Pip Scott-Allen, the manager of TreeTop Adventure Park Sydney, answers the questions in the latest instalment of the South West Voice Business Q&A series:
Q: Tell us about you and your business:
A: Born and raised in Canada, where I learned to enjoy the great outdoors. At the age of 14 started working in the outdoor education and summer camp industry and have spent my life since then, playing outdoors. I spent from the age of 14 to 21 working for a large outdoor education camp, and summer camp, while also doing the odd guide work for climbing, canoeing and backpacking.
Five years ago I moved to Australia, for what was meant to be a one year trip. Finding many great opportunities and maintaining my goal of being happy, I found myself staying longer and longer until I became a permanent resident. I have been working for TreeTop for the past four and a half in a variety of roles. Beginning as an instructor, two site assistant manager, site manager, and finally moved to Sydney to help finish building and operating the newest of our three parks.
When I first moved to Australia I was working at a kid’s camp, and eventually opened a new site for the business and ran my own centre for them, until making the permanent switch to TreeTop. I’m an avid climber and you can find me at the climbing gym twice a week and outdoors as much as possible. Any excuse to play outdoors I will take it.
TreeTop is the operating division of Ecoline, a highly experienced and skilled company that specialises in building facilities in the tree tops with a wow factor. The company offers world first technology in safety, protects the environment and provides a unique and challenging custom-made adventure and educational experience for the community. Ecoline’s business is spread over the entire cradle to customer cycle: design, construction and operation, with innovations such as Ecotrack or our new EcoZip. In 2013 and 2014 we obtained the acclaimed Australian Business Award for Innovation.
TreeTop products include TreeTop Adventure Parks (obstacle courses in the tree tops open from 3 years old), TreeTop Safari (guided tours of the tree tops including zip lines in the canopy), TreeTop Crazy Rider (rollercoaster zip line in the tree tops) and TreeHut (suspended conference room). Our Sydney site offers the combination of the adventure park and the safari, offering people the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views of the Sydney CBD with an amazing experience of the Australian bush.
Q: What are the three lessons in business you have learnt?
A: Firstly, I don’t know everything and asking for help is the smartest/responsible decision;
Secondly, a lot of paperwork will save you, some paperwork will help you, no paperwork will sink you;
And thirdly, if you love what you do, that love will show and be respected and emulated by staff and customers.
Q: Give us a few of your crowning achievements. The kinds of things that you can look back at and gauge how well you have done?
A: In high school I was listed as an “at risk of dropping out” student but graduated with honours (HD in Australia);
Graduating high school with the Environmental Stewardship Program’s Stewardship Award;
Rotary Club’s Pride of Workmanship;
Only student in my year to get an A++ for plant identification.
Q: Who is your business hero – living or dead?
A: This is really hard to answer. Many great people have inspired me over the years, from my Mother, first employer and some close friends. But I would have to say my first employer was my first business hero, from whom I learnt a lot over the years working for him. He had a dream of building this kids camp, where kids would feel safe and confident to be themselves while enjoying the outdoors, being kids and playing/working with exotic animals. This dream of his was not easily attainable, and he had to overcome some monumental hurdles in his personal and business life. But those hurdles would not stop him from reaching his goal.
I had the pleasure of growing up with this man, as a near father figure, and while I grew into an adult I got to watch him and his dream grow into an amazing business. He really taught me to follow my heart and do what makes you happy, which ultimately caused me to move to Australia. But he also taught me that there is life and there is work; the two often overlap, but neither should drag one another down. You can’t let those personal issues come into work and impact your dream or your team; yet we are all human and sometimes a hug, or someone to just talk to is what is needed most.
Q: What is your favourite business book?
A: I feel embarrassed to say it but I haven’t really read any business book since university. I read: “How to win, lose and influence people’’ and “What the Bleep do we know’’. They both gave me great insight and opened my mind, but I can’t say I have a favourite. I have so many great connections, mentors and business colleagues who have a fountain of knowledge. Listening to them, or asking them for an opinion and advice, to me personally is more useful and beneficial.
Q: What do you listen to while you work?
A: I listen to a lot of music while I work. As a sufferer of A.D.D. music helps me concentrate on some of my challenging tasks. Often it’s more of the acoustic rock or punk such as Gaslight Anthem, This Wild Life, Streetlight Manifesto, A Wilhelm Scream, and Rise Against. But my mood and task really dictates my music choice. Being slow and methodical requires a softer slower beat, whereas an urgent task requires a more upbeat, faster tempo.
Q: Favourite quotes?
A: Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional;
Worrying is either too early or too late, so why bother;
Whether you believe you can or you can’t you’re right.
Q: What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else? What’s your secret? What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: This was the hardest question to answer; but I would have to say: Not letting my age hold me back. I started working in this industry at a young age; when I was 14-16yrs I was teaching university students about the outdoors, and I mean the science of it all, not just “this is a tree and it’s pretty” but the information they would find in their lectures and textbooks. I had to overcome my age on a number of occasions, reaching points where I should not, or could not proceed any further due to being too young. I had people turn their nose at me when they found out my age. One moment I was their teacher, then the next I was just a child who knew nothing.
What I would tell others, and do tell people: Age is just a number, and numbers can either work for you, or against you. By the time I reached university I had four and a half years of industry experience, and a high level of experience. People can, and will, treat you differently when they know how young or old you are. The best weapon you have, the best secret weapon, is keeping your age a secret. Some great advice I was given, and I use to this day when work is going full speed, and I find myself struggling to keep up with it all; Worrying is either too early, or too late so why bother? It is one of my favourite quotes but it is so true, no amount of worrying will fix anything. All that energy could be used to help solve the issue or ensure it never happens again.
And a huge secret weapon I have up my sleeve is: Coffee! Not as most people would think as the pick me up, but to calm and focus myself. As mentioned I suffer, scratch that, I enjoy the life of A.D.D. and coffee is something that helps me focus. People with A.D.D. need stimulants, Ritalin; so coffee is a natural and much better option for me. So when things are getting crazy, taking a moment to top up my mug will calm me down and level me out.
♦ Enquiries: http://www.treetopadventurepark.com.au/home/sydney
