The Leadline

#019 - Tara Moore is the CEO and creative director for Farm and Fir Co., a photography, branding, and web design agency that serves equestrian small business owners. In 2016, Tara said farewell to city life and her corporate PR job to follow her passion of working in the horse industry. Today, she manages a growing team of five and serves clients who have been featured in equestrian media publications like Horse Illustrated and The Plaid Horse.

Tara joins The Leadline to offer insight to horse business owners who struggle to find the time or know what kind of content to share with their audience online. We'll talk all about brand pillars, repurposing content you've already created, and humanizing your brand voice in a way that resonates with potential customers and leaves you feeling more confident the next time you hit that "share" button.

Download the free PDF guide to accompany this episode, prepared by Farm & Fir Co. exclusively for our listeners: theleadlinepodcast.com/brandpillars

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This episode is brought to you by EquiDirectory, an online horse business directory and marketplace. List your business for free today by downloading the EquiDirectory app or visiting EquiDirectory.net.

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#18 - You've likely attended - or at the very least, heard of - the massive equestrian event called Equine Affaire, a 4-day exposition that occurs in Massachusetts and Ohio each year. 

We attend these conferences and trade shows from year to year, but have you ever had the opportunity to take a true behind-the-scenes look into the process and the people who are producing such a large-scale event?

Equine Affaire's president and owner Coagi Long joins The Leadline to share the history of her growth with the company throughout the past several years. You'll hear an insider's view of what it takes to host one of the leading trade shows in the horse industry, along with:

• How Coagi began her career with Equine Affaire as a college graduate and later acquired the company from its former owner, Eugenia Snyder;

• What steps the team took to pivot from their live event during the pandemic (and how excited they are to be back this upcoming November);

• The benefits to horse business owners as an attendee or an exhibitor, or even a volunteer!

We'll also chat briefly about The Leadline's upcoming Business After Hours mixer which will be held at Equine Affaire on November 12, 2021 in West Springfield, MA. (Want to join us? Click here to RSVP!)

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website at http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode18.

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This episode is brought to you by EquiDirectory, an online horse business directory and marketplace where more than 5,000+ other equestrians have already listed their horse business. Basic business listings are totally free, so sign up and list your business today by downloading the EquiDirectory app or visiting EquiDirectory.net.

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#17 - Brittney Chambers (Brittney Chambers Horsemanship and CBC Therapeutic Riding Academy) first opened her riding lesson program in 2015 with only one client and one horse. 

Today, she serves over 100 lesson clients with more than 30 on a waiting list - an accomplishment she never could have foreseen back in the days when her car trunk was serving as her mobile tack room. 

Given her amount of substantial growth over the years, Brittney began to realize that she could help the many lesson program managers and barn owners who were approaching her for help. This prompted the launch of her latest service: lesson program consulting. 

In this episode, you'll hear from Brittney:

• The processes she wished she had implemented earlier on in her lesson program
• How she was able to GROW her business during 2020, even during a shutdown
• Why it's so important to pace your growth when working with limited funds

If you're ready to build the streamlined, stress-free lesson program of your dreams, click play now! For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website at http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode17.

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This episode is brought to you by EquiDirectory, an online horse business directory and marketplace where more than 5,000+ other equestrians have already listed their horse business. Basic business listings are totally free, so sign up and list your business today by downloading the EquiDirectory app or visiting EquiDirectory.net.

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Enjoying this podcast? Join The Leadline Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded equine business owners and other podcast fans!

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#16 - Have you ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed by the smallest of tasks in your job or business? You may be experiencing burnout.

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. (Ref: HelpGuide.org)

Whatever the root cause, burnout is very real and so are the feelings of overwhelm and even dread or panic that can accompany more severe situations.

Trigger Warning: This interview contains references to PTSD, alcohol use, and emergency situations.

In this episode, equestrian and former emergency services worker Amiee Cupitt shares the raw and vulnerable story of her experience with burnout, workplace trauma, and her recovery from PTSD.  

You'll hear from Amiee: 

• The red flags that were the warning signs for burnout
• How she took action and began to pursue recovery
• Why it's so important to leave any and all feelings of failure behind

If you've been feeling like you may be experiencing burnout in your business, job, or personal life, tune in to hear this equestrian's inspirational story of reinvention and recovery.

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website at http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode16.

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Thank you to our episode sponsor, Hillcrest Bookkeeping Solutions! Have you been struggling to keep up with managing your books, tracking business expenses, or understanding your bookkeeping software? Hillcrest Bookkeeping Solutions can help! Schedule your free consultation with Sharnette Atkinson at www.hillcrestbookkeeping.com to learn how to streamline your bookkeeping today.

