Pictures and Voices

A few weeks ago, I got an email out of the blue from someone in the UK. He was organising his dad’s 80th birthday and asked if I had any old photos of our café in Bath — Doolally’s. His dad had been a regular, and they wanted to include the café in a tribute to the places that had shaped his life.

He wrote: “He always said it was the best vibe he’d ever been part of, the music, the people, the way he could just be himself there. Do you have any photos?”

It brought everything flooding back.

After years working in British Olympic sport, my wife and I had decided to step away to explore something new. She had always dreamed of opening a café — not just a place to serve food and music, but to create connection. So we opened Doolally’s, a live music café tucked into the side streets of Bath.

We had all sorts through the doors — sport folk, music folk, bankers, students, and people doing it tough. We always made sure anyone who needed a coffee or something to eat got one. No questions. Just welcome.

Sure, we had some well-known faces too. One of our regulars played guitar for Led Zeppelin, and one night Robert Plant came in to watch him play. Peter Gabriel popped in now and then and once said, “This place has such a relaxed vibe.”

But it wasn’t about the names. It was the mix. It was the feeling. People arrived as they were — and that was enough. No pressure to perform, no job titles, no filters. Just people, sharing space, connecting over music, food, and honest conversation.

One afternoon we invited a few coaches and athletes in for an informal chat. No structure. Just stories. Word spread, and the place filled. What followed was one of the most honest and productive conversations I’d had in years.

Not in a high-performance meeting room.

Not at a team camp.

In a café.

They didn’t need more control — they needed more clarity. They were looking for the big picture. They wanted to see how it all fit together so they could contribute to it, not just comply with it.

Because voice without vision is just noise. But when the picture is clear — people speak with purpose, move with intent, and contribute with conviction.

That’s what we create in the Simplify and Amplify Masterclass.

It’s not a lecture. It’s not about downloading information. It’s a shared experience. A room with lived experience — people from across organisations, or across sectors — all coming together to slow down, connect the dots, and make sense of what they’re really part of.

Some cohorts are from the same organisation, grappling with shared challenges. Others are a mix — leaders from sport, business, health, and education — all bringing different perspectives but facing similar pressures. What they share is depth. They’ve all led in complexity. They’ve all had to make decisions without perfect clarity. They’ve all had moments of purpose — and moments of doubt.

When you bring that kind of experience together — with the right mix of space, structure, and challenge — something happens.

I call it sticks on fire.

Each person comes in with a spark. But when the conditions are right — when people feel safe, seen, and stretched — the sparks catch. Conversations deepen. Insight multiplies. And what felt tangled or heavy begins to feel clear, possible, shared.

That’s why this isn’t a download — it’s an ignition. It’s where systems get simplified, leadership gets reconnected to meaning, and people walk away lighter, sharper, and more aligned.

The café taught us this: when the setting invites trust, and the picture invites clarity, people step into their best more naturally. They don’t need more instruction. They need something to believe in, and a picture they can move toward.

Many reading this will know that feeling. You’ve been in a room — a moment — where something clicked. Where things made sense. Where you felt part of something that mattered.

If that kind of connection feels overdue — or your team could use a reset — reach out.

We can create a masterclass for your organisation — one that sharpens focus, unlocks value, and builds real alignment.

Because when people can see the story they’re part of, they don’t just follow it, they start to lead it.