We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Corey and Erin Heft. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Corey and Erin below.
Corey and Erin, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Corey was into all reptiles including snakes since he was a child. I (Erin) was terrified of snakes. We went to a local reptile show and I wanted to hold a snake to get over my fear. I fell in love. From there, snakes were like potato chips – we really couldn’t have just one. It is a passion of ours to help people overcome the fear of snakes that is often taught from a very young age as well as educate them on the benefits of these amazing animals both in the wild and domestic. Ball pythons are like a living art canvas wrapped in a calm and gentle package. There is something for everyone with them, along with the fact that you can create relationships with them that can last more than 30 years with proper care. We get to experience the feeling of Christmas all year long and then help our customers and visitors to experience the same feeling with us.
All of this combined became the business that we love today.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At Colorado Cold Bloods, we breed specialty ball pythons. We breed both for the common everyday pet in addition to some higher end boutique combinations. We thrive on the excitement of a child getting their first chance to experience a snake or the person that gets their first pet snake, and the love in their eyes. With this, comes education on these amazing animals as well as education on local species where we can to explain the benefits of having all these animals in the wild. Our long-term goals include working with educational establishments such as schools etc. to help kids not only understand these animals better, but also to help teach some of the basics of genetics with a platform that can be more exciting for them to apply this knowledge.
We know people that have ball pythons as pets that help with anxiety and are similar to emotional support animals. It is always special for us when we can either overcome built up fears or see the understanding in people’s eyes as they learn more about snakes.
For us, when we see those little heads popping out of the eggs after months of breeding and years of planning, the adrenaline and beauty of these animals helps to drive us forward and let others experience the same excitement and joy.
We post progress and upcoming changes on our social media platforms and are planning to expand our YouTube videos further throughout the year.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three of the most important areas for us are customer service, research, and marketing. Customer service is obviously important for any business. First and foremost, be there for your customers, before, during and after sales. Be a resource for them. It is important to understand what your customers expect and learning how best to meet those expectations. Learn from others in the industry, find mentors, and above all do your best to do what is right for the customer and your business. What this means is learning to evaluate situations. For us we deal with live animals, and while keeping a customer happy is important, the lives of the animals must come first. For example, just because a customer may want the animal shipped immediately, doesn’t mean that the weather is safe to ship.
Research is key. You need to understand and know your product. Being able to educate customers about your product is invaluable. This once again may seem obvious, but you would be surprised at the information that you hear, whether intentional or not. In our business, misinformation can kill.
Marketing is a bit more in depth to understand properly. Research plays into this as well because knowing your market as well as the best platforms to reach potential customers comes from this research. For us, social media is a key, in addition to advertisement it helps with networking in our industry. Marketing may take a good bit of trial and error especially if you are not in a field that is common or largely built. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
As a married couple running the business, we heavily rely on each other to overcome challenges and stresses. A way for others to relate is finding those who encourage and uplift you, even if they do not always understand what you are trying to do. Finding that support system is vital to your success. Find mentors within your industry. Some people early on for us that helped with knowledge and support were Dustin and Miranda Beers. They worked with us as partners early on and helped us to understand some more detailed aspects of our craft, as well as people to just bounce ideas with to grow.
Network, learn and grow. Some people have a more direct impact. For us, we cannot thank Olympus Reptiles and our Olympus family enough for the support system that they have created for us. Other honorable mentions include High Street Exotics, Shawn and Lori with the HERPS shows, Scott with Snakes-A-Lot, ReptiChip, Will at Royal Canadian Reptiles, USARK, and too many more to mention. Others may have a related impact just by providing material to learn from on platforms such as YouTube or other media.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coloradocoldbloods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coloradocoldbloods
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coloradocoldbloods/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXFciu-Ye5qQkfAB8fpH6w
- Other: https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/coloradocoldbloods/
