Val Orr, a 4th generation native of Colorado, grew up on a cattle ranch with three brothers. She was raised with pioneer values, a frontier work ethic, and the grit to stand on her own two feet. When her family business began losing jobs to minority-owned competition because of a taxpayer-funded system based on color and gender, Val chose to speak out and stand up against that kind of discrimination.
Everyone told her to use her gender and just play along. But she wouldn’t. She did not want to work the system in an underhanded way. Val intended to compete fairly on nothing but her company’s own merits.
She took her fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court —three times. And won! National front-page news and high profile TV coverage announced the landmark rulings. Val chronicled this journey and the lessons she learned in her memoir, Bar None.
SHE FOUGHT THE FEDS AND SHE WON!
How one cowgirl fought for fairness all the way
to the United States Supreme Court
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
How to handle an injustice? Do something about it! How and why you should change
the system.
Why growing up on a cattle ranch helped me take on the federal government
How shoveling manure prepared me to handle political BS and legal shell games.
How to know it’s time to get out of Dodge: Why I bought my husband 30 pairs of
underwear and bought myself a one-way ticket out of town.
Why it’s crucial to pass on the values that made our country great.
How to raise a gutsy girl
Lessons from the past build stronger individuals: Learn to apply the power of the pioneer
spirit.
Stop being a pushover: How to stand up, speak out, and get what you want.
Why the U.S. Government should keep its hands off our business
As seen on...
“Accept No barriers!”
Pioneer
Val grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch: ridin’, ropin’, brandin’,
hayin’, fencin’, and shovelin’. She never had a pink saddle or got treated
differently from her brothers, so she expected the rest of the world to treat
her the same way. Raised with a pioneer work ethic, her values demanded
that she stand on her own two feet and never view herself as disadvantaged.
Fairness for her was working hard and earning the right to pursue her own
individual dreams.
Trailblazer
She discovered that her own government had a different view of fairness.
When Adarand Constructors, her family-owned guardrail installation company, began losing jobs based solely on what color and gender of person owned their competition, she chose to speak out and stand up against that kind of injustice. Minority-owned and women-owned businesses got preferential treatment in bidding for government jobs–so Val could have used her gender to win jobs.
But she wouldn’t play along with an unfair system!
She intended to compete on nothing but her company’s own merits. That determination led to a twelve-year legal journey fighting against those unfair rules, culminating in three trips to the U.S. Supreme Court, which resulted in landmark action from the highest court in the land. Val’s story is chronicled in her new book, Bar None.
Now, Val’s mission is “Inspiring others to become pioneers in their own lives and trailblazers in the world.”
Val Orr is a very dynamic and amazing woman. Her whole life has been about taking a stand. Val has written a wonderful book about standing up for yourself, not allowing other people to push you around or fence you in. This is a great story of perserverence and not giving in. Val has a great message in Bar None that I think is very important, a universal message, in who we are, the essence of ourselves to claim our freedom and be the person we are supposed to be. Inspiring! I love it! I highly recommend Bar None. ~Jack Canfield, Co-author of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series and author of The Success Principles
“My only complaint–too short! Bar None by Val Orr had me wishing for
more, much more. It was a wonderful blend of true high-country ranch
life and the grit of a woman who almost single-handedly tried to put right
a law that, over time, went terribly wrong. Her character development at the beginning was essential to gain understanding of where this woman came from, how she was raised, and then became the determined, gutsy, not-to-be-dismissed woman she was in the Supreme Court. With keen wit, wry humor and stark honesty, Val has written a book we should all read, if only to remember what incredibly wonderful rights we have as citizens of the United States of America.”
~Ellen Auchincloss, Tabernash, Colorado
“I don’t usually read memoir, but Orr’s journey from childhood on a Colorado ranch to making legal history prompted me to pick it up. I’m so glad I did! The book’s evocative prose and fast pace swept me along, and I found myself engrossed in Orr’s descriptions of her childhood, so much so I was almost sorry when the story moved to the legal realm. From that point, the book reads almost like a legal thriller and I think anyone with an interest in the politics and legalities of discrimination will find this a fascinating slice of that battle.”
~Laura DiSilverio, Colorado Springs, Colorado
“Youz one kick-ass lady!”
“You’ve a great, tight, fast-moving writing style, and it took me only two sessions to finish it. Lots of humor, drama, and kick-ass cowboy talk.” ~ Stuart Hurlbert, San Diego, California
“A poignantly personal and universal journey. It renewed my belief that one person should, and can, make a difference.” ~ Molly Baker, Lakeland, Florida
“A well-written, inspiring, and moving book about not giving up. Her writing brings you right to the grit and dust and muck of childhood on a Colorado ranch–and with parents who needed her more than she needed them! Valery slowly learns to harness her inner resolve to go up against the Supreme Court of the United States. We don’t have to aim as high to be and feel and think you are special and a winner–but we all can use a boost in courage. I highly recommend this book.” ~Dr. LeslieBeth Wish, Sarasota, Florida
“I am emotionally exhausted–as well as inspired! I don’t know how you did all that you did and survived intact! How amazing that you can be joyful now. Wow–does that ever speak to your grit and character. You are not only a pioneer … but also a survivor!
"I have circled many quotes and explanations in your book to help me in my Utah battle against affirmative action. Every part of the story was interesting to me: the ranch life, the family relationships, the politics.
"Good thing you have strength of character to take care of yourself and bless the generations in your life! There is no way for you to measure the good that you generate.” ~ Senator Margaret Dayton, Orem, Utah
“I found your book so inspiring that I finished it in two days, a rare accomplishment for a lawyer who is inclined to dwell on minutiae. I want you to know how much I admire your courage and tenacity in standing up for what is right against the government establishment.” ~Jim Remmert, Boulder, Colorado
