The Pacesetter Pod - podcast cover

The Pacesetter Pod

Joe Mosherwww.moshercg.com
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.
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Episodes

Ep91: The Wide Path Approach to Strategy Execution with Tucker Perkins of Propane Education & Research Council

Show Highlights: What is the Propane Education & Research Council? [00:02:31] Energy transformation defined with examples, including Three Mile Island. [00:07:47] The importance of affordability in the future of energy. [00:11:28] Why propane is the right answer in energy diversification. [15:03.3] Explore propane’s evolving agricultural applications. [00:21:34] Insights on the challenges of electrification in ag. [00:26:31] Is the U.S. presently vulnerable in energy security? [00:29:04] The...

Dec 04, 202445 min

Ep90: There Are No Unsolvable Problems, Only Unaffordable Solutions

Show Highlights: Is your profit leaking due to hidden inefficiencies? [00:00:24] Unlock three key questions for your problem-solving framework. [00:02:13] How to navigate the cost–benefit dilemma. [00:04:48] The importance of practical, feasible improvements. [00:07:57] Gain a realistic approach to problem-solving. [00:08:19] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://wwaw.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com ....

Nov 27, 202411 min

Ep89: Forecasting Constraints to Enable Agribusiness Growth

Show Highlights: Follow Jim’s case study, an instructive client story. [00:00:24] Discover the concept of working to constraints, not until them. [00:03:02] Strategies to optimize existing resources for maximum efficiency. [00:06:17] The importance of staying true to your processes despite the slack. [00:08:20] How to agilely monitor constraints before they emerge. [00:10:34] Advice on applying Jim’s concept to your business. [00:12:10] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedI...

Nov 20, 202414 min

Ep88: Innovation Theater with Shane Thomas of Upstream Ag

Show Highlights: Discover Upstream Ag, the essential ag newsletter. [00:02:44] Innovation and its Red Queen race effect explained. [00:08:29] Explore the tension between innovation and certainty. [00:12:45] What is innovation culture vs. innovation theater? [00:17:14] Tell-tale signs of novelty infatuation in a business. [00:23:46] Why the revolutionary Michelin PAX tire failed. [00:28:31] Analyze John Deere’s thoughtful innovation strategy with See & Spray. [00:34:04] How to ensure genuine ...

Nov 13, 202449 min

Ep87: Rethinking Dissension Risk

Show Highlights: Introducing the MABA 2024 Outlook Conference. [00:00:25] Discover Mike Fossum, an unlikely contributor to ag. [00:01:12] What does an astronaut have to teach about dissension? [00:02:36] What if dissension isn't a threat, but an opportunity? [00:04:28] Five ways an additive vs. agitative use of dissension de-risks strategy. [00:07:01] To learn more about the Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA), go to https://miagbiz.org/ . To access the MABA 2024 Outlook Conference, please...

Nov 06, 202414 min

Ep86: Red Barns and Failure to Innovate with Joel Wipperfurth of Truterra

Show Highlights: How a 100-year-old ag leader successfully applies sustainability. [00:05:07] Truterra’s matchmaker role for Fortune 500 companies and farmers. [00:06:01] Can farming realities meet consumer-driven sustainability goals? [00:10:00] Why a value-first path is best trodden in agronomic advice. [00:13:22] Discover Truterra’s customer-centric strategies. [00:20:00] What a really lean hog reveals about new asset classes. [00:23:37] Insights on Red Barn Farms’ failure to innovate. [00:28...

Oct 30, 202434 min

Ep85: Today's Grooves Are Tomorrow's Ruts

Show Highlights: Find out why business success breeds its own enemy. [00:02:01] Learn to spot the end of a groove and its risks. [00:04:53] The only strategy to stop success from killing your business. [00:07:51] How reading habits obstruct your crisis readiness. [00:09:57] Do you have a trusted circle of business advisors? [00:10:43] Discover leading metrics to monitor for agribusiness continuity. [00:13:10] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/...

Oct 23, 202417 min

Ep84: Great Millers Need Great Marketers with Tim Webster of Farmer Direct Foods

Show Highlights: How Farmer Direct Foods provides the perfect wheat. [00:02:28] Discover the benefits of regenerative agriculture. [00:07:38] Learn top product-adoption and branding strategies. [00:11:40] The importance of an operational focus in direct grower deals. [00:21:14] Explore the unique asymmetrical agreements in ag. [00:26:31] Insights on transitioning governance to an investor-led model. [00:30:34] Investing in friends and fiduciary accountability. [00:36:24] Cautionary advice on gro...

