Before I reveal the BIG #1, let me be clear that I know not everyone is interested in monetizing their work with horses (or at least, not interested in having their work be their main income).
However, if you have a vision and desire to grow your equine practice and reach more people, I’d like to share what I’ve learned throughout my own 11-year journey in this industry and how I might save you some time and frustration!
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I am assuming that in addition to your desire, you already have the training and/or experience helping humans by partnering with horses. (If you are seeking training in equine facilitated learning and coaching, send me a message and I’ll send you a list of programs.)
Regardless of the reason you got into this quirky business of helping horses to help humans, here you are…
The good news: more people are hearing about this work and its impact – yay!
The bad news: most people still don’t understand how it applies to them.
And… because the experience of working with horses is so deeply personal and subtly transformative, most people don’t know how to share the value of their experience with others.
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Think about how difficult it can be for us to articulate the benefits of working with the horses to people who have no experience with deeper somatic awareness. They have no reference point to relate it to their own well-being.
When working with coaches, facilitators and trainers in setting up a successful equine inspired practice I get the most pushback and resistance to the #1 most important aspect of your business.
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Are you ready to hear this?
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YOU MUST EMBRACE ONE, SUPER-SPECIFIC AUDIENCE TO SERVE.
Yes, I know, EVERYONE can benefit from this work. And, you will hear me say over and over, “If you are talking to everyone, NO ONE IS LISTENING!”
Not defining a super-specific audience to serve is the #1 missing ingredientand the thing most people struggle with.
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There is a commitment on your part required to claim yourself as a professional and make some noise about why serving these people is important to you!
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Knowing who you serve, with all your heart, is critical to the health and success of your business.
Without that, your efforts to reach clients is like trying to hit a bullseye with every arrow in your quiver at once. Unless you’re Robin Hood, you’re not likely to hit much of anything!
Releasing one precisely aimed arrow from your bow at a time will guarantee much more consistent success.
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For those of you that do know who you serve, the following are the most probable reasons for missing the bullseye with your marketing and outreach efforts…
– not offering what people want (instead offering what you think they need).
– not setting up a systematic approach to awareness and outreach of service (and sticking to it!)
– not providing consistent, relevant content to your super-specific audience.
– not believing that your own expertise is valuable enough to earn a living (or that your client can afford it).
– not treating this work as a ‘real business’ and investing in its success.
– an unhealthy relationship with money (that’s another article!)
And there’s one more critical reason practitioners are struggling to reach more clients.
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Lack of entrepreneurial experience.
Just because you have completed rigorous training and/or have years of coaching or horse experience doesn’t mean you have the knowledge or expertise to build and maintain a successful business all by yourself! If you have never owned and operated your own successful business before, why should you, or anyone else expect that from you? And, this is a business that is just beginning to walk in a personal/professional development industry of marathon runners.
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I invite you to take a serious look at your intentions and desires for yourself, your horses and for the people you most wish to serve.
- Are you happy with ‘hobby’ status and working with friends and referrals from time to time?
- Do you want to be seen and known as a professional, be adequately compensated for the transformational value you offer and make a difference in the lives of as many people as possible?
Either answer is perfect.
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If your answer is #1–
I invite you to let go of any perception of needing to be more than that. I talk to people who feel guilty because they invested in training that is not earning them a living. Learning to work with horses is some of the most valuable personal, professional and spiritual development training there is! Own it, embrace it, let it be part of who you are whether you make a living as an equine assisted practitioner or not. Be happy with your hobby. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
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If your answer is #2–
You want to be seen and known as a professional, be adequately compensated for the transformational value you offer, and make a difference in the lives of as many people as possible… your next step is to identify who can help you achieve that goal.
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Perhaps you can relate to this… I invested over $20,000 in my initial equine assisted coaching training and certification.
Since that time, I’ve easily invested another $100,000 (and more), in business, marketing, and personal development.
I take this work very seriously.
Averaged out over 10 years, that is approximately $12,000/year ($1000/month) and does not include basic business expenses for insurance, technology, marketing and horse/farm care.
I don’t share this with you to scare you away. I share it to help you understand that the Universe rewards your commitment and belief in your own success. When you believe in what’s possible enough to invest your future, the Universe steps up and delivers!
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There is a lovely Quaker saying, “While you pray, move your feet!” Continue to pray for your dream come true, while taking the necessary steps to meet it.
There is another saying I have come to understand and appreciate, “Interest follows Investment.”
There is a double meaning here. When you invest, you earn interest. And, when you are ‘invested’ in your future, heart, mind, and money… you become extremely interested in all aspects of what’s possible.
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That’s when success is not optional, it’s inevitable.
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Yours in Horse & Soul Success,
~Schelli
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Schelli Whitehouse is a business mentor, cowgirl, writer and author of “The Business of Coaching with Horses ~ How to Reach More Clients, Feed Your Horses and Change the World!”
www.TheBusinessOfCoachingWithHorses.com
