What’s One Dream You’re Proud of Pursuing – Regardless of the Outcome?

Reflections from a VAP Top Table Experience at Casa Baxevanis

When I ask a question at one of our Top Table storytelling experiences, I never quite know where it will take us. Last month at Casa Baxevanis, with the smell of charcoal drifting through the garden and the sound of laughter rising above the clink of glasses, I asked a simple yet powerful question:

“What’s one dream you’re proud of pursuing, regardless of the outcome?”

It’s a question that lingers. Not because it demands a quick response, but because it touches on something deeper, the difference between chasing something because of what you might gain, and pursuing something because it feels true to who you are.

A table, a barbecue, and a childhood memory

When I first started hosting the Top Table storytelling experiences, the idea wasn’t born in a boardroom or from a strategic plan. It came from something far more personal, my own upbringing.

Being half Greek Cypriot, some of my fondest memories are of sitting around a long table with my family, eating, talking, and sharing stories. My Stede, my Greek nan, was always at the heart of it. Her table was a place where food and storytelling blended seamlessly, where connection came more naturally than small talk, and where everyone felt like they belonged.

So, when my brother, Kyriakos Baxevanis, offered to host this month’s Top Table at his home with a traditional Greek barbecue, it felt like a full circle moment. The intention behind Top Table has always been to capture the spirit of those childhood meals: great food, meaningful conversation, and a reminder that true connection comes when we slow down long enough to listen.

And that’s exactly what happened in August’s top table.

Experiences, not events

There’s something very different about a Top Table experience compared to a standard networking event. The point isn’t to swap business cards or pitch services. It’s to create a safe and honest space where stories are shared, lessons are learned, and relationships are built on something deeper than transactions.

Last month was no exception. I’m incredibly grateful to Kyriakos, Filipa Silva Sá, and the wonderful team at Nostos Catering UK for creating such a warm, authentic setting. And, of course, to our Sussex 100 partners and guests Emma Draper, Ben Freakley, Helen Pomery, Amanda Minty, Noel Preston, Emma Pearce, Alex Ryan, Sophie Bryan, and Angela Maguire, who each brought their own openness and energy to the table. Together, they made the experience what it was: something special, something real, something that reminded us why storytelling matters.

My own answer to the question

As with every Top Table question, I don’t just ask for the sake of asking. I answer it too. And this time, my answer was both simple and complex:

I dream of creating a world that sees success differently.

A world where we move beyond the narrow definition of success as money, fame, or status. A world where success is about balance, presence, fulfilment, and authentic relationships.

I dream of building an education system that values emotional literacy as much as academic achievement, teaching our children how to understand themselves, their emotions, and their place in the world. Because if we can do that, I believe we can make real progress in tackling the mental health crisis.

The truth is, I don’t know what the outcome will be. I don’t know if my work, my podcast, our events, or the initiatives I’ve been building will make the impact I hope for. But I do know this: it’s a dream I’ll never regret pursuing.

The lesson in the lunchbox

That thought reminded me of one of the Little Lunchbox Letters I recently wrote for my twins, short daily notes I slip into their lunchboxes to encourage them with kindness and wisdom.

The message that day read:

“Don’t just live in the world. Imagine a better one, and go and create it.”

That’s what this dream is about. It’s not about guarantees or outcomes. It’s about choosing to imagine something better and having the courage to take steps towards it, however uncertain, however imperfect.

What’s your answer?

That’s the beauty of the Top Table question. There isn’t a right answer, only your answer. Perhaps your dream is something small and personal, perhaps it’s something bold and world-changing. Either way, it’s worth acknowledging, because the act of pursuing it, regardless of what happens, is where the real success lies.

For me, Top Table is about more than just gathering around a meal. It’s about carving out the time and space to ask better questions, to share stories that matter, and to remind ourselves of the deeper truths that business and life so often rush past.

So I’ll leave you with the same question I was asked at Casa Baxevanis, as the sun set and stories flowed over plates of grilled meats and souvlaki:

What’s one dream you’re proud of pursuing, regardless of the outcome?

Because maybe, just maybe, the answer to that question will tell you more about yourself and about what truly matters than any definition of success ever could.

By Sam Thomas
Founder Different Hats

www.different-hats.co.uk

sam@different-hats.co.uk