What would you say to your younger self if you could go back and tell them everything was going to be okay? For Australian entrepreneur Kyle Hunt, it’s a question that carries more weight than most.In his latest cinematic short film, Voicemail to My Younger Self, Hunt reflects on his journey from growing up in 30 foster homes to becoming a successful entrepreneur, revisiting the experiences that shaped him long before business, financial success or the opportunities he has today. The film brings Hunt face-to-face with a younger version of himself, revisiting the struggles of his childhood, including moments when he resorted to stealing food to survive, and the uncertainty of growing up without a stable home.
Australian entrepreneur Kyle Hunt comes face-to-face with his younger self in an emotional short film reflecting on his journey from 30 foster homes to building Dallo, and the childhood experiences that continue to drive his ambition to change the worod.
Rather than simply celebrating how far he has come, the film focuses on what the younger Kyle needed to hear during some of the most difficult years of his life, and what that same young boy might say to the man he has become.Today, Hunt is the founder of Dallo, an emerging R-Commerce platform designed to make starting, running and growing a business in regulated industries significantly easier. Often described as the Shopify for regulated industries, Dallo aims to simplify the complex processes involved in entering sectors such as healthcare, childcare, construction and disability services. The platform is designed to bring business registrations, licensing, permits, websites and other essential requirements into one place, reducing the time, cost and complexity traditionally associated with establishing a business in highly regulated sectors. For Hunt, the ambition behind Dallo reflects a much larger personal philosophy. Having experienced firsthand what it means to grow up with limited resources and opportunities, he is now building technology designed to make entrepreneurship more accessible, regardless of someone’s background or circumstances. But the film isn’t a traditional business success story. Rather than focusing on wealth, achievements or commercial milestones, Hunt uses the opportunity to acknowledge the experiences that made him who he is, and the resilience that continues to drive his ambitions. The film reaches its emotional conclusion as Hunt reflects on the extraordinary distance between the boy he once was and the entrepreneur he has become. “We’re halfway to changing the world, off the back of how you survived,” Hunt tells his younger self. But rather than receiving reassurance from the successful man standing before him, the younger Kyle offers three simple words in return. “You got this.”
It’s a powerful reversal of the traditional message to one’s younger self. Instead of the adult offering encouragement to the child, it’s the boy who endured years of uncertainty and hardship reminding his future self to keep going. The exchange captures the deeper meaning behind Hunt’s journey. His childhood isn’t simply something he overcame on the road to success. It’s the foundation of the resilience, ambition and determination that continue to drive him today. The release marks a more vulnerable side of Hunt’s public storytelling, moving beyond entrepreneurship and business success to explore the human experiences behind his ambitions. For young Australians currently facing difficult circumstances, particularly those growing up in foster care or without a stable support system, Hunt’s story offers a reminder that where someone begins in life doesn’t necessarily determine where they will finish. And while Hunt continues building Dallo with the ambition of opening some of the world’s most complex industries to everyday entrepreneurs, the film serves as a reminder that his journey is far from finished.
The boy who once fought to survive is now encouraging the man trying to change the world.