Maggie Clancy Joins Dori DeCarlo on The Mompreneur Model

0:00 She is sure, she is true, she is straw is straw, She is true, is true, she is praise, pray, she is she is you. Hello, everyone, welcome to today's Ward of Mom Radio. Here on the Ward of Mom Media Network, I'm your host, Dori Di Carlo, and you know we are here week after week, show after show, breaking those myths that morepreneurs and business women, especially those of us building our businesses from home, that we're just dabbling in between bake sales and getting our nails done. We're not. We are smart, we are savvy, and we are sharing the wisdom of women in business and in life. And I'm looking forward to bringing today's guest into our Morepreneur model show. Maggie Clancy didn't start with entrepreneurship in mind. With a Bachelor of Science and Biology, she initially pursued medicine, but managing forces ignited a love for business that shifted her career.

1:03 Over two decades, Maggie has led strides writing Academy through economic, environmental, and pandemic challenges while gaining invaluable lessons in resilience and adaptability. Today, Maggie shares these insights with aspiring equestrian business owners, embracing each twist and turn with passion and purpose. I grew up in a horse riding family, so I am so excited to be sharing Maggie today. So welcome to Word of Mom Radio. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here with you. I'm thrilled to have you here, and I would love for you to take us on your journey to go from you know, thinking you're going to go to study medicine to becoming an equestrian. I love it and I can't wait to hear this journey, Maggie.

1:53 Oh perfect. Well, it was totally unplanned and unexpected. But when I look at that, like back at it now twenty years later, all the pieces were in place to take me there. I just had to listen and pay attention. I planned on going to medical school so I could afford to keep writing. Mostly that was really my motivation. I loved horses. I rode as a kid, I rode in college, and I just wanted to figure out how to keep them in my life. I won't get too detailed, but basically the first time I bombed the mcat to get into medical school. So I had to wait a whole another year to take it. And during that year I started what's called catch writing. So you know, Dorry would call me up, for example, and say, my horse is bucking and being naughty and I need you to fix it.

2:35 And so I'd be like, okay, great, I have time. I'll hop on your horse and fix it. So by the time I applied again to medical school, i'd sort of naturally built up a business that was just supposed to like fill my time until I went to medical school. As it laid out, you know, I sort of had this moment, why in the world, if I get to do what I love and people are actually paying for me to get groceries, would I not take that opportunity? And so luckily I did. And it's now been right at twenty years now, and it's been great. It's been amazing, it's been hard, it's been all the things, and here we are. I love that. You know, it's so funny because quite often if you are open to listening to the universe, it points you where you should be. And so good for you that you followed the journey. And so as a mom, you know, how did you manage especially younger kids in the beginning had to be really difficult because forces the gentle creatures that they are very gigantic creatures still, So I would love to know how you handled the scheduling of building your business being a mom, running all over the place let it go.

3:59 Yes, definitely having kids changed every It changed everything in the business. So up until that point, you know, it was me. I did all the work. I showed up, I rode all the horses. That was really the business, So it wasn't It was more like a job I had built for myself to work a lot of hours. Once kids came along, being a mom was always a huge priority on my list, Like that was always something I wanted to do in life. And I'm so lucky and I have two great kids. So it really forced or encouraged I'm not sure which word to use. Probably forced them me, you know, look at the business and figure out how I could show up for the kids and still keep growing the business.

4:42 When my daughter was my daughter's down nine, so when she was six months old is when we actually bought our property. And it was so funny because I my husband was like, oh, it'll be so great. You can run the business and be home with the kids all the time. So that was how it all started, right, And then we bought a twenty acre property which had over eighty horses on it, and I had a tiny kid, So the reality of the first couple of years was not exactly that, but it forced me to build a business that could run a little bit on its own. And so now I can pick and choose what days I show up. I can take vacation on the days I want, I can show up at the school events. Because I really had to build up the business to run in a very solid way so I could come and go.