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#15 - You’ve probably heard the saying, If you build it, they will come.

But what if you build something that you believe to be absolutely incredible and nothing happens?

Florida native and Babson College alumnus Nick Bourdon launched three other business models prior to landing on his final product: an email-based horse matching service called Artemis Horse Match. 

In this episode, Nick shares with listeners why it was so important to listen to his target audience and prioritize their needs - even when it meant interviewing literally 100 people to figure out what he was missing. ⁠
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(And yes, he actually talked to a hundred - we asked!)⁠

If you’ve been struggling to land on that winning offer or service for your business, click play now to tune in to what Nick has to say about perseverance and always putting the customer's needs before your own.

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website at http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode15.

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Thank you to our episode sponsor, Hillcrest Bookkeeping Solutions. Book your free consultation at www.hillcrestbookkeeping.com to learn how to streamline your business bookkeeping today!

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Enjoying this podcast? Join The Leadline Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded equine business owners and other podcast fans!

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#14 - Mike Kim is the author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book, You Are the Brand: The 8-Step Blueprint to Showcase Your Unique Expertise and Build a Highly Profitable, Personally Fulfilling Business.

Mike joins The Leadline Podcast to tell the story of how he went from the music director of a church in CT to helping business owners and entrepreneurs re-think their marketing and personal brand strategies.

In this episode, you'll learn: 

• The 3 types of identities each brand should have
• How to take ownership of the words you want people to use to describe you
• Why the most effective marketing strategy is to simply tell the truth

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website at http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode14.

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Thank you to our episode sponsor, Hillcrest Bookkeeping Solutions. Book your free consultation at www.hillcrestbookkeeping.com to learn how to streamline your business bookkeeping today!

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Enjoying this podcast? Join The Leadline Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded equine business owners and other podcast fans!

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#13 - Chanel Rhodes is a self-described "artsy-fartsy" equestrian entrepreneur who loves putting her crafty juices to good use! 

During a video shoot with her fiancé in 2019, Chanel concocted a colorful hairpiece for her mare, Lady, to wear in her mane to give her an extra pop of color. The concept was quick to gain popularity amongst Chanel's friends and family, who encouraged her to take her products to market and pursue the business now known as Mane Tresses.

As is the case with all prototypes, the product needed a good deal of refinement before it was ready to sell. After many frustrating attempts (and countless trips to the barn), Chanel finally mastered her creation. 

Tune in as she shares her story about how developing her unique hairpieces for horses allowed her to discover her true purpose and what she learned along the way about building a business around your passion.

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode (and a few awesome photos of Chanel's hairpieces for horses), visit http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode13.

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#12 - Bookkeeping is a skill that every small business owner should have in their entrepreneurial arsenal, whether handled internally or outsourced to a professional. Don't just ignore your books and hope for the best! (Hint: It won't work out for the best...)

Sharnette Atkinson of Hillcrest Bookkeeping Solutions joins us to share why bookkeeping is an often-overlooked necessity in many equine businesses and how to start addressing the need right away.

In this episode, you'll learn more about: 

• Tracking your expenses electronically using QuickBooks
• How a professional can help you stay up to date on current tax laws and write-offs
• The best methods to backup your data in the event you're audited

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode12.

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#11 - In 2016, equestrian and adult amateur Tara Swersie was a busy working professional who was overwhelmed by the amount of time it was taking her to track and manually fill out the paperwork required to compete in local horse shows. Determined to find a solution, she set out to create what is now known as Strider, the #1 equestrian event platform for people to find, book, and pay for top equestrian opportunities.

Today, over 90,000 equestrians are using her platform to find and register for horse shows, masterclasses, and more.  In this episode, Tara along with Strider COO Natasha Sprengers-Levine join The Leadline Podcast for a great conversation about how equestrians can utilize technology to increase their revenue and improve overall customer experience.

If you’re a business owner looking to streamline your processes and increase revenue, or a rider looking for a better way to find and register for equestrian events, this is one you won’t want to miss.

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode11.

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#10 - Understanding your revenue is an imperative part of running and growing a successful horse business. This leads to the question: do you know how much money your business actually makes, or have you just been "winging" it? 

Join guest and business strategist Kelly Giordano as she talks about how equine entrepreneurs can take steps to better understand revenue and how to project their income.  

In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• Evaluate your current income streams
• Analyze where you may be losing money & why
• Table items that aren't producing profit for you or your business

Whether you run a service-based business or product-based horse business, these strategies will help you gain a better understanding of your finances and be better prepared to hit your next big income goal.

For the full show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit http://theleadlinepodcast.com/episode10.

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