Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:13):
Welcome to Amateurs
and Experts Podcast.
My name is Erica Chin.
I'm here with Maggie Reese, andwe are at 2026 Shot Show.
Um we're in the Otis Technologybooth that they have uh, I mean,
graciously provided us.
It is a luxurious, veryprofessional booth.
And we have Jessica Adnich on,which is a little different this
(00:38):
year because she's usually on myside of the table.
She's on the other side.
I know.
She is um doing some fabulousthings, and I can't wait to talk
to her about it.
SPEAKER_02 (00:48):
Welcome, Jess.
Thank you so much for having me.
It is very weird to be on thisside of the table.
It's a different view.
SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
Do you immediately
want to take over?
SPEAKER_02 (00:56):
The OCD A plus
personality, 100%.
Yes, and it's taking everythingin me to just shut it down.
SPEAKER_00 (01:04):
You could take over
here.
You could, you and Maggie, and Icould be on that side.
SPEAKER_01 (01:08):
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Devil love that.
Maybe we'll do it differentevery year.
We'll just rotate one spot everyyear around.
Yeah, it's out of a hat.
SPEAKER_00 (01:21):
Anyway, Jess was um
on the podcast, and we're glad
that she's back uh as a as aguest.
As a guest.
Yeah, she is um with FuzzySharks and Sharkapalooza and Pod
uh Design Pod and Design PodTactical.
And what else are you doing,Jess?
What do you have time for?
SPEAKER_02 (01:41):
I'm making macaroons
and meringues now in my own beef
jerky.
SPEAKER_01 (01:44):
So I'm like, wait a
second, are you being serious?
Are you being serious?
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (01:49):
Maybe she has a
cricket cricket.
Yeah, I bought a cricket.
A single one?
No, no, it's a craft, not acricket.
I don't have a pet cricket.
No, it's a crafting machine.
SPEAKER_01 (01:59):
You're like, what
kind of pet is a cricket?
What is happening right now?
SPEAKER_02 (02:02):
You know, Dobermans
and crickets.
SPEAKER_01 (02:03):
I'm just a weird I
was like, is it your cricket
lonely?
But okay, it's not a realcricket.
SPEAKER_02 (02:10):
No, it's a crafting
machine because um I was told
that I should get more funactivities in my life, and I
thought, what a better way tocraft, but also make product
prototypes.
So it's a way to sneak work intofun time.
SPEAKER_00 (02:24):
There's a lot to
work back there.
I got a beautiful bag from herthat has this really cool logo
on it.
SPEAKER_02 (02:30):
Thank you.
Yeah, I'm making a lot of weirdstuff for friends to test it.
You know, I started.
Thank you, thank you.
I thought it came out well.
SPEAKER_00 (02:38):
It did.
unknown (02:39):
It did, actually.
SPEAKER_00 (02:41):
I have one.
There's a little bit of alearning curve, but once you get
the hang of it, it's like it itis it is very fun.
SPEAKER_02 (02:49):
And it's oh I can
see how it's overwhelming
because there's so manydifferent options and things
that you can't do.
So yes.
SPEAKER_01 (02:56):
I'm feeling very
left out.
I I would like I would like somesort of product in the mail to
just it'll be a bag with yourname on it.
SPEAKER_02 (03:04):
Can can you
embroider a cricket on it?
Well, now there's gonna be acricket in it.
It'll just say Maggie with acricket.
People are like, this doesn'tmake any sense.
SPEAKER_00 (03:12):
It's not on brand,
but that's okay.
Yeah, so Jess um Shark ofBalooza, it's uh coming up here.
SPEAKER_02 (03:21):
Is so I, as many of
you might know, I used to be on
the board, um, which was awonderful experience.
Yeah, I guess let's not skipthat part.
Yeah, it's kind of just a lotof.
Why are you on the other side?
Yes.
So I used to be on the Womaboard, which was absolutely
fantastic and wonderful.
Uh, but you mentionedSharkapalooza.
