Building Business Across Borders and Cultures

This post is part of "The Entrepreneur's Safari" – a series of candid reflections exploring the entrepreneurial journey building a safari business with a Kenyan business partner alongside lessons learned from leadership and business development.

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The International Partnership: Building Business Across Borders and Cultures

When Anthony and I decided to create Complete Safaris together, I initially envisioned registering the business in Kenya, where tourism is flourishing. It seemed logical—Kenya was our destination focus, Anthony was based there, and the market was growing rapidly.

Then reality set in. After consultations with international lawyers through Shippensburg and Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center (SBDC), I faced a sobering truth: managing a cross-border business as a new entrepreneur would be extraordinarily complex—potentially overwhelming the very venture I was passionate about.

This realization led to an unexpected solution that's become one of our greatest strengths: establishing Complete Safaris as separate entities in both countries, with each of us serving as expert advisors to the other.

The Dual Perspective Advantage

What began as a pragmatic legal solution has evolved into a distinctive competitive advantage. Our structure gives us authentic insights from both perspectives:

• From Kenya, Anthony brings 30+ years of on-the-ground expertise, relationships with the best properties, and intimate knowledge of wildlife patterns and conservation efforts.

• From America, I bring understanding of U.S. traveler expectations, marketing insights for our target demographic, and the ability to create culturally resonant experiences.

• Together, we bridge two worlds in ways that enhance every safari we create.

The Business Insight: Adaptation Outperforms Idealism

The entrepreneurial journey rarely follows our initial vision. The path from concept to execution is filled with unexpected obstacles and required compromises.

What I've learned is that success often comes not from rigidly adhering to our original plan, but from creatively adapting when faced with reality.

Had I insisted on my original vision of a single international company, Complete Safaris might have collapsed under the weight of regulatory complexity before hosting a single guest. By pivoting to a dual-entity model, we transformed a potential barrier into a unique strength.

My Strategic and Futuristic strengths (top traits in my StrengthsFinder assessment) initially drove me to envision an integrated international business. But real success came when I tempered these visionary tendencies with practical adaptation—creating a structure that works in the real world, not just in concept.

The Bridge Between Cultures

Beyond the business structure, our partnership creates a cultural bridge that enhances every safari experience. Anthony interprets Kenya through a lens Americans can relate to, while I help ensure American expectations are understood and met within the Kenyan context.

This cultural translation goes far beyond logistics. It enables us to create experiences that feel simultaneously authentic to Kenya and comfortable for American travelers—addressing unspoken concerns before they arise and highlighting aspects of Kenyan culture that might otherwise go unappreciated.

Your Turn

Have you ever had to significantly adapt your business model from your original vision? How did that enforced change ultimately benefit your venture in unexpected ways?

Continue Your Complete Safaris Journey

 If you enjoyed this exploration of international business partnership, you might also appreciate diving deeper into our Kenya safari experiences. Discover why we believe off-season is actually the smart traveler's secret for experiencing Kenya's wildlife without the crowds. Or learn about the fascinating cultural heritage of Kenya through Karen Blixen's lasting impact on the country's history and tourism. Whether you're curious about business insights or planning your own Kenya adventure, I invite you to continue exploring the stories that make Complete Safaris and Kenya itself so extraordinary.