Episode
724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
1:29:49
Published: Mon Nov 26 2018
Description
DO THE UNEXPECTED. Do you go the easy route? The expected route? Or do you find your own path that compliments your unique passions? Finding your own way takes inner strength. You won’t be able to do it without believing in yourself. It takes a special person to defy expectations and break into a new field. People will doubt you when you do something unexpected. That’s a given. It’s how you respond when people try to dissuade you will determine if you’re successful or not. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk with an unlikely zookeeper who is known online as The Real Tarzann: Mike Holston. Mike Holsten is a 24 year-old zookeeper at Mario Tabrue’s Zoological Wildlife Foundation. He recently did a collaboration with Will Smith and has over four million followers on Instagram. Mike says that working hard, believing in yourself, and prayer will help you be successful against any odds. So get ready to learn how The Real Tarzann came to be on Episode 724. Some Questions I Ask: How many animals do you have right now? (16:00) How many times have you been bitten or stung? (22:30) Why is important to see someone who looks like you doing what you do? (28:30) What was the first job you had that paid you to work with animals? (33:00) What’s the most endangered animal? (38:00) What has being around animals taught you about humans? (39:00) What has changed since Will Smith posted about you? (51:00) What has kept you motivated to pursue this dream? (53:00) Do you eat meat? (1:03:00) In This Episode You Will Learn: The biggest thing Cesar Millan taught Mike (14:00) Why some species get along with each other (19:00) The best pet Mike has (20:00) About the time Mike swam with sharks (24:00) If Mike thinks that wild animals should be left in the wild (35:30) The story of how Will Smith found Mike (47:00) What Mike did to get out of his depression (49:00)
Chapters
Mike Holston shares how his passion for animals saved him from depression and how he has used his social media following to educate others about exotic animals and wildlife conservation.
00:00 - 04:52 (04:52)
Summary
Mike Holston shares how his passion for animals saved him from depression and how he has used his social media following to educate others about exotic animals and wildlife conservation.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker talks about never having a pet snake growing up despite catching snakes in the wild, but had always grown up with dogs as part of his family.
04:52 - 06:45 (01:52)
Summary
The speaker talks about never having a pet snake growing up despite catching snakes in the wild, but had always grown up with dogs as part of his family.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker shares their experience of growing up in a house filled with pets and how it influenced their love for animals.
06:45 - 09:03 (02:18)
Summary
The speaker shares their experience of growing up in a house filled with pets and how it influenced their love for animals. They also talk about their struggles with owning a snake that turned out to be aggressive.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker comically compares the art of snake handling to ballet, expressing the nervousness and hesitancy one may feel when attempting to grab a snake.
09:03 - 11:17 (02:14)
Summary
The speaker comically compares the art of snake handling to ballet, expressing the nervousness and hesitancy one may feel when attempting to grab a snake.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker reflects on the vast number of snake species and variations, and their habitats.
11:17 - 13:44 (02:26)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the vast number of snake species and variations, and their habitats.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker used to look up to Cesar Millan and recently visited him, realizing that he has much more to learn than he initially thought.
13:44 - 16:00 (02:16)
Summary
The speaker used to look up to Cesar Millan and recently visited him, realizing that he has much more to learn than he initially thought.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker shares their experience with owning a fox and a dog at a young age and highlights how foxes are often misunderstood as aggressive animals, but in reality, they are just vulnerable creatures in the wild.
16:00 - 19:03 (03:02)
Summary
The speaker shares their experience with owning a fox and a dog at a young age and highlights how foxes are often misunderstood as aggressive animals, but in reality, they are just vulnerable creatures in the wild.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The episode talks about the different varieties of scorpions and lions, emphasizing the misconception that every member of those species is the same.
19:03 - 22:33 (03:29)
Summary
The episode talks about the different varieties of scorpions and lions, emphasizing the misconception that every member of those species is the same. It also mentions lions in captivity and close relations between pets and their owners.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker shares about a close call that they had experienced but they don't feel comfortable sharing the details with others.
22:33 - 24:40 (02:06)
Summary
The speaker shares about a close call that they had experienced but they don't feel comfortable sharing the details with others.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker reflects on the need to remain calm underwater with someone holding onto them and a tube in their mouth, and how nurse sharks can be compared to puppies.
24:40 - 27:41 (03:00)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the need to remain calm underwater with someone holding onto them and a tube in their mouth, and how nurse sharks can be compared to puppies. They also discuss the importance of not panicking while driving on the highway versus a regular street.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker discusses their diverse heritage with a mix of Portuguese, black, Russian, and Polish ancestry and how their family's confidence helped them overcome discrimination based on their skin color and religion.
27:41 - 30:37 (02:56)
Summary
The speaker discusses their diverse heritage with a mix of Portuguese, black, Russian, and Polish ancestry and how their family's confidence helped them overcome discrimination based on their skin color and religion.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker encourages people to analyze their losses in order to learn from them, apply that knowledge to their lives and strive for success in any aspect of their lives, be it spiritual, financial, or in relationships.
30:38 - 32:32 (01:53)
Summary
The speaker encourages people to analyze their losses in order to learn from them, apply that knowledge to their lives and strive for success in any aspect of their lives, be it spiritual, financial, or in relationships.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker discusses his surprising knowledge and interest in animal conservation despite his appearance, and the importance of breeding and releasing animals to help populations.
