We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tyler France. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Tyler, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
As an 8th grade biology teacher, I have to get up early if I want to dedicate enough time to my small business before heading into the classroom. If my alarm doesn’t wake me up by 5:30 AM, my dog Zeus will happily take over by hopping on my bed to remind me it’s time for his breakfast. Once Zeus is fed and I’ve made myself a cup of coffee, I head downstairs to my facility to check on the reptiles.
Most mornings, I spend about thirty to forty minutes misting and feeding the animals, while also performing welfare checks to make sure each one is healthy. Depending on the day, I’ll wake up even earlier to clean enclosures, which involves removing waste by hand and steam cleaning to kill off any germs or parasites that could be present in the fecal matter. Once everything is taken care of, I shift gears and head off to teach my students.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tyler France, and I’m the co-founder of The Chameleon Collective (TCC). We’re a small business with a big passion: raising reptiles ethically and responsibly so that every animal is healthy, well-adjusted, and ready to thrive with its future keeper.
Right now, I work with three amazing species: Furcifer pardalis (Panther chameleons), Trioceros hoehnelii (Helmeted chameleons), and Cophotis dumbara (Knuckles Mountain Pygmy lizards). All three have successfully hatched or been born here at our facility in Baltimore, which is always an exciting milestone.
One of the species I’m most proud to work with is the Cophotis dumbara. They’re critically endangered in their native home of Sri Lanka due to deforestation, and because of this, they’re no longer imported into the United States. Only a small number exist in captivity, so having the opportunity to care for and breed them feels really special. It means a lot to me to play even a small role in helping preserve such a rare and important species.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Graduating from the Teacher Training Course at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA was a year-long experience that deeply shaped not only how I see the world but also how I engage with it. During that time, I became much more aware of the privileges I hold as a cisgender white male in American society, as well as the many blind spots that had kept me from truly connecting with people whose identities and experiences differ from mine.
I was fortunate to have an incredible mentor, Desiree Ivey (a Baltimore native herself!), who was patient yet consistently held me to a high standard. Her guidance pushed me to grow not only as an educator, but as a person.
Fast forward to today, I know I still have blind spots, but I also feel confident that when I connect with others, they feel seen and heard. That ability has been invaluable to me, not just in the classroom, but also as a business owner, helping me stay approachable and genuinely engaging with people from many different backgrounds.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t doubt yourself just because something is new to you, or because you’ve only been doing it for a few years. Even the people who seem the most confident or experienced feel self-doubt at times. It’s okay not to always have the answer—truthfully, half the time no one does. What matters is staying true to yourself and continuing to hold yourself to a high standard. Keep seeking knowledge, and lead with love, patience, and grace.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
A really close friend of mine and former colleague, Nick Tsilibes, is someone I truly admire for his character. If I had to point to a role model for what it means to be a good human being, it would be Nick, and I know I’m not alone in that. An entire school community, built over more than a decade, would wholeheartedly back me up.
Nick had a way of connecting with everyone. It didn’t matter who you were—teacher, student, parent, or staff—he always made the effort to speak to you and make you feel seen. He led with compassion and grace in every interaction, and that consistency is what made him stand out.
What I admired most, though, was how Nick never shied away from growth. He welcomed discomfort because he understood it often led to new perspectives and deeper understanding.
One of my favorite memories with him was a phrase we used to remind each other when school or life got overwhelming: “Honeybadger don’t care about nothing.” It was our way of laughing through the chaos, reminding ourselves that even when things got wild, we were in it together and that we could face whatever came our way without fear.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
At home all snuggled up with my wife and my dog!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thechamcollective.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechamcollective/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheChameleon_Collective
Image Credits
Tyler France
