We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dale Cody. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dale below.
Dale, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
I think my generosity is the product of several related factors. The first is the role model I had in my family and friends, particularly my parents. They came from a background of some poverty combined with a strong work ethic. Whatever they had was shared with everyone including strangers no matter the cost to themselves.
The other factor influencing me has been via the people I have met through travel. This has been especially impactful in some of the more developing nations I’ve visited. An example I like to relate I call “The Richest Man in Asia.” In Cambodia I hired a Tuk-Tuk Driver to take me around the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat for several days. Although I paid him more than his asking rate, it was still to me a very low wage comparatively. He never stopped smiling, was unceasingly optimistic and even bought me a soft drink at our first roadside stop. Here was a man who had almost no personal wealth, who had lost most of his family in the Khmer Rouge Genocide and the bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War and yet was happy, generous, and held no grudges against anyone. An amazingly generous and happy person in all respects. That is what I consider true wealth.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m curious about and interested in almost everything.
I guess I’ve always been an artist although my outlets for creative expression have also been varied. I drew on the walls with crayons as a toddler and later in an endless parade of sketchbooks and giant sheets of paper. I idolized the cartoonists at MAD Magazine, and it wasn’t until high school that my passions turned more to serious art and illustration. I wrote stories to entertain friends and classmates, but it wasn’t until years later that I began to see my work published. Photography has been a passion, but I didn’t get serious about it until around 10 years ago, initially following a trip around the world and then continuing the journey by car across America. At some point I got a relatively high-end used DLSR camera and learned everything I could about it. I’ve mostly been interested in landscapes and wildlife. It’s still rare to see people in my photos although I have photographed people for commercial jobs.
I discovered rock climbing in high school many years ago when it was very much a counterculture thing to do. Very few people climbed back then, and I was fortunate to know and climb with some of the best climbers alive during that period. I still climb although most of my partners are now either deceased or retired from climbing. That said, I am currently working on a project with one of my oldest climbing and adventure buddies. We are filming a TV pilot that combines adventure, travel and cultural activities aimed at inspiring older folks to get out and experience their own adventures at whatever level they are able to. Matt and I are both senior citizens with no special attributes other than a passion for experiencing this amazing world and living as fully as we can.
I have published two books so far and am close to having my next two completed. My first published book is an illustrated children’s book. The prose is relatively simple and shares a positive message with compassion and humor. The writing didn’t take too long, but the illustrations just took forever. That said, I loved the process and relished creating all that art. My second book combines some of my poetry with some of my photographs. That’s a very different book and was cathartic and important for my own healing journey. Like many others I think, I don’t typically write poetry when I’m happy. My next two books are very different again so I’m probably not the smartest book marketer out there ha-ha. One is a personal development book, and the other is a memoir of my years working as a Helicopter Rappel Wildland Forest Firefighter. I have more books coming in children’s, poetry/photography, and humor categories. I just need the time to complete those too.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the three most important qualities for me have been an unfailing sense of optimism, the ability to persevere through almost anything and a strong empathy for others.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My parents were both incredible role models in every way you could possibly hope for. They were both very loving, generous and supportive. They both came from very humble beginnings. My dad was the first person in his family to ever go to college. When my sister and I were young, Dad went back to school while working full-time at a mill and in the mines for a brief period. Mom worked at a local drive-in. They sacrificed so very much and never gave up. Dad eventually became an Accountant and although he was very, very good at it, I know he would have been happier working outdoors somewhere doing physical labor of some sort. He gave that up for his family and never complained about anything ever.
Dad was also very funny and everyone who ever met him loved him. He played hockey on a team well into his 70’s and snow skied until he passed away 10 years ago now. I miss him every day. The family took up competitive water skiing at some point and mom eventually became Canadian Senior Women’s Water Ski Champion. She still dreams of being out on the lake skiing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dalecody.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dale_cody/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dale.cody
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalecody/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/dalecody
https://www.dalecodyphoto.com/
Image Credits
All photos of Dale Cody All photos taken by Dale Cody except: Studio photo of Dale By Dell Hambleton Climbing photo of Dale by Karl Herrmann Climbing photo of Dale by Matt MacEachern
