The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyWhat if the future of agriculture isn't just about feeding the world—but helping heal it?In this episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Will Kornegay, CEO of Ripe Revival, to explore how entrepreneurship, faith, innovation, and a heart for service can transform the way we think about agriculture and food access.What started as an idea to turn surplus sweet potatoes into protein gummies has evolved into an interconnected group of businesses and nonprofit initiatives working to bridge the gap between farm excess and food access.Will shares the unexpected challenges that shaped his journey, the opportunities hidden within agricultural waste, and his vision for a future where farmers thrive, businesses flourish, and communities come together to serve one another.For Will, being intentional means having the courage to be vulnerable and transparent.Whether he's talking with family, friends, business partners, or strangers, he believes meaningful relationships begin when people are willing to have honest conversations about what's happening in their hearts and minds.His faith has played a central role in shaping that perspective.Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Will has learned that intentional leadership isn't always about knowing exactly where you're going.Sometimes it's about trusting the next step, even when the path ahead is uncertain.One of the biggest challenges Will recognized early in his agricultural career was the amount of perfectly edible produce left behind in farmers' fields.At the same time, millions of Americans struggle to access fresh, nutritious food.Ripe Revival was built around a simple question:How do we bridge the gap between farm excess and food access?Will explains how his team creates new markets for produce that might otherwise go unharvested because it doesn't meet traditional retail standards.For certain contracted hard squash growers in North Carolina, Ripe Revival's model has historically generated an additional $700 to $1,000 per acre from produce that might otherwise have been left in the field.The opportunity goes beyond reducing waste.It's about creating additional revenue for farmers, building a more efficient supply chain, and making nutritious food more accessible.Will didn't set out to build the Ripe Revival that exists today.His original vision was to develop a consumer packaged goods company producing protein gummies made with sweet potato syrup.He invested his life savings, purchased a building, and prepared to launch production.Then COVID hit.The same week production began, the state shut down.Faced with the possibility of losing everything, Will had a decision to make: walk away or find another way forward.He chose to keep going.Within weeks, Ripe Revival pivoted into home delivery, connecting farmers with families who needed access to fresh food.That effort eventually grew into partnerships with food banks, nonprofits, and the USDA's Farmers to Families Food Box Program.What began as a business trying to survive became something much bigger.Sometimes the disruption you never wanted becomes the opportunity you never saw coming.Today, Ripe Revival operates as an interconnected business ecosystem that includes both for-profit operations and a nonprofit organization.Each part serves a specific purpose in helping revive communities through food.Will explains why the combination is important.Commercial operations create efficiencies, revenue, and economies of scale.The nonprofit side helps address gaps in food access and community resources.Together, they create a model designed to generate meaningful impact without relying entirely on charitable donations or grant funding.For Will, sustainability means building something that can continue serving farmers and communities for years to come.Getting fresh food into underserved communities is an important first step.But Will believes access alone isn't enough.Through the nonprofit Ripe for Revival, his team has developed mobile markets that bring affordable produce directly into communities with limited food access.They've also opened The SEED, a culinary education and community resource space focused on helping people develop healthier habits.The facility offers cooking classes, nutrition education, community events, and opportunities for people to learn how to prepare nutritious meals.Will's perspective is that providing food is valuable, but teaching people how to use it can create lasting change.The goal isn't just to feed someone today. It's to help create healthier habits that can influence generations.Ripe Revival's next chapter is centered around an ambitious whole-health innovation campus in North Carolina.Will shares how the project evolved after the company walked away from its original development location and purchased a farm to pursue the vision in a different way.The planned campus will bring together agricultural production, food processing, education, community gathering spaces, and healthcare-focused food solutions.One of the most interesting elements is the concept of medically tailored meals.These meals are designed around specific nutritional needs associated with conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.Will envisions a farm-to-patient model where produce grown in the field can be processed and prepared into meals that support better health outcomes.It's a different way of thinking about agriculture's role in society.Instead of viewing the farm and healthcare as separate industries, Ripe Revival is working to connect them.Throughout the conversation, Will returns to one of the most important lessons he's learned:When you invest in your community, your community invests in you.From the early days of navigating the pandemic to building partnerships with farmers, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and supporters, relationships have been central to Ripe Revival's growth.Will is quick to credit his team and his faith for helping the organization move forward through difficult seasons.His experience demonstrates that meaningful impact rarely happens alone.It requires people who believe in the mission, are willing to contribute their strengths, and share a commitment to serving something bigger than themselves.For decades, agriculture