We were lucky to catch up with Cassie Malina recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassie, thanks for joining us today. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that the only constant is change.

I always aimed to help facilitate a system that worked. One in which you knew exactly what to expect and you could rely on it to be what it was. Yet, every time I would start to feel like things were settling into a predictable, comfortable routine, there would be my boss to shake things up. I felt things were already shaken up enough! When I worked at the free flight bird show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we performed an average of 5 shows every day. While the show times remained the same, and the routine order was the same, each show was different. It featured different birds with different presenters and these were live animals so things were bound to be different each show.

But that was never enough. Our company would take on new projects regularly. My boss was constantly pushing the boundaries of what was possible. He had dreams and ideas and we were going to turn them into reality. After a few years of this, I learned to ride the wave, to expect the unexpected, to always be ready with open eyes to see and embrace the next opportunity that presented itself. I learned that the best of us continue to evolve, learn, and grow. I learned to embrace the change. Today, I’m exhilarated by the knowledge that I can take on any of a variety of passion projects.

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?

In April 1998, a few months after graduating from the Pennsylvania State University, I moved to Orlando from New York to start my career with Natural Encounters, Inc. We were contracted to produce and perform free flight outdoor bird shows at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I began working at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 2 weeks before they opened to the public and performed in the bird shows there from the park’s inception through March of 2020. As I grew with NEI, I eventually settling into my well-fitting role as the Director of Staff Development, where I grew a community of animal trainers and caregivers.

During my 2 decades working with Natural Encounters, Inc., I produced and performed in free-flight bird shows in zoos across the country, including the Virginia Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Oklahoma City Zoo, National Aviary, and Houston Zoo. I also consulted on bird and animal programs in Singapore and Portugal and taught others the art and science of animal training at numerous workshops, seminars, lectures, webinars, and presentations across the country and abroad.

I had been coaching animal caregivers independently since 2000 and, after parting ways with NEI in 2020, my own animal training and consulting company, Awesome Animal Solutions, LLC, was born. Currently, I work both virtually and in person, in the US and abroad, collaborating with animal caretakers in both the private and public sector, helping them achieve their goals and increase animal welfare by employing the most positive, least intrusive effective solutions to behavior challenges. One of my favorite current roles is as the School Counselor of Parrot Kindergarten, a membership-based virtual school for those that share their homes with parrots, some of the most intelligent animals on our planet.

I maintain my CPBC certification from the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) since 2015 and my CPBT-KA certification from the International Avian Trainers Certification Board (IATCB) since 2013, and I completed Dr. Susan Friedman, Ph.D.’s Living, and Learning Course. I’ve been an active member of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) since 1998 and served on the Executive Board from 2004 – 2023. As part of the IAATE’s Professional Development Committee, I serve as a mentor to other avian trainers and educators. In 2020, the IAATE presented me with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Helping all creatures live their best lives is my passion. To increase animal welfare, we must inspire animal caretakers and animal lovers. Communication is key. My goal is to communicate with honesty and kindness to achieve shared goals. I see the uniqueness of each situation and collaborate to find behavior solutions that best fit each individual case. Every animal is an individual, every person is an individual, and the environment that they share together is unique and individual. All animals are uniquely awesome and I aim to provide awesome solutions for awesome animals!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

There are several things that have helped build my reputation. One is professionalism. I’ve always felt strongly that it is important to lead by example. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Spending many years working at Disney, I saw first hand how they pride themselves on training their staff to be kind, courteous, and non-offensive with guests. And, I saw the positive impact that has on people. We all want to be heard and treated with respect. We all have our own story and when I can truly hear someone’s story, their unique struggles in their unique environment, I feel I’m in a better position to help them and their animals reach their goals.

Being in the public eye, performing on stage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, dating back to the days of film cameras and spanning through current times, has put me in many family photo albums and shared videos over the years, which has likely contributed to my reputation.

More importantly, generously sharing my experience and expertise across a vast network of colleagues from different aspects of animal care has helped build my reputation. The solutions I offer are based on the foundation of the science of how behavior works across all species. Applying that science, in a way that is easy for people to understand, helps all caretakers of all experience levels be able to facilitate positive change in the relationships they have with the animals in their lives.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing teams can be extremely challenging. Managing teams who are responsible for the lives of other creatures adds another layer of challenge.

Effective managers are great listeners. Everyone wants to feel and be heard, to tell their story from their perspective. If we can truly hear their story, find common ground and connect, empathize, and maybe share our story as it relates to the moment, we can begin to build trusting relationships with our staff.

Getting to know them, we will learn what motivates them, and we gain a better idea of how to reward them for their great work in a way they will truly value. Our goal is not to be their friend. But, we do want to mutually respect each other, and that is gained through finding common ground and building trust.

Asking for their opinions as it relates to decisions that will effect them shows that you truly care and want to make the best decision possible that will meet everyone’s goals.

Being transparent, as much as possible, and always honest, is helpful as they know what to expect and will be less likely to get caught off guard and excessively frustrated or disappointed.

Celebrating successes as much as possible publicly (unless the individual does not like public recognition) helps you to model the behavior you hope to see in others. As much as a manager can lead by example and walk the talk, the better it will be for team morale and productivity.

If a manager can pitch in and help with a less desirable task when they have a bit of extra time, it not only helps the team to see your support but it also gives fresh eyes to these tasks that can result in improvements that benefit the team and overall goals.

Annual reviews that highlight the employee’s strengths and accomplishments as well as deliver constructive feedback to help them reach their professional and the company’s goals help staff feel appreciated and invested-in. If not given sooner, when possible, annual reviews should be accompanied by a pay increase, if even minimal, to account for the constant increase in the cost of living.

If managers can schedule regular, short (15-30 minute), one-on-one check-ins with each staff member quarterly, it can make annual reviews significantly less time consuming and will alert you to a challenge before it sweeps the team and lowers morale.

Recognizing when morale is low, and meeting it head on by asking as a team and individually what the cause is can help you and the team brainstorm solutions. When they are part of the process to come up with a plan to improve the challenge, they will be more invested in the follow through of that plan.

And, of course, unexpected treats like coffee and pastries are almost always a winning morale booster!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.awesomeanimalsolutions-cassiemalina.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwesomeAnimalSolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-malina-461181103/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/awesome-animal-solutions-orlando?osq=awesome+animal+solutions