Oct 16, 202457 min

Ep83: Infatuation over Validation: Falling in Love with Bad Ideas

Show Highlights: How validation bias can mislead innovation. [00:00:21] Learn about the perils of singular data points. [00:02:10] Are your data sources credible and courageous? [00:04:38] The “ifs” method of confronting idea conditionality. [00:10:12] How to approach data if an idea needs a miracle to succeed. [00:15:11] Consider the ultimate benefit of challenging ideas. [00:16:37] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or schedul...

Oct 09, 202418 min

Ep82: Breaking Down Ag's Labor Problem with Jacqui Fatka of CoBank Knowledge Exchange

Show Highlights: Get CoBank’s latest labor-market data for ag. [00:06:25] Labor-participation rates in layman’s terms. [00:09:35] Is rural ag predicted to survive an aging workforce? [00:13:15] Explore automation as a solution for labor shortages. [00:18:29] Gain a fascinating generational analysis of farmers. [00:26:10] Uncover the $68T reason behind non-working men. [00:32:29] Strategies to bridge generational gaps in labor. [00:36:37] Find out potential ways to utilize Gen-Z labor. [00:40:08]...

Oct 02, 202448 min

Ep81: The Growth as a Constraint Paradox

Show Highlights: The issue today’s ag-industry headlines expose. [00:00:20] Explore the realities of limits to growth in ag. [00:01:35] Berkshire Hathaway’s historical growth performance. [00:03:30] How growth has constrained Berkshire Hathaway. [00:05:46] What is the law of large numbers? [00:08:25] Gain concise growth vs. sustainability considerations. [00:11:06] Tips for a forward-thinking approach to constraints. [00:14:09] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https:...

Sep 25, 202416 min

Ep80: Winning With Speed Not Perfection with Harold Cooper of Premier Ag Cooperative

Show Highlights: Discover Indiana’s oldest cooperative. [00:01:53] Learn about the three divisions of a CEO’s role. [00:03:47] Why military history can profit business strategy. [00:09:08] Gain strategy imperative-to-execution clarity. [00:16:29] Risk aversion vs. informed aggressiveness in ag. [00:23:01] Tips to reorient tentativeness in high-risk decisions. [00:29:06] How federated co-ops leverage local patronage. [00:36:46] Explore the technological disruptions ahead in ag. [00:39:03] To lear...

Sep 18, 202448 min

Ep79: Managing Negative Externality Risk in Agribusiness

Show Highlights: Discover blind spots in assessing external risks. [00:00:22] Negative externalities defined with examples. [00:03:56] The three whys of missing external-risk trends. [00:09:42] Learn the 'Don't Be a Bird' tactic to fight blindness. [00:14:47] How to perform external risk analysis as a team. [00:18:12] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com ....

Sep 11, 202422 min

Ep78: Scarcity Inflates Price but Execution Creates Value with Nick Sawyer of Five Star Cooperative

Show Highlights: Discover full-service Five Star Cooperative, Est. 1889. [00:03:41] Market differentiation tactics from Five Star Co-op. [00:07:32] The power of listening in service improvement. [00:14:57] How to operationalize customer feedback processing. [00:18:17] Tips to solve SKU and inventory management issues. [00:26:21] Explore the rapid tech adoption landscape in ag. [00:30:15] The Five Star approach to strategic goal alignment. [00:39:10] What should be the shelf life of strategic imp...

Sep 04, 202449 min

Ep77: Agribusiness Optimization Isn't Everything

Show Highlights: A powerful question to challenge business thinking. [00:00:24] Three vital benefits of optimization-basis discovery. [00:02:45] How to balance offense and defense in optimization. [00:05:13] Discover pro tips to validate a market need. [00:09:14] Why favor new ventures over myopic optimization? [00:12:21] Strategic evaluations you should regularly revisit. [00:15:21] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or schedul...

