How I Get It Done: Entrepreneur Style
It happens to everyone – days don’t always go as planned. Deadlines come up. A kid gets sick. Projects require extra time to get done. That means a lesson gets cancelled.
Juggling a horse habit on top of work, family and everything else, can be exhausting some days.
We get it. Heels Down is celebrating the adult amateurs who understand the struggle. Life gets in the way of riding sometimes, no matter how much we wish it didn’t. Read on for stories from real riders on how they get it done.
Chanel Rhodes, 34, Anaheim, Calif.
What do you do?
I’m a full-time entrepreneur and working student at my farm. I founded Mane Tresses in 2019, where I make hairpieces for horses. I recently just quit my full-time job to pursue launching my business. It’s scary!
How many hours would you say you work in a week?
I’m so bad at getting sleep. I stayed up for 36 hours the other day. I don’t really have an average – I pull an all-nighter every other week where I’m up all night on the sewing machine. If I had to guess, I’d say 60 hours per week.
Tell us more about your horses.
Both my horses are characters, with fun and different personalities. Lady is my Paint Horse I’ve had for eight years. She’s very sentimental to me because I bought her from a friend who recently passed away. She likes to take care of me. My Thoroughbred gelding is Gabriel, I’ve had him for five years. He has some quirks, but is a real talented horse. I ride them both English and Western.
How often do you ride a week?
It’s been really hard lately. For the past couple of months the routine is to work at the farm on Tuesdays and maybe come out again on Saturday. I depend on my trainer letting the kids at the farm ride my horses to keep them in work. I haven’t been able to make time for myself to ride because I’m really trying to get my business off the ground right now. I rode today for the first time in a month!
How do you force yourself to be OK with not getting everything done in a day?
I may carry it into the next day. With what I do professionally, everything is constantly evolving. This is something I invented from scratch. If I’m tired, I make mistakes. I get frustrated with myself and I might shed a few tears about it. Luckily my business is based at my mom’s house, so I have her to lean on. She’s been there for me and given me good advice – she reminds me that it’s OK to make mistakes. I also have a great support network with other Black women entrepreneurs. We’re a huge support system for each other and I think that sense of sisterhood is really important. We talk every single day and they’ve helped me get through a whole lot.
Any tips on how to better manage your time?
One thing a good friend shared with me is – pick three things to do that day and stick to it. Accomplish those three things and use the rest of the day for you. I’m the type of person who can’t stand a concrete schedule. I can’t do this rigid routine – I’ll never be able to live up to that. It’s just not me. If I know I have to do some extra work on a particular day, I do it and try to keep as much pressure off myself as I can. Just three things a day. That’s the best thing I’ve been doing. I write it down in a list and prioritize what needs to get done first. Everything else can be done another day.
Piece of work-related advice that’s always stuck with you?
Do what you love and the money will follow. Even on the tough days when I worry I made the wrong decision following this passion project, I am surprised. I’ll get another order in. It’s getting better. Work hard to build your business.
This series originally published in the Heels Down Spark newsletter in June 2021. Sign up now for the Spark to read more stories like this first, delivered to your inbox.