How Much Money I've Made Selling Pet Reptiles

[@GoHerping]

This is now a yearly video! Watch the 2020 breakdown here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imGXfHSqe8SEidE Watch the 2021 breakdown here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWjddouPl5ediJY Support me and my videos at patreon.com/goherping

[@floyd4611]

*no*

[@kamsvision]

@@floyd4611 woah

[@corbinharris7790]

I will join in march when i get a job!!

[@mairstunna8046]

🤔 ohhhhhhh that’s what happened to you and Ethan’s friendship. Wow 😮 I really don’t blame him. Success without friends is a lonely top.

[@mairstunna8046]

Control freak. 🤦🏾‍♂️ lost ya best friend too... looks like 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@wilsonwilliam4510]

I don't even own a reptile, and i watched the whole video. You are overwhelmingly determined, ethical, and composed, not only for a 19 year old, but for all age brackets. Amazing, i subbed. And i do not even own a single reptile. I wish you good health, merry christmas.

[@GoHerping]

Thank you!

[@scarletbloom1179]

Same here im interested in getting one but im pretty sure im not ready for it yet 😅

[@neegi]

Me too

[@stoutyyyy]

honestly this is a good video going into the risks of starting a small business

[@maggiemayhem5962]

Wilson William Same here!!!

[@lexijensen603]

Nobody: GoHerping: With no help from the vet by the way

[@Sharp26]

Nice.

[@catcanavan]

business partner: don't get an Airbnb, too expensive business partner: *overdrafts the company account*

[@jesusmontana2448]

):

[@unchained_wings]

I was thinking the same thing. You repaired your car and put other expenses on the card. It seems like the partner was being a wee bit irresponsible but wanted to control what GoHerping did.

[@AlexG-pt2zs]

We're only being told one side of the story...

[@PassMeTheBlicky]

Alex G you’re on both videos saying this in multiple comments.. burner account Ethan?

[@AlexG-pt2zs]

@@PassMeTheBlicky nope just gotta be fair. Don't get brainwashed.

[@KittenLove536]

“You might be wondering why i’m still doing this if i’ve only made $700 in 2 years.” No no no, you’re phrasing it wrong. You made a profitable company in just 2 years at 19 years old and you’re walking away with over $700?! That’s pretty dang impressive!!!

[@yaboii299]

No it's really not

[@KittenLove536]

@@yaboii299 Have you made a profitable company in just 2 years while under 20?

[@yaboii299]

@@KittenLove536 no... but I made 85,000 last year and 103,000 the year b4 ... and I'm 25

[@yaboii299]

@@KittenLove536 point is. That's not much but he's on his way ..

[@KittenLove536]

@@yaboii299 My point is he's on his way. Most businesses fail within the first year and his hasn't. That's impressive, despite what people keep saying. It almost sounds like people want him to fail by saying "yea, but he's only made $700 and not even at once." He's still kept the business in the green and that's really impressive. Can he do better? Yea. Will he do better? I'd bet my bottom dollar on it.

[@trinitysims8152]

Your partner lied and was taking money from the company, he really should not have been offered it. He was putting you and your other two employees and all of the animals at risk. That is insane, you was way to sweet and kind to him, yes it was a fair offer but WAY to much.

[@NicolasGomez-dn3oy]

It was a crazy amount of money for a company worth -$600 dollars🤦‍♂️. At that point he should've offered him 300 dollars for his cut even and thats all.

[@BrooklynBabeee]

That business partner pulled a dam Yolanda!

[@chingalachuga6737]

@thecasualtrollingpuma its referencing Selena, Yolanda took money from Selena's brand, got caught, and killed Selena (at least thats the movie's story, the people of corpus christi have a different theory)

[@joliax1646]

it sucks bc Alex invested a lot of his personal money too and the partner just bankrupt them

[@lc4life369]

I totally agree but he's the one winning and thriving now. I bet his partner is not. I am a little worried about all those aniamals though. I bet they made there way back to Alex somehow anyway because the homes they went to weren't properly vetted.

[@abbydabbs5519]

Alex having anxiety issues and massive concerns about control and power is my constant mood

[@elizabethscott5648]

INFJ

[@gummygeckosgoldfish8297]

Elizabeth Scott INTJ too

[@pawsnotclaws2772]

Yesss

[@Mackinz92]

Dude, you are 19? You're amazing. What you have set out to accomplish is astounding to me.

[@meowmeowkittymeow]

Same, I was watching this with my bf like wow what were we even doing at 17!! Definitely nothing productive 😂

[@alicenina6024]

Jesus, I'm 27 and feel like a child compared to him.

[@mmilcz833]

Alex’s Craigslist tip: they’re probably scamming you, so scam them too

[@clicliw]

It's pretty much how Robin Williams' character did the Mrs Doubtfire thing and I think that's super funny

[@illuminocalypse5210]

Damn right! I don't think his tactic is unethical at all, it's smart! If those people really didn't wanna settle, or knew for a fact they could get more money, then they'd hold out.

[@illuminocalypse5210]

@@clicliw Hahaha! Wow you're right, I'd forgotten about that. XD

[@lc4life369]

He wasn't scamming them though. He was just using fake names to offer less money. Scamming is way worse and illegal.

