SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Equestrian Gallery
      • Stallions
      • Horses & Ponies for Sale
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Thursday, December 14 2017 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Nicole Lakin’s Unpredictable Path In Life

Nicole, the founder of BarnManager
Photo by Jump Media

By Emily Riden

It’s said that one of the only predictable things about both life and horses is their mutual unpredictability. To verify the accuracy of that statement, just ask Nicole Lakin.

As a junior rider competing successfully in the equitation and jumper rings, the now-29-year-old with a degree in social and cultural analysis would have never imagined that her life and horses would take her where she is today: working as the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of her own brainchild software company, BarnManager.

And for Nicole, what is perhaps even less predictable than where she has ended up is the path that she has taken to get there.

An Idea Is Born

Nicole got her start with horses much like many other amateur equestrians showing successfully on the hunter-jumper circuit today. She began riding at 7 years old, competing in the local short-stirrup and hunter divisions before transitioning to an A-circuit show barn and getting her first taste of the jumpers. Then, the Reading, Pennsylvania, native decided to give equitation a try as well and she began training with Max Amaya at Beacon Hill and Stonehenge Stables in Colts Neck, Jersey.

Throughout her young career, Nicole racked up numerous accolades, including the team gold and individual silver medals at the 2006 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC), and she had the opportunity to compete on some of North America’s most exciting equestrian stages — ranging from under the lights at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) to the acclaimed International Ring at Spruce Meadows.

At the same time that Nicole was riding and competing under Max’s tutelage, she was spending time as a working student and getting a behind-the-scenes, hands-on look at the management and horse care side of running a successful barn. As Nicole moved on to college and beyond, she remained on board with Max, taking on even more of a full-time working student role.

“I was really managing a lot,” Nicole said. “We were traveling, and there were a lot of times that I was charged with managing all of the horses on my own. I did a tour of Spruce Meadows one year with 15 horses and was really given a lot of responsibility on the management side.”

Nicole competing at the 2017 American Gold Cup
Photo by The Book LLC

The more work Nicole was responsible for, the more she realized that there was room for improvement on the communication and organizational ends of barn management.

“I just started playing around with Excel and Word documents and making forms and things that would improve some of the troubles that we ran into managing and trying to communicate with people in different venues,” Nicole said. “Even at Spruce Meadows, I would be back at the barn trying to make grain and have a question for Max, who was down at the International Ring basically a mile away, and getting in touch with him was challenging. I was always looking for ways to get around those communication issues and to get even more organized.

“I realized that there was really a need for something more. I was very lucky that I made some amazing friends that had been managers and working with horses and managing complex organizations far longer than I had. I sat them all down one night in Florida,” Nicole continued. “I literally went around the table and asked them what the most annoying thing was that they were constantly having trouble with. Then, once we had a little bit of a venting session about all of the things that could be better, I said, ‘If I built something to make those things better, would you guys use it?’ They all looked at me, and they were like, ‘Yeah, of course.’”

Nicole had no real technological background, no experience in application or software development, and little idea what she was in for, but there was another part of Nicole’s path to where she is today that told her she needed to go for it and capitalize on her idea.

Turning Adversity Into Opportunity

Circle back to the winter of 2006, when Nicole was competing at WEF and fell off her then junior jumper, Alaska. In the six years that Nicole rode and competed Alaska, she fell off a total of two times; this particular time she hit the ground hard. Out of fear of a broken rib or similar, Nicole was taken to the hospital to undergo chest x-rays. Once at the hospital, the chest x-rays did in fact reveal broken ribs, but also something worse: stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“Hodgkin’s is a relatively slow-growing cancer, which is incredibly lucky,” Nicole explained. “But on the other hand, I was already at stage three of four. So it’s very likely if I had not fallen off that day and gone to the hospital, it could have gone unnoticed.”

Following an initial surgery, Nicole spent the next four months undergoing intense chemotherapy treatments, all while insisting that she continue to be around the horses.