I have a lot of other projectsgoing on in my life, and at some
(03:44):
point there's just too much totake on, and you can either do a
few things really, really wellor half-ass a lot of things, and
I am not one to half-ass, sounfortunately, I left it to the
experts like yourselves tocontinue on Wilma's
wonderfulness and for me tofocus on my shark work.
So I have a design agency thatdoes graphic design, branding,
(04:06):
marketing strategies forcompanies, and we do specialize
in the tactical industry.
So being here at Shot is great.
I have a lot of clients, beencoming for over a decade, which
is really surreal to say.
Yes.
Um, but then I also really havethis weird love and passion for
sharks and shark conservation.
And Sharkapalooza is an event,but now it's gonna be a full
city festival that I'm puttingon.
(04:28):
Isn't that cool?
SPEAKER_01 (04:28):
It's I I don't Did
you envision that?
Like, did you see that growthpotential?
Like when you started it.
SPEAKER_02 (04:34):
Yes.
Uh-huh.
When I first started it, it wasat a local brewery in South
Tampa.
And how many years ago was that?
Four years ago?
I think it was 20, 20, whatever,the math, hard.
Uh the first one, I think we had10 vendors, but the whole idea
of Sharka Palooza is bringingtogether art, conservation,
education, and community.
(04:55):
Because art can be a vehicle touh inspire, raise awareness,
educate, and art is used allthroughout culture and politics
to do a lot of different things,and why not use that within
conservation?
So Sharka Palooza is literallybringing together artists that
have a focus on sharks or oceansubject matter, and then we're
having the aquariums involved,and we're raising now, it's a
(05:17):
non-profit.
But in the beginning, yeah, itwas to kind of make this
national amazing shark artconservation festival.
But it doing any event, like youguys know, she never quit.
It takes time to grow it overyears, and now in May, it's
gonna be our fifth one.
And after the last one, a friendsaid to me, you know, you should
really consider like getting acommittee and like doing it
(05:38):
yourself.
And he knew when he left there,he told me afterwards, he's
like, Yeah, Jess, when I leftthere, I was really hoping that
you weren't gonna do what I saidyou should do.
And like by the end of the day,I had emails out to all of the
people asking them to be on thecommittee and because he planted
a seed.
Yeah, he planted a seed and itgrew really quick.
SPEAKER_00 (05:56):
Right.
So now you are at this huge parkand it's a it's a city event.
SPEAKER_02 (06:02):
It is.
So if you're familiar at allwith Clearwater, Florida, they
have a park called Coachman Parkand it's absolutely beautiful.
It was redone a few years ago.
It's stunning.
It's this circle, beautifulgrass area, and then concrete
sidewalk.
There's like a water jungle gymthing for kids.
It's right on the water, um,right before you get to the
island of Clearwater by thebridge.
(06:24):
It's next to Bay Hair Sound,which is an outdoor
amphitheater.
And the goal was to do part ofthe park, just have a small
section of it, and then as webegan planning, people just
said, Well, Jess, you are kindof like go bigger, go home with
everything.
Why don't we just do the wholepark?
And I was like, Yes, let's dothe whole park.
We're gonna rent the entire parkand make the entire park a wet
(06:46):
zone, which means that you canhave like a beer and like walk
the entire thing.
SPEAKER_01 (06:50):
Oh, this is sounding
better.
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (06:52):
We're gonna have um
some of the best food trucks in
the area.
Uh, local, we're getting thebiggest stage that the city of
Clearwater allows you to rent.
And we're having local musiciansand artists play, um, and then
we're having some of the bestartists in the area actually
vendor the show.
Uh Clearwater Marine Aquarium isgonna be there, Florida
Aquarium.
We're in conversation with areally, really amazing
(07:14):
conservation partner, which I'mhoping to announce in the middle
of February.
We're a little too early toannounce it because we're still
working in the details of that,but um, yeah, it's it's gonna be
my goal is to have this beFlorida's largest shark festival
and then the country's largestshark festival by next year.
Yeah, yeah.
My committee, I keep tellingthem anytime we talk about 2027,
(07:35):
I'm like earmuffs.
And they're like, damn it, Jess.
