David Gandy: Highest Paid Male Model Opens Up About Insecurities & Imposter Syndrome | E102

the diver ceo live my live show my live. reincarnation of this podcast is coming. on tour and it's coming to a city near. you there's a link in the description. below put your email address in and i. will email you when tickets go on sale. can't wait to see. [Music]. everything that people said well you're. lucky to work with dr varna. and i can say that wasn't luck it was. strategy. what's that imposter voice saying is. going to be found out good question i. suppose do you have insecurities yeah of. course i do has that ever had a impact.

on you. i never believed my own hype it's very. easy once you see yourself in articles. and winning awards and everyone's. telling you how amazing you are but i i. suppose i never really did. i didn't fit in particularly well and. i've seen the extremities of mental. health me myself going to dark periods. where nothing would nothing to fight. nothing would cheer you up if you. haven't got a thick skin you shouldn't. be in this game.

david gandy at one point he was one of. the highest paid male models in the. entire world. a beautiful beautiful man and so hearing. that and seeing how beautiful he is. would understandably make you assume a. lot of things about him. but what you're going to hear today is. that those things are wrong and that you. should never judge a book by its cover. how is it possible. that someone that looks like david gandy.

can describe themselves as having. imposter syndrome being low in. confidence. and waiting to be found out. he's now become an entrepreneur he's. focused on launching his brand new brand. david gandy well where and he's taking. on a completely different industry. it's crazy because when you open. people's diaries. you never know what you'll find and what. i found in david's today. was truly fascinating. unexpected. vulnerable and extremely.

surprisingly relatable. so without further ado i'm stephen. bartlett. and this is the diary of a ceo. i hope nobody's listening but if you are. then please keep this to yourself. there's a lot of. very beautiful people in the world right. um but they don't manage to achieve what. you've achieved across multiple. disciplines whether it's within your. modeling career which is incredibly.

competitive. space to play and one with shrouded with. huge amounts of uncertainty or whether. it's now in business with what you're. doing with your brands there and your. investments. so my question is what is it about you. in your sort of self-diagnosis that has. made. you. rise to the top in those. pursuits. that's a. good question and also where did it come. from. the easiest one to say is probably the. modeling one to to start off with and. that was.

um. i. questioned why. men weren't in the same position as the. female supermodels and you had. the equivalent of the the male super. models at the time and you always have. that but they were never to the you know. to that level. um. of fame of you know sort of financial. rewards of. uh as as the female supermodels and i. questioned that that was all and thought. is there a possibility is there almost i. suppose a gap in the market.

the first five years no one actually. realizes that i really didn't do that. much for the first five or six years it. was you know. of course we didn't struggle and it was. a lot of. um. you know sort of catalog work earning. really good money wasn't what i wanted. to do but i got to work. with you know like sir chrissy turns and. naomi campbell and those people and i. literally just observed them and asked. them questions. and. sort of got the answers i wanted and i.

all realized that it was a business for. them. they had great teams they had great. agencies they had prs and pas it was run. as a business and then you had the guys. you know who were the top of the fashion. that at the time it wasn't a business. for them it was. a lovely way of making a living and they. were felt very fortunate to be there. some of the time not even admitting that. they were. models they were in advertising or. marketing as a lot of people used to say. and i just used the female platform and.

i went to head of my agency tandy. anderson. and said. i i don't want to do this commercial. work anymore. it doesn't satisfy me it's not when she. said what do you want to do i said if. i'm going to do this i want to be the. best at it and she said right literally. from tomorrow i've said this a million. times you have to stop all that. commercial work because we have to you. have to be perceived then in a total. different light to. to get to where you want to be so every. bit of that working i said wearing very.

good money i. just quit everything we just we said no. to all the campaign no to all the. catalogues and she said to me like in a. position you've got that's what most. models are dreaming of earning what not. dreaming of but that's you know they see. you yours is an enviable position i said. tan it's just not what i want to do i'm. not happy doing it so to me i had. nothing to lose because i would have. carried on so we then started building. up this other perception of me within. the fashion industry not the catalog. model not the commercial model but.

editorial a bit more sort of fashion. based and that's when we. instigated a meeting with dolce gabbana. and that's how i did their campaign the. campaign led to. light blue and. light blue was a to me a tick in the box. for them to achieve what i wanted to. achieve. and it was. phenomenal success and it still is. but that was that was what i needed that. was the platform pretty much from there. and then we could put the team together. to say. where do you want to be in three years. what and where's the next three years. after that where do you want to achieve.

and i'm a big believer in having goals. not always having to achieve them things. change but i'm big believing having. goals so you know. roughly where you're where you want to. end up at something and then game is a i. always say sorry. life is like a game of chess and you're. moving pieces to get to that checkmate. to where you want to be and often it. diverts and you have to have different. tactics but you you have to have that. ambition to know. the exact point to where you want to be. of course when you get there and. being a. maybe an entrepreneur or typical person.

i am then i'm on to the next thing. you're not particularly satisfied and. you know i've achieved that so. what's the next achievement where do you. go from there what role do you think. luck has played. as you view your journey in hindsight. what role and you know everyone you know. especially very successful people will. always have a kind of different. relationship with luck what role do you. think luck has played in. your. journey and however you would define. luck. it annoys me if someone says or you're. very lucky.

and i feel like i have to go on this. statement go hang on let me just tell. you about. you haven't seen the hard work that's. gone in there and i realize that it sort. of gets you nowhere um so. listen i. was fortunate to be born like i am six. foot two in the frame i have with. the way i look and people perceive that. as. they the way they do and it's. you can make money from that. hugely fortunate. but as you said before there are a lot.

