Contributed Photo
Greg Gallman, owner of Sportmaster Taxidermy, said he learned the process
through books, videos and attending shows.Name: Greg Gallman
Position: Wildlife artist, owner
Location: Sportmaster Taxidermy
First job: Accountant
How he got started: I got out of college and I found out I didn't like working behind a desk, so I started really trying to match up my interests with a job. I like hunting and fishing. I like the outdoors and I've always been really interested in animals. It was just a good match. I'm not much of a hunter myself. I haven't taken a deer in eight or nine years. I fish quite a bit. I support hunting, but it's not something I do a lot of myself.
Best part of the job: I get to meet a lot of people who share the same interests I do. The one thing I really like about the job is that it's something new every day. It's not the same old routine. Each day is a new challenge.
Worst part of the job: It's a dirty job. There's a lot of odor. Of course you're seeing the insides of animals, you're taking them apart. There's a lot of blood. It's not a clean job by any means.
Challenges of the job: Not in the South so much, but there are a lot of groups who don't like what I do. PETA, for example, those groups, they wouldn't be real happy with what I do. But I've never had any negative reactions.
What he's learned: To be successful in business, I think you have to show an interest in people. You have to treat them with respect and you have to treat them with courtesy. People don't want to just spend their money with anybody. They want to spend their money with someone who they feel like really cares about what their need is, and that's something I try to do.
How to make a career of it: There are schools out there. I never went to school. I learned from books and videos and going to some taxidermy shows, and mainly by trial and error. It's not the easiest way [to learn], but it's probably the best way."