We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Meg Vanderbilt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Meg below.
Meg, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I believe that God has implanted in us gifts, talents and dreams that we can access to accomplish His purpose here on earth. As a teacher, my heart saw the children that were “invisible”, struggling or abused. I new I had to do something to help.
I also taught horseback riding lessons and knew the benefits of being around horses. In myself and students, it helped to lower anxiety, taught leadership skills and taught us out to win …and fail sometimes.
I wanted to bring those kids in my classroom to the Ranch to experience these same things. I wanted them to encounter a horse that would help them see themselves how God sees them. I knew this could be life changing–BUT I had no money for this, I did not own any land and I did not own any horses. This seemed like an impossible dream.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In 2007, I launched Bit of Hope Ranch, a non profit that reaches, rescues and restores humans uses the power of horses. All of our horses have a story of neglect, abuse or trauma as well. The clients connect to their stories and it helps them along their own healing journey. Our horses are on the 2nd, 3rd or final career. They have been through many transitions and disappointments in life–much like our guests that visit the Ranch.
We specializing in treating trauma, anxiety, depression, etc through equine assisted therapy. We also offer therapeutic riding services for those with a physical challenge, ADHD, Autism, etc. Our Ranch embraces educational opportunities as well by offering horsemanship riding lessons, STEM farm programs and leadership coaching using horses.
In 2020, we launched our Herdmanship University, an online learning module for professionals that want to learn how to use this model in their own practice. This way we can impact limitless groups around the globe that want to understand how horses can heal!
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?
1. Know who/what determines your worth. I knew my identity was in who God said I was…not what others thought of me. Some people let their job, social media status, paycheck, etc to determine their ID. This is tricky because all of these other things fluctuate. I had to get really grounded in who I was because there were seasons of trial and disappointment that would have stopped my dream.
2. Know where your power comes from. I had to work realllly hard in the beginning. We were given 50 acres as a free lease for our business in 2007. The challenge is that it was not usable and it took 2 years and $250K for repairs. For the first 3 years of the business, I did not be paid anything. It was really hard work! I had to rely on God’s provision to give me strength for each day. He would provide new volunteers, new gifts in kind or other donations to help us. BUT, I had to show up and be ready to work. If I had relied on my self, I would have burned out in the first year.
3. Make a plan and do the next thing. People are usually good at one of these, but it takes BOTH. As a visionary, you have to make a plan with all of the moving parts of the business. For me, I had to oversee the farm/horses, train new staff, market/storytelling, fundraising, etc. It was a lot to keep up with! Once I had made a plan, now I had to do the next thing. As time went by, I was able to find the right people to help me do those “next things”. That kept the business going and allowed my to focus on my strengths while allowing others to flourish in their own areas. It’s a daily balance.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Chip Ingram wrote Holy Ambition. This book details the story of Nehemiah in the old testament and how he used leadership skills to accomplish the task of rebuilding his native city.
I read the book, reread and underlined the principles to be able to apply these along my own journey.
God has given each of us a “holy ambition”. Something that burns in our hearts…something that we are supposed to rise up and do. The great news is that He has also provided us with people and resources for our journey . Wisdom requires that we do our research, plan and prepare. Faith requires that we move even when we don’t see the outcome.
This journey of fulfilling our “holy ambition” will require a plan and faith.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bitofhoperanch.org
- Instagram: bitofhoperanch_nc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitofhoperanchnc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bit-of-hope-ranch
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4pJO-e-Ab1fOIUgQapTJwQ
