We were lucky to catch up with Allison Doty recently and have shared our conversation below.
Allison, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I think an important part about building confidence is to know that you have something in common with everyone you meet. Find that common denominator and strike up conversation. Listen to the people speaking in that room and pay attention. You will learn something from everyone that you meet.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a pet taxidermist. I help people process grief after losing their pet in a non conventional way. Pet taxidermy has a huge stigma surrounding It and I am working hard to break that. You can find comfort in having your pet mounted where you can still see them, feel them, smell them. I do only mount pets in a sleeping pose with the eyes closed. This gives a very lifelike and comforting image. I also offer pet funeral services where you can have a viewing for your pet and a chance to say goodbye in a comforting space. I am also working on being able to offer cremations as well. Most people don’t realize, but you can have taxidermy done and cremation as well so that is a service I’d like to offer to families.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I went to a taxidermy school and learned quickly that no one does pets. I invested a lot of time and money into learning how to adapt traditional taxidermy skills into pets. I would say three things to follow would be: pay close attention to detail, repetitive practice, and don’t overwhelm yourself.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I have a lot of people to thank for my success at this point. Ken Darville at Taxidermy Tech was the vessel that started my business, MorgueMade. DC Sims and Tim Ellis who are local taxidermists to me and helped me all along the way after taxidermy school. Also competing in the Florida Taxidermy competition and well as the National Taxidermy completion, I met so many people eager to teach me and I am forever grateful for all of those people. A special thank you to my husband Neal and my mom Francine for supporting me every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.morguemade.com
- Instagram: Morguemade_
- Facebook: MorgueMade
- Other: TikTok: MorgueMade
