I’ve known him from the age of 12 and knew something was going to become of this man that build a name for himself by just doing what he loves. He travels to more than 15 countries each year and has tried pretty much every cuisine in the world. (no wonder that he’s opening up his own restaurant soon) Time to interview the guy that makes his dreams come true! This is the Wanderlust of.. Ron Simpson.
Hi Ron! Or Mr. Simpson as many call you, could you please tell our readers who you are what you do?
Hahaha sure thing! Well you can call me anything, but my mother named me Ron and the Simpson part comes from my father, he’s English. I’m a creative entrepreneur from Amsterdam that tries to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. I could never choose what I wanted to be, so I just blended all the stuff I liked [People, Music, Brands, Movies, Food, Art] and made a way of life out of it. I started working on my own concepts and ideas quite young and after a bunch of fun and eventful years I own a few businesses of my own. Like a talent management agency for artists, actors and awesome people, a brand marketing company that works with innovative multinational brands like Red Bull and an event production company that creates a 100+ events and parties a year. And o yeah, a restaurant too.
Ron (left) almost forgot to mention that he used to perform with Girls Love DJ’s for many years
You travel the world for your job but it seems like you caught the wanderlust virus way before that, how come?
That is something I have to thank my parents for I guess. We moved countries a few times when I was a kid, so I got to see the deserts and the sea, the city and the country, hear different languages, eat different foods and meet so many people. I was always intrigued and interested about all the wonders that this world has to offer. Next to that I loved music, movies and magazines. Seeing, hearing and discovering all of the beautiful things that were going on in the world it was just a matter of time before I decided to go out and see them all. My first jobs as well as my first companies had international allure and I always hustled hard to make sure I got to go on trips for school, work or pleasure. It makes my heart smile to see that after all these years my parents are traveling the world together as well.
Ron was in Montreal recently and shot this amazing foto
Favorite destination by far?
No traveler can pick just one place right? I remember being super impressed, the first time I got to see and experience New York. But the biggest surprise as a city came from Buenos Aires. The vibe, the architecture, the food, the dancing, the people. Bali was the first place that gave me the feeling I really NEVER EVER wanted to go home again and Tokyo is the most inspiring environment ever. After all these years, I still can’t pick just one thing hahaha.
Which countries are still on your bucketlist and why?
Australia! For some unknown reason, we still haven’t met each other. The wildlife, the nature, the city, the food, the people but mostly THE ACCENTS. Ushuaia and the south-pole are on the list too, I think that is breath taking and want to see it before we destroy it :(. And a roadtrip from Colombia up to Belize is the last one on my list. There is so much culture and nature to discover there. After these I have seen my original wishlist and hit over 60+ countries. Then I will go where ever my life, love, friends and work lead me.
Ron in the Seychelles
Besides travel, we know you have a huge crush on food. (like us!) Could you tell us 3 hotspots in the world we should visit when it comes to delicious food?
O yeah, food is my compass most of the time. This is so hard to pick wow, but let’s see. I will stay away from the captain obvious ones like New York, London, Paris, Madrid and Toscane or anything you see on Chef’s Table. And I would recommend you to go and eat at the streetfood market in Kuala Lumpur, literally pick ANY restaurant or food festival in Montreal or “open a table” at Itzik Hagadol in Tel Aviv.
“Travelling and internet doesn’t just show you the beautiful stuff of life, it opens up the book of horrors too” – Ron Simpson
Palmtrees for breakfast
You’ve recently had a new outlook on the way we consume (food, products etc), do you worry about what’s happening to our earth more so if you look 5 years back?
O absolutely. Travelling and internet doesn’t just show you the beautiful stuff of life, it opens up the book of horrors too. I am way better informed about food, the environment, politics, threats and global warming. But I also know what we can do about it, and I think that everyone needs to discover that in their own way. A vegan person could never convince me to become a vegan or vegetarian. The only person that is strong enough to do that is me. I can convince myself. But I have to want to. So you listen and you learn, you talk to people and watch content all over the place. Eventually it starts to nag you and you decide that changing the world starts by changing yourself first. 5 years ago my main focus was just having as much fun as I can.
Do you prefer to travel solo or with friends?
I prefer to travel light, so not a lot of luggage and not a lot of people. When I am out discovering the world I like to move at a faster pace, follow my interests and path, so +1 is my favorite. And if a group of friends do join me then I love to be in a place that you don’t need to discover but you can just sit back and enjoy. Like Ibiza or Bali.
What song can we definitely find on your travel playlist?
It’s funny, but I always have The Opposites with me. It’s a Dutch pop / hiphop duo that make brilliant music. I usually listen to songs and sounds of where ever I am, really get into the place that I’m visiting, so when I do listen to something that I brought with me, it will be a little bit of home.
What can we expect from Ron Simpson or your agency in 2017?
Well, both have a great year to come as far as I know. Even though it was a successful year, I didn’t like 2016 a lot. Negative energy and bad things ruled the focus, but next year you can expect a LOT of food [opening up a restaurant and some more cool food brands too], a lot of traveling again [the first 12 trips have been confirmed and I might just go on another world tour], filming overseas with a a client, traveling and writing a book with another, a few pretty big brand campaigns and a lot of great events to bring people together. And I’m in love since a long time, so you can expect a big smile on my face wherever I go.
Oh wow, in love, who would have thought! 😉 The last question we always ask everybody in this segment; what kind of traveler are you? (explorer, backpacker, glampacker, luxury etc)
I’m a chameleon. I can explore a city or a country and I can lay on my ass for a week. I can stay in a five star resort and then get bored and jump in a camper. I wouldn’t call myself a backpacker or a luxury guy, so I guess the label that fits the best would be: an enjoyer. Getting the most out of every situation.
Love,
Wander-lust
Curious who we interviewed previously?