Jacinta

I was a corporate lawyer in London for many years. I loved it, but I often wondered when I’d do something that really made a positive impact. In my travels, I saw that tourism was one industry where people could start from nothing and still succeed. A porter becomes a guide, a guide starts a business, and then trains others from their community. I also met incredible guides with really meaningful experiences, but travellers would never find in a Google search. Through Seek Sophie, I wanted to change that - by telling their stories so that travellers could find these amazing experiences and support local communities at the same time.

My favourite trip ever was in Uganda. It was the first time I travelled solo, and I basically camped and stayed in national parks for almost two weeks. There was a national park I stayed at, where my tent was just by the river where lots of hippos lived. I went to sleep with the sounds of hippos all around me, and it was pure bliss. That trip changed me. I realised that I didn't need a lot of money or material stuff to be happy. All I needed to be happy was a simple tent out in the wilderness, and that was enough. That realisation was hugely freeing and it gave me the courage to quit my job as a corporate lawyer and start Seek Sophie.