Don't Ignore a Hunch

We get to bring people on that share their stories , their backgrounds , their expertise . They share with us seeds of greatness . And the reason seeds of greatness are so important is because , like I always say , if you want to know what the future is , grow it . Well , we got to plant the right seeds .

Well , what better way to get those seeds and to bring the experts on and ask them . And today is no different . Today we have Caressa Jones with B with basf , she's got a title strategic account manager , pest control , turf , ornamental hope . I got it all in there at basf .

Thank you today .

Well , I'm grateful to have the opportunity to have an opportunity , right , it's really up to you to drive it and to drive your success , to drive your momentum , to drive your positivity and your mindset on a day-to-day basis . So just having that opportunity to have an opportunity is what I'm grateful for today . I like that .

You know , I tell people that February 6th 1966 , you know , when I came into this world , they wrapped me in this incredible blanket called freedom and liberty and they said here's a world , here's a country , here's a state full of exactly what you just said opportunity .

Well , it's kind of like us and working with the youth or working with , say , some of my direct reports in the past , or even working with customers today , it's you can lead them to the opportunity , but it's what they do with that opportunity is what it really defines Very good .

The other part of that question , though , Caressa , is that I brag on you more than you will ever know . I tell people that Caressa is just this outstanding leader .

I talk about your energy , your passion I said it's contagious and the fact that she has multiple states that are under her responsibility , and something tells me you did not just fall into that seat . Something tells me you did not just fall into that role , that there's a story that brought you to the seat that you sit in .

If you would kind of tell us a little bit about that , Take us through your career , your title and how you came into this role that you're at at BASF .

So , aaron , as you mentioned , I'm currently the strategic account manager in our pest control and turf and ornamental business , but we consider our specialty solutions in our agricultural production business unit of BASF . So what does that mean ? I kind of see myself as an air traffic controller .

Right Is , I am the liaison and the go-to person between my customers at the distribution level to BASF and providing all those different moving parts into one . At the end of the day , it is a sales and influencing type position , but it's also strategic business planning , all involved into one . So I'm going to step back a little bit about the start , right ?

No , I didn't necessarily fall into this seat here today . It works my way here . I'm a non-traditional ag student from central Indiana , south central Indiana and Franklin , just outside of Indianapolis , and , you know , grew up in the city . Mom remarried , we had the opportunity to move out to the country right as we called it .

The city folk called it , and you know , I was 13 , 14 years old and I had , I had a desire , obviously , to get my driver's license and have a vehicle to actually drive when I was 16 . Well , your , your opportunities are pretty limited .

So I took um the opportunity to walk across the pasture and work for a farmer corn and soybean farmer as well as raise feeder pigs and feeder cattle , and the rest is history .

I'm the only one in my family in agriculture and absolutely love it , right , so it is never knew what I would fall into by just trying to simply earn a few dollars to buy myself a vehicle , and it's led me to where I am today . So I attended Purdue University in soil and crop science , started out as a pre-vet .

I attended Purdue University in soil and crop science , started out as a pre-vet , but also decided that maybe my second passion , which was the soil and crop side , was somewhere where I wanted to go , and I was able to intern for Monsanto in soybean production while I was in college and then happened to get a full-time position with them upon graduating Purdue in

2002 .

I then worked as a seed quality supervisor , which means I was able to really put forth my agronomic skills that I learned at Purdue , as well as put forth some of the development skills that I learned in FFA while serving in my FFA chapter there in Franklin , indiana , and building that confidence , having that ability to communicate with growers because I was working

with soybean growers on planning their crops so we could actually harvest and utilize for the years to come , for future years , as seed production I then had the hunch to try something different . My friends always told me you know , kj , you'd be good in sales .

Well , I took that and I ran with it and I have an opportunity to take a sales position as a sales agronomist at a small co-op in Russell , kansas , which is more towards Western Kansas , about an hour outside of Colby , and I got my teeth sunk into sales and got started there . Talk about an eye-opening cultural experience .

You know corn and soybean girl from the Midwest moving into western Kansas where they talked about fallow land , right , never had been exposed to fallow ground . It was unheard of in Indiana , right , where we put a crop on it every single year . And not to mention the cultural changes , as well as learning wheat and Milo or grain sorghum .

