Earlier this month, fellow professional organizer Elaine Shannon wrote about the people in her neighbourhood and true to her title “Empress of Inspiration” she inspired me to write this post about the people in MY neighbourhood.
Elaine is one of the people in my organizing neighbourhood as all many other fellow members of Professional Organizers in Canada. They are a great source of information, ideas and sage business advice.
One of the people I met through POC was Janet Barclay of Organized Assistant. She was organizing at the time but she has since become a master virtual assistant. She is always available if I have a question about working on a PC (because I use a Mac). The other thing Janet is really good at is online networking. She has introduced me to several people including Audrey Prenzel.
Audrey Prenzel of Résumé Resources is an amazing resume writer. She gets people their dream jobs. The cool thing about Audrey is that she is even in my physical neighbourhood. I’m glad to have Audrey in my neighbourhood as she does understand what it takes to run a business while being married to a military member.
It was through Janet’s involvement in POC that I met Kathryn Presner of Zoonini Web Services. Kathryn has a way of explaining technical concepts in an easy to understand way. Working with Kathryn has been an amazing experience and I’ve learned LOADS of stuff. I look forward to receiving her ZooNews newsletter every month. Kathryn introduced me to Charlotte Riley of ACRiley Communications. Charlotte has the knack of turning my ramblings into well written English optimized for search engines. She’s really knowledgeable about social media too.
With all this talk about work, there is one more person in my neighbourhood that I have to mention and that is Mel Gromoff of Fallowfield Farm. She has provided me with an outlet to pursue my passion of riding and being out at the farm also keeps me up to date on developments in the equine industry.
These are just a few of the people in my neighbourhood. What about you? Who are the people in your neighbourhood?
I know it is hard to think about show season with the freezing temperatures and snow but here are some tips to get you organized so that you’ll be ready when the show season starts.
Register with your local or provincial equestrian associations as soon as you can. You will be sure to have all your paperwork in hand when it comes time to register for the shows. You may also be eligible for discounts on showing fees or have the opportunity to participate in clinics and workshops at a discounted rate.
Update your horse’s health record. Make sure your horse has all the necessary vaccinations. The University of Guelph Equine Research Centre has a great facts sheet on immunization guidelines and you can even create a customized vaccination planner for your horse!
Schedule a Coggins test with your veterinarian a few weeks before the first horse show so that you will have the results before you register for the show. Make sure the results of the Coggins test remain valid until after your last horse show of the season.
Set up a training schedule with your coach to help you achieve your goals for show season. If you don’t have a full-time coach, consider hiring a coach for a few sessions to help you build a training regime for you and your horse. You will be more likely to succeed when you’ve got an expert to consult with.
Decide how many shows you will be attending based on your training schedule and your budget. Mark those dates on your calendar now to avoid conflicts with other events that may be happening over the summer season. Remember to mark the registration deadlines for those shows on your calendar too!
Does your horse look like he should be in a ’80’s heavy metal band? Start getting his mane in shape for braiding. Pull the mane a little bit every time you groom your horse. You won’t be going crazy pulling the week before the show and your horse’s neck won’t be sore. Keep your fingers in shape and do a few braids every week too.
Check your horse show supplies. Make sure your shipping bandages are clean and in good condition. Budget for any new equipment you’re likely to need and make a list. Keep your eye open at the tack shops for sales and watch the classifieds for any good used equipment.
If you have to hire a horse shipping company or borrow a horse trailer to take you to the shows, start calling around now to negotiate prices. If you’ve got your own trailer, make an appointment with the mechanic to have a full inspection before you start the show season.
If you’ve got more show season tips please share them!
I know it is hard to think about show season with the freezing temperatures and snow but here are some tips to get you organized so that you’ll be ready when the show season starts.