Riding to Success: Q&A with Equitrekking's Darley Newman

Darley Newman fell in love with horses and travel at an early age. And after paying her dues at networks such as CBS and The WB, Newman used her budding experience in television and merged her two passions to create an Emmy winning travel series, Equitrekking.
 
Newman is a great example of a young professional who started from the ground up and tapped into a travel niche that had yet to be explored. With so many young college graduates struggling in this economy to find a job within their chosen field, the decision to start a business is gaining momentum. Newman has proved that with some initiative and perseverance, you can take something you love and turn it into a business, or even your dream job. As for those sacrifices made along the way? This young entrepreneur will tell you they were well worth it.
 
This is what she had to say about Equitrekking and her journey to becoming a leading source for equestrian travel.
 
Company Name: Equitrekking, Equitrekking Travel, ShopDarley.com
Location: Bethesda, MD
Web site: Equitrekking.com, EquitrekkingTravel.com, ShopDarley.com
Full-time Employees: 3
Sector: Media and Travel
Industry: Travel, Television
 
What led to your interest in equestrianism? How did it evolve into a love of travel and the marriage of the two?
I rode for the first time at age seven at camp in the mountains of North Carolina. The ride itself wasn’t spectacular. I just walked around a ring, but I remember being awestruck that this horse, so massive and strong, let me ride him, and moreover, was actually listening to me. It was amazing. I was hooked. Horses are so powerful, yet sensitive. While riding, you become their partner. It’s really spectacular.
 
Later, while a university student, I had my first chance to combine horses with another passion, travel, during a riding vacation at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. Riding on the same trails that George Vanderbilt’s guests traveled during the Gilded Age was a special way to learn about the area’s history, while doing something active with my mother, a fellow horse lover who hadn’t ridden in years. I loved it. Even after I moved to New York City to work in television, I was horseback riding every chance I got.
 
While in New York, I worked for CBS on the 48 Hours series, and for FRONTLINE.  Professional television experience combined with my passion for horses, nature and travel led me to Equitrekking. Riding horses in beautiful settings, meeting interesting people and exploring the world is a dream for me and a joy to share with others.
 
Tell us about the launch of Equitrekking and the Equitrekking travel vacation site?
I wanted to do something that I loved on a daily basis. We launched Equitrekking on Public Television in June 2007, and since we started, we’ve received emails and requests from people who want to know where to take a riding vacation and how to experience the same things we’ve done on the television series, like ride with Alaska native Bree Bardarson on the Kenai Peninsula, or with Costa Ricans Monica and Esteban in the rainforest and by Arenal Volcano. It was out of demand that we decided to launch Equitrekking Travel to send travelers to ride with the great people we’ve met all around the world. I’m really excited about EquitrekkingTravel.com, because it makes these amazing adventures accessible.
 
What were the key steps you took to achieve your goal of launching your television series and vacation site?
We’ve approached each business creatively and with enthusiasm. With the TV series, we knew that we couldn’t just have a broadcast property, but had to have an Internet presence that reached an audience of people who valued horses and quality, educational travel information. Content is king, so we’ve populated Equitrekking.com and EquitrekkingTravel.com with stunning online video, expert articles and consistently updated blogs and information. We’ve worked to provide value with everything that we produce, so sponsors, viewers and visitors enjoy the results. Measurable ROI and timely feedback to our sponsors and partners is key.
 
What is your vision for Equitrekking and Equitrekking Travel? How do you see these two companies evolving?
My vision is to inspire people to consider travel as more than just a sightseeing experience--to stimulate viewers to dig deeper into the culture, nature, animals and history. I want people to get out and experience active adventures, whether it’s in faraway places or their own backyards. I see us continuing to add more great destinations to Equitrekking Travel as we discover them, but continuing our quality over quantity mission. With Equitrekking, we'll keep expanding our reach in the U.S. and abroad (we just sold to Japan!), producing more great episodes (I'll never run out of destinations) and adding more great content, so we continue to be a multi-media international, informational source on equestrian travel.
 
You had a book published in 2008? Can you tell me a little about that?
I am the author of Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback, the companion book to the Equitrekking TV series. We wanted to produce a book to supplement the show with information and beautiful photographs, so people could flip through and find places to ride around the world, but also escape through descriptions and photographs of these amazing travel destinations like Spain, Ireland and Hawaii. The TV series is a strong medium, but a beautiful book can be just as inspiring.
 
Can you describe some of the struggles you faced turning your love of horses into a thriving business?
We’ve faced many struggles associated with growing a small business out of such a unique concept. As a PBS series, we are responsible for soliciting sponsorship. Today’s advertising and increasingly segmented television markets make this a persistent challenge. However, given time and consistently strong ratings and global distribution, the burden has eased, and we’ve developed some innovative strategies for cross promotion and other media inclusion that provides our sponsors with measurable return on investment.
 
For our travel business, funding has been a struggle, because we started it during the credit crunch. Like any small business, managing cash flow is a challenge. We work around this by partnering with organizations that possess strengths we lack, or by learning the necessary skills and managing internally. We’re fortunate to have a network of talented friends and relatives with whom we’ve found a way to barter for work or discounted prices. In particular, we have a handful of friends whose desire to see us succeed outweighs their need to be paid. It’s this sort of selflessness that’s difficult to value and impossible to repay. Every little bit helps.
 