of good looking people there are a lot. of beautiful people i've admitted myself. i go into my agency there are. 25 better looking guys on that board. there are 50 better models i've just. cast 10 of them for my brand they're my. they're better models than me they're. better spokespeople than me i was. fortunate to be in that position but. then you. and say you make your own like you maybe. you do. so every. sort of. everything that people said well you're. lucky to work with dolce gabbana and i. can say well let me tell you how this.

the story of how we went to meet dolce. gabbana how we instigated that yeah that. wasn't luck yeah it was strategy. and. it was. not my i think at the time everyone's. going you are armani you are raffler in. your mind you're afraid it was tandy. anderson who said you are dolce gabbana. you're adult shigebang i don't listen to. anyone else you are deutsche it was her. genius. that said and then sort of instigated. this meeting with them. and then. through that and working with tandem. working with select everything we've.

achieved. is strategy you know it's gone out it's. like think what do you want to achieve. what do you want to. what's your goal. and it just it doesn't just happen yes. there's certain opportunities that come. around that people approach you. but we approach a lot of people with. ideas and we approach from people would. love to do this yeah you know m s. it was. us who wanted. to do that collaboration. and i wanted to do it with one of the. biggest. british institutions everyone knows and. everyone has a great thing i wanted to.

do with m s we had lots of different. brands approach us. we didn't do that we wanted to do it. with m s. and that again looked at we didn't start. off by just doing a collaboration and. you know a huge deal it was i had to. model for two years with them prove that. i could still prove that i could work. with m s. then we talk about collaboration then we. would move on and. you know then they trusted me it didn't. it's not a finger click you know it's. yeah it's it's it's because the way that. look um those moments the amazing.

collaboration that amazing email that. comes out of nowhere in hindsight. because it appears to have come out of. nowhere um it always appears in. hindsight like look and i've got my own. story you know examples from my story. where when i was 18 19 years old i went. on linkedin and typed an investor the. first person that came up i emailed him. he invested in my company. people think you know they say you got. lucky right and i'm like well you know. again it's what to what you said about. the story well look at the email it was. sent at 3am and i shot on stage i'm like. and i then removed the timestamp and i'm. like i was up at 3am.

thinking about emailing people so for me. action and what you describe there is. like that smart strategic work is just. increasing probability. that you know you might get what people. call luck and um. in that moment with dolce and kabana and. when when you form that partnership with. them how pivotal was that for you. and the trajectory of your career. in like real terms. light blue is the reason i'm here and i. you know the famous commercial.

but again you could look back to that. when i came into modeling. the circle of the fashion world at that. stage of what was perceived as. fashionable was the small androgynous. skinny guy. now i'm. over six foot two i was quite skinny. when i came in but i built up and i just. got bigger and everyone else said. you need to get smaller you need to fit. in you need to you're too big you're. getting too big. but that's where i was happiest i wasn't.

doing it for reading you i was always. playing sport i want to continue i. couldn't play sporting while so i was in. the gym and it was you know to have a. good physique and be healthy was the way. i was. happiest in my head in my well-being so. that's what i did and in a way i just. looked at the models and tyson becquers. and titan baloo and paul scoffer and all. these different people that were you. know the levi's guys. the famous levi's ads that we used to. used to look at and the raffler ring. guys i was like. they're all. big muscular classically handsome guys.

and they were the biggest in the. industry so i just thought this has got. to come around at one point so when it. actually came around to that creative. for light blue. of course. there was a smaller pop because everyone. had followed each other yeah yeah yeah. and then there was me and we'd just done. the campaign with the auction gabbana. and then we went to and do light blue. but that the day it came out um it just. changed everything i mean literally. changed everything i hate when people. say that but it was went from that. campaign going out in the afternoon.

phone not stopping. and i think i went to new york and. my agencies called up and just said. we've got telegraph the times the mirror. they all want to speak to they all want. to have an interview with you. and we didn't have pr's at that point. you know this was i was like okay. how does this work. um. very green about it all but exciting you. know so that that's that change. um so you're talking about lifestyle how. did your lifestyle change and i want to.

know about like. how people treated you and friends and. you know romantic potential partners. when that that blows up for you the. phone doesn't stop ringing how does your. world shift from a like a very personal. perspective. friends have never changed. great. and we're still you know on all on. whatsapp groups and see each other i. don't see them as much they all live. closer together and. that's a shame really but it's just. never changed i get the absolute. roasting. roasting all the time i'm just an easy. target.

yeah so you can just google my name on. so many pictures that get putting online. so and that's it you know it keeps you. and i love that no one takes themselves. too seriously and i think hopefully. that's what i didn't do too much as i. always said to people if models ever. come up to me now so what made you. different or how did what did you learn. i said i never believed my own hype it's. very easy once you see yourself in. articles and winning awards and. everyone's telling you how amazing you. are to to believe that but i i suppose i.

never really did. do you have imposter syndrome yes yeah. yeah of course absolutely and what does. that mean in practical terms in your. mind and your thoughts. you're always waiting to be found out. i think there's the end of the day. you're always waiting for you know you. sort of go. okay all right come on if you've had a. really good inning. you've been 15 years in yeah you're. still thinking well 20 20 years later. we've had a good angst you know i'm. still thinking that today to be found up. you do that by putting yourself at risk. of something it's like.

i suppose there's there is the risk and. reward so. everything i do there has to be a slight. risk. otherwise it's not sort of worth. i suppose me doing it so there's always. got to be that risk of failure. in many ways and i don't mind failure. i've learned more from failure than i. have from success to be honest and. that. risk element of. you know. vanity fair asking me to write an. article i mean i'm not a writer. to do that is scary but i won't have.

anyone write it for me i have to do it. we're going back to the integrity thing. i have to do it. that goes for sort of the fashion game. to collaborating with brands to. investing. you know as you know it's you know it's. a risk there's an element of risk i take. into i suppose everything and i suppose. it makes life exciting what do you think. when you say be found out what's going. to be found out. what's that imposter voice saying is. going to be found out good question i. suppose. have you bitten off too much then you.

