Her Story
About Stephanie
Stephanie Preston has spent over 35 years in the animal veterinary business, with a primary focus on horse racing and high-level equestrian performance sport horses. She earned her PhD in veterinary epidemiology in 2011 after completing undergraduate studies at Texas A&M in 1987 and has recently audited a series of animal law courses. Self-employed for most of her career under her own umbrella company, she is now transitioning into a coaching model through her organization Stable Influence. This new direction emphasizes liminal thinking and life coaching skills that connect humans and animals through education, retreats, and experiences. Earlier in her career, she worked as a jockey for approximately 8 years. She also volunteers with animal shelters, humane societies, and equine rescues while maintaining a passion for teaching and mentoring, particularly women pursuing professions involving horses.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Stephanie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my number one point that I would attribute it to is education. I've always been driven by wanting to know more, understand more, learn more. I'm also always looking for a mentor. One thing I do know my career has provided is the simple statement always play up when you have an invitation. I'd rather play with smarter people, better athletes, better horse people, because I learn by osmosis. What I've always told my students is when you learn what you don't like, you are fast and furiously ahead in finding your passion because narrowing your scope is as important as really identifying what you truly love.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I have to attribute that to a dear friend named Marvin Boyd. He made a fortune in car dealerships. He told me one day at breakfast, you know, Stephanie, maybe there is a gray area instead of black and white, and the outcome of success is more important than the path to get there. That has been great advice for me because I have had a tendency to focus on the rule says this but it doesn't work for this student. The outcome being successful is much more important than how you get there.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Believe in yourself. Always seek more experienced people that are willing to give you 5 minutes of their time for advice and suggestions. Always reflect on your accomplishments and your defeats, because each defeat isn't a failure as long as you learn something from it and you turn it into a different outcome, and become outcome-focused. Finding your passion and your purpose is going to help you find your dream.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
As the world is changing, mental health is a big issue, and that's partly where my interest in connecting humans and animals to get back to nature. How do you find young women in their teens that got distracted by other things, they're now distracted by their ex, social media, their screen time, the dangers of heightened bullying through the digital world, and that's the biggest competitor to trying to get women feeling empowered and connected.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, openness, transparency, integrity all still matter. But the human connection is still so important despite all of the things. Since COVID and before, technology is driving us all apart. Especially for women, that's why some of the support groups I'm involved with. The human connection is what is going to make the difference between successful, empowered women leaders leading the world and those that get trapped in their own bubble.
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