S2-E58: Fish Tanks in The Classroom With Kristen Ye of The Festae Factory
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Release Date: 08/24/2026
S2-E58: Fish Tanks in The Classroom With Kristen Ye of The Festae Factory
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Today's episode features sixteen-year-old Kristen Ye, a young entrepreneur and conservationist who discusses her lifelong passion for the aquarium hobby and her family business, . She shares how she invented a fluidized bed filter using recycled materials for a third-grade project, which has since evolved into a successful product sold at aquatic trade shows. The conversation highlights her "Fish Tanks in the Classroom" initiative, an educational program funded by filter sales that aims to inspire a new generation of hobbyists through school sponsorship and hands-on mentorship. Kristen details...
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S2-E57: Friendship Through Scales - The Miami Koi Show with Santana & Bristol
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
The episode centers on the inaugural , a high-end event designed to foster koi culture and education in South Florida. The organizers detail unique attractions, such as a banquet hosted on a yacht and a venue specifically engineered for aquatic displays, to highlight the "Miami flavor" of the competition. They address the logistical hurdles of launching a new show while expressing a desire to build a supportive hobbyist community that values quality Japanese fish. The conversation also explores the technical nuances of judging, the diverse categories of awards available, and the broader appeal...
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S2-E56: How Great Contractors Connect With Great Customers Featuring Drew Ainscough of Incline Marketing
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric and Drew talk about the intersection of craftsmanship and digital strategy. The discussion highlights the limitations of platforms like Yelp, where strict review policies can hinder a business's reputation, and emphasizes the complexity of Google’s advertising ecosystem. Ainscough explains how businesses can optimize their sales funnels by integrating social media presence with targeted performance campaigns to capture high-quality leads. Triplet shares personal anecdotes about maintaining a culture of care and using the "131 technique" to empower employees to solve customer problems...
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S2-E55: Building a Better Reef: How Real Reef Rock Changed the Aquarium Game Featuring Gareth Scott
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Gareth Scott, the founder of , talks with Eric during the LA Pet Fair. The conversation highlights how the company developed a sustainable, man-made alternative to harvesting live rock from natural coral reefs, which was once the industry standard. Scott explains the transition from importing Tonga branch rock to manufacturing calcium-based substrates in the USA to prevent environmental degradation and the spread of aquarium pests. The episode covers the technical aspects of their aquaculture process, including how they achieve a purple coralline aesthetic and ensure biological stability. Key...
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S2-E54: Building a Business You Can Sell vs. Owning a Job
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric and discuss the essential transition from simply owning a job to building a scalable business that can eventually be sold. They contrast their professional backgrounds, highlighting how strategic systems and team empowerment allow an entrepreneur to step away from daily labor while maintaining a profitable legacy. The conversation emphasizes the importance of high-level coaching and standard operating procedures to overcome common growth plateaus and avoid management burnout. By focusing on employee development and clear career ladders, they argue that business owners can foster a loyal...
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S2-E53: Can Fish Really Fight Depression? Special Guest Evan Johnson
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Evan Johnson, the founder of the nonprofit , shares how he provides natural aquariums to senior living facilities to combat depression and isolation among residents and staff. He cites specific research showing that observing fish can significantly lower stress hormones and improve mental health metrics like the PHQ-9 survey. Beyond the scientific benefits, the conversation highlights Evan’s entrepreneurial journey and his focus on expanding his mission across several countries. Key Takeaways: Incorporate aquariums or natural elements into your living and work spaces to help lower...
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S2-E52: The Cost of Being the Face of the Brand with Mike Garvey
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric and Mike Garvey from discuss the complexities of scaling a company when the founder serves as the primary personal brand. He recounts how his business, The Pond Digger, evolved from a solo identity into a team-oriented culture by intentionally highlighting his employees' diverse personalities. Triplett emphasizes that while being the face of a brand builds initial trust, it can eventually create a bottleneck if customers only want to work with the owner. The conversation explores strategies for succession and growth, such as introducing co-hosts or using timeless mascots to ensure the...
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S2-E51: 25 Years Later: The Pond That Never Gave Up on Its Owner with Shad Dixon
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
This episode explores the enduring legacy of a water feature designed and constructed by Eric Triplett for his friend Shad Dixon twenty-five years ago. While many homeowners initially install ponds for aesthetic beauty or relaxation, the conversation reveals how these aquatic ecosystems become integral characters in a family’s life story. Over two decades, the pond remained a constant through major life transitions, including raising children, navigating divorce, and eventually caring for an aging parent. Despite years of varying maintenance, the original equipment and koi have survived,...
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S2-E50: When Does Your Side Hustle Become A Distraction with Mike Garvey of Side Hustle Squad Podcast
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric Triplett and discuss the complex transition from a side hustle to a legitimate business. Eric reflects on his decision to pause a coaching venture to refocus on his primary passion for aquatic ecosystem design and filtration technology. The conversation contrasts their professional journeys, highlighting how Mike built a business while serving as a state trooper, whereas Triplett turned a lifelong obsession with fish breeding into a career. They explore the motivations behind pursuing supplemental income, noting that some ventures serve as financial safety nets while others are purely...
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S2-E49: Behind the Booth: The Pond Digger Team’s LA Pet Fair Experience
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Enjoy a behind-the-scenes debrief from "The Deep End" podcast, where host Eric Triplet and his crew discuss their experience at the LA Pet Fair. The team explores the preparation and logistics required for the event, highlighting the transition from napkin sketches to handcrafted wooden plant displays. They credit the booth's success to a high-energy atmosphere, tropical soundscapes, and the centerpiece attraction: a massive Victoria lily. Each member offers a unique perspective on the fair, ranging from the challenges of security and humidity to the joy of educating new hobbyists. The...
info_outlineToday's episode features sixteen-year-old Kristen Ye, a young entrepreneur and conservationist who discusses her lifelong passion for the aquarium hobby and her family business, Festae Factory. She shares how she invented a fluidized bed filter using recycled materials for a third-grade project, which has since evolved into a successful product sold at aquatic trade shows. The conversation highlights her "Fish Tanks in the Classroom" initiative, an educational program funded by filter sales that aims to inspire a new generation of hobbyists through school sponsorship and hands-on mentorship. Kristen details her dedication to animal welfare, her experience breeding diverse cichlid species, and her vision for sustaining interest in aquatic environments.
Key Takeaways:
- Involve children in your hobbies from an early age to spark lifelong passions and build deep, generational family connections.
- Upcycle everyday plastic items into functional, self-sustaining tools to reduce waste and create efficient systems like moving bed filters.
- Test new designs and prototypes in real-world conditions for years to ensure their long-term durability and prevent messy structural failures.
- Introduce nature-focused projects like classroom aquariums to local schools to foster responsibility, teach environmental conservation, and support student mental health.
- Develop engaging manuals and mentor younger successors to ensure collaborative community projects can survive and continue running after you move on.
🔱 Links & Resources
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Helix Pond Filtration
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Fitz Fish Ponds – Koi Trips
https://fitzfishponds.com/koi-trips/
Pond Trade Magazine
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