It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for a Candid Conversation! In these episodes, we’ll cover life updates from the ranch (Natalie) and the farm (Tara), things we are currently obsessed with, community recipes, or industry news. In this episode of Candid Conversations: Global Anti-Meat Narrative & the Benefits of Collagen we cover:

• Life updates from both Natalie and Tara
• What Natalie and Tara are current coveting, which happens to be collagen this week
• A candid conversation about the global anti-meat narrative
• Community Recipe: Zesty Potato Salad, created by Carley Smith aka the Fairy Gutmother, and Shared by Strohauer Farms

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Check out Modere Collagen
• Listen to Episode 021 with Caroline Nelson on her take on grass-fed meat.
• Sign up for our Newsletter
• Join our monthly Book Club
• Visit our website, Elevate Ag
• Connect with Natalie and Tara on Instagram

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/024-global-anti-meat-and-the-benefits-of-collagen

Please note this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Let’s mastermind! In these episodes, we bring on small business owners from every walk of life to help them work through some challenges in their small business. What we love about these episodes is that our guests walk away with tangible tips on how to grow their businesses. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How setting goals can help you strategize and prioritize in your business

• Exploring product expansion and how to do it effectively

• Engaging your audience to determine an MVP (minimal viable product)

• How clarity comes through action and how to apply that to your business

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

• Visit Spring Run Dairy’s Website

• Connect with Spring Run Dairy on Instagram and Facebook

• Visit our website, Elevate Ag

• Connect with Natalie and Tara on Instagram

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/023-mastermind-spring-run-dairy

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for a Candid Conversation! In these episodes, we’ll cover life updates from the ranch (Natalie) and the farm (Tara), things we are currently obsessed with, recipes, or industry news.

In this episode of Candid Conversations: How to Get Started Speaking + Sourdough Discard Recipes we cover:

• Life updates from both Natalie and Tara
• What Natalie and Tara are current coveting
• A candid conversation with Steve Lerch

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Sign up for our Newsletter
• Join our monthly Book Club
• Visit our website, Elevate Ag
• Connect with Natalie and Tara on Instagram

Your Sourdough Hookups

• Ash Turner with Turner Farms on Instagram
• Sarah with Piece of my Peace on Instagram
• Mandi + Casey with Wild Oak Farms on Instagram

In today’s Candid Conversation, Natalie and Tara were excited to welcome Steve Lerch, who is a world-renowned speaker and digital marketing consultant. His key takeaways on how to get into speaking include: 

• Take every opportunity you can to get up on stage to speak 
• How networking is key to getting booked and making connections 
• Expanding your networking both at live events and online
• Listen to the full episode for all of his tips and tricks!

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/022-how-to-get-started-speaking-and-sourdough-discard-recipes

Today, we are excited to have a Business Building episode! In these episodes, we’ll cover topics that cover growing your business from the ground up, scaling, outsourcing, and more.

In this episode of How to Start a Ranch with Caroline Nelson, we cover several important topics including: 

• What it looks like to make the leap from a non-agricultural lifestyle to starting your first business
• Navigating your way through the ranching industry with a new business
• Having the courage to push through the hard things when just starting out
• How to diversify your services or products to bring more value to your audience

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Visit Little Creek Ranch Lamb, Beef, and Ranch Goods Website
• Connect with Caroline on Instagram
• Visit our website, Elevate Ag
• Connect with Natalie and Tara on Instagram
• Sign up for our Newsletter
• Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open!

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Fine the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/how-to-start-a-ranch-with-caroline-nelson

Today is another Candid Conversations episode! In these episodes, we’ll cover topics within agriculture, rural entrepreneurship, and life in general. 

In this candid conversations episode, we cover:

• Life updates, Rural Rooted retreat, and solar panels 
• Our weekly obsession
• Industry news about Bill Gates and Chinese companies buying large amounts of farmland 
• Community recipe: Smoked Queso

Resources and links:

• Start with Why by Simon Sinek
• Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
• Join our email list to stay up to date on our docuseries, The Hands That Feed Us
• MP’s Smoked Queso recipe
• Listen to our Book Club episode with Mary Pat Sass: Episode 19
• Sign up for the Book Club
• Apply to our Mastermind, Elevate the Summit 
• Sign up for our Newsletter 
• Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open!
• Visit our website, Elevate Ag
• Connect with Elevate Ag, Natalie and Tara on Instagram

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/020-candid-conversations-bill-gates-buying-farmland-smoked-queso

Please note this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Today is our first Elevate Book Club! Today we’re chatting with Mary Pat Sass about Ree Drummond’s book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. In the Elevate Book Club, every month we’ll read and discuss a new book as an Elevate community. At the beginning of the month, we’ll send out an email with that month’s book title and the guest who picked it. Then, at the end of the month, tune into our podcast for an episode devoted entirely to all things book club fun! 

In this book club episode, we cover:

• The parts we related to, parts we wanted to change, and the parts that made us squirm
• How we all consume/interpret books in our way and from our own perspective
• What it taught us on connecting with the consumer and those outside of Ag
• Some inside scoop on our own rehearsal dinners, our spouses, and marriage overall

Resources and links:

• Get the book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: https://www.amazon.com/dp/006199717X/?tag=elevateag-20 
• Sign up for the Book Club: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/627b212146c9ddac8218a2bb
• Connect with @marypat.sass on Instagram
• Apply to our Mastermind, Elevate the Summit: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/summit
• Sign up for our Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61fe85456114df05454c559a 

• Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open!

