The video's host, Emily, shares her journey of how she got to where she is today. She starts by sharing her childhood, mentioning her love for animals, particularly birds, and her first pets, which included parakeets, cockatiels, and a macaw. She also talks about her first jobs, including working at an ice cream store, a cookie shop, and Petsmart.
As she grew older, Emily's passion for animals and education led her to pursue a degree in fisheries and wildlife. She worked as a naturalist at a state park, creating programs for visitors, and later at a cave, where she gave tours and taught people about geology.
However, she left the cave job due to a toxic work environment and, with her husband's encouragement, started her own business, Snake Discovery, which offers educational reptile programs. She also created a YouTube channel, which has become a major part of her life, allowing her to teach people about reptiles and share her passion with a wider audience.
Today, Emily juggles three jobs: creating content for her YouTube channel, running Snake Discovery programs, and coordinating exotic pet expos. She reflects on her journey, acknowledging that every job, whether good or bad, has taught her something new and helped her get to where she is today.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker has always been an animal lover.
2. The speaker's first pets were parakeets named Sunny and Timmy, which they got in fifth grade.
3. The speaker got a couple of cockatiels named Katie and Kyle when they were a bit older.
4. At 14, the speaker got their first macaw, a green-winged macaw named Buddy.
5. Buddy was a disabled bird with only a couple of toes.
6. The speaker started their first job at an ice cream store called Maggie Moose when they were 14.
7. The speaker later worked at a cookie shop called Cookies by Design.
8. The speaker has a huge sweet tooth.
9. At 16, the speaker adopted a parrot named Cheyenne from a breeder.
10. Cheyenne had a feather-plucking habit due to stress from her old owner.
11. The speaker worked at Petsmart in the pet care department.
12. The speaker graduated from high school in 2009.
13. The speaker got their first year of college done through the PSEO program.
14. The speaker worked as an interpretive naturalist for the Minnesota DNR.
15. The speaker created programs to connect park visitors to natural resources.
16. The speaker taught about various subjects, including wildlife, geology, and trees.
17. The speaker's favorite program was anything that included wildlife or actual animals.
18. The speaker worked as a naturalist during the summer months and at Petsmart during the fall, winter, and spring.
19. The speaker met their first boyfriend, Ed, while working at Petsmart.
20. Ed was shopping at Petsmart and had recently acquired a blue and gold macaw.
21. The speaker and Ed got married and bought a house.
22. The speaker started attending local Herpetological Society meetings and adopted a bull snake named Janet.
23. The speaker started to realize how much easier reptiles are to take care of than birds.
24. The speaker decided to pursue a career working with reptiles.
25. The speaker found a management position at a cave, but the management and coworkers were difficult to work with.
26. The speaker left the cave job and started their own business, Snake Discovery.
27. The speaker spent three months creating a curriculum for their program and gathering reptiles to use during it.
28. The speaker became a registered LLC and started advertising their business.
29. The speaker started a YouTube channel to teach people about reptiles.
30. The speaker juggles their YouTube channel and programs on a day-to-day basis.
31. The speaker also coordinates exotic pet expos in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
32. The speaker has three jobs: YouTube, Snake Discovery programs, and event coordination for the expos.