An entrepreneurial mum of 3 from Preston who’s a domestic abuse survivor is on a mission to have ‘done her bit’ during Covid-19, through an ambitious fundraising initiative drawing in celebrities and high profile entrepreneurs to raise money for domestic violence charities whilst also supporting small business owners whose livelihoods are being threatened.
Dani Wallace, 36, who is a highly sought after international speaker and speaker coach, as well as a professional singer, is currently organising ‘The Big Festoon’ – a charity chat-a-thon on 5th June featuring 12 celebrities and 12 entrepreneurs, coming together for ‘real talk’ around how they have chosen to thrive not just survive life in lockdown.
Not your average business event, The Big Festoon has drawn colourful characters who really pack a punch with their messages, as Dani sets out to shake up the tone of business advice that is swamping the internet.
She said: “The business climate currently is like nothing we’ve ever seen before – so our response to its challenges also needs to be unique. As someone very active in the online business space I have seen online summit after summit talking about how to pivot, how to double down, how to hustle during lockdown – it’s all the same advice and I was becoming a bit numb to it – and thought if I feel like this surely others do too. So I decided to mix it up a bit. As someone used to filling line-ups on stage, and with my background as an entertainer I pledged to use these skills to create something fresh for my community -and it grew from there! We now have a huge charity event on our hands where we are hoping to raise significant funds for domestic violence charities and lift the nation’s entrepreneurs at the same time!”
Brad Burton, the UK’s #1 Motivational Business Speaker, will chat to Dani about how he told her she couldn’t be ‘a fat motivational speaker’ yet recently has offered a stage to her and written a foreword in her book. They will chat about the importance of resilience, drive and self-belief.
Dan Meredith, serial entrepreneur will share his straight talking views and no bulls*it approach on what it takes to lead your industry and will also share tips on ‘getting out of a funk’ to enable you to make progress in your business.
Emma Sayle, one of the UK’s leading ‘sex-entrepreneurs’ who launched the elite global adult-party brand Killing Kittens in 2005, and now has a presence across the US, Australia and Europe will talk about female liberation, business expansion and not being afraid of controversy.
….and more of the lineup will be announced this week.
Alongside the entrepreneur panel Dani will also be chatting to celebrities who will share their lockdown learnings, many of whom also have business ventures under their belts. These include; TV Presenter and podcast host Jenny Powell, Atomic Kitten Singer and Health Entrepreneur Natasha Hamilton, TV personality and entrepreneur Callum Best, actress and founder of health and wellbeing brand The Capsule, Natalie Anderson and TV personality, fashion label founder and business and mindset coach Jessica Cunningham.
The primary charity being supported is Women’s Aid, a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services and build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated, but funds will also be donated to galop, the LGBT+ anti-violence charity.
Faye Connelly, Fundraising Manager at Women’s Aid said: “We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Dani and all celebrities and entrepreneurs involved in this exciting event! In recent months, we have all witnessed the spread and impact of Coronavirus and the threat that it poses to women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Many women will now be isolated at home with an abuser, with little safety and no way to access face-to-face support. Every penny you raise will make a huge difference to our work responding to this crisis and reaching more women who need our support.”
From, Mindset to Marketing, Advertising to Anxiety the show will cover a whole host of topics relevant to entrepreneurs, all blended with some uplifting entertainment.
Taking place on Dani’s online TV programme, Show Up, Wise Up Rise Up, via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thequeenbeedani/), the event is to be a mammoth 12 hours of interviews, trainings, chats and entertainment.
Dani said: “This situation has been tough on us all so let’s hit some truth bombs and not sugar coat it as the Mary Poppins Insta feed of lockdown life can leave us all feeling like failures – so let’s be real, be raw, but also be ready to lift each other up, as we CAN learn from this, and rise up – we can choose to #FlyAnyway “
Dani Wallace is a mum of 3, an international motivational speaker, celeb speaker coach and singer, and is a survivor of domestic violence and homelessness thanks to intervention and support from local services. When Dani was 4 months pregnant, the relationship came to a violent head and after one particular incident whereby she was almost strangled, with the help of DV services, Dani was able to escape the relationship.
She has featured on Channel 5 sharing her story and championing for further government investment into domestic abuse victim services. Having grown up on the council estates of Preston with a troubled home life she is now someone recognised as a leading voice in female empowerment, and Dani always vowed that when she could she would give back. She feels that now is the time when it is most needed.
Leader of the I Am The Queen Bee Movement (#IATQB) Dani is helping thousands across the world Show Up, Wise Up and Rise Up, with her free advice and motivational teachings so that they can take life by the big ol’ lady balls and step up into their birth right of success. Hit between the eyes one day with her purpose, after watching Bee Movie with her kids, Dani heard this message:
“According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. It’s wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible” – and ever since she has been on a mission to help others who shouldn’t be able to fly, to fly anyway.
This charity event is driven by her passion and purpose to support those who need it from the 2 sides of the coin of her life – those suffering as domestic violence victims and those suffering as entrepreneurs trying to cling on to their livelihoods -as both have been threatened by COVID-19.
Dani said: “ Reports of domestic abuse and violence across genders has risen by an insane 700% since the beginning of lockdown. We NEED to help. Now is the time where those of us in a position to do so must do our bit – to inspire, motivate and uplift each other but also to support those more vulnerable than ourselves. I am no big shot, but I am keen to use my loyal audience to make a difference here and am calling on others who are passionate about using their voice for good to join me. But let’s keep it real – we’re all struggling in varying degrees and I crave a bit of honesty right now. So alongside raising shed loads of cash for incredible charities let’s connect, communicate and collaborate on a very real level to remember we are all human amongst all this madness”
The show will run from 8am to 8pm (UK Time) to capture as many time zones as possible so Dani can serve her global audience. Viewers will be asked to donate after each segment of the show.