But at the same time as at the end of the day , agronomics is agronomics and if you have the will and the passion and the drive to learn and you keep your eyes open and you ask questions , nothing's unattainable , right . And so I took another leap and wanted to go back into production .

So I moved a little bit farther East , went into Eastern Colorado , worked ag sales until an opportunity with BASF came along and to take over a sales territory . So never did I ever chose to be in sales , let alone working for a big company and a major manufacturer in agricultural space BASF , right , and , like I said , I've been with BASF for 16 years .

So after about four and a half years in sales , I had an opportunity to go into marketing . I got recruited to go into marketing . Whoa , I don't have a marketing background , right ? What am I going to do ? What am I going to be able to provide ? But that was an eye-opening experience .

So I got to relocate to Raleigh , north Carolina , in Research Triangle Park , to where our BASF North American Ag Quarters are located , and it was three and a half years of working with active ingredients that are very passionate in the ag industry here today , mainly focused around dicamba , and what that really taught me is having that connection of not only working

with regulatory , but also our global , regional and our local marketing groups , Working with our sales team , right .

So sales background that I had , being able to bring that knowledge into the office and be able to put together programs , go-to-market strategies and really sell forth what type of products that we want in the future through lifecycle management something that's very important to the existence of a company , right ?

And not only that , but also where can we incorporate innovation ? Innovation is very important to BASF and very important to the ag industry , right , we have to continue to I'm going to say , out-innovate some of our other industries , right , because we are the existence .

Without food , fiber and fuel , we wouldn't be where we are today , and so , really , the agriculture is the backbone and being able to work for BASF with the innovation field to do that , then it came full circle of opportunity to move not only into a different business unit , as I mentioned , that I'm in today in our specialty business unit Interferonemental and Pest

Control but also to manage people and I had the opportunity to manage people for six years and I had a team of nine stellar sales reps . They were definitely experts in their area and they taught me a lot .

They were very coachable and that's what I enjoyed most is , I wasn't a manager right , I don't necessarily like to use that title of sales manager I was a sales coach , I was a sales leader .

I was the encourager , the motivator , also the questioner , right , really challenging what their go-to-market strategy is in their particular territory and what they're wanting to accomplish with their customers . That year .

And then I had the opportunity to move into the current role today , as I mentioned , a strategic account manager , which has been a passion of mine ever since being a sales director in eastern Colorado .

And so here I am come full circle and being able to incorporate it all Right , like I said , it is the center of influence as an account manager , and so being able to take the sales skills , the marketing skills , being able to navigate internally within a company , being able to understand how to communicate and network , not only in the space that you're in in

the markets , but also with your customers and potential future customers . So , aaron , that was a long , roundabout way of kind of giving a little bit of the journey in the background of where I am today .

I asked that question , by the way , and you definitely hit every one of the touch points that I wanted you to hit and if you will , let me unpack some of those , because I think there's a lot of good stuff here podcast , and you're listening to Caressa's story of how she ended up where she's at the first seed that I see that you did number one .

You took initiative . You said you walked across the field . You said you walked over , you wanted to learn something . You were inquisitive , you took initiative . I think that right there , I hope everybody heard that loud and clear .

The other thing that I heard loud and clear is you've not been satisfied , that you like a challenge , you like an opportunity , and so what I'm listening to you tell this incredible career journey that you've been on .

I'm hearing somebody that's saying I'm on the lookout for an opportunity to grow personally , to grow professionally , to pour into others and see them grow . I mean , I heard all of that by what you just said .

The other thing that we like to tell people is listen , and listening is not just your ears , it's your eyes and your ears , just your ears , it's your eyes and your ears and every one of those career steps that you took , something tells me it didn't just come to you , you had to be on the lookout for it .

Yes , and then take that initiative , take that action . Am I correct ?

And you know the story there is is don't give up , Right , Every opportunity . You're going to learn something from it and understand that when the time is right , the time will be right and the leaders above you right , wrong or indifferent and maybe what you think about what their feedback was is they have a reason and a place and there's a time and a place .

And as long as you still keep that initiative , as you mentioned before , and that will , and that drive that sometimes your greatest success is gonna come from a failure , right , and you have to learn from those opportunities . I didn't see it as a failure , right , and you have to learn from those opportunities I didn't see it as a failure .

