Extreme environments and high-stakes situations – all in a day’s work for Secret Compass Director and Co-Founder, Tom Bodkin.
With a background steeped in adventure and expertise, navigating some of the most challenging conditions on the planet, Tom Bodkin knows risk better than most. We caught up with him to dig a little deeper into his adventurous life.
“Risk is inherent in everything that we do. The key challenge for the people we work with in TV is to make that risk vs reward call. They need to work out if the story is worth the risk. But how do you measure how good a story is and what it is “worth”?”
How did you end up doing what you do?
At 22, I got a job running youth expeditions in southern Africa. I then went into the Army for seven years and upon leaving, I was looking for something that would replace the challenge and adventure you get from serving.
With my background in expeditions, I decided to set up a company running the types of trips I was interested in – the rest is an evolution of that.
What do you love about your work?
We are lucky enough to get to work in close teams with a huge variety of extremely talented people, doing things that have often never been done before.
The combination of great people and professional challenge in a fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled environment is hard to replicate.
What’s the wildest job you’ve ever done?
It’s hard to pick one – I have been extremely lucky. From a travel perspective, mountain biking in North Korea. From a cultural perspective, living with Pygmy tribes in Congo. From a landscape perspective, working in Antarctica. And from a pure fun perspective, working off islands in northern Papua New Guinea.
For personal satisfaction, it’s helping two children reunite with their mother after two and a half years living with ISIS in Syria.
Who do you look up to in the adventure TV & Film world?
I think a big shout out needs to go to some of the camera operators we work – they are outstanding. They are able to be comfortable in tough environments and still concentrate enough to film at the highest level, whether it be wading through jungle swamps, filming at minus 35 in Antarctica, hanging off ropes hundreds of metres up in Oman, or diving under ice.
They work incredibly hard to achieve what they need to do in these environments, whilst looking after themselves and their kit!
Why is it so important to tell the stories that come with some risk?
Risk is inherent in everything that we do. The key challenge for the people we work with in TV is to make that risk vs reward call. They need to work out if the story is worth the risk. But how do you measure how good a story is and what it is “worth”?
The most important stories are usually cutting edge current affairs, exposing wrongdoing or highlighting key issues such as climate change. Telling these stories has demonstrable benefit to individuals through the direct awareness it creates and is fundamental to the value that good journalism can bring.
What makes you good at handling risk?
I am not sure I am good, but I do have a lot of experience of doing it in a range of environments! Understanding risk tolerance and then matching what you do to those risk tolerance levels is key for managing risk, particularly in the media sector.
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?
No idea!
What’s your idea of fun?
Ski touring, mountain biking, river journeys, and exploring with the kids.
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve taken on?
Starting a business!
Any irrational (or rational) fears?
Feral pigeons – I hate them. I’m not great with heights, either, unless I’m jumping out of aircraft!
Tom’s Secret Compass…
Favourite place you’ve ever visited?
North Korea, Simien mountains in Ethiopia, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand.
Somewhere you’ve never been but would like to go?
Japan is top of my list.
Best thing you’ve eaten or drunk when travelling?
A coffee at a remote village in Ethiopia after carrying my mountain bike up a huge climb, they roasted it in front of us.
Favourite way to travel?
By river.
For more tales of adventure, follow @secret.compass on Instagram and meet the rest of the team here.