The TEC Talk Podcast: Presented by Natural Encounters, Inc.
224 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago -Join co-hosts Chris and Ari for a discussion of animal training, behavior, human-animal relationships, and all things NEI-TEC (the Natural Encounters Inc Training and Education Center), and featuring guests from the NEI team and around the professional animal care world! Email us at [email protected] if you have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show!
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Episodes
Episode 21: The NEI Comedy Hour! (with Steve Martin)
September 03, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 94.7 MBAfter a 20-episode hiatus, NEI President and CEO Steve Martin makes his triumphant return to talk about the importance of comedy in producing fun and engaging animal shows. We chat about how comedy clubs influenced Steve's pre-NEI bird shows, share tips for how to listen to your audience while on stage, and discuss the importance of just being yourself. Do you have a question, feedback about an episode, or a topic you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at podcast@naturalencounters...
Episode 20: Gators and Ramen and Feedback - Oh My!
August 27, 2020 16:00 - 59 minutes - 57.2 MBChris and Ari sit six feet apart and talk about Ari's visit to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Chris' first trip to a restaurant since the beginning of the pandemic, and discuss your questions and feedback from email and Facebook! Do YOU have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at [email protected]!
Episode 19: Interview Lightning Round! (Part I)
August 20, 2020 16:00 - 47 minutes - 45.4 MBAri and Chris welcome to the show....everyone! In our first NEI "Interview Lightning Round" episode, we sit down for quick mini-interviews with Ray Minchey, Kevin O'Brien, Aaron Tapia, Scott Trauger, Katie Bello, and Corey Derryberry from our shows at "that theme park" to learn more about them, where they came from, and to get their quick answers to some of our burning questions. Have a question or something you'd like us to talk about on the show? Let us know at podcast@naturalencounters...
Episode 18: How to Read Minds and Influence People
August 13, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBAri and Chris sit down to share some of the things they've learned about communication and what you can do as an individual to become a better leader, coworker, teammate, and supporter of others (spoiler: part of it involves being able to read minds). Have a question or something you want discussed on the show? Want to be on the show? Have feedback for what we can do better? For all your podcast feedback needs, reach out to us at [email protected]!
Episode 17: Your Podcast Dose of Vitamin Z (with Tim Van Loan)
August 06, 2020 16:00 - 59 minutes - 68.3 MBAri and Chris chat with NEI Supervisor Tim Van Loan to talk about the unique reason why he's worked for NEI twice, his current role as the Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Albuquerque BioPark, and how quarantine has made him an unexpected YouTube star, all in our first episode to include content in 4 different languages! Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at [email protected]!
Episode 16: You Get What You Reinforce
July 30, 2020 16:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBAri is back! The duo discusses quarantine updates and the importance of voting before doing a dive into our commonly used phrase "you get what you reinforce" and the implications it has for training strategies and building relationships between humans. We wrap up with a follow up to an email we got a few weeks ago about teaching a vulture to use a new enclosure - yay for follow ups!!! Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at [email protected]...
Episode 15: Snake Hooks and Smiles (with Aaron Tapia)
July 23, 2020 17:48 - 42 minutes - 38.3 MBWith Ari away, the gents will play! Chris is joined by fellow NEI trainer Aaron Tapia to talk about his background in theater and how it lead to a career with animals, his love for reptiles and the right (and wrong) ways to handle snakes, and discuss the importance of finding your niche on a team. We love Aaron, and now you will too! Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at [email protected]!
Episode 14: Nerding Out (with Ash Sevilla)
July 16, 2020 16:30 - 1 hour - 89.3 MBAfter some obligatory chat about quarantine life, Ari and Chris are joined by their friend Ash Sevilla to talk about his podcast for the website Nerd Appropriate (http://www.nerdappropriate.com) and how in a round about way it's responsible for the existence of this show, his time as a history teacher and current role as a community manager in the video game industry, and discuss the importance of following your passions and prioritizing kindness. Have a question or something you'd like u...
Episode 13: Our NEI Top "10," Part 2!
July 09, 2020 16:00 - 1 hour - 85.1 MBAfter some chat about quarantine life and some details on the new show NEI is about to open, Chris and Ari return to the discussion of some of their personal favorite "NEI Moments." And look at that, we actually rounded out a Top 10! Doesn't mean we can't do more in the future! Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at [email protected]!
Episode 12: Fun with NE(Alumn)I! (with John Scott)
July 02, 2020 16:00 - 50 minutes - 58.2 MBAri and Chris are joined by their good buddy and former coworker John Scott to talk about their shared history at NEI, our memories of our first shows as presenters at "that show in Central Florida" (wink wink), John's current job with WCS as a trainer at New York Aquarium, his graduate studies on educational messaging in animal shows, and his recent article on same-sex couples in the animal world. Super fun episode - we miss this guy! Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss ...
Episode 11: Behind the Scenes of NEI TEC (with...Everyone!)
June 25, 2020 16:00 - 24 minutes - 28 MBEnjoy this "peak behind the curtain" at NEI TEC! All our webinar and online course sessions are preceded by a short staff "meeting" to confirm details and last minute changes, test videos and online connections, and generally make sure things all set before we go "live." Please enjoy the audio of our "pre-show" meeting with Steve, Ari, Chris, and the rest of the NEI TEC mentor team from the final session of our June 2020 Parrot Behavior and Training course! Have a question or something yo...
