Meet Stephanie Letts

We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Letts recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from building Copper Creek Stables in an industry that is tough and unforgiving, where very few businesses truly thrive. I never took no for an answer. That mindset was instilled in me by my parents from a young age and carried with me into everything I built. Breaking into a ruthless space meant facing rejection, closed doors, and constant pressure to prove myself, but each obstacle only pushed me to work harder and think more strategically. I learned early on that if I wanted something, I had to create my own opportunities and keep going even when it would have been easier to stop. That persistence is what shaped my resilience and continues to drive me forward.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Copper Creek Stables is a lifestyle as much as it is a business. It’s built around movement, ambition, and the pursuit of excellence, whether that’s training top horses, developing elite riders, or sourcing and selling exceptional prospects. Every day blends high-level performance with a sense of freedom and purpose, from early mornings at the barn to traveling, competing, and chasing the next opportunity.

What makes Copper Creek special is the energy. It’s driven, intentional, and always evolving. We focus on producing and placing quality horses while training athletes who want more than average results. There’s a rhythm to life here that pulls people in. It’s about discipline paired with adventure, grit paired with elegance, and building something you want to be part of.

Copper Creek isn’t just where we train. It’s where people come to grow, to dream bigger, and to live the equestrian life at its highest level.

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?

The first was persistence. I never took no for an answer, especially in an industry where rejection is common and very few businesses last. Progress didn’t come from waiting for permission, it came from showing up consistently, learning from every setback, and staying in the game long enough to build momentum. For anyone early in their journey, my advice is simple: stay longer than most people do. Consistency compounds.

The second was adaptability. Horses, markets, and circumstances change constantly, and success depends on how quickly you can pivot without losing your vision. I learned to adjust my approach, refine my systems, and make smart decisions under pressure. Developing this means being open to feedback, paying attention to what’s working, and not being afraid to evolve.

The third was business awareness. Understanding sales, branding, client relationships, and financial responsibility is what turns passion into something sustainable. Early on, I made it a priority to learn the business side alongside my craft. My advice is to treat your passion like a business from day one and invest time in learning how it actually operates.

Together, these three things built the foundation for everything I’ve created. Persistence keeps you moving, adaptability keeps you relevant, and business knowledge keeps you standing.

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

The most impactful thing my parents ever did for me was show me what it truly means to fight, to face unimaginable challenges with courage, love, and resilience. Earlier this year, my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer. Months of chemotherapy followed, and just a week before being declared cancer-free, my dad was diagnosed with stage 1 throat cancer and began his own fight with chemotherapy and radiation.

Hearing those words, cancer, both of my parents fighting for their lives in the same year, everything just goes silent. You almost have tunnel vision. You don’t know what to do next. All you can do is move forward, one step at a time. It’s terrifying, surreal, and overwhelming, but it forces you to witness the raw strength of the people you love. Watching them show up for each other every single day, never giving in, never losing hope, taught me what courage really looks like.

This experience has truly changed me as a person. I’m not scared of anything anymore. I can face challenges, setbacks, and uncertainty with clarity because I’ve seen what real fighting is. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of gratitude. Most of the time, gratitude is fleeting, just a feeling in a moment that passes, but now I understand what it means to carry it with you. To truly appreciate life, people, and opportunity in a way that shapes how you show up every day.

My mom always says that God never gives us battles we cannot handle, but I still don’t understand why this happened. How could life put such pain on the two people I love and need most? Watching the people I love struggle and fight for their lives is almost unbearable. Today, both of my parents are cancer-free, and their strength continues to inspire me every day. But to make it meaningful, for it to have a bigger purpose, I have to carry it with me. I have to let it shape me into being a better person. It’s taught me to look at people differently, to recognize that they might be struggling, hurting, or fighting battles I cannot see, and to approach them with empathy, patience, and understanding.

This year has shaped how I live, how I train, how I run my business, and how I build relationships. It’s made me strive to be a better person, a better athlete, and a better business owner. The resilience, strength, and love I witnessed in my parents has become the foundation for how I move through life. Their fight is my inspiration, and it drives me to approach every challenge with courage, gratitude, and the relentless determination to never give up.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: coppercreekstablesfl