The only downside to your being a hardworking, dedicated, motivated equestrian entrepreneur? If you’re not taking good care of yourself, you risk burnout or, even worse, the end of your horse business. That’s why I hope you’ll take these self-care tips from Ifa Simmonds with Ifa Fit to heart.
Welcome to the show notes! Remember, this is a brief summary from the How to Market Your Horse Business podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
Show me an equestrian entrepreneur and I’ll show you someone who is dedicated, getting their hands dirty daily, and always looking for ways to improve and grow, both personally and professionally.
The only downside to all that?
We’re not often known for making self-care a priority in our list of to-dos and must-dos for the day.
Taking care of your horse? Absolutely. Taking care of yourself? Not so much.
But, if you don’t take care of yourself, your chances of building a business that you enjoy AND will be sustainable for the long term go down quite a bit.
That’s why Ifa Simmonds with Ifa Fit is breaking down some practical ways you can incorporate self-care into your routine—even if you start with just 5 minutes a day.
Many of you may already be familiar with Ifa Simmonds, perhaps at one of his rider fitness sessions at Equine Affaire, through his online programs, or even an equestrian publication.
He’s passionate about rider fitness, but as you’ll hear, he’s also a fellow entrepreneur in the equestrian space. AND, he’s passionate about self-care.
How does Ifa view self-care? It’s not just about what you eat or if you work out or get enough sleep.
Self-care is the journey of learning and adapting to what things we need to do or should be doing that help us continue to serve those we have our business around, whether it's a product or service.
Self-care as a horse business owner is what will enable you to build a sustainable business.
On the flip side, if you don't prioritize self-care as an equestrian entrepreneur, you risk burnout or, even worse, the end of your horse business.
So, what does it look like to do self-care well? Let’s dive in.
Ifa’s Self-Care Tips for Equestrian Entrepreneurs
Try habit stacking.
Start with a small, incremental change in the right direction and then add to it over time.
Focus on improving good habits more than removing “bad” habits.
Think of the habits you would like to improve, not completely remove, or completely adjust and change. Think of where you could be better, and then ask yourself if you can quantify that.
Try meal prepping which requires you to think in advance about what you’ll eat rather than being reactive in the moment to whatever is available.
Remember habit stacking above. Start with one meal a week and add to it over time.
We become the things we continue to do.
When we have intention to what we want to become and who we envision ourselves being, it makes all the other decisions more clear.
For example, if someone says I'm not a breakfast person, but that's because you always go to bed late and you wake up 10 min before your first event. You obviously aren't a breakfast person, because there's nothing that you eat that quickly.
Don't fret things that are already gone if you don't have any control over them.
Late nights, early mornings, unpredictable schedules—it’s all bound to happen if you’re raising a family, caring for animals, and building a business. Rather than fretting over what’s out of your control, focus on what you can control.
Look for a community.
Look for those types of communities where you can have the important conversations with other entrepreneurs so you can understand you're not alone.
Of course, you'll want to listen to the full episode to dig into each of the insights shared and discover how you can apply each one in your horse business!
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Ifa Fit: Website | Instagram | Facebook | X (formerly known as Twitter)
Take the Reins: 1:1 Marketing Coaching for Equestrian Entrepreneurs
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