If you are a business animal, you are probably amused by all the Super Bowl predictions. This year, in addition to the number of animal ads, there has been a mania over mammals–especially a zooper bowl flurry of predictions from zoological institutions.

For those of you that may have missed them, below is a round up of a few menagerie collections to peruse for #SB50 but my favorite has to be Cincinnati for the unanimous pick of the Panthers (but I have to give it to Zooniversity for their ongoing efforts with their porcupine).

Now over time, my favorite remains the Budweiser #BestBuds Commercials.

Not only do the ads hit an emotional cord using the iconic brand’s Clydesdales, but unlike the Zooper Bowl attempts, the entire social media campaign is one of the savviest and well executed that I have seen. It is an illustration of how a solid marketing campaign unfolds.

The Bud teams learning from 2014 meant that the 2015 #BestBuds commercial had tactical implementation such special segments of behind the scenes snippets collected during ad creation, as well as a dedicated Playlist on YouTube AND a dedicated Twitter BudweiserPuppy account (now defunct). They topped it off by creating and using campaign hashtags (#BudEpicAds #BestBuds).

Overall, when you are working on a campaign, pre-planning and understanding of how to leverage and track your efforts are two essentials that often get overlooked or omitted. Sadly, for puppy and horse enthusiasts, this year it looks like Budweiser is going in a different direction.

Don’t fret if you are an animal lover because both Doritos and Hyundai have created animal commercials you might enjoy. I’d say there is an opportunity for collaboration since I know a few beer drinking, chip loving drivers–but I digress. The reason I selected to highlight Doritos here is because they have been critter-centric more than once.

Also, I wanted to share that not only did Doritos create a fun, silly commercial with their product front and center, but the brand also took it a step further by leveraging the social space. This was accomplished by involving their fans and viewers in selecting their favorite commercial during a Crash The Superbowl contest (you can still view the finalists online).

Okay, so there are a few of my brand examples that you might enjoy during the #SuperBowl. But for those who want to see an online example of how to attach your business into an event and leveraging it, Dan Sullivan and the MarketingLand crew have been doing just that over at the #HashtagBowl.

Finally, for those of you who won’t be watching the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl is another clever spin that provides entertainment to those not interested in the sports event. It is also an example about how you can serve up something to an audience with a different interest or loyal advocates. BTW if you want to monitor the Puppy Bowl, follow @MeepTheBird.

What will I be doing on Super Bowl Sunday? Instead of smiling at the silliness of the Puppy Bowl or joining others to watch the game, I will be outside enjoying the quiet while most everyone is inside glued to the television. Instead, I’ll be strolling seaside around the fish bowl of Monterey Bay.

Please join me on Facebook or @TheArkLady on most social channels. Feel free to drop by and tell me your favorite commercial of the game, and if you have a question you can always hit me up via #AskArkLady.

Super Bowl Commercials & Zooper Bowl Summaries To Check Out

Cincinnati Zoo – Zooper Bowl

Teddy the Porcupine at Zooniversity 2016

Budweiser #BestBuds 2015

Budweiser #BestBuds 2014

Super Bowl Roundups

• TIME shares a number of animal prognosticators.
• SPORTING NEWS shares a few zooper stats from the animal kingdom.
• DENVER POST shares an animal prediction roundup of 50 AND previous stats.
• SFGATE shares the quick pick prediction between the rhino and lion.

Forecast Via Regular Assessments

Forecasting means poking your head out to take a look around. Groundhog Day teaches the business owner to take a look at data and other assessments so you can more accurately assess and forecast instead of guessing.

Collaborate With Others

Punxsutawney Phil has an Inner Circle. That clever collaboration has turned into a big event that attracts national media and addition business and event revenue.

Grab Market Leadership or Duplicate Success

Punxsutawney Phil has experienced huge success (no accounting goes to that elixir of life) and is the market leader, so to speak. However, there is always enough opportunity to go around and so other towns and marmots have jumped into the game. One you have leadership, it is easier to maintain.

Make Small Changes Toward Change

Avoid the trap illustrated in the movie, Groundhog Day. Avoid the trap of making the same mistakes over and over again or getting stuck in the same cycles of behaviors or tasks. Assessments allow for readjustments. Making small changes regularly reveals what works best and allows new and effective patterns to emerge and replace the old.

Hauling an elephant to an early am call time in Hollywood wasn’t my favorite thing to do. Although we had an early departure time, I was still required to meet up with the head trainer at the ranch hours earlier. In addition to the dreaded rush hour commute, we needed to prep the elephant and load.

