1347: Using Entrepreneurship to Protect Endangered Species from Poaching in Africa with Ryan Tate Founder and Co-Owner of Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW)

The Entrepreneur Way

Ryan served our country in Ramadi and Fallujah with the U.S. Marine Corps in some of the most intense fighting of the Iraq war. Ryan reached platoon sergeant status and received combat promotions and awards as an infantryman as well as being recognized as Marine of the year in 2005 and Non-Commissioned Officer of the year in 2006. He also trained Iraqi Police and Navy Corpsmen in infantry tactics. He earned a Naval Achievement Medal for his Combat Valor. Ryan has been with the Department of State for four years. He served on the Ambassador Susan Rice’s Protective Detail for three years and currently serves as a General Services Specialist. In addition to his service Ryan Tate has always been an animal lover. After returning from one of his tours in Iraq he was deeply affected by a program he watched on TV that showed an African rhino still alive and suffering greatly with half its face hacked off solely for its horn. Tate, realizing that criminal poaching networks operate very much like the intricate terrorist networks in the Middle East, set out to repurpose his skills into an effort to stop the slaughter of these magnificent endangered animals. Many Post 9-11 U.S. veterans often have difficulty leveraging their combat skills in a conventional civilian vocation. Ryan realized these vets could benefit profoundly from the opportunity to utilize their valuable military skills in combat-related areas protecting endangered wildlife in Africa and saving lives. With Tate’s military experience and savvy navigating the tumultuous world of “boots on the ground” conservation, he’s able to speak directly to the unique skills that veterans can bring to anti-poaching efforts making a vital difference for endangered species and veterans that now have a renewed sense of purpose.

“take negative criticism as just criticism or as just help. Don’t look over all look past negativity it’s happening for a reason and so it should be focused on but it shouldn’t be taken to heart. You have got to grow a thick-skinned, you have got to be able to take a punch, you have got to be able to take several punches to the mouth over and over and over again. But if you don’t get up you are not an entrepreneur – you are not. So be prepared to take a hit, grow thick skin, don’t let it alter your direction, let it improve your direction and the efficiency and the speed that you are headed in. And just take everything as a learning lesson. It’s all part of the journey. The Quicker that you can take criticism as a learning lesson instead of negativity the quicker that you are going to get your mission done and certainly the less years are going to be taken off of your life from the stress that comes with that negativity. So as negative as it is try to just take it in stride and build off of it.”…[Listen for More]

Click Here for Show Notes

To Listen or to Get the Show Notes go to https://wp.me/p6Tf4b-7cX