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Star Tribune Newspaper Article
September 28, 2005
Dick Youngblood: A tracked attraction and horse sense Dick Youngblood, Star Tribune September 21, 2005 BLOOD0921 Lynn Baskfield and Ann Kerr Romberg got together early this year to help folks develop their leadership, communications, teamwork and problem-solving skills in workshops built around -- horses??? Welcome to the latest edition of the Youngblood Anthology of Odd Pursuits, a collection of yarns about folks who have found truly peculiar ways to earn a buck. 'Equine-guided education' Baskfield, 57, and Romberg, 54, got together in February to form Wisdom Horse Coaching, which their literature says offers "equine-guided education for leadership and life." What the heck does that mean? "It means using horses, which are masterful at sensing a person's emotions and behavior, to teach clients to overcome fear and self-doubt and to work together to accomplish goals," said Baskfield, who was trained and certified by the International Coach Federation. She and Romberg, who is certified by the Coaches Training Institute, seek in their workshops to interpret the horses' actions and reactions to clients to provide object lessons that are custom-designed to meet the participants' objectives. Example: The owner of a small business complained that he tensed up when approaching important prospects. He transmitted the same tension to the horse he was handling, and as the animal began to fidget the client was advised to step back, take a deep breath and relax. Result: As the businessman became calmer, the horse immediately quieted, bringing home the larger lesson. Example: Administrators of a college MBA program, who were having trouble developing a leadership component, were given halters and told to attach them to several horses and lead them around the ring. Instead of focusing on gaining the animals' trust, they got stuck on figuring out how the halters worked. Romberg called it "analysis paralysis" that got in the way of solving the problem. The group got the message: Don't overanalyze a problem, whether it's about a horse or a college program. Although their business is young, involving a merger of horse-coaching businesses they started several years ago, revenue is growing by the month and the partners expect sales this year to approach $60,000. They charge $180 for one session with an individual and $300 to $400 a month if the client wishes a continuing consulting relationship. Corporate groups pay $1,700 for a half-day session, $3,000 for a full day. Not everyone buys their concept; Romberg said they confront skeptics "almost daily." But one supporter characterized her experience as "life-changing." Added another: "I can't believe what I've learned about myself with your help and the horses." Both partners had fairly conventional business careers before getting involved in coaching. Baskfield ran a beauty salon out of her south Minneapolis home until repetitive stress syndrome nudged her out of business and into graduate school at the University of St. Mary's, where she earned a master's degree in human development in 1997. Romberg was a longtime IT executive at the St. Paul Companies before her urge to mentor others lured her away from the corporate world. Dick Youngblood can be reached at 612-673-4439 or at yblood@startribune.com.
Wisdom Horse Coaching: transforming the workplace and the world!
Wisdom Horse ® Coaching is based in Minneapolis, MN USA
We can be contacted by Phone 612-823-7022 (Lynn Baskfield)
or by email Info@WisdomHorseCoaching.com
Copyright 2008
Wisdom Horse ® Coaching, LLC
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