can chew but no one can be as. as uh harsh a critic to me as i am. myself. i will beat myself up in something fail. as i will beat myself up if i don't do. the best job. um. so no one can affect me like that by. actually saying anything because i'm my. worst critic. so yeah that's a good point of what. someone you know what that voice is. going to say to me just a whisper of. doubt i guess. that may be. well the way that i typically think. about imposter syndrome or at least i've. seen it in my business and there's a.

couple of like top level execs in my. business that talk about imposter. syndrome a lot and it sounds like um. yeah exactly what you described there. like biting off more than you can chew. and. are you really capable and experienced. enough to be at this level doing this. thing do you really have the skills yeah. there's other people that are smarter. and better and that have you know you. know won more awards or more you know. experienced something like that. there's also the side that and it's not. about money it's about success there's a. lot of people that actually don't.

particularly want other people to do. well. and. most people. they will try to bring you down in many. ways and put doubts in your mind you. know it's like the sort of the. backhanded commentizer as i always sort. of call it it's it's hard for someone. and i. i've learned you know sort of that from. other people's comments and what they've. said to me and i'd make sure i never. ever do that and i always just encourage. people and if i can help i will help.

them and that's probably where my. investments have come from in many ways. is i have had this opportunity and i. haven't borrowed a penny in my life to. get to where i was. you know i when i first went to new york. modeling i used to go around and. couldn't afford. to eating nice places so every time i'd. go on like castings i was walking around. all day and going to shoot i would then. go past a uh like a diner and they would. have a special deal on so it'd be like a. burger fry and something else for 5.95. and i'd write it down go i've got to. remember to come back here because it's.

5.95 plus taxes like i suppose i can. have a beer and it might be ten dollars. that's where i used to have to think. because i just didn't didn't have. anything then. i've always wanted to then i think i'd. never really had any help but i would. like to help people talking about. helping them helping people and then. other people tearing people down with. female models i think we can all quite. easily believe how nasty comments would. affect them but there's something in in. i think the public perception or within. society where we think ah if you slag. off a male model if you criticize them.

say nasty things about them well they'll. be fine if you go on twitter for example. it's totally okay just uh people will. tweet at pierce morgan all day saying. but the people would never do that to. well they would but it would be much it. would be considered much differently if. they were saying that to a woman i. believe that to be true so i guess my. ultimate question here ultimately is. like. have. strangers criticizing saying nasty. things on the internet about you how you. look or whatever has that.

ever had a impact on you. in this business anyway if you haven't. got a thick skin. you shouldn't be in this game you've got. to have a thick skin and it's. what i understood and i've. probably only actually understood this. from having to cast myself for people to. represent my brand is that. you're not being horrible to someone. someone doesn't fit. what you have perceived in your head and. that could be for any reason whatsoever. um the attitude you bring into it the.

charisma you come into that day on that. casting the way you look and it could be. anything that person is too skinny that. person's too tall that person is not big. you know anything. and you have to realize that when you. were. casting is they weren't it wasn't. personal it was almost business no you. just don't fit the creator that we want. at the moment that changes when you have. a name that change when you have a brand. because they're buying into your brand. they're buying into your engagement with. your fans that's different but when they. first look at you at face value. and there's different people you know.

there's been castings where they're on. the phone they don't say anything to you. you put the book down they go through. two pages and they hand it back to you. now that is a bit demoralizing but hey. you know like i have always made sure i. might probably overcompensate that. because i've been on the other side of. you know casting casting other people. was i'd probably get there for too long. and just chatted and everything else. internet trolls though like someone on. instagram or in the edm's just. you post something and they just. no i'm very full i'm very fortunate that.

my fan base which is a very organic fan. base actually on on social. are. massively kind. and positive and that's the way i've. always put social i'm not a big lover of. social media. i've stated it before i see the use of i. see the brilliance of it i also see the. negativity from especially for young. children i've spoken out about that. um. yes does that do things affect yeah of. course you'll probably know this is a. you might see a hundred comments.

all positive. and then. 101 comment 102 comment is negative and. you'll remember it you'll remember those. two comments so you can't remember the. other hundred that are positive and it's. a really weird thing. so. it's like dealing with people you deal. with the nice ones you don't deal with. the negativity. and. that's what we've tried to do really and. again another sort of social i guess um. not maybe stereotype but sort of. misunderstanding would be that someone. that is you know makes their career out. of modeling someone that's very you know.

um attractive um like yourself um surely. they can't have. insecurities surely they realize that. they are you know. surely they can't have self doubts like. us muggles who had gq are yet to call. doesn't everyone have insecurities i. can't believe that you told me there's. not a person that doesn't have. insecurities do you have insecurities. yeah of course i do absolutely. physical insecurities of course they do. had you said something about your if.

your nose and your your nose i know my. eyes got any bigger my nose my eyes got. any bigger which they do the only things. that came with like i just look like the. bfg. also i think. something that going back to the sort of. trolling. and. instagram there is this thing about age. now. age is used as a weapon you are so old. look at all your wrinkles it actually. sort of makes me laugh when people say. my god you like. that most people have positive comments. but they can say oh you're getting older. yeah everyone is i've been in this game.

for 20 years if you're comparing an. image from 20 years ago i'm not going to. look the same but it's almost like. it's a negative thing. you know it's and that that's. i've noticed that increasing over the. last couple of years is this aged thing. is used as a weapon as if it's a bad. thing does that bother you. no. i always feel i've always been quite an. old man in a young young man's body. anyway. so. should i say mature but um. no you grow old.