5:27 So, yeah, and what have you learned about parenting and running a business? I mean, you know, there's those ebbs and flows that happened. And you know it's funny because very often, especially women who've been full time moms and then going back to work, I feel like, oh, I don't have that many skills. So how you incorporated all of those business skills, moms skills and everything else. Yes, just being a parent, Just being a parent being, I feel like, gives you so many more skills than you ever thought you would have or need, and so many of them are just learned in the moment. I mean, I I was one of the moms that like bought all the things hoping it would fix, you know, every Like I bought all the seat things hoping everyone would sleep, and I bought all the b And now I look back and I'm like, I just sort of had to go through it and figure out how to do it, and then it started to get easier and easier and easier.

6:26 So all of the skills, you know, like the process of negotiation that is applied with children and in business, working through challenges and being in the moment, I think is the biggest one. So if I am you know, fires start hitting at work and I'm looking at my phone, immediately everything will blow up at home, like guaranteed, kids will start fighting, things will be like it will just be a hot mess. So forcing myself to. Be at home more and at work more and let those lines be less blurry is huge. Yeah, And the negotiation went like how do you do sales? How do you talk to a person you don't know and convince them of X, Y and Z. Is similar to teaching a two year old to go do something that they don't necessarily want to do. So a lot of those skills can apply to many different scenarios.

7:20 It's amazing, isn't it. You have scheduled, conflict resolution, budgeting, you know, time management, all of these different delegations. Yes, when do you start testing things to the kids to do? When do you start delegating things to your employees? It's amazing. But it's funny, Maggie, because quite often women don't give themselves credit on the job training that being a mom. I always think back a friend of mine had a cartoon on her refrigerator and it was a woman sitting at a desk. The inbox is piled about three feet by stuff everywhere, and she's talking to this other woman and saying, I can't tell you how relaxing it is to come back to work after raising three kids, because again it is sometimes the insanity of work is so calming.

8:14 Totally absolutely yeah, and you're right. And then juggling, like I feel like becoming a mom, you have this mastered art of being able to juggle more things than most people think they're capable of and keep all the balls in the air. And so that is definitely learned at home and then applied at work. For me, it's funny because very often you know how they talk about that work life balance and I say. It all the time. It's like balance forget it. It is a juggling act. And how do you keep all the balls in the air at the same time and then you're throwing them around your back and up and over your shoulder. Because, let's face it, moms know how to think on their feet. Yep, we really And when it comes to business especially, you know, most people, Hey, a kid cameo. We've got a kid cameo going on right now.

9:09 Yah. Casey's homesick from school today, So nice to. See you, you know, being word of Mom radio. We love kid cameo. I really do. So it's never My grandson every once in a while would be with me and he'd come in and he'd want to ask a question. I'm like God, because he was listening this is life. Yeah, well he was, you know, four, wanting to come in. But you know, and this again, this is the joy of motherhood. This is what is wonderful about building a business, raising a family, Your daughter's home sick. Guess what life gets to shift. Yep, totally.

9:50 That's the difference between working in your business and on your business. When you are so totally enmeshed in it. Then something like this happens and everything has to come to a fault, yeah, as oppose to where you have yourself in working on your business. So that's how we work through all of those things. And you know, with your daughter home, what are some of the lessons and the biggest lessons you really hope that you are teaching and modeling for your kids. You know, these days it's sort of having the passion and confidence to follow your heart. I think that there's so much external influence. I mean, there always has been, but it seems like it's greater in my opinion these days, so much external influence on what you should do and what's right and what's wrong and follow this path and only do this and only wear that, and having that confident, like that inner confidence and passion to say, you know, this is really what I want to do and what I was born to do, and I'm going to figure out a way how to make it work would be the most amazing gift to pass on. So hopefully I can sort out how to pass that on. But I was lucky enough. It's funny. My dad always said, do what you love and the money will follow and that sounds like such like flippid advice, like yeah, right, you know, we all need to actually pay bills. It sounds not.