The drive to the ranch in the dark wasn’t unusual, at the time I worked there, it was the largest animal actor providing entity in the United States and so we did a lot of television and movie work. My favorite task was training on the ranch and spending time with my charges and collaborating and learning from other trainers there.

Truth be told, I didn’t care to work in “the industry” (as we called it) due to the long days and the common disregard for the animals–a norm back when I started my career.

Inside the dark elephant barn, it was quiet but the elephants began to stir when they heard the tractor trailer pull up. As the back-up trainer, I had to help load the hay bales, equipment, and other necessities in anticipation of what the elephant would need for the long day. Debra, the Asian elephant was asked to enter the trailer just prior to our set departure time.

Once loaded and on the road, the sway of the elephant in the back of the rig reassured me and informed me that she was fine. Although many assume differently, the movement of weight to the different legs and feet helps these pachyderms with vascular circulation. Care of the feet and mental stimulation are two important elements of elephant management and much was learned during the thousands of years the Asian elephants have been beasts of burden.

Although I don’t remember what the television shoot was about anymore, I do vividly remember that we had to load up and return to the ranch as there were no provisions for the elephant in the middle of Los Angeles. Arriving back 24 hours later and facing another call time only a few hours ahead, I was not very enthusiastic. The good news was that, the head trainer arranged for a different plan that was better for us and the elephant.

Why do I remember that job over others? During the long couple of days, he suggested I get my certification and license to operate big rigs. Known as tractor trailers, or semis, back then few women operated them. But as I learned early in my career, I listened and took action on those professional recommendations.

The result? I had another skill that would make me more competitive and also could be something to fall back on if I was so inclined. The reality was the road to certification was demanding and very uncomfortable. Few women put up with the stuff we had to but, if the dream is big enough, anything can be accomplished. And so, I passed the driving test and obtained my Class A license–which I still have today.

Over ten years later, I’d find myself working on the forefront of another type of elephant management system. It was great to be back among the elephants again…but my favorite times were spent under the shade trees of that first ranch, watching over the elephants or riding Debbie with my legs tucked snugly behind her ears secured around her enormous neck. I often ended hte night shift by pausing outside the elephant barn and listening to the deep breathing by the behemoths sleeping within before I headed home.

What Elephants Can Teach Lessons:

Find Mentors

Although book learning and some skills can help, nothing is as useful as finding a good mentor. Throughout my career I have been able to apprentice under some of the biggest names of the time. The knowledge passed down and connections shared by mentors can be used to help you in business or in navigating through a sea of sameness to find your unique position.

Be Teachable + Open To Feedback

When a veteran trainer made a suggestion on what I might do or gave me an action step, I would implement it. In business, learning from colleagues, attending industry specific conference, and adopting skills or strategies from other fields or industries can help you plot a course to faster success.

Do What it Takes

Long hours and paying your dues were standards of the industry when I began my animal career. Today I work smart instead of just hard but the important lesson is that in business, you need to do what it takes.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Taking action and doing something different is uncomfortable. The Citizens Band Radios (CBs) buzzed in the big rigs when we emerged for hands on training, and only a few owner operators let females gain the required drive observation time in the cab. In my class, two of us completed the course with about 60 males. It was certainly uncomfortable. It is an illustration that many people won’t venture into new territory, so you might try it to find an edge.

In business this might mean hiring out minor tasks so you can have time to work on the important projects or plans. Perhaps it means scheduling your day to set up for success…look for things that make you uncomfortable and become an adventure seeker. See things from a different perspective and get out of your comfort zone.

Try New Things

In my early days of training wild animals, we used buzzers, clickers and whistles along with the training industry standards of the time. However, when it came to the dog training methods, the old standards were still the status quo. Fast forward to the 1990s, the methods we were using in the late 70s and early 80s became a big trend. The veteran trainers always made suggestions and I would try them–including getting into the martial arts (so I could learn how to fall for stunt work) and big rig driving lessons. The takeaway for business is that it is good to try new things, there might be a better way to do things.

Decide What is Important

When it came to the animal welfare and the demands of the industry, sometimes it became necessary to decide what was important. Today animal welfare officers on the set assist trainers with making sure the director or production team don’t make unreasonable demands. Like the veteran trainer who arranged a different call time after a 24 hour day, make decisions and prioritize projects and activities. Sometimes decisions might involved your health or family–but go ahead a make a solid choice as it will make all the difference in your business and life.

