Female Disruptors: Rancher Brianna Markum-McClain On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be confident: People will walk all over you if you aren’t confident and sure of yourself. In my personal and professional career, I have learned that people will mistake a lack of confidence as a weakness, and use it against you. There have been many times when I have had to flag a roping (to make sure the header has a legal catch, and to make sure all rules of the arena are followed). Just like any sport, sometimes contestants do not agree with the flagger’s call. You must be confident in your call and stand behind your judgment.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brianna Markum-McClain.
A fourth-generation New Mexico cowboy and a contender on season 3 of INSP’s “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown,” Brianna is a powerhouse boss like her late father. She has been known to make grown men cry. On top of her full-time job managing a major convention center, Brianna also operates her own rodeo company with her husband and still finds time to rope competitively. She qualified for the 2020 World Champion Rodeo Alliance and won the Original Team Roping Heading Finals. At this point in her career, Brianna has won so many buckles she has started giving them away.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I have been on horseback since my earliest childhood memories. I was raised on a ranch, so rodeoing competitively was part of a package deal. I am a fourth-generation rancher and rodeo contestant (This path was less of an option and more of a requirement). My grandfather was a calf roper, and passed this skill down to my father, and I was lucky enough to learn from them both. While other kids were hanging out after school, my younger sister and I were either taking care of livestock, or we were in the practice pen becoming one with the livestock. I was so dedicated to the sport; I kept a roping dummy in my bedroom.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Being a lady in the rodeo industry is tough, much less being a female stock contractor. I believe you must be ten times tougher than a man; there is always someone questioning your knowledge and skills. You must have a tough exterior and be mentally strong. There aren’t many western female role models for ladies to look up to in the ranching and rodeo world, and I want to set the best example possible for those young girls. I want to spread the message that it is okay to be a leader and to be different; you don’t have to take no for an answer.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh goodness, picking one mistake is challenging! When I was a kid competing in junior rodeos, it was common to ask an opposing contestant what the barrier score was for roping events. In my case, I was asking for the breakaway and team roping events. The barrier, in the simplest of terms, is a way to make the event as fair as possible and allows the calf/steer a head start out of the chute. Asking for the barrier score was a way to judge how fast or slow my horse and I could leave the roping box without breaking the barrier or being the first out of the box before the calf, which would result in a time penalty. One mistake I made in my greener days is probably the time we were competing at a rodeo in Sonora, Texas. I proceeded as I normally would and asked a friend for their opinion on the barrier start. It was then that I learned it is always better to see for yourself than to put your success in the hands of an opponent, or even a friend. This person was not truthful in their response, and it ended with me being less successful in that event.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My dad has always been a huge mentor to me. Unfortunately, I lost my dad in 2014 and it was absolutely devastating, to say the least. To this day, I still ask myself, “What would dad tell me?” Dad always knew exactly what to say to either cheer me up or motivate me to do better. He is the reason I strive for success in and out of the arena. I have had some others in my life that have helped me tremendously, such as my husband Bobby; he really knows what to say when I am, as I say, “Having a moment!”
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
First and foremost, I believe there is a time to be disruptive and a time not. People must be ready to accept the disruption. I believe right now is the primetime for ladies involved in ranching and rodeo to elevate themselves in this industry. I want young ladies to know and have hope that they can do anything they set their mind to. The sport of rodeo has already begun this exact disruption. Look at the success that the lady breakaway ropers have had cracking into the pro-rodeo field. This was a huge step for the world of rodeo, and to be honest, we didn’t think it would happen. The negative pushback was minimal, which tells me that the industry is ready.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Be tough: In the sport of rodeo, you must be tough. I have caught my hand in my rope dally and started bleeding profusely more times than I can count. Toughness is putting some electrical tape on your wound so you can keep roping.
Be a good sportsman: I was in the 9–12 age group in the finals of a competition, when an opposing contestant and I were tied for the ultimate award, the saddle. We each had to tie one goat in the goat-tying event. This would decide who would win it all. I tied my goat the fastest, which means I won the event; therefore, I won the saddle. When we passed each other after the event, I approached him and told him, “Good job!” in the nicest way possible; after all, we were friends. His mother was making a scene, yelling, and telling him that what he had done wasn’t good enough. She wouldn’t even let him talk to me. It was then that I decided that I never want to behave like that. I was taught that you should always be humble, and to be courteous to your fellow competitors, whether you win or lose.
Be confident: People will walk all over you if you aren’t confident and sure of yourself. In my personal and professional career, I have learned that people will mistake a lack of confidence as a weakness, and use it against you. There have been many times when I have had to flag a roping (to make sure the header has a legal catch, and to make sure all rules of the arena are followed). Just like any sport, sometimes contestants do not agree with the flagger’s call. You must be confident in your call and stand behind your judgment.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I am looking forward to hosting some roping clinics in the future. I not only want to focus on roping, but also instill the right attitude in the people that are wanting to learn. I am also hoping to expand my business for selling consignment team roping horses.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
One of the biggest challenges faced by women disruptors, is being constantly questioned about your knowledge in a particular field. I believe that there are strong assumptions in my line of work, that because someone is a man, he knows what he is talking about. I find it comical to let a misogynistic man (who assumes a woman will not prevail) fail at a task. I love to be the WOMAN who comes out on top in instances such as these.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
My favorite book is “Hollywood the Hard Way: A Cowboy’s Journey” by Patti Dickinson. This is one of my dad’s favorites; it is such a great story about a young man traveling fifteen hundred miles on horseback just to prove a point. I can relate to this; I have a stubborn side myself. As far as podcasts go, I was recently on the “Cowboy Up Podcast,” hosted by Russel True and Alan Day. That was a great experience; we talked about ranching and roping. Since then, I have started following them and enjoy their conversations a lot.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could start a movement, I would want to give people a better understanding of the cowboy life. There are many misapprehensions of how our animals are treated in this industry. I want to help people understand that these common misconceptions of animal abuse are far from accurate. The horses, cattle, and even the dogs that are along for the ride, are treated like gold. Whether you are a rancher or a rodeo contestant, these animals are our livelihood. We take so much pride in our equine athletes, and the other livestock involved. In fact, it is a common rule of thumb to feed the animals before you feed yourself. I would not have any of the success I’ve had if it wasn’t for the incredible horses I‘ve had along the way. I get to know them, and they get to know me; it is truly a respected partnership.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“If you never break the barrier, you aren’t trying hard enough.” This is something my dad used to tell us when we were younger. It has become a life quote for me. My interpretation of this is, if you aren’t giving it all you have, then you are not doing enough. I use this saying often, and reference it in my professional and personal life.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Facebook: Brianna Markum-McClain
Twitter: @BriannaMMcClain
Instagram: @brimarkummcclain22
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Disruptors: Rancher Brianna Markum-McClain On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.