See that little girl. That was me. Not really me, but it might as well have been.

I always wanted to be a cowgirl. They have spirit. They’re bold, courageous, independent. They rein in their fears and rope their dreams. Who wouldn’t want that?

But I didn’t grow up on a ranch. I grew up in New York. I took that tenacious can-do spirit to Madison Avenue. I needed it. Being a young woman in a Mad Men’s world wasn’t easy. Eventually, I rose to become a creative director for a global ad agency. I  had the opportunity to work on some of the world’s most iconic campaigns, and left an indelible mark on popular brand culture. 

And then something left an indelible mark on me. 

After hearing an inspiring story on NPR about the American cowgirl, I left the ad world and found myself in Montana, Wyoming and Texas filming a documentary about their lives. 

I interviewed strong, persevering, remarkable women. Women who were proud stewards of the land. Something that deeply speaks to me. 

I’ve always had a fierce love for the natural world. I’m also an advocate for empowering girls. My two passions came together in this book, which came to me in a luminous dream. 

But that’s a story for another time.

Barbara is a storyteller, writer, filmmaker, Earth protector, and mom. She developed a girls’ leadership workshop, based on the principles of cowgirl spirit, and was part of the think tank that inspired the Fred Rogers Center for Children’s Media and Education.

She lives in the Berkshires of Western, Massachusetts with her family, where you can find her walking riverbanks, roaming the forests, and wrapped in a blanket under the stars, but only if it’s warm enough. This book is her love letter to Mother Earth and all of her daughters.