Sian and myself have been asked by the Welsh Assembly to become Dynamo role models and go out into schools and colleges and give talks on running your own business. Today was my first go at presenting my story to a year 10 class and the school I was given was Gowerton comprehensive.
I didn't know what to expect having not spoken in front of year 10 children before. Both my 14 year old son and my 12 year old daugther had filled me with dread the night before, telling me that "the children would eat me alive" and that I "musn't be boring". In fact I found the whole experience very enjoyable. The children were chatty and interested and made me feel very welcome in their school.
I told them that Sian and I were living the dream. We were lucky in that we are doing something that we passionately believe in. The business is really starting to make a name for itself. 
Earlier today we had a telephone call from a producer at S4C and tomorrow they are coming to our patisserie to film us making cup cakes. An article in the Daily Mail on Saturday wrote about Victoria Beckam receiving a gift of a year's supply of cup cakes and they are coming to film us as a follow up to this article. Sian had been in work since 4.00am trying to make up time lost yesterday when we went to London to drop off our entries for the Great Taste awards and now she needed to work late to make cup cakes for tomorrow. She is certainly living the dream (or is it working in a trance?). We saw plenty of examples of cup cakes on sale in London yesterday and the picture left shows our interpretation of the lastest hot cake. They should be hot its 10.39pm and Sian has just finished making them!
Friday we are making 600 pieces of patisserie for the Swansea Lord Mayors inauguration to be held at the Brangwyn Hall and we are also making 400 patisseries for Neath Port Talbot Mayors inauguration on the same day. So no sleep tomorrow either.
Which brings me back to my talk today. Running your own business is very hard work. It doesn't suit everyone. However if you have a passion - run with it. A headline in the Evening Post last week quoted Sir Anthony Hopkins saying "If you have a dream, make it a big one". Pick the highest mountain and don't stop until you have climbed it.
One thing I forgot to mention in my talk today was that you have to have a song. Your own song - the song you play at full volume when you have achieved your goal. My song is "Brass in Pocket". I remember this song coming on the radio just as I got in the car after getting my first job. Whenever I hear it I think back to how great life felt at that moment. Luckily I have played this song (at full volume) many times since.
So once again I would like to say thank to the children of year 10 in Gowerton Comprehensive who didn't fall asleep today when I was talking and for their hospitality and I would encourage them to find their dream and as they say on Star Trek "Make it so".
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