Reflections on Leadership Lessons from the Saddle
By Vicki Mayo, CEO & Founder, TouchPoint Solution
Welcome to Bridle & Boardroom, a monthly reflection where the lessons learned in the arena mirror the challenges of leadership. I’m an adult amateur dressage rider and the CEO and Founder of TouchPoint Solution, a company that creates wearable devices clinically proven to reduce stress and anxiety in seconds. Through horses and leadership alike, I’ve learned that balance, trust, and connection are at the heart of true success – in the saddle, in the boardroom, and everywhere in between.
I started riding horses as a teenager, and from the very first moment, the barn became my refuge. Horses were my outlet, my passion, my peace. I practically lived at the barn. I spent every day after school, every weekend, and every spare moment. I even convinced my parents to buy horse property so I could be closer to the barn while still keeping up with my schoolwork.
By the time I was competing in the Young Riders Series with my horse Picasso, horses weren’t just a passion; they were a plan. I was recruited as top talent with my second horse, Matheus, and spent my time signing up for developing rider clinics and dreaming of the future. I had “Beijing 2008” inscribed on everything. In my mind, I was Olympic-bound.
But on the day I graduated from college at 20 years old, my life took an unexpected turn.
I found two young boys, aged twelve and thirteen, living alone in an apartment. Their parents had been deported, and no one ever came back for them. They were surviving on their own. Without hesitation, I did the only thing that felt right: I took them home with me. In that instant, I became a mother.
It wasn’t a decision that everyone understood. My parents, who had always envisioned a traditional path for me, were devastated. As an Indian daughter, I had already strayed far from the expected script, and taking in two boys who weren’t “mine” made it even worse. They disowned me. They even sold my horse, Matheus, without my knowledge.
I threw myself into raising the boys. I later married a kind Indian man, built a career, and had two biological children of my own. Life was full, yet something inside me always felt unfinished.
In 2019, I found myself back at the barn, this time taking my youngest and only daughter for riding lessons. My husband, seeing the joy it brought me, gently encouraged me to get back in the saddle myself. At first, I hesitated. Could I really go back? Was it too late?
But the moment I swung my leg over the horse, I knew it was never too late.
Fast forward to today: I ride every day. I have an Andalusian rescue named Aiden, a Hanoverian named Talladega, and, thanks to the generosity of a friend, I had the honor of riding Grand Prix movements atop the beloved Pio.
In many ways, I am exactly where I left off, and yet, everything is different. I ride now not just with ambition, but with gratitude. I lead not just with dreams, but with perspective.
Horses gave me my first love, and now, after two decades of detours, they have given me a second chance.
Life has a funny way of leading you exactly where you’re meant to go, even if the path isn’t straight. Sometimes, coming back to where you started is the most powerful leadership journey of all.
About the Author
Vicki Mayo is the CEO and Founder of TouchPoint Solution, a serial entrepreneur, author, and adult amateur dressage rider based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her professional journey has spanned founding and leading multiple companies, while her personal journey has brought her back to the saddle after a two-decade hiatus. Today, she blends lessons learned in the arena with leadership insights from the boardroom, sharing her belief that trust, resilience, and connection are at the heart of true success – in business, in riding, and in life.
