Q and A with Lauren from Edinburgh, Scotland
“You have got to tune into your strengths and make them your superpower. In the past 8 years of my career, I have turned my understanding of my sensory world, and dived into specialising in the sensory world of animals.“
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: Wildlife! Ever since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with animals. I grew up on the east coast of Scotland outside of Edinburgh, and I spent every holiday and long weekend on the beach by the North Sea.
Rockpooling and body boarding were my favourite activities, and I used to spend hours upon hours looking at urchins, starfish, anemones, blennies, crabs and more. We used to see sharks and whales wash up on the shore, and I think that’s where my obsession with sharks began.
Whilst everyone else was playing with dolls or Barbie’s, I just wanted to be a mermaid, so I could play with sharks. Everything I did from that point on was in preparation for studying and working with sharks. I LOVED school and studied extremely hard to pursue my dream of studying marine biology. I went to Glasgow University and not only had the best years of my life, but I qualified with my bachelors of science degree in zoology with integrated marine biology. I took some time out by going to Fiji and worked on a marine conservation project and learned to dive. Nothing was stopping me. Then I went back to university at Newcastle to do my postgraduate degree in Tropical Coastal Management.
After my university career, I landed my dream job in the Maldives working as a resident marine biologist. Living and working in the Maldives was the best time of my life. It was really hard work but so rewarding. Our clientele was some of the biggest celebrities and famous faces in the world, but my role involved teaching everyone about the marine life.
But after 8 wonderful years underwater, I got the chance to move to dry land and work in Africa. Going back to my zoological roots, I became a wildlife TV presenter for WildEarth [the broadcasting company] and worked across Africa. I have now set up my own wildlife production company called Too Wild, which is based in the Timbavati Game Reserve, which is now offering the first-of-its-kind, immersive wildlife filmmaking course to help build the next generation of wildlife filmmakers.
We offer a wildlife filmmaking course from the heart of South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park where students will learn to capture the wild as never before. The main drive of this project is my belief that, united, we have the power to inspire change and uplift the youth in South Africa. To nurture local talent and produce the next generation of South African wildlife filmmakers, we fully sponsor a student from one of the local communities on the periphery of the game reserve through this course. This is truly where my passion lies.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I was such a tom boy and adventurous kid who loved the ocean and animals. Other than growing into my feminine self, not much else has changed.
I am hard of hearing and have been very ashamed of this my whole life. Only recently in my 30s, have I taken this perceived “weakness” and turned it into a strength that I am proud of. Not hearing well has meant that I have a super human sense of smell and really keen eyesight, I am VERY observant. Everyone has their strengths and “weaknesses.” You have got to tune into your strengths and make them your superpower. In the past 8 years of my career, I have turned my understanding of my sensory world, and dived into specialising in the sensory world of animals. It has opened so many doors for me in terms of broadening my knowledge base and adding and extra layer to my teachings about the natural world.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I wish I had been told this earlier in life, but a real golden nugget for me is that, in order to start your journey into thinking this way, you must remember “Compete only against yourself, not against others.” Treat everything as an opportunity for YOU, not anyone else. Stop comparing yourself to other people because you will always find someone who is better at something that you do or who is more successful at whatever career you’ve chosen. Instead, compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. Make that your only expectation…and everything is an opportunity to do that.
Thanks for reading!
Comment below!
The Woman Wednesday Blog 