11:23 But if you hold that and really stick to it, it is possible to do what you love and make a living and like and like your life. So you know what you can And it's funny, I was just talking about it. So often we go into that scarcity mentality of starting to worry about, oh, this bill is coming in this you know, this client just dropped off and things like that, and I constantly reinforce for myself and people that I work with, living in that scarcity mentality creates scarcity. You have to trust that you are doing what you have to do. Trust it, do what you love, the money will. So I completely agree with that, and I know for some people that's just like yeah, okay, yeah, you're nuts, right, And and that's where I say to people, then get a job. Yeah, you know, if you can't get yourself out of that scarcity mentality, make sure you have a job where you have a guaranteed paycheck yep, and let somebody else sweat it.

12:38 Yeah yeah, there you go. Yeah, Well, and having that, you know, it's funny. The horse has taught me so much, like written, resilience just literally from riding them, you know, and falling off and getting back off, like getting back on the horse, as they say, and having some of that that you can carry into running your own business. So you know, we all have hard days, we all have hard months, We'll have hard years, but knowing okay, like I will get to the other side of this and I will keep forging forward. And having a network around you that reminds you when you're like, well, I don't know, is this gonna happen. Having people who are like, yeah, it is, get. Up, go do it. It is so important.

13:19 On that note, think of what Maggie just said, because you know what, that support system is huge. We're going to take a quick break, say thank you to our sponsors, and we'll be back here in just a moment. On Word of Mom radio. She is brave, she is bold, she is you, and we want to tell your story. Are you ready to share your journey with us on Word of Mom radio. Go to wordofmmradio dot com and register as a guest. We want to tell your story because when you win, we all win. And we're back here with Maggie Clancy. We are talking about her journey in creating Strides Riding Academy, and it's just such an interesting journey to me. And again, you know my aunt.

14:12 I watched my aunt at eighty years old raining sixty five horses and knowing every single horse just able to go in and everything that she needed, never had to look at a thing, and it was an amazing thing to me because you know how quip a horse can colic, how fast that magnificent animal can drop like that. If you don't know what you're doing, how have you managed dealing with all of that? Because again, they're such magnificent animals, and people I don't think are aware how delicate they really are.

14:52 It's really funny because they are and they represent power and beauty and all of this, but they are like fragile flowers. A lot of that is personality base I've discovered. So there's certain horses like I had. I bought my first horse when I was sixteen, and I got a job cleaning stalls so I could pay for her and had her up until three years ago, so she was around for like I. Isn't that crazy? All of the phases of my life that I have been through from those ages and man, she was like. Tough as nails. She was a horse that never complained. She was worked every day of her life, got up every day, and she just had that personality until the very end. And then I had another horse.

15:33 Leo, who instead of that, like the clouds would come in and he'd need to see the vet, you know, so kind of had this like very very frail, constantly went to the vet hospital, was always delicate. So there's these like different personalities I feel like in the horse, similar to people. You know, there's these people that are just tough as nails and there's there's other sides of that. So kind of getting to other personalities and working around that and thinking preemptively what is gonna happen, what are they gonna need? How can I make their environment such that they will succeed is super super important and similar with people, you know, how can I set them up for success? And how can I form the environment around them so that the fragile flowers do not fall apart?

16:16 And how can I support the ones that are really tough and never act like they need help. So yeah, I like I psychoanalyze my horses a lot, but. They really have their own personalities. You have some that love kids, love people. Yeah, we have those other horses that love their own yeah, and that's kind of it, and they don't want to be around other people. I remember my aunt bringing in this horse one time, Romeum, biggest horse ie ever saw. He was enormous and the most beautiful. Romeo was the perfect name because he was a complete lover. If you got close enough to that horse, that horse would push his head against you just to hug you. And I would bring my daughter and she was little at the time. He adored children, it was amazing.

17:11 So he would crane his neck out of his stall just to get it down low enough for her to pet him, and he'd he'd eat out of her hand. He was the most gentle horse you ever saw. But when I tell you, you looked at that horse and he was enormous, And again, they're just wonderful animals, they really are. But now I want to go into building the business and the time it takes, especially with young kids. Had to deal with the mom guilt part of it, you know, not. Well in the beginning, not well in the beginning, because I always felt bad and like I was in two places, trying to be in two places at once but not doing that successfully.