at the end of the day you grow a little. bit wiser you get a little bit you you. calm down a little bit more. and you you accept. yourself for who you are a little bit. more as well. 20s and 30s 30s less but 20s can be. quite tricky for everyone i don't quite. know who you are you're trying to be. trying to find out where you are in the. world you then i think you get a bit. more confidence in your 30 and i that's. where my 30s sort of came from to why. are you trying to be something else or. trying to fit in.

and i never fit in i've never fitted in. ever anywhere really particularly well. or felt i haven't particularly fitted in. you're in the fashion industry i've. never felt i fitted in i was telling um. a model the other day actually we were. working with. and we all used to go off to. new york. for this big. casting two weeks try and get the jobs. be with all the big agencies and you. would go and go in a group of probably. about 10 guys and you'd have a list back. in those days you would have a fax.

believe it or not you didn't have mobile. phones it was a fact. so you got your fax in the morning you. had all your appointments 9 o'clock 10. o'clock 11 o'clock 12 o'clock all the. way through. everyone used to go down to the subway. or walk and we'll go together and. there's this very pack mentality. and i was never into that pacman tells. you it was quite always a. i'd say a much more sort of individual. sort of loner so i used to look at the. facts and i used to let them go around. the corner and i would vegetate upside. down and do the opposite way so those.

nine guys would go to the nine o'clock. and i would go to the six o'clock and i. would just turn up the office and go hi. i'm i know i supposed to be here at nine. o'clock but is. john someone then because yeah yeah he's. here like can i see him. you take the opportunity where you got. imagine going through seeing nine guys. speaking to nine guys looking but by the. third person you're like. they're gonna be bored and you take the. opportunity so i did that all the way. around and that's why i did kind of all. the time it was thinking constantly of. like outside the box of doing something. different. yeah it's amazing how these small things.

can create such significant like it's. such a marginal thing can create such a. big gain and most people are obviously. they don't even try and think outside of. the. script and so they end up you know. competing. in a very saturated way for a limited. amount of rewards but one slight. innovation in the process i think can. deliver such an exponential return you. know i hate i hate. powder i hate mixing powder with water i. hate protein powders that you have to. mix with water. up until now and um obviously he'll.

sponsor this podcast so i'm tremendously. biased but that's a that's a true story. i've never been able to use the like my. protein powders that you mix with water. because i always think they taste. absolutely awful. up until huel released their brand new. protein flavor the amazing thing about. all of these proteins is there's 20. grams of protein you get all of your. vitamins and nutrients 26 of those and. as huel always is it's nutritionally. complete. and if you are someone that's trying to. go a little bit lower on the calories. it's only 105 calories so when i wake up.

in the morning especially i've been. working out a lot lately come downstairs. quickly blend it together in my. nutribullet. drink it's 100 calories and then my next. sort of main meal because i'm a. breakfast skipper will be. at lunchtime highly recommend it um and. i shouldn't say this because i don't. have any. approval to say this but there's some. amazing amazing flavors coming in the. ready to drink range that i've been. lucky enough to try. um and one of those is my new favorite. flavor so stay tuned. in the industry of modeling one thing.

that. i think is probably i don't have any. data to support this claim but i think. it's probably rife because of the nature. of the business and what i know about. the subject of mental health and mental. well-being is anxiety. and i i just i've just seen amongst my. friends um. the women that i know that model. high levels of anxiety um for a variety. of reasons um have you ever suffered. with anxiety yourself. at any point in your career.

i'm naturally a shy person. but shyness is not anxiety. so i can't say i mean if i probably gave. someone symptoms of stuff i've had or. things that have happened they might say. well that's anxiety. my anxiety. if i still think of. now there's there's a weird thing of. when i hear. the music to the antiques roadshow on a. sunday night i still have anxiety that i. haven't done my homework. and i have to go to school the next day.

that's how much i hated. didn't hate i hated school to a certain. point the sixth one was great with my. friends that i still have but that was. the point of. i still have that today when i hear that. music i literally stop and i'm like oh. you know. oh i don't have to go to school tomorrow. what was that about school i mean i was. i didn't fit in at school that was. basically it it wasn't. you know all good friends from that. school but it was just a certain time. before i kind of met those people. um the group of guys cycle and and girls.

i used to you know. hang around with and there was bullying. and there was i just didn't fit in that. was all it was but you said you were. bullied in school primary school well. secondary school secondary school yeah. primary was primary was quite fun. enjoyed primary school secondary school. was just something different maybe went. to the wrong school maybe you made the. wrong choices it was me it wasn't i'm. not blaming anyone not blaming anything. it was just. and i was. quite steadfast i'm not fitting in i. didn't fit in particularly well. and i wasn't going to change my way of.

fitting into everyone else in what way. didn't you fit in i just i just. a bit like the same night i i'm still. like it so i'm still in the fashion that. example of not being in that group not. not being that pack not doing the same. thing everyone does. exactly the same thing i didn't want to. be in but i saw things differently and. wanted to. do things my way. maybe that's it i mean. maybe it was doing something my way and. and i've always looked at that that goes.

on for. that that can go into if you look and go. into styling it's like well no one's. wearing suits oh i'm going to wear suits. and. no one's. you know why don't you do this. it's like you know people still take me. at me because i do not own a pair of. sneakers or trainers. and the people like now everyone that's. all they're wearing. i. have one pair and i go to the gym with. them and i have a running pad but and. everyone sort of looks at you as if but. i love that fact you know it's just me. being a little bit different. but it it can also lead to you know.

being a little bit stubborn that you. take that to a little bit far of not. ever relinquishing that you want to be. sort of different like all the time you. want to i don't know why you do it was. that physical but was that bullying. because of physical things they were. they were saying that you were. physically different what was physically. different no the way you know you. thought. maybe it was the way i thought if you. think about that now yeah it's just. because. in. i do find this. still now in the world that everyone.

