'Life With Gooch’

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‘From a conventional career to the unpredictable world of adventure filmmaking, Alex's journey is one of risk, passion, and self-discovery. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, he reflects on how his early struggles with ADHD and traditional schooling shaped his perspective on life. It was during his time working at a hostel while travelling abroad that his love for creativity and exploration took root. This newfound passion gave him the courage to walk away from a stable job and chase his dream of storytelling through film.’

Background

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Born and raised in a typical middle-class family in Sydney suburbia. My mum was a school teacher and my dad an accountant, neither were outdoors people, so we never did anything especially adventurous. I did, however, play a lot of sports. Mostly Australian sports, Rugby in the winter, and cricket in the summer. I loved team sports, there was something about the camaraderie, the special bond you had with your teammates. You relied on them and they relied on you.

I was quietly competitive and realised from a young age that being the best version of myself mattered to me, but only when it was something I cared about. School fell into the category of things I did not care about. 

School was generally an unhappy time for me. I had friends and thrived socially, but was plagued by serious concentration issues and could never absorb information the way it was disseminated in a classroom setting. I endured a crippling combination of inability to focus and memory like a sieve. I have many typical traits of both ADHD. These traits can cause people to think that you don’t care enough to remember what they said or you’re not smart and that hurts.

Over the years I’ve come up with systems and processes to counteract these traits, like a daily diary, a meticulous calendar and checklists on how to do everything, from telling a story to editing an adventure. I need structure or I’ll never get anything done. Struggling in a classroom setting frustrated me, so naturally, I rebelled, getting into all sorts of trouble.

My interests were always outside of the classroom. I was insatiably curious about people, what they did and why they did what they did. Outside of my core group of friends at school (who are still my closest friends today) I had a wide and diverse network of friends, from different schools, backgrounds, and places. 

I've always felt jealous of people who knew who they were and what they wanted to be from a young age. I think I was more of a chameleon in my personality and had a ‘try everything’ approach to see what I liked doing, which included trying drugs at an early age. 

I always envied creative people, but thought the ability to write or draw was something you were born with. Doing something creative for a living never occurred to me as a possibility, but I always knew deep down that being creative was something that appealed to me.

Like most people, I thought that artists were special or at least different from me. I figured they were born with talent or skill that was unattainable for a regular person like me. With that in mind, I pursued the only thing I thought I could do - Real Estate. All you needed was a quick wit, a smooth tongue and some hustle and you’d be fine, or so I thought. As soon as I finished high school I went out and got a job in Residental Real Estate in one of Sydney's most affluent suburbs. And that’s how my business career began.

 What prompted you to leave your career in real estate to pursue adventure filmmaking, and how did you prepare for such a significant change?

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My view of the world beyond school was narrow. I never knew of any musicians, writers or filmmakers who made a living from their craft, so it never occurred to me that it was even possible. I figured that when you leave school you get a job, save money, buy a house, have kids - that sort of thing.

So that was the path I set out on. It wasn’t until I went travelling overseas in my early 20s that I was exposed to new ways of thinking and living. I ended up working at a Hostel in Budapest for 9 months, which exposed me to all kinds of different people who lived on the fringes. They were my kind of people. Wild and free. They didn’t conform to social norms and constructs. It was the first time I felt I was surrounded by people who were like me.

That’s when the seed was first planted that maybe a career in real estate wasn’t for me, but I wasn’t ready to answer my ‘call to adventure’ yet. I was still afraid. I was afraid of what people would think of me. How would people react if I quit a promising and lucrative career in real estate to chase an undefined dream with a lofty goal? 

When I came back from overseas my friend helped me land a job in one of the world's leading commercial real estate companies. I was back in the business world and I found it thrilling at first. I worked with high-net-worth individuals and had all the financial opportunities at my fingertips if I worked hard. I felt challenged and important. But over time I started to feel more and more like an imposter. I didn’t hate my job, but I felt out of place in an office environment. I felt restricted, like a caged animal.

I couldn’t express myself in the corporate world. There’s a certain decorum, things you can and can’t say, things you can and can’t do. To wear the facade of the office worker wore me down. I knew there was something else out there for me. I just had to find what it was. 

I knew I liked culture, people and travel, and every year I went to the BANFF mountain film festival when it arrived on Australian shores. The adventure films resonated with me in a way that nothing else in my life did. I felt instinctively like I understood how they made their films (I didn’t) and that I could do what they were doing with enough tenacity. Each year the call to adventure grew stronger and the desire to break free of the shackles of the business world consumed me.

Finally, after one particularly inspiring year at the film festival, I decided enough was enough. As the final credits ran up the projector and people started to shift in their seats and shuffle toward the exit, I made a promise to myself “Alex, No matter what happens you are leaving your job and you’re chasing the dream of becoming an adventure filmmaker. Start now”. 

It took me around 6 months to slowly transition out of the real estate industry and to set up my next move, which was to dip my toe in content creation by heading to Central America and starting a podcast. It was all done discreetly as I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. People don’t leave a stable job with all the financial opportunities in the world when they’re almost 30 to start over again.