Tom Ziegler is on our foundation board of directors the son of the late Zig Ziegler and he has a whole program called the Coach Leader , and that's what he calls it , the Coach Leader , because that's really what it is . I tell people all the time that's what I want to be . I'm the kind of guy that sits behind the scenes and I want to be the trainer .

I want to make you stronger . I want to make you better at what you do . No-transcript . So one thing that you did kind of talk about , that is definitely part of both of our journeys , and the reason we're even here is FFA .

So I like to tell kids , I like to remind them that you know I can't speak for every state in the country , but in the state of Texas there are over 3,000 high schools and I always ask the kids I said how many of those high schools have graduating classes ? Every one of them ? Now think about that .

All these kids are getting out and they're looking for a job , a scholarship or an opportunity , and so I always ask them what separates you from your peers ? What's your competitive edge ? What is it that ? It could be something as simple as the handshake , the yes or no sir . Yes , ma'am , no ma'am .

It could be the way that you communicate , but there is something that can give you a competitive edge . I believe FFA gives students a competitive edge and I'm just curious in your life journey , was FFA part of your competitive skill development ?

Yes , aaron , it was , and I think one of the things that you mentioned that really takes me back as a hiring manager right , I've been involved in a lot of interviews of bringing in folks that have one year experience to 20 plus years experience in whatever market and that they are in , is having the confidence Number one right .

Ffa provides that opportunity to build confidence , even if it's just having that firm handshake . I can't tell you how many times that I have shook a hand with a candidate who's 25 plus years in the business and has the weakest handshake . To me , that doesn't represent confidence in that person , right , you know ?

Are they really wanting to be there and to be engaged and really seek out an opportunity with the ASF or even be a member of my team ? I'm also to the communication part , right Is communication is so important ?

I think you elaborated this just a minute ago in terms of not just being able to physically hear and communicate , but also nonverbally being able to communicate and being able to read those nonverbal communications , and that is also very important , something that you also learn in FFA . Right , it's those soft skills that you're really developing .

Sometimes we may think about it as , oh well , you know , they're just giving a speech . Oh , no , no , no , folks , that speech is most important , right ? I often hear people say that they're so afraid of public speaking . I was right there .

I mean , I was right there , and now you know , I do a lot of public speaking on a day to day basis , putting together a lot of presentations , whether it's an impromptu presentation or a speech in an elevator , to where it's a prepared hour , plus meeting conducting with the CEO of one of my channel partners that I work with there you go again .

Chris says that when you share your life journey , when you share your story , there's somebody else out there listening right now that could be wondering about their career path , wondering whether or not they should step up and step out , wondering if they really have the goods .

And you know , I think we've all been in those places and I think it's the examples of guests like you that help them find that confidence . Or they plant the seed right . It may not come to fruition right now .

I mean , maybe somebody listens to this podcast and they hear Carissa's journey and they plant that seed , but maybe somewhere along the way an area officer or a state FFA officer or a national FFA officer or a sponsor , somebody else may water that seed and help nurture that seed until one day that seed grows into the beautiful person that we were designed to be .

So that's why stories like yours to me are so important , and I knew folks I got to tell you Carissa and I have a mutual friend who used to be the director of the Colorado FFA Foundation , don Thorne , and this is another compliment to Carissa .

But you know , don and I had a longstanding working relationship , a very healthy working relationship , and I remember Caressa called our office one day and she said Don told me that I need to come by and meet y'all and I need to talk to y'all about the Texas FFA . Well , number one Caressa didn't have to do that .

But if you listen to Caressa's journey , it started when she walked across the field journey . It started when she walked across the field . She came across the city and said I think I'm going to drive over and meet y'all and talk . Didn't take me long , by the way , I'll just let y'all know .

It did not take me long to listen to Caressa to know okay , we got to get you involved , you need to be a volunteer . And one thing led to another and we've got her on boards and she's judging stuff and she's the chairs of committees . And the point is , what do they say ? That philanthropy is the four Ts .

Philanthropy is giving of time , talent , treasures and testimonies . And , caressa , not only are you a great example of what FFA can do , but you're also a great example of philanthropy , and so I would say to you personally thank you to BASF , thank you , you know , because , at the end of the day , for those of us in the world of FFA .

