Meet the Founder of Stable Style + Horses and Heels: Raquel Lynn
This week's #WCW inspiration is someone that I am just constantly in awe by. Genuinely, I have never seen someone so unique and creative. I am so excited to announce that this week's interview will be with the founder of Horses & Heels as well as Stable Style! Originally, I found her through the Horses & Heels page, in which embraces her pretty paint's and her life in the city! This is what makes her so unique- I have even seen a picture of her riding by the Hollywood sign! Reading her answers to my questions really helped shape what this lady is all about and I can't wait for you guys to get to know her better! With all of that said, here we go...
First off, I have to know a little bit about your background. Where are you from, how did you grow up, what did you like? Basically, what were some of the factors of your childhood that helped mold you into the person that you are today?
I grew up in Northeast Ohio on a dairy farm in a very small town. I was one of those lucky girls that grew up with a pony and started riding at a young age. I was very shy growing up and spent a lot of time with my animals. I could spend all day outside with my pony, cats, and dogs. Growing up on a farm taught me the value of hard work, which is something that I learned early on in life.
If you could tell that younger self one thing, what would it be?
Be outgoing and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. I grew up very shy and soft-spoken. I’ve changed a lot living in the city and having the career/life that I do now. I’m not afraid to hear the words no or go after advertisers, etc. Younger me would never do that.
Tell me about your horse, because she really is half the show when it comes to your page! She’s a gorgeous paint that honestly blows me away with how good she is throughout all of the crazy places you take her! How old is she, what does she mean to you, how did you find her, etc?
Fira is a registered Paint Horse (HH Indys Nu Daisy). She’s five. I found her almost exactly two-years ago on Facebook. I put out an ISO ad for a Paint Horse - I wanted a mare, 14.1-14.3 hands, registered, green broke, cutting, or reining bloodlines, plus I was on a budget.
It took me six months to find her. Before Fira, I owned a black and white Paint mare named Rumor. My friend Ashley leased her from me when I moved to New York City from Ohio. We did a two-year lease with the option to buy at the end - that’s why I was looking for a new horse. Fira came from Texas when she was 3 and wasn’t broke to ride. I did all of her training here in the city. She’s a pretty special horse. She definitely has her moments, but she’s a sweetheart. She’s very social and smart.
An intriguing aspect of your story is that you are living in Los Angeles, California. What seems to be in the smack middle of the city. With a horse. I want to know what life is like living in the city with a horse. How easy or hard is it to find places to ride in Los Angeles, do you feel like maintenance is more expensive, is it easy or hard to find friends with mutual interests, etc.?
It’s the best of both worlds. City life with a horse has its challenges, but this is my piece of paradise. My husband works in the music industry, so Los Angeles is home. My neighborhood is 100% horse friendly. Once I take Fira out of the backyard, I have so many options for riding. There are two public fenced in arenas, a round pen, large open field for working, plus I have access to 55 miles of trails in Griffith Park. I’ve ridden her to the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory, and more! Our Baskin Robbins is horse friendly too! There are lots of private horse properties in the neighborhood along with boarding barns, and the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
It’s definitely not cheap to live here - but I keep costs down by doing all of my own care for Fira. Hay and supplies get delivered from a local feed store every other month (I can only fit 12 bales of hay in my barn). My manure gets put into specific trash bins and collected every Tuesday when garbage gets picked up. I pay for this service every month - just like trash. While I don’t have a trailer right now (future goals) - there are tons of places to haul to within an hour or so to ride and eventually show. I have made so many awesome friends thanks to Instagram in my area. I’ve had lots of trail rides meet ups with horse girls. I guess we just find each other, no matter where we live.
How was Horses & Heels founded and what are your ultimate goals with it?
I started Horses & Heels back in 2010! It’s evolved a lot over the years. I started it as a personal blog to share my shopping finds and thought of it as an online scrapbook. Blogging wasn’t popular at the time - I just thought it was fun. Because of Horses & Heels, I now freelance for several magazine publications and started a second blog called Stable Style. My goals with H&H are to keep it fun and light while making money of course. I just share things I love and connect with my readers through my newsletter and social media. I’ve actually slowed down on content creation on H&H with the goal of really ramping up Stable Style.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
I wake up every morning around 6 or 7 without an alarm. I usually feed Fira, make some tea, and start my day. I work for a few hours and then take a break to either make lunch or go out to lunch with my husband. It’s a lot of computer work, but I love working from home. I’ll take breaks with Fira during the day (when it’s not too hot). I put in at least eight hours every day. I have dedicated schedule and lists that delegate what I do on each day. I schedule everything for Horses & Heels on Wednesdays, on Thursdays I do blog posts for Stable Style, on Fridays I plan social media, on Mondays and Tuesdays, I sell advertising. Of course there is always a freelance project that needs to be done, which can sometimes throw the whole week off schedule - and last minute sponsored posts. I basically just make sure all deadlines are met each day.
Who is your role model and inspiration? Why?
The Junk Gypsy sisters inspire me. They work hard and have created an amazing brand. I was able to meet them and be a guest at their latest venture - Wander Inn. I remember reading their coffee table book while sitting in the inn all by myself one night. Their story is so motivating, they are small town girls like me. I also have a lot of other people I follow on Instagram that inspire me in different ways. My husband inspires me too - we have grown so much as individuals in our marriage and I feel really fortunate to have him. He listens to my rambling on a daily basis and almost always knows what I’m thinking.
How do you stay motivated and consistent with everything that you do?
Being consistent is a daily struggle, but I have a schedule that repeats every day (I use a program called Todist to make reoccurring tasks.) I love what I do which makes working fun. As far as motivation, when you work for yourself - no one pays you unless you go out and get things done.
What would your advice be for someone who would like to pursue their own dreams?
Work hard and then work harder. Also be consistent and write it down. I wouldn’t be able to get anything done without notebooks, and post it notes. Hard work and heart beats talent every time. I know a lot of talented people in L.A. but I know less people that are willing to put in the work.
The last question of my interviews are always a random one, so here is yours…
What item would you seriously stockpile if you found out that it wasn’t going to be made anymore?
Haha. Ummm probably a face or skincare product. I’m obsessed with Thayers Lavender toner! I mist myself throughout the day!
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Raquel is SUCH an inspiration! I honestly feel a little starstruck to even have her on this blog because listen to me when I say, this girl is making moves! I love her insight and her wisdom that she shared with us and I hope that you have found the same in reading this! Thank you so much Raquel, for taking the time to answer these questions. If I lived in LA, I have a feeling we'd be best friends. To the readers, make sure that you go follow all of Raquel's social media accounts. I will link them below:
Websites:
Stable Style: www.stablestyle.net
Horses & Heels: www.horsesandheels.com
Instagrams:
Stable Style: @stablestyle
Horses & Heels: @horsesandheels
Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you in the next one!!