has rallied around the mission of feeding the world.But Mark challenges Will to consider what the industry's next North Star should be.Will offers a different perspective:What if our mission was to heal the world?For him, food is more than a commodity.It's an opportunity to bring people together, build relationships, improve health, support farmers, and strengthen communities.He shares Ripe Revival's vision:"A world free from brokenness where farms thrive, businesses flourish, and neighbors unite to meet the greater need of their community."It's a powerful reminder that agriculture's impact extends far beyond the field.Listen if you are:An agribusiness leader looking to connect profitability with purposeInterested in reducing agricultural food waste and creating new revenue opportunities for farmersBuilding a mission-driven business or nonprofit organizationNavigating unexpected challenges or major changes in your businessInterested in food access, nutrition education, and the connection between agriculture and healthcareLooking for ways to build stronger relationships and serve your communityA leader who wants to integrate faith, service, and intentionality into your workThe future of agriculture isn't just about producing more food. It's about creating more value from what we grow, building businesses that serve a greater purpose, and using food to strengthen the health and relationships of the communities around us.Will's story is a reminder that some of the most meaningful opportunities come through unexpected challenges—and that intentional leadership often means having the faith and courage to keep taking the next step.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyWhat does it take to grow a family business from one dairy farm into a diversified agricultural operation—while keeping the relationships, values, and vision that started it all?In this episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Cheri De Jong, CFO of AgriVision, to explore intentional leadership, family business growth, developing the next generation, and the importance of giving back.Cheri and her husband, Donald, have spent more than three decades building their agricultural businesses together. What began as one dairy in Texas has grown into a network of dairy farms, agricultural operations, and related businesses, supported by AgriVision's management team.Along the way, Cheri has built a leadership philosophy centered on execution, education, service, and creating opportunities for others.For Cheri, intentionality starts with knowing the end goal—and then doing the work required to make it happen.She describes Donald as the dreamer and herself as the person working behind the scenes to turn those ideas into reality.Their partnership demonstrates an important leadership principle: You don't have to be good at everything. You need the right people bringing the right strengths to the table.That approach has helped them build and expand their businesses over nearly four decades.Cheri and Donald started with a single dairy in Dublin, Texas, where their original vision was to milk 1,000 cows.As opportunities emerged, the family expanded into additional dairy operations, farming, and other agricultural businesses.Today, AgriVision serves as the central management company supporting those operations, handling finance, accounting, human resources, procurement, and other business functions.Cheri shares how the organization evolved, the importance of recognizing new opportunities, and why successful growth requires the right people and partnerships.She also discusses the family's connection to the development of fairlife through Select Milk Producers—and the importance of partnering with organizations that bring capabilities you don't have.As chair of the Farm Foundation board, Cheri is passionate about developing the next generation of agricultural leaders.One of the industry's biggest challenges is creating realistic pathways for young people who want to enter production agriculture but face significant financial barriers.Cheri discusses Farm Foundation's FarmPath program, which focuses on connecting aspiring farmers with mentorship, resources, and opportunities.The conversation raises an important question:How do we create opportunities for the next generation when the cost of getting started continues to rise?For Cheri, part of the answer lies in building relationships, connecting generations, and finding new ways for established agricultural businesses to support emerging leaders.Throughout her career, Cheri has made volunteering and service a priority.From student leadership at Cal Poly to national leadership roles with Sigma Kappa and the National Panhellenic Conference, she's consistently invested her time in developing others.Her philosophy is to stay involved locally while also finding opportunities to contribute on a broader level.And she encourages leaders to choose organizations and causes they genuinely care about.Because giving back shouldn't simply become another obligation. It should be something that brings purpose, connection, and fulfillment to your life.As AgriVision has expanded, so has the involvement of the next generation.Cheri shares how nephews, her daughter, and a son-in-law have brought different skills into the organization—from farm operations and human resources to financial analysis.But growing a family business requires more than bringing family members into the company.It requires structure, clear responsibilities, governance, and opportunities for people to contribute in ways that align with their strengths.The goal isn't simply to preserve what the previous generation built. It's to create an organization capable of thriving long after today's leaders step away.Cheri's commitment to growth extends to her own education.After earning her undergraduate degree in agricultural business, she completed an MBA and later returned to school to earn a PhD focused on organizational development and leadership.What began as an interest in taking a few leadership classes became an opportunity to gain an entirely new perspective on the family business.Now, she's applying that knowledge to strengthen AgriVision's structure and governance for the future.Her example reinforces that intentional leadership doesn't stop at a certain age or level of success.There's always more to learn—and new ways to use that knowledge to serve the people around you.Listen if you are:Leading or growing a family-owned agricultural businessWorking to balance big-picture vision with day-to-day executionPreparing the next generation to take on leadership rolesInterested in mentorship and creating opportunities for young people in agricultureLooking for ways to get more involved in your community or industryBuilding stronger governance and structure within a growing organizationCommitted to continuing your own personal and professional developmentBuilding a lasting legacy takes more than growing a successful business. It requires turning vision into action, investing in people, creating opportunities for the next generation, and building the structure that allows what you've started to continue growing long after you're gone.