Then go for it! Take a step out and meet your hero, one of the leaders you admire within a specific field. I don’t care who they are, what they do or where they live. If you desire to be like that person, it’s possible to follow in their footsteps if you’re willing to put in the work. You can do it!
I suggest that when you do get to meet them, go with the “hat in your hand” approach. Tell them your goals and that you believe he or she can help you get there. And, that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make their life easier if they would help you. If you’re talking about an equine professional, that may mean cleaning stalls, washing and saddling horses all day just for one shot to ride your horse at the end of the day and be critiqued by them. Everyone has a special talent, and maybe they could use help with yours, whether as an accountant, plummer, carpenter, welder, social media, etc.
If you don’t have time to do that, you may have to pay for lessons. That’s what I do; I hire the best farriers in the world to come to my place. One day is a personal day for me and my apprentices only, then the next day we usually have a clinic for the public. To me, it is the most valuable thing that I do for my business. Because at the end of the day, you can only read so many books and watch so many videos before you need to get your own skills critiqued by someone else. My mentor, Grant Moon who flies in from England, says “If you think anything is perfect, you’re not looking hard enough.”
It’s very normal to feel insecure and inferior compared to your heroes. If you’re worried that they might treat you like a nobody and hurt your feelings, don’t hesitate for a second. Most likely they won’t, but even if they did, why would you care? In fact, if they are like that it would be nice to know so you can stop looking up to them.
How you treat people means more to me than anything you could ever accomplish in life. We could all take a lesson from my late friend Rickey Green. He was very accomplished in the rodeo world, and it would have been easy to get over confident and only talk to “important people.” Not him. He would talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. I think that’s one of the greatest qualities anyone can have. Eventually everyone will forget what you’ve won, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
The bottom line is, consider who you want to model after, and then take a step to reach out to them. Find out how you can make their life easier and how they can help you reach your goals. Make a plan and go for it!
God Bless America
Olsen Equine
