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Business
Mark Jewell
As leaders, everytime in life we become the most resentful, it is always because of the times in life we have been the LEAST intentional. This podcast is created as a resource for leaders in agribusiness to learn what it takes to lead with intention. We interview leaders from all around agriculture, learning their take on intentional leadership and what they are doing to bring intention to their teams and organizations.
The Importance of Investing in Your Health with Jason Walters
Jason Walter, founder of National Land Realty, has extensive experience in both land development and land brokerage. From 2003-2007 he headed acquisitions for land development projects totaling more than $300 Million in 31 different states. This was accomplished while serving as Vice President of Business Development for RealtiCorp from 2003-2005, a South Carolina based commercial land developer and as Vice President of Heritage Green from 2005-2007, a Residential Land Development Company headquartered out of Australia.In 2007 Walter founded Carolina Land Realty and by 2012, Jason expanded his vision by turning Carolina Land Realty into National Land Realty. National Land is a Land Brokerage with a national footprint. In 2022, National Land sold over $1.4 BILLION in land. Mr. Walter holds BS and MA degrees from Clemson University. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and Realtor Land Institute. He enjoys watching football at his Alma Mater, fishing at one of his favorite spots and spending time with his wife, Emily, and son, Rocco.Key Takeaways:Being intentional means having a purpose and being proactive in all aspects of life.Surrounding yourself with the right people is crucial for success and creating a positive culture.Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and setting 90-day goals can drive growth and keep employees motivated.Building relationships and showing genuine care for others is essential in the real estate industry.Quotes:"To be intentional means you have purpose.""If you don't give people a path to grow, they're going to leave or you're going to wish they had left.""Culture is a combination of a bunch of good people working together.""Surround yourself with people that are better than you.""Your physicality and your faith are key to keeping your energy up and staying productive."
37:1015/01/2024
The Importance of Building Strong Relationships with Sean Arians
Sean Arians discusses the importance of intentionality in both personal and business endeavors. He emphasizes the need to think about the desired outcome and make sure that the time and effort invested are worth it. As a leader, he believes in the importance of building strong relationships and effective communication, especially in a remote work environment. Sean also shares insights on attracting and retaining talent in the agribusiness industry.Key Takeaways:Intentionality involves thinking about the desired outcome and ensuring that the time and effort invested are worthwhile.Effective communication is crucial in a remote work environment, and leaders should be intentional about connecting with their teams.Building strong relationships and networks outside of your immediate team can provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth.Employees should take responsibility for their own growth and be proactive in seeking out learning opportunities within the company.Culture is important in an organization, and leaders should be intentional about creating a positive and inclusive culture.Quotes:"Intentionality is really stopping to think about what are you doing and what do you intend the outcome to be." - Sean Arians
40:0712/01/2024
To Be Intentional is Human with Emily Negrin
Emily Negrin is Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Inari, the SEEDesign™ company leveraging A.I. and multiplex gene editing technology with plants to meet the food system needs of the future. Her broad food and agriculture experience helps Emily foster relationships with stakeholders across the value chain to bring forward sustainable solutions from Inari. Her award-winning work is backed by 20 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, communications and marketing with a focus on the agriculture industry. Fom campaigns that connect consumers to the farms that help put food on their tables, to making cutting-edge technology more understandable throughout the value chain, Emily has built her career around fostering relationships and breaking down complexities. Summary:Emily discusses the importance of being intentional in leadership and how it relates to being human. She emphasizes the need for leaders to create a genuine and inclusive culture within their organizations. Emily also shares her experiences in overcoming hurdles as a leader and the importance of vulnerability in building strong teams. She highlights the significance of supporting and empowering team members to achieve their goals. Emily also touches on the challenges of balancing work and personal life and the importance of self-care.Key Takeaways:Being intentional in leadership means being human and creating a genuine and inclusive culture.Leaders should involve their team members in defining the company culture to create a sense of ownership and connection.It is important for leaders to be vulnerable and honest about challenges and mistakes to create a safe space for their team members.Supporting and empowering team members to achieve their goals leads to personal and professional growth.Balancing work and personal life requires open communication and understanding between partners.Quotes:"Being intentional is about being human and focusing on how to be a good human." - Emily"Success isn't about never failing, it's about always getting back up." - Emily"Everyone's probably trying their best, and if you can help them be their best, you're both going to win." - Emily
40:5610/01/2024
The Importance of Generosity with Mike Borel