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyWhat if the future of agriculture isn't just about producing more—but about creating more value from every acre?In this episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Tim Weaver, Chief Strategy Officer at Holganix, for a conversation about soil health, biologicals, regenerative agriculture, data, farm economics, and what it takes to build an intentional company culture.Tim's career has taken him through renewable energy, electric mobility, real estate, government relations, and now agriculture. The common thread has been a desire to find opportunities where relatively small changes can create disproportionate impact.For Tim, intentional leadership is closely connected to feedback.Whether it comes from teammates, corporate partners, or growers, feedback is an important signal that he's connected to the people around him and aligned with the mission.At Holganix, that belief has become part of how the company operates—not just something leadership talks about.One of Tim's most compelling ideas is simple:Soil is infrastructure.Businesses invest in their factories. Communities invest in roads, bridges, and electrical grids. Why shouldn't agriculture think about soil through the same long-term lens?Instead of looking only at what a field can produce this season, Tim challenges leaders to think about whether that soil is becoming healthier, more efficient, and more productive over the course of a farmer's career.The goal is to eventually hand the next generation a better "factory" than the one you inherited.Agriculture has traditionally rewarded production.But Tim believes the future will increasingly require a broader definition of value—one that considers food quality, soil quality, farm economics, and the long-term sustainability of the grower.How do we financially reward farmers for something beyond simply producing more bushels?And how do we create systems where what's good for the soil can also be good for the economics of the farm?Those questions are becoming increasingly important as consumer expectations and corporate priorities continue to evolve.New products and promises aren't enough.Growers want evidence.Corporate partners want evidence.And environmental markets increasingly demand evidence.Tim explains how Holganix is using soil sampling, imagery, farm equipment data, and its Horizons platform to better understand what's happening at the soil, plant, and farm levels.The goal isn't simply to collect more information. It's to create credible, measurable outcomes that growers and partners can trust.Agriculture isn't suffering from a lack of data.The challenge is making that data useful.Tim describes today's explosion of agricultural data as a gift—but one we still need to open.The opportunity is to take information about soil, crops, equipment, water, and economics and turn it into something a grower can actually use to make a better decision.Because data only becomes valuable when it helps someone act.The conversation eventually moves from creating healthier soil to creating healthier organizations.At Holganix, culture isn't a set of words hanging on the wall.Employees participate in weekly team practices centered around the company's core values:Gratitude. Flow. Love. Creator mindset. Win-win-win.Those values become lenses the team uses to navigate meetings, decisions, challenges, and relationships.Culture becomes real when people practice it consistently enough that it shapes how they actually behave.One of the most interesting examples is Holganix's approach to feedback.Employees identify personal development goals and intentionally ask teammates to help them recognize behaviors they're working to change.Instead of talking about someone's frustrating habit down the hallway, the conversation is brought into the open.Tim's philosophy is simple:Feedback is a gift.But creating that kind of environment requires leaders to model it first. When employees see constructive feedback given to senior leaders—and see that feedback genuinely valued—they begin to trust that the culture is real.Tim is also clear that Holganix's culture isn't for everyone.He describes it as a love-based culture: loving who they serve, what they do, and the people they do it with.As he puts it:“The paycheck gets your head and your hands. We have to earn your heart.”That kind of culture doesn't happen accidentally. It takes time, repetition, practice, and leaders willing to prioritize people and values even when there's plenty of other work waiting.Listen if you are:Interested in soil health, biologicals, or regenerative agricultureLooking for new ways to think about farm economics and value beyond yieldTrying to turn agricultural data into better decisionsLeading a team and wanting to create a stronger cultureWorking to build healthier feedback within your organizationTrying to make your company's core values part of everyday behaviorThe future of agriculture may be about more than producing another bushel. It's about building healthier soil, stronger farm economics, better data, and organizations where people intentionally practice the values they say matter.