Sorry I Forgot to Introduce Myself — A Love Letter from Sicily

On finding my tribe, mentoring myself through big life changes, and finally slowing down enough to say hello.

Dear Substack Community,

Sending you all an apology from Sicily…

I must admit, when I decided to create a newsletter, I was incredibly excited about the possibilities. In many ways, it felt like I had finally found my tribe as there are so many kindred spirits here sharing heartfelt stories from around the world. It was the elixir I needed, especially lately, as it sometimes feels like I am working in a bit of a silo here in Sicily.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the pace of life I’ve created. But now and then, I feel the urge to write something deeper and more reflective than what I usually post on social media. So I jumped right in, created my page, and started writing like my life depended on it. I’ve been genuinely humbled that some of you want to come along for the journey and thrilled that you are joining our monthly Zoom calls.

After about a week in, it hit me. I had completely broken one of the golden rules I learned back when I was working in social media in London and that is to always write or post as if the person reading has never heard of you before. Picture a complete stranger, meeting them for the first time and explaining clearly what is on your mind…. And here I am, two paragraphs in, and I still haven’t introduced myself.

So, allow me to do that right now…

• Danny (Daniel if I am in trouble from Mum) McCubbin.

• Turned 60 last year (hilarious as in my mind I still think I am 18).

• New Romantic.

• Australian.

• Lived and worked in London for 23 years.

• Moved to a remote town in Sicily called Mussomeli to launch a community kitchen called The Good Kitchen.

• Lives between Mussomeli and a stunning part of Sicily called Torre Salsa.

• Slightly obsessed with my olive grove and fermenting.

• Helping others find their own Slow Life in Sicily.

Many years ago, I was Jamie Oliver’s Social Media Manager, and in that role I learnt that golden rule of engagement. I managed Jamie’s Bebo and Myspace pages (yes, really!) and then learnt on the job as new platforms came along. One of the highlights of my career back then was being given the opportunity to work with Jamie to launch his second website in 2003 before the onset of social media. I’ll never forget the excitement of having a feature on the website that let Jamie send a live photo update straight from his phone. Totally revolutionary then and almost ancient now. It was such an exciting time, building an online community of wonderful souls who simply wanted to learn how to cook. At the heart of the website was the forums where people from around the world would connect and help each other to cook. Jamie, as ever, was incredibly generous with his time answering questions in the forums and encouraging everyone to live a better life through food. It’s a well known fact that Jamie’s recipes work, they are simple, clear, and easy to follow. His way of writing is the same and he never assumes you know something he hasn’t explained. I learnt from the best so from here on in, I will remind myself of this every time I sit here at my desk and post about my life here in Sicily.

I worked for Jamie for 17 years in London and deciding to leave and move to Sicily was one of the most difficult decisions that I have ever had to make. I left when I still loved every moment of being there and knew in my heart that this was the best time to leave because I would then take all of that positivity with me. I had no idea back then that I would end up living in Sicily. But looking back, I can see that every step I took, even the ones that didn’t make sense at the time, led me to where I was exactly meant to be - Sicily. This next sentence may sound crazy but in many ways I mentored myself through the move and I am forever grateful that I studied to be a qualified mentor in London. The skills that I acquired mentoring others were so relevant for the leap of faith that I took to leave London. I arrived here in the middle of the pandemic, not knowing a soul and in many ways I had to be my own teacher, listening in the quiet moments and making sound decisions that were good for me. Believe me I did not always get it right and each time I failed I was able to pick myself up again and move forward. There is no secret to being an effective mentor, all it takes is commitment to whoever you are mentoring and the ability to listen. Here are my golden rules for mentoring:

• First and foremost, be a person of your word. Build trust with the person you’re mentoring by keeping your appointments and always showing up fully.

• At the beginning, take time to listen and write down why they’re seeking a mentor. This will be a reference point you can both return to throughout your sessions.

• At the end of each session, offer a brief reflection and a summary of what was shared and what surfaced. It helps the mentee feel heard and gives structure to the conversation.

• Avoid telling them what they should or shouldn’t do. Your role is to be a sounding board and a steady presence who helps them find clarity and come to their own conclusions.

• Begin each new session with a quick reflection on the previous one. It keeps the journey connected and grounded.

• Ask questions only when the question genuinely helps the mentee move toward their own insights. The best questions are the ones that gently open doors.

So here I was in 2020 talking to myself, scheduling mentoring sessions with myself and reading back the notes from my last meeting (with myself) LOL I guess in many ways this must have worked as I have created a life here that I have always dreamed of. Now more than ever it feels like many people are searching for a quieter way of life and in writing this post I have sense that this is why I am here - to guide anyone who’s on the same kind of search I was on and who maybe looking for their own Slow Life in Sicily.

Feel free to leave a comment and ask a question and if you would like to connect with me direct then we have our first monthly Zoom call for paid subscribers tomorrow - Friday the 30th of May, 1pm Italy time. I am also offering a one hour exclusive monthly mentoring session for my founding members. Thank you for being here, listening and being a part of this adventure with me. I appreciate you….

PS - Anyone else feel like Substack is bringing back the good old days before social media? A space to write freely, express yourself fully, and connect without pressure. Who knew newsletters would make a comeback hey? What is next?

Sharing my view where I write with you all here in this gallery, enjoy :)