The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Mark Jewell
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Management

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.

  1. 28m ago

    Jim Hedges: Slow Down to Speed Up

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leader Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company Big 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-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) 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.” jim-mark (1) 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. jim-mark (1) 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-making Vision 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.

  2. Sep 28

    Nelson Parker Powell: Your Time Is Your Most Precious Asset

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leader Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company What 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 title A 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.

  3. Sep 21

    Aidan Connolly: Leading Before the Future Arrives

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leader Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company Agriculture 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 learner Don'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.

  4. Sep 14

    Paul Konrad: Building for What’s Next

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leader Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company In 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 ownership The 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.

  5. Sep 7

    Danny Leckie: Scaling a Mission That Matters

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thriving-leader Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company In 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 Meals When 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 impact Think 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.

  6. Aug 31

    Dan Stachofsky: A New Frontier in Farm Health

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://thriving-leader-2026.lovable.app/ Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Dan Stachofsky, founder and managing director of Essential Energy, for a thought-provoking conversation about technology, health, agriculture, and the environments surrounding people, plants, and animals. Before moving into this work, Dan was a tech executive helping Fortune 100 companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, manage digital infrastructure during the rise of cloud computing and AI. Today, he leads Essential Energy, a nonprofit focused on EMF and light-conditioning tools. Dan defines intentionality this way: Live into what is true—with compassion. For Dan, intentional leadership means being willing to share what you believe while staying curious about what someone else believes. When truth and compassion meet, conversations shift from defending to discovering. From Big Tech to a Different Kind of Energy Dan's perspective changed after his firstborn daughter was born with complex medical challenges. That experience led his family to explore health, nutrition, environment, and alternative approaches. They eventually moved away from Seattle, began growing their own food, and became increasingly interested in how the surrounding environment might affect health. That journey ultimately shaped the work Dan does today through Essential Energy. Are We Paying Enough Attention to the Farm Environment? A major focus of the episode is electromagnetic fields, or EMFs. Dan explains his view of the difference between naturally occurring electromagnetic fields and artificial fields produced by modern technology—from electrical infrastructure and Wi-Fi to wireless communications and equipment. The bigger question becomes: As agriculture adopts more technology, are there environmental factors we aren't measuring yet? Dan sees the physical environment as another part of the farm-management puzzle—alongside genetics, nutrition, soil health, and management practices. What Farmers Are Seeing Dan shares examples from farms using Essential Energy's conditioning technology, including reported changes in cattle performance, crop yields, animal behavior, and food nutrient measurements. His media kit also includes farmer testimonials reporting differences in soybean and corn yields, conception rates, cattle gains, and berry production. At the same time, Dan acknowledges that some of the comparisons discussed in the episode were not tightly controlled experiments and that more detailed testing is still needed. That leads to one of the strongest themes of the conversation: Stay curious. Ask questions. Test ideas. Gather better data. And don't dismiss something simply because it's unfamiliar. Stewardship Beyond the Soil Dan's challenge to agriculture is to broaden how we think about stewardship. Farmers already steward soil, water, livestock, crops, and natural resources. What else in the environment deserves our attention? What aren't we measuring? And what could we learn if we're willing to investigate? Because intentional leadership doesn't require having every answer. Sometimes it starts with being willing to ask a question nobody else is asking. Listen if you are: Curious about technology and farm healthInterested in emerging approaches to livestock and crop performanceThinking about how AI and increased technology use are changing agriculturePassionate about stewardship and regenerative agricultureWilling to explore unconventional ideas while asking for better data Intentional leadership requires curiosity. As technology becomes more embedded in agriculture, great leaders stay open to asking what we're gaining, what we may be overlooking, and how we can become better stewards of the environment around us.

  7. Aug 24

    Robert Hunter: Be Present in the “Is”

