RTDM: Gemma Cope — The Risk Takers Dream Makers

Feb 18

Feb 18 RTDM: Gemma Cope

Gemma Cope
Founder of Green Pathways/ Travel Consultant
London, England

We want to get to know you! Briefly tell us about yourself: Where you came from, where you've been and how you're living your dream?

I grew up in Birmingham, England. Always been fascinated with nature and wildlife. Visited Europe and the Mediterranean with family when I was young. My first real trip was to Borneo on a one month expedition when I was 17. My dream was to live and work with orangutans. I then went to university back in the UK but didn't finish my degree due to financial reasons. I began working in the UK before leaving again when I was 20 to Indonesia to study orangutans with a Phd Doctor in Sumatra. I then moved onto South America and worked on a conservation project in the Amazon for a number of months before traveling around South America and then settling in the Galapagos Islands for a number of months studying birds and turtles. Returning to the UK for a year, before finally saying goodbye and moving back to South America. After a number of months in the mountains of Peru, I packed up again and moved to Nicaragua to begin working on a conservation project. After a couple of months I realized I wanted to do something else. During that time I met Philip Southan. We decided to start volcano boarding on Cerro Negro and become the owners of a backpacker hostel in the colonial town of Leon. The company became a huge success with coverage from the New York Times and being voted CNN 2nd best thing to do before you die. As we began working more and more with the community of Leon I started to realize how important sustainable tourism was and how much of a difference it can make. Not only to the community we lived in but also the conservation of the area. After a year or so I began a number of conservation projects such as reforestation, turtle conservation and educational programs in the areas where turtle poaching was the main source of income. We worked with a large group of locals from different areas. We used the profits from the tourism to fund the projects. Planted 10,000 hard wood trees Released 45,000 baby turtles Planted 5,000 mangrove trees As tourism grew in Nicaragua I began Green Pathways Travel, offering sustainable tourism across the country. Training guides and building a network of sustainable suppliers all with the goal of positive impact by tourism. Philip and I sold the volcano boarding and hostel in 2012 and I decided to focus solely on Green Pathways, while Philip followed his dream of surfing. Green Pathways became one of the leading travel companies in Nicaragua. Until April 2018 when a booming country saw a sudden turn of political unrest. Tourism died very quickly and I lost the company. I moved back to the UK to begin working with a large travel company developing their Latin America department. My goal now is to rebuild Green Pathways from scratch and become more global. Firstly focusing on Latin America and then onto parts of Asia by the end of 2019.

How do you define success?

I have always liked this quote of how to define success, "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

What did it take to make your dream happen and when did you know you had arrived?

It took a lot of hard work, being knocked down, getting back up, people saying no or questioning everything you do. In Nicaragua I faced a lot of 'machista' men that didn't like working with a strong women, or being employed by a women. The moment I felt most humbled by the work I have done was at the point I lost my business in Nicaragua. At my lowest point when my team knew I will no longer be able to employ them and I will leave to the UK. I felt like I had disappointed them, but we worked together and supported each other and I realized that we had built a team and a family of people that loved what they did and respected each other, we were passionate about the country. I couldn't have asked for a better team of people to work with.

What are you most proud of? Go ahead, boast a little!

The relationships I have built along the way.

What was your biggest obstacle/fear and what was your turning point?

Can this company/passion sustain me financially. When I didn't have to worry if there was enough money in the bank to pay my staff.

What’s the best advice you’d give to a younger you?

Doors close and open all the time. Don't hold onto things that don't work or don't make you happy. There is more out there to experience.

How do you stay motivated and purposeful when you feel overwhelmed?

My team, seeing them work hard and see how we support each other during the hard times and the good. Plus coffee, a whole lot of coffee :)

Tell us a time when a perceived failure was actually a blessing in disguise or served you in a surprising way.

Losing the business in Nicaragua made me walk away from a country and move back to the UK. I have learnt so much in the past 6 months working for and with different companies. I can now approach the new Green Pathways in a very different and more productive way.

What is your favorite vice/guilty pleasure/strange habit? Come on now, we all have them!

Tequila

What's the smartest investment you’ve made for yourself?

investing in me and learning to say no and putting myself first.

What’s MOST important to you right now?

Rebuilding a new version of Green Pathways. Take 2.

Share 1-2 books you've given as gifts:

The prophet and Sapiens ( a brief history of human kind)

What have you learned to say no to?

Doing things that bring negativity and don't provide joy or growth.

What's something most people would never guess about you?

I like bird watching