Ever heard of a pit pony? I hadn’t until recently, but the parallels between them and the online business culture caused me to go down a Google rabbit hole.
Pit ponies were former British ponies that would help miners underground. At its peak in 1913, there were 70,000 of these animals — a number that dwindled to zero a few years ago. These ponies showed up big to get coal out of the mines, scraping their head on the mine ceilings, contracting illnesses, and working in the dark for years.
Important note: There are no parallels there between an animal who works in loathsome conditions for years and a mom who has a coffee maker at the ready, wears leggings all day, and can choose to catch up on reality TV from the tiny glass rectangle (the smartphone) or the large one (the TV) a few feet away — although I do get swatted with a brush as I’m getting a “hair massage” from my kids, contract the germs they bring home, and wake up early to work in the dark for that little bit of peace before the chaos starts, so maybe?
But the real parallel I saw between entrepreneurial moms and pit ponies was how they reacted on vacation and their retirement days.
When pit ponies would come out of the mines for a vacation and released into a large field, they would reportedly gallop around the field, kicking and bucking with excitement for room to move, breathe fresh air, and soak up the sunlight.
💫 Have you ever felt that way when you’ve been buried in your work and then release it into the wild for others to see?
💫 Have you ever felt that way when you have conversations with others outside of the home?
💫 Have you ever felt that way when you’ve been “at it” for too long and finally connect face-to-face with someone who gets this non-traditional life?
It’s freeing — so freeing that even the biggest introverts (ahem, me) — leave those conversations with a renewed sense of excitement.
Getting out of the dark mine and into that open field is imperative for a creative business owner’s success. That’s why I:
✨ Attended lunch last week in person with local online entrepreneurs who are building a similar life
✨ Got a babysitter (my kids are on spring break) so I could attend an in-person networking event here in town with a fellow entrepreneurial friend I met online
✨ Advocate for living the RV lifestyle where you can connect at campgrounds with new people, hear new stories, and experience new adventures
✨ Will be attending this virtual networking event on Wednesday with The Prosper Network (you’re cordially invited too!)
I share this because if you’ve ever struggled to stay creative, come up with fresh stories to share with your audience, and build something that’ll help you design a life of freedom, you’re not alone.
And the solution is a little fresh air, open fields, and campfire-style conversations.