I knew people wouldn’t understand and I didn’t want their reaction to suck the energy out of my dream and make me second-guess myself. I was lucky as I had supportive parents and friends and had no major financial commitments. 

Most people would be surprised to learn how difficult it is to extricate yourself from big business. I had deals I was involved in, fees that I had to walk away from, a business partner and a team. It’s not easy to let people down and walk away. It was hard, but the most important things in life are. In the end, the call to adventure was too strong. I felt like I didn’t have a choice. No matter where I was or what I was doing the pull toward being an adventure filmmaker would have won. 

The call to adventure is that little voice in your head that tells you to write, paint, run, draw, and knit. That voice that tells you to break free and explore, that voice that yearns for self-expression, self-actualisation. My calling spoke to me. The signs were always there telling me which direction I needed to go - all I had to do was pay attention. It’s never too late to answer the call. 

You mentioned feeling at odds with who you were during your time in real estate. Can you elaborate on this feeling and how it motivated your journey?

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I feel like a lot of us are stuck in jobs or roles where we’re living at odds with who we are. Without any life experience, we walk out of school and into a career. How can you know what you want to do with your life when you don’t even know who you are? Yet, that’s what we do, we commit ourselves to lifelong professions when we’re 18. Sometimes it works, often it doesn’t. 

I just want to clarify that I don’t think that a business career is bad. I have many friends who love their business jobs. It’s just the example I use because it’s what happened to me. It could be a construction worker, shelve packer or a writer, it could be any profession.

I chased money and material possessions, hoping they’d make me feel better or fill that empty void. I quickly found myself stuck in the hampster wheel of big business, entrenched in the corporate world. I felt like an imposter. That I didn’t belong. That I was destined for something else.

I was afraid to leave and start something new. Afraid that people will think I’m a failure or a loser. Afraid of the unknown. Self-doubt loves this juncture. It’ll do everything it can to stop you. What if we fail? What if the new career doesn’t pay well? What will people think? Fear is the threshold guardian, fear is what keeps people from answering their call to adventure. 

This ‘answering the call’ lives at the centre of everything I create. In my writing, and my filmmaking, it’s all about helping people answer their own ‘call to adventure’, to break free and live a life according to their nature, to do something meaningful.

What does being a self-shooting filmmaker entail, and how do you balance the creative and technical aspects of your work?

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Being a self-shooter was born out of necessity. I couldn’t afford a cameraman, producer or editor. As a one-man band, I’m responsible for hosting, and getting the shots while ensuring the story is being captured. It is the ultimate challenge and pushes me to my absolute limits. A typical day on an adventure would start before sunrise to get a golden hour drone shot, followed by a day of hosting/producing/filming/surviving, and then staying up late ingesting and watching the daily rushes. It takes an extreme amount of dedication and is only possible if you truly love it. I think the only way to create something great is to love it, otherwise, you’ll never go the extra mile it takes.

Having sound technical ability allows me to be more creative. Once I know what shots I need and how to get them it allows me to play around with angles, aspects, frame rates, lighting and audio. My style is quite rough and unpolished as I want the audience to feel as if they’re right there with me. I try and be as genuine as I can in all my creative pursuits as I think it strengthens the bond between me and the audience. 

I am somewhat limited in what I can achieve due to being a self-shooter, which is probably a good thing. It narrows my choices and forces me to get the shot rather than overthinking it. 

Lots of the creativity happens through storytelling in the editing suite from the safety of my makeshift (spare bedroom) office. I draw inspiration from everything I watch from Disney movies to Political Documentaries. 

You noted that you aren’t an athlete and face many challenges during your adventures. Can you share some specific obstacles you’ve encountered and how you overcame them?

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I am just an ordinary guy. I started going on adventures in my late 20’s. I’m not fit and I don’t have any special skills. I like that I represent the average person. I hope the viewers can see themselves reflected in me and maybe they’ll think “If this guy can do it then so can I”. 

I’ve faced all manner of physical challenges, from riding across the Australian outback during 41-degree Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) days to trekking through snowstorms alone and getting lost on the Ganges at night in my pack raft. Overcoming every obstacle is mental. That’s all it is. I know that with enough grit and willpower, I can overcome just about anything. All I have to do is keep going. It’s about letting go of fear of the unknown and embracing the situation you’re in. Everything is in the mind. 

How does Joseph Campbell’s quote, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek,” resonate with your experiences? Can you provide an example of a fear you confronted during your adventures?

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The quote says it all - facing your fears will set you free. By answering the ‘call to adventure’, you’ll find yourself on a journey with many obstacles, tests and problems to solve. In the process of overcoming those obstacles you learn and grow as a person and that’s the beauty of answering your call. It doesn’t matter whether or not you achieve your goal in the end. By being on the journey you’ll learn and grow in ways that you never imagined.