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyWhat happens when the skills that made you successful become the very things preventing you—and your team—from growing?In this CEO Season episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark welcomes back Chad Pinter, CEO of Western Milling, for a conversation about leadership, growth, intentional living, and the lessons behind Chad’s new book, Left Brain Sniper. Chad has spent nearly two decades with Western Milling across finance, sales, development, and leadership roles before becoming CEO in 2022. Together, Mark and Chad explore what it takes to stop being the person who solves every problem, develop a team that can think for itself, and build a life with intention both inside and outside of work.Chad began his career in finance and support roles, where he learned how to influence outcomes without having direct control.Today, that lesson shapes how he leads.Rather than walking into a meeting and immediately telling his team what he thinks the answer should be, Chad intentionally creates space for them to develop it.He says the final result may be 75% of what he originally envisioned—but the other 25% often includes ideas he hadn't considered. More importantly, the team has greater ownership of the outcome. For many leaders, doing something themselves feels faster.But there's a cost.If you continue solving every problem, your team continues bringing every problem back to you.Chad explains that leaders have to become comfortable allowing people to make mistakes, learn, and develop their own ability to solve problems.As he puts it: “You can't grow unless you let your team grow.” The transition from high performer to leader requires shifting from finding value in what you personally accomplish to finding value in what you help others accomplish.Chad's new book, Left Brain Sniper, grew from his own journey of asking what it looks like to intentionally create the life you actually want.The framework looks across five areas of life: yourself, your significant other, friends and family, career, and parenting.Across those areas, Chad identifies four elements of success:Fortitude. Skill. Strategy. Teamwork. The goal isn't perfection. It's understanding where you are, deciding where you want to be, and intentionally closing the gap.We tend to celebrate the visible result.The promotion. The successful business. The athlete who wins. The finished book.We don't always see everything that happened before it.Chad defines fortitude as the willingness to stay with something when circumstances become difficult—to keep moving forward instead of giving up. Skill may eventually become visible, but fortitude is often built quietly through repetition, failure, discipline, and the decision to keep going.Strategy doesn't only belong in an annual leadership retreat.Chad has followed a simple practice since his early twenties: do at least two things every day that move the strategy forward.Because the whirlwind will always show up.Emails, meetings, problems, interruptions, and urgent requests can consume an entire day without moving the bigger vision forward.Two intentional actions each day may not feel significant in the moment, but over months and years, they compound. Some of Chad's biggest lessons didn't come from business.After going through a divorce beginning in 2017, Chad found himself questioning an identity that had been deeply connected to his family and his performance.He began asking harder questions:Who am I when I'm not performing?Who am I when I'm not a husband?Who am I when life goes upside down?That period of solitude became a major catalyst for the framework that eventually became Left Brain Sniper. It forced him to move away from an externally focused life and spend time understanding what he actually valued, who he wanted to become, and how he wanted to show up.For Chad, writing the book wasn't about presenting himself as someone who has all the answers.It's about sharing a framework that has helped him while acknowledging that he's still learning and growing too.Ultimately, the word he keeps returning to is impact.The book gives him an opportunity to leave something behind for his daughters, his family, and anyone else who can use the lessons to become more intentional about how they live and lead. Listen if you are:Leading a team and struggling to stop being the person who solves everythingTrying to develop more ownership and independence in your peopleNavigating a new season of leadership or lifeWorking to become more intentional with your time and prioritiesThinking about the difference between achievement and fulfillmentLooking for a practical framework for personal and professional growthYou don't scale by controlling more—you scale by developing people who can think, decide, and lead without you. Know where you're going, build the fortitude to stay with it, move the strategy forward every day, and be intentional about the life you're building along the way.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyWhat happens when we give young people more than knowledge—and give them the skills, experiences, and confidence to actually use it?In this CEO Season episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Scott Stump, CEO of the National FFA Organization, for a conversation that hits close to home. Mark shares how his own leadership journey began in an agriculture classroom and through FFA, while Scott shares where the organization is headed as it serves more than one million members. They explore intentional leadership, the growing need for skilled talent, learning by doing, the future of agricultural education, and how technology could help FFA create an even greater impact on the next generation.For Scott, intentionality comes down to something simple:Live and lead into your purpose.His own career didn't follow the path he originally imagined. He entered Purdue planning to become an agricultural engineer, but his experience as a state FFA officer helped him discover that his real purpose was developing people. That purpose eventually took him from the classroom to National FFA, state leadership in Colorado, the U.S. Department of Education, and ultimately back to FFA as CEO.Sometimes the unexpected turns in a career are exactly what prepare us for the work we're meant to do.FFA has grown significantly from the roughly 450,000–480,000 members it had two decades ago.Today, membership has surpassed one million, and Scott says the organization added around 200 new chapters in the past year alone. But the mission remains rooted in developing young people through leadership, personal