[@MysicUnknown]

Major props for the closed captions! Thank you! For a deaf viewer this was very educational and fun to watch :)

[@TUFFGUY44]

I respect the fact that you openly admit that emerald scales provides content for goherping so you can sustain yourself. Not many people can openly admit what’s holding them afloat and what is sinking the ship.

[@bobbielee4341]

Your ex partner did not deserve that much after everything. However I think it really shows how passionate you are about your business and the animals, that is definitely the most important part. I love how open you are about everything even when you make a mistake you are open and honest.

[@kiarakeeper2154]

I hope the ex partners company is bankrupted already after that shit. I'm 29 and alex is 1,000 times more mature than me but his partner showed a great lack of maturity

[@reptileguy8313]

Ex patner?!

[@kiarakeeper2154]

@@reptileguy8313 I'm assuming you asked this before finishing the video, and as this video is only an hour long and you asked two hours ago you have finished it by now. But if not.. I'm sure if you watch the full video any questions about the ex partner will be answered. I mean not any.. but any relevant questions.

[@daniellewinn5774]

@@kiarakeeper2154 honestly we don't know how it really went down between them, we don't know who truly acted mature in this decision. Given Alex's admitted need for control, I'm sure it wasn't only the ex partner's fault. Maybe it was 100% his fault, but I'm just saying there's no way we could possibly know who was at fault or if either of them were really at fault at all.

[@kiarakeeper2154]

@@daniellewinn5774 the lack of maturity comes from using your company's money for car repairs and food that was not company expenses. You right, you and I were not there, we can only go off what we are being told. But being told a company went BANKRUPT because of an illegal act on the behalf of one of the partners... it could have been Malicious. He could have intentionally bankrupted the company, Intentionally broken the law(its called embezzlement, taking money from your company, money that doesn't belong to you). But I choose to assume that baised on Alex age and the fact that this person used to be his friend, that is was a lack of maturity that lead to the decision to steal from his company and not a purposeful intent to bankrupt the company.

[@Kai-bu6zv]

I sat through this hour long video (not complaining) to hear you say youve made 700 dollars in all these years

[@GoHerping]

yeah pretty much lol

[@calitutkowski406]

GoHerping that’s rough as hell

[@Alicia.Marie.13]

I didn't even realize it was an hour. I found it super interesting.

[@alleykat6145]

Thanks for this comment,now I don't have to listen to this for an hour.

[@ryseretro]

@@alleykat6145 same lmao

[@scorcher219396]

Holy shit, this video is mad impressive. Especially the parts where you're honest about what you've screwed up and what you've done to change. This is really awesome, really really impressive

[@LyrictheFilthyCasual]

Definitely think you did the right thing with cutting ties with your "partner." And saying you care about power/control sounds selfish until you put it in perspective of "I want the power to help these sick/dying/unwanted animals and the control to make sure they don't go right back into the same conditions that put them in that state to begin with." That's actually amazingly selfless.

[@lc4life369]

It wasn't selfish even before he said that. His partner was being selfish by spending the money on whatever he wanted instead of using it for the company. Wich put him in this situation of wanting full control anyway. But I do see what you're saying too. I just don't think it was ever selfish. Just setting healthy bounderies. You can't let people take advantage of you. The animals would of suffered/were.

[@LyrictheFilthyCasual]

@@lc4life369 Of course! Looking back, you're right. My comment was colored by the fact that I had literally just escaped an abusive relationship at the time, and I was being hypersensitive to anything surrounding power and control. I apologize for that. I shouldn't project my problems on others.

[@poppyappletree1400]

Your former business partner embezzled from the company and bankrupted it, and you should sue for damages.

[@KristenRobertskris10lr]

PoppyAppletree should and could

[@Katgirldiamond]

Depending on statutes of limitations he may not be able to anymore but I definitely agree

[@joliax1646]

honestly though

[@erirobison7859]

@@Katgirldiamond depending on things like state law, probably not. after splitting the company partially because of that, the split/branding could be considered him already having settled out of court, basically (I'm not a lawyer, and I can't think of the legal term for it but I've been in a similar situation, it's part of why you're not supposed to apologize for anything you might get sued for either)

[@vaasmin]

Interesting how the previous partner wasn‘t okay with putting the AirBnB expense on the company card after Alex drove all day but didn‘t shy away putting car repairs and other personal expenses on the company card... 🤔

[@Abi-qm3sd]

Pagan Min (he’s beautiful in general) 😂😂

[@akotafi]

ikr talk about being a hypocrite

[@Mystixspiral]

I’m lost they’re not partners anymore ?

[@pvtdipwad2944]

@@Mystixspiral No. His partner runs a company called radiant reptilia now.

[@drozycoder2007]

Yeah, sad thing is this video really reinforces that its always best to do things alone. Its not that people will always let you down but that people are always capable of letting you down. If you want to be sure something is done to your full satisfaction you have to do it alone. Let down by the buyers, the 3rd partner who fucked up selling one animal and the other initial partner. Not that it could have been different particularly cause the partner was needed for money and the others were lessons that had to be learnt. Also, i fully suspect Alex is an intj

[@emilydurkee8664]

Alex looks so different from even a year ago. Our fellow 9 year old is all grown up

[@prestonang8216]

Emily Durkee We’re 19 year olds now.

