Meet Maddy Zanetti

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maddy Zanetti a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Maddy, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I was born to be a worker. I have always been on the go. As a child I started my own dog care business that I continued through college. I started working at Impressions as soon as I could and I’m now one of the owners there, with Marianne Barker, who hired me over 20 years ago.

My dad has had his own business his entire career and I grew up watching him wake up at 4:00 in the morning and he would not stop until he went to bed. He worked on hisbusiness, he worked on our house, he repaired our toys, and he helped anyone who needed it.

My mom was a stay at home mom. Every day the house was cleaned, the laundry was done, meals were made, and all of us were taken care of. As a child I didn’t think it was work. I thought that it must have been fun for her to be home with us all day. But looking back I know how hard she worked as well and I know I could not do it.

I’m more like my dad. I need to be out moving. Though I am not a talented woodworker like him, he’s an artist though he would never admit it. I am his daughter through and through. I hold myself to an incredibly high standard and I love to accomplish things. Every morning when my dad left the house he would say “Do your best” and I would… I still do. Every day I do my best.

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 am an avid animal lover. Horses and dogs have always been my main loves but cats, rabbits, and all other animals hold a place in my heart. Right now we have three dogs, a cat, and three horses. My son is also a big animal lover.

I used to shop at Impressions of Saratoga as a kid and when I was old enough I started working there. We would joke that I’d run the place. I’ve always been a little bossy. But over 20 years later and here I am as one of the owners running the place. I went to school for business and knew that I was going to open my own business. Marianne and Dave knew that eventually they would sell Impressions so it was a perfect match for all of us. In 2018 we opened a second store across the street the Dark Horse Mercantile. And we’ve been running back-and-forth ever since. We’re always looking for new opportunities and ways to better serve our community.

We are incredibly fortunate that we live in Saratoga Springs, where everybody works together and our downtown community is vibrant and strong. We love to do events that give back to those who have supported us and have a few great dog events throughout the year. We just launched chocolate bars with branded after four of our five “Impressions Pups” to raise money for rescues in the area.

We love Saratoga Springs and spreading the culture of “health, history, and horses” to all of the visitors and residents alike. I’ve written two children’s books about horses One was Upset who beat Man o’War in Saratoga in 1919 and the other Jim Dandy who beat Gallant Fox in 1930. Both books are about overcoming the odds and believing in yourself even if you are not the favorite in the race.

I really believe that if you work hard and believe in yourself you can do anything.

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?

When I commit to some thing I follow through and I do it to the best of my ability. One thing that I have noticed more and more is that people do not follow through they willing to commitments and they do not feel sense of obligation and it is incredibly frustrating to feel that people don’t appreciate the time and energy you put into things and are able to just blow it off.

Listen and learn from people who are older than you and who have experience. I learned so much being at Impressions as a kid from the teens that were here years before me, the managers, the owners other businesses. I have gotten more hands-on experience and more life lessons from being in the downtown community than I ever would, a classroom.

Always do your best. If you are doing your best, you will have no regrets,
if you will believe in yourself and you can rise to challenge. Your best may be different every single day but if you are doing your best, that is all that anyone can ask of you.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

When I was about three years old, I asked for a horse and my dad told me when I turned 14 he would get me one. He of course, thought I would grow out of it and forget. But I do not forget. I have quite the memory, and I never grew out of loving horses. When I was turning 14, my parents told me over and over again I was not getting horse they could not afford a horse and I would be getting a bike for my birthday. The morning was my 14th birthday. They surprise me with a stall at the barn. I was riding at that said home of Maddy‘s new horse and I was able to pick out my own horse Under one condition. To pay for everything he needed other than the horse itself. So at 14, I needed to get a job to pay for board, food, vet, Ferrier, and anything else that comes along with a horse… it adds up.

That is one of the reasons that I started working at Impressions and not just doing my dog business and though I already had a work ethic having a horse to have to take care of and budget for was incredibly impactful for me. I still have my horse, Flye, we’ve been together over 20 years. He is now 25 and I have taken him with me to college and back and he has taught me so many lessons over the years.

My parents gave me my horse, but they also gave me an incredible sense of responsibility and were very supportive of everything that I wanted to do. They are both not and people, but they never discouraged me from growing my love for animals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Impressionssaratoga.com
• Instagram: Impressionssaratoga AND darkhorsesaratoga
• Facebook: Impressions of Saratoga AND The Dark Horse Mercantile
• Yelp: Impressions of Saratoga AND The Dark Horse Mercantile