In today’s episode, Kacee sits down with Melissa Nelson—a crop research scientist in Kansas and the force behind Performance Crop Research and South Bend Industrial Hemp.

But this conversation isn’t just about business… it’s about what it takes to keep moving forward when the path isn’t clear, when the industry isn’t caught up yet, and when life (or leadership) demands more from you than you feel ready to give.

Melissa shares the behind-the-scenes reality of building in a “niche within a niche” industry, how their team made a hard left or hard right decision to become the solution to their biggest bottleneck, and why personal development isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s foundational.

Kacee also shares a full-circle story: Melissa was the person who helped land Kacee’s first legitimate speaking engagement—a moment that sparked the chain reaction that led to AGRIMINDS as it exists today.

This episode is packed with practical mindset shifts, leadership reminders, and the kind of encouragement that makes you want to raise your standards—and help someone else rise too.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Melissa’s background in crop research and how ag data becomes real-world product labels
• Why they launched South Bend Industrial Hemp—and what happened when processing became the bottleneck
• The mindset required to innovate, execute, and lead through uncertainty
• Support systems vs. personal accountability (and why both matter)
• “If I’m the smartest person in the room, I’m in the wrong room”
• Building discipline through routines, standards, and doing hard things consistently
• Leadership lessons learned through seasons of change—entrepreneurship, family, grief, and growth
• The power of mentorship, coaching, and sending the elevator back down
• How Melissa approaches employee development: “A better you makes a better us.”
• Advocacy and education: bridging gaps between different ag perspectives through tours and conversations

Memorable takeawayYou don’t rise to your level of expectations—you fall to your level of standards.
Build the habits and processes now, so you have a foundation when life gets hard and when things are going well.Links + resources mentioned

• Follow Melissa on Instagram: @MLNelson13
• South Bend Industrial Hemp: southbendindustrialhemp.com
• Performance Crop Research: performancecropresearch.org
• Find Melissa on LinkedIn: Melissa Nelson
• Books mentioned: Can’t Hurt Me (David Goggins), Relentless + Winning (Tim Grover)

Connect with AGRIMINDS

• Subscribe to the AGRIMINDS Podcast
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