Through the TV Series First Crossings, we celebrated some of New Zealand’s pioneers by demonstrating their desire to create new benchmarks of performance and problem solving in uncharted territories.
There is something special about the concept of adventure. There are no sidelines, goal posts, or carefully measured weights in an air-conditioned building. Instead, imagine the mindsets, determination and dirt under the fingernails of those who helped build New Zealand’s brand as the pioneering spirit on the edge of the South Pacific.
Hearing century old tales of adventure, as well as experiencing unknown elements in my own campaigns, I’ve discovered story telling can help us push our own endurance, navigation, innovation and perseverance boundaries. Be it on the sports field, corporate jungle or ice flow, I’ve spent the last ten years helping others experience what it’s like to step outside their comfort zone, find solutions to unknown problems, and become better people for doing so. There is no better feeling than helping someone achieve a feat they thought impossible.
Promoting those who helped shaped our society, by recreating their pioneering journeys, was an incredibly exciting opportunity. Just like The Big Walk campaign I wanted to add some much needed energy to the minds of our young people. Learning based experiences through adventure is a very powerful tool.
First Crossings reminded me of the quote
“Success is not about predicting the future, its creating people that can thrive in a future that cannot be predicted” (author unknown).
To me it is all about building a community that is ready for anything. Think about our kiwi spirit in more recent times. The Rugby World Cup saw New Zealander’s creating a unique visitors experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my work creating engaging training sessions, transferring knowledge and instilling culture and leadership for the hundreds of volunteers.
But it is also when great tragedy strikes that our Kiwi resilience comes to the fore. I’m looking forward to bringing my ideas on goal setting, building communities and getting through difficult times, to TedXChCh next week.
First Crossings featured highly in the TV ratings throughout the five weeks of the series. I truly believe this indicates the pioneering spirit resonates with us all. By paying homage to those who helped form our country’s identity, I hope we shaped conversations on community, adventure, strategy, leadership and goal setting throughout New Zealand.
The pioneer’s odysseys amazed me, they show just how difficult their lives were, but this never stopped them from pushing on. Have their stories inspired you to create your own inspirational story?
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