growth, career success, and hands-on experiences grounded in agriculture.It's not simply about what students learn in a classroom. It's about giving them opportunities to put that knowledge to work.Scott believes the U.S. is at a critical point when it comes to workforce development.He shares that only about one in three high school students has held a job before graduating, while FFA and agricultural education students gain work, entrepreneurship, or independent research experience at significantly higher rates. At the same time, agriculture and other industries need people with practical, technical skills—from welding and electrical work to genetics, veterinary medicine, farming, ranching, and countless other careers.The opportunity for agricultural education is enormous.One of FFA's greatest strengths has always been its emphasis on experience.Students aren't only learning about leadership or technical skills—they're given opportunities to practice them.As Scott and Mark discuss, the familiar FFA philosophy of learning by doing may be even more relevant as employers compete for a shrinking pool of skilled talent.The future workforce will need technical knowledge, but it will also need people who know how to solve problems, communicate, lead, and take ownership.As FFA approaches its 100th National Convention in 2027 and 100th anniversary in 2028, Scott says one major priority is helping young people see agriculture as a first-choice career path.That means connecting students to internships, immersive experiences, and opportunities that allow them to see themselves building a future within the industry. It also means creating meaningful engagement for a membership of more than one million students while supporting the agricultural educators who make those experiences possible.Scott also sees an opportunity for technology and data to help FFA better understand and support each member's journey.Could technology recognize when a student completes one experience and help point them toward the next opportunity?Could it help identify students who begin working toward FFA degrees but don't continue?Could AI give students age-appropriate guidance in the moment while allowing advisors to remain the mentor, encourager, and connector?Scott emphasizes that technology should ultimately serve one purpose: improving the member experience and impact. And as FFA grows, those tools could also help hardworking agriculture teachers serve more students without sacrificing their own well-being. Listen if you are:An FFA alum, agricultural educator, or supporterLeading or hiring within agribusinessConcerned about the future workforce and skilled laborPassionate about developing the next generationInterested in the future of agricultural educationExploring how AI and technology can strengthen learning without replacing human relationshipsThe future of agriculture depends on more than attracting young people to the industry. We have to give them meaningful experiences, practical skills, strong mentors, and a clear path to see where they belong—and then equip them to lead when they get there.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyBig visions don't become reality just because a leader believes in them. The entire team has to understand where they're going—and how their individual work helps get them there.In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Jim Hedges, CEO of CoverCress and a longtime agribusiness leader whose career has taken him from starting his own seed company to leadership roles with Monsanto, 360 Yield Center, and WinField United. Jim and Mark talk about what it takes to turn vision into execution, bring innovation to agriculture, align teams around a common goal, and why sometimes the fastest way forward is to slow down first.For Jim, intentional leadership starts with vision.But having a vision isn't enough.A leader has to believe it, communicate it, and help every person on the team understand what they can personally do to move it forward. When leaders get trapped in quarter-to-quarter thinking, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. The goal is to give people something they can believe in—and then give them a clear path to help execute it.Jim started his first seed company shortly after graduating from the University of Illinois with an agronomy degree.There wasn't an extravagant business plan. There was an idea, a willingness to learn, and a belief that they could build something by serving farmers well.Twenty years later, Monsanto acquired the business. That launched Jim into a career that moved between large corporations and startups—and taught him how valuable both entrepreneurial thinking and access to great talent can be.One principle stayed consistent throughout:Tell the truth early.As Jim puts it, he wants the news whether it's good or bad. Transparency gives leaders the information they need to actually respond. Today, Jim is leading CoverCress as the company works to commercially scale a crop developed from wild pennycress through breeding and gene editing.CoverCress is designed to grow between a traditional corn-and-soybean rotation, giving farmers the potential for three revenue-generating crops in two years while also providing the benefits of a winter cover crop. The harvested crop can be crushed for oil used in renewable fuels, with additional potential uses for the meal. But bringing something genuinely new to agriculture means confronting one of the industry's biggest barriers:“This is the way we've always done it.”Jim calls those some of the most expensive words in farming. A big vision can inspire people.It can also overwhelm them.Jim's approach is to take the long-term destination and break it into achievable milestones. The team doesn't have to accomplish the 2030 vision today. They need to know what has to happen in 2026, then 2027, and continue building from there. He uses an inverted-triangle approach:Start with the vision.Identify the three or four strategic imperatives that will make it possible.Translate those priorities across each function.Then bring them all the way down to the individual actions each person can take.The simpler and clearer the strategy becomes, the easier it is for the entire organization to execute.Vision can't belong to one person at the top.Jim wants his leadership