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://thriving-leader-2026.lovable.app/ Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Robert Hunter, an executive leader, strategist, and fifth-generation Canadian farmer who has spent more than 20 years helping organizations navigate change, build partnerships, and create opportunities for growth. Robert has built his career at the intersection of agriculture, food systems, sustainability, innovation, trade, and public policy. Having lived and worked across Canada, Europe, Asia, and the United States, he brings a unique global perspective on what it takes to lead through complexity and change. His career has included senior leadership roles with organizations including CropLife International and Protein Industries Canada, and he currently advises organizations on strategy, governance, and industry transformation. Robert's definition of intentionality centers around a deceptively simple idea: Be present in the “is.” Leaders are trained to solve problems, make judgments, and drive toward outcomes. But in our rush to find the answer, we can miss what's actually happening in front of us. Robert challenges leaders to slow down long enough to understand the current reality—the people, environment, emotions, and circumstances—before jumping to conclusions or solutions. One of the most powerful moments of the conversation comes from Robert's work on the Board of Directors of the Do More Agriculture Foundation, an organization supporting mental health in agriculture. When a fellow board member shared the devastating impact of a farmer's suicide in her community, Robert's instinct was to immediately find a solution. What resources could they provide? What could they do differently? How could they prevent it from happening again? But he recognized that wasn't what the moment needed. It needed someone willing to listen, acknowledge the pain, and simply be present. Sometimes leadership isn't about fixing the situation. It's about holding space for the people experiencing it. The conversation also explores Robert's journey from his family's farm in Canada to working across the global agricultural value chain. After beginning his career as a fifth-generation farmer, Robert moved into roles that exposed him to consumer demand, international markets, trade, regulation, policy, and innovation. That experience shaped how he views agriculture today: Innovation, commercialization, and policy have to work together. Progress doesn't happen when each operates in isolation. Another major theme throughout the episode is trust. After working across multiple countries and cultures, Robert believes trust is one of the most important foundations for building an environment where people can thrive. And trust starts with listening. Before entering a new organization, team, or culture and immediately deciding what needs to change, leaders need to understand the dynamics already at work. Robert shares a memorable observation from his international experience: Europeans are polite. Americans are nice. Canadians are kind. While intentionally simplified, his point is that communication, agreement, disagreement, and trust can look very different depending on the culture you're operating within. Great leaders learn to recognize those differences while remaining consistent in who they are and how they communicate. The conversation then turns to one of the biggest challenges facing leaders today: Distraction. News. Social media. AI. Politics. Technology. Constant information. There will always be something competing for our attention. Robert's perspective isn't that leaders should try to eliminate distraction entirely. Instead, they need to accept the environment they're operating in and learn how to lead effectively within it. The challenge for the next generation of leaders will be learning how to move organizations forward without constantly becoming reactive to whatever happens next. That requires something deeper: Knowing who you are. Robert shares that throughout his international career, he sometimes imagined moving to another country would allow him to become a different type of leader. Eventually, he realized something. He was still the same person. The real work wasn't becoming someone else. It was understanding who he was and learning how to become the best version of that person. The episode closes by looking toward agriculture's future. Robert challenges the industry to think bigger about its North Star. Food security will always matter—but what other global challenges could agriculture help solve? As AI reshapes employment and economies around the world, could agriculture play a larger role in creating meaningful livelihoods? Could agriculture help reconnect people to food, family, and community? Could the industry become part of the solution to challenges we haven't even identified yet? Robert's global experience has shown him that food remains deeply connected to culture in many parts of the world. Perhaps one of agriculture's greatest opportunities isn't simply producing enough food. It's helping people reconnect with why food matters in the first place. Listen if you are: Leading through uncertainty or organizational changeWorking across different teams, cultures, or countriesTrying to become a better listener and communicatorFeeling overwhelmed by constant distraction and informationInterested in the intersection of agriculture, policy, innovation, and tradeThinking about agriculture's role in solving future global challengesCommitted to becoming a more intentional leader Intentional leadership starts with being present enough to see reality as it is—not simply as you expected it to be. Listen first, understand the moment, know who you are, and then lead forward.

  8. Aug 17

    Celeste Lindsey: Align with the Impact You Want to Create

    Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://thriving-leader-2026.lovable.app/ Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark sits down with Celeste Lindsey, Executive Director of the Equipment Marketing & Distribution Association (EMDA), for a conversation about servant leadership, relationship-building, and creating lasting value through intentional service. When asked what it means to be intentional, Celeste's answer is refreshingly simple: Align your actions, conversations, and decisions with the impact you want to create. Whether she's serving members, leading an association, or building relationships, her goal is the same—to make people feel seen, heard, and genuinely cared for. Celeste shares how EMDA has spent more than 80 years connecting manufacturers of shortline agricultural equipment with distributors, sales representatives, and industry partners. Rather than simply hosting events, the organization exists to create meaningful connections that help businesses grow year-round through networking, education, and strategic partnerships. One of the most inspiring moments of the conversation is hearing how Celeste found her current role. After years as a preschool educator and later a construction recruiter, she wasn't looking for a career change. In fact, she initially turned the opportunity down. But after repeated conversations—and a few unexpected changes in her life—she recognized the opportunity as something she was meant to pursue. Sometimes the right opportunity finds you before you're looking for it. The discussion then shifts toward leadership. Managing an association means balancing many personalities, competing priorities, and differing opinions. Celeste explains that one of her greatest leadership tools isn't persuasion—it's communication. By clearly explaining the "why" behind decisions and taking time to understand the people she serves, she's built trust with members and board leaders alike. Her background in education continues to influence how she leads today. Teaching preschool taught her how to simplify complex ideas, communicate with clarity, and patiently help people grow—skills that translate remarkably well into executive leadership. Another key theme throughout the episode is the importance of listening. Rather than assuming she knows what members need, Celeste continually asks for feedback and looks for opportunities to improve the member experience. One example is EMDA's newly launched online connection tool, created directly from member requests. By listening first, she turned a challenge into one of the organization's newest benefits. The conversation also explores overcoming self-doubt and earning credibility as a young leader. Early in her career, Celeste often had to overcome assumptions based on her age. Instead of allowing those perceptions to define her, she focused on consistently delivering results and building trust over time. When asked about her proudest accomplishments, Celeste shares two defining moments. The first was securing a highly competitive $90,000 grant that transformed the preschool she led, creating lasting educational opportunities for students, teachers, and families. The second is her work at EMDA, where membership has grown dramatically over the past few years through stronger relationships, increased visibility, and a renewed focus on serving members well. Beyond her leadership role, Celeste is passionate about health and fitness. She operates a small gym from her barn dominium, leading strength training and HIIT classes for members of her local community. For Celeste, physical fitness isn't separate from leadership—it strengthens it. Building discipline through exercise, fueling your body well, and creating healthy routines all contribute to becoming a stronger, more resilient leader. Throughout the conversation, one message remains clear: Great leadership isn't built through flashy moments. It's built through consistency, communication, and genuinely caring about the people you're called to serve. Listen if you are: Leading an association or member-based organizationLooking to strengthen relationships with customers or membersBuilding trust through communicationNavigating leadership early in your careerPassionate about personal growth, health, and leadershipLooking for practical ways to serve people more intentionally Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about consistently showing up, listening well, communicating clearly, and making people feel valued every single day.

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About

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.

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