32:32 - 36:46 (04:14)
Summary
The speaker discusses his surprising knowledge and interest in animal conservation despite his appearance, and the importance of breeding and releasing animals to help populations.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker reflects on the exponential growth of the world's population and the impact it has on the planet.
36:47 - 39:17 (02:29)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the exponential growth of the world's population and the impact it has on the planet.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker discusses how being involved in unconventional work can lead to finding inspiration and mastering one's craft.
39:18 - 42:24 (03:05)
Summary
The speaker discusses how being involved in unconventional work can lead to finding inspiration and mastering one's craft.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker speaks about their own experience of being contacted by Will Smith's company and encourages younger generations to believe in themselves and reach for their dreams.
42:25 - 45:11 (02:45)
Summary
The speaker speaks about their own experience of being contacted by Will Smith's company and encourages younger generations to believe in themselves and reach for their dreams.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker talks about experiencing glitches with their phone after updating to a newer version, causing all their contacts to be alerted at once.
45:11 - 48:19 (03:07)
Summary
The speaker talks about experiencing glitches with their phone after updating to a newer version, causing all their contacts to be alerted at once.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
A speaker emphasizes the importance of staying committed and persistent in the entertainment industry, regardless of success or setbacks.
48:19 - 50:23 (02:04)
Summary
A speaker emphasizes the importance of staying committed and persistent in the entertainment industry, regardless of success or setbacks.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker reflects on the significance of a piece of advice given to him by his father, which he didn't understand until later in life.
50:23 - 54:59 (04:35)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the significance of a piece of advice given to him by his father, which he didn't understand until later in life. He shares how the advice helped him make a positive change in his life, and expresses the difficulty of truly knowing one's story.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker shares about how when you pray and ask for signs, God will give them to you to reassure and guide you towards achieving your goals and dreams.
54:59 - 1:00:10 (05:11)
Summary
The speaker shares about how when you pray and ask for signs, God will give them to you to reassure and guide you towards achieving your goals and dreams.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker shares about their experience with feeling attacked and responding defensively when faced with criticism from the vegan community on their choice to eat meat.
1:00:11 - 1:03:50 (03:38)
Summary
The speaker shares about their experience with feeling attacked and responding defensively when faced with criticism from the vegan community on their choice to eat meat.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The host reflects on the importance of being physically fit if choosing to hunt for one's own food, and explores the idea of rescuing or owning non-traditional domestic animals.
1:03:50 - 1:06:02 (02:11)
Summary
The host reflects on the importance of being physically fit if choosing to hunt for one's own food, and explores the idea of rescuing or owning non-traditional domestic animals. They also discuss the best ways to engage with people who hold different viewpoints, emphasizing the value of respect and open-mindedness.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker discusses their love for iguanas and their experience with raising them in captivity, including building a cage for them.
1:06:02 - 1:10:20 (04:17)
Summary
The speaker discusses their love for iguanas and their experience with raising them in captivity, including building a cage for them.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker is discussing their experience with a pet lizard and mentions its teeth and how he picked up a chicken.
1:10:19 - 1:12:10 (01:50)
Summary
The speaker is discussing their experience with a pet lizard and mentions its teeth and how he picked up a chicken.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
Humans and apes share a significant amount of DNA, and it's fascinating to the speaker to see the similarities between the two species.
1:12:10 - 1:15:18 (03:07)
Summary
Humans and apes share a significant amount of DNA, and it's fascinating to the speaker to see the similarities between the two species.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
Dean Schneider talks about his devotion to animal love and how he's willing to make sacrifices to inspire others to do the same.
1:15:18 - 1:18:31 (03:13)
Summary
Dean Schneider talks about his devotion to animal love and how he's willing to make sacrifices to inspire others to do the same. He shares some incredible experiences he's had with lions, including playing with them like NFL players roughhousing on the field, as well as praising other conservationists who have documented similar experiences.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The podcast speaker talks about feeling love by going to Africa, rebuilding and documenting progress with the goal of showing people where their money and time is going to help build on it.
1:18:31 - 1:22:26 (03:54)
Summary
The podcast speaker talks about feeling love by going to Africa, rebuilding and documenting progress with the goal of showing people where their money and time is going to help build on it. The hope is for this trend of helping and showing love to catch on.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The path to greatness is paved with tireless, hard work as exemplified by the lives of successful people such as Michael Jordan.
1:22:26 - 1:25:25 (02:59)
Summary
The path to greatness is paved with tireless, hard work as exemplified by the lives of successful people such as Michael Jordan. Their work ethic is a common trait that sets them apart from the rest.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
The speaker emphasizes to his younger brother the significance of unrelenting hard work to complement inherent skills, to ultimately achieve success that others cannot equal.
1:25:25 - 1:27:39 (02:13)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes to his younger brother the significance of unrelenting hard work to complement inherent skills, to ultimately achieve success that others cannot equal.
Episode724 Do What You Love with Mike Holston: The Real Tarzann
PodcastThe School of Greatness
Don't let others discourage you from pursuing your passions as there are countless examples of people making a full-time living doing what they love, such as Mike Holston who is making a big impact in the world through his passions.
1:27:39 - 1:29:00 (01:20)
Summary
Don't let others discourage you from pursuing your passions as there are countless examples of people making a full-time living doing what they love, such as Mike Holston who is making a big impact in the world through his passions.