likes to pigeonhole everyone likes to. you are put in a certain category person. and if you don't fit in. then you're strange you're a strange. person why don't you like the same stuff. why don't you wear the same stuff as us. why don't you. think the same way that we think. of course it's now got to say very. polarized when we have different. opinions as they attack each other now. it's like it's either left or right. there's nowhere in the middle and. it was it was i think that element that. i've always just i suppose i've been got.

an individual thinker in some ways which. kind of and that might put me in good. stead for the business we're in. um. but yeah the anxiety thing like maybe. it's. a confidence again when i was confident. into going something. i was absolutely fine i just wanted an. opportunity that was always what i want. to be able to. um you know people say why have you not. gone into acting why are you not i'm not. confident if there's anxiety give me a. script to learn and try and put me. in front of a camera and you'll see.

that's where i'll probably be anxiety. although i've done that and i achieved. and i quite loved it so it was a scary. side of it but it's not something i'm. naturally. good at isn't that you know people would. people again talking about naivety right. people would never guess that. you would say you weren't confident. and it's almost like because you know. what the conversation had with ben fogle. you were just it was just not what you. would expect based on like stereotypes. one would expect you to be an extrovert. yeah you know super confident some kind.

of you know very loud you know. braggadocious boisterous guy but you. appear to be the opposite of that and. especially the point of confidence. yeah i mean. i wouldn't say i've got a lack of. confidence there's a lack of confidence. where i think i know my limitations. maybe i want to but i also like pushing. those limitations to see where i can get. to and seeing what i can achieve and. learn. um. but the confidence i mean. gq awards. we went to two weeks ago.

and. you sign up you're. i didn't get an invite but i got the red. i have to sort this out with gq. um. you're on the red carpet i've done it a. million times before there's still dread. filled like i'm filled with dread to. getting on that red carpet and having. the pictures taken it's just not a. natural environment for me and i was. thrilled that there was a. you know a huge long queue because. everyone wanted to be on the red carpet. everyone wanted their picture taken.

everyone wanted to be in the papers and. put it on their instagrams and i went. too long i'm not you know i'm going to. swerve that one. so i swerved it and went upstairs and. went into environment where i was much. happier where actually i needed to speak. to a few certain people for a few. certain reasons and went to go and. hunt them down and go and speak to them. what was it about what was the sort of. psychological discomfort you you. feel when you think about going on the. red carpet and doing that because you. described going upstairs to a place. where you were happier so what's the. unhappiness of the red carpet for you.

it's just an unnatural environment for. me to be. when you're on set. when you're employed by a brand. to create what is in who is their vision. you're playing a role. like blue i'm a mediterranean guy in. italy and small white speedos it's not. me. it is me but it's it's there's a role. you're playing i know there's actors as. well i've spoken to them about they love. being in character but after those.

characters they don't want the limelight. they don't want fame they don't want to. speak to anyone they don't want to do. press junkies they hate the red carpet. exactly the same so when you're on set. you're almost playing someone else. and there's an element as well of. there is. this david gandy and i talk about in a. third person because that's the brand. sometimes i have to talk about that's. the name. so you you. yes you are walking onto a set almost. being something else. not i'm acting any different.

but and then there is and and the red. carpet is just not that environment i. can probably. hide behind. a character or hide behind a role or. something when i'm playing on that date. that's me. it's just not something it's strangely. weird training. yeah. my other half steph loves to go out and. love to go to events she gets. you know such a you know a buzz such. gets enthusiasm for it actually like you. know she didn't.

and she honestly probably thought that. was me when we first met. i go to an event i'm drained from people. i'm i'm actually naturally a loner i. could you know. we sort of joked with steph when he. first met she would give me a silent. treatment and i was just like steph i'm. going to tell you know i'll win at this. game because. [Music]. i can go off i can go for days not. talking i'm used to it you know i prefer. it yeah i've traveled the you know i. travel the world don't speak to people. for days so um it was always kind of a. joke between us. so um.

yeah i'm and then when you're naturally. the complete opposite of being. alone you know i love taking dogs to. work i love walking for hours and then. if i ever ever get sort of proper time. to do it. um with no one around me the exact. opposite of that. is the red carpet. to me. and your life has put you there because. of your success right. and you must get asked to go to red. carpets all the time and events like. that all the time yeah. and there's nothing. [Music].

the actual event. um. i mean again like presenting presenting. an award reading off an auto cue to. present it i mean i it's an honor to do. it i know it's not i know i have to do. it but the whole night. whenever you're presenting is me on that. table. not enjoying that evening because i know. there was one point i've got to go up. there and be in front of everyone and. i've done it a million times now and it. still doesn't get any easier it's very. very strange. but um. you know there you go it's easy to. accept award of course.

that's very interesting. again again it's just a real i think for. most people it'd be a real surprise that. um someone who is very out there. visually. yeah no absolutely it makes no sense i. understand that myself i tell people it. makes no sense have you ever spoken to. like a therapist about that or anybody. about probably should do yeah. but no it'd probably be quite. interesting to know why i was and and. actually might help me. overcome some fears when it comes to my. anxiety and it does sound very strange.

even when i say it makes no sense. um. and it's probably why. maybe i've. you know there's there's been sort of. striving for. not to be in front of the camera. especially with my own stuff is to be. being ob behind it you know i've been. creative director to quite a few brands. now on advisor and. i've gone and helped just been on so. many shoots so i just said i'll come on. as creative director i don't need to be. paid i just wanna i just love being that. creative element to it. gentleman's journal asked me in the raf.

