We were lucky to catch up with Heidi Lalor recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Heidi, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Being given opportunities particularly with challenges is extremely rewarding for me. Most recently I am proud of a project in Equestrian Sport Development which produced positive results and made the impossible possible. I live on an island where we can face daily inconsistency and I’m inspired by people coming together to collaborate with energy and enthusiasm to be productive, progressive and work it out to improve the overall picture and quality for the island community.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’ve always been passionate and involved in the Equestrian Sport, even from a young age I was designing sustainable programs from grass roots to local international competitions. From vision to execution I enjoy the process, I think outside the box and I’ve found success by being creative, taking risks and breaking away from the norm.
For example the British Pony Club brand represents high standards in riding and education which is an excellent program to have in the Caribbean. I continue to promote its long term benefits as it provides a solid sport foundation. While working with the Equestrian Federation I aimed on reviving the sport, building a strong image, revamping competitions, growing partnerships outside of Jamaica and securing relevance through modern projects that put us ahead in the region.
I’m starting a new chapter and looking forward to more opportunities regionally and will continue sport development locally. The key with sport is to continue growing and have fun!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Vision – picturing clearly what you want to achieve, visualizing everything from the smallest details to the positive impact on others.
Goal setting – along with working with a like minded team and being creative to get around road blocks because giving up is not an option.
Integrity- along with not taking short cuts but always doing what’s right even if it’s not the popular decision while remaining focused on the big picture.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Growth. I still believe there’s more to come and more work to be done both locally, regionally and internationally for both my roles. I need to always be in forward planning mode and sometimes when I discuss good ideas I’m told “you don’t understand”, “it is what it is” and I disagree. A positive mindset, energy and commitment can go a long way along with a strong team there is no limit on what can be achieved. Currently I would say finding the right balance for growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: Equestrainfederationjamaica.com
- Instagram: Caymanasponyclub.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raminschultz/
Image Credits
Bogdan Simandan Clive Fletcher Dacx Productions
