In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.
What is your name?
Nathan Cooney
What do you always find yourself saying?
“That was a good time!”
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Richard Branson. I’ve always loved the fact that he’s a brilliant businessman, visionary, and a ‘mogul’ yet seems to have been able to maintain his focus on enjoying life and is a true adventurer as well. I would love to spend a day hearing about his favorite moments and lessons learned so far and… hopefully work in a little adventure/excitement.
If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Unfortunately I tend to shy away from recognition or accolades so that’s a tough one! I think it would be great to be recognized by the people who work for me, or have worked for me over the years, simply for having a positive impact on their lives in some way.
If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Strange but I’ve always thought it would be amazing to spend a day with just an average person from three or four hundred years ago. We can research and find info on all sorts of high profile individuals throughout history, I’d like to hear about life in that era from someone a little more ‘normal’. Everyone’s got a great story to tell.
Who inspires you?
Anyone who maintains a positive outlook on life and seeks to experience things in life with the sole intention of bettering themselves in some way. Kids tend to just naturally have the most amazing outlook on life that can be inspiring, but I have also met adults who have been able to hang on to that sense of enthusiasm and wonder. That’s inspiring to me.
What are three things on your bucket list?
I’m fascinated with big wave surfing and while I’ll never ride one (not a surfer…), I want to be in the water close to a large set, just to hear and feel the power of a truly enormous wave
To summit a decent mountain. Nothing too extreme, just a climb that would give a big sense of accomplishment…and an amazing view. Every time I’m through our backyard, the Rockies, I scold myself for not pursuing that one more aggressively as it’s relatively easily attained
To take the train across Canada. We live in a truly amazing country and I think it would be great to see it in that way.
If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
Possibly “Nate’s Canoe” but more likely “For Sale”. Ha ha.
If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
I like not knowing what’s going to happen next.
What are you passionate about?
Experiences. I’ve never backed down from an opportunity to experience something new and have always been happy with the results.
What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
The day my daughter was born (followed very closely by the day my son was born of course but she was the first and it blew me away).
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
My wife and I moved to Dubai, UAE with our kids to pursue an opportunity and a life experience. It was a life changer for sure and was definitely an ‘all in’ kind of move. I’m proud that we seized the opportunity and pushed ourselves to make a change of that scale.
Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
I don’t know if it really hits as ‘dining’ but Kelly O’s is a staple go-to place for me. Great place to get together with friends. And I love those Pachos!.
What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
We have it all here so anything that gets me outside is sure to be a good way to spend the day. I’m not meaning to make a ‘plug’ here but a day on the Monkido Ropes Course at WildPlay is awesome. I could do that over and over.
What is the name of your business/organization?
WildPlay Element Parks
What does your business/organization do?
We provide an opportunity for people of all ages to get back to the primal art of play. To get outside and ‘Taste the Dirt’ and ‘Evolve the Human’ by pushing themselves on the Monkido High Ropes Course, The DragonFly ZipLines, and for the adrenaline seeker – the Primal Swing and a few new elements we’re introducing shortly (Stay tuned! They’ll be a good time!).
Where can people find you or your business online?
www.wildplay.com
How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Nathan Cooney
Where can people find your business on Facebook?
WildPlay Element Parks Kelowna
What is your Twitter account?
@wildplayparks
What is your mission?
“At WildPlay we seek to engage people in active adventure experiences, where they are challenged to evolve beyond their self-perceived limits. Through the element of play, we give people the opportunity to be as active as possible in their daily lives”
If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
I want to continue the trend of people being genuinely enthused about the park whenever they meet me and hear what I do for work (play?). I want to see ‘WildPlay’ become a household name and destination for fun.
Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
I want WildPlay to be well established as the go-to destination of choice for not only these sorts of adventure activities, but generally for a good day outdoors. The company has exciting growth plans as well and I look forward to being a part of establishing the brand and activity in many new markets that haven’t yet been exposed to what it is we’re doing.
Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
Tom Benson, Chief Experience Officer, WildPlay Element Parks. He has a fantastic vision for the group and for what the experience at WildPlay (and any adventure park for that matter) should be.
What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Fun
Accomplishment
Social Awareness
What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Thank you and keep up the amazing work. You guys make WildPlay a fantastic experience for everyone who visits us!
How does your business/organization impact the community?
We have created an activity that gets people outdoors and active. We live in a natural wonderland and it’s fantastic to provide people with a fun way to get out and be a part of it. One of our core values is “Share the Fruit”. We believe heavily in being active in the community and in contributing to bettering the people and neighborhoods we are connected with.
If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
I would like at least one of them to be ‘out in right field’. I love it when people are able to throw wild ideas around without fear of ridicule. Some ideas will definitely be… ridiculous… but odds are at least one will be brilliant. I would just share the Vision, Mission, and Values for WildPlay and see what he/she came up with for wild concepts. Marketing for sure. Business is all about connecting with people and a marketing genius gets it done in fantastic ways. WildPlay is such a fun business and the potential for fun marketing work is huge. I believe an investor with a marketing background would see the great opportunities to create fun marketing strategies to drive the business. I would again discuss who we are and what we’re looking to accomplish, share a few ideas of my own and hopefully be able to pry a few good ones out of them. The outdoors/physical activity. WildPlay naturally attracts those with a passion for the outdoors. An investor with that passion would quickly ‘get’ what we are all about, understand our business plan, and be a valuable cheerleader for us.
If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
The number of sunny days in the winter! Summers, as we all know, are incredible here and the winters are mild but I could do with less of the socked in cloudy periods through the winter. That’s a small price to pay though for everything else we get!
What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Aside from the natural beauty of it and the weather? There are so many people here who are passionate about living life to the fullest. You don’t meet many people who are overly stressed and frustrated here. I’ve lived in a number of large cities and it’s so common to come across people who are simply not enjoying their lives. I love that there isn’t so much of that here. People in the business community are very eager to work together here and there is a genuinely ‘supportive’ vibe that is so great.
My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Rick Davis, Landmark Cinemas 8 West Kelowna and Meagan Noel, Investors Group.
Some general comments I would like to share are:
I left Kelowna back in 2003 for an opportunity in Calgary and then was overseas as well. I’m so glad to be back in one of the most amazing areas in Canada (if not THE most amazing). Looking forward to seeing everyone out at WildPlay!
We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!
