Q1) What gets you out of bed in the morning (and why)?
Every day is a gift. I’ve learned to embrace the unpredictable nature of running a sole adventure business out on the wild west coast of Scotland. I love that I don’t know what is around the corner.
Q2) Do you have any habits or routines you follow …and what benefit do these bring for you?
I’m a great believer in the healing and restorative powers of being in wild cold water. Better still if you can learn to swim distances in it. The total yet low impact movement of wild swimming brings stillness to the mind.
Q3) Are there any quotes or mantras that you love &/or live by…and why?
The modern world we live in has many comforts but few freedoms. Live your truth. I follow this mantra because I believe if more of us, in business or otherwise, choose to cast off the chains of the consumer world we’ve been conditioned for, we can create, evolve and live our truth. Us humans are sensitive beings, we’re creative beings not designed for the current monstrosity that is the relentless pursuit of capital creation. It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.
Q4) Is there a specific skillset or personal attribute you have that you can say has contributed to your own success to date?
Good question. I don’t feel that I am particularly talented in any way but I feel that I have excellent emotional intelligence and empathy. I think this has helped me to interact and relate to a broad range of people in business and my swimmers who invest in the experiences I offer. I’m people centred.
Q5) Are you currently learning any new skills or working on improving anything about yourself and why?
I am always open to improving and growth as a person and in business terms. Due to me being my brand and people investing in my skills, the two often cross over. I have a few ideas in terms of practical up-skilling courses to do with my adventure business. More broadly, although I’m experiencing success so early on after such a big move and setting up, I feel I can still work on my self-esteem and confidence. I have periods of self-doubt, which I suppose is only natural, but I’d like those to be less and less. I’d also love to limit my time on social media/admin or at least be more structured about it.
Q6) Looking back – can you pick out any achievement to date that you are the proudest of and why?
Something happened recently which is maybe not an obvious achievement but it made me quite proud. I attended a summit of businesses at the local Argyll and Isles wide tourism alliance (Wild About Argyll). I was mentioned by the director for the work I’ve been doing recently both in terms of creating a wild swimming trail and collaborating with other local businesses. I saw my logo displayed on the screen and it just made me so proud. In front of all of these esteemed business women and men in the room, some of whom run large organisations, was really life affirming. At that point I started to reflect and recognise how far I have come.
Q7) Again, looking back, have you experienced adversity (or faced discrimination/prejudice) in your life and how has that shaped who you are today?
I can’t think of one incident in particular, although I was once the victim of a savage sectarian attack. It might be more pertinent to mention that I have suffered from mental health issues throughout my life. For years I treated the problem without addressing the root cause. Now I feel like I’m finally beginning to come out of the other side and it’s thanks to this major life change, leaving my career and going it alone in business. I try to use my social platforms to promote awareness on these issues and encourage both men and women to live their truth.
Q8) What is one key piece of advice you would pass onto someone/ to your younger self and why? or have you ever been given a piece of advice that has served you well?
Seek the consistency of contentment, not the boom and bust of happiness. Live your truth.
Q9) Looking at the arts, are there any specific films, songs, pieces of art, plays, books or podcasts that you have enjoyed/resonate with you, that you in turn, would recommend?
The Moneyless Man by Mark Boyle had a profound impact on me along with Utopia For Realists by Rutget Bregman. I’m currently reading How to Be Free by Tom Hodgkinson and it is full of fascinating ideas on how we can live and work more sustainably..
Q10) Bucket list / Travel. Can you recall your best holiday & what made it so? I.e. Is there anything/anywhere you have experienced that you highly recommend and anything/anywhere on your list you have still to do/go and visit?
If we’re serious about sustainability the days of jumping on a plane for holiday need to be over. Of course in my previous life I was lucky to fly to some amazing places across the world. There are still some amazing places that I haven’t been to and I’m only 35. However, I seek the consistency of contentment and I’m content with the world class and majestic scenery of Argyll & the isles. In my opinion, Scotland rivals anywhere in the world and there is so much to explore on our doorstep. I’d recommend taking a trip to the “adventure coast of Scotland” and immersing in its stunning scenery, enjoying the incredible local fayre and having incredible experiences.
Q11) Your last supper. What dish are you eating (and why?)? & who are having it with (and why)? (Other than your immediate family, can be a person dead or alive or a fictional character)
I am a proper foodie so this is a tough question. It would have to be a seafood platter, all sustainably sourced in and around Argyll & the isles - mussels, oysters, smoked mackerel, langoustines, crab the works. I’d wash it down with a pint of local ale and finished off with a smoky whisky from Islay. I’d like to be accompanied by two people if that’s ok - Billy Connolly and Arsene Wenger. Two great living philosophers of our time who offer interesting perspectives.
Q12) What is your own definition of success / Your own vision of happiness / What’s your NorthStar?
To be content.
Q13) If I was to ask you, what you thought the meaning of life was to you? A big question I know, as it stands today – what would your answer be?
It’s what I’ve only recently started to explore and realise. It’s to be content.
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS
Q1) What actions can/should businesses be doing right now in order to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility, protect the environment & strive toward Net Zero?
I operate in the wild so a core principle of my operations is to live and work in harmony with it. This starts at home from focusing on an organic, local sourced and seasonal diet where possible to ordering in non-bleached sustainable loo roll, using a “seasaver” laundry bag for my clothes washing and only buying organic cotton/sustainably produced clothes if I need them and delivering the vast majority of my operations by e-bike. We need to slow down and stop focusing on productivity and consumption.
Q2) What actions can/should individuals be doing right now in order protect the environment & strive toward Net Zero?
In the absence of any kind of effective government action I think we all need to be making systematic and wholesale changes to how we live and work. I am my brand and the brand is me so I don’t separate the two. These changes don’t need to be drastic and can be approached gradually. Imperfect action is better than no action but we shouldn’t rest on our laurels either. We’re the last generation that can sort this. More broadly, I think organisations can be looking at introducing a 4-day week. Taking the personal decision for a 4 day week a few years ago had a significant impact on my quality of life, growth and creativity.
Biography:
Dan Coyle aka Swim - Dan The Merman - Argyll is a professional open water swim coach and wild swim guide. He operates from a village in between Loch Fyne and the Sound of Jura, along “Britain’s most beautiful short cut”. He’s lucky to live amidst some of the most pristine and enchanting coastal waters on the west coast of Scotland, which make up the globally significant Argyll Hope Spot. Perfectly sheltered for world class swimming opportunities all year round. Dan is a passionate wild swimmer, advocate for connecting with nature and protecting it. His other interests include promotion of indigenous Gaelic culture, local food and sustainable/slow living. Argyll is my home. My priority is to operate sustainably with local communities and my natural environment. I care about our richly diverse and fragile coastal areas so I volunteer as a Marine Mammal Medic. Championing and collaborating with fellow local Argyll-based businesses is also a priority for Dan. If you’ve been following on social media for a while you’ll know that he’s actively collaborating with a range of amazing Argyll businesses. Community is key for him. Dan’s approach to his craft is holistic, people-centred and developmental. He gets a real kick out of empowering individuals to thrive as wild swimmers and explore the stunning waters of Argyll & the isles safely.”