We recently connected with Ian Breland and have shared our conversation below.
Ian, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Our mission’s principles stem from a failure found in the global education system. Rarely do we see parallel consistencies in the spreading of misinformation from a worldwide perspective, but when it comes to mitigating fear of the unknown (specifically in relation to reptiles and amphibians), it’s no secret that the chances are exceptionally high you will develop an irrational fear towards “creepy crawlies” in your lifetime.
First and foremost, we aim to bolster conservation through education as a means of prevention and conflict mitigation, specifically when it comes to humans interacting with “herps” (reptiles and amphibians). The act of searching for these wholly misunderstood creatures is referred to as “herping”. Working in the field of wildlife conservation, herpetology and ecotourism, I have been burdened by the misconceptions and fears surrounding snakes throughout my entire life. My bubbly excitement stemming from the first rattlesnake I ever ran into was quickly extinguished by my uncle threatening to “grab a can of gasoline and light that thing on fire”.
As I involuntarily developed a broadened, more nuanced and far different opinion about snakes into my formative years, the signs that we have misled ourselves into thinking these animals are monsters unworthy of love and respect abounded. I’ve always known I would be working in the wildlife conservation arena, but I didn’t know how; until Serpentine was established.
First appearing as a small-budget field herping show on CarbonTV, we traveled the world searching for iconic and cryptic reptiles, sharing our experience firsthand with viewers. After the first season, we were stuck with a brand and no money for further production. Working as a part-time contractor guiding in the Peruvian Amazon at the time, my co-founder Michael Ring and I decided to take the logo, LLC and what little amount of reach we had, and develop a thoughtfully engineered expedition company “specializing in the ethical and mutually beneficial pursuit of herpetofauna”.
A rare point of access for those reptile-curious folks like I had been years before, a sanctuary for professionals to collaborate on international conservation projects, a way to bring capital in for agencies & individuals on the frontlines, and of course this would be an effective way for me to continue doing what I love while “adulting”.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
One could say I “got into” my field as young as 6 years old, when I spotted a large plains garter snake sunning itself on my best friend’s patio. That snake evaded capture for days; teaching me patience, discipline and the sense of success when a mission is complete. It sounds silly, but that’s exactly what I’m doing today- this time, add purpose, technique and experience into the mix.
At around age 20 and branching off from a non-traditional background in filmmaking and videography (I worked as editor and videographer for a hunting show as well as freelance), I had nowhere to apply my skills after our field herping show ran its first season and funding was never backed for a season 2. My family never had much in the way of money to fund a college degree, and even if we did, I’m not sure I would have utilized it. I swim fastest going against the current.
To describe the stepping stones I hopped, crawled, and sprinted through to get here today would take a biblically monumental effort, so I like to sum up the early days (which we are still living) as: I said yes to everything. I took every chance I could get that might lead to a new road. I worked until my computer overheated, and I never underestimated what one seemingly bland opportunity could lead to.
In 2023, we established Serpentine Expeditions, one of the first of its kind. We are a company offering conservation-focused International Wildlife Expeditions, specializing in the ethical & mutually beneficial pursuit of Herpetofauna. Today, we operate across 4 continents, including: Mexico, Peru, Zimbabwe, Suriname, Ecuador, India, China and Indonesia. Our primary focus is to open safe and mindful access for curious naturalists from all walks of life to experience the diverse array of reptiles and amphibians that we’re lucky enough to share this planet with, through a comfortable and open group-travel oriented operation. Our tours range from 7 days to 2 weeks, involving activities such as night hiking, road cruising, “flipping” (checking under natural and man-made debris for herps), rescue calls, and even multi-day remote backpacking trips. As we locate different species, Serpentine offers hands-on, intricate photo workshops to aspiring and amateur photographers. Of course, we also welcome professionals from every corner of the globe.
It’s not always sunshine and rattlesnakes; we have had to tackle mountains of roadblocks and curveballs along the way. One scary thing as an aspiring small business owner is marketing. How do I build a website? How do I actually fill trips? How do I pull the right audience from a sea of bots, home-bodies, and fear-stricken opposition? Aside from that, how do I manage taxes and big acronyms, international red tape, or geopolitical unrest in target regions? This is a small sample of questions I’ve had to ask myself in just the past 2 years. There’s no easy answer either, and every conflict has a solution hidden under the guise of confusion. The best thing I have taught myself throughout it all comes down to two actions that will take you to the promised land: Do something, anything- the best answer is usually the most simple one. Never do nothing, unless it’s for the sake of enjoying the moment. Secondly, one step at a time. If you can’t streamline your own thoughts, you’ll never be able to tackle any of them with the effort they deserve. This means compartmentalizing, seeing each side from each perspective, and never looking up unless it’s to look back at how far you’ve come.
Originally, I took my video skills and applied them to create eye-catching and engaging social media reels with older footage, even if we hadn’t yet done the tour under Serpentine. I always know when we have a location scouted, ready for guests and primed for herping- but convincing everyone else to trust in your capabilities is another monster (especially as a younger 20-something).
I also taught myself how to build a website from a blank template. Once we had run our first expeditions, we had hard drives loaded with photos and footage of everything from clients laughing and hiking, to professional-grade macro photos showcasing the creative and technical knowledge wielded by Serpentine’s guides. We use fresh footage from each trip to market for the next round of trips, and every time the cycle happens, our backlog of usable marketing content is amplified. Now, we benefit from reviews, testimonials, word of mouth, proven concepts and reliable fixers. Our clientele ranges from excited children and novice naturalists to seasoned professionals and PhD students.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I really believe that by embracing my best self and not worrying one bit about my “reputation”, I began attracting like-minded individuals along the way. I don’t mean that in a superstitious or obscure way, but rather that by playing the slow game- establishing deep, long-lasting connections with those that showed effort towards understanding or supporting me as a human- I’m slowly reaping the benefits of being real. In a world that we all know is outwardly centered upon networking, first-impressions and who knows who, being a good listener and an empathetic human still provides the most return on investment.
It does help to also walk the walk if you’re going to talk the talk. I can’t have a fancy website, great photos and jaw-dropping travel opportunities if they don’t reflect the power of the experience itself. This is when who you choose as your inner circle and who you trust to carry the torch matters most; which I’m still actively learning. It’s easy to manage your own standards. But even when surrounded by those sharing the same core values, it will always be harder to find team members you can trust in the long term. This especially rings true for us in ensuring that our ground operators are up for the job, as they’re the real stars of the show when logistics come down to the wire.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been, by far, word of mouth. This is what I was banking on, because I knew down to my core that I was capable of this long before we’d run the first trip. I knew that I could do it, and if I just got one shot then I’d prove it to myself and anyone brave enough to join. Thankfully, that mindset flourished under pressure and we delivered a mind-bogglingly fun first year of operation.
These trips can bring strangers from different cultures, upbringings, and life situations into one hard, gritty, and ineffably rewarding process. It’s not rare that I walk away with several new friends-for-life after every expedition. Naturally, this leads to some pretty enjoyable reviews and repeat customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.serpentineexpeditions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.of.ian/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ian.breland.2025/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-breland-051607158/
Image Credits
Ian Breland