Back in 2016, I went to an event called Cowgirl Spirit Camp and it changed everything for me.
My Life Behind the Corporate Desk
In 2015 and 2016 I was struggling with my career. I was working in the corporate world and left in 2015 to go work at a business that I thought would give me the experience I really wanted to eventually start my own business. However, the owner of this small business was extremely mico-managing and very rude. She had no respect for any of her employees and would tear everyone down. It was such a weird situation and I was constantly lost on what I was going to do. I had left my cushy job to take a big pay cut because I wanted to get the experience at another position.
Fortunately, I reached out to my old boss at the corporate job and he welcomed me back with open arms. Thankfully, because I had been honest about why I was leaving and why I would like to come back that they didn’t even hesitate.
Maybe a Different Corporate Job Would Be Better
I continued to work there till I received an offer on LinkedIn that I thought at the time I couldn’t refuse. I would be doing the same thing, but just at a company down the road for better pay. Oh man, what another mistake I had made! I was even more miserable there. They weren’t doing due diligence and employees were not being paid correctly constantly. So after multiple new hires in my department left, I followed suit.
So now I was out of a job, with a new car and a paying full-time board for my horse. My husband and I were still able to pay the bills, but there wasn’t any extra money to put towards savings or any disposable income.
Cowgirl Spirit Camp Found Me
Then something popped up on my newsfeed talking about a Cowgirl Spirit Camp by The Dream Trail and I knew I had to go, but I wasn’t sure if I could afford it. Especially after just quitting my job. I reached out to Kaelen Schaefer, owner of The Dream Trail, and shared my eagerness to come but was hesitant since I had just left my position at corporate. However, she convinced me it was the right thing for me to do.
Let me tell you, It was one of the best things I could have done! Kaelen and Devon were so welcoming and really made you feel comfortable. We only had a small group of ladies, but it was kind of nice like that.
Devon Combs, owner of Beyond the Arena, taught us about the energy we give off and how the horses can read us. Kaelen burned sage while we picked out horse cards similar to tarot cards. Cards that would just pull for us to pick them out. We did a wine evening where we all caught up after the day and a yoga morning in the barn. It was fantastic.
Cowgirl Spirit Camp Was Just What I needed
When it came to doing some individual work with the horse, everything that had been on my shoulders was just released. I had a very emotional release of so much pressure. I finally recognized that I had been through so much and I didn’t really sit back to take it all in.
As a military spouse sometimes we just tough it out. My husband had been deployed and once he was home he was sent to fight wildland fires. Then almost immediately he was sent off to a military school for a month. On top of being in a new state and living so far away from family. I am sure the only reason I stayed sane through all of that was because of my horse and my horsie friends.
At Cowgirl Spirit Camp, I finally recognized the emotional rollercoaster I had been through and that I should do what makes me happy.
After graduating college I felt this pressure to have a well-paying job to pay for my horse hobby. However, after the Cowgirl Spirit Camp, I realized doing what makes me happy would be way more enjoyable than being miserable behind a corporate desk.
Found a Job I Loved
Shortly after the camp, I got a position at Tack Room Too, a local tack store in Olympia, WA. Let me say this was probably the most rewarding job! I got to work with some incredible horsie peeps and I got help horsie customers. So basically I got to talk about horses all day! Umm.. dream come true!
Unfortunately, then my husband got orders to come to Germany so I had to say goodbye to everyone at the tack store. Fortunately, I still connect with them.
After doing some traveling in Germany, my husband and I found out we were expecting our daughter. Then he deployed again and I thought what better time to start a business.
Needless to say, I don’t think I would be in this position if I hadn’t gone to that Cowgirl Spirit Camp. I am so happy I invested in myself.
“Believing and investing in yourself is the best way to shift your thinking from a paradigm of excuses to one of the solutions.”
― Farshad Asl, The “No Excuses” Mindset: A Life of Purpose, Passion, and Clarity
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