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Please Fill Out the E3A Conference Survey!
 
E3A is planning a conference for 2017! An E3A conference will provide an opportunity for members and prospective members to network and discuss issues associated with running an EAL business using the E3A model of facilitation. To help plan the conference program, we would like to receive your input on the issues and topics that are important to you. Please take time to fill out the E3A conference survey by clicking here.



Ginny and Gia
I'm excited to have spring arriving as it means it's time to start revving up the equine team at Wager's Way to get back to work in changing lives! As the horses are shedding their dirt and winter hair, I'm reminded that although the shedding process is messy, the end result is short hair coats that are easier to manage and look much better to my clients.

E3A is going through a bit of a "shedding" process as we manage the growth of the organization. Many people have dedicated time, energy and money to start and keep E3A going because they believed so passionately in the vision to create an organization that could be a "home" to those people wanting to do EAL work that was not therapy focused. Being an organization that supports their members' EAL work is of critical importance to the leadership of E3A and everything we do is predicated on that goal. With growth comes challenges and the volunteer board and committee members are dedicated to working hard on the "grooming process" to create an organization that is easier to manage and maintains a professional image to the EAL world. A common comment that we hear from our members at the end of certifications is that they feel like they "found a home" with E3A. That is why the board and committee members volunteer their time to this organization.

One of our primary strategic plan goals is to increase our marketing efforts and focus our message on inspiring and igniting our members to build successful EAL businesses. As part of this, we would love to hear from YOU on how your E3A training has helped your EAL business and why E3A is an organization you are part of. I'll share a bit of my E3A story.

I came to E3A in 2009, not long after it was started - in fact, I am a Charter member of the organization. I was drawn to it because it was focused on corporate EAL and that was my focus when I started Wager's Way. I had attended other equine assisted trainings and felt I had a good base of knowledge as well as understanding how to monitor my own "stuff" during sessions. I could identify what I saw the horses doing in response to the clients and saw the metaphors. But I didn't feel confident to facilitate what I saw with the horses and clients to move them to transform their behavior. I attended the 6-day training (now C2/C3) in June of 2010. THAT training transformed me. THAT training gave me the confidence to go home and DO the work. And I did. 2 months after that training I did my first leadership development workshop with real clients and it was a HUGE success. And I knew exactly why it was successful. Besides my amazing equine co-facilitators, I had been confident in the process I learned from my E3A training. The E3A training had filled in the gaps for me as a facilitator. 1 ½ years ago, Wager's Way became my sole business (no more part-time "real" jobs!). My EAL work has led to other non-equine consulting work on leadership development so I am able to keep my income going through the winter months when I can't do EAL work. And I've gained friends and colleagues through E3A who support my passion. That's my WHY for E3A.

What's yours? E-mail me at ginny@wagersway.com or call me at 419-651-6854. I'd love to hear your E3A story. And if you are looking for training to build your confidence or help with business development, be sure to check out our event schedule!

I hope your spring is starting off with great things for your EAL dream!

Ginny Telego, E3A Board President 
   2016 Calendar-at-a-Glance
The courses offered during each month are shown below. Click on each month to go to the E3A calendar for the details about locations, dates, times, and pricing.

C2/C3 Bundle Pricing: Register for C2 and C3 classes together and get a $250 discount!

April 2016
C1 (Teleclass): Introduction to Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
E1 (Teleclass): StrengthsFinders Assessment Tool-Based on the Book Strengths Based Leadership
E6 (Anna, TX): Creating Personal Development & Wellbeing EAL Workshops
NM4 (Teleclass): Community Network Meeting: The Secret to Managing Difficult Participants

May 2016
C1 (Teleclass): Introduction to Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
C2 (Vancouver, BC): Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
E2: (Mattawan, Michigan): StrengthsFinders Arena Class: Using StrengthFinders with E3 Leadership and Team Building Programs to Enhance Client Results
NM5a (Teleclass): Community Network Meeting: Meeting Mindful Support for the EAAT Horse
NM5b (Teleclass): Community Network Meeting: The Key to Success is Between Your Ears

