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In This Issue
Thoughts from the Prez
2014 Calendar
E3A Member Spotlight
Business Development Tip
Help E3A Increase Our "Likes"
Suggested Resources on Leadership
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June, 2014


HAPPY SUMMER!  Hopefully you are out playing with horses, either in the pasture or doing EAL programs for whoever your target market is.  

Just remember: Whether you call it Equine Experiential Education, Equine Assisted Learning, Equine Facilitated Learning or Equine Guided Learning, the FIRST WORD in the name is EQUINE.  

No matter how hard we humans work in this field, we couldn't do it without our equine partners.  Thank them today.  Give them a pat, a special brushing or even a carrot.  

Lexington class of newly Level 1 E3A Certified-eligible students and their trainers.  From left to right: Michael Remole, Jim Shearer, Susan Rentfrow, equine facilitator "OK", host Gillian Vallis, PJ Stegen (peeking over Gillian's shoulder), Kim Hardesty and Linda Pucci
Thoughts from the Prez

About our year so far--

 

It is amazing that the year is already half over!  We have accomplished some things we wanted to, and still have much to do in the second half of the year. 

  

Accomplishments so far--

  • We added 28 new members since January 1, 2014
  • We held a C2 Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation class and C3 Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation class in Lexington, KY, and have two other C2 and C3 back-to-back certification workshops scheduled for 2014, one in Reno, NV in July, and another in Kingsley, PA in October  
  • We demonstrated the Five Question Facilitation Method at the Healing With Horse Symposium in Littleton, CO and were very well received
  • We presented a two-day post-symposium workshop with horses on Using StrengthsFinders with EAL Programs which got great reviews
  • We held several teleclasses
    • C1: Introduction to the Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method (held three times)
    • E1: StrengthsFinder Assessment Tool (another is coming August 3rd)
    • E3: Assessing Team Culture
  • We had three Community Networking Meetings which were very well attended both by our members (for free) and non-members (at a nominal cost)
  • We began recording all of our teleclasses and network meetings, due in part to an increased interest from individuals in other countries (and time zones)
  • We are in the process of writing curriculum for two new enrichment classes:  E5: Introduction to EAL Personal Development & Wellbeing (teleclass) and E6: Developing Personal Development & Wellbeing Workshops due to be rolled out in August and October, respectively
  • We finally posted our horse activities on the E3A website as part of the Member's Only section
  • In response to requests for training in Australia, we began to evaluate the feasibility of providing our Certification workshops there in late 2014/early 2015 
  • We welcomed a new Marketing Director, Michael Remole, to help guide our marketing efforts and to help us increase our visibility on social media
  • The book and workbook set Everything You Need to Know to GET STARTED in an Equine-Based (or any other service type) Business by PJ Stegen was released.  This is a learning system developed by business people for non-business people, to enable them to create, run and promote their own business successfully.  To order the downloadable version:   http://www.e3assoc.org/event-907132?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=12/16/2014

 

I've been personally quite pleased at the way our members have stepped up to volunteer their help.  There is a lot to do to help our industry (of Equine Assisted Learning) and our organization (E3A) grow, so if you'd like play a part (even a small one), please call me--775-376-2530.  You can make a difference!  

 

 

Warmly,

 

 
2014 Calendar

 

 JULY 2014 

 

Class
Date & Time
Location
Cost
BD3: Ranch, Financial & Volunteer Operations for Equine-Based Businesses
1st mtg: 
Thu Jul 10
7  pm ET
3 classes
2 hr each
Teleclass
$240
C2: Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
Sat-Mon 
Jul 26-28

Reno, NV 
 $625 
$550 early discount until 7/5/14
C3: Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
Tue-Thur 
Jul 29-31
Reno, NV
$875 
$800 early discount until 7/5/14

 

 

AUGUST 2014

 
Class
Date & Time
Location
 Cost
E1: StrengthsFinder Assessment Tool
Sun 
Aug 3 
4 pm ET
Teleclass
$75




 C1: Intro to the Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
Thu 
Aug 7 
7 pm ET
Teleclass 
$75
 
NM4: Marketing Your EAL Business
Thu 
Aug 14 
5:30 ET 
Teleclass 
Free to members 
$10 for non-members 
 E5: Introduction to EAL Personal Development & WellbeingSun
Aug 17
4 pm ET 
Teleclass 
$100 

 

  

 

 SEPTEMBER

 2014

 

ClassDate & TimeLocationCost
NM4.5: Website Essentials for Your Equine Business
Wed 
Sep 10 
7 pm ET
Teleclass
Free to members 
$10 for non-members
C1: Intro to the Equine Experiential Facilitation Method
Thu 
Sep 18 
7 pm ET
Teleclass
$75
     