I think at first people thought that I was crazy when I discussed wanting to produce a horseback riding travel series. Still, today when I tell people what I do, it comes as a surprise that I’ve been able to make a career out of this dream. The niche was untapped and different. No one was producing a travel series that explores the world on horseback, but that’s what’s made it so popular. It’s also a really good travelogue, where we access those out of the way places where it’s better to ride than drive, and we do it all with locals, who viewers at home get to meet. I really enjoy experiencing each new place for the first time with the home audience. In Equitrekking I’m there to learn – really to facilitate communication between the locals and the audience. The show encompasses travel, history, world cultures and adventure. We strive to pack as much interesting information into each segment as possible. And we’ve really worked to diversify within our niche, which has been a key to our success.
 
Did you ever have a moment when you doubted Equitrekking would come to life? What did you tell yourself at the time? Why did you decide to push ahead?
Definitely. Completing our first season and getting it on TV was huge for us and definitely a challenge. PBS has high technical standards, and it was our first time producing a complete series for Public TV, so it was truly trial by fire. It was during this period that I finally understood what mentors have told me for years – that mistakes are a-okay, provided you learn from them.
 
Who were the key players/mentors in making it all happen? And it what ways did they help and/or inspire you?
We’ve had lots of people believe in what we we are doing and supported us through friendship, constructive criticism and trade. My uncle continues to be a reliable source for well-considered advice and encouragement. There’s nothing so great as a person who truly believes in you.  Susan Zirinsky at CBS News' 48 Hours is a mentor and woman who I really admire. She’s the type of manager I aspire to be, because she confidently inspires her employees and always comes up with innovative projects that she’s not afraid to spearhead. She’s taken the time to give me advice, which I really value.
 
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made to launch Equitrekking? Was it worth it?
Time. Building a series of small businesses takes a huge amount of time. The sacrifices have been worth it, because it is my dream. I learn something new every day, even when I'm not traveling, and really love all of the diverse types of work that I get to do as an entrepreneur and producer. Plus, it's nice to see a finished product at the end and have others enjoy it, too.
 
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned and how has it shaped you personally and professionally?
I’ve learned to continue to take calculated risks. I really think that if you want something in life you have to go for it, because you only live once. I probably learned that from my mom, and it was ingrained in me even more when she passed away a few years ago. Even if what you’re attempting doesn’t work, you can at least feel relieved that you tried. I’ve spoken with a lot of people who have regrets in life because they never pursued something that they wanted, and I never want to feel that way. Patience and perseverance is important. I’m still working on the patience.
 
What do you think is the biggest mistake you have made along the way? What did you learn?
My biggest mistake has been not delegating responsibilities to others and trying to do every little thing myself. It leaves me running in too many directions and will just plain wear me out. In order to continue to expand and grow a business, you have to let some things go and bring in other people to help. I know this, but it’s something I have to constantly work on.
 
How do you balance your work and personal life? What are you doing when you are not working?
It’s difficult to balance work with other things, because I work a lot. It seemed after college that everyone grew so much busier, as measured by increasingly distant social scheduling. I find myself making plans to meet friends just to catch up months in advance. An advantage of running my own business is that I can set my own hours, so I can take off in the middle of the day to horseback ride or go to the gym, because I’ll just work longer that day. However, I have to remind myself to stop working and actually go to bed. Running a small business can be wholly consuming if you’re not careful to set boundaries, and, more importantly, to adhere to them.
 
When I’m not working on Equitrekking, I horseback ride, play tennis with my aunt, bike, run and hang out with my friends. I’ve gotten more into cooking and enjoy attempting to make some of the exotic dishes I’ve tasted abroad. My friends enjoy that too! Of course, I’m always dreaming about the next adventure.
 
Do you do any community service?
I support different organizations like the Equine Land Conservation Resource, which works to conserve land for development for horse riding activities, and donate time and services to similar organizations. Recently, our crew volunteered to film and produce a video about Ride for the Cure Virginia to raise awareness and support for breast cancer research and this special equestrian event. We participated and filmed the ride, making a video and putting it online to drum up support for Ride for the Cure. We’re working on a longer video now to raise awareness about the Red Church in Turkey, a historic 6th century church that has been listed on the World Monuments Fund watch list of the 100 most endangered sites.
 
What is it like collaborating with your husband on Equitrekking?

My friends who are married are astonished that I can work with my husband. It certainly can be challenging, but we complement each other well. We both have such different strengths and talents. Plus, since we’re traveling a lot, it’s nice to share the adventures together.
 
It looks like you have a really fun job, traveling the globe, meeting interesting people, and learning about local wildlife and traditions. Can you share some amusing anecdotes from one or two of your favorite trips?
Because we travel to faraway places and only have limited time and access to many of the destinations we film, we sometimes end up filming things at odd times. I was tasked with a whiskey tasting at eight in the morning in the Scottish Highlands. There can be a few different takes when filming… I lost count of how many on this one occasion…
 
In Alaska, we befriended a local, who took us to her favorite late night salmon bake, followed by a boat ride at 12 a.m. There’s nothing like summer in Alaska where the locals are up at all hours, taking advantage of the sun. It’s so much fun.
 
We film on horseback, so our crew is constantly battling the elements, like a recent hailstorm on top of a mountain in the Canadian Rockies.  Last winter, while filming in Québec, the temperature dropped so far below zero that our tripods, rated for -20 degrees Fahrenheit, froze in action. You just have to laugh and roll with it, as sometimes that makes for good TV too. You can see some of the more colorful behind the scenes events here: http://eqkk.us/bl
 
Where do you see yourself in 10 or 20 years from now?
I see myself continuing on an entrepreneurial path, producing new series and starting new businesses. I’ve got a few other ideas in mind I’ll look forward to exploring in the coming years.
 
If you liked this profile of entrepreneur Darley Newman, take a peek at this Q&A with Gabrielle Bernstein on her career and empowering women.