Have you implemented any of the suggestions above? If so, pop over to share them on TheArkLady Facebook page.

Cookie, the Asian elephant was confused, although she was a veteran of training methodology, she was unfocused. This meant that when one of her trainers appeared, instead of paying attention, assessing and implementing–she ran through her entire repertoire. The problem with an unfocused, reactive Asian elephant is that they can get frustrated–and frustration leads to aggression.

Sadly, without the right focus and ability to respond as her trainers requested, she would remain out of the limelight. Instead of enjoying the stimulation gleaned from doing educational performances with her buddies, she would remain alone, sequestered away until the show ended and her elephant pals rejoined her.

For a captive elephant, mental challenges, stimulation through variety of activities and environment, as well as social activities with other species, or a small herd all are important for optimal living. So the lack of clarity and focus really compromised her situation.

When working animals or in business, it is important to delve into the past to get to the present. As a consultant and trainer who working with both wild animals and businesses, my life has been spent watching and assessing before planning and implementing.

To be successful in wild animal training, it is important to understand the history of the species, the individual, and nuances of the situation as well as the environment and possible risks–and be able to anticipate change or challenges. Believe it or not, it is the same with business–which I will get to after I finish chatting about the elephant.

Before I tackled Cookie’s performance problem, I busied myself with activities that helped strengthen my relationship with the elephants. As they got to know me, I got to watch them and became familiar with the nuances of their personality traits* and particular preferences. I also took the time to observe their training sessions with my colleagues.

Cookie the elephant always worked to excel, her positioning was always perfectly executed and she put her full force and focus into her actions. The problem was, she wasn’t clear on what was being asked, so she simply ran through the exercises until she either completed her entire repertoire or heard the whistle, the signal that told her she had correctly completed the task.

It became clear to me that she did not understand what was required and therefore worked on a variety of tasks, moving one to the other quickly, until she was finished or the coveted whistle blew.

Believe it or not, most of the trainers had not identified the problem and so continued moving forward. This meant that results were inconsistent and unreliable. This is a dangerous situation when working with animals that weight thousands of pounds more than you do!

The fix was easy, teach the elephant how to narrow her focus and tackle only one thing at at time–the requested action. But first, she had to understand that it was okay to NOT be doing anything. She needed to just be still.

How long did the re-education take? One training session of about 30 minutes. However, the assessment and clarity took longer since I had to watch a few sessions with other trainers to determine the issue and to implement the right adjustment. Moving forward, it took making sure the team of trainers were consistent in their habits and practices.

Ultimately, training wild animals to be successful is a solid foundation to teaching business owners or entrepreneurs to be successful. Both involve assessments and planning.

It is important to assess the nuances and differences exist between a brick and mortar (business with a store front), a traveling service provider (no store front or public office) or other entity. Then considerations vary between an off-line (real world) and the on-line presence (virtual world)–sometimes it is a blend of the two.

Today change is happening at record rates and competition has moved into a global economy or that of a hyper-local focus. This means it is important to really know where you have been to map out where you are going.

This bring me to my point, how are you starting this year?

Begin with an assessment. Not a guess, but a review.

Mine was just completed and so I wanted to share a bit of it with you. Over the year my intention is to take you on an armchair safari through this year’s progress–for better or worse.

Facts Not Assumption

My assumptions on how the year was playing out and how they actually ended were totally different–and I measured with results and outcomes rather than vague impressions.

Now for some reason there was a chasm between my thinking and what actually played out. I actually did better than I had anticipated. In fact, when I crunched the year end number on December 31st I did not have the increase I had reported in September as the final numbers were not in. Happily the increase in revenue sat at 62% for the year–plus another 5% from miscellaneous income sources outside the main business.

My head was telling me it wasn’t a great year but ultimately, I am attracting better clients, working smarter, enjoying better health, and have the time to enjoy myself in my new location.

Shifting Perspective

Perhaps the biggest shift this year was in the way I thought about things. When you are around other smart thinkers, it is bound to happen. I was constantly amazed at the different perspectives and answers shared by other business owners who were working through the same lessons and challenges posed by business coach Todd Herman and also implementing the business training provided by Melanie Duncan.

Work Smarter

Now I’ve always heard about working smart, and although I thought I was, I came to the realization that I really had not been taught the right tactics. Instead,  I was working hard and  so was stuck on the hamster wheel of activity without a way to make forward progress. The reality was things were going to stay as they were unless something changed.