[@Alicia.Marie.13]

Yep. We all grew up lol

[@JamiesonM]

Felix predicted this lol

[@kvanessaamyann]

Dude his partner literally took everything from him. No wonder he has trust issues. Mad respect for you 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@dh-hb4ds]

You realize he tried to fuck his friend over first right

[@corrinewaters6541]

dh wdym his friend stole all the money and made the business bankrupt

[@mh56487]

@@dh-hb4ds how?

[@alexia2600]

dh how?

[@DragonReaver]

@@dh-hb4ds how?

[@lectritech]

"If you're watching this far you'll watch forever, clearly." Clearly.

[@michellericard4850]

Well you clearly made the right choice by moving away from your partner. I feel like he would have made more poor choices and misuse of funds. I'm a long time subscriber and can see that, although he has the same love towards animals as you. He doesn't have the same focus or discipline in handling money and running a business. Not saying nothing bad against your partner, but something felt like you would have had lots more of incidents of unverified buyers and purchases(not business related) from him. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼stand behind your values and stay business savvy and you'll go far. Just don't forget to enjoy yourself and life from time to time. Good luck to your future and business. You got this!!! 3 years from now you'll have a warehouse full and be looking to expand even more, I know it.

[@bbseal6174]

Facts

[@froge6652]

Dude I only got 1 mid roll. You could have put at LEAST 4 or 5 and wouldn’t blame you. I actually really loved this long, more chatty video. It’s cool to hear about the business side of things

[@hatchfadiman7316]

Achmed and The Tiger I got five he chillin

[@illyannaturtle6950]

I got 6 😳

[@Kapcerballs]

I havent got any lol

[@GoHerping]

Haha thanks, there's a midroll about every 10-15 minutes but only about half of viewers get each ad

[@Kapcerballs]

@@GoHerping I didnt get any so i watched this vid on another account and got 4. More moeny for ya (Yes i wrote moeny on purpose)

[@brookiez3]

You gave your ex partner wayy too much for him using your company money for his car repairs 😵

[@GodZirra]

Exactly. His "friend" bankrupted the company and then made out like a bandit.

[@popcornandpeanuts6243]

I agree Brooke his heart or maturity level wasn’t in it

[@americanmade2896]

Divided Loyalties lol, Ethan is that partner

[@ejaakawd4665]

@Divided Loyalties It was Ethan. He was there since the start.

[@GodZirra]

@Divided Loyalties Ethan is the partner that screwed him.

[@Gameryukii]

I’m a business major and I’m honestly really impressed how successful you are. It’s not easy to be an entrepreneur and working with a partner can definitely cause a company to fall in a day like you said. Taking such a risk, I applaud you so much. Everything is a learning curve, I’m sure your business will keep growing as time goes by! All businesses start like this. The key is to learn from your mistakes and never give up! You clearly know what you’re doing, and I’ll keep rooting for you!

[@hattiedooley72]

Hold up. Is the bussiness partner that dude with long hair and a stache that used to be in the older vids like the dumpster diving one? Cause damn who would've thought all this drama was going on behind the scenes. Poor Alex...

[@zookeeps1340]

Yeah I Think So

[@star1729]

yes that’s him. his name was ethan and he used to have a channel, but he deleted it.

[@skivixx]

@@star1729 no his channel is radiant reptilia

[@ereynolds4637]

It’s weird knowing who this “business parter” is and not knowing that any of that was happening at the time

[@mellast-name5954]

Lol that was NOT a fair trade for splitting ES's assets, but good for you on getting to keep it. Honestly, the moment business funds were used for personal expenses, either a contract should've been drawn up to prevent it from happening again without consequences, or your partner should've been removed from the account. I know it gets tricky with these things when you're friends, but I work at a bank and when I see things like that, it irritates me to no end. Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuh. Good video though!

[@noongourfain]

I agree. His business partner ripped him off twice. But at least he's done with him. No wonder he never showed his face.

[@baabiiee8596]

king kong i may be wrong, but i think ethan was his partner? i believe that was his name. if you’ve seen his animal travel vlogs he’s in a few of them

[@maariyah7233]

baabiiee yes it was Ethan. I was wondering why they didn’t film together anymore. He’s just dirty

[@skaisnotdead]

It's even more slimy because his partner didn't want company funds to cover an air b&b, but is ok to use it for car repairs. AND THEN he didn't want the poor animal to go to the vet because they had spent all of the money.

[@pvtdipwad2944]

@@skaisnotdead *His partner had spent all the money. I'm just glad Ethan isnt a part of the company anymore ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@fenderqueer]

I'm surprised you told us all about your craigslist tips but that's honestly so so smart haha. If you were buying like a couch or something and told us how you save money on craigslist people would probably see it as doing something wrong, but when you're saving animals from bad situations then that's totally different and I'm glad you can save that much money to go towards other animals.

[@ClassicalPianoisMyJam]

You definitely shouldn’t feel obliged to tell us how much you’ve made from KZbin. I think it was interesting to be able to see the process and the reality, and I watched the whole thing while wrapping presents 🤙🏻

[@alexandravanzile3602]

770 is literally 64 hours of min wage pay in Mass.. on a 2 week pay check ive gotten more than this 😳😳 It really just shows your commitment and the importance of Emerald Scales.

