From Boardrooms to Wildlife: Why I Chose to Start Over in the Wild

On trading business suits for base layers—and building a life around wildlife and creative work

I just got back from 10 days of photographing in northern Sweden.

This time, I was mostly focused on filming and scouting. My wife, who’s a dedicated landscape photographer, will be leading a photo tour here this autumn—so this trip was part family time, part location research. We hiked, fished, explored valleys, and made mental notes about light, compositions, and access.

The focus wasn’t wildlife in the usual sense, though we did spot the occasional reindeer and a moose or two. But more than anything, it was about slowing down, being out there together, and planning something meaningful for others to experience later.

Not long ago, my world looked completely different. I’d built and led several successful businesses. I know how to work hard 7 days a week, how to scale, how to grow. Back in my twenties, Gordon Gekko in Wall Street was the blueprint—I wanted the money, the life, the sportcar. I didn’t just admire that world—I wanted it.

Lately I’ve found myself thinking more about another favourite feel good movie—The Big Year. If you haven’t seen it, there’s a character named Stu, played by Steve Martin. He’s a successful company founder trying to walk away from his empire long enough to chase a lifelong passion: birdwatching. Not in a casual way—full commitment. Binoculars, mud, remote islands, the works. It sounds light, but it hit something deep. That sense of a man trying to re-prioritize his life before it’s too late.

I’ve seen the film countless times, and every time, I see a part of myself in Stu. That tension—between building something and stepping away to live fully—has stayed with me.

So I’ve been scaling down my business commitments—intentionally. Not to retire, but to redesign the second half of my life. I’ve always been an entrepreneur, and I still am. But now I’m focused on building something different—channeling those same skills and instincts into wildlife photography, filmmaking, and the tour business I’m helping grow.

This isn’t about escaping or going off-grid. It’s about doing what I’ve always done—building things—but now in a world that actually matters to me. I’m applying everything I’ve learned in business to something that’s fun and has real meaning: creating impactful work in the field, co-running a photography tour company with real purpose, and spending more time outdoors than in front of a screen.

I’m really looking forward to the next 10-20 years.