Meet Carter Braun | Taxidermist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carter Braun and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carter, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Developing intentional, positive habits have played a key role in starting and developing my business. Putting into place practices that eventually become like muscle memory that make the day to day run smoother and more efficiently. I try to attack each new task in the same manor as the last so that I am able to measure and alter my process to find areas of weakness and thusly make improvements. As with any business, it is best to provide consistency in your product or or service so that returning customers know what to expect and have confidence referring you to others. I can look back over my first year in which I seemed to be so consistently inconsistent in many ways. It didn’t take long to recognize that I felt like I was always struggling to keep my head above water and considered ending the dream for the stability of my old job. It was then when I was encouraged to push forward and problem solve by friends and family. I spent some time evaluating the large corporation I worked for as well as other successful taxidermist to see what I was missing. There was an “aha” moment when I realized that these businesses had put in place good and even what had become thoughtless habits that made it easier for them ensure quality and identify places that they could improve and in turn make into a new habit. I can now look at my own business and see how I habitually perform several tasks that allow me to focus on the various less frequent hurdles that come my way and deal with them more easily.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Though not an occupation everyone considers as art, I believe if I had some time, I could convince almost anyone otherwise. I am always working on my craft and pursuing ways to bring more accurate representation of life into my mounts. This means studying animals anatomy and their muscle structure to get the small details that set my work apart. Just as in humans, no two animals are exactly alike and it is my job to make sure that what makes an animal special, comes through in my work. As is our mantra, “Brining memories back to life”. Much like commemorative painting or statue, my mounts are a way to capture the significant moments in time for my customers and provide a long lasting appreciation for the life of the animal given. Getting into taxidermy and owning a business was very out of place in my family. Hunting, for that matter was a pretty foreign practice. I think this gave me a different beginning from many other taxidermist in that my pursuit of taxidermy was solely from my love of animals and their representation by this method at a young age. This did however, also make it quite difficult not really having knowledge of the hunting community or the process by which the business is made. I am grateful though, as I truly believe it made me work that much harder to learn and work at becoming knowledgeable about all things taxidermy. Even still, I am fully aware that I am continuously evolving an adapting my process/practices.
It’s difficult not to be cliché, but I very much hope that my story or advice can inspire others in similar situations to see that you can achieve goals and aspirations with hard work and determined mindset. If you have a true interest and love for something, pursue it with gusto and fervor. I have always said that even if I never make another dime from my business and have to go work elsewhere, I will still do taxidermy because it is my sincere passion. That sort of attitude has given me the determination to work on improving the craft above making the dollar, but also pushed me to do my best to make the business work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Just like many Coloradians, I love our mountains. I would take a day to ski at a Loveland Pass, a day up to Estes Park for the stores and You Need Pie 2 and into the National Park. I take them up to our family cabin near Allen’s Park and the Wild Basin area with many hiking trails. Locally, I would show them our Downtown Loveland for shops and food and then Nature’s Edge natural area for some fishing. I’m sure we would do a day down in Denver to go to zoo and Spaghetti Factory. Probably drive up the Poudre and camp with the many trails and fishing spots. Finish the trip by continuing to Walden and back in attempt to see some moose and other wildlife.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I foremost attribute any success to God. I also know for a fact I wouldn’t be where I am without the support from my amazing family and friends. Lastly, I thank Dean Malizia of Gunsmoke Taxidermy from whom I learned so much and got my certification from.

Website: https://immortalmounts.com/

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