527 The Art of Adventure Guiding: Lessons from Colombia’s Wildest Places with Camilo Ortega

On today’s episode of the Outdoor Adventure Lifestyle Podcast, Rick welcomes Camilo Ortega, an adventure guide, experience designer, and passionate advocate for responsible travel based in Colombia.

Brought to you this week by The Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

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Show Notes

WHAT HAPPENED:

When I first met the PuA community deep in Colombia’s Amazonian transition zone, I assumed I was there to help them build a tourism product.

You know, offer guidance, teach best practices, maybe even map out a solid route.

But instead, they taught me. About autonomy. About culture. About what happens when a community says: “We don’t want to be a stop on someone’s bucket list—we want this to bring our stories back to life.”

They didn’t want their kids leaving for the cities. They didn’t want their culture watered down to a “show” for tourists.

They wanted tourism to help them remember who they are. And somehow, that remembering started a revival—young people asking questions, elders teaching forgotten traditions, a weaving school reborn, and tools once lost now repurposed into privacy dividers in a jungle lodge.

(Which, by the way, is way cozier than you'd think.)

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PRINCIPLE:

It’s easy to think your product or service is about solving a problem.

But what if it’s about helping people reclaim their identity?

What if the real “success” is the impact your work has far beyond the transaction?

People don’t want just experiences—they want transformation. That’s true whether you're guiding through the Amazon or guiding your clients through a sales process.

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TRANSITION:

Here’s the thing though...

Most creators, founders, and community builders I know are so caught up in the deliverables—the steps, the logistics, the perfect pitch—that they miss the deeper reason someone says “yes.”

It’s not about showing off your expertise.

It’s about building trust by standing for something bigger than the sale.

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THAT’S WHY:

That’s why this episode with Camilo Ortega exists. Because it’s not just a conversation about adventure travel—it’s a masterclass in how real connection, cultural stewardship, and community-led innovation create experiences people never forget.

And if you’ve ever felt stuck trying to “market” what you do—this might just be the reset your storytelling needs.

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CALL TO ACTION: