Our guest blog today comes from Oliver Russell, Creative Business Coach and member of our C100 Business Club. Oliver shares his heartfelt journey of discovering the unique charm and vibrant community of Brighton, a place he now proudly calls home.
A love letter to Brighton..
When I was asked to write a welcome blog to mark my joining the wonderful Connected 100 I thought about what I might write – a sales pitch? After all this is a business networking service right?
Nah…you don’t want to read that…if you do want to find out about what I do and how well I do it then take a peek at my website at www.oliverrussellcoach.com. If you have any queries let me know. Lyndsey will confirm that I love a chat and always enjoy meeting new people so let’s do that!
Ok that’s that out of the way in 80ish words so what next?
Discovering Brighton: A New Chapter Begins
Let’s talk about Brighton and the revelation it has become to me and my beautiful partner Zoe and to the fact that we know it will be a wonderful place for our new daughter to grow up when she arrives in September.
I want to talk about it because Connected 100 is only the latest of the wonderful surprises Brighton has presented to us since we moved here two years ago and of course our fearless C100 leader Lyndsey is a very proud born and bred Brightonian in the same way that I am a very proud born and bred Londoner.
I have lived in other big cities– Boston, New York City and Philadelphia and I love them all in their ways, but London always called me back – nothing compared to her.
Why I Love Brighton: Ten Reasons
And so this morning as I walked back home from the gym (another new Brighton habit) I wondered how is it that I can love a place as much as I now love Brighton? I mean I really love it….I find myself proud of it even though I guess I’m still a DFL (how long do I have to wait until I’m not?) I have experienced more than I could have imagined in such a short time – and although I feel kind of guilty about saying it, here are just ten things I love about Brighton that I don’t think London can keep up with.
I can’t believe that I ever lived without walking down to the sea every day in all its moods from Mid Feb to Midsummer….I ache for it when I have to leave town for whatever reason…..no stress cannot be at the very least mitigated by a visit to see her.
The fact that it is a city with a village feel and that as you live here it reveals itself in every neighbourhood, square, street and shop. There is character without pomposity and that is a subtle and rare thing
We’re plant based – ‘Nuff said
On the subject of food we can pretty much always get a table at a restaurant a seat in a bar, but they never really feel empty and lacking in atmosphere
Creative opportunities just seem to appear if you look for them. I wanted to do some more acting as a bit of an Amateur actor and within 3 months of living here I’d got my first role with the wonderful Brighton Little Theatre and ended up acting at BOAT with my second and have a great circle of theatre friends that came just from me turning up at one audition (I was the centipede in James and the Giant Peach and the dastardly Lord Wessex in Shakespeare in Love if anyone should care to know)
There is a real sense that even in a place that hosts an enormous number of tourists this is a permanent place – it doesn’t feel transitory, there is what I would call a relaxed pride in this town from its residents
When I lived in New York I was a little shocked at how cliquey and closed minded I found residents as a whole…I felt like London was the most accepting, inclusive, diverse, safe space to express yourself, your opinions, sexuality, dress sense and just about anything - until I moved to Brighton
I wasn’t going to say this but as I write a particularly loud seagull called Sid (they’re all called Sid in this house) reminded me that I love the birds that share the place with us.
I’m not sure I know anywhere else where somewhere like Brighton Beach House would be across the road from Centre Stage and that we could quite happily flip from one to another on a night out.
The business community and especially those people I am now being introduced by the Queen of Brighton Lyndsey Clay are the most interesting, most brilliantly thought-out connections ever.
Brighton: Our New Home and Business Hub
All of the above have contributed in part to our love for our adopted hometown and from a business standpoint after just two years both Zoe and I are starting new ventures my ‘Boardroom in a box’ and just around the corner Zoe’s Nutrition business is just around the corner…we are beyond excited and proud to be part of all this great place offers.
Brighton I love you and that’s my story (so far) – and of course business is all about telling stories in one way or other so if you want some help with making sure yours goes the way you want it to, you know where I am (sorry, couldn’t resist!) x
Website: www.oliverrussellcoach.com
LinkedIn: Oliver Russell
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