Today’s evaluation ecosystem is complex and ever-evolving. This keynote invites evaluators to reflect on their own professional instincts and locations within the ecosystem: Do you prefer to specialise in a focused area of practice, or do you thrive taking on projects in new areas? Do you have a proclivity for using specific methodologies, or are you methodologically eclectic? Inspired, in part, by story-telling and a popular animal metaphor that is reimagined for our field, this talk explores how evaluators often find themselves embracing one of two dominant frames—deep expertise or expansive expertise—or trying to move between or beyond them. We’ll consider how these orientations and our preferences for them shape our education pathways, influence how we connect with others in the field, and affect how we respond to ecosystem shocks like emerging technologies. This keynote will offer a fresh frame for thinking about professional identity, collaboration, and growth. Along the way, we’ll reflect, maybe laugh, and hopefully walk away with a renewed appreciation for the diverse ways we contribute to a thriving evaluation ecosystem.