Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ethan Penner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ethan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I started making videos on TikTok in the summer of 2020, pretty much right as the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. But it wasn’t until. I was home for winter break in December 2020 when I started to gain engagement with the popular “What’s Inside That Rock?” series that I created. The idea really just came from wanting to go viral and combining a sort of game show theme with my passion for geology. The tune was a simple yet catchy song designed as a ringtone and adapted it for my videos. It didn’t become a song until the following winter when one of my followers pointed out that sounded better that way. My first year saw me gain an audience of around 50 thousand people, but in January 2022 I started going viral. That’s how I knew that it would be a worthwhile endeavor. I realized that people all over the world truly found geology exciting and that I could inspire them to pursue a career in geosciences with fun and educational short-form videos! Flash forward to now, Summer 2023. I can say that I’m happy with what I’ve done.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Ethan Penner and I’m a geologist by education! Ever since I was young I had an interest in science in general. I originally wanted to be a marine biologist, but after my first earth science class in high school, I was hooked. I’m glad that my parents helped to put some rocks in front of me as a kid because it really gave me something from nature to admire in the palm of my hand. I went to Binghamton University to study geology and I left with a BS and MS. I never thought I’d be doing geology communication as a career, but it just goes to show how unpredictable life can be. I make educational and entertaining videos on TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and LinkedIn where I break open rocks, explain discoveries, or just detail things that I find interesting! My main goal is to educate and inspire, and I’d say I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve done just that. Many people reach out to me to tell me how their kids love my videos and want to be geologists when they grow up, or that they’re going to college to major in geology because of me, and it truly makes me happy. I want people to know that no matter what you’re studying, no matter where you are in life, you should chase that passion. Time is something you can’t get back, and you shouldn’t spend a minute more worrying about unnecessary things. Go out and explore, the world is waiting for you!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being someone like me who gets to show their creativity is getting to engage with an audience. Because too many people think of followers as numbers, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people that supported me from the very beginning. So I love talking with as many followers as I can, connecting with them, and allowing them to have a platform to discuss concepts and voice their opinions that they normally wouldn’t have. I’m just a guy, I’m no more special than them, and social media can disappear at the flip of a switch. But the connections you make, the friends you find, and the journeys you embark on, those are what remain.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Social media is a tricky beast to tame. And by tame, I mean that it’s like riding a bull. You can’t predict how long you’ll be able to stay on, anything can happen quicker than you can react, and once you’re off you may never get on again. I was experiencing some drop-off in engagement after my first year when I wasn’t posting as much, and it wasn’t fun at all. I felt sad and defeated like I let not only myself down but the people who followed me. I realized that to be successful on social media you have to be in the game constantly. So I waited; I posted when I could but didn’t overdo anything. I knew that I had to save my energy for when the next video took off, and that’s exactly what happened. Once I got another wave of exposure from the social media algorithms, I rode it as far as I could and gained millions of followers in just a few months. Not many people can say that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/rockmanethan
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockmanethan/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockmanethan/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanmpenner/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockman_ethan
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rockmanethan
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rockmanethan Threads: https://www.threads.net/@rockmanethan

Image Credits
Madrid Scientific Films and Triana Sci & Tech (Image 4, giant crystals)