“Hey lovely people, welcome back to Confidence & Cappuccino with me, Nefe. This is our cosy corner for real talk and confidence building — with a little coffee on the side.

Now, let me tell you a little story.

The other day, someone told me they’ve been buying EuroMillions tickets a few times every single week. And when I asked why, they said, ‘Nefe, it’s the only chance I’ve got of living the life I dream of.’

And you know what? That broke my heart — because I get it. I really do. There are times in my life when I’ve stared at my bank account and thought, ‘If only something magical happened, then everything would be okay.’

But here’s the twist: waiting for the lottery is like waiting for lightning to strike. The odds are one in 139 million. Imagine standing in an open field holding a metal pole and saying, ‘This is my financial plan!’ [laughs softly] It sounds silly when we put it like that, but when we buy ticket after ticket, that’s basically what we’re doing.

So today, I want to share with you some gentle steps — not theory, but real things people I know have done — to stop waiting for luck and start building your own dream life.”

☕ Step 1: Get Clear on the Real Dream

“One of my friends used to say she wanted to ‘win the lottery and retire.’ But when we dug deeper, what she really wanted was simple: more time with her kids, a little garden, and freedom from the stress of bills.

See, what we think we want — millions in the bank — is really about the feelings behind it: freedom, joy, security.

So here’s the first step: write down what your dream day looks like. Not the big house or the sports car — the daily life. Do you wake up slowly with no alarm? Do you work fewer hours? Are you spending more time painting, or gardening, or travelling?

Because when you can picture the day, you can start building towards it. Otherwise, it’s just a vague cloud we pin to a lottery win.”

☕ Step 2: Redirect the Money

“I know someone who used to spend about £30 a week on scratch cards and lottery tickets. That’s £120 a month! I challenged them to put that money into a separate pot instead. Within a year, they had over a thousand pounds — money they later used to book a course that actually helped them change careers.

So here’s my challenge to you: if you’re spending money on tickets, start small. Even if you just put £5 aside each week into your ‘Dream Life Fund,’ you’ll be shocked how quickly it grows. And unlike the lottery, you’re guaranteed to keep it.”

☕ Step 3: Start Small, Earn Small

“Another friend of mine was working retail and constantly saying, ‘If I win the lottery, I’m quitting this job.’ But instead of waiting, she started offering to bake cakes for birthdays. At first, it was just friends and family — £20 here, £30 there. But over time, word spread. Now she runs a small cake business, and guess what? She quit retail anyway.

She didn’t need a jackpot — she just needed to start small.

So ask yourself: what’s one thing you could do for an extra £50 or £100 a month? Maybe it’s tutoring, maybe it’s walking dogs, maybe it’s offering admin help online. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but it’s real. And real adds up.”

☕ Step 4: Invest in Yourself

“I know someone who worked as a receptionist for years but always dreamed of something different. She used to play the lottery every Friday. Then she stopped and signed up for a cheap online bookkeeping course instead. Within months, she was doing small accounting jobs for local businesses. That gave her more income — and way more confidence.

That’s the fourth step: instead of gambling, invest in you. A course, a skill, a tool. Because no matter what happens, nobody can take that away from you.”

☕ Step 5: Keep Moving & Checking In

“And finally, here’s the secret sauce: keep moving, and keep checking in.

Every few months, go back to that dream day vision you wrote down. Ask: am I closer than I was before? If not, what’s one tiny step I could take now?

It’s not about giant leaps. It’s about little adjustments that stack up over time. One day you’ll wake up and realise… you’re already living parts of the dream you thought only a lottery could buy.”

☕Summing up

“So if you’ve been pinning your hopes on the lottery, I want you to remember this: your dream is valid. Wanting more for your life is not wrong — it’s powerful. But you don’t need luck to get there. You need clarity, consistency, and courage.

Start small. Save a little. Try something new. Invest in yourself. Check in as you go.

And I’d love to hear from you — what does your dream day look like? Come share it with me over at nefeoguntoye.com/ or tag me on socials. Once you put it into words, you’ve already taken your first step.

Thank you so much for joining me today on Confidence & Cappuccino. Until next time — keep sipping, keep shining, and keep building your dream life.

I’m Nefe, and this was our coffee chat.”

End of transcript.