In this episode, we welcome back a special guest, Dr. Terry McCosker, Founding Director of RCS Australia and Chairman of CarbonLink. If you missed our popular episode on carbon credits, go back and checkout episode “#15: Carbon Credits: The Results Are In," where Terry shared invaluable insights about carbon farming. Recently, Terry hinted at some exciting forthcoming data relating to large-scale carbon projects. The suspense built as he said, "I can't tell you about it just yet, Ben, we'll have...
Jun 22, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Welcome to another episode of The Financial Bloke’s Wealth & Wisdom podcast. Our guest today is Asher Hammond, a specialist Agri recruiter and director of Agrijobs Australia. If you are like the many driven rural producers who have faced challenges in attracting and retaining great staff, then you’ll want to tune into this one. In this episode, Asher shares techniques used by successful operators to attract exceptional candidates. We also explore the importance of identifying less-than-ideal...
Jun 11, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Today we welcome back John Moor, a seasoned expert in managing farm managers, to discuss the challenges that farm owners face in finding, valuing, retaining, and getting the most out of their farm managers. John shares his extensive experience in managing employees and highlights the importance of developing the skills needed to effectively manage them. John provides valuable insights into how to manage a manager, including setting up clear expectations, providing guidance, and offering support....
May 28, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 44
In this episode of Wealth & Wisdom, we're talking about a topic that often doesn’t get enough attention: the value of strong family relationships for people on the land. Our guest, Ali Flynn, brings her expertise as a therapist, facilitator, mindset coach & host of “The Challenges That Change Us Podcast” to the conversation, sharing insights on how to improve communication and build stronger connections within farming families. While it may seem like a departure from our usual focus on w...
May 14, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 43
We all want to make a profit, but the bigger the profit, the bigger the tax bill. So, how much of your hard-earned cash do you need to give to the tax office? In this episode, Ben will be discussing some useful tips and traps to avoid when preparing for the end of the financial year with your accountant. Ben covers some essentials such as the massive difference between profit and cash flow, how to take advantage of a lean year, why banks hate ATO tax debts, and the importance of seeking advice o...
Apr 30, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Today we welcome back Shane Bird, mindset coach, speaker & trainer, to share strategies for farmers to break out of a negative mindset quicker. Last time we spoke to Shane (in episode #5), he shared his background and answered some fundamental questions about negative thoughts and self-belief. Now Shane is back to shed light on normalcy of negative thoughts, why we have them, and delve into the importance of self-belief and how it plays a critical role in our lives. He shares practical tips ...
Apr 16, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 41
In this episode we sit down with Angus Street, CEO of AuctionsPlus, to discuss the big themes in technology that are driving change and revolutionising the way we farm. From ChatGPT to data-driven decision making, to the use of drones and biotechnology, we explore how these technologies might transform farming practices in the future. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities for farmers that arise from these changes and the role that technology can play in improving productivity, sustain...
Apr 02, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 40
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of farmers signing agreements with renewable energy companies to lease their land for wind or solar energy production. While these agreements can offer a significant source of income for farmers and contribute to a more sustainable energy future, they can also come with potential risks and challenges. In this episode, we will explore the different factors that farmers need to consider before signing a wind or solar agreement. We will discuss the le...
Mar 19, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 39
In this episode, we explore the characteristics of a "bloody good" accountant and the dangers of a mediocre one. Our guest Russell Strack, a seasoned accountant with over 30 years of experience, shares valuable insights on what to look for when hiring an accountant for your business. We delve into what you should expect as a minimum and the skills and services offered by exceptional accountants. Russell provides practical tips for small business owners on how to assess the quality of their curre...
Mar 05, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Tapping into the lucrative tourism market for rural producers is a serious opportunity for opportunity for those on the land. The reasons for starting a tourism business might be drought mitigation, evening out cashflow, supporting succession, servicing debt, paying boarding school fees or just savvy producers taking advantage of a unique business opportunity. The problem is, it’s easy to identify an opportunity but difficult to get a viable business up and running. Producers are time poor, more...
Feb 19, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Most rural producers have legal and tax structures in place like partnerships, companies and trusts. They are usually put in place for either tax planning or asset protection purposes but are often ignored or misunderstood as “My accountant deals with that stuff!” Few understand their structures or realise what can go wrong if they or their accountant are not all over the legal and tax requirements, which is the subject of our discussion today. Our guest today is Kylie Wilson, a lawyer who has s...
Feb 05, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Ian McLean is the Managing Director of Bush AgriBusiness and co-author of The Australian Beef Report. In this episode, Ian and I will be discussing how the top 25% of beef producers generate 100% of the beef industry profits. If you want to be more profitable or become one of the top 25% of beef producers, then this is the podcast for you! Ian holds a Master of Business Administration and is accredited as a Chartered Agriculturist by the Ag Institute of Australia. Prior to starting Bush AgriBusi...
Jan 22, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Today we are going to be discussing some of the problems with corporate investment into Australian Agriculture with our guest, Matt Barton. Matt is a fifth-generation farmer from central NSW but he is also a teacher, adviser and facilitator with RCS Australia. RCS is an integrated training, education & professional advice business that focuses solely on helping agricultural producers to best manage people, land and agricultural production systems. Matt went to boarding school in Sydney then ...
Jan 08, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 34
This episode is a new concept I am trying which is a short, bite-sized 10 minute episode with just me. Today I’m discussing the 5 Stages of The Rural Succession Lifecycle which I developed over the 20 years I spent advising rural families. If you enjoy the episode then I’d be grateful if you would share it with your family, friends and anyone who might benefit. ----------------------- Ben spent over 20 years working with successful business owners and farming families which allowed him to uneart...
Dec 25, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 33
John Moor is back by popular demand. John is a highly experienced Succession Planning Facilitator and his episode #24 was one of our most popular so far. If you haven’t listened to it yet it’s worth going back for as the feedback has been amazing. Due to the depth of this topic we decided to split into two episodes – the first addressing the younger generation (“the Young’ens”) and the second addressing the generation handing over (or what we affectionately call “the Oldies”). In this episode, P...
Dec 18, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 32
John Moor is back by popular demand. John is a highly experienced Succession Planning Facilitator and his episode #24 was one of our most popular so far. If you haven’t listened to it yet it’s worth going back for as the feedback has been amazing. Due to the depth of this topic we decided to split into two episodes – the first addressing the younger generation (“the Young’ens”) and the second addressing the generation handing over (or what we affectionately call “the Oldies”). In this episode, P...
Dec 05, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Our guest today is Lachlan Dunsdon, Certified Property Valuer and National Director Rural & Agribusiness at Acumentis. In this episode we will be discussing the current thinking on how Carbon Credits, Biodiversity and Natural Capital can affect land values for the better - or the worse. Lachlan grew up on a sheep, cattle and cropping property in Western Queensland and has been valuing rural property and providing corporate advisory expertise for around 16 years. Learn more about Lachlan at: ...
Nov 21, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 30
The tables have been turned and, in this episode, The Financial Bloke is actually the guest being interviewed! Host of the successful Farms Advice podcast Jack Cresswell and I will be running through the Seven Steps to Successful Off-Farm Investing. I spent 20 years as a financial adviser figuring out how to invest successfully and when I worked it out, this was the model I followed consistently. Back in my financial adviser days this was something I only ever shared with clients but now I’m mak...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Success leaves clues and if you’re the type of person who wants to learn what it takes to be successful then this is an episode for you. This week on The Financial Bloke podcast, I have retired beef exporter Mr Richard Rains. In this episode we’ll be discussing his passion for mentoring the next generation, dig into the secrets of his success, and uncover how he achieved the ‘impossible’ and persuaded McDonald’s to include imported Aussie Beef in their All American Burgers. Prior to his retireme...
Oct 24, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 28
We’ve all frequently heard naive politicians suggesting we “tax the rich” – which on the surface seems kind of ok, doesn’t it? But what I want any business owners - which includes farmers and graziers - to understand is that you are the “rich” they’re talking about. That’s because you own land and there is money in land, easy taxing money! Today Tim Rivett and I will be discussing death taxes which I am hearing more and more politicians talking about in the media. For anyone that was in farming ...
