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This week on How Success Happens, I sit down with Forrest Galante, a biologist, TV host, producer, and all-around wildlife maniac who’s been called a modern-day Charles Darwin with a splash of Indiana Jones. (And a splash of some squid slime as well.) You’ll see a lot more of Forrest as a host on the upcoming “Shark Week,” where his new special “Alien Sharks: Untamed America” dives into the wildest shark and ray species lurking in U.S. waters. We’ve broken down Forrest’s success insights to help you dive into your own plan for success in three, two, one!
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Three Key Insights
1. Don’t Be Scared of Wanting More
Forrest came out of school like a lot of us, fired up to “change the world” in his chosen field of biology. Then reality hit: in his words, “I realized very quickly that following the traditional routes of being a biologist, I was not making any real impact.” Yes, he could save a worm or an ant, but it wasn’t on the scale that mattered to him. Instead, he pivoted into wildlife media so “millions and millions and millions of people have fallen in love with wildlife and conservation through some of the media that I have put together.”
Takeaway: If your current path isn’t creating the impact you crave, don’t quit your mission—change the medium you use to pursue it.
2. Build the Company That Does What You Want to Do
Forrest didn’t set out to be a production company founder; he set out to tell better wildlife stories. After pitching big, ambitious ideas to traditional producers and hearing “I don’t see the vision and I also don’t really know the point,” he realized, “the only way that I can do this is if I do it myself.” He co-founded Phantasticus Pictures, which he says is now “the largest production company in the world for wildlife media outside of the BBC,” all built on a simple north star: make more content, make it better, and stay true to the mission.
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