#45 RadEO PG Geldenhuys - A lifelong tourism professional

In this episode of RadEO, we talk to Pieter Geldenhuys - A lifelong tourism professional - who loves to figure out problems on long hikes.

We chat about how he used the covid crisis to fast-forward the things he was going to do in 10 years' time.

PG is a successful entrepreneur in the travel and tourism industry, who runs several businesses including a custom safari experience company, a coaching and facilitating walking business, and an NGO aimed at helping disadvantaged groups in South Africa's tourism industry. He believes in the principle of "checking out", which is about being mindful and intentional about the choices we make in life, setting clear boundaries and priorities, and being selective about the opportunities we take on, to create a more fulfilling and purposeful life. He also shares his experience with how he and his business partner Caroline handled the challenges when disaster strikes and how they managed to stay financially secure in the long term by merging their businesses. He also emphasizes the importance of integrating knowledge and skills into one's products and processes to set oneself apart and create unique and valuable products.

More about PG:

Unfazed Adventurerand Curious CoachPGGeldenhuys has dedicated a lifetime to transformational journeys. Whether it is through his tourism venture Classic Escapes, Executive Coaching company PG Tops, his educational NGO Tourism Boot Camp or his writing... He is in the business of effecting change through the power of words, and nature.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance and a Master's of Business Administration at Stellenbosch. He is an Accelerator Trainer, Enneagram Coach and certified distance Learning instructor. As a global keynote speaker, he advocates how to leverage regret through the PDP process.

After a successful exit from the family business in 2003 and a stint in senior leadership for a large listed company, PG bootstrapped his first tourism venture in 2008 to an award-winning tour operator in Cape Town. Out of the original PG TOPS Travel and Tours was born Luxury Safaris (now merged with Classic Escapes), Tourism Boot Camp and Shoshin Walks.

• PG Tops Executive Coaching facilitates cohort-based online courses for key executivesandPG does individual coaching for founders and CEOs.
• Classic Escapes, which he runs with his wife Caroline, curates luxury experiences in Africa’s untouched regions.
• Tourism Boot Camp is a South Africa-based NGO dedicated to Scaling Up People, specifically the talented youth of South Africa with network access and historic challenges.
• PG’s novels include Offsides, and the first book in the ShoshinWalks Series: Max and the Mulligan, a cautionary tale about second chances.

In 2023 he will release BEBEMS: The A-player’s inaction handbook. He lives on the slopes of Table Mountain with Caroline, their two boys Matie and AJ, and Leia, the fur baby.