[@breedlejuice8691]

Alexandra VanZile Entrepreneurship is a risk and it takes time to make money. It usually takes a few years to turn a profit. He’s actually doing really good considering he lost all of the money like half way through and a lot of his infrastructure

[@successfulfailure1298]

Shoutout to Alex’s landlord. You’re the real hero

[@michaelgamerytmj677]

Ikr Allowing him to keep that many animald in one home

[@candyjp1]

No?

[@CELERITAS-BONITAS]

Jinxed it man, he's getting kicked out for reptiles. F

[@successfulfailure1298]

@@CELERITAS-BONITAS I know I'm sorry Alex XD

[@brianna2688]

No man, no

[@Shorn_]

Obviously you've got a lot on your plate, but if you get around to it in 2020 I'd definitely slap down $20-$30 for an Emerald Scales shirt. Love the name, and after watching this video, the ethics of the company (and by extension you of course!). Bonus points if it's got a Hognose on it because Hognose snek is best snek. Merry Holidays boiiii.

[@Stop_Infanticide]

Bump... I want ES sweaters

[@KittieShade]

I would love a ES sweater as well

[@shaddowsdieout]

This is someone I'm also willing to support. Tax season I'm looking at you

[@garrett6419]

Corn snek better

[@ladyogre5012]

I really want a ball python emerald scales tote bag, that would be so cool

[@rachelfajardo9640]

Your friend bankrupted emerald scales and made off with all of your supplies and stock. Yikes, hope no one ever does business with him again

[@pvtdipwad2944]

Don't buy from Radiant Reptilia then :)

[@rachelfajardo9640]

PvtDipwad ahh, is that what his partner rebranded with?

[@pvtdipwad2944]

@@rachelfajardo9640 Yup.

[@rachelgeee]

@@pvtdipwad2944 just checked out his website. he has a typo on the front page 👀

[@Veritanky]

istn his fried this long haired dude?

[@wildcosmiacollective]

You're only 19?! You should be very proud of yourself. I was basically a potato at 19. I started my own business about 2 years ago at 27. Keep up the hard work kid.

[@artemis5479]

What’s your business? I’m 19 and I want to start a business but I’m not sure what to create.. just looking for some inspo not copying!

[@noemichavez8618]

Awwe it almost sounds like you wanna cry talking about that bearded dragon 😭 my heart sank.

[@guintinga3258]

Am watching late, didn’t realize it was an hour long, watched the whole thing, and was interested the whole time I think you deserve a like!

[@kimt80]

Your partner really kinda screwed you over, but how you were able to turn around your issue and part ways was a good move. It was smart and I believe your choice was the best you could have done

[@Mab_Starsurge]

Absolutely screwed him over* I hope he's not his friend anymore. :(

[@cannedcrickets9932]

Wait is he that long haired guy?

[@kimt80]

@@cannedcrickets9932 I'm pretty sure. Isn't his name Ethan?

[@zeusrulez]

Kimberly Tuffley I’m pretty sure it’s Ethan (because he started emerald scales with Alex)- he has a company called radiant reptilia now and they have said in the past that they are still friends and there might be collaboration in the future, but honestly from this I’m disappointed in Ethan

[@kimt80]

@@zeusrulez Yeah I get that. Im glad they both handled it well, and were able to maintain their friendship anyways

[@WildLife_Perspective]

I'm going to have to admit you are probably the only KZbinr that I would watch for this long. Your videos are very entertaining and I've learned a lot from them! I hope the year 2020 has a lot in store for you.

[@GoHerping]

Thanks!

[@cassm2910]

Agreed!!!

[@jazzicloud321]

I really appreciate your transparency here. I’m sure this took a lot courage and maturity. You have always been someone I look up to, as someone who’s 22 and a fellow animal lover, you just really have a lot of your sh*t together, and your drive and consideration for these animals is beyond reproach. I have been a goherping supporter of yours for over a couple years now and I’m proud to see how much you have grown as a business owner and KZbinr. Thank you for helping all these animals and being an advocate for them! P.S. I deal with social anxiety as well and I totally relate to how you felt at those expos, you’re definitely not alone there!

[@Niko-fu3rq]

Hey man, didn’t know u missed the beardie, I am the person who bought him. He’s doing great and loves my little brother. His name is Horton and he absolutely loves to eat lol

[@klarissa1907]

this has to be a lie

[@chickenalpaca0332]

I had my leopard gecko on my stomach and she fell asleep to Alex’s voice. She’s pretty skittish so this is a sign that Alex was just meant to work with reptiles.

[@anormal1425]

Omg, when listening to these vids in my room my leopard gecko popped out of his hide

[@froollazich9820]

"We wanted to be known as a trustworthy company." *shows us his fake offer strat* Illusion 100 I'm of course kidding, come on it's Craigslist

[@Shrimpie7515]

I can’t believe your partner took that much from you

[@cb-wi1cq]

God I wish I was as driven as you as a teenager instead of sneaking into bars and getting alcohol poisoning.

[@VividAnarchy]

Charlie Ballew that’s still being driven lmao. what u wish is that u had better goals

[@cb-wi1cq]

@@VividAnarchy fair tbh

[@404EncrytedError]

@@VividAnarchy that's too true.

