I don't have a clue

Can I tell you a little secret?

You won't tell a soul...right?

I don't have a clue what I'm doing right now.

I am...flailing! 

Starting a new venture at 55 is tough. Helping people with their dogs? Easy! I love it. Training my own dogs? One of my favourite things. 

But this whole "online business" thing? Whew.

I catch myself thinking, "I miss the old days of in person training." I owned a dog training facility and worked with 100 dogs and their owners every week for over a decade? 

What I really miss is how comfortable it felt. I could do it in my sleep.

How did working with people and their dogs face to face get to be like a much loved sweater? 

Practice.

When I started my first training business I was so shy I couldn't speak to my own Gramma on the phone. It didn't occur to me that I would be speaking to strangers every day. 

But I had a mortgage. And keeping a roof over my head? Excellent motivator! 😆

 You might feel the same way about herding right now. 

Learning new skills is messy. Uncomfortable. 

You are juggling a lot: Your dog, yourself, sheep - three species at once! Who else does that?

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and anxious. I sure did when I started herding. Heck, I still have days where those feelings creep in.

We were joking during a EweNiversity meet-up the other night that if you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious — with a dash of frustration — you’re in the sweet spot. 😂

Experienced handlers feel this way regularly. We call our friends and they talk us off the ledge. We've all made those calls. We've all taken those calls. 

The more I practice, the fewer “ledge calls” I need to make. The more skills I add to my kit, the smoother things go.

You'll get there too.

And the best part of that uncomfortable feeling? When you come out the other side, the feeling of accomplishment is incredible.

I’m going to keep muddling through — figuring out how to run an old-school training business in a new-age world. And eventually? It’ll feel real comfy.

You keep working your dog. You’ll get there too.

I’m going to keep muddling through — figuring out how to run an old-school training business in a new-age world. And eventually? It’ll feel real comfy.

You keep working your dog. You’ll get there too.

We’re all out here flailing, friend. Some of us just get better at flailing with flair. 

Keep at it. Shout if you need a ledge call.

– Lisa

iHerd

P.S. If you’re feeling a little lost too, I built Herding Starts Here just for you. It’s the foundation I wish I’d had when I was starting out — no guesswork, just guidance. Because let’s be honest… the only thing worse than flailing is flailing alone.