Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kate Bradley Byars. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kate , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
In 2010, I moved to Fort Worth, Texas, to work for Western Horseman magazine as an assistant editor. Being from the Gulf Coast, I sought ties to my fellow Texas A&M Aggie grads to find community, which led me to connect with Abigail Boatwright. Abby and I were both on the Texas A&M Equestrian Team, and she was in Fort Worth working as an assistant editor for the Paint Horse Journal. There were so many similarities in our learning curve through our careers. Abby went full time freelance years before I did so in 2015, and we kept in touch as friends and colleagues. In 2017, she started talking me into starting an equine media podcast for fellow freelancers like us. And of course, I said yes even though I wasn’t all in just yet.
Writers, editors and photographers that begin their careers on staff have a huge benefit over those that aspire to contribute to magazines but haven’t been part of the full process of creating a story and taking it through the editing process. The Freelance Remuda was born to help those in equine media understand the business, hear from the higher ups like editors and publishers about how to better work with a magazine (or company), and to build a community. Since Abby “strongarmed” me into the initial Freelance Remuda Podcast, we’ve also added The Freelance Remuda Mentorship Program and will launch online courses in 2025.
In addition to providing education for fellow freelance and contract workers in the equine media industry, it’s helped build community. Working on your own, at your computer, can be quite isolating. The Remuda has a Facebook group, meet ups annually at the American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference and at other major equine events.
In addition to navigating how to run a business with a friend, Abby and I faced challenges that have forced us to constantly remind each other this is a passion project turned business. We are monetizing more in 2025, but also keeping our ultimate goal, to elevate equine media, in our sights. The mentees that have gone on to produce magazine articles, and even books, give us such satisfaction. We put in the work to learn this trade and want others to also excel in it. As our tag line says, when we help each other, everyone benefits.
Kate , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
It’s rare to start your career in one field and maintain that for two decades through a number of different positions, but I’ve utilized my agriculture journalism degree to cultivate my career. I’m a prime example of taking your passion and creating a means at which to earn a living through it, though I have two, photography and horses. When my brother began hippotherapy – physical therapy through horseback riding – I was a jealous 6-year-old that also wanted to ride. That launched a lifelong love of riding, showing American Quarter Horses most all of my life. The AQHA Journal and other horse journals became the base for my future career as a writer and equine photographer. I attended Texas A&M University to take part in their agriculture journalism program, which also put emphasis on equine sciences classes. During my time at Texas A&M University, I doggedly pursued a field that allowed me to be involved in the equine industry as a writer and photographer.
I began my publishing career in 2010 as an assistant editor with Western Horseman. Through life changes, I became a full time freelancer in 2014. Over the years, the American Quarter Horse Journal, Western Horseman, Quarter Horse News, Barrel Horse News, Paint Horse Journal, Chrome, Horse Illustrated, Horse & Rider, Young Rider, Western Life Today, The Reiner and Reined Cow Horse News, and several others published articles with my byline and photographs. In addition to those written works, my photographs have also been used in advertising for major equine brands like Kimes Ranch Jeans, Platinum Performance, Troxel Helmets, and Anderson Bean and Rios of Mercedes Boot companies. Being immersed in the equine industry for nearly 15 years puts me in the unique position to have a core memory of how brands and magazines have evolved, and I’ve done my best to move with them. I love sharing other people’s stories through the written word and photography, and that drives me to continue to cultivate ideas to showcase the horse industry in a positive light, highlighting people like me that sincerely love horses. My job has allowed me to travel the U.S., and the world, to photograph horses and visit horse people. It’s been the biggest blessing outside of my friends and family.
After serving as the communications manager for National Reined Cow Horse Association from 2020 to 2022, and also as managing editor of the NRCHA’s Reined Cow Horse News, 2023 saw me step back into a full-time freelance role. Now, my focus is on managing Kate B Creative, my writing, photography and media branding company. I juggle five social media clients, manage communications for the non-profit Boss Mares, Inc., which was co-founded in 2023 with Anna Morrison and Patti Colbert to bolster female entrepreneurs in the Western industry, and also co-host The Freelance Remuda Podcast. All of my work, paid freelance and also passion projects, go back to utilizing my education and experience to elevate our industry.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
If Abby and I weren’t married to two great guys, you would think we were destined to be together, and in many ways, we are! We both grew up riding horses; we both grew up with a love of reading; we both attended Texas A&M University and graduated with Agriculture Journalism degrees; we both rode on the Equestrian Team. Had I not moved to Fort Worth to work for Western Horseman, The Freelance Remuda would not exist. I remember Abby from college, but we didn’t travel in all the same circles back then.
Two girls in Fort Worth, which is a small town disguised as a city, easily crossed paths, and we had common ground at horse events and live music venues. A few years after we both began working as freelancers full-time, and we began rooming together at equine media conferences together—where we started to realize how much we aligned on our approach to being professionals in our field. As we talked regularly about our challenges in this niche field, Abby pitched the podcast.
One of my jobs prior to going full-time freelance included producing a podcast. I was familiar with recording and editing. Abby knew that I was not a huge fan of the entire process but her enthusiasm and dogged determination to help other freelancers had me set aside my animosity for editing audio to kick-start our podcast. Since then, we’ve grown as business partners and friends, much more so than if we were simply former teammates that reconnected.
We share daily conversations on a multitude of channels – Instagram, text, Facebook Messenger and calls. We run the gamut of discussing the equine media industry and our work, to talking about the latest book, to my stories of the sassy red mare I ride, and hearing about her kids. We’ve truly connected on multiple levels, but always go back to our passion, which is the Freelance Remuda.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
There is no other podcast that speaks to the equine media niche. Yes, there are podcasts for photographers. Yes, there are writing podcasts. A podcast for those working specifically for horse magazines? No. Our audience is small but dedicated, similarly to the readership for the major equine publications.
Writers have to be knowledgeable about the horse, the type of riding and the industry as a whole. We both have a lifetime of owning or riding horses, and working for reputable equine magazines on staff, which helped us to gain a reputation for quality writing and photography. Our names carried The Freelance Remuda, and our connections helped bring experts in their areas to the listeners as guests.
We’ve been in this industry for more than a decade – 15 years now for me – so we have an idea how to navigate even the most troubled waters. Equine media is ever evolving, and we do our best to bring new guests to keep listeners up to speed. Our listeners know that we are as invested in the state of media as they are because it is our first job and first love. The Freelance Remuda may not pay all our bills, but it is filling our hearts and bolstering others in the equine media field.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freelanceremuda.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freelanceremuda/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freelanceremuda
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@freelanceremudapodcast