Fear dictates everything we do. I made a decision a while back that I was never going to let fear stop me from doing something. To me, living a life in fear wasn’t a life worth living. It’s usually fear of the unknown rather than fear of the thing itself. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

This proved true on my rafting journey down the Ganges. I was almost always alone and never knew what was up ahead. There could be bandits, crocodiles; anything. I was terrified for the first week or two, but soon realised that the crocodiles didn’t even bother to look my way when I passed by and the only people I’d run into were kind and caring. It’s only by leaning into your fears that you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for. 

You mentioned that each successful adventure brings you closer to realizing your dreams. How do you define success in your personal and professional life?

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This is a difficult question. If you asked me every two years, I’d give you a different answer every time.

I used to poo-poo the thought of money as success, but I’ve grown to realise that while we may not need a lot to live, we do need some to survive in this world.

Personally, I think being able to live the life of an adventure filmmaker while maintaining healthy relationships with my partner, friends and family is the height of success. My community is the most important thing to me. 

Professionally, I think what all creatives want is to have an audience they can serve and to be recognised by their peers. That's a definition of success that hasn’t changed for me.

Can you describe your solo expedition down the Ganges? What motivated you to undertake such a challenging journey, and what were some of the highlights?

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Many filmmakers have done the same old adventures to death - ala Mount Everest climb. I wanted to show the landscape and uncover the local culture of somewhere relatively obscure and unique. A 30-day packrafting adventure down the Ganges offered a genuine challenge for me. There was almost no information on travelling down the Ganges by boat. 

The highlights were the people I met along the way. They have a saying there “Atithi Devo Bhava” Which means ‘Guest is God’. I was immediately welcomed into homes and ashrams as soon as I arrived at the banks of a village. The hospitality was overwhelming. I made a lot of special friends over there. I find that spectacular scenery is wonderful and every place you travel you’ll see a landscape that blows you away, but the memories that stick with you forever are the interactions with the local people. 

During your travels, how do you engage with the cultures you encounter, and what have you learned about the places you visit?

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I try and engage each culture with an open mind and a smile.

I’ve learned that no matter where you go, people generally have the same wants and needs. If you treat people with respect they will reciprocate. It is hard sometimes when the culture has many esoteric customs and rules. That’s when a local guide comes in handy. People usually want to show you their culture, whether that be through food, art or rituals. I’m always willing to participate and will try and immerse myself as deeply as I can. People appreciate it when you embrace their culture and there’s always something to learn. 

In India, I was shocked (in a good way) at how spiritual their culture is. Every aspect of daily life revolves around god and spirituality. You see it everywhere, murals on every wall, in the way people dress, in their homes, puja (offerings) on alters in the streets and the morning and evening prayer that blasts out speakers through every town no matter how small. It blew me away. I had a similar experience in Nepal. It fascinates me how similar all religions are.

What upcoming projects or adventures are you most excited about, and how do you envision them contributing to your growth as a filmmaker?

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I’m going to try and do some smaller adventures so I can deliver more content. I’m based in Australia, so local adventures here or New Zealand are most likely. I also have a big horseback trip in Kyrgyzstan I'm putting together. 

Each time I head out into the field I get to flex my camera, storytelling, interviewing and hosting skills, which I love. It’s all about forging the craft. At the moment, I just want to continue to grow so I can tell interesting stories, deliver quality content and hopefully inspire at least one or two people to answer their call to adventure. 

What advice would you give to someone who dreams of pursuing a similar path but feels hesitant to take the first step?

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As the great Goethe said: “Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” That quote is something I’ve found to be true time and again. 

I’d also say that by taking the first step, without knowing it, you’ll set in motion a series of events in the universe that will take you somewhere beyond what you ever imagined. 

Rather than people looking down on you or judging you, you’ll be celebrated and admired for being brave and having the tenacity to pursue something you believe in. 

Whatever you’re feeling toward the situation, always choose the option that doesn't result in regret. Nothing is worse than regret. 

Reflecting on your journey so far, what are the most important lessons you've learned about yourself and the world around you?

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Some lessons that have stuck with me:

• If you answer your call to adventure the universe will conspire to help you. Over the years, time and time again, just when I thought I was going to run out of money or find myself at an insurmountable obstacle during an adventure, something always came along and gave me what I needed. Trust in the universe. 

• The world isn’t as scary as I thought. People are, for the most part, nice everywhere you go. The news rarely gives an accurate representation of a country.

• A smile will take you a long way

• Procrastination and resistance will fight you at every turn. Make sure you fight back and finish the book, adventure, painting, or whatever it is that’s important to you. 

Words of Wisdom 

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The Call to Adventure can take many forms—an opportunity, a discovery, small signs from the universe, or even that quiet, persistent voice urging you to make a change. The more you listen, the louder it becomes and the further you travel down the path, the more you uncover your true self.

To continue following our explorers Alex Ugartes journey or simply want to reach out and say Hi, you can connect with them on the following accounts:

Instagram

@lifewithgooch

Youtube

@LifeWithGooch

Web

https://www.alexugarte.com/

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