That realization also highlighted why I saw cyclical ups and downs in the business. Working to grow, then focusing on client service and delivery, instead of developing systems. meant that all the wheels were not churning and was the reason behind lulls and stagnation. Prioritizing via strategic planning as well as fast testing and implementation were missing from my tactics.

To work smarter the better option would be to test an assumption and only move forward if proven it would work OR change and adapt based on what I found and test again. It became clear that establishing systems for delivery and fulfillment were necessary. Since business has always been referral based, I also discovered a broken marketing funnel needed for consistent growth. Finally, I realized that many of the products and services were not what I wanted to deliver in the long term.

What I learned: Niche down, assess and develop systems that consistently allow growth, delivery and help the business to scale.

Fail Fast

In the previous year I had an idea that I was going to launch but when another agency came up with an almost identical product, I partnered with them instead. The upside to the online business training model was that everything was in place and it was a three-way win between those involved. I sold the concept to the organization and the other agency provided everything needed–we would split the revenue three ways so the organization benefited financially as well.

Sounds great right? The problem was it wasn’t a proven model. The first test worked well in one region of the USA but not in ours. Also, instead of discovering this quickly, I spent about a year promoting and paying licensing fees for something destined to fail.

What I learned: Test and get out fast or tweak and test again to move forward or scrap the project.

Habit Change

My skill set as an entrepreneur and business person is vast, when I got online in 1995 and then lost my web designer and graphics person, not too many people were providing such services, so I took up the reins and tackled things myself. However, although I can do almost anything I put my mind to doing, it really isn’t a good investment of my time. My genius zone has to do with the bigger picture strategies and early identification of impending changes or trends and helping businesses get better customer reviews for more revenue and growth.

Truth be told, there were a couple of disasters that happened that resurfaced again. First, a few years ago I told the web designer that I needed a mobile friendly site–but in the end discovered it was mobile responsive (adjusts to the device instead of being more easily used by someone with a mobile phone. What I needed was a site with big buttons and click to call options. So, last year I again needed to redo it.

However, I decided to contract someone to redo another site, sadly the communication was not good and her “custom” theme (which in my past experience means php coding and edits to create what you want) was really only an edited template. To get what I wanted I ended up having to do a bunch of work anyway.  A bad experience, the contractor could have leveraged a good experience into a job working on 12 or more sites but lost that opportunity and I found myself cleaning up again. Eesh!

Finally, success outsourcing work to other agencies was mixed. One mess up meant that I had to get in to fix it (which took four times the work), while another delivered 96% when I shoot for 100%–fortunately the CEO was paying attention and they are working hard to fix the it as I write. Still, I saw another hiccup and it means my search for options will continue.

What I learned: Find a way to systematize what I need in a clear format, verify and validate prior to contracting. Use solid referrals from other business owners I know and trust online.

Constraints

Over time my business has changed, getting online in 1995 was a big part of that. As a consultant I have been a paid speaker, a traditionally published author, and have helped both consumers and businesses when it came to topics of marketing, public relations, and tactical aspects of business. However, I also well known for my work with captive wildlife and related topics.

Over the past few years I’ve delivered business services that have included marketing, search engine optimization (known more commonly as SEO) and specialty writing. Seeing trends early means that I ventured into business reputation (customer reviews for business) a few years ago when I saw that the star ratings were driving consumers to a business or to the business competitors.

What I learned: Significant changes hit the Internet in 2015 and so I narrowed my focus and will specialize instead of being a larger agency providing multiple services.

Relocation

When it comes to moving, I must have a record since I found myself in seven different living situations last year! The good news is that I finally nestled into my dream town a few blocks from the ocean. In my youth my days were spent in, on or around the water so I am glad to be near the sea again. It suits me and is like a sigh to my soul.

The back story on the relocation is that where I was living was a toxic situation due to a bio-hazard under the house. The last two years has been spent primarily in health recovery and in maintaining the clients I had but not on growth.

Although there were amazing adventures, moves are a big challenge. Last year a large wildfire threatened the house I had rented just prior to my relocation to the central coast. However, I am happy to say that I am settling in so I can focus and get on with life without interruption.

What I learned: Create a recurring income stream to avoid experiencing fluctuations.

Balance

To say I was driven over my life would be an understatement, however I faced some physical and energetic limitations due to the bio-hazard exposure. Out of the four quarters of 2015, only two were spent really working on growing business. I spent one full quarter on full-time health related tasks and then another on final relocation and integration.

