Today, I sat down with twenty-five-year-old, Taylor Hoover. (P.S. I have boots older than her.) Let me start by saying perceptions are often deceiving, case in point, my perception of the small statured young lady on the over-sized leather couch across from me. The couch seemed larger than life and the crackling fire in the stone hearth heating the room seemed to command all the attention, and then the interview began, and it was then in those first few moments that my perception of Taylor blew apart like a wagon wheel in one of those old westerns where the stagecoach is wildly fleeing a holdup by heavily armed bandits. Her stature and age had led my perception astray.I hesitate to try and pinpoint what disintegrated my perception, but she leaned forward, one elbow on her knee, she smiled this infectious smile, and waved her opposite hand in the air and said, “What do you want to know?” Was it the smile or everything that she said from that point forward? I just knew that this girl was a tribal member of the Bourbon Cowgirl and she was about to lay out her case…
As I set my pen in motion, we jumped to age twenty-one, where she noted earning her Master’s Degree in Homeland Security with a concentration in Agricultural Bio Security and Food Defense from Penn State University. There was but a brief pause as she continued to share details of her wedding in the fall of September 2016 as she officially became Mrs. Kevin Hoover. Not skipping a beat, she introduced me to their beloved family consisting of two Rocky Mountain horses, two miniature donkeys, one miniature horse, nine cats, four chickens, and one Shiba Inu. The entire Hoover family currently reside on a thirteen-acre farm in Huntingdon, PA. I scribbled feverishly and grabbed a drink of water!
An entrepreneurial at heart, Taylor, founded K & T Creations, LLC, an international manufacturing company dealing in custom paracord tack and wares with one hundred ambassadors throughout five countries that receive sponsorships thru K & T Creations. K & T Creations will be celebrating its fifth-year anniversary in April of 2021.
(Check it out at: www.kandtcreationsllc.com )
Taylor also is a licensed realtor with Iron Valley Read Estate of Lebanon, PA, and has been selling real estate for the past one and half years, with her ultimate goal of opening her own franchise of Iron Valley in the Huntingdon area.
In the back of my mind, I noted the girl across from me was beginning to fill the room more so than the sofa and fireplace and we moved our discussion to what motivates her. Her response was as smooth as silk, “Other’s success is what motivates me…When I don’t succeed…I am ready to kill (overcome) it.” As any Bourbon Cowgirl tribe member can relate, there is a super power of sorts that lives within each us and within this girl was the power of positivity. Enthusiastically, she related her love of laughter and appreciation of things in life and encouraged us each to grab onto that power.
One of my favorite questions when getting to know someone is the classic, “do you have a spirit animal?” Taylor’s answer did not disappoint as she explained that most people would likely say hers would be a horse and debunked this caricature with an explanation that horses are pack animals, where she is more inclined to tap into the essence of the donkey, the more predatory animal – the protector of her tribe and assets.
Settled in at this point, and allowing the banter to naturally flow, I learned more of Taylor’s thoughts on personal triumphs. She paused with the thought of her most significant accomplishment and explained that her “This Is It” moment has not happened yet, that lots of life changing moments have made her, that she is always looking forward, and truly, the best is yet to come! She agreed that she eats and breathes her career and work, but she never stops enjoying life. I couldn’t imagine we could go any further with zest or passion, but comically, Taylor shared her new found interest in bowling of all things, her lackluster achievement in said sport, and her determination to conquer.
I nodded my head toward the glass and remarked, “How clever,” as she sipped from the Bourbon Cowgirl Mandala stemless glass. “What’s your poison?” I asked. Holding it up to the light she grinned and replied, “Tazo hibiscus tea…not much of a drinker.” I thought to myself that I really could spend all day talking to this person. But not wanting to take up more of her valuable time, I told Taylor we were almost through, just a few more highlights.
When I questioned her about things that might surprise our readers about her, she mentioned being very ill at birth and then a long battle with Lyme disease beginning in high school with residual effects to this day. However, she took the moment to encourage others to “like being better” and “measure yourself against yourself.” I took from that thought that our Bourbon Cowgirl was afforded the opportunity to take something very difficult, made the most of it, and was sharing some valuable advice.
For the first time since the interview began, Taylor sat back in her chair. She laughed as she answered my question as to what her guilty pleasure might be. She explained Dhar Man motivational message videos, the poor acting involved, and that it is something you might need to research for yourself. I have another interview question that asks what advice you would give your seventeen-year-old self. That question can take the interview in a multitude of directions, but Taylor’s was on the lighter side as she would warn her youthful self to: clean out your car because that cup holder thing is going to freak you out! Laughing as I type this, as we can all relate!
We can all agree that there are many layers to the Bourbon Cowgirl. Beautiful, multi-faceted women. These women, vivacious and alive, tend to be dreamers on some level. As they embrace life, they look forward to the new dawn. With Taylor it is a dream of obtaining her pilot’s license, taking said license, and flying back and forth to her beach home she plans on having one day. I would not be amiss to agree with Taylor’s three self-descriptive adjectives: CONFIDENT, POSITIVE, and MOTIVATED. With this one, I have no doubt she will get her wings.
I noticed the crackling fire in the fireplace was now mere embers and I had used up my time. We parted on a positive note as Taylor ended with what she is most grateful for today and she exclaimed with that infectious smile, “Life Itself!”
Writer’s note: I am afforded an exciting opportunity to meet people and then share their stories. I am excited to take this journey with you and in a time such as this, I am ready to share beautiful souls, positive vibes, and something we as women can celebrate ---- that being one another. I want to thank Taylor for her time, her thoughts, and for sharing her story.
I am heart. I am soul. I was born to love. I was born to thrive. I love my God. I nurture. I create. I cry. I hurt. I die. But through it all I continue to try. I live out loud. The world is my canvas. My dearest friends, my tribe. I am the Bourbon Cowgirl.