Mike J. Borel is an accomplished business consultant, visionary and strategist who brings both client and direct success in improving competitive position, increasing sales and profit, and enhancing stockholder value. He has revitalized, streamlined and turned around organizations to generate positive cash flow, increase market share, improve productivity and reduce costs. During his executive career, Mr. Borel has applied common sense and business skills to lead teams in outperforming competitors in sales and profits in every position he has held (President & COO Valent Americas; Chairman & CEO Novazone; Business Manager DuPont Europe, Middle East, Africa; General Manager DuPont Australasia; etc.). Mr. Borel is now “enabling remarkable results” for clients by helping identify and implement winning strategy and enabling successful, high-impact critical decisions.Mike Borel emphasizes the importance of being intentional in both personal and professional life. He believes that having a clear purpose and being focused on each activity is key to success. Mike also discusses talent retention in the agriculture industry and shares how Context Network attracts and retains employees through flexibility, exciting projects, clear metrics, and a safe environment for sharing ideas. He highlights the significance of building a culture where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts and experiences. Mike also shares his personal achievements, including growing businesses and making a positive impact through volunteer work.Key Takeaways:Being intentional means having a clear purpose and focus in both overall goals and daily activities.Flexibility, exciting projects, and clear metrics are important factors in attracting and retaining talent.Building a culture where everyone feels safe to share their thoughts and experiences is crucial for success.Personal achievements, such as growing businesses and making a positive impact through volunteer work, bring fulfillment and satisfaction.Quotes:"Being intentional means having a purpose both overall and for each activity.""Making it safe for everyone to share their views, thoughts, and experiences is the most important element of culture." - Mike Borel"You can never expect better behavior from people reporting to you than you demonstrate yourself.""Having a plan and knowing what you want to accomplish is key to maximizing productivity.""Culture is like raising a newborn baby. You have to feed it and address issues when they arise." - Danny Meyer"Giving is the right thing to do. It's important to make a positive impact in the world.""Reading books on strategy and leadership helps in personal and professional development."Book Recommendation: Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership by James A Autry
35:2808/01/2024
Pro Tips on Communication and Feedback with Hollie Bunn
Hollie Bunn is the Interim Chief Executive Officer at Growers Edge. She previously served as Executive Vice President/Chief Lending Operations Officer and is the architect of the company’s embedded financial software and services products. With Hollie’s leadership, her growing team has built a revolutionary platform for the ag industry while furthering the company’s mission to help the ag industry adapt and thrive. Bunn is an enthusiastic 30-year veteran of the ag finance industry in the Midwest, having been an instrumental leader at Farm Credit, where she held various positions, including Vice President of Sales Strategy and Regional Vice President. She is a proud proponent of Women in Ag and supports and serves with the local FFA, 4-H, and beekeeping clubs. Hollie’s energy is both infectious and boundless making her an excellent strategic leader for Growers Edge. When she’s not meeting with her team, funders, or current and future partners, she’s active in the gym, hiking, building a new home on her family’s farmstead, and managing several thousand honeybees in southwestern Ohio. It has been said. "To be successful, one has to be one of three bees: the queen bee, the hardest working bee, or the bee that looks to the future,” Hollie exudes traits of all three. Hollie Bunn, interim CEO of Growers Edge, joins Mark to discuss the importance of intentionality in both personal and professional life. Holly emphasizes the need for self-awareness and persistence in achieving goals. She also shares her philosophy on work-life balance and how she integrates her personal and professional selves. Holly highlights the challenges and strategies for talent retention in the AgTech industry and the value of feedback in personal and professional growth. She also discusses the importance of communication and connection in a remote work environment. Holly shares her insights on developing managers and creating an intentional culture within organizations.Key Takeaways:Intentionality involves thought and focus in approaching activities, both personally and professionally.Work-life balance is achieved by being fully present in each domain and intentionally switching between them.Talent retention in the AgTech industry requires understanding individuals' aspirations and aligning them with organizational goals.Feedback is a gift that helps individuals stay true to their desired impact and improve their performance.Remote work requires intentional communication and connection to maintain a strong team dynamic.Developing managers involves providing coaching and feedback, as well as encouraging them to connect with employees outside their department.Creating an intentional culture involves sharing personal values, seeking feedback, and aligning organizational goals with employee aspirations.Quotes:"Being intentional means it's not haphazard in the way that I approach what I'm doing." - Holly Bunn"I want to be fully present when I'm at work and very focused on what I'm doing there and the exact same thing when I'm not at work." - Holly Bunn"Feedback is a gift. It keeps me true to the person that I want to be." - Holly Bunn"Remote work requires intentional communication and connection to maintain a strong team dynamic." - Holly Bunn"Creating an intentional culture involves sharing personal values and aligning organizational goals with employee aspirations." - Holly Bunn
34:0805/01/2024
How to Build Future Leaders with Mark Waschek
Mark Waschek is the President at Ag1 Source, a company that specializes in placing talent within agribusiness companies. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, Mark has helped numerous organizations find the right talent and develop effective succession plans.Summary:Mark Waschek emphasizes the importance of being intentional in leadership and shares insights on how to retain talent in agribusiness. He highlights the need for leaders to have a long-term perspective and focus on building systems that support the growth and development of their employees. Mark also discusses the misconception around work-life balance and explains that employees are more interested in having a sense of purpose and opportunities for growth within their roles. He suggests that leaders should have regular two-way conversations with their employees to understand their career goals and provide them with a clear career path. Additionally, Mark emphasizes the significance of recognizing and appreciating the efforts of employees, as it contributes to their engagement and loyalty to the organization.Key Takeaways:Being intentional in leadership means having a long-term perspective and building systems that support the growth and development of employees.Employees are more interested in having a sense of purpose and opportunities for growth within their roles than just work-life balance or compensation.Regular two-way conversations with employees about their career goals and providing a clear career path can help retain talent.Recognizing and appreciating the efforts of employees contributes to their engagement and loyalty to the organization.Quotes:"Intentional to me ties into the way you go about your day, the way you go about leading people, the way you go about working with people." - Mark Waschek"Ninety percent of people leave their jobs because of their manager." - Mark Waschek"People are willing to move companies if they feel their manager doesn't care about them and there's no opportunity for growth." - Mark Waschek"Career advancement is progression towards your goal. It doesn't only happen when you get a new title." - Mark Waschek
