I'm glad you're here.
Hi everybody!
Welcome to the new website and blog for my Equestrian Lifestyle Photography business. My name is Erica Hills and I will be giving you an intro into my personal equestrian lifestyle to include photography, life around the barn with the horses AND tutorials and DIY projects.
That's me!
My husband and I bought our barn in central Florida back in 2015. At the time, I was working in my previous career field as a Professional School Counselor.
My day started with feeding, turning out and cleaning stalls for 2-3 horses and getting cleaned up and out to work by 7:00am! And I have NEVER been a morning person. So imagine my lack of delight with that early morning alarm.
I followed (and struggled with) that routine for a few years before deciding that I needed something different. I loved the kiddos at the elementary school where I was working, but when you have horse girl DNA, it's hard to deny keeping the equestrian lifestyle 24/7.
I spent a couple of years after college working in barns, helping to manage 14+ horses, riding daily as a working student at an FEI level dressage barn and assisting my parents with their own private barn. SO MUCH WORK!
While I was having the time of my life, it didn't feel "right." By that time, I had attended The University of Central Florida and earned both a BA in Psychology and an MA in Counselor Education.
With so many years of college and the student loan debt that I carried, I thought that I SHOULD work in that field and not play around with horses all day. Back then I made the assumption that all of the "horse girls" aka bad ass women in the equestrian lifestyle business grew up taking more lessons than me, or had more money than me or horse businesses ran in the family, so they knew more than me.
Boy oh boy was I so off in that mindset! Listen to me, if you have the horse girl DNA, DO NOT DENY yourself of fulfilling those dreams regardless of your age, weight, color, financial status, breed of horse or if you own a horse at all and definitely not what other people may think of you.
Over the last 10 years, I have connected with and built strong relationships with so many other horse girls and I could not be happier. Some are in the business as chiropractors, owners of large boarding facilities, riders, trainers or instructors and the list could go on for what feels like forever when it comes to equestrian lifestyles.
Okay! Fast forward to 2019 when I had already left my counseling job, but didn't know what path I was going to take next. More reasons on what helped light the fire under my ass in future posts...
I owe so much of my current success to the Christy Wright Business Boutique podcasts (click here if you want to check them out). I knew I wanted to start my own business. I'm boss material, not employee material and I could feel that in my bones for MANY years. But, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for my business.
One of the things she discusses about starting a business is being resourceful, using what you already know and have.
So, one day I looked at my camera bag and thought, HOLY COW! I could take pictures of horses!
I launched Erica Hills Photography, LLC in January 2020, during a global pandemic mind you.
And I haven't looked back since.
Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to sharing more and chatting with you. I hangout on Facebook most often, so catch me there.
Cheers y'all!
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