of the word X-Char, what springs to mind? And so I was going around the auditorium after the game finished and I was asking people, interviewing them, telling them, you know, if they had something interesting. I'd say, oh, my God, your outfit looks amazing. Would you think of X-Char? So all of that thing.

Speaker 1: 6:35

And then there was a young lady in there, so she saw me doing this, but I didn't get a chance to speak to her, but I did notice her because she had bright blonde hair. As we walk into the station, she I don't know what I was doing, I think I was recording something and she walked towards us and she said oh, I just wanted to ask you a question. So my friend who was with us, he was like no, no, no, you have to be interviewed first, you to be interviewed. And so I gave her a little interview and then afterwards I said oh, what was your question? What were you going to ask me?

Speaker 1: 7:03

And her question was how did I get into doing interviews and stuff, because it's something that she wants to do. So she wants to go. She says she wants to go to games, especially sports. She wants to do sports interviews and go to games and, and you know, kind of be like a sports commentator type thing. And I said, listen, babe, don't wait for someone to tell you you've made it. Don't wait for someone to tell you that you are now a sports commentator. I said, all you need to do is get yourself your microphone. You get yourself your holder, you get yourself your other microphone thing. This slips on and off. You get yourself the box if you want it. You don't have to do all of that. You can have. You can do it with literally just just this thing here and do interviews like that. And I said to her just get it and do whatever it is you need to do.

Speaker 1: 7:55

If you have to go to the games and you are just gonna start speaking to people outside If you haven't got the money to buy the ticket to go inside the game, speak to them outside the game and ask them questions. Whatever your questions are going to be, who do you support? Did you enjoy the game today? How do you think they played. All you need to know is a couple of facts about who's playing and they'll tell you everything you need to know. If they're not really into the game and they just kind of went, or oh, it's my first time, how was your first time Like? You don't have to know much, you just have to. You have to be interested and you're already interested in the sports, which is why you want to do it.

Speaker 1: 8:34

But I said don't wait, I think she said. I asked her how old she was, she said 22. And I said listen, bab, babes, don't get to 42. And wish you had done it 20 years ago. I wished I had figured out how to become a presenter when I was watching Blue Peter back in the day and I wanted to do it back then, when I wanted to do TV back in the day, when I wanted to do modeling back in the day, I wish I had done all them things. Now I'm very grateful that I still have a passion to do the things that. I'm very grateful that I still have a passion to do the things that I wanted to do when I was young, but then as well, I also think I wonder how it would have been if I was doing this years ago, like where would I have been in my life?

Speaker 1: 9:13

Not, you know, I don't regret anything, maybe some things, not going to lie but you just don't want to be that person. You just don't want to always wish you had you had done it years ago. If you have the opportunity and you know, I didn't have anyone to tell me this back in the day, I didn't have anyone to say do it now. You can do it. You're good enough, you're, you have the skills, you're brave enough, you strong enough. I had no one to tell me that. So just do it. And I said to her truthfully, like no one gives a shit who I am, because people don't know me, but once they see me holding this and I put it in front of them who is that girl? What is she doing? Like it kind of gives you status. So I said get the microphone. I said preferably, said get the microphone. I said preferably get the get the microphone stand, because it kind of gives you a bit more like authority. There was even when I was doing the interviews, the guy there was one guy was saying he said you guys done so well today and I was like you guys. He thinks I work for London Lions and I'm there doing interviews for London Lions. It gives you some kind of authority when you stand there with a mic and people are more willing to speak to you more than if you just maybe have just a little lapel mic. So, yeah, that was my advice to her just do it now, don't wait for someone to tell you that you're it.

Speaker 1: 10:34

When I started doing my lives in lockdown and I and I created the so flipping extra live show so that I could practice my presenting skills, I was. I thought I'm going to create my platform, because ain't no one putting me on a platform right now? So I'm going to create my platform and I'm going to put myself on that platform and I'm going to become a presenter and I'm going to interview people on my platform. And that's what I done. And I don't know how many people I interviewed during lockdown when I was doing the so Flippin' Extra live show, but I interviewed a lot of people and I also allowed people to speak about what it was that they were doing and they felt, seen, like these are what they said to me. They was like oh my god, thank you so much. I was so nervous. You made me feel so good, you made me feel so calm, you made me feel so comfortable.

Speaker 1: 11:22

I did that like, boost yourself up, scream from the rooftops, like do you know what? Honestly, I really am done, pretending that I'm not that girl. I just feel like, especially in the UK, we're always reminded to be humble. But if you're good at something and you did that, why do we always have to be hush, hush about it because we don't look like we got a big head? I did that and I've been doing that and I'm going to continue doing it as well. I'm going to continue making people feel seen and making people feel good, and the reason I'm going to continue doing it is because that's what brings me joy and that's what makes me feel good. That just reminded me I haven't even done my intro yet and we and we're, however, minutes in to the show. I'm going to quickly do my intro, actually, because I can't do an episode and not do the intro. Hi guys, welcome to another episode of the so Flippin' Extra podcast, a platform for me to express, explore and connect and be so flippin' extra, why, I hear you ask. Well, guys, that's what brings me joy. So, without further ado. We're going to continue with the podcast because I've already gone way in and I didn't want to do a long one today. Actually, um, just because I just wanted to drop it, drop a little, drop a little message, drop a little mic and keep it moving. So we'll see, we'll see, we'll see, we'll see.

