Brian Dunleavy had no Plan B. REEFCO Aquariums had to work.In this episode of The First Slice presented by SICCE, Brian shares how a six-gallon African frog aquarium sparked an obsession that eventually became one of New Jersey’s premier aquarium businesses.Brian opens up about barely graduating high school, working construction, learning inside local fish stores, and realizing that he could build something better. He takes us inside the pressure, mistakes, sacrifices, and lowest moments that shaped REEFCO Aquariums.We discuss what happens when a passion becomes a business, the personal cost of entrepreneurship, the responsibility of caring for living animals, and the ethical line between appreciating the ocean and profiting from it. Brian also explains how he built and leads his team, handles expensive mistakes, protects his family, and keeps moving when failure is not an option.More than 15 years later, Brian reflects on the people who believed in him, the lessons that nearly broke him, and what he would tell the 19-year-old kid staring into that first six-gallon aquarium.We recorded the conversation over an incredibly thin and crispy pizza from Chimney Rock Inn.This is not simply a conversation about fish tanks. It is a story about survival, responsibility, family, leadership, and turning an obsession into a legacy.You know the business. You do not know the person behind it.Subscribe for more episodes of The First Slice.Presented by SICCE.#BrianDunleavy #ReefcoAquariums #AquariumBusiness #ReefTank #Entrepreneurship #TheFirstSlice #SICCE

@Coralfish12g joins The First Slice presented by SICCE for Chicago deep-dish pizza and an honest conversation about the journey behind his success.George Mavrakis, better known as CoralFish12g, shares how he built an aquarium-focused YouTube channel with more than 2 million subscribers, developed @aquashella into a major aquarium festival, and handled the challenges that came with growing such a recognizable brand.We also discuss the lawsuit that affected his journey, his Division III college basketball career, the business behind aquarium content, and the person viewers do not always get to see on camera. All of it unfolds over authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza, eaten properly with a fork and knife.You know his content. You really do not know him. Subscribe for more episodes of The First Slice,Presented by SICCE.#CoralFish12g #AquaShella #Aquarium #TheFirstSlice #SICCE #ChicagoDeepDish #Fishkeeping💡Learn more:•https://www.sicce.com/en/products🐳 Become a part of the Family!•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siccegroup•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siccegroupℹ️ Warranty & Info •🌏Website: https://www.sicce.com•🇺🇸 Website: https://us.sicce.com0:00 Deep dish pizza and intro2:49 Early life and pressure4:08 Business, stress, and growth7:52 The origin of the aquarium10:21 Mentorship and passion14:33 Lessons from early employment17:34 Basketball and college life20:15 Content creation and viral growth23:51 Brand deals and monetization32:43 The transformative conversation35:37 New York, travel, and lifestyle39:08 The future of Aquashella

What happens when a 20-year radio career disappears overnight?For Remy @BahamaLlamaCoral the unexpected ending became the beginning of an entirely new chapter. In this episode of The First Slice, Remy shares how losing his longtime career led him to rediscover his purpose and write the children’s book Duncan’s Reef Rescue.His remarkable story also includes flying with the Blue Angels, singing onstage with Kelsea Ballerini, winning his high school talent show, and eventually finding a new home in the aquarium industry with @BrightwellAquatics Join us as Remy shares the surprising experiences, difficult transitions, and defining moments that shaped his journey all while enjoying a square slice of Imo’s thin-crust, St. Louis–style pizza.The First Slice is presented by SICCE.💡Learn more:•https://www.sicce.com/en/products🐳 Become a part of the Family!•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siccegroup•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siccegroupℹ️ Warranty & Info •🌏Website: https://www.sicce.com•🇺🇸 Website: https://us.sicce.com#Thefirstslice #followthewhale #familyowned

What does it really look like when curiosity never stays in one lane?In this episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE, we sit down with Peter Dinh @bayarea_reef for a conversation about the hobbies, obsessions, and details that shaped the person behind the passion. Peter’s world stretches from saltwater aquariums and coral to Mini-Z cars, Hot Wheels, tech, cameras, 3D printing, Star Wars, sim racing, and even geology, where he studied volcanic and seismic activity.This episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE is more than an aquarium interview. We asked Peter questions that go beyond reef tanks and coral collections. We talk about the things he collects, the things he builds, the things that inspire him, and the strange little connections between science, creativity, technology, and the aquarium hobby.If you follow SICCE, reef keeping, saltwater aquariums, coral, aquarium creators, collectible culture, tech, Mini-Z, Hot Wheels, 3D printing, or the people behind the hobby, this episode gives you a different side of someone whose interests do not fit neatly into one box.In this interview, we talk about:Peter Dinh and the many passions that shaped his storyHis love for saltwater aquariums, coral, and reef keepingMini-Z cars, Hot Wheels, Star Wars, and sim racingWorking in tech and the world of eBayCameras, 3D printing, collecting, and creative hobbiesHis background in geology, volcanoes, and seismic activityPersonal questions, fun questions, and unexpected momentsWhat drives Peter inside and outside the aquarium worldFollow Peter on Instagram @bayarea_reef Watch, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of First Slice Presented by SICCE, featuring bold conversations with aquarium creators, hobby leaders, collectors, builders, and personalities from across the aquatics world.#PeterDinh #FirstSlice #FirstSlicePresentedBySICCE #SICCE #SaltwaterAquarium #ReefKeeping #CoralReef #AquariumPodcast #AquariumHobby #AquariumIndustry #MiniZ #HotWheels #StarWars #SimRacing #3DPrinting #TechLife #Geology #CoralCollector💡Learn more:•https://www.sicce.com/en/products🐳 Become a part of the Family!•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siccegroup•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siccegroupℹ️ Warranty & Info •🌏Website: https://www.sicce.com•🇺🇸 Website: https://us.sicce.com

