Stock Show Stories turned 1 this month.
Given the 1-year-old birthday parties that kids have these days, I should get cake! Or even better, pumpkin cookies that my friend Jessica makes. I only wish I could share one with each and every one of you! That’d be a lot of cookies!
As an aside, Jessica insists that I should only want pumpkin cookies in the fall because pumpkin is a fall thing. Please weigh in on this. I fully believe that something good is good all year. Like pumpkin cookies in July…Comment with your opinion on the seasonality of pumpkin…
If you want showing tips this week, this probably isn’t your article. Instead, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned over the past year of trying to share the stories and lessons I’ve learned through showing cattle.
Doing Good
I have to laugh because people often ask me why I write Stock Show Stories. That’s not the funny part. I think they always try to phrase it in a way that doesn’t offend me, that doesn’t insinuate that I’m crazy.
The question makes sense though. Truth is, it’s a lot of work to write these.
Really, there is much more to it than I realized.
There is writing, editing, getting it into the website, formatting the cover photo and more. Huh…I kinda thought I could just write it in a doc and people would just find it. SEO? What SEO!?! Hey Mr. Google, you make this tough!
Originally, I thought if I could answer common questions, I could eliminate my need to repeat myself and help shorten the learning curve for people…then I’d really be doing some good.
The first story is maybe my favorite! Come back to it here!
After a year, I feel like we are accomplishing that goal. I can’t tell you how much it means when people stop me at a show to tell me they enjoy the stories or message me with new ideas. Sometimes a story hits a cord or is just what someone needed to hear that week. That means the world to me.
It hasn’t kept me from needing to repeat myself though.
The Reach
When I first started writing Stock Show Stories, it never occurred to me that we would have regular readers from Australia and Canada…but we do. Also, I never thought we’d have so many people reading from across the nation.
However, every week you guys click on the articles from Washington to Florida and Texas to Canada. We all love to show livestock and it’s just so cool to me that we have common frustrations, needs, and strive for opportunities for improvement.
Facebook has been by far the most effective way to reach more people. When the group Everything Show Cattle was shut down, we lost access to so many folks who would regularly read Stock Show Stories. Thankfully, I’d listened to people who said to build an email list. As I write this, we have well over 2000 people who have joined the list. This way, you decide if you want to read it instead of FB deciding if you even get to see it.
Staying Consistent
I follow all kinds of podcasts that say you need to stay consistent if you want to build a community of people who look forward to reading what you put out there. Last Sunday, I knew I wasn’t going to get an article posted because I was going to be in the show barn from dark to after dark. We had calves to break, wash and clip. With a few exceptions, like being in the hospital, I’ve tried to get an article out every week.
Frank thinks I’m nuts. Well, he thinks that for a lot of reasons…but in this instance specifically because since I feel that I’ve committed to putting the info out weekly, I stress when I know that it isn’t going to happen. I feel like I’ve let you down. Truth is, you probably didn’t notice the weeks that I missed.
Building a Website – Stock Show Stories
Oh sure, I can probably do that. Can I just say, if you have the ability to pay someone to build it…do that? As you know, I’m a life-long learner. I remember taking my last final at UC Davis and thinking, “Oh my gosh, I’m never going to learn anything again.”
That was the first dumb thing of the day. The second one was that I got a ticket from my “improvised” parking permit…they caught it on the last day. Hmmm…I thought I was so clever!
Anyhow, the website is still not where I want it to be. As I find time between work, raising a family and cattle I work to learn more about it. I’m not a technical kind of person. It’s a task I’d gladly handoff, but since Stock Show Stories doesn’t generate any money, it doesn’t have a budget for a website/ SEO team. Luckily, none of you have complained. Thank you for offering grace on this part.
We do have a volunteer editor. You remember I mentioned Jessica before right? She makes sure that when I write, it doesn’t sound exactly how I talk…or you’d probably never get the point of the story… I’d never get there!
The Future
One time Big Jim asked me what I was going to do when I ran out of things to talk about. I told him I’d go to another show! I’m kind of opinionated and apparently have a lot to say (I might get that from my Dad).
However, it turns out that some weeks it’s harder to come up with topics than others. When I ask for ideas for topics, I really do want to know what you’d like to hear about. It makes this job easier.
I’m working to batch articles and write several at once so that I don’t have to feel guilty about missing a week. They will be all cued up and ready to go several weeks in advance so we won’t miss any weeks.
You all have given very positive responses to educational videos, so I am trying to find a way to do that as well…No promises yet.
Thank You
I can’t thank all of you enough for all of the support and encouragement you’ve given over the past year of Stock Show Stories. The best way to raise kids and bond your family is through showing livestock.
I know that as Will has entered his first year of high school, our ability to discuss his cattle has given us a bridge to discuss all of the other things that are thrown at him at his age. We are all involved in each other’s lives because we spend to much time together in the barn at night.
Of course, there are so many things to shuffle like work, school, and sports. I hear parents complain that they can’t connect with their kids. They go to their rooms and shut the door at night. I chuckle when people tell me they don’t have time to do the extra things. No judgment.
I just know I have a finite number of years to make the best with my kids. I’ll spend them with showing livestock at the core of it all.
It is my hope that these stories serve you in a way that educates and encourages you to continue showing. Build the life you want with your family. We try to answer those questions you may think are “dumb questions” in a way that doesn’t make you feel that way.
Always Making Stock Show Stories
My brother now lives in Texas. When we get together, we sit around the table and laugh at the things we made him do at shows. Like the time at Hereford Reno that was so cold, we made him warm a beanie from the heater and then put it over our Hereford bull’s testicles so that he wouldn’t suck them up inside his body.
It was FREEZING that year! We had champion bull, so it was worth it. We want you guys to have your own fun memories. Tell them to other people and enjoy the lives you’ve created. You should laugh at what went wrong and the lessons you’ve learned. Here’s to many more stories…
Please don’t forget to subscribe…at the top of this screen!
Don’t miss the very first post…where it all started…
One Day You’ll forget your cattle
You can always check out the About Us page to learn more as well!
