The Plant Yourself Podcast

Gulp: Thinking Big and Acting Bold: Sarah Davis on PYP 602

Oct 2, 2024

In a fascinating conversation, Sarah Davis, a seasoned risk manager and adventurer, shares her journey as the first woman to paddle the Nile. She reflects on breaking free from a safe corporate life to pursue a more fulfilling existence. With insights on balancing caution and risk, she discusses how her professional skills shaped her daring adventures. Sarah emphasizes the importance of stepping outside comfort zones and finding passion projects, all while embracing challenges that lead to personal growth.

01:07:06

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Episode guests

Sarah Davis

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Sarah Davis exemplifies how embracing calculated risk can lead to a more fulfilling life beyond conventional safety boundaries.

Her journey from corporate risk management to adventure sports highlights the importance of aligning career choices with personal passions and strengths.

Davis's experiences overcoming bureaucratic challenges while paddling the Nile demonstrate the value of persistence and reframing obstacles as growth opportunities.

Deep dives

The Balance of Risk and Caution

Risk management is often perceived as merely cautioning against any potential danger, but it can also incorporate adventuring and taking bold steps. Sarah Davis, a professional risk manager and adventure enthusiast, showcases how embracing risk is essential for living a fulfilling life. By discussing her journey as the first woman to paddle the Nile River, she explores the dynamic interplay between calculated risk and making safe choices. Ultimately, living without regrets involves understanding when to take risks while also strategically managing them.

Intro

2min

Navigating the Fine Line Between Caution and Risk

2min

From Trading Floors to Risk Management

5min

From Trading Floor to Athletic Shores

25min

Navigating Chaos and Culture

10min

Embracing Challenges for Personal Growth

19min

Reflections on Inspiration, Team Spirit, and Personal Healing

4min

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Sarah Davis was a corporate risk manager who began to chafe at the limitations on her life.

Sure, she had a safe job and a comfortable income. She ran marathons (3:38 PR — damn!) and was living the dream in Bondi, Australia.

But something was missing.

When Sarah interrogated herself, she realized that she wasn't living as big or as bold as she wanted.

Did risk management always have to be about minimizing risk at all cost? Or could the principles of risk management inform and guide actual risk taking?

Could she use her professional skill set in tandem with her experience in surf sea kayaking and her love of travel and her pursuit of novelty to do something big and bold and amazing?

In our conversation, we talk about the life lessons learned as she became the first woman to paddle the Nile River from its headwaters in Rwanda all the way to the Nile Delta in Egypt.

I hope you're inspired to step outside of any comfort zones that have got you stuck. I hope you're inspired to identify a passion project and pursue it. And I hope you stay safe and well the whole time!

A couple of the quotable quotes from this episode, as identified by AI: