About this podcast
As an agribusiness executive, you operate at the intersection of value creation and preservation.
You are challenged every day to take risks and grow the business while protecting the organization, people, and customers with superior execution.
From highly fragmented supply chains and capital intensive business models to exceptionally narrow margins and hyper-competitive markets, you need an edge to outperform the competition.
Welcome to The Pacesetter Pod, where we explore and reveal the perspectives, insights, and approaches to deliver great results and growth in your agribusiness, through better execution.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 193 episodes
- Ep191: It's not ours, it's just our turn | Paul Katovich, HighLine Grain Growers · 47 minShow Highlights: • Why the PNW is the distinct "Galápagos" of U.S. grain trading. [05:46] • Premium consumer expectations in Asia's Pacific Rim markets. [08:08] • How the…
- Ep190: Ag Co-ops and the "Governance Acuity Pickle" | Richard Fagerlin, Build Better Boards · 53 minShow Highlights: • The "governance acuity pickle" of co-op boards and exec teams. [05:17] • Who owns board development in ag co-ops? [09:50] • Why co-op directors must "kill…
- Ep189: The Asset Closure Playbook · 38 minShow Highlights: • Past Pacesetter deep-dives on the co-op asset challenge. [02:27] • How to evaluate a strategic asset in ag co-ops. [04:53] • Are "strategic" and…
- Ep188: The Co-op for Co-ops Pooling Talent Management Demand | Kalese Sheldahl, ACES · 43 minShow Highlights: • Discover ACES, a recruitment co-op for co-ops. [05:15] • How peer networks elevate HR practices in ag. [09:16] • How does ACES manage trust around urgency…
- Ep187: Driving Change, Member Acceptance, and a Mandate to Operate vs. Transform · 43 minShow Highlights: • Two questions a GM Pacesetter texted Joe about change. [00:23] • Why "more" tactics won't effectively communicate change in ag co-ops. [02:20] • Recognize…
- Ep186: Capitalizing on Oversupply Threats | Joe Diglio, Michigan Milk Producers Association · 47 minShow Highlights: • Overview of MMPA and its evolution in changing dairy. [04:52] • Is it true that there are fewer dairy farms and a trend toward scale? [09:25] • Grain and…
- Ep185: Built for this Moment | Neal Horrom, Mercer-Landmark · 48 minShow Highlights: • What happens to a growth strategy that fails the member vote? [05:40] • Anchoring co-op team emotions post-vote and pivoting. [13:20] • Discover Mercer…
- Ep184: The Co-op Strategic Alliance "Benefit Ceiling" Problem · 25 minShow Highlights: • What makes strategic alliances popular in agribusiness? [00:25] • Understanding the ceiling problem of strategic alliances. [02:05] • The agribusiness…
- Ep183: AI Inaction Risk and Rebuilding the Factory | Alexander Reichert & Patrick Walther, AgVend · 51 minShow Highlights: • How AI has supercharged ag-tech product development. [05:47] • Darwinism risks for companies that fail to adopt AI tools. [09:46] • Tips for enabling…
- Ep182: Co-op Relevancy, Uneven Growth Appetites, & 100 Day Planning | Brett Bruggeman, Land O'Lakes · 56 minShow Highlights: • Adapting to ag's "new norm and never before" as co-ops. [04:09] • Should co-ops shift to shorter 100-day strategic plans? [08:53] • Learn key data on…
- Ep181: Co-op Differentiation and De-Commoditization | Mike Corbus, Central Prairie Cooperative · 58 minShow Highlights: • Three questions to radically self-assess differentiation in co-ops. [02:49] • Why does brutal honesty matter to clarify market position? [07:17] • The power…
- Ep180: Patient Co-op Capital, Strategic Drift, Service Evolution | Joey Caldwell, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative · 50 minShow Highlights: • The evolution of ag co-op services and today's needs. [04:02] • Training mindsets co-op employees need for member success. [08:23] • Is non-farm talent a…
- Ep179: Investment Grade Ag and Capital Rivers vs. Reservoirs | Austin Liepold, Ascendant Partners · 52 minShow Highlights: • How episodic vs. structural challenges impact ag. [04:51] • Alarming fertilizer vulnerability data—why sovereignty matters. [06:00] • The effects of…
- Ep178: Single Screen Intelligence and Data Enhanced Bushels | Grey Montgomery & Katherine Sartiano, DTN · 48 minShow Highlights: • Explore what's new at DTN and their Ag Hub platform. [03:07] • DTN's vision to be a data escrow solving data-sharing distrust in ag. [05:38] • Problematic…
- Ep177: The Pacesetter Roundtable | Co-op CEO Succession · 56 minShow Highlights: • Evolving leadership demands on ag co-op GMs or CEOs. [08:01] • What are the co-op GM/CEO turnover trends and stats? [15:18] • The role and risks of mergers…
- Ep176: The Asset-Light Co-op Pt. 4 | Is the transition survivable? · 36 minShow Highlights: • Will asset-light be a tough sell in co-ops wired for asset-based value? [03:22] • Risks of remote advisory with no community touchpoints. [05:52] • Facing…
- Ep175: The Asset-Light Co-op Pt. 3 | Tech is the enabler, talent is the constraint · 29 minShow Highlights: • Can ag co-ops survive with no physical community anchors? [01:50] • Uncover the true core of asset-light co-ops—hint: it's not tech. [06:15] • What does…
- Ep174: The Asset-Light Co-op Pt. 2 | What replaces what we have? · 28 minShow Highlights: • Two mistakes to avoid when ideating asset-light co-ops. [01:33] • If you enjoy the Pacesetter Pod, help us grow at no cost! [03:12] • Fathom the true cost…
- Ep173: The Asset-Light Co-op Pt. 1 | What we built is no longer what we need · 21 minShow Highlights: • What's the historical rationale for ag cooperatives? [02:14] • Questions about current and future relevance of co-op solutions. [03:11] • Points of…
- Ep172: What are the markers of a high-performing co-op board? · 43 minShow Highlights: • Key points from last week's pod on co-op governance. [00:31] • Is member-owner governance an asset or liability? [04:36] • Why a co-op board is not a…