39:4603/01/2024
Cutting Through Ambiguity - The North Star with Colin Steen
Colin Steen is the CEO of Legacy Agripartners, a company focused on providing innovative solutions to farmers in the forage industry. With a background in the seed industry and experience in mergers and acquisitions, Colin brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the agribusiness space.Summary:Colin Steen, CEO of Legacy Agripartners, discusses the importance of being intentional in leadership and how it can help remove ambiguity and bring clarity to others. He emphasizes the need to focus on the right things and solve for ambiguity in conversations with farmers. Colin also shares insights into the future of the seed industry, including advancements in technology, gene editing, and regenerative agriculture. He highlights the importance of listening to farmers and understanding their needs in order to drive innovation in the industry.Key Takeaways:Being intentional means removing ambiguity and bringing clarity to others.Focus on the right things and solve for ambiguity in conversations with farmers.The seed industry is experiencing advancements in technology, gene editing, and regenerative agriculture.Listening to farmers and understanding their needs is crucial for driving innovation in the industry.Quotes:"My intentionality or being intentional is all around trying to clear up ambiguity.""If I keep the farmers as my north star, that helps me remove ambiguity and lead to the right answer.""The customer isn't always right. It's okay to release ourselves from a conversation if it's not the right fit.""We're at a precipice of a whole bunch of change happening at once in agriculture.""Gene editing is super exciting and can lead to healthier crops and better profitability for farmers.""Regenerative agriculture is a growing movement that can help companies meet emission targets and reward farmers for carbon sequestration.""We need to listen to farmers and understand their problems in order to solve them effectively.""It's okay to make money while doing the right thing.""Being intentional at home is just as important as being intentional at work."
53:2803/01/2024
The Key to Retaining Great Talent with Kip Pendleton
Kip is a Champaign County, Illinois, farm kid who has worked to help Leaders Feed the World. He is the president and CEO of The Pendleton Group, a strategic consulting firm serving technology and agriculture companies on Precision Agriculture; Ag Big Data or Decision Agriculture; and Emerging Food and Feed Value Chains for Non-GMO and Organic. His father Dr. Johnny W. Pendleton was named the Agronomist of the 1960’s at the University of Illinois and recognized globally for his efforts to help farmers feed the world in the US and with the Ford Rockefeller Research Institutes IRRI in the Philippines and IITA in Nigeria. Kip grew up learning first-hand the impact of technology and production systems to return ROI to producers of all sizes.Kip is current Executive Chairman of Jord Biocience and was founder and CEO for the first five years of the company. He also sits on the Cox Family Fund Board and Chairs the Ag Tech Committee. He was president and CEO and senior vice president of Agriculture for DTN and helped TBG, a Family Office in Zurich, acquire the company for $900 million, the second largest Ag Tech acquisition behind the Monsanto acquisition of Climate Corporation. He was senior vice president and general manager of Agriculture at Hemisphere GPS; founder, president, CEO and chairman of DirectAg, the first e-commerce company in agriculture; and then president and co-CEO of Agristar, the company that acquired DirectAg. He worked 18 years in the seed industry with leading public companies including Dupont Pioneer, Syngenta Northrup King and Dow AgroSciences Mycogen Seeds as seed moved from gentic commodities to technology delivery systems. He has been a part of value creation through executing and implementing 32 acquisitions and eight divestments in Ag and Technology to create value. He was named the 2001 Ag Communicator of the year by NAMA for his leadership around the use of the internet in agriculture. Kip Pendleton shares his insights on intention and leadership in the agriculture and agribusiness industry. He emphasizes the importance of being intentional in your focus and choosing the right intentions. Kip also discusses the significance of having a clear and purposeful culture within an organization. He highlights the need for transparency and open communication to foster a positive and productive work environment. Kip also touches on the challenges of talent retention and the importance of investing in employees' growth and development. He concludes by discussing the future of agriculture, including the advancements in data insights and digital biology.Key Takeaways:Intention should be focused on the right things and aligned with the company's mission and values.Building a strong and purposeful culture is essential for employee retention and engagement.Being vulnerable and authentic as a leader creates a positive and trusting work environment.Prioritizing tasks based on the big picture and major objectives leads to maximum productivity.Sharing information and collaborating with others in the industry is crucial for advancement and innovation.Quotes:"Intention starts at the top, goes down, and comes back up.""Retention is tied to meaningful work and purposefulness.""Culture is what you want it to be, but you can't declare it. You have to evolve it.""Being vulnerable versus just saying, 'Stop, you're bugging me,' allows for growth and collaboration.""You are a product of your history, and if you are a leader and a coach, you are changing people's lives every day."
45:4629/12/2023