Danger Lou

Lou’s Story

Back in 2010, I was in a job that I’d loved but grown bored of, and was jerked into action by receiving notice that I was at risk of redundancy. Five of us, all either at risk of redundancy or just wanting a change, wanting something different, started to come together once a month over a shared meal. We called ourselves the Change the World Gang. Ambitious name, hey?

We started with ourselves, supporting each other through this time of transition and confusion. A few months later, I’d been offered a role through the redundancy process, opted for a new job somewhere else instead and then almost immediately quit… then had really bad whiplash from a car accident. Since then, I’ve been on an incredible journey. I’ve learned a lot about myself; my strengths, my weaknesses, my passions. I co-founded this not-for-profit, The You Can Hub, with fellow Change the Worlders. Together, we have helped over 300 people in Cambridgeshire to cycle, many of whom thought they couldn’t, or hadn’t cycled for a very long time. It started Small, with one person – Aaran, who couldn’t cycle a two wheeled bike. Aaran’s dream is now a team with over ten bikes at a local park. Aaran volunteered regularly supporting others to cycle too, and has now moved on to other things. His legacy is a project that keeps on pedalling, and our team members Ruth, Ames and Angela are all still involved in making it happen.

We have also held regular monthly socials bringing people together to make the most of community resources and skills.

I was pretty proud of what we’d achieved. Then in October 2011 my dad was diagnosed with brain tumours. He died seven months later, two days before I turned 30. It totally shifted my perspective. What I’d done so far seems mediocre. Back in May 2013, it was the one year anniversary of my dad’s death. I turned 31. I wanted to celebrate by kicking ass and revealing my inner super hero, Danger Lou. I’m going to kick the ass of the Robot of Mediocrity, and I can’t do it on my own.

Like all good superheroes, I need sidekicks, gadgets, and resources. I need your help. I will be bringing contagious danger to the world with a mix of online and real world events to tackle the Robot of Mediocrity in my life and yours, and make a real difference to my local community – and yours.

What Danger Lou has been up to since April 2013

1) Tried out a comedy workshop. My first venture out of my comfort zone! It turned out it wasn’t for me, but it wasn’t as scary as I thought. It paved the way for bigger adventures!

2) Made my first long haul trip alone to the States (cape and everything), to attend Misfit Conf 2013 in Fargo.

You can read more about what I learned through the whole process here, here and here.

3) Made it to Portland, Oregon, for something known as the World Domination Summit, where I co-ordinated the world’s first freeze mob against the Robot of Mediocrity, and the Robot revealed her true identity on stage in front of 2800 people

4) Started jumping out of my comfort zone on a weekly basis by signing up for an Improv class. I did two courses, and had a blast, as well as learning a huge amount. I’d recommend it to anyone!

5) Completed the first experiment with my daily routine, the 30 Day Sunrise Photo Challenge

6) Completed my first Impossible Challenge – My first 5k! This seemed like a long way off when I was struggling to get out of bed every day back in 2007. Early in 2013 I joined the gym, and pushed the boundaries of my fitness. For my first Impossible Challenge, I committed to complete a 5k run before the end of December 2013, and I also did it as a sponsored challenge for added accountability!

Here’s what happened:

Thanks to everyone who supported me! I couldn’t have done it without you and I also raised over £1100!

7) Committed to do a doodle a day and share it on instagram. This started as a 30 Day Challenge and became a 60 Day Challenge and almost a 90 Day Challenge before it ran out of steam. I learned a ton which I’m now putting into practice on a very special project called the Field Guide to Change (illustrated by me).

8) Completed a 30 Day Burpee challenge that resulted in doing 2250 burpees in June 2016

9) Completed a 30 Day Yoga Challenge in January 2017 as part of Yoga with Adriene’s Love Revolution.

Get Our Field Notes

The truth is, change can be a tough nut to crack. Our Field Notes are designed to give you everything we know about change based on our own lived experience. Things like how to make change easier to handle, how to overcome fear of the unknown, and how to feel centred when you’re in the midst of change.

Field Notes come in bitesize portions and are sent to your inbox every other week. And perhaps you arrived here because you heard Lou talking about her latest project, an illustrated guide called The Field Guide to Change. It’s a map and guide to help you navigate the changes in life. Sign up to Field Notes and you’ll be the first to hear about the Field Guide to Change when it’s finally released to the world, and if you’re lucky you’ll be contacted to be an early reader (before the eBook goes live!)

There are no free downloads in exchange for your email, limited time offers, gimmicks or bonuses. It’s just me, Danger Lou, and my team here at You Can Hub sharing our thoughts and learning. The rest is up to you.