Episode 10: Our Not-So-Secret Life of Pets
June 18, 2020 16:00 - 34 minutes - 33.9 MBAri and Chris are back at work, so welcome to the first episode recorded with our hosts in the same room! We discuss the non-work animals in our lives, how pet ownership and fostering has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and answer an email question about biosecurity for professional animal caretakers with pets. Hope you like cats and dogs, because we talk about them a lot! Do you have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at podcast@naturalencounters...
Episode 9: Parrot Conservation (with Jose Antonio Diaz)
June 12, 2020 16:10 - 47 minutes - 47.9 MBTake two! Ari and Chris sit down (again) with Jose Antonio Diaz, Executive Director of Parrot Conservation Bolivia (CLB), an organization that works towards the conservation of several highly endangered species of macaws in South America. Jose tells us about what his organization does, talks a bit about CLB's history with NEI, and tells us his amazing origin story about becoming crazy about parrots as a young boy growing up in Spain. To learn more about what CLB does and how you can help, ...
Episode 8.5: Technical Difficulties!
June 11, 2020 16:00 - 2 minutes - 3.41 MBWell, this is disappointing. Just a quick episode to let everyone know that the audio gods weren't with us as recorded this week and the file just isn't usable, BUT we're going to re-record our conversation with Jose Antonio Diaz from Parrot Conservation Bolivia and get a brand-spanking-new recording out a day later than normal. Hey, we're human and this was bound to happen sooner or later, right? Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at podcast@natura...
Episode 8: Support, Inclusion, and Community
June 04, 2020 16:45 - 31 minutes - 39.8 MBWe're back! Ari and Chris explain the story behind the recent bonus episode with our co-workers Flannery and Kyle, discuss how the current social unrest in the US has created a new opportunity to celebrate the diversity of voices and experiences in the zoological community, and take on an email asking about how folks looking to break into the zoo community can make themselves stand out. Do you have a question or a topic you'd like us to discuss on the show? Let us know at podcast@naturale...
BONUS EPISODE: Well Wishes From NEI! (w/ Flannery and Kyle)
May 29, 2020 23:31 - 1 minute - 2.21 MBJust a quick, special episode to tell everyone out there we're thinking about you, we appreciate you, and we hope you're staying safe and sane! We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled episode of TEC Talk! Have a question or something you'd like us to discuss on the show? Email us at [email protected]!
Episode 7: The Right Fit (with Benita Raphan)
May 28, 2020 16:05 - 1 hour - 79.8 MBChris and Ari are joined by teacher, filmmaker, dog trainer, and resident "podcast email question asker" Benita Raphan about the unique path that brought her to training and NEI, and tackle some questions about "right fit talent" and diversity within the professional animal care industry. Have a question or a topic that you want discussed on a future episode? Be like Benita and email us at [email protected]!
Episode 6: Collaboration Celebration (with Dave Miller)
May 21, 2020 16:00 - 55 minutes - 61.7 MBChris and Ari are joined by bird trainer, IAATE President, and creator of the new TEC Talk theme music, Dave Miller, to talk about the importance of collaboration. We discuss the cool projects he's been a part of that combine his love of music and animals, and respond to some listener questions about negative reinforcement in the workplace and the things we wish we'd known when we started our careers. Have a question, idea, or anything else you'd like to contribute to TEC Talk? Email us a...
Episode 5: Origin Stories
May 14, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 74 MBChris and Ari reflect on NEI TEC's recently completed Ambassador Animal Training and Welfare course, interview each other about our pre-NEI histories with animal behavior and training, and respond to some questions about NEI's breeding programs and suggestions about affecting change when you're not in a position of leadership. Another great chat! Have a question or idea for something you want discussed on the podcast? Let us know at [email protected]!
Episode 4: Growth in the Time of COVID (with Megan Geddes)
May 07, 2020 16:00 - 51 minutes - 60 MBAri and Chris welcome NEI Senior Trainer Megan Geddes to talk about her pre-NEI history and the projects she's been a part of with our company over the last 5 years. We also answer a listener email about developing "people skills" and breaking into the professional animal care industry in the time of COVID-19. It's a good one!
Episode 3: Our NEI Top "10"
April 30, 2020 16:00 - 44 minutes - 55.6 MBAfter some discussion about what "reopening" our country might mean for those of us in the zoological industry, Ari and Chris share their "Top 10" (ok, really only 4) moments from their history working for Natural Encounters, Inc. We wrap up by responding to an email asking about advice for people looking to get into the field, and our company's push to have its employees be a part of the leadership of professional animal training and behavior organizations.
Episode 2: Happy Earth Day! (with Steve Martin)
April 23, 2020 16:00 - 37 minutes - 44.8 MBChris and Ari are joined by NEI President and CEO Steve Martin to talk about his history with Earth Day, the importance of conservation, and the history of our non-profit sister organization, the Natural Encounters Conservation Fund. We also chat about NEI TEC's "Trust Week" webinars and respond to an email about team building in the guide dog training community. To learn more about NEI and NECF, visit us at http://www.naturalencounters.com and http://www.necfund.org.
Episode 1: Tales from the Feedback Loop
April 16, 2020 16:00 - 31 minutes - 39.4 MBWelcome to Episode 1! Chris and Ari discuss graceful mistake-making, the importance of self-correction, and being an active participant in a feedback loop with members of your team.
Episode 0: Welcome to TEC Talk!
April 08, 2020 15:12 - 6 minutes - 8.74 MBWelcome to TEC Talk, a weekly podcast from the staff of the Natural Encounters Inc. Training and Education Center (NEI-TEC)! Join co-hosts Chris and Ari as they discuss their plans for the show and what listeners can expect from the podcast moving forward.