Top 5 Eco Dive Spots Around the World, How To Plan an Expedition, and Advice for Carving Your Own Path With Andi Cross
Aug 13, 2024
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Andi Cross, a former C-suite executive turned certified divemaster, shares her inspiring journey into eco-diving and conservation. She discusses her transition from corporate life to founding the Edges of Earth expedition, highlighting five top eco-diving spots. Andi emphasizes the importance of resilience and networking in pursuing passions, as well as tips for sustainable travel. She offers insights on how to navigate identity and belonging while encouraging others to embrace their unique paths in ocean conservation. A true advocate for merging adventure with purpose!
Andi Cross's transition from corporate America to ocean conservation emphasizes the importance of aligning passion with career for fulfillment.
Her two-year expedition to over 50 diving destinations highlights the role of storytelling in raising awareness for marine conservation efforts.
Collaboration between consumers and businesses is essential for effective sustainability, requiring proactive engagement from both parties to drive change.
Deep dives
Norwegian Cabin Culture and Airbnb
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Transformative Life Journey
The guest, Andi Cross, shares her inspiring journey of transitioning from corporate America to pursuing her passion for scuba diving and ocean conservation. After learning to swim at 30, Andi embarked on a two-year expedition covering over 50 diving destinations around the globe. This ambitious undertaking focuses on raising awareness about conservation efforts and positive impact stories from various locations. Her experiences highlight the importance of validation, courage, and determination in making significant life changes.
Combining Passion with Profession
Andi emphasizes the importance of aligning one’s career with personal passions, which often leads to greater fulfillment. After realizing she had lost her identity following the end of a previous venture, she took time to rediscover her childhood affinity for the ocean. Instead of abandoning her corporate skills, she sought to integrate them with her new path in marine conservation. This approach underscores that pursuing one's true passion can create a meaningful and impactful career.
The Concept of Expeditions
Andi defines an expedition as a journey undertaken to increase human knowledge through data collection and research, distinguishing it from traditional vacations or travel. Expeditions aim to contribute to scientific understanding, fostering a deeper connection with nature and its various ecosystems. Throughout her travels, Andi has realized the importance of sharing narratives of ocean conservation and the people dedicated to protecting these ecosystems. This focus on storytelling distinguishes her mission and allows for a broader understanding of marine conservation issues.
Consumer and Business Collaboration
A critical insight from Andi’s expedition is the necessity for collaboration between consumers and businesses to effect meaningful change in sustainability. Both parties must engage in dialogue and action, with consumers demanding better practices while businesses create eco-friendly options. This dynamic relationship reveals the complexity of environmental issues, highlighting the need for collective responsibility across various societal sectors. Andi’s experiences stress that a proactive approach from both consumers and businesses can effectively address pressing environmental concerns.
Steps for Getting Involved in Ocean Conservation
Andi encourages individuals interested in ocean conservation to take actionable steps, including participating in community efforts or volunteering in conservation projects. Experiencing the ocean firsthand can foster a personal connection that motivates individuals to advocate for its protection. People are encouraged to reach out to organizations focused on marine conservation, as cold outreach can open doors to impactful opportunities. Additionally, making conscious choices in daily life, such as opting for sustainable products and reducing plastic use, can contribute to broader conservation efforts.
Are you interested in eco-diving? Do you want to pursue a dream or get involved in something greater than yourself but are unsure if you have the right experience?
Andi Cross is a 15-year growth strategist who went from the C-suite to scuba gear. Learning to swim at the age of 30, she later became a certified divemaster and founded the Edges of Earth expedition: a two-year, 50+ destination diving expedition traveling to some of the most remote locations around the planet aimed at driving visibility to conservation efforts and positive impact news from around the globe.
Andi talks about the unconventional approach she took to pursue her passion for the ocean despite not being a trained scientist and having no prior experience. We talk about how she fused her experience in the corporate world to invent her own path, the importance of finding identity and belonging, breaking traditional rules, and why you need to put yourself out there no matter how awkward (+ some great advice on cold outreach!).
She shares her top five destinations for eco-diving, her planning process for the Edges of Earth expedition, how to choose dive spots based on sustainability, and the role that everyone plays in ocean conservation.
What are your passions, and how can you carve your own path in that industry? If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.
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Tune In To Learn:
How she discovered her passion for the ocean
The questions that led to leaving her career and advice when contemplating a pivot
Why you need to embrace the beginner mindset
What makes an expedition different from other forms of travel
How she found her place within the expedition framework
Her unique approach to funding and how she defines success for the expedition
What to consider when choosing dive destinations
Andi’s top five dive spots everyone should visit
Why ocean conservation takes effort from both consumers and businesses
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