DO | The Encouragement Network
“The idea is a simple one. That people who Do things, can inspire the rest of us to go and Do amazing things too.”
It’s only fitting that we should mark the transition from one decade to the next with a company that’s all about the journey, about how we can get from our ‘A’ to whatever our ‘B’ might be. For over a decade now, DO has helped with the moments that come before, during and after someone decides to navigate their own way — from how to get started, maintain momentum, face your inner critic, contend with the longing for new lives and the dread of old ones, and most of all to being confident that your ‘crazy dumb idea’ might actually be worth it.
Based in West Wales and founded by Clare and David Hieatt of Huit Denim, DO is like the generous friend who tells you how they did what they did, and how you might do the same. It’s a helping hand approach that spreads knowledge as much as encouragement.
If you are curious about different pathways or living a good life on your own terms, you’ll want to try to attend their annual Conference. The original DO Wales (others have run in Australia and the USA) is still an intimate gathering in an Old Farm (now rebranded an Ideas Farm with concepts replacing livestock as the product of choice) and offers 24 talks, dozens of workshops and six bands over three days and three nights to just 100 attendees (places are much sought after and registration is now open). Speakers — authors, academics, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and ecologists from thematics like the environment, creativity, food, adventure, social change, and business — are given a simple invitation: to tell their story in 20 minutes.
But it’s as much about the action as the narrative arc. Those who do, share their whys and hows and offer what we — on the other side, as attendees, audience, and readers — can learn from them, so that we can do things ourselves. There’s no intimidation of the genius mind here; rather storytelling meant to inspire and initiate you through your own life, to, as they say, the Story Doing part.
With a tree trunk podium, camping as accommodation and a Cow Barn as the venue, DO Wales builds in intimacy and connection as the signposts to change. But, here’s some of the magic — those small scale moments take on a large scale reach — all those talks are available for free on the website. From last year’s conference, we recommend Running past addition, food as a way home, and love for impact. You can also listen to these talks on the podcast; there are 300 episodes now available on Spotify.
But DO is not just the Conference. During the year this ‘encouragement network’ authors standalone lectures, which share the same intention of getting people that Do in front of people who want to. Coming up, take a look at DO Story Masterclass, DO Events and DO Breakthrough.
Or, feeling the inertia, from the comfort of your couch, their publishing wing DO Books is similarly founded on the belief in life changing storytelling, namely that the right book in the right hands at the right moment can change lives, maybe even the world. Though these publications cover ideas and skills that may feel idiosyncratic in their range (childbirth, wild baking, start-up law) they tick the bases of what a modern life could look like — whether that’s leading with purpose, learning how to pause, or even how to bottle pickles.
As founder David Hiett says: “One of the things that I love is that two films idea of your life. There are two stories that you can tell. One that is safe and full of regret and one that is risky and full of pride and joy.” What will this mean to you in 2020? What will you do?
