One-Trick Pony?
Just because I’m a “horse girl” doesn’t mean I’m not a whole lot of other things that shape who I am personally and professionally.
I’ve had a lot of conversations lately about revitalizing my career, pivoting to a different industry, and reinventing myself. I’ve always considered myself a chameleon—someone who can adjust her mindset and use her deep skillset in different ways to suit just about any situation. I don’t think I’ve ever said a hard no to a project that didn’t deserve it. I might’ve panicked a bit and worried how the heck… But I always manage to find a way, whether its tapping my deep network of MarComm professionals for advice, researching online, listening to a relevant podcast, or something else. When you’ve been at the marketing, storytelling, and communications game as long as I have, nothing is impossible.
That said, my friends outside the horse world sometimes find it odd that I’d take clients from other industries or—gasp—consider full-time employment outside the horse world. It’s always an interesting conversation to hear their viewpoint and how quickly I can help them see that all the skills I’ve acquired and the experiences I’ve had in the equine space are fully transferable outside the arena.
Yes, I’m a horsewoman, and I’ll always be a horsewoman. But I’m also a storyteller, a marketer, a podcast developer, a charity founder, a strategist, a project manager, a brand manager, a critical thinker, and (because of all that experience) a thought leader. While I’m undeniably all those things in the Western performance space, I don’t stop being them just because I’m working on something that’s not horse-centric.
A friend posted recently on LinkedIn that, just because she’s not a snowboarder doesn’t mean she can’t write copy for a snowboarding brand. She’s capable of analyzing the audience, researching what they need, and developing messaging that’s perfectly targeted to snowboarders. I couldn't agree more. In fact, she might be even more successful in producing that copy because she’s not bound by the tropes of those who are entrenched in the sport.
Our personalities and our expertise are not just in the industries in which we work. I’m more than “just a marketing and communications horse girl.” I love music, can talk for days about collegiate and international wrestling, love watching rugby, am becoming more informed every day about my own health and fitness, and more. I’m proud to have made a name for myself in my niche, but I’m also much more than that. You are, too. Don’t be afraid to take a risk and show yourself just what you can do!