and braylon asked me to direct her raf. film loved it absolutely loved not i. wasn't in front and it was they were. like no no we want you to be in front of. me i was like absolutely not i'll direct. it not cast someone else for it who i. think is perfect for it because i'm not. perfect i'm not good enough for that you. know not good enough but i just don't. suit that role so i need someone else in. it again people look at me and go why. would you not want to put yourself in. that because i wasn't i'm not the right. part for it why. just because the concept i've come up. with in my head is not me.

for that role i see someone else. it's it's casting you know it's it's. because you think of the greatest role. you know if you think top gun you think. tom cruise what if they had put someone. else in that would that been the success. it would be probably argue no you got. asked to do 50 shades of grey right i. got. it's a kind of a rumor i got i met the. uh met the author and she said we would. love to send you the script because. everything. and i think it might have got got sent. and i i i admit i'd never read the books.

and. yeah. i mean they had they had i mean jamie. didn't you know jamie dornan. an awesome actor you know he was a model. i mean he was one you know he was one of. the biggest models. but he wanted to go into acting and he's. a great actor you know he's a very very. star and i there you know if i ever went. you know i won't go into acting but. looking at that i was like i'm not i. couldn't beat jamie. i couldn't be as good as that. he's very very good and then you look at. the other levels of. sort of uh of other actors and you just.

think it's not something i was i could i. could learn i could you know sort of. learn to be quite getting it. but i but i could never even you know. be the best at it i also heard about. hercules 300 you were you're on yeah i. mean it's crosstalk i mean you're always. going to be. asked to do stuff like that just from. the physical element of. the way i look and. you know i'm going to be a part in it. but it wasn't anything i was. i've been you know and that i got my. being bonnet about the instagram in and.

where what i wanted to achieve in this. so. there's there's always i said there's a. couple of roles that i would play and i. would drop everything to go and play it. and there's just a couple of stories. that i love i've even which ones. one of them is about winston churchill's. bodyguard. uh walter thompson i even found out who. owns the riots to the to it all. and just the most incredible story and. he was originally from epping in. essex.

and. yeah winston churchill asked him to come. back in the second world war he used to. be his bodyguard then he stopped and he. came back. and just the most incredible diary you. mentioned the diaries of being winston. churchill's bodyguard wasn't easy yeah. of course fascinating because of course. winston churchill. that uh i can't whether they called his. episodes the black something or other. which we now probably know as bipolar. yeah you know and walter thompson was. the person that protected everyone or. protected him from everyone seeing that.

wow so uh yeah just kept everyone away. from seeing. seeing those episodes that no one would. have realized. speaking of um mental health disorders. then um you've you know you're an. ambassador of a men's mental health. charity. we're working with yeah and we're also. working with calm and um. others for the new brand yeah oh amazing. and um your new brand has a. big sort of theme. around men's wellness. and um what does it what i guess the. question is why why did that matter to.

you. and this is also why i asked the. question around anxiety because. for you to make it a kind of mental. well-being let's say a central part and. mental wellness are essential part of. your brand. and your mission. one would assume that you've had an. experience with it close to home because. i think. that's one way that people typically. generate a ton of empathy towards the. subject matter is feeling it feeling the. pain of it whether within themselves. within loved ones so what was it for you. that made you care so much about that.

i've never suffered from depression. as when i'm very fortunate from as badly. as other people. have and i've witnessed it because i've. dated people. that were then diagnosed with bipolar. and i've seen the extremities of. mental. you know. mental health um. me myself. and i admit it's it's not happened for a. while would go into dark periods.

knowing i would snap out of it. eventually. but they were dark but nothing would. nothing would suffice nothing would. cheer you up just. quite in a dark place wanting to be on. my own just not around anyone. wasn't triggered by anything. but just one day i just knew i'd wake up. and it was gone. just a chemical a chemical reaction in. your brains basically. what what it is. and yeah so i've i do understand and i. can spot it in other people as well what.

were the symptoms of it for you those. dark periods. the symptoms as a as i said was was just. nothing would make you. you you couldn't snap out of it was. nothing could make you happy or cheerful. you. know you didn't like anyone you didn't. want to be around anyone. um. it's hard to. the feelings are hard to explain. and it was it never got to any point of. seriousness i mean i've seen people. bipolar that will be in a room.

for hours on end for days on end. watching the same tv series because that. their safety is watching that tv series. and makes them a little bit happy you. know because of just that safety for. some reason so i've seen i've seen. the real dark side of it and. i've also. from me. dating someone like that. of how hard it is to deal with it. because you always want to try and make. that person better.

and you can't in in many many ways. it's you can talk and you have to be you. know it's about just being patient. and listening to people. and trying to get them you know help. professional help there is an element we. you know. i i can only talk about certain around. the point and then it comes to an expert. help that that they have to talk and. that's what calm does you know it's it's. it's allowing people to talk to people. um and there are people that are far. better. people need to listen to people that's.

that's the point of it i think there's a. lot of people who. even if. they are talking to people they're not. listening. fortunately. it's never been that bad but i do. understand it do you sleep well no i. heard you hadn't slept well for almost. two decades no never slept well i didn't. sleep when i was a child. but i did was the other way around went. to bed early got ups you know went to. bed you go to bed early and then my. parents just left me being the end i. think they were just so sick of trying. to get me to go to bed because i just.

didn't sleep. and i would be doing my homework at. midnight one o'clock in the morning. i still work now i was up till two. o'clock in the morning working last. night and that's another thing when. people go it's grafting or hard work. most people seem a lot of people are. sitting down that half past eight nine. o'clock in front of a tv race go to bed. half past eight i'm going to the gym get. back up online do the shopping on the. way home cook myself some dinner go it. doesn't stop in between is. working on the phone.

