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“ I am O-FISH-ALLY the first just follow and engage with If you’re really going to do this going to have all these gigs
National Football League anyone based on appearance. as a business, then do it as a and live happily ever after.
To be real merfolk, recognize
That’s not how it works.
business. It comes with a lot of
mermaid mascot for the social media presences are hard work. It isn’t easy to run
Tampa Bay Buccaneers not the only platform real your own business and make PP:
Do
your
exist.
Tell us about those things that
mermaids
this a career, especially in such
research and make sure who a new industry. you love about the mermaid
you associate with supports community.
the platforms you want to We’re all still trying to figure it
represent. out; we’re all still trying to set MC:
standards. It’s so new; there’s It is very inclusive. At the
There are a lot of things that a lot of room for falling and Key West Mermaid Festival
have gone south for me in getting taken advantage of, (KWMF), half of the mermaids
regards to the mermaid and that is when you get back were over 40. We even had
business. All because I simply up and learn from it. There’s mermaids there in their 80s.
didn’t know what I didn’t know. also room for growth. They were there swimming
Now I’m more aware of what I with the kids in their tails
need to do in those situations. Focus on development and
As a result, I am better able to learning from the obstacles.
build and grow my business. Just keep swimming!
If you’re going to be a PP:
professional mermaid and You are very busy. You are an
want to make this a career, ambassador for CapeCali. You
determine which type are doing projects with the
of professional mermaid Florida Springs Institute on
you want to be. There are raising awareness of Florida
many different ways to be a Springs. You have a growing
professional mermaid, and you TikTok and Instagram, with
want to make sure that you’re your amazing underwater
legally covered, accordingly. freediving mermaid activities.
So that’s a big thing. Are you a full-time mermaid at
this point? Or do you still have
In addition to getting insurance, to have a day job to do all this?
there are business contracts,
getting your trademarks, getting MC:
your certifications, learning how Right now, I am not a full-time
to run your business, accounting Mermaid.
for taxes, and more. Because
this is your business, those are I do have to have another
the things that are going to help source of income. I am also a
you. virtual assistant and copywriter
for other companies. Since this
Had I known many of these is brand new, it takes time to
things before, I would have had build a business and make it
a contract to protect me from a career. Kind of tying back to
experiencing some obstacles. what we just talked about, it
I would have had something in is about perseverance. It’s not
place to keep me from making going to happen overnight.
those mistakes in the beginning. You’re not going to have a fully
So that’s another big one. sustainable business. It’s not
paying all of your bills and all of
And then [there’s] just not your things overnight. It takes
giving up. There were many time. It’s taken me two and a
times in which I questioned half years with hard work to
why I was doing all this. get to where I’m at.
What’s the point? Nobody’s
listening. Why am I doing it Now I’m starting to grow.
with so many challenges and Hopefully, by the end of the
no recognition? Then I realized year, I will be a full-time
it came back to my purpose. mermaid and not have to do
What is my purpose? What anything else. You have to keep
and why am I doing this? The going. This is not something
biggest thing is not to give up that you just put on your tail
and follow your dreams based and become a professional
on that purpose. mermaid. You aren’t instantly
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