What I have done at TeachingHorse doesn’t fit into a neat LinkedIn profile, and guess what, neither do I. Reflecting on my journey with TeachingHorse, and the ways I have contributed to its growth and success over the last 20 years, I am grateful and amazed that being the resident “Jack of all trades” has been immensely rewarding. I used to have a story that being a “Jack of all trades” was somehow less than, primarily because of how the saying has been whittled down and used in a negative context. The complete expression is, “A jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one.” Context is everything.
What I have done and accomplished in the past twenty years is more than most people will in a lifetime. I’m not saying that to toot my own horn or diminish anyone else’s journey. Instead, to celebrate and appreciate every opportunity, challenge, triumph, and the knee-bending humbling moments I’ve had the privilege to be a part of with TeachingHorse. From conception to inception, first steps, taking off the training wheels, hoping for the best and fearing the worst…and, most importantly, watching TeachingHorse soar…full of possibilities…making a difference in more lives than I could have ever imagined.
My odyssey with TeachingHorse changed my life. My herd has made me a better human being – I hold them in my heart wherever I go. Although I am no longer a part of the business, I know it continues on in part from all the ways my “Jack of All Trades” heart and soul” cultivated and nurtured what it is today.
Beth A. Hyjek is one of the Co-Founders of TeachingHorse. She is the former COO, Sr. facilitator, fence fixer, vet tech, pooper scooper, photographer, video content creator, timber fuel manager, barn builder, irrigation specialist, snow removal expert, marketing resource spinner, travel agent, technology wiz, podcast co-host, storyteller, labyrinth builder, finder of the best restaurants, shuttle driver, landscaper, caterer, dishwasher, moving specialist, trailer driver, groomer, farrier, GPS for all things…from web designers, cheap equine drugs, equine facilities, alfalfa suppliers, equine blanket laundry services, to wildlife rehabilitation specialist. She is proudly a “Jack of All Trades.”
P.S. The person that was the original “Jack of All Trades” is none other than William Shakespeare…just saying.