OCTOBER 2014
 

Class
Date & TimeLocationCost
BD4: Business Planning & Implementation for Equine-Based Businesses
First Class 
Thu 
Oct 2 
7 pm ET
3 classes
2 hours each
teleclass
$240
C2: Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
Fri-Sun
Oct 10-12
Kingsley, PA
$625 
$550 early discount; see website for deadline 
 C3: Advanced Equine Experiential Facilitation
Mon-Wed
 Oct 13-15 
Kingsley, PA 
$875 
$800 early discount; see website for deadline 
 NM5: Insurance & Liability Issues for Equine-Based Businesses in US & Canada
Thu 
Oct 16
5:30 ET
teleclass 
Free to members 
$10 for non-members 
 E6: Developing Personal Development & Wellbeing Workshops
Fri-Sun 
Oct 17-19
Lexington, KY 
To Be Determined 
Check the website 
 
 
NOVEMBER 2014
 
Class
Date & Time
Location
Cost
C1: Intro to the Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
Thu 
Nov 6 
7 pm ET 
 
teleclass
$75
 
 
 
DECEMBER 2014
 
Class
Date & Time
Location
Cost
C1: Intro to the Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
Sat 
Dec 6 
7 pm ET
teleclass
$75
NM6: E3A Preview of 2015
Thu 
Dec 11 
5:30 pm ET
teleclass
Free to both members and non-members
 
NOTE:  Occasionally the date, time or location of classes may need to be changed.  Please ALWAYS consult the website under "Upcoming Schedule" for the most recent class listing or call 775-376-2530.  
 
  
E3A Member Spotlight

Ginny Telego, President and Founder

Wager's Way LLC, Ashland, Ohio

 

Ginny and Gia

Ginny Telego has over 20 years of horse experience combined with a Bachelor's degree in Organizational Management and an Associates Degree in Equine Studies.  She is a Certified Advanced Facilitator with the Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A) as well as a certified Equine Specialist with EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association).  As a certified riding instructor with the American Riding Instructors Association, she has coached many students both in the competitive arena and in general horsemanship skills. In addition to her years of horse experience, Ginny also has worked in a number of supervisory and management positions with responsibility for directing diverse groups of employees. 

 

In 1995, Ginny began to realize the guiding nature of horses and how they can assist people in both professional and personal development.  This realization began her journey into learning more about horse behavior and how to work with horses in a way that is respectful of their nature.  As she became an active student of the horse, she was drawn to learning more about how interacting with horses can help individuals and organizations realize their potential.  This led to the development of Wager's Way, an equine experiential education program that specializes in guiding individuals and groups in journeys of self-discovery that lead to improved leadership and more productive teams. 

 

Ginny is vice president of the Board of Directors for the Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A). In her community, Ginny is a member of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County and Chair of the Alumni Committee for the Leadership Ashland Steering Committee.

 

For more information on Wager's Way, visit www.wagersway.com.   

  

 

 
Business Development Tip

 The Social Media Bronco

 

Have you found yourself feeling like you are riding backwards on a bronco in regards to social media? Do you feel like someone needs to take the reins to help you on this bumpy technology trot?  Take a minute, get your feet securely in the stirrups and let's begin to ride this bronco called social media!! 

 

Social media is the prime marketing tool in our culture today and it is imperative that in the equine industry, we must learn how to ride this crazy beast!  Many of you may be utilizing your Facebook, websites and other various social media accounts to their fullest potential.  However, I'd imagine that many of you are reading this article thinking that the only "posts" you have time to worry about are in your fence!  Let me take a few minutes of your time to help see how social media can benefit you and your business.

 

In our society people are reading Facebook instead of newspapers, checking in wherever they are going, posting pictures of what they eat and how their mood changes every three minutes!  You may laugh, but the scary thing is, people read all of the mood changes, drool over the food pictures and wish they could be where the person has just checked in. So how does this have to deal with our businesses? Let's take a look at the Facebook strategies and their marketing ploys. 

 

When you like a particular page, Facebook registers that as your interest. It begins to post suggestions for you based on the pages you like.  If you are on the John Wayne Fan Club page, Facebook will send you people that like John Wayne as well and will make suggestions for other pages that are similar to John Wayne.  Facebook has also devised a way to display posts, pictures and comments on your newsfeed based on the  hings you show interest in.  This may be basic information for all of you, but it is important for us to keep this in mind while we are trying to increase our business through social media.  

 

A Facebook page that has 300 likes does not display very often in people's newsfeed.  It would require an individual, who is one of the 300 likes, to go to the page daily and view anything that is posted.   This means all events that are being promoted, classes offered, cute pictures and sayings posted on your page are not being seen by many people.  As that Facebook page gets more and more likes, it begins to show up on the newsfeed more often as people have shown interest in the information.  People will now be prompted to check out your events, they will see your posts more often and will be more likely to visit your Facebook page (which should direct them to your website to see all of the good stuff your business has to offer!)  If we are continuing with the bronco analogy, this is the rope and saddle for your ride.  You cannot have a good ride, unless you have a good hold on your rope and a good saddle to keep you secure.  You may now be asking, how do I get more likes??