17:56 So always feeling like you're in two. Places at once and sort of short short ending both, you know, never feeling like you're giving your all to anything. And it took a long time, and I think where I've come to is I have this great gift to show my kids that you can actually do what you love, build a life and have a life that you love. And so I look at it that way now. You know, when they're little, you're like, oh my gosh, I don't know, you know, are we going to make it tomorrow? Essentially? And now I'm like, look at it if you want, and if you choose, you can grow up and follow your heart and build a great life. Now it seems like more gift. But they're older, right when when kids are like one and three, two and four, diapers, late nights, I had a different perspective. Now it's a little more well rounded.

18:46 Well you know, but it's amazing how fast it goes. Yeah, it really totally. And it's funny because with each stage comes the challenges and you think back, you know, when you're in the thick of it, with a baby and everything else. Oh, there's just so much. And then you look back and it's like that was the easy. Part, right right. Not one of my longest this time employees. Her daughter is graduating from college right now, and so it's fine, Sorry, I'm moving my computer. It's funny because she's talking about parenting an adult, you know, and she's like, oh, and that's like I never even thought that that was that was a thing.

19:27 And now I have to figure out how to parent an adult. So I'm not there yet, but I will be there eventually. Well, you know, it's an interesting thing. My kids gets catches in my throat when I think how old they are. I mean, I have grandchildren now, and the job of mom is that full time occupation. And you're not there to be their friend. You're there to be you know, you want them to talk to you and everything else. But there's that fine line of being a parent, and where does that line go? Where can you know my son at this point is you know a dad during thirty seven? I can't believe it. And well, every once in a while let out a cut and I'm like, hey, don't talk like that around me. Yeah, Well, you know what I'm still your mom. I said, yeah, you're right, You're right. I said, you know, sometimes curses fly, but not when you're talking to me, you know, conversationally. We had an argument one time and I walked out. I came back and I said, you know, I texted him.

20:26 I said, I said to you, once you know I am your mom, nobody's gonna love you like me. I will respect you, stand by your choices, even if it's not the choice I wanted to see you to make. Don't confuse me with a friend. I'm not your friend. I love that as they become adults, then that friendship, I really feel if you have that solid parent foundation, the friendship naturally happens. But then there are those moments where that mom thing steps in and sometimes they need that they need to, you know, like Mom, I just need you to be a mom right now. It's like, yeah, got it. And it's amazing because no matter how old they get, I can still close my eyes and I see my sons sleep and sometimes and it's like, yeah, there's the baby. Just it's those things and it never changes.

21:18 It's kind of interesting. So to the moms that are listening, Maggie, what do you want to say to them that are feeling so overwhelmed and exhausted with the thought of trying to balance a business and everything else. What do you want to say. Well, first, which is not really tangible, it is totally possible. It seems impossible and like a ball that you can't get yourself over, but it is totally possible. And the biggest lesson I learned. You know, I was the kid that needed no help for anything. When I was younger and wanted to go to the barn and I didn't have a ride, I would hop on my bike and bike to the barn. Because I didn't I was like, fine, I'm doing it myself.

21:59 That per and then I became a mom with a business and I was like, oh no, no, I'm not doing it by myself. So finding whatever key people are around you and support you and have your back no matter what. You know, I have one lady who has been working with me. I think it's thirteen years now, right, so like right when I got married, before I had kids, she's still with me. She is amazing and I know that no matter what happens at the end of day, she'd always have my back and like would jump off a cliff for me, I would obviously never ask anyone to do that, but finding one or two, you know, I keep people in your world that you're like, Okay, you are my person and you have my back no matter what, and when everything hits the fan, I can call you and you will lift me up. And that's so funny for me to say, because I literally was like, I need nobody in life. I don't need anybody ever, and I've learned that that is, in fact not true.

