I was finally offered my dream job at the Omaha Zoo, and I was over the moon.
And then when they told me the salary, it was if I was a little kid and someone walked up to me with a sharp needle and popped my balloon. There was only one word to describe how I felt: devastated.
As a wildlife endocrinologist, I had a lot of student loan debt. I’m also a single mother with two beautiful daughters. This was my dream job, but we couldn’t live on that. If I took it I’d be hurting my little family.
So I decided to start my own business doing the wildlife work I am so passionate about. (Who even does that? Well… I guess I do!)
In January 2019, I took a leap and reached out to zoos and former colleagues to offer my services. It worked! I started getting gigs doing hormone work with elephants on a per-sample basis.
This meant I had to work with a lot of different facilities and run all around town to make a good living. Doing business this way wasn’t for me, and thankfully that’s when I discovered Amy.
I listened to all of her podcasts and absorbed everything she taught. Literally everything!
She inspired me to figure out HOW I could apply her teaching to wildlife work.
Now Amy always says your course should answer the main question people ask you. Well, people always ask me how they too can become a wildlife biologist. So I decided to make a course about that.
DCA wasn’t open yet and I didn’t want to wait, so I made the course on my own and planned to sign up for DCA as soon as the doors opened.
Because I didn’t have DCA, I struggled learning the tools I needed. It was all trial and error. I made a video series on YouTube about becoming a wildlife biologist to get the word out. It helped. When I launched I made $5,465 from my first course.
Then DCA opened, and I decided to keep the promise I made to myself. I joined.
Being in DCA helped me take a look at what I’d done with my wildlife biologist course and realize it wasn’t resonating with me. Amy helped me get clear that I needed to go in a new direction.
That’s when I realized that I could make a huge difference in giraffe care and in the life of individual giraffes (a topic there isn’t a lot of education about!).
I created a course called How to Become a Wildlife Biologist Course (which included a membership site), and even though it scared me… I put a high price tag on it. I wanted to make sure I could cover everything I needed to on the topic and still be able to provide for my family.
So I went for it: People could join the program for 6 months for $15,000 or 1 year for $25,000.
(I knew it was worth it, but it made me kind of sick to my stomach.)
To launch this course, I sent out emails to the four people on my mailing list that I knew might be interested. Two bought at the $25,000 price, and one ended up joining for $18,000 (because of a few modifications they requested I make to the offer).
Now I’m building a library of research and information about giraffe reproduction and care that will eventually serve the larger giraffe community. (I feel so grateful that people trust in me like I trust in Amy.)
What’s even more amazing for me to witness is that my girls have been able to see me go through this whole process. Through that, they’ve learned to trust themselves, trust in God, and be unique. I get to be an example of leadership for them. I’m so grateful for all of it.
Here’s something else that’s cool!: I can now afford to hire someone to help me clean my house!
Thank you, Amy! You helped me make ALL of this possible!