And I'm like, I understand 2026is one day, but in 2027 it's
gonna be a two-day event.
We're like, we haven't evengotten through 26.
Let's not talk about 27.
SPEAKER_01 (07:44):
Growth, growth,
growth, growth, growth, growth.
But I want to know, like, wherewhere did it come from?
What was the beginning of likeyour love of sharks?
What was the very first likethis is what I'm gonna invest my
passion in?
And and and you know, just wrapit up tiny and you know, in a
nice little story for us.
SPEAKER_02 (08:00):
Yeah.
So loved sharks ever since I waslittle.
Been I'm originally from Cle uhCleveland, Ohio, which is.
Do they have sharks there?
No.
Oh, they don't, no, unlessthey're in a tank in an
aquarium.
And my parents really cultivatedthat love for the ocean.
So when I got older, moving tothe water to do it more made
sense in an area.
Um, but I really do, you know,going to art school, I went to
(08:22):
the Cleveland Institute of Art,one of the top institutes in the
country, and I just felt likeart, uh you're supposed to
create art to speak tosomething.
And when I at that time when Iwas in college, Shark Water, the
documentary came out that reallyput a spotlight on shark
finning, where people cut thefins off of sharks for soup and
other medicinal medicines, andthat just hit a chord with me.
(08:45):
So I started making artwork tospeak to it, and my thought was
I could design exhibits formuseums and aquariums, but then
I just started making reallyweird art and here we are.
SPEAKER_00 (08:54):
But you have a story
with um like the shark shark
part of it and fuzzy sharks.
Fuzzy sharks and stuff likethat.
And and um why don't you tell usuh about how fuzzy sharks came
about?
SPEAKER_02 (09:07):
Yeah, so fuzzy
sharks is based off of the
scientific theory calledbiophilia, which is the theory
that we're naturally drawn tothings based on how they look.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
So and their
cuteness factor.
SPEAKER_02 (09:18):
Yes.
Uh if you look at conservationdollars, uh the majority of that
money does go to cute animals,and we associate cute animals
with safety.
You know, polar bears areadorable, but they actually kill
more people a year than sharksdo.
Uh small detail.
Small detail.
You know, even cows do, and cowsare, you know, adorable too, but
they don't actually kill morepeople a year.
So uh yeah, so it's the idea ofsharks were fuzzy and cute and
(09:41):
we looked at them differently.
Would you change the way thatyou uh view them?
SPEAKER_01 (09:45):
So I love that this
started though as like a passion
that your your parents kind ofinstilled in you as like a
little kid to appreciate thingslike beyond like just your own
backyard and something bigger.
SPEAKER_02 (09:56):
Yeah, I apparently
spent the entire day in my
bedroom making this like littlefish tank out of construction
paper and a Tupperwarecontainer, and I came out of my
bedroom and my parents felt sobad for me because it looked so
pathetic that they went out andbought a fish tank.
They'd never had a fish tank.
We called it the tank of deathbecause everything died in it,
and then we kept getting biggerand bigger fish tanks, and then
my dad put a pond in thebackyard.
So yeah, it's been and here weare, now we're doing
(10:19):
Sharkerpalooza.
SPEAKER_00 (10:20):
And also in Fuzzy
Sharks, like you started with a
sewing machine and making themyourself.
SPEAKER_01 (10:28):
Yes.
I remember the first fuzzysharks.
SPEAKER_02 (10:31):
Yeah, the first ones
were an installation that were
like six to ten feet long, sewedsharks that were uh it was an
art exhibit, and then I startedhandmaking my own plush animals,
killed a few sewing machines.
SPEAKER_01 (10:45):
I was I as soon as
you said killed, I was like, no,
no, that's that's that's theopposite.
No, there was a sewing machine.
Okay, thank you.
Yeah, blew the motor on it.
SPEAKER_02 (10:52):
Uh and now the plush
lines manufactured and they're
super adorable, and uh thesecond batch of them are coming
in, and it's really excitingbecause this new order of plush
sharks actually have a digitalchip in their mouth where you
can put your phone in theshark's mouth and it will
actually open up an informinformational educational page
about sharks.
