I made the trip to Mudgee to interview Dave Herman who has set up a local mowing business. Mudgee is about 3 hours from Lake Macquarie or Newcastle and it is a truly rural part of Australia. Rugged mountains and harsh farmland along with local families that are generational in the community. I always try to engage with the person I am interviewing so you get to know them a little as a person as well as learning about their business. Today was surreal in the sense that I met Dave and his family. His wife Elise and their two children. There is something special about meeting people instead of the quick introduction you get over the phone before an interview, or via texting back and forth while arranging an interview. A piece of my heart is now with Dave and his family. You will hear Dave sharing details that are personal and you might be tempted to judge or think he should do things differently. Try and hear the story. Appreciate the very personal nature of a face to face interview and learn. There is so much to learn from the harsh Aussie farming communities, especially when making a business succeed and build trust with the locals. You don’t ever want to mess that up because word of mouth lasts for generations.