carrying on you know they'll you know. pop us 10 or open the laptop and get. them with some more work. if you're always grafting as you call it. and it's and you said it doesn't stop. how does one. become happy if they're always striving. if they're always in the future or. did stop jim pandemic. you so you sorry it did stop during the. power during lockdown right yeah you. couldn't my my. behalf the business is my business the. modelling is traveling pretty much at. the end of the day you have to be in. locations. yeah it made you happy when it all.

stopped. to financial. you know it affected me financially yeah. and we'd already been infected quite. heavily in this industry by. um you know say the brexit isn't it. the blame of brexit now. it was the uncertainty of brexit so a. lot of brands were not spending money. not marketing money not having not. having budgets. not working with the uk all this stuff. different things also on certain brands. with social media. now of.

old school campaigns versus digital. which still hasn't quite fizzled out yet. they don't brands don't quite know where. they are within the marketing world on. how to how to market to people how to. target people so. it's been affected by it. and. you know that all kind of brexit. got signed january whole different world. it was sort of that december january of. what 2020. i was off to milan i was then. going to spain i was then going to. greece i was then going to new york i. was saying back to well i had the.

schedule like it used to be going off. out to russia and i've been to russia. was really excited about going to russia. for the first time. in the pandemic yet. everything got cancelled. and you're saying you were happier. during the pandemic probably shouldn't. have been it's not unfortunate i'm very. very fortunate and the fact is that yes. it affected. me financially. but it slowed you down i've invested. well and i've you know it. there's reserves to yeah yeah point this. out but um nice card collection yeah.

exactly that's an expensive thing to be. honest um. there's a time probably the only time i. actually probably truly switch off and. there's a week between christmas and new. year. and that's when everyone i mean everyone. virtually everyone. is. not doing anything during that week yeah. and that's a week where. i probably switch off the most. and we always sort of go away a week. later after that because because it. takes time for people to get back and. i suppose there's it's not fear of. missing out it's fear of other people.

working and i'm not working i should. always be working and during the. pandemic no one was working how can you. how can how can one be happy with with. their brain saying those things that. that kind of constant nagging to be. doing something or doing more or to be. striving how can that sounds like the. the thief of happiness to me the thief. of happiness that's a good i should be a. book. um probably is. listen i haven't got the answers to that. would you consider yourself to be a. happy person.

a positive person. why did you avoid the word happiness i. don't know. completely honest that's something you'd. probably have to ask her. ask a psychologist i don't know happy. person. i'm a positive person and i suppose i am. a happy person in many ways. yes that's right but i so it's just a. definition of what's positive what's. happening is it all the same thing. so in many ways in what ways do you. think you might not be a happy person.

again good question i i mean. i am. i'm happy. [Music]. i put myself listen when. i'm in control of what i do now. that's why i always wanted it. anybody my control fair i don't know. the hard work that's. where we've got to has allowed me now to. to be in complete control of what my. destiny of what i want to do. if i want to renovating interiors huge. passion love doing it looks like a.

nightmare hard work for other people but. i strive on it. renovating classic cars the same thing. as i said to you earlier. you're halfway through you think why am. i doing this why didn't i just buy a new. car or you know a new. bui the. accomplishment is worth it to me. you know that sense of achievement. that's what i'm striving for. does it ever feel as good when you get. there. yeah it does not for that long but it. does. i can take this. couple of days.

yeah it's it's the same feeling as. you know when we if we're going to shoot. light blue or something else and. you have to work hard. you know in the gym to get i'm always in. pretty decent shape but that's. hard work to get in that shape and it's. getting harder the older i get. and. you dedicate a lot and you sacrifice a. lot to. look like that.

and then there is that point of we've. shot it we've seen through the pitch it. looks incredible you've achieved it and. there is this. evening. of enjoying that. it's then on to the next thing you know. it's what are we working on not next but. you know one of the other projects that. i'm working on at the time. do you have you found that in your. career. dark episodes where you're where you. feel down sometimes follow high episodes. because there's this really fascinating. thing that i was reading about about.

gold medal depression where up to 80 of. um olympians regardless of outcome. regardless of whether they win or they. don't come back from the olympics after. training all of that excruciating effort. and they come back and 80 percent of. them report sort of depressive symptoms. i've read that i don't know where i was. i don't know where i've read that i've. read the same thing and i could actually. resonate with that in in many ways. sometimes actually achieving what what. you want is. a bit it's sometimes the journey is the. exciting bit.

which is a weird thing to say. it's we are on this journey of well. where david ghani the brand at the. moment and it is. so much hard work. um tell me about that. that whole inspiration the journey why. why the brand yeah. because it was what i've wanted to. achieve for so long. is have that to me to have your own. brand and i didn't know what it was.

going to be. i am a brand you know that's i say that. and it makes me sound like a bit of a. dick no but you are but it is a brand. and that's where people have to realize. you know when i say only sometimes. that that's and then. i would probably say it's 10 years i've. thought yes that's where one day i'd. like to not saying i'm always going to. achieve it but yes from the creative. side to being in control of that brand. i'm always in control from. by other brands even if i'm. collaborating with a brand there is. still an element of control that.

that brand has. and. i always thought yeah to be in complete. control complete creative control and. that's a risk i never wanted people to. think because i have a name because i've. been in the fashion industry for so long. i could start a brand now people do now. you know they use social media. one of the one of those elements is you. can start something you can sell it. immediately you've got. fans followers buyers. it's made the marketplace a very. different place so i went back to really. what i did for modeling observation.

putting myself in. the situation where i could learn and. that was m s. the collaboration with m s we saw the. david gandy loungewear no one was doing. loungewear this was. what are we talking about the concept. it was about six seven seven and a half. years ago seven years ago lounge lounge. where it wasn't a big concept it wasn't. it wasn't something that people thought. about um and of course we did sleepwear. and t-shirts and everything else but it. was loungewear that really took off and. became the third biggest lounge in the. country and was successful.