team's fingerprints on it.That shared ownership helps break down silos and gets different functions moving together instead of independently pursuing their own priorities.Because as Jim says:“The only thing worse than missing a milestone is not knowing you missed a milestone.” Alignment makes it easier to see when something is falling behind—and gives the team a chance to respond together.Agriculture doesn't always give us unlimited chances to get something right.For many crops, there's one iteration each year. That makes clarity, alignment, and thoughtful execution incredibly important.Jim's reminder to leaders is simple:Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.Take the time to clarify the vision. Align the team. Identify the milestones. Make sure everyone understands their role.Then move—with urgency and purpose.Listen if you are:Leading a team through growth, innovation, or changeTrying to turn a big vision into practical executionWorking to break down silos across an organizationBringing a new product or idea into agricultureBuilding a culture of transparency and shared ownershipBalancing urgency with thoughtful decision-makingVision creates direction, but alignment creates execution. Slow down long enough to get clear, give your team ownership of where you're going, and make sure every person understands how their work moves the mission forward.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyWhat does it really mean to be intentional with your life and leadership?In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Nelson Powell, an experienced agricultural finance leader who has built teams and markets across organizations including Farm Credit, Rabobank, First Bank and Trust, and now MetLife.Nelson is also an eighth-generation member of his family farm—and his perspective on success has changed dramatically throughout his career.Together, Mark and Nelson talk about time, relationships, mentorship, culture, and why some of the most influential leaders you'll ever meet may never have the title to prove it.For Nelson, intentionality starts with one thing:Time.You can't make more of it.You can choose where you invest it, who receives it, and what deserves it—but every day still comes with the same 24 hours.That means being intentional not only with your own time, but with the time of your family, teammates, and clients.As Nelson puts it, time may be the most precious asset we have.Early in his career, Nelson was chasing a very different definition of success.He wanted the plane, the vacation home, the cars, and the material signs that told the world he'd made it. He worked relentlessly—at one point spending roughly 320 nights a year in hotel rooms while building his career.Then one morning, he woke up and had to look at the hotel phone book just to figure out what city he was in.He realized he had achieved many of the things he'd wanted, but the people he viewed as truly successful were building something money couldn't buy: relationships, family, and a life they actually wanted to live.So Nelson changed course.Today, he describes what he has as “the richest life on earth”—not because of what he owns, but because of the people around him.Nelson has helped build agricultural lending teams and markets throughout his career, but he doesn't credit complicated strategies for that success.He credits relationships.Knowing people. Caring deeply about them. Learning the business. Finding great teammates. Understanding the challenges facing clients.Leadership, especially in agriculture, requires a willingness to dig in and understand both the business and the people behind it.Nelson has benefited from incredible mentors throughout his career, but he learned an important lesson along the way:The best mentor isn't necessarily the person at the top.Leadership can exist at every level of an organization.Sometimes the person with the most wisdom is quietly doing their job several levels below the CEO—and all you have to do is ask them for help.Don't chase titles. Look for people whose lives, habits, wisdom, and leadership are worth learning from.After working across multiple organizations and cultures, Nelson has learned that there's often a difference between the culture leadership intends to create and the culture employees actually experience.A mission statement sitting on a shelf isn't culture.Culture is what people live every day.And while senior leadership has tremendous influence over an organization's culture, Nelson challenges every employee to take ownership of the culture they create within their own circle.Instead of only pointing toward what's wrong, ask what you can personally do to make it better.Nelson also believes leaders need to stay connected to the people and customers doing the work.Information changes as it travels through an organization. By the time something reaches senior leadership, it may have passed through several filters.Maintaining some connection to the front line gives leaders a perspective that reports, meetings, and secondhand information can't always provide.Nelson closes the conversation with a reminder worth hearing:There are incredible leaders throughout agriculture who may never become a CEO, receive an award, or have a wall filled with plaques.That doesn't make their impact any less significant.What you do every day matters.The people you've encouraged, mentored, served, and influenced notice—even when they don't always know how to tell you.Listen if you are:Building or leading a team in agricultureTrying to become more intentional with your timeLooking for a mentor—or hoping to become oneNavigating a new organization or company cultureReconsidering what success actually meansLeading without a formal leadership titleA rich life isn't measured by what you accumulate or the title beside your name. Be intentional with your time, invest deeply in people, take ownership of the culture around you, and remember that your impact matters—even when nobody gives you a plaque for it.