Real Talk With Candace Campo
It is hard to believe, that Candace Campo and her Indigenous Tourism company, hit a milestone of 20 years of operations in 2022. For many in tourism, they’ve become a household name and popular recommendation to guests seeking indigenous, cultural and outdoor experiences. While Candace admits balancing personal life and work life is an ongoing challenge, she made time to sit down and speak with us about her career journey and advice for other women seeking leadership roles in tourism.
When you look back on your career, what helped you strive for senior leadership roles? What pushed you?
In my work, I have not really been career centred even if my track record has been consumed with work and truthfully little rest. I have been in senior roles since I was 24 years old when I first functioned in the role of Educational Director for my community, and even acting Principal of an Indigenous Community School. Nonetheless, it has been the pursuit of an improved quality of life that has led me into working in fields such as Education, Rights and Title, Culture and Tourism. My longest focus has been Indigenous EcoTourism and I have been steadfast in its growth and determined beyond most reasonable efforts I must admit. Raised in an indigenous family and community, my parents, aunts and uncles, very much promoted and supported education and they guided me by a life dedicated to service and community development. When I started an indigenous tour company, that family support remained strong, my parents and several of my aunts and uncles have passed but their teachings and values hold strong in me.
What words of advice do you have for women in the industry interested in senior leadership, who may be discouraged right now?
Truthfully, I am in the height of a growing tour company and I am trying to give myself some good advice and practice. There is a universal value and even a spiritual practice within Indigenous cultures of living a life within balance and when you are raised with a strong conviction of the greater good and collective wellbeing you can get lost in your mission. I have to share that my company is successful and my personal life needs some TLC. I work long hours and I am just so grateful that my family, siblings and cousins accept my choice to work extended hours. I am in the process of, now that I feel financially secure, blocking off time for myself and spending quality time with family, friends, and the land. When I am in a relationship with the community and get to spend time on the land, I am a stronger, more balanced, happier self and I really like that person. At 49 years old, I am proud of my accomplishments and grateful for many opportunities. If I can share one thing that I have been true to my entire career, take feedback with an open mind and heart. Embrace other opinions. Do not get overly attached to your own ideas and policies. Being open to other opinions and expertise has been an asset to the growth of my business.
It's worth pursuing senior leadership to improve the work lives of your colleagues. I see the shift in people growing businesses and/ or working in an organization that considers the environment, and community and puts the health and wellness of its staff at the center of its mission. We have a ways to go but the trend has become more common practice. It is an endeavour that is a commitment and if you can enhance the culture and growth of a business that has positive economic, social and ecological impact it is good.
Can you talk about one woman who has impacted your life and career?
There have been many women who have impacted my life and to focus on one is a challenge. I would like to share the story of my mother. Her name was Rose and from the get-go, this human being, the woman who gave me life, dealt with immense diversity and escaped even death where most people would have not. When my grandmother gave birth to my mother, it was up in ?altulich (Jervis Inlet), the village of tsunay (Deserted Bay), she was born breach and her midwife has to recistate her because she nearly strangled from the umbilical cord. Her great-grand aunt gave her her ancestral name xatitatkwa on the day of her birth. There would be many challenges and near misses in my mother's life including the time, at the age of two, when she fell off the house boat dock and flipped on her back and stayed calm until someone noticed she was in the water. My mother approached life fearlessly and she was a very courageous woman who stood strong for doing the right thing for people and especially children. She was a master of seeing and sharing possibilities and I have memories of her having conversations with me and my brother about all of the things we could be when we grew up. No pursuit was too big. The sky was the limit. I consider myself so fortunate to be raised by her.
It's been 20 years since you started Talaysay Tours, what are some of the biggest shifts you have seen in Indigenous Tourism since then? What would you like to see in the next 20 years?
Indigenous Tourism is now on the map and independent travellers, local residences, corporations, community organizations and schools are all aware of the services and experiences available to them through Indigenous tour companies and we are at the forefront of this expanded relationship. Indigenous people have a lot to offer our communities.
When you are not busy leading Talaysay Tours, what might we find you getting up to?
I love to paddle kayak and SUP and I take time in my week to edit a novel that involves Indigenous characters. I am very excited about this project. It is an incredible story, working title, Woven Deep, that spans generations and includes both Europe, Canada and more specifically the Inlets and Indigenous people here on the West Coast. The story is rich with incredible characters and as an Indigenous woman, I like to see my ancestors and elders portrayed in history in their complexity and ingenuity in adapting to the changes through our shared history.
What lies ahead for Talaysay Tours as tourism demand recovers and we look towards a strong 2022 season?
Talaysay Tours will continue offering Indigenous Experiences and we are now expanding more formally in offering wellness and women's experiences.
We commit our time and resources to train both indigenous young adults and indigenous members who had not grown up in their indigenous communities to learn their history and culture and function as Indigenous Ambassadors. Our message is Love The Land and our goal is to capacity build the next generation in business, tourism and education employment while we support culture revitalization, land-based education and reclamation.
What are some of your most memorable and proud career highlights to date?
It's a highlight to see some of our cultural ambassadors, over the past 20 years, grow into their own careers, run their own businesses, and raise families.
This is why I know building an indigenous tour business has been worth every bit of sweat and sometimes tears over the years while existing in a sector, Indigenous Tourism, that has transcended its early developments and is now growing significantly.
What summer vacation are you most looking forward to?
If I can hike and kayak with my daughter Talaysay, life is good. She too has a thriving career so time with her is a treat. Summers are busy for us but I do multi-day kayak tours for our company and will later travel in January for three weeks and that will be my summer. I am not sure where I am going to go, possibly Hawaii, Costa Rica or Australia. Anywhere where I can paddle kayak, canoe or SUP I will be very happy. And I always hope to meet a local who belongs to a community and knows and respects the land.
About Candace Campo
Candace, ancestral name xets’emits’a (to always be there), is an Shíshálh (Sechelt) member born and raised on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada. Today, Candace and her family live in the Sḵwxwú7mesh ̱ community in the village of Xwemelch’stn in West Vancouver. Trained as an anthropologist and teacher, sharing outdoor education and culture was made possible by growing up on the land and being taught the stories and history of her people by her parents and elders in the community. Indigenous, Shíshálh language and cultural revitalization are at the height of Candace’s life work. She enjoys the independence of operating her business while making educational, land-based learning films and digital stories. Candace and her spouse Larry have a daughter, a son, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter. The outdoors is where you will find her for work and leisure.