June 2016
C2 (Kingsley, PA): Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
C3 (Kingsley, PA): Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
E5 (Teleclass): Introduction to E3A Personal Development & Wellbeing (PDW) Teleclass

August 2016
C1 (Teleclass): Introduction to Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
C2 (Kenwood, CA): Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
C3 (Kenwood, CA): Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
E6 (Kinsgley, PA): Creating Personal Development & Wellbeing EAL Workshops

September 2016
C1 (Teleclass): Introduction to Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
C2 (Santa Fe, NM): Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
C3 (Santa Fe, NM): Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
NM9 (Teleclass): Community Network Meeting: How to Build Your EAL Business From Start-up to Success: The Top 5 Things You MUST Do

October 2016
C1 (Teleclass): Introduction to Equine Experiential Education Facilitation Method
C2 (Kingsley, PA): Foundations of Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
C3 (Kingsley, PA): Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation
C3 (Vancouver Island, BC): Advanced Equine Experiential Education Facilitation

  E3A Member Spotlight
Sally Van Duyn, M.Ed. - Vice President/Executive Director
Melinda Brown, Secretary/Treasurer 
Mini Horse Helpers, La Grange, Texas 

Mini Horse Helpers (MHH) is a 501c3 all volunteer EAL organization serving three
Learning that sometimes a best friend is furry!
Learning that sometimes a best friend is furry!
counties in Central Texas. Sally and Melinda, recent E3A Level 1 graduates, and Debra Irwin, M.D., co-founded MHH in 2013 to help fill the need for more human services in their rural community. Their mission is to facilitate relationships between miniature horses and at-risk children through Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Their clients come to them primarily by agency referral (CASA, Turtle Wing Foundation (Autism), MHMR, Hospice, CPS, schools) or sometimes through word of mouth or social media.

Little horses and children are a natural therapeutic combination but learning how to most effectively leverage that powerful intuitive relationship led Sally and Melinda to seek guidance from others who had both expertise and experience in EAL. They began with Dr. Allan Hamilton, a renowned Harvard trained neurosurgeon and author of The Zen of Horses, along with his wife, Dr. Jane Hamilton, a licensed psychotherapist and certified EAP practitioner. Among the many things they received from the Hamilton's were the science and research behind "why horses" and the encouragement to hone their own horse and human relationships building trust with their horse partners. With that solid
Gaining self-confidence, in the face of personal hardship, while becoming a good leader with her mini horse, Sandy.
Gaining self-confidence in the face of personal hardship, while becoming a good leader with her mini horse, Sandy.
foundation in place Sally and Melinda sought other guidance that would help them further develop their service model and provide hands-on experience with EAL exercises and activities. They selected E3A to provide that next step in their learning. While the E3A model was not an "exact fit" for their work and client population, the training and certification process gave them tools and challenged them to think in new ways about their services and delivery model. Their experience with E3A also gave them a rich opportunity to meet other EAL practitioners who understood the power of working with equine partners and who generously shared of themselves and their work.

So where are they now in their journey to leverage this inherently powerful relationship between horses and humans?  Sally and Melinda work with individuals, families, and specific groups such as Turtle Wing Teens in Mini Camps, designing each camp with the needs and goals of each client. They are developing curriculum that engages the children to reach levels of horse handling competency paired with human skills that
Leading a new friend, Izzie, through a series of obstacles while learning to face some of her own.
Leading a new friend, Izzie, through a series of obstacles while learning to face some of her own.
build self-esteem, responsibility, communication, empathy, tolerance for stress, problem solving and teamwork. In addition to the Mini Camps, they created the Pony Tales Literacy Project which focuses on improving literacy in children ages 4-12. Sally and Melinda co-authored a children's storybook and take their minis to schools and libraries for interactive hands-on experiences.   Their future plans include offering EAL workshops, using E3A tools and models, to other service agencies as a way of exponentially impacting the lives of the children they are all committed to serve. Their little horses are making a big difference!

