Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Dahlen.
Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always had an affinity for animals, especially reptiles. I went to the Marines after high school and when I got out I was an associate at petsmart. Getting to work with animals daily made me very happy. Slowly I started bringing reptiles home and eventually had enough to start breeding quality animals and make a business for myself! My sister helped establish a logo and name and began Ryan’s Reptile Outpost in 2015.
After a year or two of advertising animals, I wanted to make ads that stood out from other vendors and started to explore more photography skills. In 2018 I bought my first DSLR camera and have been constantly upgrading my photo taking abilities and equipment. Now in my home, I have one room specifically for reptiles, and one as a studio!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Some of the struggles were that there are multiple other businesses in my area that offer the same animals I was selling. Luckily my outgoing personality and willingness to teach helped me stand out.
As you know, we’re big fans of Ryan’s Reptile Outpost. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business started in 2015 and started with simple morphs of crested geckos. Over the years I was able to expand into other species such as Gargoyle geckos, Giant geckos, and even into Ball pythons. My goal was to help educate and hopefully eradicate negative stigmas surrounding reptiles and show everyone that they can be great pets. I also enjoyed incorporating photography to help display some close up features of these animals to show to those that would normally not want to be up close! Ryan’s Reptile Outpost is known for having a diverse selection of certain geckos and ball pythons, but in particular for a very dark colored line of crested geckos. I am personally known for having copious amounts of energy while vending at expos and for my signature Akubra.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I can be reached online through my business page on Facebook, or on an ad hosting site www.morphmarket.com.
Pricing:
- Crested geckos $75-$600
- Giant geckos $300-$400
- Gargoyle geckos $150-$350
- Ball Pythons $50-$1000+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/ryansreptileoutpost/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyansReptileOutpost
Image Credits
Ryan Dahlen (R.J.Dahlen Photography)
