Western Life & Style Trailblazers
Western Life & Style Trailblazers
Ep 9: 30 Over 30 Buckle Ceremony Recap
Here's the tea on our first in person 30 Over 30 Buckle Ceremony that was held in conjunction with Women's Rodeo at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.
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welcome to the Western Life and Style Trailblazers podcast. I'm Ally D. This is Nicole Nava James, and we are so excited to be bringing you a new episode today. We had a major event this week and it was so much fun, and it was the first of its kind, and we had our 30 over 30 buckle ceremony. Woo hoo. Yeah, so exciting. Yes, Nicole, you were really the driving force of putting this entire event together. So why don't you kind of take me through what it was like putting this together, having all the women, RSVP, all the things.
Speaker 2:It was exciting. And also, I am not gonna lie, I did get a little starstruck with some of them. You know, they were also, they're all such influential women and so when they were actually contacting me to RSVP, I was like, oh my gosh, did they really just text me or email me right now? These ladies are huge influences in our western world. So that was pretty, pretty, a little like exciting moment. I fangirled for a second.
Speaker:how did we come up with, you know, the game plan for the event? I mean, I know, but tell our amazing listeners what it was like.'cause we were able to partner with an amazing group,
Speaker 2:We were contacted by Women's Rodeo. They have kind of kept their eye on the program for a bit and seen, you know, the growth that we've been doing. The last, um, this is our third year launching this program. So they contacted us, wanted to do a collab, which is amazing. This Women's rodeo is a huge organization, by the way. I mean, they are massive. And so the fact that they even wanted to collaborate with us, that was such a special moment. So I, of course. Like Ellie, we are doing this. And it was the best choice that we ever made, so that was pretty exciting. Um, Sammy, Joe Smith and Lindsey Sumpter, they are two great, amazing, amazing women and they're the ones that kind of helped, um, me and they guided me through this whole process. And, um, on, we chose a day, it was the Women's Rodeo Championship day that we were gonna collab at, and I feel like I can't say this name right. Tana Hills. Tana Hills, we, that is where they decided we were going to host and have our ceremony. So it was our first buckle ceremony.
Speaker:So we have, this was our third year of the Western life and style 30 over 30. And what this is, if you're just new to this, is we, uh, several years ago felt like there needed to be some kind of recognition for the women in the Western and ag community that have spent so much of their life making an impact in our community. And we felt like it was time for them to be recognized because in a lot of like. Entrepreneurial or recognition spaces, oftentimes it's like 30, under 30 or 40 under 40, and we were like, okay, but what about the women who have been out there gritting it out for years and years, decades? So. This idea came to life. I told Nicole about it. You're the one that really made it happen and, um, have been kind of just like the anchor of this entire event year after year after year, and just watching it grow from where it started, which is just literally like a dream. We were like, oh, this would be so great. And you're like, we're doing it. Yeah. You put it together, you put it in action, got the nominations rolling. Um, year one was incredible. Year two was incredible. And then of course, this year, being our first year to host an in-person event where the women who were honored for 2025 actually got to come to an event with their families except their buckles on stage. We got to introduce who they are and why they've impacted the Western community so much, and it was just incredible being on. Stage with you there and reading off every single one of these women's accomplishments, which was literally just mind blowing, all in the same room. And, um, just being able to do that in person and to have that recognition again, not only for themselves, but to be there with their families. Because I know a lot of times, um. Women out there, we just feel like we work our booties off and really get the recognition that we deserve. So it's really nice for our community, the women in our community, to be able to come together and have this kind of recognition. And again, I. It's only three years in the making. So we, um, we were able to have some incredible sponsors this year that jumped on board to, um, like hype up the gifting table. We had so many amazing gifts for them and just companies that are now seeing, they wanna be a part of this as well, and they wanna support this as well because it is so unique and different and no one out there is really doing this. And again, it's just important after working years and years that you feel like. Oh, you just get a little recognition Sometimes, you know, you like, could someone just say my name?'cause I'm over here working my butt off. And so it's been really fun to just kind of have it all come to fruition and see the in-person event, which was so good. Nicole, and by the way, if you guys don't know, Nicole used to be an event. Guru gal. So this was like nothing to her. She could do it in her sleep. I was over here sweating it out, like wondering like, oh my gosh, how is this gonna come together? And she's just like, oh, it's fine, it's fine. I was like, okay, you got this. And literally she had it. I got there. Everything was decorated so beautifully. The signs were made. We had, um. Huge banners that had the winners from every year, which was so neat. So 20 23, 20 24, 20 25. So we were able to post those online and women were sharing their names and you know, from past years that weren't able to make it. But we did have several past winners there. We invited all the classes that have