Sally Van Duyn manages the farm where her 13 miniature horses reside, while she also heads a consulting practice specializing in organizational effectiveness. She holds a Master's in Education and an undergraduate degree in Family and Child Services and worked as a social worker with mentally and developmentally disadvantaged children. She also served in a large hospital as Director of Social Work Services. Melinda Brown has been involved with and owned horses most of her life and has volunteered with horse related organizations over the years.
Businesses Become Stronger When They Focus on Strengths
Businesses Become Stronger When They Focus on Strengths
by Kim Shook, VP of Operations at BASIC, Co-Founder of Bella Terra, E3 Facilitator, & E3A Master Trainer

Every business is looking for ways to be more competitive and more efficient.  Gallup's extensive research into human behaviors and strengths has shown that there is a powerful connection between business teams achieving more and developing an organizational culture focused on individual and team strengths.
 
This is all about employee engagement.  People that use their strengths are six times more likely to be engaged on the job.  That means they are less likely to leave their current position and therefore the employer retains the talent (avoiding the cost to pay to replace and rebuild the talent).  Also, people are significantly more productive when they are engaged.  That also leads to reduced costs and improved client engagement, which can only be obtained with employee engagement.  Gallup's research clearly shows that leveraging strengths can impact performance and the bottom line.  However it takes more than just having staff take the StrengthsFinder assessment tool.  Rather, it takes a focused effort to create a culture that is strengths oriented - that means living and breathing strengths on an ongoing basis and in almost all areas.

You can learn more about using strengths within business teams in this Gallup Business Journal Article titled, How Employees' Strengths Make Your Company Stronger, which has more statistics about the results that can be achieved with a culture based on strengths: http://tinyurl.com/hshmdfd.

E3A has upcoming programs so that you can learn more about how to integrate StrengthsFinder into your own day-to-day team environment and your equine assisted learning program to assist clients in developing their teams. One program is a teleclass:

April 12: E1: StrengthFinders Assessment Tool - Based on the Book Strengths Based Leadership

The other program is a 2-day arena program to be held in southwest Michigan:

May 21-22: E2: StrengthFinders Arena Class: Using StrengthFinders with E3 Leadership and Team Building Programs to Enhance Client Results

The E1 teleclass is a prerequisite to the E2 arena class. Together, these programs can help you understand how a strengths based approach can power the productivity of a team as well as improve leadership skills for your clients.  Click on the links above for further information about each program, including registration details. 

  Need a Consultant?
Need a Consultant?
by Linda Pucci, Ph.D.
 
When you work in an industry that not everyone knows about or understands, it can be vital to have resources to help you when you get stuck, when you are faced with doing something you don't know how to do, or when you aren't sure what the next step should be.
 
E3A gets a lot of compliments on our trainings, and how much participants learn about facilitation and doing equine assisted learning. What people continually ask for after that is help with their businesses. Sometimes they want help writing website copy; marketing; or setting the prices on their services. Sometimes they want help putting on a workshop and want a seasoned practitioner to help them in their first efforts. Sometimes they want help with non-profit issues, like fund-raising or how to structure their business.
 
It can be hard to get input specially designed for your type of business from organizations or individuals that typically provide help to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Face it, if you go to your local business development office for help, they can help with business-building basics, but they don't really understand what you're doing with horses.
 
In choosing a consultant to help you, you'll want to consider the following criteria:
  • How much experience do they have doing equine assisted learning (EAL) work?
  • Do they understand how to help you reach your target market (or help you figure out what your target market is)?
  • Have they run or are they currently running a successful EAL business?
  • Do they have expertise in the area(s) you need? Consider both depth and breadth of experience and expertise.
  • How well do they understand equine assisted businesses like yours?
  • What do they charge (and can their consultation provide a good return on your investment)?
To help you find a consultant with the experience, knowledge of the E3A model and experience in running an EAL business, E3A has compiled a referral list of consultants. To be on the list, each individual must be a Level II E3A Certified Advanced Practitioner with a Specialty and an active E3A member. When they join the list, these individuals have shared with us the areas within which they have experience and expertise, so that you can best match your needs with a consultant who can serve them.
 
Each consultant on the referral list runs their own business. That means consultants determine their fees, their mode of providing consultation, and their style. They share a 10% referral fee with E3A on their first new contract with you. Our organization provides the consultant referral list to help you find a consultant with knowledge and experience in the equine assisted learning field. However, E3A is in no way responsible for the results of the consultation, positive or negative.
 