SPEAKER_00 (11:12):
Oh, that's very
cool.
SPEAKER_02 (11:13):
Yeah, so it's like
an interaction plush toy.
SPEAKER_00 (11:16):
I love it.
Yes, that is so cool.
SPEAKER_02 (11:19):
Yeah, it's it's
wild.
So I, you know, it's people askme all the time, they're like,
so you work in the tacticalworld, like guns, sharks, how
does that work?
I'm like, well, they're bothmisunderstood.
So I think it works.
SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
That's the best
explanation ever.
There we go.
SPEAKER_02 (11:33):
Both badass and both
under misunderstood.
SPEAKER_01 (11:35):
Yeah, because they
suffered from bad marketing.
Like and were demonized in inways that were beyond the scope
of what they were actuallydoing.
Correct.
Yeah, so it makes complete senseto me.
Yeah, I like how you and it doesto me too.
I like how you tied thattogether.
Uh-huh.
I'm going with it.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (11:53):
Otherwise, if you
just look at it at the surface,
you're like, God, Jess is weird.
And I do accept that.
I I own it, I accept it, I'mhere for it.
But yeah, underneath.
SPEAKER_00 (12:02):
And you are an
author.
SPEAKER_02 (12:05):
Oh, yeah.
I've done some books.
Oh, by the way.
I yeah, it's um, so there's uhsome children's books that I
have for sharks that Iillustrated and the second one I
wrote.
And then I also in a past lifedid a journal that helps promote
positive thinking.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
Actually, and and
that's what I remember um from
you like in instantly is ispositive thinking and just
putting yourself in a bettermindset and I mean just
separately from like what we dofor our profession, like it how
it comes back to ourselves.
And I always, always think aboutthat with you.
That's like my first impression.
(12:45):
Um because because you've reallyimpacted me in so many positive
ways, just with your energy andhow you project and how you put
things out there, and so I thinkthat that's important to
remember, like self-care and Ilove that so much.
That makes me so happy.
Because like we're just going,going, going, like and non-stop
and doing things to like try andimpact other people.
(13:06):
And every once in a while youhave to take a step back and be
like, okay, crap, I need to takecare of myself too, because if I
don't take care of myself, thenI will just completely burn out
and not be able to take care ofanybody else.
And you're that person that'slike, stop.
SPEAKER_02 (13:22):
It's true.
SPEAKER_01 (13:23):
Take a beat.
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (13:26):
If you can't take
care of yourself, you can't be a
good leader or help anyone else.
Yeah, and I think that you knowit's it's very surreal because I
can sit here with you guys andtalk about all the positive,
amazing things about my life,and people say, Oh my gosh,
Jess, I look at your socialmedia, you're doing all these
things.
I'm like, yes, I am, but there'sstill also hard times to it.
You know, I'm not share mecrying in the shower.
(13:46):
You know, how am I gonna getthis done?
The overloadedness, the youknow, sleepless nights.
Doesn't cry in the shower.
SPEAKER_00 (13:53):
She takes notes.
SPEAKER_02 (13:55):
I do.
I can't wait to see right in therain.
They're on my list to see.
I hope that they're at shot thisyear.
SPEAKER_01 (14:00):
You've read notes in
the shower.
I'm gonna tell you right now.
Yes, girl, I have a beer holderin the shower.
There is nothing better.
Uh no, no.
That is my me time.
That is that is my self-care, isnothing better than a shower
beer.
Oh, shower beers are great.
SPEAKER_02 (14:19):
So just last year we
went, we saw what's it's called
Right in the Rain, R-I-T-E inthe rain, and they're waterproof
notebooks and accessories, and Ifind them to be absolutely
brilliant.
I have one in every shower.
You're thinking well, becausethey actually, yes, so here's
the thing this could be a normalwhole other podcast.
There's scientific studies doneon the connection to elements
and water and the power ofthinking and creativity.
(14:43):
So being in the shower, and ifyou think of a thought and you
exit the shower, just likepeople say I walk into a room
and I forgot what I came in for.
