Maybe I am, okay wait, no I'm not. I'm not talking about our everyday relationships. Friends, family, etc., those are the people who are there for us. Those are the people that protect us, when all our other defenses seem to have fallen apart. Dealing with people within a business context, whether they do business with you, or you do business with them, there are always motives. If you can't see the motives right away, they are just good at what they do.
This goes back to this whole theme of honesty. It makes me wonder why it is so hard to be up front and truthful in these situations. Or how honesty and integrity can be met with such disdain. I'm no longer a member of my dressage team at school. I will compete in one last show this Sunday, where my coach will not coach me, and then that will be it. No matter what level of barn I have been in, and I have been in many different barns, I have never encountered anyone who would treat a client the way my coach treated me. After briefly explaining the circumstances of my current situation in reference to why I can't afford a lesson before the next show, he told me he doesn't know how to deal with a client who has a budget.
That would be fine, except that the first day I met him, I explained who I am, what I do, and briefly went into how I got to where I am. I didn't get to the point I am at in my life using money. Sure money is always a component, but its also something I have made do with very little of. I haven't taken lessons consistently since I bought my first horse when I was 14. Those that I did take were afforded through hard work and the generosity of both Marilyn and my trainer at the time, Gloria. Without either of their encouragement and motivation, who knows if I would have come back to riding after three years away from it in boarding school.
That would be fine, except that the first day I met him, I explained who I am, what I do, and briefly went into how I got to where I am. I didn't get to the point I am at in my life using money. Sure money is always a component, but its also something I have made do with very little of. I haven't taken lessons consistently since I bought my first horse when I was 14. Those that I did take were afforded through hard work and the generosity of both Marilyn and my trainer at the time, Gloria. Without either of their encouragement and motivation, who knows if I would have come back to riding after three years away from it in boarding school.
I picked riding back up before graduating Lawrenceville, and then landed a fabulous opportunity as a working student at Equi Sport. All I was responsible for was the gas to get me there, and my work ethic, and in return I received rides and lessons on ex-grand prix horses and other very high end horses. That was an introduction into the fabulous world of horse showing, the level of care a horse at that level requires, and introductions to many important people in this equestrian world.
Currently, I have been lucky enough to earn opportunities to take horses on in a training environment. While I'm no pro, and don't get paid to do this, people still believe in me enough to trust me with such valuable possessions as their horses. I believe these opportunities have come to me as I have proved myself through hard work, dedication, and above all else, honesty. Sometimes it seems that is lacking in our industry, but its something I stand behind 100%.
Basically the moral of this story is that I know that the possibilities are out there to achieve my goals, but to get there its going to take hard work, and a whole lot of luck, especially since I don't have the money to replace the luck. I don't mind working. These crazy creatures are animals I love so dearly that it makes me sick to think about a life without them. I also know that its impossible to get along with everyone, and I don't need to waste my time trying to impress someone who is only impressed by the amount of zero's at the end of the number in my bank account. Those are not the sorts of people who are willing to work with someone to achieve goals.
I find that it is those people who understand the work that it takes to get to a certain point who are more willing to share opportunities with the people who have fewer dollars in their pockets. Either way, none of the people I have been around would ever make a client feel so little because they didn't have the funds to take an extra lesson before an intercollegiate show, especially if it was for reasons outside of the person's control, as it is in my situation. I can continue to achieve success and build a positive reputation without that team, and so that is what I will do.
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