If you are interested in finding a consultant, you'll find more information on the website at http://e3assoc.org/E3A-Consultants
 
If you are interested in hiring one of them or talking further about what they can provide, please contact them directly through the links or phone number provided.  

Taking the Reins of Social Media
Taking the Reins of Social Media
by
Janis Cooper, owner/operator EQnimity, E3A Facilitator and Equine Facilitated Learning Coach

If you're like many businesses, the notion of using social media as of part of your marketing can be confusing and feel daunting. With all of the choices on the market today, you may be wondering how to take the reins of social media to drive your business and where to find the time.

The simple answer is to know your audience.

Who are You Looking For?
In marketing, we refer to the customers you want to serve as your target audience. Knowing who they are is crucial to all that you do from a marketing perspective. Once you know your target audience, you then want to build a 'buyers persona'. A persona will help provide insight into your typical buyer and guide you on where and how to reach them.

Let's say that your business is focused on developing parental leadership programs. Your target audience would be parents and a persona would require knowing:
  • The age group of the children whose parents you want to target, i.e. Pre-school, Middle or High School?
  • The age group of the parents you're targeting
  • Whether you want to reach men and women, married, or single parents
  • Their biggest challenges as parents
  • The words they frequently use including those that describe their challenges
  • Where they go for information, including magazines, websites, schools, meetups, parental groups
  • What their preferred platform is - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or other?
Understanding who you're targeting, what their needs are, and where they hang out will help decipher the right social media vehicles for you to use. It's important to understand that you do not need to cover ALL social media tools. You'll drive yourself crazy, and probably fail, by trying. Focus on one or two platforms for starters.

Once you commit to the social media approaches you want to use, research the best way to leverage that platform and commit to doing it. Put a plan with a timeline together of how often you're going to post, what you're going to post, and utilize subject matters that are of interest to your audience. Apply the information gathered within your buyer's persona to guide you. The more relevant you can be with your target audience the more you will resonate with them, making it more likely they'll want to engage with you.

A Word of Caution
While social media can help to build your brand by engaging with others in conversation use caution on how much 'direct selling' you're doing. Much like a horse that pokes at your pockets constantly in search for treats, it can be annoying for your audience to be poked with relentless selling. Balance your social media 'posts' with a mix of topics that might interest your audience, i.e. share articles, pictures, videos, post events etc. Strike an appropriate balance and mix of your postings as part of your indirect sell. Consider the following guidelines in your strategy:
  • 80-85% sharing and engaging content
  • 10% publishing of original content
  • 5% or less of what you're promoting
The Art of Online Conversation
The goal of any form of networking and sales strategy is to engage the other party in conversation and invite them to have ongoing dialogue.  It's no different with social media. Set aside at least 15-30 minutes a day, per social media outlet, to not only post and share but to also engage in other people's posts, as well. After all, relationships take time and are a two-way street. Engaging and sharing others' posts make it more likely that others will do the same for you.

So, pick up the reins, balance your seat, and keep your eyes focused on where you're heading. The social media ride can take time but it doesn't have to be bumpy and it doesn't need to be painful.

Call for Volunteers!
Would you like to become more involved with E3A? If so, E3A is looking for volunteers who can:
  • blog on the E3A web site about running a successful EAL business using the E3A model
  • assist with increasing our marketing efforts to inspire and ignite current and prospective E3A members
If you are interested in serving as a volunteer in these areas, contact Margaret at staff@e3assoc.org and let her know your interests and expertise!

Join E3A!
If you are not a member of E3A, we'd like to invite you to join us.  There are many benefits to being an E3A member, including free Community Network Meetings, great people to network and exchange ideas with, and some opportunities that are only open to our members.  Check them out at www.E3Assoc.org  under Member Benefits.   



Want to be more involved?
We have plenty of volunteer opportunities. Call us to let us know how you want to help. Remember, every horse in the herd plays a role in the herd's success...What part will you play in OUR herd? 

Sincerely,
 
Your Friends at E3A
Equine Experiential Education Association
| staff@e3assoc.org | http://www.e3assoc.org
 


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