It's not that you're gettingold, I mean, maybe some people,
but you're literally changingyour environment.
So your brain switches thoughtprocesses and tracks.
So if I'm in the shower and I'mlike, okay, I need to do this,
or I have this really brilliantcreative idea or design idea, I
write it down so when I get outof the shower, I'm literally
(15:04):
changing environments and mybrain's switching to what I need
to do next so I don't lose athought.
SPEAKER_01 (15:08):
Okay, that sounds
super, super smart, but what is
the science behind drinking inthe shower?
There's got to be some.
It fuels your creativity.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You're just one step ahead ofme.
You already have the creativity,and I am fueling the creativity
with my shower bag.
SPEAKER_02 (15:24):
Oh, I fuel it too.
SPEAKER_01 (15:25):
Yeah.
Hashtag tequila.
All right.
I feel like we shared a lotabout ourselves right there.
That was very personal.
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (15:36):
I mean, I'm I'm very
much an open book, and I I love
it.
So, but I'm to go back to I justwanted to share again.
Yeah, I appreciate what yousaid.
That means a lot to me, and I Ihope anyone listening that you
do have to take care of yourselfbecause it's incredibly
important.
Yeah, absolutely.
Especially in this industry, asfemales, which we've talked a
lot previously on the podcast,that females are the largest
(15:58):
growing minority in thisindustry, and you know, you
might come here and you feellike imposter syndrome or I
shouldn't be here, but you are.
You have to take time foryourself and connect with others
and lift each other up.
Absolutely.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (16:09):
I love it.
Find your people.
Maybe I'll come back.
No, I don't have time, I can't.
SPEAKER_03 (16:14):
I know, I know.
SPEAKER_01 (16:16):
Just like every
third podcast.
Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (16:20):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (16:21):
I can make time for
that.
Yes.
Jess and I, we um had so muchfun podcasting and bouncing off
of each other, and it it was agreat three three seasons.
Three seasons.
Yeah, it's wow.
SPEAKER_02 (16:35):
And now I feel like
I'm cheating on you because I
actually forgot I'm starting anew podcast.
Yes, I have well, and not that Ihave.
Um it's called Tactical BusinessCoaching.
Yeah.
With Bad Coach Rex.
He's um really phenomenal.
He's a a veteran and he reallyfocuses on helping getting
veterans back into society andfinding their why and their
what.
SPEAKER_00 (16:55):
And um I mean the
both of you are amazing people,
found each other to podcastwith, and do an excellent job.
SPEAKER_02 (17:02):
Yes, he's like the
dude version of you.
I mean, we do have a very greatrapport and and joke and and all
of that, and it's it's fun, butI feel like I'm cheating on
rare.
SPEAKER_01 (17:10):
But does but does he
do the podcast voice like Erica
does?
Does he do a podcast voice?
Oh we can be busting up laughinglike hysterically, and then all
of a sudden she presses record,and then like she she just goes
into like work mode, and I'mlike like stifling.
Yeah, it's like after hours withasked Debbie or something.
SPEAKER_02 (17:28):
And we're back.
Late hours.
Hello, caller.
How can I help you?
SPEAKER_00 (17:34):
Yes.
I know.
I don't I don't know how to turnit off.
I love it.
You shouldn't turn it off.
SPEAKER_02 (17:40):
Own it.
SPEAKER_00 (17:40):
No, no.
SPEAKER_01 (17:41):
I'm loving it.
I'm loving it.
Like, this is so much fun forme.
You should have seen her likedouble tape.
But the first time she did it, Iwas just like, whoa, like I
wasn't ready for that, you know?
Welcome.
SPEAKER_00 (17:52):
I know, I know.
Yes.
So I do have to say that it wasa little weird to hear you
podcast with somebody else thefirst time I listened to you
guys, but then I was just like,go jest.
You know, I'm I'm like yourbiggest fan.
So I'm excited that um, youknow, for all the opportunities
you're you have, all the thingsthat you're doing, um, just
(18:16):
following your heart.
And I think that that's like oneof a lot of times we have all
these feelings, emotions, uh,you know, I think we have um,
you know, we we just kind ofsuppress all those things as as
women, and we just keep onplugging away.
