Reptile Entrepreneur Podcast

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.

Learn how to optimize your Instagram account to increase the number of people who become followers. Conversion is the part of social media strategy where you convince people who are curious about your account that they should commit to following your account.  Followers are the lifeblood of social media accounts and so your conversion strategy needs to be effective to not waste all the people you bring in with your outreach!

To get followers you need to work with your social media algorithm to reach out and put your content in front of interested people. In this episode I talk about how algorithms work and how you can be effective in your social media outreach to gain not just any followers, but the RIGHT followers! I use reptile accounts on Instagram as my example, but this strategy is the same with any niche topic on any social media platform. It is just how algorithms and social media works at the most basic level!

Every social media strategy consists of Outreach, Conversion, and Retention. But these are just actions that are based on your social media promise and purpose. In this episode I lay the ground work for for selecting our promise and purpose to focus our outreach.

If you have ever thought of being a YouTuber in the reptile community this is the podcast episode to listen to! Dayyan, or Reptiliatus, is about the nicest guy you will ever meet and is a full time reptile YouTuber. Today he shares with us what life is like as a YouTuber and what it takes to make it work. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this talk!

A tried and true business success strategy is to take a niche you are passionate about and tenaciously dedicate yourself to that niche. To share how he did this exact thing, Josh Halter, The Bio Dude, joins me and shares his experiences starting from less than nothing and building bio-active into a successful business that cares about both the reptiles and the employees.

Today is a serious topic where I give my take on the current amendment proposal to the Lacey Act. This amendment has serious repercussions for reptile keeping and this is no drill. It snuck by undetected in the House and now it is on its way to the Senate. This is an example of how vigilant we need to be to protect our community. I figure it is more than worth talking about this because if this passes, our community will take a serious hit and it is this community which sustains us.

Justin Kobylka has turned a personal breeding project into an international reptile breeding business. While he may be best known for his Ball Pythons, I wanted to learn about the entrepreneur behind the 20 year old business. In this interview Justins shares his perspective on the reptile community past, present and future. Join us as we talk about how it is to start a reptile breeding business in today's conditions!

Losing your Instagram account to hackers is a horrible way to end an Instagram career. This episode is about securing your account against hacker attacks and what to do if one succeeds.

With the popularity of video under 60 seconds in length, or, "short form" video, we are in a position to help guide the definition of what an educational short will be. Whether a "TikTok", an Instagram Reel, or a YouTube Short, scientists and teachers are seeing how they can leverage this new media form to share knowledge. And this is where we come in - it is up to us to find ways of educating the new community that is attuned to short form video.

Emma Lynne Sampson comes on the podcast and talks about her growth from a YouTuber to becoming the creator of a virtual zoo. She shares how she went from struggling to open a Google Docs to completing a membership website and shows that we can accomplish more than what we are today if we commit to growth!

Richard Stewart has built his passion for tarantulas into a content creation career. Utilizing monetization methods, the Tarantula Collective has become his primary source of income. In this interview, Richard joins me on the mic and we go over how he was able to make this happen. If you have thought about becoming a content creator for your niche community then this interview will give you valuable insight into how one man made it happen.

Breaking News episode! Instagram has announced that, in 2022,  we will be getting the choice between seeing three different versions of our home feed. Those are the posts that you see from other accounts on your Instagram app. All, well and good, but what are these new feeds and, more importantly, what do they mean for us as influencers and marketers needing to build our follower base? How does this change our outreach? I share what we know and my analysis as to how we deal with the changes.