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

Markayle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

It all started in 2020. When the world was at an uncertain standstill, I couldn’t do what I thought I wanted my career to be (semi-pro to professional basketball player). When everything shut down, I felt lost and uncertain. However, something (call it my conscience) told me to go to college and study up on the god-given gift I already had: animals and nature. So I did, and while I was in college I thought of a fun and engaging way to share my deepest affinity by sharing animal facts on social media with others.

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?

Hey guys!

I’m Markayle McDaniel. I am a wildlife biologist, animal enthusiast, educator, & social media content creator. You can find me on different platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc which I am known as “KelltheBiologist”. You should definitely give me a follow if your just as fascinated about animals as much as I am!

I want my brand to be a “movement” with animal/nature lovers alike can learn about cool animal facts and learning more about conservation. I want to engage with my followers and to help them learn more about the natural world.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes. Not only do I want people to become more aware of animal conservation and fun, engaging facts, I want to use my growing platform to actively help different conservation brands/partners on the front lines. I want to be one of the greats that makes a difference in a positive way by helping animals to save them from extinction.

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

This is pretty emotional & recent, but I feel like this is a great illustration of my resilience:

In June 2022, I found out that my mother had cancer. I was devastated, confused, & hopeless. However, I remained strong, strong for my mother. As the months passed, with me being more dedicated on caring for my mom rather than my content, I was telling her about what I wanted to do with my life. I showed her my game plan and even what I’ve accomplished through my videos.

My mother couldn’t have been more proud. She embedded in me the knowledge and love that I needed to keep going and never give up. Unfortunately, my current fear at the time had came true, with her making her transition on January 31, 2023.

I wanted to give up everything, because my mother was my biggest fan for me to become successful, but I remembered showing/telling her what I wanted to do with my life – and she ALWAYS knew I loved animals (which I got from her because she also loved animals) Today, I may have lost her physically, but her spirit is always around me, pushing me to keep going no matter how difficult it gets or how impossible life may seem. And I’m not going to let her down.

And that in my opinion, is my story on my ongoing journey on my resilience. No matter what life throws at you, everyone has two choices: 1: stay down & accept it or 2: learn from it, get back up, & keep moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KelltheBiologist.com
• Instagram: @KelltheBio
• Facebook: KelltheBio
• Linkedin: Markayle McDaniel
• Youtube: KelltheBiologist
• Other: TikTok: @KelltheBio