Welcome to the latest installment of our Equestrian Entrepreneurs series, where we spotlight the diverse stories of professionals building businesses rooted in their passion for horses. Today, we are excited to feature Lauren Friga, the founder and creative force behind Show the Bows.
Based just outside of Philadelphia, Lauren has transformed a lifelong involvement in the hunter/jumper world into a thriving, custom-design brand. A former professional rider who transitioned through the corporate marketing world, Lauren eventually found her niche by blending her eye for design with the traditions of the pony ring. What began as a local fundraiser to cover emergency vet bills for her rescue dog has blossomed into a premier destination for personalized bows.
Lauren’s journey is a masterclass in pivoting passion into a full-time service, driven by a commitment to giving back and boosting the confidence of the next generation of riders. We had the chance to sit down with her to learn more about the art of the Online Interactive Bow Customizer, the importance of industry connections, and the heart behind her designs.
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Mare Media: To kick things off, could you introduce yourself? What is your story and how did this journey begin?
Lauren Friga: My name is Lauren, and I am the founder, CEO, designer, and manufacturer—I basically do it all. I’ve been involved in the horse world since I was three years old, eventually riding professionally and finding love for teaching. About 20 years ago, while working at our local tack shop in high school, Bucks County Saddlery, I started making bows in the back when we would be slow to sell there. That turned into making ribbon belts out of people’s prize ribbons.
The actual company started in 2019 because of my rescue dog. She got very sick and racked up thousands in vet bills. My husband suggested I take the tub of ribbon I had in my basement and advertise bow sets for $20 to help raise funds for her care. I posted a picture of a Tupperware container with about 30 spools of ribbon on Facebook Marketplace, and that is literally how the company started. Instead of getting rid of ribbon, I ended up buying a lot more.
Mare Media: You mentioned riding professionally and then experiencing burnout. How did you navigate that transition back into the equestrian world through a business?
Lauren Friga: I got burned out really young; by 24, I knew I wanted horses to be a part of my life, but in a calmer way. I went into the corporate world, working in all business categories but specializing in marketing and trade show coordination. When COVID-19 hit, I was furloughed, which gave me the space to think about how I could go back to doing something I loved yet be different in the bow market. I didn’t want to just be another bow on a shelf; I wanted to focus on custom, special pieces. Now, the bows keep me in the horse world, and I’m learning to love it again as an amateur. It feels like an escape now rather than a job and I find myself having FOMO a lot!
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Mare Media: Your Customizer tool is a huge part of your website. What inspired that, and what is the creative process like for you?
Lauren Friga: The idea for the customizer popped into my head one night during the COVID lockdowns. I’m self-taught in Photoshop, and I’ve always had an eye for design. It is a lot of work—I get the ribbon, fold it, photograph it, Photoshop it, and then upload it. My husband calculated that there are about 56,000 different options on there now.
Creatively, I tend to be more reserved and traditional, but my customers give me confidence to try wilder designs. Sometimes I’ll see a request and think it’s too much, but then it sells out in seconds. I also do “Bows of the Week” every Wednesday at 7:30 PM, which usually sell out within minutes because they are ready to ship and it’s my time of the week to be creative myself and put something together which is so much fun.
Mare Media: Who makes up the “Show the Bows” team?
Lauren Friga: My team is my family. My best friend, Jess, handles monograms and pony portraits; she can even custom-print ribbon, which is incredible. My dad is the best for my business based guidance because he has been so successful himself and he even cuts ribbon for me and helps me with errands, my mom helps with designs and organization because she has the best eye for that and detail, and my husband is my main support system. They are all always available to help me run errands or go pick something up that I forgot I needed, usually always last minute being true business saviors!
With also having my greatest gift, my toddler, I even have close friends jump in to help entertain him if I need a rush order done or anything like that! I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by this support and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember that. Other than that, I handle making all the orders, every inquiry, and all the customer service myself. It’s really hard to stay organized for how many ways a customer can contact you now with social media and I always try so hard to answer as fast as I can – realizing I truly don’t ever ‘turn off’.
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Mare Media: You offer a unique Virtual Appointments service, how do those work?
Lauren Friga: Since I have a toddler, it’s hard for me to travel to every horse show, so virtual appointments allow me to see people face-to-face. We get on a 30-minute video call to discuss their ideas. It’s much easier than messaging back and forth for days. During these calls, I can show them ribbon I haven’t even uploaded to the customizer yet, and we can create a full Photoshop mockup of exactly what they want.
Mare Media: What is the biggest difference you’ve found between working in the corporate world versus the horse world?
Lauren Friga: In the corporate world, you’re in a bubble, doing a structured job on paper. In the horse world, there’s no bubble you can’t pop. You cross paths with so many different people, from local riders to celebrities, and everyone is just having a normal conversation about horses. It’s not a “9-to-5” environment; it’s more like a horse—you can have a schedule, but you have to be ready to drop everything and “hurry up and wait”.
Mare Media: What advice would you give to another equestrian looking to start their own business?
Lauren Friga: First, don’t be afraid to take a step back from horses to figure out where your passion actually lies so you don’t get burned out. Second, use your contact list. This world is massive but also incredibly small. The connections you make when you’re 10 or 15 years old stay with you. Many of the trainers I grew up with now send their new students to me for bows because they know me and trust my work. And, it’s let me have the same friends from way back when!
Mare Media: Looking ahead, where do you see the business in the next few years?
Lauren Friga: I never even thought I’d be here today, so I’m just very humbled. My goal is to eventually have more help with production so I can focus on marketing and traveling to shows without delaying current orders. However, I never want to grow so big that I lose that personal, custom service. I love being part of the stories—like a student surprising their trainer with “Thank You” bows for Pony Finals. If I can give a kid a little extra confidence when they walk into that ring, that’s the most important thing to me.
We hope you loved this feature in our Equestrian Entrepreneurs series! A huge thank you to Lauren for taking the time to sit down with us and share her journey. Her story is such a great reminder of how passion, a strong community, and a little creative ingenuity can turn a side project into an amazing full-time career.
Make sure to follow @showthebows on Instagram for their latest drops, and head over to showthebows.com to play around with their customizer and order your dream set.
Photos provided courtesy of Lauren, captured by @mokennmedia.
Know another equestrian business owner we should feature next? We’d love to hear from you! Email your nominations to hi@maremediaco.com.