and it had. you know. 60 to me in that brand as in what i. wanted to achieve on that brand but of. course you couldn't get that last 40. because that was mns and i knew where i. wanted to go i knew what needed to be. done. but i couldn't. push it any further than i sort of could. so that ended and then the pandemic. hit and and locked down. and one of my greatest friends charlie t. who has listened to me. talk far too long about wanting to start.

my own thing and. he started his own branding. agency. to do exactly what i wanted. and he said well listen i've started. this now you can be our first client but. we're not talking about this anymore. we've got the time i've you know as my. best friend who knows i'm never really. around it's i've got you here. we work together i've gone i've got you. in the country we've got time let's. start it what's your long-term vision. then for. well where.

what's that what's the term what's it. gonna become five ten years from now. i'd never really tell people where i've. got in my head where something is going. hopefully going to be and there are. small steps just you know to where we. haven't even you know properly launched. yeah yeah the first ship and goes out on. 22nd of october um. but we wanted to do something different. with well where we wanted to. to the essence of me it was. understanding and we're calling it sort. of well we're well-being.

why clothing why does some clothing make. you feel positive and confident. why do some not. and we looked at. we the studies done by amsterdam. university and i think it was a. scientific you know element of. if we put. students in comfortable confident. clothing they're confident that's. comfortable and soft their results are. better than other people who are in. uncomfortable clothing and they don't. feel as confident at all that's going in. the same with business.

it was now why the banks the big banks. are saying you don't have to wear suits. anymore because actually a lot of people. are more positive they're a lot more. open to work with they're a lot calmer. it's oxytonin it's the same thing as. feeling. the ridiculously you know soft pillow or. puppy that softness that soft jumper. can't you know that that thing you hold. on to is oxitone it's released into your. brain it's a positive positive move and. that's what we wanted to do with and we. looked into this and. you know there was a side to me that was. fascinated by the element of it but i've.

always wondered why do i. why do i hold on to that pair of jeans. until. my ass is falling out the end of it and. i would try and find that pair again. when i can't find that pair. and. why am i wearing those sweatshirts. because. well it was. one for comfort and that is an element. of lots of things in the materials. the breathability the style you still. gotta look stylish in it it makes you. feel confident the fit.

that's why at the end of the day. that's why it was never to me about. being trendy it was being confident and. so many guys said to me. what do i do what do i wear here what. are you confident in. and then we've thought about every. element. of the sweatshirts and the hoodies and. the t-shirts of comfort level of style. of fit of quality of well-wear breathe. well wear care we've. put these elements into um. they're washed into the clothing that is.

aloe vera so pyjamas are moisturizing. you whilst your sleep anti-inflammatory. we've got well-wear breathe and you know. sort of anti-bacterial elements of it. which is. another element of. we're looking at fast fashion. fast fashion can be an addiction and. people don't realize this addiction. that you get a buzz from shopping but. actually you can be. hugely affected knowing the impact of. fast fashion on the environment actually. when that clothing lasts a week.

two weeks i was exaggerating it last you. know but it can do some some people wear. it once and chuck it away yeah it's. actually it can negatively impact you. okay so there's a new. segment to this podcast we do. what we do is we ask our previous guest. to leave a question for our next guest. and um i've not read this question yet. but i've just read it then as i said. this um so i'm going to ask you this. question asked by someone that was sat. in this the chair before you okay. they told me to ask you.

what do you promise to do. to make our world a better place. okay can i have an easier question. let me hit this right yeah yeah two. weeks before yeah. just uh yeah let's let's take it back to. hopefully. promise to do um. there's a number of things i do for. number charities but we won't talk about. that and they're not promises but i. suppose the promises from well where to. make people smile yeah. to bring to bring back some. the positivity that i think is needed.

somewhere and i think we're with in this. polarized world that we are in. is just to. say [ __ ] it we're just going to make. people smile. and and and have a laugh with everything. that we do and and i think you uh you. can't put a magic value on that so. that's what i promised to try and do. over the years of well we're perfect. amazing thank you so much and you're. gonna have to write in the book now as. well okay a question for someone else. but listen david thank you so much for. your time it's such an incredibly. inspiring and twisting story of yours.

and to see where you are now and taking. on this this next adventure in business. i find incredibly exciting the. entrepreneur me is fascinated by by that. and i understand the challenge of that. so. yeah well thank you for having me. i wish i could have yeah you put out. some good some good questions i probably. might need to no i could answer that's. what i think i want to do i just always. want to pry but i pry because i'm. curious and because i'm like fascinated. by those topics myself it's like there's. nothing written down here that's telling. me to speak on those terms but yeah it's. so fascinating and you also your level.

of self-awareness i think is just really. inspiring for a lot of people. i i think it's something it's just. there's a therapeutic thing to. talking of course i mean men don't do it. we're useless um. that's mental health they wanted to know. is people asking you talking yeah that's. what i'm saying a lot of people don't. actually listen yeah um a lot of talking. about yourself a lot of people talking. about themselves at the moment so. there's a therapeutic side to this yeah. exactly for me as well you know that's. what that's actually how it started it. was like it was like therapy for me. because i was doing on my own going. through my diary and just you know but.

um it's it's honestly amazing and thank. you so much for giving us that story. because it's um such an inspiring one. thank you thank you. quick one as you probably know by now. i'm trying to make my life a little bit. more sustainable and i consider myself. to be on a bit of a sustainability. journey in the same way that i'm on a. health journey and it's a privilege to. be able to share that with all of you. and you you'll know if you've listened. to the last podcast that i traded in my. range over sport in for an electric. bicycle which is now my only vehicle and. next year hopefully i'll have my. electric car too if tesla hurry up with. a cyber truck and that's where my energy.

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[Music]. you.