Several years ago I worked for a ranch and home supply store, selling feed, tack, fencing, bolts, plants, jewelry, home furnishings and clothing. It was great and I loved every minute of it. I gained a ton of experience and know-how and I spent almost 4 years with this wonderful company. Many of you may know the company as Murdoch’s now, but then it was Ranch and Home Supply, Big R. Shortly before going on my fourth year of working there, I moved. To Sheridan Wyoming. The gentleman I was seeing applied for and was given a job with Padlock Ranch, just outside of Sheridan in a small town by the name of Dayton Wyoming.

Enter, my actual cowgirl year.

Prior to this time I’d spent a lot of time as a farmer/ranchers granddaughter. We didn’t use horses though, and my life seemed empty without them. Yes, we had horses for riding for fun, but honestly, if you don’t have a job to do on a horse, I didn’t think you could call yourself a cowgirl. I still don’t think I’m a cowgirl. I’m somewhere in-between. I’m getting off subject, so let me turn it back around.

During the year I spent working for the Padlock and dating this great guy I listened. Hard! Because as we all know, cowboys have some inventive and lesson teaching sayings. I’m not about to divulge any of them in this post, because that’s going to come up in later entries. I’m just stating a fact. Cowboy sayings are blurted out throughout the day while working cattle or riding or doing any number of other things a cowboy does. So anyway, I listened. And I started to write these sayings down. And for what reason? I wasn’t even sure at the time, I just knew I needed to get them on paper. So many of them were so true and memorable I couldn’t help but to remember them, but others were heard less often and I wanted to be sure to remember them.

After a year of writing these down and compiling quite a list, we moved! I cried! I bawled! I stomped my feet and cursed the system and questioned my faith and I got mad and I’m not even sure I want to go into all the other emotions and thoughts I had. We made the decision to move. I wasn’t happy to say the least, but figured I’d better follow since the U Haul was headed back to Montana.

Enter, my “I’m starting my own business” years.

So, upon arriving back in Montana, I have this huge list of cowboy sayings. What am I going to do with this? About this time I decided to start college, and work towards an A.S.S. degree in Graphic and Web Design. Two years wasn’t enough to really have a grasp on most of the information, but it got me into the door of a local design firm, and I’ve been there for the last two years. We moved back to Montana in 2005. It’s now 2009. There’s a lot of time in-between and I’m sure you’re wondering what happened. Well, I’m not telling. Lets just say a lot of changes, and I’m no longer seeing the same gentleman. Back to the list.

The creative director and his wife, of the firm I’m working at, own a silk screen press. It was sitting in the basement of the office we worked in, gathering dust. Back in May of 2008, they sold it to me and for the next 6 months I taught myself how to use the machine, how to burn screens, how to order t-shirts, how to clean screens….basically a crash course. I made a lot of mistakes, but I learned a ton. Those mistakes are what brought me to where I am today, working on creating a line of clothing, branded by me, screened by me, shipped by me, created by me and sold by me.

There I was, with this machine, and a book full of cowboy saying’s. What do I do now? At the time, I knew I wanted to start some kind of business dealing with clothing, I just wasn’t sure how to even get started. I’m still not sure. I’m still not even sure some days I’m started or moving forward. I’m still learning. About that time, I was joking with a friend of mine about starting a screen printing company and I was really trying to search for a name. One day, during a light-hearted phone conversation with my friend, he happened to utter the words, “O YOU BETCHA!” and a light went off. Why not? I mean, there are crazier names out there for companies, and frankly, UBetcha sticks with a person. We all say it at some point or another and we all laugh when we hear it. UBetcha reminds me of a “go-to-attitude” and it’s bold and full of attitude, but at the same time can be made classy, sassy and utterly feminine. It just works!

Attitude? UBetcha!

Oh wait, maybe, many of you are not aware of my other obsession. Yes, I have more than one. UBetcha T-Shirts. My “shop behind the house” business. I create classy, sassy, rough, tough, rugged, t-shirts. Cowgirls/Cowboys + Buckarettes/Buckaroos + Attitude = UBetcha. If anyone has a chance, check it out. I’ve got some great t-shirts for that special lady in your life. Order yours in time for Mothers Day, May 10th, 2009.

UBetcha Ad in the AgriBusiness Directory