Cheerleader to conservationist

The Reinventors

I’m so excited to share this episode: an interview with the wonderful Marlina Moreno.

Growing up, Mar always felt like she was in two different camps: the nature nerds and the cheerleaders. That led to a really unusual career path.

She started out as an NFL cheerleader and dancer, but then retrained as a conservation biologist and filmmaker. Mar now spends her time out in the wild, filming projects and raising awareness. We talked about how she switched from cheerleading to conservation (and how she paid for it). Because of her background, Mar is able to reach an audience online that probably didn’t know much about conservation before. She also talks about the increase of influencers posing with exotic animals, and how that can actually damage the cause.

She says finding your dream career means following your curiosity but also being really honest about what you’re good at—and what you’re not.

A quick note here: I recorded this interview before the coronavirus pandemic hit. But listening back, it struck me that a lot of what Mar said is really relevant to what we’re all living through right now. We talked a lot about how we all have a stake in nature, and how we have to step up and protect it. With the skies and air so clear at the moment, we’re seeing what it might be like if we actually did that.

Mar also told me how she tries to balance her drive to be out in the wild, disconnected from everything, with needing to promote her work online. She was up front: it’s a work in progress. I think that balance between staying connected with everyone we love and protecting our sanity by not scrolling our feeds constantly, is something we all grapple with, maybe now more than ever.

So, I hope you enjoy this episode and get something from it, whether you’re looking to switch careers or not.

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@marlinamoreno

@TheReinventors

@Clare_Wiley