Episode 2: Embracing the Journey with Cowgirl Entrepreneur Jenna Smeenk

Being involved in the sport of rodeo has allowed me to meet some incredible people & make lifelong friends over the years. A handful of those friends are truly what I’ve come to describe as a rare breed. They are the kind that you can go months without talking to & pick up right where you left off. They cheer you on even when you’re competing against each other & give you just the leg up you need when you’re down on your luck. They lead by example when it comes to “betting on yourself” as well as set the tone for taking massive action. When everyone else is sitting on the fence waiting on the perfect conditions to enter up & go after their dreams, the rare breed friend is saddling her horse & throwing you your bridle as she hollers, “Come on. Let’s Ride.  We’ll figure it out on the way there.” 

I’m proud to call Jenna Smeenk - a cowgirl entrepreneur in every meaning of the word - one of my rare breed friends. She played a key role in helping me bring the Cowgirl Confessions Podcast to life. When I say key role I mean, Jenna literally set up the Anchor account for me to get started on this podcast venture. {Like literally - she sent me an email with my username, password & she had even thrown a picture of me in the icon circle.} She shared her knowledge of how to record a podcast on a budget with apps like Zoom & Fiverr as well as podcast info sheet formats for guests. Jenna did all of this and so much more in the midst of her being on the other side of the world from me. She shared her knowledge & invested her time into bringing this story telling venture of mine to life. I’m so grateful & thankful for her “rare breed” kind of friendship. 

It seemed only fitting for Jenna to be the first official guest on the podcast & we actually recorded her episode while she was working in Afghanistan. Jenna was raised on her family's 10,000 acre Buffalo Ranch in Bell Fourche, South Dakota. She's a ranch kid turned professional barrel racer that has an incredibly unique story. But WAIT - there's MORE! Jenna is a military veteran who still serves our country, a former Miss Rodeo Florida, a business woman with her own tack and clothing line, a clinician, model, body builder, podcaster, horse trainer, world traveler and author! She even gives us her elevator pitch about her up and coming motivational self-help book titled ENOUGH.

We cover a lot of ground in a short period of time during this episode, much like her & stunning AQHA gelding, Taz, when they’re running barrels. You have to hit play to hear the full story, but the abridged version is this: Jenna really drives home the idea of embracing your unique journey because every challenge & triumph helps you develop a skill set that can be used in other areas of your life.

Listen below to Jenna's episode on the Cowgirl Confessions Podcast! 

Connect with Jenna:

WEBSITE - https://jsmeenk.com/

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Make each day count,

Dakota