[@coweenuhm9662]

Fuck i can relate but i ended up in more riverbeds and fields than bars 😂😂

[@meretriciousinsolent]

Yup. Age 19 was actually the worst of my young adult life. God I just realised I want this account to still be running when he gets married and has kids and we can have parties in the comments for it all.

[@killmo125]

I laughed pretty hard when he said "If you watched this long, clearly you'd watch forever"

[@zeusrulez]

He’s not wrong

[@DaneH64]

You've got to be one of the only reptile tubers I can handle, you're interesting, calm, humorous, and don't stall and make useless videos, all videos ive watched so far are actually interesting and funny, keep up the good work and don't stop being yourself

[@michaelbonj4090]

Wow Ethan really just took all your equipment like that that is not fair to you at all it seems like he was irresponsible and I think it was smart of you to keep the brand name like that he would have killed you off

[@spadeslacoe401]

I love how we don't say Ethan's name

[@jackmiller335]

Spades Lacoe I big noticed that’s and screw Ethan he’s a bum!!!!!!!!!

[@brann925]

Spades Lacoe i think it’s a professional courtesy

[@lej6550]

Or a slander issue. Not sure if they are still friends ...

[@plainsliceofbread1038]

Ethan replied to a comment on one of his videos saying they were still friends in a personal sense. But now that I've heard Alex's side of all this I'm kind of surprised at Ethan's comment 🧐

[@brann925]

@@lej6550 Well, professionally Alex needs to keep the image of someone level headed and experienced. This video does that and serves as an indirect call-out. Very clever on his part.

[@jeancarr3908]

“My partner didn’t like me staying in an Airbnb” Partner: *spends money on his fookin car*

[@daniellec6175]

And sold his beardie!

[@jeancarr3908]

danielle C that’s some bullshit 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@michellericard4850]

Exactly!!🤬🤬

[@alexn4810]

Then he took most of the supplies when he was the one who put the business in debt??

[@jayparker96]

I'm not convinced the corn snake was "lost" lol dude probably sold it.. just a thought

[@tokib8251]

jay Parker probably true LOL

[@ketkim8821]

Jesus I almost cried when you started talking about the beardie

[@longballl]

The way you physically cringed after saying “rise and grind gamers” made me explode

[@julihath8046]

You're doing great operating under what must be a completely unique business model. Nobody runs a business like ES for the money. Clearly it's a passion project. I hope to own my first reptile by the end of 2020. You make me wish I had considered something like what you do years ago. But the internet did not exist when I was 19. (Wow I feel old.) Enjoy your passion and don't give up.

[@GoHerping]

Internet is def the core of everything I do, so its a good time to be here!

[@MiavonDoom]

like, i admire that you started over from scratch, but your former partner screwed tf out of you.

[@catcanavan]

he's really smart keeping the branding I think actually. now his reputation is stellar

[@brianchristopher8843]

I don't think so. He got his reputation and name. Partner got all the easy come easy go shit. His partner thinks he got all the stuff it takes to have a successful business but he is mistaken. Name and reputation is EVERYTHING.

[@dragopistachio]

I expected this to be a boring 16 minute video. I noticed 18 minutes in it was an hour long lmao. It's my favorite video so far

[@paiganism]

this is super inspiring as a fellow entrepreneur...i’ve never thought about showing my own audience the nitty gritty of things at the financial level like this, but ppl seem to really enjoy it!

[@ray_ayy]

Hell yeah we love some transparency Edit: man, your ex partner was an ass... so many points in this story where he let you down.

[@WaterPoloTokioGirl]

I never particularly liked your partner. I didn't like the way he handled animals, and I just never thought he was in it the same way you were.

[@luckystars5510]

@Patricia A. Badea you have issues

[@everything.for.a.reason]

@Patricia A. Badea 🤣

[@daryapopova2518]

@Patricia A. Badea what

[@DienerNoUta]

@Patricia A. Badea sorry wtf

[@damienhill9315]

Patricia A. Badea r/ihadastroke?

[@Lando_P1]

This video really surprised me. I didn’t realize just how business savvy you are. Keep it up and your future is limitless

[@tubtub5323]