22:54 I do need people, you know, and having those people that can talk you off the ledge, having those people that can hold you accountable, or just that tribe that knows your pain because they're feeling it themselves, but they know that. It's kind of funny. It's how Word of Mom started. Word of Mom Radio was a place for people to come to learn how to do stuff and follow other people's road maps. And you know, we had our how to shows. You know, literally go to this icon, drop this down, all these different things, because no man is an island. And as women, finding other women that are going to support us and encourage us and everything else is so important because as moms, we've got a very unique perspective in raising a family, building a business and making it all work. And you are obviously doing such a great job of it, you really are, and good for you, and good for you that you're working with other equestrians in helping them with their businesses. See. I think that that, to me is what I really identify with with you, because quite often, especially women, we fall into the oh, I can't help you because what if

24:24 they like you more than me? What if you're going to steal my boyfriend? And the reality is you can't watch everybody's horse, right. There are not enough equestrians. There are not enough places in this country, just in your area that can handle all the horses that need to be handled. So the fact that you're teaching people, how good for you? Really? You are my favorite part about my business. And it's funny because it like the horses are sort of the vehicle. But my favorite part is watching people feel empowered to do something that makes them uncomfortable, you know, like each just outside your comfort zone or grasping for something that you really really want to do but you've never quite had someone be like, yeah, go get it, and so it always comes out, you know, I spent most of my years teaching the teenagers more. They were just the group that I ended up teaching all the time, and so it was always watching them go from like, oh, you know, I don't really know, I don't really know if I can do that, to like, oh my gosh, I did it. And so almost any avenue in life that I can do that I love doing it. So yeah, helping others with their business, helping kids learn how to ride horses, helping adults try something that they never thought they could do and be successful, all of that is just it's so uplifting to me and hopefully everybody else.

25:45 What a great way to wrap up this conversation as we're closing out, Maggie, what do you want to leave our listeners with and how may they reach out to you? I would like to leave your listeners with the thought that if they have something that they really really want to do, whatever it is, what's one step that they can take to do it, and what's the date of that one step that they can take to do it, so that everything starts with just one little baby step. And so finding that baby step that you can accomplish and you can do is the great way to start and then to find me. Mostly I'm on Facebook and social media. My name's Maggie K. Clancy. You can find me there. We have a website also, which is strides Writing Academy dot com, so you can get in touch with me that way if you like. And thank you so much for this opportunity. It's just and for and for Katie being here too while she's homesick from school life, you know.

26:38 What, and I absolutely love it. I'm waving to her right now because she's in the background. She's so cute. And again, that to me is what I love the most about Word of Mom Radio because it is about how we bring our families into what we do and what we're modeling, especially for our daughters, you know, to see that mom can be a mom, be a business owner, be a friend, all of the different things that you are modeling. So kudos, and it was nice to have her in the background. So I thank you so much, Maggie. I really appreciate you coming and sharing your journey with us.

27:19 I really thank you. Have a great day you. Too, and for all of you tuning in, thanks so much for being here. We're going to close out with our fabulous theme song from Smith's Sisters and the Sunday Drivers. So till next time. This is Dory di Carlo saying, go out and make a marvelous you. Bye for now. She is sure, she is sure, she is strong, she is she is true, she is true, she is brave, bra she is she is you, is you, she is you. She is sure, she is sure, she is strong, she is she is true, she is true, she is brave, she is bold, she is she is you, she is she is sure of herself. Yes, she takes care of his powerful and strong. Yes, she knows who she is, has integrity, woman, strong and true. You know her by name.

28:17 See this woman is you. She is sure, she is strong, he is strong, she is true, is true, she is braise, she is bold, she is she is you, she is she is she is sure, she is strong, is strong, she is true, is true, she is brave, she is bold, she is she is you, she is she is adds value and hope has proved to be brave. See it's never too late, never time to behave reaching for dreams doesn't matter. The age believes in herself, unleash from her cage. She is sure, she is sure, she is strong. Is strong, she is true, is true, she is brave, bray, she is bold, She is you, is you. She is sure, She she is strong, she is strong, she is true, is true, She is brave, is brave, She is bold, She is You.