Darde Long always knew she wanted to work with animals, it just didn't end up the way she originally imagined.In this episode, Darde shares how a childhood pony sparked a lifelong career caring for animals, why a trusted mentor pushed her to take a job she almost turned down, and how the Chattanooga Zoo has evolved from just 2 employees and 25 animals in 1985 to 80+ employees and 100+ species today.Darde Long is the President and CEO of the Chattanooga Zoo. You can connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/darde-long-177a1b4/). If you like this episode, we think you’ll also like:Andy Wood’s Morning Cup (E124)Lucy Rymer’s Morning Cup (E155)Hugh Morrow’s Morning Cup (E168)Subscribe to the weekly newsletter and be the first to know who upcoming guests are: http://eepurl.com/iGJzII My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.