been there so far, and I think that's the plan moving forward, is just to continue to have this celebration of not only the current class. But also the previous class. And again, just a space where the women can welcome their families in and their kids and their husbands, and to just be on that stage and be recognized for all their hard work over so many years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was awesome. Back to the, um, gifting table. I was like, can I take some of these gifts? Because they were amazing. Like our sponsors did such a good job with those gifts. I couldn't believe how many, like the jewelry that was there and the hat. So we had, um, big shout out of course to Women's Rodeo for even hosting the entire thing. But also, um, Alamo Saddle. They are the ones that provide the buckles. They provided the buckles last year. They did for this year as well. And I mean, that's a lot of work. 30 buckles and they're beautiful. I mean, the buckles are so beautifully made, so huge. Shout out to them as well. We had, um, a hat bar set up by ranch, her hat bar, um. They're, um, they've grown so big, they're out of California, and then now they have a Dallas location, so they're pretty amazing. We had Morris K Western furs there. We had, um, rusty Brown. They, um, provided some jewelry and also Montana silversmiths. Oh my gosh, the prettiest turquoise jewelry. They had their, we had LED brand offering some goodie bags and. Ranch raised. Um, they had the coolest journals and teas there. but the, the swag was great. So it was so cool seeing the girls get so excited because they, not only were they getting celebrated, but they get, you know, lots of gifts and they were showing all their family and friends. Um, one of the things that I kind of kept in my brain, and I, it meant like a lot to me is some of the women who were actually there in winners, they, um. They do a lot for themselves. They have their own businesses. Um. They have their own stuff going on, but they are also wives of, of pro athletes as well. And so they said this is the first time that they actually wanna buckle. They're always used to sitting in the seats and watching their husbands get buckles, watching their husbands get, you know, praised watching their husbands kind of being the ones, and they're always supporting them. They always have the kids. And it was so cool seeing the husbands holding the kids and taking care of the kids and sitting in that front row like. Cheering on their wives, you know, as they were going on stage. And that was, you know, Alexis Blumer is one of them. That was so cool. And. Um, Lindsay Broo, you know, they were like, this is so cool that we're having our husbands come to our own event that, you know, was provided for us and just acknowledging all the hard work that we did. So that was, I just wanted to bring that to light because it's true. We don't get praised as much, I guess, or have that one moment where that day is ars and you have to like, you are the one that has to come for me.
Speaker:Yeah, and it was really so great just meeting all these women in person because it's one thing, and I think a lot of them felt this, this, this as well, is like, when you meet someone in real life, it just. Brings such depth to the relationship and the networking and just being able to visit with all the different women and hear their stories and talk more with them and feel like they're part of the family now. Like this is the great thing about Western life and style is it was built strictly to be a, a place for women in our community to feel like they have a spot where they belong. And it's grown into such an amazing thing. And again, just having that in person, I really didn't. Spect, like I was like a little bit emotional. I didn't expect that side to really get to me where I was like, oh my gosh, I've seen you online forever and like now we're meeting and hugging in real life and it's like such a great family. That I feel like we've created, but really that is just growing every single year. So I'm so excited because I know 2026 nominations are gonna be opening, like before we know it, and we start this whole crazy amazing process again. So what, what do people have to do that want to be nominated or be considered? What is that process like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I mean, it's come to my attention that people are freaked out, that we actually don't charge for nomination. So it is free and I want everybody to know that this is a free thing and it can be any age over 30. A lot. Also, um, I was getting a lot of questions asked, like. Can there be 80 year olds who win a hundred year olds, 70 year olds? I'm like, this is not just for 30 year olds. This is not just for 40 year olds. It's for the fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, hundreds thousand, however old you are. If you are above the age of 30, you can qualify for this. Um, so definitely, you know, your friends and family are hopefully loved ones or you know, it, it just kind of spreads like wildfire. Um. You can nominate as many times as you want. We had thousands of nominations to go through this last round. It started with hundreds and no joke, we were reaching thousands now these last three years. So, um, just nominate as many times as you like. There is no limit. Um, as long as they're over the age of 30. That's about it. We want this to be, we want this to be something special for somebody that you really feel like deserves this award. I mean, it's. An easy process as well. You literally just click the link and you answer like, what is it? Like five questions. And that is about it. As long as you can, you know, make sure and really clarify that they are over the age of 30. So yeah, it's super easy peasy and um, once we announce them, I think we'll announce them through social media. Um. And so that's a good surprise'cause we'll release them, you know, like six at a time. And so that kind of gets the anticipation going.
