Today we’d like to introduce you to India Wilkinson.
India, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been an avid equestrian my entire life and have always worked hard to be able to afford my horses. I have built a multiple decades-long career in brand marketing which led me to starting an equestrian marketing agency in 2010. This was the perfect marriage of my horse obsession and my passion for marketing. A few years ago, I was in the market for a new competition horse and was not having any luck finding the right fit going through the typical channels of social media. There were a few websites that people listed their sales horses on, but they were outdated and not very user friendly. I finally thought I had found my new horse and drove to Ocala, Florida from Atlanta to try him. I knew as soon as I sat on him that he was not the horse for me. I was so disappointed, and as I turned the car around to make the 5-hour trip home – I thought how ridiculous it was that I was ready to buy a horse; I was in the horse capital of the world and had no idea what might be available. I remember thinking that if I were looking for a house – I would be able to open an app and see all of the available houses for sale in the area. The lightbulb went on and I googled, “How to create an app” and proceeded to listen to podcasts about how others had created apps all the way back to Atlanta. I shared with my husband what I considered a brilliant idea and he said, “I’m in!” So, we researched app and website developers and decided on someone local to Atlanta and started down the road of building the Mane Street Market app and website. I am not tech-savvy at all, but I had faith that we could make this happen and that we could find the right people to help us. My vision for Mane Street Market became a reality when we launched in May of 2021.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Jeff Bezos said, “It takes 10 years to become an overnight success” and I definitely know what that means now! We started the process of creating the app/website in the Fall of 2019 – having no idea what was about to happen in early 2020. Just as we put a big deposit down for the developer, Covid hit in March, and everything started shutting down. We had to decide quickly if we were going to take the loss of the deposit or just keep going and I’m so grateful we made the decision to power through. It was definitely not easy – I had no idea what we were getting into and didn’t even know the right questions to ask! I kept listening to podcasts, I downloaded app developer books, I watched YouTube so that I could even understand the tech language our developer was speaking. I knew this idea was going to solve a problem in the equestrian world so even though it was a tough road – I kept going. Once we were ready to launch – I truly believed we would instantly have thousands of downloads and every horse seller would want to advertise their horses on Mane Street Market. I learned that even though the methods that equestrians were using were antiquated, changing habits takes a long time, and it was like turning around a cruise ship to help them understand what the industry needed. I stepped back and took the first year to educate the community on who we are and our mission in making their goals to sell horses and acquire new customers attainable. The first people on board were equestrian friends who knew me and trusted me – then the circle grew bigger and bigger. After the first 18 months of steady growth – the app and website absolutely exploded, and we are now considered a trusted source for buyers and sellers.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mane Street Market?
Mane Street Market is an online marketplace for sales of horses and equine services – we have a free app that’s available in the App Store and Google Play as well as our website www.manestreetmarket.com. Our geo-centric technology is uniquely innovative in the horse world. The users can see horses and equestrian services on a map in their area as well as the entire U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland. The app and website were created with the user in mind – keeping it very easy to navigate and the ability to use filters to find exactly what they are seeking. Since I am not a “techy” person -my goal was to create something that was extremely simple and straightforward. Buyers (and anyone who just loves to look at horses!) love it because they can view photos and videos as well as contact the seller directly from the app/website. Sellers love it because it takes just a few minutes to list their ads (some even do this from horseback!) and the process is streamlined which saves them time in their very busy days.
MSM instantly becomes their marketing partner, by sharing their horses/equine businesses on social media as well as encouraging buyers to visit the website and app. We have over 24,000 website views a month, along with 5,000+ app opens. It’s a win-win for everyone! I’m most proud of the integrity of the brand I’ve created – we have built a reputation of having quality horses and businesses on Mane Street Market as well as attracting reputable buyers. I absolutely love when I see one of our advertisers who has engaged a new client or when a new equine partnership is made after connecting through MSM. My favorite part is knowing that we also played a small part in the achievement of their goals.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Perseverance is the reason Mane Street Market is successful. There have been some really hard times and all of them have been out of my control. I learned that apps and websites crash for no apparent reason… that human behavior cannot be predicted… and that there is no room for emotion when building a business. I’ve learned that if you ride the highs too long, you will also ride the lows. I have been very intentional to celebrate the wins quickly and getting back to work and to do the same when a challenge arises. You also have to have a solid belief in your idea or product – there are going to be people who distract you from your vision. I love to listen to the podcast “How I Built This” and highly recommend to all entrepreneurs. The stories of their mistakes, failures, challenges and ultimate successes are so inspiring and help me to stay focused and keep moving forward. It’s my mission to serve the equine community to the best of my ability, and connecting equestrians through Mane Street Market is incredibly rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.manestreetmarket.com
- Instagram: @manestreetmarket
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manestreetmarket
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/manestreetmarket
Image Credits
Amber DeSantis Photography for headshot and with me holding the phone
