Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Mast.
Jonathan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Fresh out of college I was visiting home a friend in Houston at a local aquarium club gathering at Aquarium Design Group. He asked if I was still job hunting and recommended I get a job maintaining aquariums for Aquarium Design Group. I interviewed and was hired. I thoroughly enjoyed my job and the atmosphere. After about a year and a half, the constant driving and Houston traffic got to me. I left the aquarium industry and went to work using my college degree in a laboratory setting. When the oil & gas layoffs occurred in February of 2015 I was one of the casualties. After a few months of no luck in the job market, the idea of going back to the aquarium industry, I called around looking for a job and there were none to be had. A friend of mine who owned a fish store gave me the names of a few of his clients who were in the market for aquarium maintenance services. From this Aquarium ENVY was born.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Challenges I’ve faced are similar to what most small start-up businesses face. I had to start a client base from nothing. Like most I had to find startup funding, business lines of credit for stock and general operation, and where not to invest for advertising.
The biggest obstacle is attempting to not step on the toes of the other much larger aquarium maintenance outfits in and around the Houston area. Being as this is a rather small community we all know each other and I have good working relationships with several other companies that I’d like to maintain.
Please tell us about Aquarium ENVY.
Aquarium ENVY brings a personal touch to aquarium maintenance in the Greater Houston Area. Enjoy the beauty and tranquility of an aquarium in your home or office and let our dedicated professionals monitor water chemistry, animal health, and system conditions, while providing detailed cleaning of the aquarium and cabinetry.
We provide the best and most complete aquarium services in Houston, from the planning, to installation and automation, to one of the most thorough maintenance regimes available in the city of Houston. We provide products and systems to fit almost any budget.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I can remember aquariums being in my childhood home from my earliest memories. My father had a relatively simple 55 gallon freshwater aquarium and I was hooked from an early age. I’d spend my Saturday mornings helping my father clean and maintain his aquarium and learned as much as I could from him from a young age. As young as 8 I used my allowance to start a 20 gallon aquarium of my own. I had a tendency to lean towards fancy tail guppies. The aquarium fascination evolved as I aged.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3314 Angels Rest Court
- Website: www.aquariumenvy.com
- Phone: 7134092749
- Email: jonathan@aquariumenvy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquarium_envy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aquariumenvy/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aquarium_ENVY
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/aquarium-envy-spring
- Other: https://www.angieslist.com/companylist/us/tx/spring/aquarium-envy%252C-llc-reviews-8795666.htm
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