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyAgriculture is changing faster than most of us can keep up with—and according to Aidan Connolly, the biggest mistake leaders can make right now is waiting for someone else to figure it out first.In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Aidan Connolly, a globally recognized voice in agricultural innovation and author of The Future of Agriculture. Aidan grew up in Ireland and spent years traveling the world with Alltech, experiencing its growth from roughly $23 million to $2.5 billion in sales and working across more than 100 countries. Today, his work focuses on innovation and helping agriculture prepare for what's coming next.When Aidan published The Future of Agriculture, AI was only one piece of a much larger conversation around emerging technology.Six weeks later, ChatGPT arrived.Today, Aidan says it's nearly impossible to have a conversation about the future of agriculture without putting AI front and center. The pace of change is accelerating—and what feels innovative today could be outdated tomorrow.That's exactly why intentional leadership matters.The tools will continue to get better. The question is whether leaders are willing to learn, experiment, and adapt quickly enough to use them well.One of my favorite parts of this conversation was Aidan's reminder that innovation isn't reserved for the youngest person in the room.He shares the story of a 78-year-old colleague who was running circles around him with AI—not because of age, education, or IQ, but because the guy was relentlessly learning.Age isn't the defining factor. Hunger is.The people positioned to thrive in this next era will be the ones willing to keep learning, questioning what they know, and getting in the game.Aidan's advice to agribusiness leaders is simple:Don't be last.You don't have to know exactly what agriculture will look like 20 or 30 years from now. Nobody does.But the technologies capable of disrupting our businesses are already here.Build the pilot. Put together the team. Start experimenting. And as a leader, don't simply hand AI over to IT and walk away. Learn enough to understand what's possible and personally participate in the conversation.Aidan also breaks down his 2-1-4-3 framework for strategic planning.Most traditional plans spend too much time talking about where we've been before eventually getting to where we're going.Aidan flips that thinking.Get brutally clear about where you are today. Briefly understand how the past got you here. Then define where you actually want to go before choosing the road that will get you there.In a world moving this quickly, leaders can't spend all their time firefighting and making small, incremental improvements. We need space to identify the two or three moves that could fundamentally change the future of the business.We also get practical about one of agriculture's biggest challenges with AI: our data isn't always ready for it.Too much information is still being recorded manually, entered later, stored in disconnected systems, or simply captured inconsistently.Aidan calls it “data obesity.”Sensors, wearables, cameras, and other technologies are beginning to change that by collecting information automatically and in real time. When we combine better data with AI, the opportunity for agriculture—from animal health to productivity and efficiency—is enormous.Maybe the most important question isn't simply how much more productive AI can make us.It's what we're going to do with the time it gives back.Do we cram more work into every open space?Or do we use technology to create room for the things machines can't replace?Aidan points to relationships—spending more time with customers, understanding what they actually need, building trust, and helping people implement ideas.That's where this conversation ultimately comes back to intentional leadership.The goal isn't technology for technology's sake.It's using these tools intentionally to build better businesses, stronger relationships, and hopefully better lives.Listen if you are:Leading an agribusiness through rapid technological changeTrying to understand where AI fits into your organizationThinking about the future of agriculture and foodLooking for a better way to approach strategic planningInterested in innovation, data, and agricultural efficiencyCommitted to becoming a continuous learnerDon't wait until the future is obvious. Get in the game, stay hungry enough to keep learning, and use technology to create more space for the work—and the relationships—that actually matter.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyIn this CEO Season episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Paul Konrad, CEO of Streamline Ag, for a conversation about the changing agribusiness landscape, building a high-performing team, and leading intentionally through growth.Paul has spent more than 30 years in agriculture, beginning as a crop consultant before building a career across ag retail and distribution. Four years ago, he recognized a shift in how products were reaching farmers and saw an opportunity to build something different.Streamline Ag is a seed-driven crop inputs company with a simple focus:How can we help farmers get more from their seed investment?The company works with emerging technologies—including biologicals, biostimulants, bioinsecticides, and biofungicides—to help improve crop performance and deliver additional ROI to farmers.In just four years, Streamline has built a network of roughly 400 dealers across 30 states, partnering primarily with seed dealers who already have trusted relationships with growers.For Paul, the opportunity isn't simply about introducing new products. It's about identifying a farmer's problem, finding the right technology, and helping solve it in a meaningful and economical way.As Streamline grows, Paul is intentional about the type of people he brings onto the team.Agronomic knowledge matters—but initiative matters even more.He looks for people willing to step forward, take ownership, build relationships, and pursue a goal without needing constant direction.In Paul's words, he wants someone willing to "grab the ball and go get it."That entrepreneurial spirit has become an important part of Streamline's culture as the company continues to grow.With new products and technologies emerging quickly, education is another major challenge.Paul and Mark discuss Streamline's use of Jericho to give team members and dealers easier access to product knowledge, agronomic information, sales coaching, and other resources when they actually need them.For Paul, the opportunity comes down to two things: education