I run an a $28M ecommerce retailer and understand so much of what you are doing and going thru. At 19 this is very impressive. The lessons you are learning are more valuable than most schools could ever provide. You should be very proud. Keep pushing forward and follow you heart. Keep focusing on profitability in all you do never settle for not making a profit just start to build in expenses you are learning about like vet bills and unexpected expenses into your sell price calculations. As for the long hours and little pay... welcome to being a business owner! Early on I was the same way. Year we launched I worked 17 weeks straight at 100+ hours per week. Now 15 years later I am more like 45 to 50. For the first 10 years I never took a day off and to this day even when I am on vacation I am using email and checking various reports to keep an eye on the business. Several areas where small business don't make it: 1. Just a bad idea. You can make money in almost any interest, but don't go into business because you really like it and never understand the customer. Your passion is not there's. Focus on what the customers want and are willing to pay for and become passionate about those areas. 2. Not understanding P&L and Income Statements. Cash Flow is critical, but don't sell things without ensure you have a profit motive and all expenses built into your pricing calculation. Many businesses think price it the major motivator of all customers... personally I would stay way from those folks and focus on profits. I have seen too many of my competitors try to be the low price and cash flow might be crazy, but then the caboose hits in the form of paying the vendors and if you don't have profits built in and selling for less than the price you are paying (merchandise, freight, credit card, utilities, insurance, professional help like vets, etc.) you will be out of business very quickly. 3. Expanding too fast. Grow smartly. You don't need paid assistants seems bit much at your stage and age. I would not rule out using PetSitter, etc or finding good people that can do basic work like feeding, watering, monitoring environments 1 or 2x per day and (we have 10 reps & amph at home plus 3 cats and GSD and I pay about $30 per day for a couple to come over for 30 min each day to take of the animals when we go on vacations, etc.) but if hiring assistants for anything else means you you need to look at what you are doing and optimize time and efforts. Better to grow focusing on higher profit animals and selling less of them at your stage vs what I see is too many people getting into trying to be the WalMart of Dollar Store of animal sales and trying to volume sell cresites, beardies and common frogs and snakes also. Why make $100 in profit selling many cresties when you can make $100 on a more rare morph or harder to find amph or reptile, etc. Think like that. Less to sell means less time for you and same profit as marketing, selling, shipping multiple other animals. Stay passionate. I love your spin to be the anti PetSmart or Petco, etc. People that are passionate about the industry and these types of pets turn to people like you and willing to pay a lot more for a quality pet from a passionate dealer than a $39 beardie that is simply seen as a sale not an individual animal.

[@chloewright1]

That was an EXTREMELY generous offer you made! One that, by the sounds of it, he didn't deserve. It just shows how much you care about what you're doing. You're a lovely young man and a huge inspiration to many.

[@potatonafe9192]

idk why i found this so entertaining i could watch this for another hour

[@jasmineaa9060]

‘If you’re watching this far you’ll watch forever, clearly’ 😂 i love Alex’ passive agression

[@elsamrsbs]

I pity the animals that had to stay with Ethan... all his actions show that he truly just cares for money, animals are just objects for him...

[@makaniwebb9358]

That's not necessarily true. It could be that Ethan is simply a little bit careless and not as detailed as Alex. Additionally, the personal expenses on the account could have been an honest accident. He could have accidentally grabbed the wrong card or somethng.

[@chickenalpaca0332]

Makani Webb So then he lied about it and didn’t pay back the full expense?

[@DukemBurd]

@@chickenalpaca0332 HE PAID ALEX BACK. WHY IS EVERYONE JUST HATING ON ETHAN DESPITE NOT KNOWING THE FULL STORY GOD DAMMIT.

[@makaniwebb9358]

@@chickenalpaca0332 Maybe he didn't know he made a mistake. There are plenty of possibilities. He could have been cruel, or conniving, or a liar, but he also could have been absentminded and made some mistakes. I know I could see myself accidentally using the wrong card without realizing it. I'm not saying this is what happened, I'm not saying he's a good person, I am defending someone who is receiving enmity from people who don't know what happened or even know the person in question, really. If it turns out that animals were just objects to him or that he lied or was cruel or was conniving, I would want to chide him for such actions, but even then, I will continue to defend him because it is not our place to insult him or to be cruel. You may not realize it, but if Ethan were to come an see some of these comments, it could be very hurtful. I know I wouldn't like to see such comments directed at me. For those, who have been posting hate comments for Ethan, feel free to turn your accidental cyberbullying towards me. It's just more proof that people make mistakes that don't necessarily reflect on their character as a whole. And yes, I mean accidental because I don't think that you realize that by accusing him of cruelty and deceit one way or another, you are using behavior often associated with bullying. I apologize for using such a word as bullying here. I just want these actions to stop, and until it does, I intend to use hopefully diplomatic arguments to defend those whose character is being attacked. Whether here, elsewhere on the internet, or in real life. I apologize again, but this time for the long and wordy comment that may or may not be insulting. I hope it isn't.

[@sslide_trickyy]

@@makaniwebb9358 This is the response people need to see

[@infiniteunknown4332]

Who actually watched the whole thing?? I appreciate this 19 year old persons determination and I as a small reptile owner aspire to be as successful as him.

[@maxamhursh6745]

Me too, what is your collection like?

[@Will-st1pg]

Hi, I’ve watched this entire video until the very last second and I still don’t know what to comment. I have depression. I hate my life, and I never really have any motivation to do anything about it. I’m also a teenager, so I have to decide what the heck to do with my life right about now. Your story is amazing and super inspiring, you’re an extremely smart and driven person. I don’t even own any reptiles, I gave up on my dream of studying zoology like a million years ago, but I still love reptiles and I love your videos because they always make me laugh. You are always super interesting and honest, which I really appreciate. Would love to hear more about your life in general lmao (I’m not trying to sound creepy you just seem like a really interesting person and also I have no friends). I really need to brush up on my business skills now.

[@Isa-yp2rr]

The sitting down makes me feel like im having a talk with my boss and im intimidated

[@Molscheira]

lol

[@prcervi]

Congratulations on having a net profit of more then nothing! Here's to hoping by this time next year that number will be looking even better.