Aug 28, 202418 min

Ep76: Operationalizing Producer-First Values with Jason Weirich of MFA

Show Highlights: Discover MFA Incorporated that nears $2B in sales. [00:02:38] Dive into the core of MFA’s authentic producer-focus. [00:05:13] Can profitability always be aligned with core values? [00:09:42] The art of capital allocation to meet farmer interests. [00:13:51] Explore the power of multidirectional feedback loops. [00:19:55] Tips to facilitate growth with past-investment study. [00:27:51] Connect with Jason Weirich: https://mfa-inc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MFAIncorporated http...

Aug 21, 202433 min

Ep75: Executing Agribusiness Strategy with Mosher Consulting Group

Show Highlights: Strategy execution explained with key components. [00:02:16] Why strategy execution is the power behind success. [00:06:04] Explore common barriers to executing strategy. [00:07:49] Uncover the core issue of unrealized value at risk. [00:10:43] How to avert the cost of a post-deal execution failure. [00:13:53] The five ways Mosher Consulting Group de-risks PMI. [00:18:42] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or sc...

Aug 14, 202426 min

Ep74: Connecting People and Strategy with Erin Mies and Kristen Ireland of People Spark Consulting

Show Highlights: How to leverage a people-and-strategy roadmap. [00:04:21] Uncover the HR–business strategy connecting point. [00:08:40] The art of org design with Jay Galbraith’s Star Model. [00:13:02] Dive into role–strategy alignment in tasks and goals. [00:15:54] Ideas to navigate uncertainty in a strategy roadmap. [00:24:29] Tips to iron out decision-making process complexity. [00:28:10] The “one butt to one seat” rule for accountability. [00:33:11] Join the People Spark mailing list . Peop...

Aug 07, 202439 min

Ep73: 5 Ways to Ensure a Miserable M&A Integration

Show Highlights: Reflect on ways to harvest Charlie Munger’s wisdom. [00:00:23] Delve into the aftermath of ignoring deal rationale. [00:03:07] How a post-M&A inward focus forms customer churn. [00:04:00] What blind trust in existing capabilities does in PMI. [00:05:02] Tread a road to ruin called untracked performance. [00:07:32] Imagine rash celebrations and failure intolerance. [00:09:01] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ ...

Jul 31, 202412 min

Ep72: Agribusiness Growth Cannot Outrun Risk with Scott Cornell and Fritz Waldorf of Lockton Companies

Show Highlights: Learn about the current challenges in ag insurance. [00:04:22] Find out why there is limited underwriting for ag. [00:06:36] How severe convective storms drive insured loss. [00:09:59] The latent potential for ag client–insurer cooperation. [00:14:23] Discover key emerging exposures in agribusiness. [00:18:51] Why agrochemical-based risks may be uninsurable. [00:22:44] Unlock optimistic industry dynamics now crystallizing. [00:28:34] https://global.lockton.com/us/en/food-agricul...

Jul 24, 202434 min

Ep71: Tailwinds Are Not Your Friend

Show Highlights: Market-driven tailwinds vs. company successes. [00:03:37] How tailwinds create a business-fitness fallacy. [00:04:48] Uncover the danger of untested execution capacity. [00:06:12] Find out how tailwinds blunt business resiliency. [00:08:16] Explore the productivity born of demanding periods. [00:09:41] Understand the movement vs. velocity difference. [00:12:26] Food for thought on sustained-tailwind side effects. [00:14:15] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to Lin...

Jul 17, 202416 min

Ep70: Strategic & Financially Additive Agribusiness Governance with Tom Olive

Show Highlights: How boards contribute and can evolve strategically. [00:09:38] Explore the four rules well-functioning boards fulfil. [00:14:28] Advisory vs. fiduciary board governance explained. [00:18:06] Dive into the key elements of a board charter. [00:24:17] Why board constituents must be strategy-derived. [00:30:23] How to recruit expertise-based board members. [00:33:06] Discover PDA for time-saving board-building. [00:36:42] Tips to apply an insider-outsider ratio to a board. [00:42:37...

Jul 10, 202456 min

Ep69: The Risk of Metric Myopia and Misfires

Show Highlights: Learn about why metrics need regular revisiting. [01:38.7] How the fuel tax works, and why it doesn’t. [00:03:55] Explore the problems of legacy metrics. [00:09:28] Can mileage/use-based taxation plug funding gaps? [00:10:47] Discover the effect of EVs on road tax. [00:12:34] Why the allure of simplicity induces metric pitfalls. [00:13:37] Uncover the best metric for transportation funding. [00:15:06] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.link...