Oct 09, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 27
This episode was recorded at the 3R Livestock pre-bull sale dinner fireside chat at Goonoo Goonoo Station. I was extremely fortunate to have had three high calibre guests which I interviewed in a panel type format. The panel guests were David Bondfield (former director of Palgrove), Richard Rains (a retired meat exporter who was turning over about $500M annually when he retired) and Angus Street (CEO of Auctions Plus). The fireside chat, with the theme of “Collaboration and Innovation”, was tail...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Agriculture seems to be being painted more and more as an environmental villain by vegan & environmental activists as well as the some of the marketing machines of the plant-based industry. If you are sceptical that this issue is relevant to you, have a look at legislation being passed by ill-informed politicians in Sri Lanka, Ireland, Canada and The Netherlands and in our own energy sector. These should be our canary in the coal mine. Today our guest is Mark Davie. Mark and I are talking ab...
Sep 12, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 25
John Moor is a 6th generation dairy farmer, owner of GrowMoor Biological and a highly experienced Succession Planning Facilitator. John and I are going to be discussing what a facilitator actually is and why you can’t just get your accountant, solicitor, financial adviser or bank manager to fill the role. We also address how using a highly qualified and experienced facilitator will help you pull off a successful succession plan and at the same time, strengthen family relationships. John has kind...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In this episode I will be discussing with Carmen Quade how to prepare teenagers and adult children with the money muscles needed to set them up for success. Carmen is a farmer, educator and mother of 5 children so has plenty of experience putting her knowledge to practical use. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 and Part 2 of the Kids & Money 3-Part Series, I’d recommend starting there first to get the most value out of this episode. You can learn more about Carmen at: https://agrifocused.com...
Aug 22, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Most parents want their kids to learn how to be good with money. They instinctively know that a failure to learn how to play the game of money will put their kids at a major disadvantage, making their lives so much harder. But, whilst the majority of parents want to help their kids, most just don’t know how the hell to go about it. Because this this is such a hot topic with most parents, I decided I would try a Three Episode series on Kids and Money which I’ve called Money Muscles. In this episo...
Aug 15, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Most parents want their kids to learn how to be good with money. They instinctively know that a failure to learn how to play the game of money will put their kids at a major disadvantage, making their lives so much harder. But, whilst the majority of parents want to help their kids, most just don’t know how the hell to go about it. Because this this is such a hot topic with most parents, I decided I would try a Three Episode series on Kids and Money which I’ve called Money Muscles. In this episo...
Aug 08, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Today we have Senator Susan McDonald to give us her take on the current Foot & Mouth Disease situation and how the Agricultural Industry can help tackle the problem politically. Susan grew up on her family’s cattle property near Cloncurry in far north QLD. She studied and worked in the accounting industry before purchasing a chain of butcher shops in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and ran them for 6 years before deciding to take the plunge into politics. Susan was elected to the Australian Sen...
Jul 26, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Investing in Commercial Property can be complicated and risky if you don’t know what you are doing but if you get it right, it can be a powerful way to build off farm wealth for your family. The best way to be a successful investor in any area is to educate yourself, and a great way to do this is by listening to highly experienced experts in their fields, just like our guest today. In this episode I discuss off-farm investing into Commercial Property with Dan Dwan, the Managing Director of Colli...
Jul 18, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Today our guest Daniel Elder will be discussing how QRIDA has helped some Queensland rural producers save a collective $3m in interest and Professional advice fees using QRIDA’s Farm Business Analysis Assistance Program. Daniel comes from the land and grew up near Chinchilla on the Darling Downs in QLD. He has over 15 years experience in the banking sector and is currently the Manager of QRIDA’s Farm Debt Restructure Office. Just a heads up before we start for anyone who lives outside of Queensl...
Jul 11, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Our guest today is Kylie Wilson, a Partner at Holding Redlich and veteran rural legal adviser in Estates, Succession Planning and Tax. Kylie and I discuss her unique perspective on why Succession Planning and Estates often turn into dust ups, how to avoid them and preserve the family’s wealth and relationships. For the younger listeners out there, if you are not too interested in estate planning, after listening to Kylie today you will get to understand why you should be very interested in your ...
Jul 04, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 17
