Ride First, Learn Later: How Female Cowboy Thinking Will Fuel Your Success

In a world of polished personal brands and endless screen time, the cowboy archetype offers a different kind of leadership model: resilient, values-led and unafraid of risk. For ambitious women, “cowboy thinking” isn’t about aesthetics – it’s about backing yourself, exploring new ground and claiming space without apology.

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“When you embrace the spirit of exploration in your career, new discoveries will take you to unexpected places.”

In an era when so many of us are focusing our work and leisure time on digital and screen-based pursuits, it might seem surprising that our culture is increasingly dominated by one of the most outdoorsy, plain-speaking and adventure-seeking figures around: the cowboy.

Although the stereotypical image of a cowboy is a man, women were also deeply involved in ranching work back in the days of the Wild West, riding horses and roping cattle along with the boys, and among the entrepreneurial cattle barons there were also some extremely successful and wealthy cattle baronesses.

And there’s something about the cowboy way of life that seems to be particularly resonating with women at the moment. From Beth Dutton in Yellowstone, and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter to CMAT’s ‘I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby’, women are showing that the cowboy way of life isn’t just for the boys.

Perhaps it isn’t actually surprising after all: when our lives are increasingly governed by the tyrannical glowing screens in our pockets, there’s something incredibly appealing about the idea of setting off on horseback with nothing but your most essential possessions in your saddlebag, ready to explore wild landscapes and face unknown dangers, experiencing nature at first-hand and not through a VR headset.

So how can the cowboy way of life inspire the modern businesswoman? As an editor and writer running my own publishing services business, I have a few ideas about that to share with the AllBright community.

Follow your own Cowboy Code

The Wild West was not entirely lawless, but law enforcement was patchy to say the least, and cowboys had to rely on their own resilience and the camaraderie of fellow travellers when they were out on the trail.

A true cowboy will always go the extra mile to protect the herd, and always keeps their promises. If you take the time to map out your own guiding values, and you do your best to stick to them in your business dealings, you’ll be a cowboy in the best sense of the word.

Dress for success

I’ll be honest: as someone who works from home, I don’t exactly jump into a tailored business suit every day of the week. But there’s something to be said for choosing clothes that make you feel great and ready to exceed your clients’ expectations. For a cowboy, that means wearing boots designed to give you the perfect ride and a broad-brimmed hat to protect you from the elements and show the world you mean business.

For me, it’s more a case of always showing up to my desk in something that would look professional on a Zoom call (the bar being ‘not pyjamas’). Take inspiration from the cowboys and dress for comfort and practicality with a healthy dose of swagger built in.

Switch up your soundtrack

Music has a powerful influence on our moods, with happy, upbeat tunes increasing the production of dopamine, and soothing melodies producing a calming effect and reducing stress levels. In my working life, I find music lifts me out of my ‘office brain’, reminding me of other times and places, like parties, holiday trips and gigs where I’ve seen musicians performing live. The right soundtrack will give you energy to take on the working week in style, and the cowboy world has a treasure trove of great songs to get your toes tapping as you prepare to face your inbox.

From the high-speed twanging of Kentucky bluegrass to the infectious beat of ‘On the Road Again’ by Willie Nelson and the longing of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, there’s a song to lift you out of any creative block and get your toes tapping.

Explore new horizons

The biggest draw of cowboy life for a city girl like me is the idea of a vast, open landscape to explore. Yes, there will be dangers in the form of unpredictable weather, poisonous snakes and fast-flowing rivers, but the reward of getting to the end of the journey is well worth striving for, and the journey itself will be unforgettable.

In business, unmapped territories may be more commercial than geographical, but there’s nothing quite as satisfying as starting out on a new adventure in your working life. It could be contacting a new potential client, learning a new skill or branching out into a new sector. When you embrace the spirit of exploration in your career, new discoveries will take you to unexpected places, and that can only be a good thing.

Unleash some outlaw energy

Though the cowboy code helps us work together successfully, the West wouldn’t be Wild without some outlaw spirit, and life is more enjoyable when you make your own luck and carve out your own path, even when other people doubt you.

You might not go quite as far sharpshooter Belle Starr (1848–1889), whose eventful life involved horse theft and bootlegging, but you can ride into town and claim space for your own business endeavours without being put off by gatekeepers who might try to keep you down. This could mean, for example: offering to take the lead on a project in order to build your portfolio, giving your input in a meeting without waiting for permission to speak, pitching your expertise to potential clients without downplaying any of your previous achievements, or setting boundaries in the face of unacceptable demands.

Finally: Know your worth, and be ready to shoot your shot

I hope these tips will help bring a little extra ‘yee-haw’ into your business life, encouraging you to climb up in that saddle and lasso every exciting new project that comes your way. Even though the daily routine of office life may seem far from the wide-open spaces and horseback adventures of the cowboy world, embracing the spirit of Annie Oakley is a great way to open yourself up to a more confident and fun working life. After all, singing “Anything you can do, I can do better” before work has got to be good for the ego.

It’s a rodeo out there, and the working world is not without its risks, but when you release your inner cowboy, you’re more likely to make a lasting impression on the people you meet, whilst also giving yourself permission to go out and grab all the opportunities out there.

“Know your worth, and be ready to shoot your shot.”