Reptile Entrepreneur Podcast

Summer Winston introduces us to a new vision of the experience that finding a reptile pet companion can be. The SHAP is a reptile pet store in Vallejo, CA and provides education and experiences to go along with picking out your new reptile. Join me and Summer as we explore this vision!

Artificial Intelligence is a reality and represents the latest wave of technology that will either empower you to do more or leave you behind. The first step is to understand what it is. Jonathan Hill of iPardalis works with AI and gives us an introduction to what it is and how it works.

Carolyn Laframboise from FramsChams joins me to discuss the use of websites and social media for reptile breeders. She shares the experience of growing a business through Facebook, Instagram, website, and email. She also shares what happens when your social media account is removed with no warning.

To see what Framschams is up to check out their website at 
https://framschams.com/
If you would like to purchase a chameleon you can get $25 off by using the coupon code ACADEMY.

3D printers have given each of us the ability to manufacture close to any plastic product we can think of. And this gives us powerful capabilities to further our personal reptile husbandry as well as create side businesses. Today I give an introduction to this exciting technology!

It is too easy to get lost in trying to grow our social media accounts that we neglect the true followers of what we do. That serves our social media platform, but doesn't necessarily serve ourselves. Today I talk about how to focus on your purpose and the looming threat of AI which makes this all the more critical of a mindset shift.

Colby Gingles wanted a better light spectrum for his frogs. He ended up designing and manufacturing his own LED light bar and is now selling them through Thrive Ecosystems 
The special thing about entrepreneurs is they make what they want and the rest of us benefit from it!
Today Colby comes on and shares with us what inspired this new design and the ups and downs on how he went about making it a reality.

Frank Payne joins me to discuss his rare lizard breeding business called Living Art by Frank Payne. Through this business he looks to bring new lizard species to the market. In this episode we talk about the challenges surrounding wrapping a business around species that require customer education as to what they are.

Should you get on Threads?
We had a social media shake up this week as Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, launched Threads, a conversation based social media app that sits squarely in the same space as Twitter. This is a detailed overview into how to decide if Threads is a platform that will serve your purpose.

The Threads app from Meta has just been released and it holds promise. In this preliminary review I give you a basic overview of what has happened in the last 48 hours.

How to balance being a breeder and having an  educational outreach!
We in the reptile world often are both part breeder and part influencer. But how would you set up a digital outreach to support both those things at the same time? Today, Ryan Dumas of Rad Reptiles and the Let's Talk Turtles Podcast talks about the beginning stages of putting together a website, blog, podcast, youTube, and Instagram outreach. I then use this as a real world example to discuss scenarios that are often faced in our reptile community.

Sean McNeeley returns to the podcast to share his 2023 outreach goals. Many of us will see ourselves with the same decisions as Sean as to how to structure multiple outreach efforts. One website or three?  One Instagram or three? 

If you create content on a regular basis you will soon run into the problem of keeping your past episodes accessible.  Dan Drobates, the host of the Amphibicast podcast joins me to discuss how he intends to make sure over 100 episodes of solid amphibian information is not lost. 

This is a case study on the challenges in putting together both a 3D printing business and an educational outreach. I talk with Eddy Garabito, known as Father Blue, about his work with Blue Tree Monitors, and the 3D printed projects he designs for their husbandry.

What do you think your first year of YouTube would look like if you were serious about creating a video outreach? I talk talk about what he has experienced. Does it live up to the hype? Is he rich and famous yet? Join us as we talk about the ups and downs of creating a YouTube channel.

Search engines run the digital world and it is in our best interests to understand how they work. I'll go over the basics in this episode!

One of the most frustrating things is when someone copies your product and then sells it themselves. Today I talk about how to deal with this community dynamic and stay ahead of the copycats.

The Niche Content Creator Podcast is here for you to better understand the process and strategy of creating content in this digital world of ours. This will be a separate podcast show, but I wanted to share the first episode with you and invite you to subscribe to that show. These two shows will work together to bring you a holistic view of being an entrepreneur in this digital world!

The ease of social media is a trap to get you working for their platform. But then they have control over your account and your years of hard work. But you can change that with a website. In fact, I cannot think of an entrepreneurial outreach that would not benefit from having a website. This episode starts the discussion with explaining how social media is a trap the snares us before we know it. This is the perfect time to snap out of it and establish your own digital independence! 

We have come to the end of season 2 and it is time to review and take a break to prepare for season 3! I talk about the turmoil that is going on in social media right now and remind all of us that likes and follows are important, but they aren't our purpose.