Jul 03, 202420 min

Ep68: Embracing Failure to Deliver Ag Cooperative Growth with KC Graner of Central Farm Service

Show Highlights: Explore Central Farm Service’s precision ag program. [00:04:38] The role of skilled legacy talent in precision ag. [00:09:49] KC Graner’s ag voyage from early interest to CFS. [00:13:25] Two strategic keys to adapt to a manager role. [00:20:15] Why numbers are a manager’s post-merger friend. [00:24:37] Success lessons from initial merger unprofitability. [00:29:05] Actionable tips to improve processes through failures. [00:35:34] Pivotal ways co-ops create market links for membe...

Jun 26, 202449 min

Ep67: Anticipating Competitive Response is Not Enough

Show Highlights: Uncover key competitive response how-tos. [00:02:13] Find out how to design and position counteractions. [00:06:01] Why quantifying competitor-action impact matters. [00:09:13] The true benefit of planning a competitive response. [00:11:08] Dive into stealth-mode and preemptive strategies. [00:13:20] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or schedule a call at www.moshercg.com ....

Jun 19, 202418 min

Ep66: Focus and Agility is a Competitive Advantage with Ethan Rosen of Pure Line Seeds

Show Highlights: Dive into this Pure Line Seeds 101. [00:02:59] The value of existing clients in diversification. [00:11:05] The pros and cons for independent seed companies. [00:13:58] Find out how the riches are in the niches in ag. [00:19:38] Discover the competitive edge at Pure Line Seeds. [00:23:24] Agility wisdom from Pure Line Seeds’ HQ relocation. [00:28:31] The two factors most important in integration. [00:32:46] Explore how organizational change impacts people. [00:39:46] If you are ...

Jun 12, 202447 min

Ep65: Is Decision-Friction Impairing Your Agribusiness?

Show Highlights: Why C-suite meetings necessitate decision scopes. [00:01:27] Discover what a decision scope is. [00:04:46] The exploratory decision scope explained. [00:06:32] Strategic steps of the evaluatory decision scope. [00:08:17] How the confirmatory decision scope impacts outcomes. [00:09:51] Decision scope applications to relieve ambiguity. [00:12:38] Tips to use decision scopes to set shared objectives. [00:19:21] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://w...

Jun 05, 202423 min

Ep64: Purpose-Driven and Customer-Focused Growth with Leah Anderson of Winfield United

Show Highlights: Learn about the value of Land O’Lakes’ co-op model. [00:04:09] Leah Anderson’s instructive rise in ag from coding. [00:10:11] Impactful secrets to future-shaping leadership. [00:23:58] Polysemic “A.I.” and learning agility as a leader. [00:27:58] Tips to tap into teams as a cross-sector leader. [00:31:47] Explore WinField United’s prescriptive analytics. [00:37:11] Discover BioVerified that transforms biologicals. [00:42:03] Dive into WU’s transactional and field-level data use....

May 29, 202455 min

Ep63: Six Questions on One Page: A Recipe for Better Agribusiness Focus Allocation

Show Highlights: The process of project downselection explained. [00:01:27] A fictional example of project-requirement intricacy. [00:03:45] Dive into what a project charter is, and its two faults. [00:06:45] Discover the “Charter Lite” concept. [00:09:48] Unlock the six key questions Charter Lite addresses. [00:12:43] Find out the benefits of implementing Charter Lite. [00:18:21] If you are interested in connecting with Joe, go to LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemosher/ , or schedule a...

May 22, 202421 min

Ep62: Navigating the De-Commoditization of Ag with Daniel Oh of AgCertain

Show Highlights: Daniel Oh’s corporate throughline to AgCertain. [00:03:33] Explore the need for de-commoditization in ag. [00:09:14] Specialty economies of scale explained with examples. [00:14:15] Learn about AgCertain’s B2B brand safety assurance. [00:18:13] A deep dive into trust risk over economic risk in ag. [00:24:38] How to approach organizational size as a leader. [00:32:39] Is large vs. small a true binary in company size? [00:40:52] Discover a wealth of wisdom on risk management. [00:...

May 15, 202450 min
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