[@joaquinmccartin3006]

Spoiler: he makes enough to get a fresh cut

[@deezn3631]

wave check

[@puffpuffpassdatass3303]

your negotiating skills are spot on! exactly like these phenomenon I learned in psychology classes (foot-in-door and door-in-face techniques). they totally work!! smart guy (-:

[@ZomBeeNature]

This is one of the most painful stories I have heard.

[@bbseal6174]

This is soooo sad

[@chacharealsmooth3476]

It’s so cool that people can be so passionate about reptiles and animals and still make money in the process yet still care and make sure they are healthy, and me being an animal lover ( I am only 12 and I have a bearded dragon and my sister has a leopard gecko and I also have 6 dogs ) so yeah I love it when people are willing to help and educate people about animals. So yeah I think what you are doing is a great thing for the animal and reptile community!

[@jackmiller335]

So glad he’s solo on emerald scales now, it’s so much better 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌 Btw: I loved the look on your face after you said “rise and grind gamers.”

[@Flywheel2996]

Sounds like that “partner” was more of a “parasite”

[@mackenziedillon295]

You thought it was mutualism but it was actually parasitism

[@Flywheel2996]

An accurate statement

[@banditted3905]

I don't understand the difference

[@Flywheel2996]

Banditted Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship in which one species (the parasite) benefits while the other species (the host) is harmed.

[@pain002]

@@Flywheel2996 get your facts straight. It's not symbiotic if it's parasitism. Symbiotic means both benefit. Only a parasite benefits not its host.

[@matthewyoung4725]

I hope you make millions the way you help people by educating and rehabilitating animals. Wish you the best of luck with everything in the New Year.

[@joshmaday1462]

As an entrepreneur, there's so much to love in this video. General partnerships suck, you know your numbers, you understand risk and opportunity cost, you have a spine and a heart, you're operating your company without debt, you turned around a failure. Who cares if you dropped out of school? You know what you need to live a successful life. And you've had a lot of post-split, one-time expenses. Your volume will go up, and a chunk of your expenses won't recur. And you're right, the two companies have perfect symbiosis. From someone almost twice your age, congratulations and well done.

[@BassetLuv4Life]

Welcome to Alex’s free Skillshare. In all seriousness, you’ve been through a lot with your company, I’m sure Emerald Scales will thrive thanks to your hard work and passion for what you do. Your animals couldn’t be in better hands! 🦎💚

[@Bugaboothesinner]

I completely agree about expos I went to one a guy was trying to tell me a python with a morph and was saying how he has hand trained them all and they don’t bite, then the first snake he touched bit him and he had to pry it off

[@naomichou388]

Gabriella Dorsey thats actually hilarious

[@Deadlable]

I'm 50/50 with expos. I guess it's just where you go. The expo that comes near me is very small. Most of the animals were healthy, and all of the snakes that was being held was docile. A lot of the turtles I saw though had really messed up shells.

[@antonioquintanilla8460]

😂😂

[@rubyredcat1580]

ik this isn’t the focus of the video,, but when he was in all the videos, i loved ethan. he seemed so sweet and iconic and fun to be around. shame he turned out to be kinda trash :(

[@rachelkelley3527]

It kind of reminds me of my roommate. I feel like he has good intentions but is so selfish he does stupid and wrong stuff

[@AlishaV]

That's what I thought too until the video where they got the snake from the school, and Ethan purposefully scared the snake more so he could get it to bite him. They showed a bit on the video and it seemed pretty sucky behavior to an already traumatized animal. Then guy also made his own video of it on his own channel which was basically sensationalizing the animal harassment.Very much 'If I poke this scared animal viewers can see me bleed'. I wonder if the previous shots of him on this channel where just edited to be kind.

[@martephillip76]

You are so articulate and knowledgeable not only from a business standpoint, but also concerning the animals.

[@witch7530]

Scamming people on Craigslist > letting someone really profit off a most likely neglected animal

[@Tiasc2000]

So I found his ex-business partners channel and from his rebranding video he made it sound like the split was nothing serious and " just on the business side of things" implying they were still friendly even though he messed up and really screwed Alex over.

[@merkules6]

I recall Alex talking about the split earlier, saying they had different views on how to run the business, so this is the first time I've heard him elaborate on the situation more. It really sucks what Ethan did. But these guys are so young, and sometimes young people make bad mistakes. I hope he learned about it.

[@ballpython1770]

Whats the name of his channel?

[@Tiasc2000]

@@merkules6 it is amazing they started so young but i think at that age there was definitely a understanding of right and wrong.

[@Tiasc2000]

@@ballpython1770 it's radiant reptilia but please don't leave a rude comment !

[@merkules6]

@@Tiasc2000 True, but still - we're all dumb kids at some point in our lives. Maybe his sense on right and wrong was clouded by something we don't know about.

[@alexpeighty7]

Annual update report every December?

[@GoHerping]

Yeah why not! (Assuming it still exists in a year, I hope so.)

[@alexpeighty7]

@@GoHerping Good model. I think it will. Especially with basing it around another company and being able to subsidize it while it grows into it's own, diversifying your portfolio around something you like.

[@cupofmaddyVODS]

@@GoHerping This is honestly a great idea. I love hearing about the company❤

[@tinaleighton6390]

You have learned some tough business lessons already. That puts you ahead of a lot of people. Keep working at it. And the fact that you do care about the animals will definitely help also.

