INT E R V I E W W I TH ( JEN ) JO H A N ERN ST NILSON – E XP LORE R – SP E AKE R – P HOT OGRA P HE R
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wedish Press recently caught up with Johan while he was in the Silicon Valley in early May giving a lecture at Facebook HQ. Here is a summary of the interview – the full interview can be found online at www. Swedishpress/JEN. What do you actually do? This may be a little hard to explain and my parents sometimes ask the same question. Basically I travel around the world and give lectures and the main message is “turning the impossible into something possible”. I have done 32 expeditions and have visited 142 countries, met numerous people and cultures and solved a lot of problems while on different expeditions. I also do photography, write books, produce TV shows and do charity work. My core business however, is being a motivational speaker.
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Making the Impossible Possible!
[ [ Johan Ernst Nilson is one of the world’s leading explorers with over 30 expeditions and 142 countries under his belt. Among his many achievements, Johan scaled the peaks of the Seven Summits in 2008, and in 2012 finished his year-long journey from the North Pole to the South Pole. Between his adventures, Johan is a renowned motivational speaker and ambassador for numerous organizations, sharing his experiences while inspiring others to accomplish their goals regardless of their nature.
How did you get started? When I was fifteen while watching TV one day, I saw a musician play piano, which sounded fantastic. I asked my mum if I could play like that. She said it’s a little tricky to play like Elton John but if you focus, practice, stay motivated and practice more, it can be done. So I made a bet with myself – that within three years I would be paid to play the piano. After three years I reached my goal to become a concert pianist and have continued to play the piano professionally for many years. A few years later a friend challenged me by asking if I could make the impossible possible in another field, not just in music? We made a bet about biking to the Sahara from Sweden. Within a week I got a bike and a tent and started biking to the Sahara. After a week I was really struggling – would I give up? Never! Was I thinking about