We couldn't do the things we do if we didn't have the fuel to make dreams come true , and the support of companies like BASF provides the fuel to help us make dreams come true , to empower that next Caressa , that next Alejandro , that's going to take our seats one day , and so thank you so much for that .

I started on a prior board and that's how I met Don , thus you , and that's how I've been involved within Texas FFA both the association and on the foundation , as well as a founding member of our BASF alumni and supporters chapter at BASF and to work for a company that fully supports the organization , the importance of it , and really recognizes the leadership

abilities that come out of the OSFFA members , some of those soft skills that we talked about , right , some of those skills that you learned through your SAE project , through your CDE and LDE projects as well .

It really does matter , folks , and some of the opportunities I've had to engage with some FFA members is don't be afraid to put FFA on your resume , right , sometimes we forget about that .

We get out of high school , we're on into college , we're thinking about something different , but we forget about how we got to where we're going , and don't forget to put that on there Right , it's important and trust me , those that have been in FFA or heard of it . Well , you talk about competitive ed Darren .

Not only is it in your skills that you have and develop , but also in terms of what you can portray on paper as well that you can then show in an interview .

He actually separated them out because he kind of knew what qualities that candidate was going to bring to that potential role .

true .

Come on to imagine , if you will , that you get to speak to freshmen's classrooms across the United States , sophomores across the United States , juniors and seniors , maybe even college students that are tuning in Carissa .

I'm just curious if you knew that you could speak to all those people right now and say here are three skills , here are three things that if I were you , I would put these in place in your life that can help you build an incredible career in future . What would you say ? What are those three things ?

I cannot emphasize , overemphasize you can put this word bold , italicize , underline , different colors , different fonts networking , it truly is important , right , and I know the old cliche is it's not what you know to you know . In essence , sometimes that is the case , but it's not only taking of what and who you know , but doing something with that , right .

So , number one , networking . We talked about Aaron . You know how have we got to be where we are today ? And this podcast today is through networking . Number two is communication . If there is one weakness and also strength sometimes in any organization and or association , and even in a person themselves , as communication . You cannot over communicate .

And , as I mentioned previously , it's not just about the verbal communication , it is also about the nonverbal communication , because sometimes what you're thinking in your mind can be portrayed in a different way in your nonverbal skills and your nonverbal communications that come out . So communication , both verbal and nonverbal .

Number three and I alluded to this as well , in terms of being not a manager , but a coach , being coachable is incredibly important . Leadership you aren't the smartest one in the room , nor will you be . Your ability to be that leader is to really bring out the strengths in the folks that you're working with , whether it's one or whether it's 100 .

Being able to do that is also one learning about yourself , both strengths and weaknesses . And with those weaknesses and or areas of opportunity , as I also like to call them , is how can you work through those ?

And being able to accept feedback so you can take that coaching lesson to be a better person , to be a better leader , to be that better coach so you can then help others be a better leader , better coach , better mentor . So those are my three networking , communication and being coachable .

In the ambassador program , one of the awards that we give every year , every summer , we give what's called the three-foot award , and what we teach the ambassadors is get to know everybody within three feet of you , because everybody that's within three feet of you one day is going to be a customer , a colleague , a constituent .

People that know people are able to solve problems quicker . They're able to capitalize on opportunities quicker and by listening with your eyes and ears and having a strong network , you can ascend through an organization like BASF quicker , probably and I mean Carissa's career path is an example of that Communication .

Obviously we know that's just the reality and it's changed . I meant to think that we used to have typing that was it . We had rotary telephones . That was it , I remember , when we were introduced to fax machines .

There's really not because the tools that are at our fingertips are greater than they've ever been and , to Carissa's point , even those tools can convey those nonverbal cues as well , and so I just want to again capitalize on what you shared and then , lastly , couldn't agree with you more Be coachable .

There are people out there that you know when I say , hey , you know you might look at doing this this way . Or you know , hey , let's talk about this , maybe you could consider this , and they either become offended or the wall goes up , and I'm thinking I'm not doing this because I'm trying to hurt your feelings , I'm not doing this because I dislike you .

I'm sharing with you because I really do like you . I'm sharing with you because I see the potential that you have . And to your point , carissa , to be coachable is huge . Yes , it's huge . So well , listen , I can't thank you . Thank you enough for joining us . I guess I've got one , maybe two last questions for you .