[@pheonixred7097]

Alex cringing at himself is a mood.

[@simsimma4876]

Me 70% through the video: Ordering a GoHerping hoodie split screen while watching to help Alex.

[@pari.5676]

I love how you are so open about money most other people aren't

[@opame1560]

Pari Schmeling it’s because he hasn’t got anything to hide, i guess

[@renees766]

Kept me engaged, didn't seem like an hour long vid. Your biz partner never convinced me that he had the same ferver for animals as you, glad you're doing it on your own now.

[@womppomp3542]

I hope it’s enough to buy some chicken nuggets. (Edit) so far NOT enough for chicken nuggets (Edit) so far again NOT enough for chicken nuggets. But we know that Alex is a top

[@nigel615]

Bro he is NOT

[@shaddowsdieout]

Lmao he's probably not sharing between the sheets with anyone tbh. Too much anti-social behavior for that

[@gupiegup]

Wait how do we know he’s a top?

[@nigel615]

@@gupiegup I assume it was the "I really care about control and power" comment

[@gupiegup]

Nigel 👀👀👀

[@catfeatherss]

You are a very savvy young businessman and you should be very proud of yourself. You have taken what could be just a very expensive hobby and made it into a rewarding business. It will grow, you will see it become profitable and you will never be bored.

[@MTGtrader2]

Alex: I have 115 animals in my house, but only 19 of them are mine Also Alex: I think I have about 30-35 animals from emerald scales right now

[@86fifty]

ya know what, i'm interested. Imma look up profit since the split. What time is that at... timestamp 49:55 exact expenses mentioned, not important... here it is: aug revenue: 915, profit 750 sept revenue: 2560, profit 1200 oct revenue: 1924, profit 1000 nov revenue: 2580, profit 1500 dec revenue: 1405, profit 745 that's an average of 1876.8 in revenue per month, and an average profit of 1039, per month, since the split. I dunno, man, the numbers seem to bear out that you on your own with this company are going like gangbusters! Now, for the statisticians in the audience, I am aware that a sample size under 30 is not considered 'representative' so these are to be considered preliminary results. Eagerly awaiting a larger sample size and the continued health of your animals and your channel! :D

[@calitutkowski406]

That’s a bummer Ethan screwed you over like that. It’s impressive what you were able to do despite his behavior

[@chiaral.7150]

Many people say that his partner got way too much after the split but thinking about it, Alex got to keep the brand which is pretty well known. Who here knows his partner's company name ? Plus, consider the number of animals he got after the split, the 37 animals that got away are a really small number compared to it. And as he said, his income comes from the content he makes around his company, and his ex partner can't do that

[@zeusrulez]

I believe the partner is Ethan who started emerald scales with him originally- his new company is radiant reptilia

[@pvtdipwad2944]

radiant reptilia. Ethan got the ig account so ALL of Alex's original followers that saw the post knew about the split. He took a fuck ton from Alex but it seems like he's okay with it knowing he gets to keep emerald scales. Honestly its whatever makes him happy but I'm kind of pissed knowing that his friend fucked him over like that.

[@emoXjessiX2030]

Ethan also has a KZbin channel and a website to sell reptiles that’s doing pretty good I think. They might not have broke it of perfect but they’re kids. Business is a learned skill and what they were doing and are still doing is expensive. Things seemed to get a little personal at the end though

[@joliax1646]

i mean the partner is the one who got them almost bankrupt in the first place. risking the animals and other employees plus alex invested a lot of his personal savings money too. and the company was built with goherping help which was made with over 7yrs of alex hardwork.

[@oxbow-ly5le]

This is so sad. I watched your videos every time they came out 2017 up to the beginning or middle of 2019, and after dropped off entirely and only just recently started watching vids again. I’m sorry about Ethan, I really enjoyed any vid with the two of you in it, they were definitely my favorite ones. I didn’t have any clue I’d listen to this and hear any of what I heard, it’s such a bumming thing but also a good life lesson, just one which is unfair and unexpected, but those affect people the most. But you are happy and well! That is all that matters, I am so glad to see in the recent vids. Keep it up man ! :)

[@katastrofygames]

I’m guessing school didn’t teach him this...

[@GoHerping]

You can say you made a very... educated guess

[@katastrofygames]

How is it that at the age of 17 you knew how to take on such a large ambition?

[@mackenziekarsonovich1073]

Thanks for sharing the mistakes as well as the victories. Y’all are more motivated than any other 19 y/o guy I’ve ever met. Props for that and for taking such good care of all your animals.

[@morganjamis7026]

Glad that you’re the person that owns emerald scales now! I was just thinking the other day that if I ever bought from it that I would request to only deal with you and not your business partner (checked out his KZbin, not a fan). 😂

[@olivebe4793]

Morgan Jamis what’s his channel?

[@chickenalpaca0332]

OliviaDBe Radiant Reptilia I think

[@allenjones1947]

Goherpes: *uploads hour long video* Me: "This is the best Christmas gift ever."

[@ellieeile]

....herpes?

[@yesyes1299]

Go *herpes*

[@ttison5570]

alex you’re entirely self made & so independent thank you for sacrificing so much for the lives of animals i litRALLY love this channel