Green-broke Mar 25
Hello equible friends,
The world’s biggest rodeo might have been on in Houston, Texas, but it feels like Queensland’s been giving it a run for its money. Between cyclones, floods, politics, and panic buying — somehow, we’re still kicking.
Welcome to the seventh issue of Green-broke, a monthly newsletter for those interested or invested in coming along for the ride with me. This is a monthly update for you and a routine check point for me, keeping you informed (or more likely entertained by the ups and downs) and me accountable.
Let’s talk about Mad March.
Flawed logic
March was a blur. Not because of how much I worked on equible — quite the opposite. I spent the least time on it since I started.
But it also marked a milestone: the “go or no-go” point in the journey. Do I back myself and keep building? Or do I start polishing the CV and return to the corporate paddock?
I didn’t have to think long. There are a million cliches about moments like this — about grit, timing, or the hero’s journey. But honestly? I don’t have a clean narrative for why I’m still here. It’s just flawed logic and stubbornness.
I’m on the same page as Rip 🤠
Flawed Logic on the Ranch | Yellowstone | Paramount Network
It takes a herd
Even as a “solopreneur,” I haven’t done this alone.
This month, I got a check-in call from a friend who runs a world-class horse breeding, training, and rehab centre, just to throw around some ideas. Another friend connected me with someone who might be a great mentor. Even the trainers at my gym have started pitching in with contacts in the racing world.
I’ve spent a lot of time writing about how isolating this journey can feel — and it is. But there’s no such thing as a business built by one person. If anything, this month reminded me that community isn’t the opposite of solo — it’s the foundation of progress. So thank you to all of you in my community.
Also, fun fact: I didn’t even name equible. That came from someone much more creative than me (don’t worry, I’m trademarking it and becoming more broke as we speak).
Are you backing the right horse?
That’s the cheeky line I end most of my pitches with — a nod to the very real question I ask myself too.
Like most marketplace startups, equible is dealing with the classic chicken-and-egg problem. Do I solve first for the buyer or the seller? How do I create value for both when neither can exist without the other?
There’s no perfect answer, but there is a plan. I’m laying groundwork — validating customer demand, building lightweight tech, refining the value prop for each side. That, and keeping the vision in sight.
Practicing for the Olympics
Speaking of vision: the Queensland Government just announced its plan to turn the Toowoomba Showgrounds into a world-class equestrian centre ahead of the 2032 Olympics.
That gave me a spark.
Because I can see it: riders prepping their profiles, investors backing their favourites through equible, everyday people connecting to the sport in new ways. It’s not a pitch deck dream — it’s a north star.
Vision isn’t about manifesting success. It’s about having a direction. A principle. And quite possibly the reason I’m sticking with it.
Numbers game
Let’s check in on where things stand:
9 months into the journey
6 months of Green-broke
$0 in revenue
$0 in capital raised
$10k in-kind investment
$10k of my own money invested
150 working days (and counting)
The mental game is tougher than the financial one. But I’ve started to believe that my real superpower isn’t solo grit — it’s collaborating, curating, and working with smart, kind people who believe in a bigger and better things for the equine industry.
Including you, if you’re reading this. Thanks for sticking around.
We’ve reached the tail end of the seventh issue, I hope you’ll keep joining me for the ride even when its flawed.
Best,
Emily