Today I focus more on balance, the last time I had it was circa 1984! When your career is your passion, hobby, and a way of life–it can easily get out of balance despite the adventurous living.

What I learned: Live in balance and be flexible–change and challenges are inevitable.

As you move into the New Year, I’d be interested in knowing what you plan and how you are going accomplish those projects and tasks to make a difference so please let me know! Click over to continue this conversation at TheArkLady Facebook page.

*Similar to human social styles or personality types, my findings were published in the following locations along with my comments on captive elephant management: International Zoo News Volume 44/4 No 227, The Journal of the Elephant Manager’s Association Volume VI Number 2 & 3, Journal of the American Association of Zoo Keepers Volume 23 Number 9.

Above: 90 Day Year™ Review –  Video 

UPDATE MAY 30, 2018: After you get on the #90DY waitlist you can jump get some advanced info from the 5 Stages of Business and hear testimonials from other 90 Day Year Alumna. Click here to find my most recent review of the 90 Day Year 

My 90 Day Year™ Program Experience

Since the 90 Day Year Program™ periodically opens to enrollment for a short time, I wanted to get more in-depth as to the benefits but let me take you through a little bit of my history so you understand where I have been and why I think the program is worth the investment of your time and energy.

Cyber-Jungle Trailblazing
Because I have been online since 1995 (when I launched an Internet magazine) I have “been there, done that” when it comes to most online activities. When I lost my web designer and later my graphic artist, I hunkered down and bought the software needed, enrolled in programs to get additional skills and learned to manage it myself. At the time, it was hard to find people who had the skill sets needed but turns out that is also an entrepreneurial habit–take on tasks that could be assigned elsewhere.

Today the Internet is changing at lightning speed, and as the global economy expands, a whole new set of challenges face the small business owner and entrepreneur. It really is almost impossible to keep up and it doesn’t serve a business for the owner to try and do it all.

Like many entrepreneurs–I am talented and tend to tackle things when needed but I found over my years on the web, that despite training courses (even certifications), expert advice and coaching, it seemed that only a few people ended up reaping the benefits. It was frustrating to find that although I followed and implemented what I was taught, it simply wasn’t working for me.

Now as the cyber-jungle trailblazer, I tend to explore, spot trends early, and align myself with or watch the movers and shakers as they rise to the top. As I observed, a couple of online business owners suddenly began to go in a different direction and were moving at a fast rate. They were masterminding with other individuals and I began to see their lifestyle change as well as business growth. Getting inside their program to see what they were doing, I could see they were working smart. They then led me to Todd Herman–as it was their invitation that got me involved in the 90 Day Year.

90 Day Year™ Videos

When I watched the 90 Day Year™ introductory videos, fireworks really did go off in my head. As a second generation entrepreneur, I was taught to work hard but not smart. Todd Herman’s presentations opened my eyes to other ways of operating. I knew that if I passed the opportunity to join the program that I would regret it. Today, I find it of immense value and so am still enrolled.

There are a few benefits to getting inside the 90 Day Year™ program but I want to caution you about joining as well. Why? Because it isn’t for everyone. First, Todd Herman is a straight shooter, he won’t beat around the bush so be prepared to hear no frills advice and to work your butt off. If you are truly committed, motivated, ambitious and tired of being in the small business owner cycle of working in your business instead of on your business, then the program is truly a good fit. If that doesn’t describe you, don’t join the program. It really is as simple as that.

Great People

However, if you want to learn how to work differently and make forward progress, I highly recommend it. Now, there are more reasons than just learning what Todd teaches. First, there are other great business people in the community. I found our group members to be filled with amazingly smart folks. This means that not only do you benefit from Todd’s experience and his coaching but you also get different perspectives from others while also having opportunities to form alliances with other business people.

Great Methods, Tools, Meetings & More

I’ve found the methods and tools of value as well. Some of the methodology isn’t new but it was new to me and presented in a manner that I could implement. The 90 Day Year™ App will help you monitor and chart progress showing also how tasks fit into your outcome goals. Also helpful is the 90 Day Year™ planner. It works as a good organizational tool, reminder and physical prompt to help keep on track. It was also exciting to attend the live event where additional training and networking happened. Outside of those, I also met other 90 Day Year™ participants both virtually and in person.

An assigned accountability partner was valuable because it was collaborative but also another touch point for keeping on track.  The accountability partner is usually another program participant that commits to making sure that you are accountable to goals and progress–and you do the same for them. It has been really useful to have that connection and to see each other move through hurdles and make forward progress in business growth.

