REAL TALK - with DAN WILLS

Seven years ago Dan and his best friend Dash founded Dash and Dan's Football Coaching and today they are still among the very few with exclusive access to Hyde Park, with a license to coach within the Royal Parks. They now boast 25 coaches, offering hundreds of sessions a week, to kids of all ages and abilities. To this day Dan insists that the same 'big brother' love and attention he gives every one of his young flock, is bestowed in the same way by his team of 25 other coaches. 

MF: Tell me more about your day-to-day?
DW: I drive a lot, but luckily never for more than 10-15mins at-a-time around town, mainly focused on West and North London for now. Essentially we've grown as a company a lot, having one of our biggest and busiest years last year and I spend most of my time organising my team of experts at the moment. I started this with my best mate and I want to work with a team that I consider to be my mates, so we keep that family ethos and pass on the same mentorship that a big brother would to his little sibling. As much as I am required to manage, I also try to keep an eye on growing the business. We've recently begun work with Quintessentially, which is a wonderful concession for us and we've expanded our roster of coaches to match the demand. 

MF: What would you love to do more of?
DW: Well I never did uni and I haven't travelled as much as I'd like to, so although I do get away, I would love to really go somewhere for a month or more, where I could switch off and soak up the gloss of the world. ...Basically I want to relax haha! I haven't been able to turn my phone off for more than a few moments, for years. I was at Glastonbury this summer and had to return to my tent for two-hours between sets, to ensure things run smooth. I'm delighted with the way things are, but I'd love to find more time in the near future to enjoy my time.

MF: How does movement and exercise help you mentally and physically?
DW: Well it's crucial for me. I make time for my own football on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. When I'm playing - I'm not on the phone, I'm not thinking about relationships, I'm in a peaceful zone and I reset! For me being in-some-sort-of-shape is non-negotiable and always will be. I also love the gym and currently work x5-times per week with a PT, so roughly two hours of each day overall, I carve out for myself. This is where I find my peace. 

MF: How do you cope with hard things?
DW: Err, well I can't remember when I last cried and I'm not altogether particularly emotional. However I have had some trauma in my life - I was fourteen when I lost my Dad in a car crash. I don't think anything gets harder than that, so in a sense whenever something hard happens I benchmark it and am reminded with a sense of perspective and gratitude for what I have. I remind myself that nothing lasts forever and I also know from experience that things are always ok in the end. Course there are some initial difficulties to deal with, but I just lock-in - it's never that bad. 

MF: What's one thing you simply couldn't live without?
DW: My Mum, my dog, my Mrs and my friends... actually possibly my dog if I had to choose one hahaha!
MF: Perfect.
DW: I'm an only child to a single-Mum, so of course I couldn't live without her ...or our bulldog. 

MF: What's your favorite day of the year?
DW: Christmas Day. It's the only day we're actually closed! I did once work Christmas Day and that isn't to be repeated. Christmas is a proper break from everything and a day spent with family, eating everything I can. 

MF: Is there anything you'd like to get off your chest?
DW: Not really. Perhaps I should go to therapy more haha!