What does it really look like to take the long way and still arrive?In this episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE, we sit down with Melissa Scharenbroch, territory sales manager for SICCE, for a conversation about the path that got her here. She started behind a gas station register and now reps a global aquarium brand across her own US territory. This interview digs into the work, the detours, and the mindset behind a career that was anything but a straight line.This episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE is more than an aquarium interview. We asked Melissa some questions that go beyond fish tanks and sales numbers. We talk about early jobs, raising kids, what it takes to carry a global brand in your own corner of the country, and the life she runs off the clock.If you follow SICCE, the aquarium industry, sales and career stories, fishkeeping, or aquarium podcasts, this episode gives you a different side of the people behind the brands you know.In this interview, we talk about:Melissa Scharenbroch and the road from a gas station counter to SICCEWhat it actually takes to own a sales territory for a global brandThe early jobs and detours that shaped herBeing a mom and running a full house of animals along the wayPersonal questions, fun questions, and unexpected momentsWhat drives Melissa on and off the clockFollow Melissa on Instagram @oceanqueen_1 and on Facebook under Melissa Scharenbroch.Watch, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of First Slice Presented by SICCE, featuring bold conversations with aquarium creators, hobby leaders, and personalities from across the aquatics world.#MelissaScharenbroch #OceanQueen #FirstSlice #FirstSlicePresentedBySICCE #SICCE #TerritorySales #AquariumPodcast #FishKeeping #AquariumHobby #AquariumIndustry #SalesCareer💡Learn more:•https://www.sicce.com/en/products🐳 Become a part of the Family!•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siccegroup•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siccegroupℹ️ Warranty & Info •🌏Website: https://www.sicce.com•🇺🇸 Website: https://us.sicce.com

What can you learn about the world from someone who taught himself English through movie subtitles?In this episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE, Jay sits down with Jimmy @Jimmygimbal for a conversation full of humor, honesty, grit, and heart. Jimmy is an immigrant who learned the language one subtitle at a time, and that alone tells you this episode is different. This interview digs into where he came from, how he taught himself, and the life perspective you only get from someone who has truly lived.This episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE is more than an aquarium interview. We asked Jimmy questions that go beyond fish tanks and job titles. We talk about the movies that shaped him, the outrageous YouTube names he cycled through over the years, the company he works for, and the kind of growth that comes from paying close attention to the world around you.If you follow SICCE, the aquarium industry, immigrant stories, film and storytelling, or aquarium podcasts, this episode gives you a different side the human side of the people behind the brands you know.In this interview, we talk about:Jimmy's journey as an immigrantHow he taught himself English with subtitlesThe movies and storytelling that shaped himThe wild YouTube names from his pastHis work, his perspective, and his personal growthA real conversation over pizzaFollow Jimmy on Instagram @Jimmygimbal and check out Fritz Aquatics on YouTube @fritzaquaticsvideo Watch, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of First Slice Presented by SICCE, featuring bold conversations with aquarium creators, hobby leaders, and personalities from across the aquatics world.#FirstSlice #FirstSlicePresentedBySICCE #SICCE #Podcast #Storytelling #ImmigrantStory #Movies #PersonalGrowth #Inspiration #PizzaAndConversation #JimmyGimbal #FritzAquatics💡Learn more:•https://www.sicce.com/en/products🐳 Become a part of the Family!•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siccegroup•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siccegroupℹ️ Warranty & Info •🌏Website: https://www.sicce.com•🇺🇸 Website: https://us.sicce.com

What does it really look like to bet on yourself?In this episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE, we sit down with Troy Holler of Cichlid Bros for a conversation about risk, passion, creativity, and what it takes to build a life around content creation. He bet it all to become a content creator, and this interview dives into the mindset, sacrifice, and drive behind that decision.This episode of First Slice Presented by SICCE is more than an aquarium interview. We asked Troy Holler some crazy cool questions that go beyond fish tanks, social media, and YouTube. We talk about identity, ambition, pressure, motivation, the aquarium hobby, and the journey behind Cichlid Bros.If you follow Troy Holler, Cichlid Bros, aquarium creators, fishkeeping YouTube, cichlid content, or aquarium podcasts, this episode gives you a different side of one of the most recognizable names in the hobby.In this interview, we talk about:Troy Holler and the story behind Cichlid BrosWhy he bet it all to become a content creatorThe risk and reward of building a brand onlineThe aquarium hobby and creating content in the fishkeeping worldPersonal questions, fun questions, and unexpected momentsWhat drives Troy Holler on and off cameraWatch, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of First Slice Presented by SICCE, featuring bold conversations with aquarium creators, hobby leaders, and personalities from across the aquatics world.#TroyHoller #CichlidBros #FirstSlice #FirstSlicePresentedBySICCE #SICCE #ContentCreator #AquariumPodcast #FishKeeping #Cichlids #AquariumHobby