“Instead of getting frustrated because it wasn’t really within my control at that point, I sort of threw myself at taking care of my horses back at the barn and spending as much time with them as possible,” Nicole said. “It really became clear to me how much they do for us. I felt like I had the time, and I wasn’t riding as much, so I wanted to do as much as I could for them. I spent a lot of time with the vets and learning as much as I could. That’s really what pushed me into becoming a more full-time working student and really getting involved that much on the management side.”

Her diagnosis and subsequent treatments not only led her to her barn management role, they were also at the forefront of her mind when she made the decision to move forward with her idea that is now innovating the way barns are managed.

“I used to not want to talk about the cancer because I didn’t want it to seem like I was playing the sympathy card, but it really played a huge role in the decisions that I made and choosing to actually go through with this and take the risk,” Nicole said. “I feel really good now talking about it in the context of the business, but also in the context of how I’ve ended up where I’ve ended up.

“I really decided that I wanted to enjoy my life, and I wanted to make decisions that would enable me to live the best life that I could because life is unpredictable,” Nicole said. “I had already gotten lucky once, so who knows. That’s really why I had the courage to follow my passion and my idea.”

Filling a Need

Today, barn managers everywhere can be glad that she did.

Nicole devoted more than a year to researching application and software development options, mapping out features, drawing up design concepts, conceptualizing marketing and branding and more before she officially launched BarnManager.

“I think launching it was definitely one of the more exciting experiences of my life,” Nicole said. “After all of the work, it was just really rewarding to actually see people using it, responding and giving us feedback.”

Nicole with her horse Wannabe, aka Biebs, and dog Monkey
Photo by Jump Media

Today, the cloud-based software is being utilized to help manage barns spanning across disciplines from top hunter-jumper show barns to local stables and even to horse rescues and therapy organizations, now able to utilize the subscription service at no cost thanks to Nicole’s “Free for 501(c)(3)” program. The software is accessible from phone, tablet or computer and offers digitized record keeping for the many facets of horse care with many intuitive and simple business tools that make barn management easy and readily accessible.

“It’s always exciting when you get an email saying ‘this person — who happens to manage one of the best riders in the world — told me that I have to try it. She said it’s amazing, and she can’t live without it.’ It took a lot of time to get there, but it’s been extremely rewarding,” said Nicole, who recently completed a graduate degree in entrepreneurship from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business in Massachusetts.

“Horses are unpredictable; life throws things at you that you never could have imagined, and sometimes your goals need to change as a result,” Nicole said. “That doesn’t mean that you failed, or that you aren’t good enough. It just means that you have a new opportunity that you didn’t have before. This lesson is something that carries over to my professional life every day. You can do everything right, and you can try to predict everything that could possibly go wrong and plan for it. But there is always something outside of your control that you couldn’t predict. If you aren’t willing to be flexible and readjust to the changing circumstances, you may miss a huge opportunity.”

Learn more about Nicole and BarnManager by visiting www.BarnManager.com

 

 

Share this page:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tagged under: barn manager, barnmanager.com, Emily Riden, nicole lakin

What you can read next

Tireless Tony Coppola: The Voice of Polo and The Tackeria
Colleen Brombach: “It’s All About Family”
Samshield Helmets —Fashion Statement and Bling Brain Protection and Fashion Statement

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
It’s hard to get Tony Sgarlata to talk about him It’s hard to get Tony Sgarlata to talk about himself—much easier, in fact, to get him talking about horses, his dogs or the people in his life. That doesn’t mean he and his career aren’t worth celebrating. Tony is an accomplished rider, and in the course of 20 years of running his own business has trained horses and ponies to all levels and coached multiple zone and national champions. He is a strong proponent for the sport, giving back as a clinician and USEF “R” judge. Last year, Tony partnered with the USHJA to help riders understand changes to equitation tests for 2023. He has judged throughout North America, including at WEF, Tryon, Lake Placid, Old Salem and more. When he’s not traveling to judge, Tony can be found at home in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his partner, Brian, and their three dogs, or traveling the world, sans dogs.

