Western Small Business Feature: Yellow Barn Media

Here at Cowboy Lifestyle Network, we are all about supporting small businesses which is why I wanted to start a monthly small business series. In this series, I will be highlighting small businesses from across the country that has a focus on or around the western industry. This month, I am excited to introduce Jamie Samples, an entrepreneur who runs and owns Yellow Barn Media. Let’s dive in!

Krysta: Can you tell our audience a little about yourself?

Jamie: I’m based in Howell, Michigan, not far from the town where I was born and raised. If I could live anywhere else, it would be Kentucky, because it’s horse country and I have fond memories of visiting my granny and granddaddy’s farm as a child. The sweet smell of bluegrass and the tasty chicken tenders and waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A is hard to forget. Staying close to family is a priority, so I’ll be in Michigan for many years to come.

I’m blessed to have the best husband an entrepreneur could ask for. He’s supportive of the business and the passion I have for nurturing it. Eddie is one of a kind and I am blessed to share my life with him. In 2014, we welcomed our first child, Edison, into our family. Every day he teaches me to look at the world with a fresh perspective no matter what the day may bring and inspires me to strive to be a better person at home and in the office.

Our family also includes two and four-legged friends alike. We are owned by a Welsh Pony, a Rocky Mountain mare, a mini-donkey, a flock of free-range chickens, a hound dog, a Doberman/Aussie pup, and a handful of cats. All of our four-legged animals were adopted from an animal rescue and joined our lives at just the right moment in time.

Krysta: How did you get started in your business?

Jamie: It was almost accidental really. I have always loved networking and I was attending 2-4 networking events per week, years ago, when I was selling air and water purification systems. When Facebook hit the web and allowed businesses to create pages, I started helping others in my groups to build their FB pages. Fast forward about 2-3 years after working a side hustle helping others and I realized that this was a viable business. I started working with a business coach, created my niche, and rocked and rolled from there. It has been my great honor to serve the equine industry through creative marketing strategies over the last 12+ years.

Krysta: What motivates you in your business?

Jamie: I am a self-proclaimed marketing nerd and I LOVE people. The ability to connect people to businesses through social media and marketing has become so much more fun over the years. The thought that my skill set can help someone grow their dream keeps me learning and growing myself to ensure I am always helping them grow and make more money. I love bringing joy to others through all I do 😁

Krysta: What makes your business unique from others?

Jamie: I have been in business for over 15+ years, and have been able to consistently bring new strategies to the western side of the horse industry. I pray over and with my clients, and I believe that true friendship can be found in a business relationship.

Krysta: Where do you want to be in the next 3 years?

Jamie: I have been growing Yellow Barn Media so much over the last year and collaborating with smaller freelancers to help them grow their businesses. I would LOVE to be a – sort of – conduit to bring business to smaller agencies to help the industry grow as a whole. I believe in collaboration over competition. I have been traveling and connecting with so many people and now that I can do that it has been easy to be the sales face of my agency and be able to share the wealth with other that are just starting out. I love shining the spotlight on others that are working in their zone of genius to serve this amazing industry.

Krysta: Is there anything you’d like to close with?

Jamie: I am a natural-born storyteller and love sharing “parables” that relate to business – successes and challenges. I love helping others by sharing my story and encouraging them in the process.

I am a wife and mom – we adopted our son through foster care – I’ve been riding my entire life and just trail ride now. I work so deep in the industry I don’t actually get much saddle time but I enjoy the time I do get with my pony 😁 We live in Michigan, but my heart is in Kentucky. I would give my left arm to live in the bluegrass! 💙

If you’d like to learn more about Jamie and Yellow Barn Media, you can visit her website at yellowbarnmedia.com. If you’re interested in sharing your small business, please click the button below to be considered.