Speaker 1: 12:45

I genuinely wanted to say not every day, not every day humble, not every day. Humble Sometimes. Let everyone know who the hell you are. This is not every day. You have to be humble about everything that you do. If you're doing great things and you're feeling good, don't shut up about it, because do you know how many people you're inspiring by being you? If you're being extra, and you're inspiring by being you if, if you're, if you be an extra and your braggadociousness is making people feel I can do that, if that person can do that, because a lot of people won't know what you do. If you're, if you're humble about it, I don't want to say anything. If you don't say anything, how are other people going to know what you're doing and how are you going to inspire other people if you're being humble about it all the time? No, I feel like over.

Speaker 1: 13:36

I genuinely feel like it's a British thing that we're just so quick to want to humble someone and calm them down. Like calm down, why why? Why calm down to make you feel better. It's like that whole you don't want to be too bright because you don't want. You know, people want to dim your light because it's too bright. No, put on shades, because I'm not. I'm going to be even brighter If you tell me to calm down. You tell me to dim. By telling me to calm down, it's like you're telling me to dim it down. Dim a switch, trying to dim. No, no, no. Full brightness, full brightness. I'm done dimming, and especially because it's about it's winter. Winter is on the nigh, it is upon us and even more. We need more brightness out in this world to make people feel good.

Speaker 1: 14:20

So, if this is you, stop being humble, stop dimming your light, make them. Put on glasses. I had Sammy on the show last week. If you didn't see last week's episode on glasses, I had Sammy on the show last week. If you didn't see last week's episode, definitely watch. It was a beautiful episode with Sammy sparkles and that was something she said as well. Make a pot of fucking glasses, mate.

Speaker 1: 14:41

So yeah, there was something else I think I wanted to talk about today. Do you guys like my hair? The pros I done a new process of getting my hair like this and I like it. I like it a lot. This is a quote I saw today and I actually screenshot it gas yourself up, sis, you're a real one.

Speaker 1: 14:58

Gas yourself up, gas yourself up, keep gassing yourself up, because you know what. You can't wait for other people to gas you up because they're not always going to do it. Not everyone is going to gas you up and I also posted something really cheeky this week and it said if nobody told you you're beautiful today, it won't start here. Keep scrolling, gremlin. And I posted that and because I saw it and I thought it was so hilarious. But most people who commented on it, they laughed and they're like what? Because people know that, like I'm cheeky when I'm ready in it, but honestly, like I love, I love gassing people up. I love making people feel great about themselves.

Speaker 1: 15:31

The reality of it is is that there's not always going to be someone there to gas you up, especially when you need it. Sometimes you really need that gassing up and you're like, oh man, I feel like shit and you really want someone to do it, but no one doesn't have to tell you that you're amazing. No one. You're beautiful. No one doesn't have to tell you you look good. You need to learn to see that shit for yourself. You need to learn to to look in the mirror and gas yourself up, even when you've just woken up in the morning. Wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and be like you're fucking amazing, you look beautiful, you look magnificent, you are phenomenal. You can tell yourself all of this stuff so that at your low points, when you're feeling and you're feeling and you can't be bothered, you don't. You're not waiting for someone else to gash you up.

Speaker 1: 16:13

Gash yourself up, because the thing is, if you, if you don't feel good enough about yourself to even gash yourself up, why is someone else going to feel that for you? Because what energy are you giving off like if you genuinely don't feel it for yourself? What energy are you giving off like if you genuinely don't feel it for yourself, what energy you giving off? And I'm gonna say this as well when I started really think, feeling my ting and I was like, yeah, I'm just that girl, when I started having that confidence and that audacity to say that I'm the shit. I started hearing it from other people a lot more, because you give off a different energy. You give off a vibration that it's just infectious and people want more of it. They want to know how, how do you, how you like this, how do you do this? How do you wake up and just feel great about yourself and I don't always wake up and feel great about myself, and it's not a lie, but sometimes you just gotta gas yourself up and get the energy pumping through your body and be like boom, I'm just that girl and you know what. With that said, I'm going to leave it right there. Right there, drop mic. That's right. So yeah, thank you guys for tuning in today.

Speaker 1: 17:24

If you enjoyed this episode, definitely hit the like button, definitely follow and definitely share. Just share this. Just share because you like, follow and definitely share. Just share this. Just share because you like me and just share just because I'm fucking amazing, like and someone else needs to gas themselves up. If you got a friend that needs to gas themselves up, go send them this podcast and tell them to join me here every week and follow me on my socials.

Speaker 1: 17:45

Is it Danny Dawks? Yes, it is. That's right and with right and with that said, yeah, peace out A-town, down West side is the best side. Do I believe that? Not really. But what I do believe, and what we all know, is that wherever I'm at, the vibe's at and the vibe is here every weekend, every Sunday and, to be honest, if you're on my socials, the oh it's always the vibe's always here. In my stories the vibe's always vibing. Wherever Danny Dawgs is, it is what it is, and if you see me and my mic out on the street, make sure you come and have a conversation with us. Love you guys. Bye.