Get to know Tony in last month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! Link in bio!
Unwrap joy and spread the holiday cheer with our c Unwrap joy and spread the holiday cheer with our curated gift guide! From tasty horse treats to tech wonders, find the perfect presents for everyone on your list. 'Tis the season for giving, and we've got you covered! 🎁🎄
✨Link in bio!✨
Give your brand a leg up! With Grace Creative (wi Give your brand a leg up! With Grace Creative (with.grace.creative) is an equestrian-focused marketing agency serving riders and brands. From standout branding to sleek web design, top-tier press placements, and savvy sponsorship management, they’re all about making equestrian brands a force to be reckoned with.

Curious about what they can do for your brand or riding career? Shoot them a message and dive into the possibilities. ✨

Featured Riders: corneliadorrfletcher, leahtenney_dressage, driverdressage
Featured Brands: lemieuxproductsofficial, veltrisport, naturalequineessentialss

with.grace.creative

#WithGraceCreative #EquestrianMarketing #RideWithUs
Taylor Manning was a very determined 11-year-old w Taylor Manning was a very determined 11-year-old with a plan when she called her parents into their family living room one afternoon. Unbeknownst to them, she had decided she wanted to ride horses and had researched everything she might need to know about the sport. 

She was so excited for her pitch that she compiled a PowerPoint presentation and had it waiting when she asked them into the living room that fateful day. “She had researched what it takes to buy, care for, and board a horse,” said her mother, Laura. “At the end of the session, we told her we loved her to death but there was no way we were investing that kind of money! I thought that was the end of the discussion.”

Too resolved to give up, Taylor continued her investigations and began calling barns around the Houston, Texas, area where she lived in an effort to find a place that would let her work in exchange for lessons. She received more than a few “no thank you's,” but her tenacity paid off. “Two weeks later, one trainer was so impressed by her drive and ambition that she said yes,” Laura recalled. “We talked and came up with a plan. Taylor was only 11, so the plan was that we would pay for two lessons and Taylor would work for two.” 

Get to know Taylor in last month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! And keep your eyes 👀  out for the December Hottest Horseman edition!!! 

Read Taylor's story here 👉 https://sidelinesmagazine.com/weekly-featured/taylor-manning-turning-her-vision-into-reality.html

📸Portraits by Kristie Scholten
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Stallion Gallery

.

Visit Stallion Gallery

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • Broward RV
    Camper Rentals for Equestrians, South Florida 3030 Burris Road Davie, FL 33314 Campers, Camper Rentals

    [Read more]

  • Chandler R. Finley, Esq. - IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
    IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY Chandler R. Finley, Esq. Visas, Work Permits, Green Cards www.immigrationofficeadvice.com Finley & Bologna International Over 30 years’ experience Polo & Equestrian Markets Corporate Law Real Estate Closings, Title Insurance Wellington 561.478.9930 Miami 305.379.7676 Immediate Service 561.541.7151 www.finleybologna.com

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • “Jump for the Children” Benefit Horse Show Celebrates 40 Years & Over $3 Million to Duke Children’s
  • Woodside Recognizes the Best in the West
  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Conor Swail Was the Best Bet in $15,000 CSI2* Markel Insurance Welcome at San Juan Capistrano International
  • Lillie Keenan Leads in CHF68,000 South Coast Plaza Welcome Speed at San Juan Capistrano International CSIO5*
  • McLain Ward Wins CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix at San Juan Capistrano International

Category

Recent Posts

  • December 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Unbridled With Tony Sgarlata

    By Britney Grover  It’s hard to get Tony Sgarla...
  • The Secrets of Whorls in Horses

    By Margie Sugarman What do Marie Claire, Anne H...
  • An International Dressage Discussion

    By George Williams Recently, I attended the IDT...
  • Managing the Journey That Is the Equestrian Industry

    By Rob Jacobs As competitive equestrians, we ma...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!