 

Getting more likes can be tricky, however, Facebook has created ways to pay for more likes by targeting specific audiences.  On your business page there is an option to promote your page and you can select the reason for promoting your page--ours would be likes at this time.  Another option to increasing your likes is by simply requesting your Facebook friends to like the page.  In the top right corner of your page, there is a box in which you can invite your friends.  It takes a little time, but it is a cheap way to build your audience. 

 

This audience is now before you and it's time to use those spurs on this ride!  Getting your audience of "likes" to come to your events and promote your business is going to depend on how you utilize those likes.  Let me give you a quick story of how we utilize social media for the non-profit I am leading.

 

In August of 2013, our page had around 180 likes and we were not using Facebook very often, but we began to expand our likes by using the "promote your page" option.  This was done for our Open House in which we had over 800 people attend (mind you, I live in a town of 650 people!) Side note, keep your graphics very simple and your words engaging when promoting your page and events!  Our page quickly grew over a few weeks and months.  We began using funny pictures of our horses for advertisements and our "likes" began to share our funny pictures because they loved the pictures and we loved it because our business was continuing to be put out in front of everyone.  We used this audience to recruit for our volunteers by getting them interested in our pictures.  They were curious what these pictures were all about and began to explore more.  As I saw particular people liking and sharing our information, I began to reach out to them through private messages and inviting them to visit our program or special events.  We quickly grew from a volunteer base of 4 last year to over 35 this year and we are still growing!!  Our page now has over 1200 likes and we are getting students and families connected to our program because they saw funny pictures or events advertised on our page! 

 

You are now in the stocks, you've got a firm grip on the rope and the gate is about to open.  Here are a few things to keep in mind as you head out on your 8 second ride through cyberspace. 

  1. Increase your likes to increase your audience.
  2. Post engaging pictures and comments for your audience.
  3. Reach out to your audience through personal messages.
  4. Do not be afraid to post your program's success stories.
  5. Create events for people to join.
  6. Encourage people to check-in at your program.
  7. Market your merchandise on Facebook.
  8. Direct people to your website. 
Submitted by: Michael Remole, Hooves of Hope, Potomac, IL
 
If you have some business tips to share, contact us at [email protected]
Help E3A Increase Our "Likes"

--And Share Likes with Our Members

 



T
The next time you are on Facebook, go to https://www.facebook.com/E3Assoc and 

"Like" us.  Notice who is on the page and check them out.  If their pages appeal to you, "Like" them too.  Help all the EAL businesses and horse-lovers

by connecting. 

Gain visibility and promote your business!

Suggested Resources on Leadership

Guess what? You are a Leader 

 

Each one of us is a leader, whether you are leading a large equine program with multiple staff members or you are just beginning your program--we are all leaders.  Our clients are looking to us for leadership guidance-spoken and unspoken.  Thus, it is our responsibility to constantly be stretching our minds in the leadership arena.  There are a variety of leadership resources available, but I want to share two resources in particular that have challenged me both personally and professionally. 

 

One book in particular that has stood out to me over the last six months has been John Maxwell's The 21 Indisputable Qualities of a Leader.  (To order from Amazon, click here).  Although the book is filled with many pieces of basic information, it is written as a challenge for the readers to ponder a particular leadership quality.  Maxwell states that the goal of this book is to encourage the readers to read the material, put it into practice, re-read the material and practice it some more.  As you begin to demonstrate that quality consistently, then you can move on to the next chapter.   It is helpful in monitoring your progress and helping you focus on developing particular qualities.  Some chapters will take days to accomplish, some months.   

 

As leaders, I believe another difficult thing to develop is balance.   I am sure many of you are reading this newsletter with multiple things on your plate--family, an equine program, possibly multiple jobs, family, friends, pets, etc.  How do we balance all of these things?  Thus, the second book that has captured my mind for many years is the book, Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley. (Click here to order Choosing to Cheat)  Each of us is only given twenty-four hours in a day and how are we to get it all done?  This book walks the reader through how to prioritize and focus on the things that are essential to accomplish.  It will help you take the reins back of the unimportant things that are running off with you!   

 

Tom Clancy stated,  "Life is about learning; when you stop learning, you die."  In order to properly serve our clients, we must first serve ourselves.  This requires us to spend some extra time reading books, studying resources and trying to prioritize our lives.  It may not be a natural thing for you to sit and read, but I have found that if I am going to be effective, I have to be reflective of the great material that I have been studying.  

 
Submitted by Michael Remole, Hooves of Hope, www.Hooves-of-Hope.com 

 

If you are not a member of E3A, we'd like to invite you to join us.  There are many benefits to being an E3A member, including free Community Network Meetings, great people to network and exchange ideas with, and some opportunities that are only open to our members.  Check them out at www.E3Assoc.org under Member Benefits.    

Want to be more involved?  We have plenty of volunteer opportunities. Call us to let us know how you want to help. Remember, every horse in the herd plays a role in the herd's success...What part will you play in OUR herd? 

Sincerely,
 
Your Friends at E3A