How To Thrive in Uncertainty: 4 Lessons from 7 Years in the Wilderness

 

By Eduard Brink, an EO Europe Bridge chapter member who is the founder of Brink Light and a co-host of the Love, Not Fear podcast. Brink is also a host and organizer of the virtual EO Global AI Summit #3: Beyond Theory, AI At Work, which will take place on 27 February 2025 (EO members register free).

 

Imagine walking away from everything you know—business, technology, modern convenience—to live in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on your back and the skills you can teach yourself. For us entrepreneurs, that's an unthinkable scenario. After all, we thrive on structure, innovation, and pushing the limits of what is possible in business.

Yet, when Miriam Lancewood shared her experiences on the Love, Not Fear podcast, it became clear that her time in the wild holds lessons far beyond survival skills. Miriam and her husband, Peter, spent seven years living off the land in the remote mountains of New Zealand, completely untethered from modern life. She hunted her food, navigated nature's unpredictability, and embraced the raw simplicity of existence.

4 Entrepreneurial Lessons from 7 Years in the Wilderness

As EO members, we might not trade boardrooms for the backcountry, but Miriam's insights on grounding, presence, and resilience are directly relevant to how we lead, create, and make decisions.

1. The Illusion of Control vs. the Power of Adaptability

Entrepreneurs love to optimize. We build systems, set goals, and measure KPIs. But the truth is, no matter how much we plan, uncertainty is always part of the game. Miriam's life in the wilderness was a daily exercise in adapting. Some days, hunting was successful; other days, she went hungry. Instead of fearing the unknown, she learned to work with it, not against it.
Like the wilderness, the entrepreneurial landscape is unpredictable—markets shift, industries evolve, and unexpected crises arise. The leaders who thrive aren’t the ones who resist change but those who embrace it with curiosity. So, how can we practice adapting instead of clinging to outdated plans? And what would it look like to trust ourselves in uncertainty rather than trying to control every outcome?

2. Trading Busy for Presence

Every EO member knows the feeling of a packed agenda—back-to-back meetings, rapid scaling, international travel, and a never-ending to-do list. It’s easy to equate busyness with progress, but Miriam’s life in the wild followed a different rhythm dictated by the seasons, the sun, and the moment’s needs. With no emails to check or artificial deadlines to meet, she experienced a level of presence that brought clarity, creativity, and a rare sense of peace. While we may not trade our businesses for a tent in the mountains, we can reclaim moments of stillness. So, how often do we breathe before jumping to the next task? And what would building “white space” into our schedules look like—not as a luxury, but as a necessity?

3. Nature as the Ultimate Mentor

Miriam’s story highlights something we instinctively know but often forget: nature can reset us. Stepping outside, even briefly, can shift our perspective in ways that no spreadsheet or strategy session ever could. Think about the last time you had a breakthrough idea. Was it sitting at your desk, on a hike, in the shower, or during a moment of unexpected stillness? Our best ideas come when we’re not forcing them. Miriam’s experience underscores the value of reconnecting with nature as a weekend escape and a way to recalibrate our thinking.

My conversation with her brought two important considerations to mind:
•    What if our best business strategies don't come from more work but from more stillness?
•    How can we use nature to gain clarity instead of constantly seeking external validation?

Miriam learned to live with almost nothing—and found that she was happier for it. She let go of physical and mental excess, stripping life down to its essentials. Entrepreneurs are wired to build, grow, and scale, but often, more doesn't mean better. Sometimes, the real game-changer isn’t the next big thing—it’s simplifying, cutting the noise, and focusing only on what truly matters.

To that end, consider:
•    What in your business (or life) is weighing you down more than serving you?
•    Where could you create more by doing less?

4. Fear vs. Trust: The Heart of Every Decision

At the core of Miriam’s story is a powerful theme: choosing love over fear. When she left her conventional life behind, fear could have easily kept her stuck—fear of failure, discomfort, or the unknown. Instead, she leaned into trust.

As entrepreneurs, we face this choice daily. Do we make decisions based on fear—fear of losing, fear of competition, fear of what people will think? Or do we operate from trust—trust in our vision, process, and ability to figure it out?

Ask yourself:

•    What’s one decision you’re making right now from a place of fear? 
•    What would change if you chose trust instead?

3 Ways to Apply Wilderness Wisdom to Entrepreneurship

You don’t need to live off the grid to learn from Miriam’s experience. The principles of grounding, presence, adaptability, and minimalism apply to every high-performing leader.
Try this:

1. Ground yourself daily. Connect with something tangible, whether a 15-minute walk, a breath of fresh air or simply pausing before a meeting.
2. Question the need for more. Do you need that extra project, meeting, or commitment? What would happen if you let go?
3. Embrace uncertainty. Next time you face an unknown, instead of reacting with stress, see it as an adventure—like surviving in the wild.

Miriam's journey reminds us that success isn’t about adding—it’s about refining. It’s about stripping away what doesn’t serve us so we can focus on what does. And maybe, just maybe, the clarity we’re searching for isn’t found in doing more—but in stepping outside, breathing deeply, and remembering that we, too, are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

So, EOers: What's your version of the wilderness? And are you brave enough to go there?