Like I always say, there’s always time to try out something new and often times it begins by saying “YES.” Even though climbing is huge part of my lifestyle, I make it point to always expand my interests and simply appreciate life in as many aspects as I can.
Into the Woods with Melba, was what I called my experience before I became a Woods Explorer with Woods Canada. I’ve been trying to figure out how to express who I am and what I do, and I realized that the best way to give you a glimpse of that is to show you what I showed Woods Canada. So… are you ready to go Into the Woods with Melba? (And Adam, he’ll be around as well.
Into the Woods
When it was announced that Adam and I made it to the Top 10 applicants for theWoods Canada Dream Job position, we were asked to prepare a presentation. This had NO guidelines. It was an opportunity for the applicants to showcase what made them right for a job. It was the most important interview of my life. There were 3800 applicants, and we made it to Top 10. The application video was only just the beginning. The pressure and competition that followed was the true test.
I had less than to prepare this “presentation” and I was in Fort Mcmurray and Adam was in Calgary. I decided that in order to show how right for the job we were, we created the idea that we already explored the TransCanada Trail and this is what happened.
I had posted on my Facebook calling all my theatre friends: “is anyone available to help me film some stuff that I can’t talk about? Please message me ASAP.” We were instructed through the Dream Job application that we were not to disclose that we had been selected and it could result in disqualification if we did.
I had such an overwhelming response from my community to help me create this presentation. I wasn’t exactly sure at first what I wanted to do but as I started filming it came together.
Woods Canada Top 10
As we stood in front of the other Top 10 applicants, who were guides, photographers, world class professionals I opened with.
“Adam and I already crossed the Trans Canada Trail and here are the stories of who we met and what we did…”
(These events did not actually occur on the trail as Woods Explorers, they were merely designed as a presentation to impress the interviewers for the Woods Canada Dream Job position.)
Why are we pointing??? I convinced my friends to point in the photos to show our potential for branding 🙂
Pointing at Kayaks
Pointing at Mountains
Scuba pointing
I know some of those videos are pretty rough but in a short amount of time we were able to turn around people and resources to create that presentation which may have ultimately been the reason why were selected in the end! I truly believe it’s the stories one tells that can enrich an experience. Yes, perhaps a gorgeous photo will catch your eye but in the end its the story that catches your heart. Never be afraid to try something new, yeah you might suck at it at first, but who cares. It’s the attempt that is most admirable and marks true success.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned about my 5 month dream job as a Woods Canada Explorer is that inspiration is cyclical. I’ve spent most of my life surrounding myself with amazing friends and supportive family and everyone’s always been excited by my accomplishments and adventures but it wasn’t until recently that I finally understood what it meant to inspire someone.
My journey of a lifetime travelling across Canada on the historic Trans Canada Trail has come to a close, but with its conclusion begins a different sort of adventure for me…
Woods Explorer: Magee Walker, Cedric Schell, Adam Kochanek, Melba Seto