You know , we , we live in a big world and it's a world that's that's growing . The population is growing . I know that there are people you know . One of my favorite quotes is from Wayne Gretzky . When they asked Gretzky you know what makes you such a great hockey player ? And Wayne Gretzky said . He said most players skate to where the puck is .

I skate to where the puck is going . When I think about where the puck is going , I think about our world , and I know that in today's world there's domestic tension , societal tension , internationally , there's tension in the Middle East and in the Baltic states .

But when we really look at what's coming , when we really look at the food needs of this world that are coming in just a few short years , I'm looking at where the puck is going . And where the puck is going is a necessity for agriculture , a necessity for food . From the seat that you sit in Caressa .

Both domestically and internationally , are there opportunities for people to pursue careers in agriculture ?

It is the biggest job on earth and there are opportunities out there , not just your traditional , you know hands on production agriculture , as I shared my story today , right is , I started out on the production side of agriculture but ended up in an opportunity to be able to coach , lead , mentor and provide those opportunities to others that are providing solutions in

the agricultural space , whether that's marketing communications , whether that's through public health , through pest control , when it's not often thought about a whole lot . Right , we also enjoy the greenery that's out there , whether you enjoy golf , or whether you enjoy flowers or plants in the greenhouse and nursery markets .

Those are all very crucial to the vegetation management , controlling weeds on the sides of the road , to having the timber right . Timber is also an important part of agriculture that's not often thought about from time to time .

but having those solutions to make it higher yielding is important , and also the ability to really give back , not only to your country , but also to society in general . So , aaron , yes , there's opportunities in agriculture and , in fact , folks , but also to society in general .

So , aaron , yes , there's opportunities in agriculture and , in fact , folks , we need more people in agriculture , we need more people to advocate . We need more people to tell our story . There's a lot of misinformation out there , right , and being an advocate for agriculture is absolutely crucial for the success and future of our entire country and our world .

I was just having a conversation with my dad last night talking about the cattle market and some of the stuff that's on the news regarding inventories and costs . Folks , it's important to really understand and to seek out the facts . Also , when hearing something right and being an advocate for agriculture is important .

As I mentioned , I'm the only one in my family in agriculture right , that's an opportunity for me . It's an opportunity for me to educate my family and it's also an opportunity for you as well . Ffa members , ag enthusiasts alike .

So as we get out and become these advocates , always remember that one simple word food can get everybody's attention . Everybody that I know has been hungry at some time . Everybody I know has needed to get across town at some time . Everybody I know has needed to get under shelter at some time .

And everything that I just said is what Caressa told us is why agriculture is important Food , fiber and fuel . And there are plenty of jobs , plenty of opportunities that exist . Pursue them , because I can tell you where the puck's headed and if you get there before everybody else , something tells me there's nothing wrong with being the lead position .

No , caressa , thank you so much for taking time today . It is an honor to have you here on the Growing Our Future podcast .

I played the clarinet , also the tenor sax , in jazz bands and marched in high school and I had the opportunity to go with my mom to be ready for this one . A Kenny G and a Peebo Bryson concert in middle school Phenomenal Folks . If you don't know who they are , google them right now as soon as you get off the podcast .

Look up Kenny G and Peebo Bryson outstanding musicians and that , to me , was very eye-opening . It was just mom and I at an amphitheater out on the lawn seating , and it really helped gain some more appreciation for music . For me , so it's not only a favorite one because it's a favorite memory of mine .

It was one of those moments that really triggered my interest in music and also just an opportunity to , uh , to learn something new .

I love it that our musical tastes are all different and , as somebody who's married to a band nerd , as you call it I get it and that , but that's awesome . It's a talent . By the way , I think it's a talent both academically , mentally , to be able to hear music , transition music , and so compliments to you for being one of those folks . So

thank you . Anyway , all right , ladies and gentlemen , thank you for joining us for another episode of Growing Our Future . Like I always say , if agriculture has taught me anything , it's taught me . If you want to know what the future is , grow it .

And whether that's your personal life , your FFA chapter , your professional life , you've got to plant seeds , and then you've got to take care of them , and then , when that harvest comes in , you've got to harvest it . Don't be stingy with it , share it , and when we do , we make our worlds a better place to live , work and raise our families .

Until we meet again , go out and do something great for somebody . You'll feel good about it and the world will be better for it . Thank you for joining us .