About SparkHub

Have you ever imagined a world… [fill in the blank].

Now imagine this; my whole life was a wild, international adventure from the start. There were always sparks flying that seemed to create bigger sparks. As I grew up I expected continuity and scale into adulthood, and I was willing to earn it.

I dreamed big, worked hard, played hard and always preferred to pioneer than follow: in love, in career, in travel, in life.

I had a strong belief in myself and the people around me and I’ve always loved hearing and telling beautiful stories.

At the age of 29 my path led me to London, UK to seek a new adventure. However I quickly grew to loathe the dating scene in the “Big Smoke”, and especially online dating. Not good enough. Life is too short not to pioneer with someone special if you can find them.

So I launched AreYouMyWife.com...

…going around the world in the pursuit of interesting dates (53 dates in 13 countries, to be exact, fuelled by the kindness of strangers) which spawned so many beautiful stories.

And through that odyssey I met someone wonderful. We dated, and eventually got married. We brought two amazing boys into this world as well as renovating several homes (three in six years!) while also pursuing our own entrepreneurial endeavours. Talk about crazy ambition.

And what of this world we and our children are in?

Along the way I lost my brother, there was a global pandemic, lockdowns, a cost of living crisis, social media overload, tribal shifts, economic shocks, unexpected discoveries, neuro-diversity, misunderstandings, cultural differences and… [fill in the blank].

And by the time I turned 47, it all came crashing down. And I didn’t see it coming.

I ended up divorced while still having to share the home that my ex-wife and I built together… while also trying to be a dad, a good co-parent and stay financially stable with the startups we had co-created in economic turbulence.

I lost my confidence, my voice, my spirit, my curiosity, my enthusiasm.

I lost my spark.

This podcast is about starting over - not from scratch, but from experience. It’s about finding new hubs, tribes and learning to dream big again. It’s about finding new sparks and leaving something behind for my children that may matter down the road.

I hope you enjoy our episodes.

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About Allan Wills

When I was in grade two (aged seven years old), our teacher put a bunch of words on the wall and asked the class to choose one word that reflected who we believed ourselves to be, and then write more about ourselves based on that word.

I resonated with - and chose - the word “communication”. It spoke to me instantly, and I’ll never forget that moment in my life.
I love communication - and other related C words like collaboration, curiosity, connection, creation and community.

Whatever situations I encountered in life, my dearly departed brother Simon and I used to look at each other and say: “Where there is a Wills, there is a way.”

Looking back, I can see why I’ve always been a firm believer that you can innovate your way out of almost anything; Enemies can become friends and liabilities can become assets if you have the right communication skills and can create and collaborate with those around you.

Since that exercise in grade two, I’ve gone on to have several crazy experiences, encounters and unorthodox career paths... but more on that in a moment.

I hope you enjoy the SparkHub Podcast and everything it is meant to communicate.

Oh, and by the way...

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Abour privacy

About Respect and Privacy on SparkHub

SparkHub is intended to be a hub for stories that might spark something better.

It is not intended to be a soapbox.

Every man needs a code, and I’ve always believed that your reputation is everything. That, and be kind to everyone.

Thus SparkHub will not showcase, characterise or (mis)represent any of my exes or my children, nor any relatives or friends.

As host, I will only represent - and be accountable for - my own personal views, which change often. There are always different sides to every story.

Each SparkHub episode is just that - a story. And stories are meant to help heal and inspire, not blame or funnel resentment.
Our episodes will get raw and emotional and we will get into some tough topics (by myself or with guests), but respect for other people’s privacy and reputation is paramount.

About me... Professionally

Since the age of 14 I've had a rather unorthodox career path weaving through food and beverage, policing and security, 5-star resort hospitality, banking, photography, being on film and TV sets before laddering up to senior roles in marketing, content production and operational growth.

But you're here for a podcast. If you are curious to know more, here are some links about about what I do professionally:

CALM SWIRL

SparkHub Credits

The original idea...

SparkHub was originally conceived and intended to be a podcast (growing into a platform) about finding the best ways to spark a love of learning in children. The original tagline was “Learning should be an adventure.”

But despite creating 25 episodes at the start, life put SparkHub on hold for awhile.

Now I’ve changed SparkHub to be about finding my spark and hubs again after some harsh life circumstances. So if you ever wonder why there is a difference between the current SparkHub and earlier material, that’s why. It’s all been an evolution.

Branding Created by SomeOne In London Agency

The SparkHub branding was created by the good people at Someone In London. They create challenger branding for challenger brands. Strategically launching, relaunching and managing brands worldwide. They're as famous for what they think, as what they make.

Original Music by Composer Xiaotian Shi

The SparkHub music and soundscape was created by Xiaotian Shi - a classically trained composer and virtuoso pianist based in London. He has composed for Hollywood feature films, major TV Shows and high profile video games. Xiaotian began his music journey at the age of 5 as he started learning the piano, he then soon began composing afterwards. He trained at the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music.