Social media platforms have a habit of growing large and then flaming out. We are seeing in front of us drama that affects the platforms we rely on. Whether it is the US congress, Antitrust laws, accusations of spying by the director of the FBI, or just Elon Musk's unique management strategies our social media platforms are not as invulnerable as they may feel! Today I talk about what is going on and how it may affect us.

TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have been busy since we last had a social media update! So, it is time to review what these platforms have been doing and what in the world it means for us!

A Live session is where you are able to interact with your followers in real time. This can be as casual as spontaneously going live to talk to people while you clean your snake cage to creating a formal show.
Today I am joined by Jeremy Turgeon of The Reptile Talk Podcast which is recorded live. And we talk about what it takes to add a live stream to your outreach!

Jeremey Turgeon from Reptile Talk comes on and shares his experience with having both a podcast and. Youtube show. We talk about the advantages of each and help you decide what it right for your outreach!

In today's digital world art is being stolen as a normal day occurrence. We all have had our images lifted for others to sell their products. Though today I have an interview of someone whose life is affected to a greater degree. Jennifer Cook is the artist behind Snakearts.com and she is currently taking legal action against Facebook and Instagram to fight the people who have stolen her images and are selling cheap knock offs of her products. Join in and let's have a discussion of security for your digital content and physical artwork.

It is time for an update on what is going on with Instagram and I introduce you to the Vero app. Could it be a good place to put some effort and join the budding reptile community there? I am saying it is worth dropping by and checking it out!

Podcasting and YouTube are two tools that can be used to present your show. Both have their characteristics and by knowing those  we can make the right choice for our show. 

There is a whole strategy around using the one website link we are given in our Instagram and TikTok profiles. There are special tools available to optimize that valuable feature to your best advantage. Today I review that status of link-in-bio tools and run you through the set-up for what I consider the best option - Koji.

Sean Mcneeley has been following the Reptile Entrepreneur 2022 project since the beginning. He took on the 2022 challenge and has just made his first digital dollar from his eCommerce site.
Join us as learn how he did it and what he has learned!

There are many choices for your outreach. Today I look at blogs, podcasts, email, YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok. Making the right platform decisions can ease the way to success.

Have you thought about starting a podcast or a YouTube channel? Which one should you go with? Both? Dillon Perron runs the Animals At Home Network and has experience producing both a podcast and a YouTube show. Today I interview him and ask for his insight to help you decide which way to go!

Creating your logo can be overwhelming. When I needed help I used 99designs.com to run a contest with spectacular results. If you are struggling to create a logo, this episode is for you!

Print on demand platforms can be an easy way to get your first eCommerce business up and running. Today I show you how.

Social Media is rushing at a break neck speed around us and we have to hang on tight to stay on top of it. Considering all the changes we have seen it was time to discuss the one that have the most direct effect on us. I talk specifically about the newest changes on Instagram and TikTok and what they mean for us entrepreneurs in the reptile community.

A logo is a defining element to your business or influencer outreach. But where do you start? Adeline Robinson is an artist in the reptile community that also creates logos professionally. Adeline shares what we should look for in a logo and how to go about getting yours.

Learn about the methods to make or prototype a new part. Tim Marks from the new company Leap joins me and shares his experience with injection molding, extrusions, thermoforming, CNC and 3D printing to create a product that couldn't have been made effectively from off-the-shelf parts. And Tim shares the methods he used to do that cage as well as build Eco-Tech Marine from the humble beginnings of his college dorm room.

Artists of all kinds will enjoy hearing from a successful photographer as Zac Herr provides on insight into what it is like being an artist in the reptile community!

I talk about the insatiable demand of being an entrepreneur on social media, establishing sanity limits, how to increase productivity without paying for it with your health, and, finally, having a healthy understanding of our ever present adversary, burnout. 

If you are an artist, enjoy reptiles, and would  love to combine the two to make a living then this episode is for you.  Adeline Robinson's reptile art is incredible! And her time is split between making fine art, logos, and reptile shows...and a lot of social media marketing! Join us as we discuss what it is like being a full time artist in the reptile community.

TikTok cannot be ignored and we are facing it head on! When a new platform is intimidating you find a guide who has been there and we have our guide in Lyssa from Lyssa's Lizards who has built a huge TikTok following. Her "TikToks" make responsible reptile keeping fun to present! 
Lyssa gives an introduction to TikTok by providing a perspective that will help entrepreneurs make educated decisions regarding their social media footprint.

Retention is keeping the followers that have joined our social media outreach. Success relies on how well you communicated what your account was about and how well you keep to that promise. Today I talk about how to develop a strategy that focuses on retention and the specific tools in Instagram available for us to use.