But for you to follow your heartand go after, you know, to do
(18:38):
Sharkapalooza and have your ownnonprofit and your own podcast,
it it's amazing to me.
So I'm just like team chess,team chess.
SPEAKER_02 (18:48):
Where do people
listen to your podcasts?
We uh have a YouTube channel andwe're starting an Instagram and
a LinkedIn page and all of thatbecause we're bringing together
both of our brands uh to createtactical business coaching.
So the website's gonna betactical business
coachingus.com.
I'm building out the website forthat.
Of course you are.
SPEAKER_01 (19:09):
And I had no doubt
that you were.
SPEAKER_00 (19:11):
If anybody's like
starting a business or marketing
or, you know, any of that stuff.
I mean, the podcast reallyspeaks to that stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (19:19):
Yes, and I love it
because it's real talk.
You know, Rex and I are bothvery strong, unique
personalities, and we mesh welltogether, but we don't hold
back.
You know, we're gonna tell youhow it really is and things that
you should look out for.
I think a lot of times wesugarcoat business and the world
and oh, it's so amazing, butthere's a lot of days, and how
do you overcome that?
And one of the best ways ofovercoming that is finding other
(19:41):
people who've been through it orthat could help you get through
it.
And so we're hoping to use ourexperience, and we certainly
don't know it all, but we'rehaving fun doing it.
Good.
SPEAKER_01 (19:50):
That's such an
important message though,
because I mean we were talkingabout this this morning, is that
there is always something goingon behind the scenes.
Like no matter what you presentpublicly, there is always
something going on behind thescenes.
It's not you, it's not that youweren't competent or capable or
you didn't have it together.
It's that's just life.
Like, and you have to workthrough the issues behind the
scenes and still get through andpush through the day.
SPEAKER_02 (20:12):
Oh yeah, it's like a
duck on the water.
You think the duck's fine, butunderneath the feet are freaking
out.
Yeah.
The amount of times in the last48 hours I've said, well, that
was not on my bingo card.
SPEAKER_03 (20:22):
I heard everybody
say that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:24):
Yeah, in this
morning I texted my mom, okay,
well, this square was not on thebingo card.
Adding it.
But we're here now.
And we're just gonna we're gonnaroll with it.
You know, it's not, it's not umwhat happens, it's how you
handle it.
SPEAKER_00 (20:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's awesome.
And what you learn from it.
SPEAKER_02 (20:41):
Yes, growth.
Yes, 2026 lunar new year is theyear of the fire horse.
2025 was the year of the snake,shedding, getting rid of things.
Uh so this coming 2026 lunaryear is the fire horse.
So buckle up, everybody.
It's gonna be spicy.
It's gonna be spicy, it's gonnabe freaking great.
unknown (21:01):
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (21:02):
So if anybody uh
wants to reach out to you and um
needs marketing or a fuzzyshark.
Shark stuff, yeah.
How do they reach you?
SPEAKER_02 (21:12):
You can find me the
easiest thing, probably, because
I don't want to list off 20URLs.
Okay.
Is find me on LinkedIn, JessicaAdnich, and get your email
because I get your emails.
Yes, sign up for my sign upnewsletter.
I do them twice a month now.
Yeah, they're inspirational,helpful, feel good, tips, and
whatnot.
And you can get that atdesignpod.studio.
(21:33):
Okay.
You can sign up for it.
So thank you for that.
Perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (21:36):
All right.
Well, thank you for uh being onour podcast.
SPEAKER_02 (21:38):
Oh my gosh, this has
been amazing.
I love it.
It was a great way to start SHATShow.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (21:44):
And you will be
back.
We'll keep having you back,back, back, yes, yes, yes,
please, please.
SPEAKER_02 (21:47):
You can't get rid of
me.
Like I might be off the board,but like, I'll find you.
SPEAKER_00 (21:52):
I love it.
Well, I hope you have a greatshow.
SPEAKER_02 (21:54):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (21:55):
I hope you guys do
too.
Thank you.
Thanks.