Keith Dallison on Being Yourself

Larger-than-life British entertainer, Keith Dallison, 62, shares a treasure trove of experience and advice following a decades-long career

Tell us about your business – what inspired the idea and when did you start it?
I’ve worked for over 45 years in the broadcast TV and entertainment industries. From a young age at school, the stage, the theatre, and the lights lured me like a moth to a flame. I couldn’t stay away… if I was performing a character or pulling on the ropes to change the scenery, I was there and the same is true today, although now there’s usually a camera or microphone involved.

Although acting and performing in a band was my mainstay in the eighties, it was whilst working briefly with the BBC drama unit in the early nineties that I discovered video editing. The dark side lured me in, and the attraction of technology was irresistible which led me to work on drama and documentary series until today. So, if I had to nail it down to one profession, I’d say I am a video editor. I still edit today as an independent operator, and in recent years the lure of the acting scene and movies, shot here in the UAE, has reawoken that moth in me.

What do you consider to be your greatest personal and professional achievements?
I’ve been lucky to work in an industry I love, that in itself is my greatest achievement – I’ve won global awards for editing and with my acting had the honour and privilege to have worked with some of the industry’s best, including Shekhar Kapur, A.R. Rahman, Kate Hudson, and Emmy award winner Reed Morano. But all of this is eclipsed by waking up every day, being my own boss, and knowing I’ll sit down and create something cool.

What were your biggest business challenges? How did you overcome them?
The pandemic and lockdown had a huge impact. Work dried up overnight and it took the best part of 12-18 months before things started to resemble normality. I would say even today we are still on the tail end of recovery. It had a massive impact on being able to sustain day-to-day life, and I wasn’t the only one.

The entertainment and creative industry is renowned for being a financial rollercoaster if you are independent. One minute you are up and living the life, the next day you might be down, and this was where I was when we went into lockdown. Yet, through all the anxiety and everything it brought, we kept our health, and with help from friends, some good people and a few random job opportunities, we scraped through. 

What advice were you given when you started, and did it help?
My mum always said, “Be yourself!” Years later, I get it and now really know what she meant. Thanks, Mum.

How do you manage the daily stress that comes with running a business?
I keep things in perspective. My mantra is telling myself that I’m in control, and that includes my emotions and not the outside influences, people, or situations that seek to disrupt them.

Have your priorities changed as you have matured? If so, how?
I value time more and more as I get older. I’m not sure when it all changed but once upon a time I, like many others, believed I was invincible and that I would live forever. Then one day you wake up, look in the mirror, you’re 62 and say, “How’s the forever thing working for ya? I thought so!  Now what ya gonna do today?”

Do you prioritise your mental health, and how?
I do prioritise my mental health more as I get older. I work in an industry that often is associated inherently with sleep deprivation and this can have serious consequences. Yet to be creative and intensely focused, sleep is the singularly most important thing. Secondly, I eat as healthily as possible. What you put in is what you get out. I tend to have a holistic approach to taking care of the whole me – a good night’s sleep, exercise, and good food as often as possible. Oh, and I drink buckets of water!

What 3 pieces of advice would you give to the younger generation that might want to follow in your footsteps?

1. Be yourself and don’t compare yourself to anyone, otherwise you’ll never find out who you really are.
2. Follow your dreams and be prepared to fail, and then get up and find another way to do it until you get it right.
3. Be happy with what you do and be happy with yourself, it’ll help to keep fuelling your passion… It’ll be worth it.

Clothing by Missoni

This article appeared in Issue 002 – the Men’s Edition