Speaker:Yeah, I love that. And if you're interested in nominating someone, or you wanna read who the past winners were, or you wanna watch a video of the recap of this year, you can go to western life and style.com. And, um, there's a tab that says 30 over 30, all the information's there, as well as there's an article, a recap, article, um, about this year's buccal ceremony. So, yeah, just really exciting. And another thing that I heard a lot of the women talk about is that they love that it was in the Fort Worth. Stockyards and we had people travel here from all over the country Exactly for this event that flew in specifically for this and just made a few days of it going to the stockyards, checking it out. The PBR was in town, so they had a lot of their, you know, activities going on. So it was really fun. It wasn't, you know, just like at like a random hotel ballroom. It was like in the downtown Fort Worth stockyards, which is one of the most incredible places. If you haven't been there and you like anything having to do with Western and cowboy life, the Fort Worth Stockyards has it all. It just really is so fun. All of the shopping, all of the major Western brands are represented there. And so for us to be at the historic Fort Worth stockyards too, just really tied it all together, just. And it wasn't just like, you know, at some random place, it was this really special, historic, legendary location, which these women are legendary. So I felt like it really just encapsulated who they are being a part of, you know, this event and also the event being in the legendary stockyard. So that was really, really fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was, it made it more intimate I thought. Like it was very intimate and that's why I think I got a little emotional, like on my drive back afterwards because I was kind of like listening, you know, to some of their conversations when everybody got their buckles and it was such a proud moment. They were all taking their photos, getting their gifts, and you know, everybody's chatting. And as we were, you know, we were the take down, you know, we're the worker visa this day, so I'm like cleaning up and stuff and listening to the girls. They all became friends. And that's what was so cool is they're like, let's all grab dinner after. Let's all get something. Let's all go for drinks. Let's go shopping together. You know, let's go to the shop stand. And they like all left as a family. Like there were different, like they were leaving as groups together that met these people who they never, they only knew from like Instagram or social media or who they never even met before. And they were all becoming like a family at that time. And that was. I don't know. That's such a special moment. Like we just created a family there and now it's forever. Once you're part of this 30 over 30 Western life and style family, it's forever. And that's so special.
Speaker:Yeah, it really is. And I just to reiterate, I know we've mentioned family a lot, but Yes. Seeing, you know, the women that have never met each other before and some, some of them didn't even know each other online. They were complete strangers and just felt so connected from this experience that now hopefully they have. Some new lifelong friendships that they're making, and it's just, again, really special for us to be able to honor these women who have such incredible backgrounds from being like a stunt woman in, you know, westerns to doctors to, I mean, just such incredibly. Talented women that have made such high impact in this community. It's just been, it's been amazing to be a part of and just, I'm so glad that we were able to get this done, you know, and have like this incredible thing come together.'cause it really truly was amazing.
Speaker 2:Right. We have been asked for a while. Everybody's like, when are we gonna have a, you know, an event? We're like, Hey y'all, this takes time. And what we're we, we are not the biggest company by any means, you know? So again, our sponsors definitely help make that happen. So just now we feel like we can keep moving forward and growing this even bigger and hopefully even better next time. And I mean, it was. It was a dream come true. I'm really proud of us, ally.
Speaker:I know. Go Nicole. You did, you did. Mainly all of it. I will say though, if you are listening and you, um, are a business owner, or you know, someone who's a business owner that wants to be part of this, just shoot us a DM on Instagram. It's at Western Life in style. Um, there is such great opportunity for you to be a part of this event as well. So I just wanna throw that out there because I know like for me. I mean, seeing all the sponsors there, I know how happy they were to be a part of it. And they're like, okay, what are we doing? Like we want more, we want more. So it's just'cause not only is it just like you're sponsoring some kind of ticketed event, like this is again a free event that's honoring incredible women. So I think the sponsors were also really moved by what they saw. So if y'all wanna be a part of it, just shoot us a DM and we'll let you know how to do that. But yeah, otherwise. Time's a ticking. It's almost 2026 nominations. Yes. So Nicole, is there any final thoughts that you have about this or anything else you want add before we say uh.
Speaker 2:List everybody. They are online if you guys wanna see that. There will be more posts going up on social media, um, showing who the winners were. But if you wanna see the full list, you can again, go to western life and style.com, see who all the winners are. Um, just congratulations to them all. I mean, we had from cattle woman to vets to people who write poems to, I mean, business owners. It was this group of women. They're, they're amazing.
Speaker:Just so proud of them all. Truly, truly an amazing group. All of them have been, and I can't wait to see who's gonna be part of the 2026 class. Okay, guys, thank you so much for listening to this episode. Don't forget to follow us on all our social media platforms and subscribe to this podcast because Nicole and I, we love coming on here and getting to chat with you about all things western life and style. All right, we'll talk to you next time. Bye-bye. Bye.