A Podcast Interview

March 4, 2019 by ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ 1 Comment

I was contacted to be on a podcast for “Let Freedom Rein” at the beginning of the year.

I couldn’t say no. The podcast is about how horses save us — on a regular basis.

It all started because our friend, JD Steffen, with Hot Tamale Horsemanship, branched out of his comfort zone and took the plunge to be on this podcast. That led to an interview with me, and then of course my other half, Zach, shared his life experiences with horses too.

We talked about the present, dug into my past, and discussed the debilitating anxiety I experienced over the last year. I shared things publicly that only a handful of people in my life knew.

My anxiety had become crippling. I felt like someone was standing on my chest on an almost daily basis.

It wasn’t just a paralyzing anxiety before making runs on my horse: it was before I rode any horse.

I was constantly worried about a worst case scenario and couldn’t enjoy my horses.

I couldn’t enjoy the people in my life. Heck, I could barely enjoy my life.

My ability to see the world (and most people in it) in any light other than a negative light was pretty much nonexistent.

Thankfully, I have overcome that naysaying bitch that lived in my head. I’m finally realizing what it is to believe in myself again; it’s been a long road, but it’s been a good road. And I’m glad I walked it as I feel like I’m in a great position to help others who may be in the same position.

If you have time, you should give my story a listen – and if you love a good podcast, you should add this one to your playlist.

Happy Trails, and Happy Riding, and Happy Listening!

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

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2019 Goals - The South Dakota Cowgirl says:

March 5, 2019 at 11:27 am

[…] them happen, I’ll have to keep working on me — to be the best me I can be. In the past, my anxiety had literally been crippling me. I feel confident in nailing these goals, now that my anxiety is under […]

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