By Piper Klemm, Ph.D. TPH Publisher
As soon as I made the announcement for our first ever Plaidcast LIVE! event, literally eight years in the making, the texts and emails started pouring in.
“Will it be streamed?”
“Can I watch it later?”
“Where can I watch from home?”
The answer to all these questions was no. “You have to be there,” I said. This is not something you can stream while you’re in pajamas while you have ten other tabs open, scrolling Instagram. I watch things from home as well. I get it. They are tiny on your phone in bed and you half pay attention while you do a dozen other things. We know we should focus, but we have a million things going on and the endorphin rush is just plain so delicious and toxic.
To accomplish what you want, in today’s world…in yesterday’s world, in tomorrow’s world…you need to show up. In person, in real life, we need to listen, communicate, and absorb what our world has to offer.
That’s why we (finally) did our first ever Plaidcast LIVE on November 8 in front of a live studio audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT. Tickets were free and everyone gathered for an informal networking hour before the show started to meet people and discuss ideas and experiences.
While most of you know that I jump right into things with both feet and work on perfecting later, this was something I wanted to get right off the bat. It caused me much stress— location, guests, and how to build a productive audience. As so much of my life had changed in great ways recently, now was the time to reserve the Aetna Theater at the Wadsworth Atheneum.
The Wadsworth is my view from every morning at The Plaid Horse office, and is the oldest continuously-operating public art museum in the United States. It represents so many of my values—supporting our local communities, access to art and education, the impact of being in the right place and space for creative growth, and their like-minded vision to welcome the equestrian community into their space. Murals of wild horses adorn the walls of the theater, which houses lectures, movies, plays, and community events almost daily, year-round.
While I’ve gotten good with guests over the years who like talking to horses more than talking to me, I knew that a live event would be a different ball game for everyone. I needed guests who would be really comfortable with the format to make an inspiring experience for everyone who showed up. Coinciding with the Zone 1 annual clinic, Olympic Gold medalist Peter Wylde was the obvious choice, alongside his childhood mentors and current collaborators and Zone 1 stalwarts Fran and Joe Dotoli. I was able to open the event with my Equine Affaire collaborator Alicia Harlov of The Humble Hoof Podcast.
We cast a wide net for a local audience and people in town for the clinic and Equine Affaire, attracting folks from all over the US and Canada. The networking hour was rich and the audience was enthusiastic in the dark auditorium for over two hours—not a single phone made an appearance from the seats.
Small groups of people, productive discussion, thinking about the future, mentoring, and ideas about how we nurture success and advancement for ourselves and others…these are the ways we are going to grow this sport. It is something every single one of you has the power to do.
What are you talking about? Who are you talking to? How can you push more ladder down behind you instead of pulling it up? How can you use your own experience to create more pathways for others in the next generation? Making our sport better is something that every one of us can do, every day, and it is a choice that is in your hands.
And while you still can’t stream it, you can listen to an edited version of Plaidcast LIVE! on our regular Plaidcast feed at theplaidhorse.com/listen, Spotify, iTunes, Audible, or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Click here to listen now.
–Piper Klemm, Ph.D.
TPH Publisher
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Follow me on Instagram at @piperklemm.
Plaidcast LIVE! is returning to the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT. December 18, 2024. This time Piper will speak to special guest Tik Maynard. Tickets are FREE and required. Click here to register today.