and efficiency.If his team can spend less time searching for answers, they can spend more time building relationships with dealers and farmers.One of the strongest moments of the episode comes when Paul talks about what intentionality means as a CEO.The market is moving quickly. Technology is changing. AI is accelerating that change.Paul believes leaders have to remain flexible while staying focused on who they are, what they're building, and how they plan to get there.Then he shares a phrase that captures his approach:“The hours have to buy the future.”The time his team invests today needs to create something meaningful tomorrow—not just for the business, but for the people doing the work.Streamline's growth model is built around helping other businesses succeed.Rather than trying to own every farmer relationship directly, Streamline partners with established dealers and helps them bring greater value to their customers.When those dealers grow their businesses, improve profitability, and build better lives for themselves, Streamline wins too.It's a different approach to growth—one rooted in partnership rather than ownership.Paul doesn't believe leadership development is something a CEO should simply assign to everyone else.As Streamline's leadership team develops, he's going through the process alongside them.Why?Because he's still learning too.Paul believes every challenge—even the difficult ones—can become a learning opportunity when you're willing to approach it that way.It's a reminder that intentional leadership requires humility, curiosity, and a willingness to keep growing alongside the people you lead.Listen if you are:Leading an agribusiness through growth or changeExploring biologicals and emerging crop technologiesBuilding a sales or dealer networkLooking for entrepreneurial people to join your teamTrying to use AI and technology more intentionallyFocused on creating a culture of learning and ownershipThe hours have to buy the future. Intentional leaders make sure the work being done today creates meaningful growth tomorrow—for the business, the customer, and the people doing the work.

Join our champion program: [email protected] a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leaderInstagram: @the.momentum.companyLinkedIn: /momentum-companyIn this special CEO Season episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark welcomes back Danny Leckie, CEO of Hatch, for a conversation about explosive growth, bold vision, and what happens when intentional leadership is tied to a mission bigger than yourself.Hatch has grown from a regional nonprofit into a national organization working to close a critical gap in the food bank system: access to high-quality protein.Today, Hatch operates across 42 states, has worked with more than 178 food banks, and has delivered over 350 million meals in the last decade—including 100 million in the past year alone.From 5 Million to 100+ Million MealsWhen Danny took over leadership of Hatch five years ago, the organization was distributing roughly 80,000 dozen eggs each month.Today, that number has grown to more than 1.5 million dozen eggs per month, along with more than 2 million pounds of meat.In just four years, Hatch grew its annual impact from approximately 5 million servings of protein to 102 million.Now Danny and his team have planted an even bigger flag:30X the organization over the next decade.Danny shares the story behind one of Hatch's biggest initiatives yet: a coalition designed to close the protein gap in America's charitable food system.What began with a bold "what if?" conversation grew into a collaboration involving major agricultural companies, protein organizations, hunger advocates, and government leaders.Within 90 days, the effort helped mobilize $40 million toward the mission, with a long-term goal of providing 3 billion servings of protein annually.Tony Robbins also joined the mission, committing up to $8 million in matching funds toward Hatch's national crowdfunding campaign.For Danny, it's an example of what becomes possible when people truly believe in a mission—and are willing to lead from the front.Getting protein into the charitable food system isn't simply about having enough food.It's also an infrastructure problem.Many food pantries don't have the refrigeration, freezer space, or transportation needed to accept fresh protein.Over the past two years, Hatch and its partners have delivered more than 300 coolers to food pantries. One properly supported cooler can help move roughly 8,000 pounds of food per month.That's why Danny's team is intentionally working on both sides of the equation: creating a dedicated protein supply chain while building the infrastructure communities need to receive and distribute it.Growth at this scale comes with criticism, politics, and plenty of competing opinions.Danny's response is to keep returning to the mission.Hatch's North Star is clear:Close the protein gap and provide 3 billion servings of protein each year.Every partnership, dollar, and decision should move the organization closer to that goal.And even if they don't hit the full target?If millions more people gain access to nutritious food because they were willing to aim big, the effort still matters.Toward the end of the conversation, Danny shares something that's easy to lose sight of when talking about millions of meals and 30X growth.The numbers aren't the real story. The people are.The real impact happens at the neighbor level—in families gathering around a table, children gaining access to better nutrition, and communities becoming healthier and stronger.As Danny puts it, they're not building Hatch for Hatch.They're building it for the people who need it.It's a powerful reminder that intentional leadership isn't simply about setting bigger goals.It's about remembering who those goals are meant to serve.Listen if you are:Leading an organization through rapid growthBuilding toward a bold, long-term visionTrying to create partnerships around a meaningful missionWorking in agriculture, food, or the nonprofit sectorLooking for ways your business can make a tangible differenceCommitted to leading with purpose and measurable impactThink bigger, stay anchored to your North Star, and never let the size of the numbers distract you from the individual lives you're working to change.