Taking the Netflix-watching world by storm, Tiger King has made it to most of our social media feeds, in the form of articles, memes or stickers.
For those who have yet to acquaint yourselves with Tiger King, it is a 8-part true crime documentary that follows the story of Joe Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic, and how he founded G.W. Zoo in the United States. In addition, Tiger King also documents the rivalry between Joe and Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist and owner of Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit animal sanctuary.
Even though the Netflix series was created mainly as an entertainment piece, there are important lessons that entrepreneurs can learn from Joe and his (mis)handling of his zoo.
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#1 Focus On Your Business, Not The Competition
Instead of directing his efforts at developing his business, Joe spent the bulk of his time antagonising Carole Baskin, his arch-nemesis. From producing death threat-related videos to countless lawsuits, every move Joe stemmed from his attempts to bring Carole to her downfall.
Unsurprisingly, Joe’s focus on his rival led to his negligence of the zoo, which resulted in plummeting profits. The Tiger King was left with little choice but to sign his beloved zoo over to his supposed business partner Jeff Lowe, marking his downfall.
While we’re not saying to completely ignore the competition, it’s important to focus on what matters most – your business. So as much as how keeping tabs on the other players in the industry helps with providing new insights and perspectives, rooting out the competition shouldn’t be your priority.
#2 Be Selective On Who You Work With
From his staff to business partner, Joe was never too bothered about their (lack of) credentials nor their background.
Never mind that Erik Cowie, his head keeper, had zero experience with animal handling and had only taken on the job because it sounded cool, it didn’t occur to Joe to vet Jeff’s background before hastily having him on board as a partner – mistakes that would cost him dearly.
In addition hiring people who can actually do the job you need, it is also important to have an understanding of the work ethic and values of potential employees. Ensure that they’re able to fit into the existing work culture and that you’re on the same track when working towards a common goal for the company.
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#3 Keep Your Ego In Check
As opposed to the welfare of his staff and animals, Joe seemed to be more interested in building his celebrity status. While tagging a personality (his) to the zoo’s branding did help with the marketing efforts, Joe took it one step too far – by making the business all about him.
Unfortunately, in his bid to run for governor, the Tiger King had completely put himself before the business by using the zoo to propel his personal cause, instead of vice versa. This eventually cost him the respect and support of his employees, an aspect that contributed to the zoo’s demise.
While it’s fine to inject your personality into the business, it’s important to know when to step back. Not only is it easy to lose sight of the objectives, indulging in your ego can be detrimental to the company’s growth when your personal needs superseded good of the team or your customers.
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#4 Resourcefulness Is More Important Than Resources
Although he did eventually lose ownership to his zoo, Joe’s resourcefulness was what turned a small pet store to a multi-million-dollar business.
For instance, instead of reselling the wild cats as domestic pets, Joe had turned them into services such as leasing his animals to Hollywood studios, as well as conducting performances in malls. Faced with the challenges posed by Carole’s protests that eventually affected his revenue from these performances, Joe branched out to other services such as cub-petting and photo-taking opportunities to sustain his business.
We may not be on board with the services that G.W Zoo offers, but you have to admit that Joe’s ability to expand and sustain his business with limited resources is a learning point for entrepreneurs. It pays to keep an open mind and be on the lookout for all possible ways to achieve what you desire. What you need could just be round the corner.
What Can You Learn From Your Next Binge-Watching Session?
Whether you’re looking to take a break or a new TV series to indulge in while staying home, Tiger King can be a pretty interesting and dare we say, educational choice.
But we’re sure that insights and valuable lessons are everywhere, if we bother to look. Here’s to many more fruitful Netflix sessions!
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