The support sessions with Todd Herman and the private 90 Day Year™ online community are super valuable components. Even if I am not chatting directly with Todd in a session, someone inevitably asks a question about a challenge I am tackling or facing. The synchronicity within the program is something that comes as no surprise and served as an indicator that I made a good choice and was in the right place at the right time.

My 90 Day Year™ Results

Over the time I have been involved in the 90 Day Year™ program I have learned a number of things. The first was that I had a broken sales funnel which was one of the reasons I was not seeing steady growth. I simply was on the traditional business treadmill and experiencing the ups and downs common with other business owners who are busy working in their businesses. I also had to many different types of offers and services, today I have omitted all but the ones that fit in with my long-term goals.

Additionally, I discovered my messaging wasn’t clear and finally found a better way to communicate what I do and how it helps. The biggest hurdle was that I moving through some personal challenges (illness), so my progress was slow but steady. The end result? My business growth is strongly at a 48% increase in business over last year with an additional 5% from misc., income sources. In fact, when I review the year, I can directly correlated the momentum based on the activities and actions taken during each 90 Day Year™ segment. Finally, I am excited to have identified other business people with whom I want to forge better relationships and collaborative efforts that will support our clients and customers while letting each of us deliver our best.

Today my life has changed significantly. I have changed my business offers and focus, learned how to test and move on quickly rather than invest too much time and energy into projects that might not pan out. I think and work differently and learned to track what works and evaluate faster. 2016 is exciting because I am ready to move toward the next phase of business growth.

On a personal level, my quality of life has improved drastically. In November I finally finished a relocation and now live in the seaside resort of my dreams. I also lead a more balanced life instead of just working all the time and stressing over business.

Overall, I am pleased with my experiences within the 90 Day Year™ and encourage you to get on the wait list for Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year™ videos. Then, if it sounds like something that is a fit for your business join–and if you do, make sure you connect with me and keep me posted on your progress.

BTW I partnered with Todd Herman to promote the 90 Day Year™ program. It won’t cost you any more but just means if you click through my link and then decide to purchase that I’ll get a commission.

For a short time you can view Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year™ videos for free and catch him on a live webinar.

Don’t miss the videos while there are live. Here are the links for ease of access:

• 90 Day Year™ Video 1 – Entrepreneurial Success Mindset
• 90 Day Year™ Video 2 – the 90 Day Achievement Engine
• 90 Day Year™ Video 3 – Overcoming Overwhelm
• 90 Day Year™ Video 4 – The 90 Day Year Implementation Program (will be available when the course opens)

If you want to join, the program opens only a couple of times a year and private coaching sells out fast so click here to enroll in 90 Day Year™or if you missed this round, grab the 90 Day Year™ Playbook™ for a short time.

What is your favorite wild animal?

This was a question I posed to a group of business owners that question and the variety was astounding. The intention was to see what types of perceptions were out there and perhaps find a theme to write about.

What was interesting about the whole thing is that often a favorite animal can just as well be a feared animal by another person.

The difference is often simply a matter of perspective and experience.

The same can be said about a business experience, two people can come into your business and have two entirely different experiences.

One may be delighted while the other might be unimpressed.

It is always amazing to watch and listen.

So, back to the animal question, what is your favorite wild animal?

When it comes to my favorite animal(s) it has to do more with the individual creature and what s/he has taught me more than anything else.

My work with a variety of creatures means that I have visceral knowledge of the real critter and not some idealistic or imaginary vision of one. I find a lot of people make assumptions about animals without ever really having met one or even researching about what they might be like.

In the early days, an apprentice had to slave around animals without interactions or verbal communication. The idea was for the person to watch and learn–as well as to allow the animal to decide whether or not it liked the person.

The “old school” way of learning was a form of paying your dues while gleaning valuable information on the way. Today I see a lot of aspiring animal people who have no sense about the animal other than what they think might be accomplished through a specific “insert your method” of training or practice.

The advantage of being around a long time is that it is possible to develop a knowledge and experience base that transcends assumptions or limited exposure. In one of my last wild animal training assignments, trained elephants in a system that was considered cutting edge, but having been through a few other schools of training, I could clearly see the pros and cons.

What I liked about the trend was that it allowed for more margin of freedom and error while providing better safety. One of the reasons for stricter protocols in some systems is for safety.

Now I want to get into the elephant story a bit more but first…why don’t you share your ideas about elephants and let me know what wild animal is your favorite.