Meet Desean Neal

We recently connected with Desean Neal and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Desean, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

There’s always been a fire inside me….a drive to create, show love, and fully embrace who I am with passion and courage. As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that confidence and self-esteem were always within me. Sure, there have been moments when they were tested, but with a quick moment of reflection, I’ve always been able to realign, adapt, and come back stronger.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m navigating life with an entrepreneurial mindset, pushing forward until I strike gold. My primary focus is in retail, but I’m also pursuing other passion-driven ventures that I’ve been working on for years. What excites me most about this journey is that with every venture and every plan, I gain new insights that sharpen my knowledge and experience for what’s next. I’m determined not to stop until every aspect of my business plan is fully realized.

Right now, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m releasing a film under my brand, DFW.SKATE. You can follow along on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to get behind-the-scenes access and stay updated. We’re also preparing to drop brand-new merch, which will be available at Devotion Skateboarding Company, located 9022 Garland Road
Dallas, Texas 75218, leading up to the film’s premiere.

While the official premiere date is still under wraps, I can share that it will be happening early this spring—just in time for the skaters to get back out and ride as the sun returns. We’re building an aesthetic and hype around this release, and I’d love for you to stay tuned.

Follow DFW.SKATE now and be part of this journey!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, there are three things that have been the most impactful on my journey: a quality, a skill, and an area of knowledge. Here’s what I’ve learned, along with some advice for those just starting down a similar path.

1. A Quality: Listening
One of the best qualities anyone can develop is the ability to truly listen. And trust me, it’s not easy, it’s a skill that takes real effort to master. But once you do, the insight you gain from simply sitting back and paying attention is unmatched. Listening opens doors to understanding people, situations, and opportunities in a way that nothing else can.

2. A Skill: Using Others’ Knowledge
Thanks to listening, I’ve developed the skill of leveraging what others know to my advantage. By taking in what’s worked for others and mixing it with my own approach, I’ve been able to create something new and unique. It’s like being a stonemason, and everyone you meet is dropping off tools and materials for you to use in building your masterpiece.

3. An Area of Knowledge: Awareness
Awareness has been a game-changer for me, and it’s something I’d recommend practicing daily. Awareness is about being present and attuned to everything around you, it helps you listen better, see new opportunities, and take smarter risks. There are levels to awareness, and the more you embrace it, the more you grow. But here’s the thing: as you sharpen your awareness, people might accuse you of not listening or not paying attention. Don’t get offended. And when others notice your focus and praise you for it, don’t let it go to your head. Just stay locked in and keep going.

These three things—listening, leveraging others’ knowledge, and practicing awareness have brought me so much growth and clarity. If you commit to them, you’ll find that they give you the tools to keep building, evolving, and moving forward.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is breathe.

I’ve learned so many different breathing patterns, some from recovering after a heart attack, some from building stamina, and others from studying chakras and meditation. Breathing has become my anchor, and it’s something I turn to every time life feels heavy.

Breathing patterns can truly change your life. Once you commit to them and start to notice the difference they make, it’s hard not to wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along. It’s a simple practice, but the benefits are profound.

One of my favorites is the 7-second inhale, 7-second exhale pattern. But I’ll say this, don’t jump into it without doing some research first! It can be challenging to master at first, and it’s not uncommon to feel lightheaded when starting out. Air is one of the most powerful forces of nature, and we use it every day without even thinking about it. Learning how to control it, though, can shift everything.

Breathing with awareness has also made me more grateful for what I have. It’s helped me tap into a deeper understanding of the things that keep me alive physically, mentally, and spiritually. And here’s the wild part: once you master a breathing pattern, you can train it so deeply into your body that it carries over into your sleep, literally rewiring your heart rate and mental state. You might wake up in a completely different place, mentally and emotionally, without even realizing it.

But who cares about that, right? Well, if you give it a chance, you might. Breathing is simple, free, and always with you. Start small, stay consistent, and watch how it shifts your entire world.

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