• Visit our website, Elevate Ag: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/
• Connect with @elevateag_, @nataliekovarik and @taravanderdussen on Instagram

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/019-book-club-black-heels-to-tractor-wheels-with-mary-pat-sass

Today is another Candid Conversations episode! In these episodes, we’ll cover topics within agriculture, rural entrepreneurship, and life in general. 

In this candid conversation, we cover:

• Life updates and weekly obsessions
• The importance of personal development in business
• Working mom struggles and how to handle mom guilt 
• The importance of communication and reflection between you and your spouse, kids, and self 

Resources and links:

• Tara’s Weather Channel interview
• Listen to Episode 17 with Jack Bobo
• Listen to Episode 19 | Book Club: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels with Mary Pat Sass 
• Get The Five-Minute Journal
• Terryn Dreiling enneagram coaching
• Recipe for Dutch Baby
• Apply to our Mastermind, Elevate the Summit 
• Sign up for the Book Club
• Sign up for our Newsletter 

• Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open!

• Visit our website, Elevate Ag
• Connect with Elevate Ag, Natalie and Tara on Instagram

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/018-candid-conversations-working-moms-journaling-turning-35

Today we have Jack Bobo with us for our first advocacy interview! Jack is the CEO of Futurity as well as the Director of Global Food and Water Policy for The Nature Conservancy. Jack is also the author of the book Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices. Jack works with food companies, farmers, and ranchers to think about what the future of food looks like. 

In this advocacy conversation, we cover:

• Where consumer trends and attitudes are going
• The importance of how we approach the topic of food
• Consumer behavior, communication, and psychology
• The differences in how farmers think of sustainability vs. how consumers think of sustainability 

Resources and links:

• Jack Bobo’s book, Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-People-Make-Food-Choices-ebook/dp/B091V399X6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=1G1TD744EIAW5&keywords=why+smart+people+make+bad+food+choices&qid=1658204554&sprefix=why+smart+p%2Caps%2C1522&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWkJWTUQ0QlEwN0k3JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjEzNTIwS1ZSQ0xNRUZOS0JQJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5Njc0MjcyVU5UR0FNTzBGUjZQJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
• Connect with Jack on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackbobo/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/Jack_A_Bobo
• Apply to our Mastermind, Elevate the Summit: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/summit
• Sign up for the Book Club: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/627b212146c9ddac8218a2bb
• Sign up for our Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61fe85456114df05454c559a 
• Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open! https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/course 
• Visit our website, https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/
• Connect with @nataliekovarik and @taravanderdussen on Instagram

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the full show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/017-advocacy-is-agriculture-the-problem-to-solve-or-is-it-part-of-the-solution-with-jack-bobo

Please note this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Today is our first Candid Conversations episode! In these episodes, we’ll cover topics within agriculture, rural entrepreneurship, and life in general.

In this candid conversation, we cover:

• Updates in both of our personal lives and a funny story about cupcakes
• The Dutch farmer protests and the ripple effects that would impact all of Ag
• Tara’s mom’s famous quiche recipe

Resources and links:

• Apply to our Mastermind, Elevate the Summit: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/summit
• Sign up for the Book Club: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/627b212146c9ddac8218a2bb!
• Sign up for our Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61fe85456114df05454c559a 
• Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open! https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/course 
• Visit our website, Elevate Ag: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/
• Connect with @nataliekovarik and @taravanderdussen on Instagram

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the complete show notes (including the quiche recipe!) here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/016-candid-conversations-dutch-farmer-protest-cupcakes-quiches

Please note this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

On today’s Mastermind episode, we’re speaking with Michelle Mensing about how to package her offers to get more exposure. Michelle grew up on a family farm in southwest Iowa and was active in 4-H and FFA growing up. Following college, Michelle started her career in the agriculture industry and picked up a camera as a hobby in her free time. She loved how that creative outlet kept her connected to the family farm she grew up on. 

After a few years, she realized that there was a demand for all of the agriculture and western photos sitting on her computer. Several women she met in an online business group expressed the need for stock photos that resonated with their rural community, but struggled to have the time to get outside and take photos on their own farms and ranches while juggling their many responsibilities with work, kids, etc. Michelle decided to create a stock photo membership geared directly towards these small business owners so they had access to a library of images to help share their story online. Today she is here to mastermind ideas on how she can grow her business and source and convert more clients.

In this episode we cover:

• How to pivot when packaging is creating a barrier for your clients
• Getting clear on your ideal client, how to reach them, and how to speak to them 
• Ideas on additional packages as well as new deliverables to include in packages
• How to position yourself to be found by your ideal clients instead of reaching out with cold pitches 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Visit Michelle’s website, Michelle Mensing Photography: https://michellemensingphotography.mypixieset.com/
• Connect with @michellemensing.photography on Instagram
• Check out Michelle on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MichelleMensingPhotography/_created/
• Want to be our next Mastermind podcast guest? Fill out the application here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/podcast. 
• Apply to our Mastermind, Elevate the Summit : https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/summit
• Sign up for the Book Club: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/627b212146c9ddac8218a2bb!

• Sign up for our course waitlist: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/course to be the first to know when doors open!

• Visit our website, Elevate Ag: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/
• Connect with @nataliekovarik and @taravanderdussen on Instagram
• Onsite Production: The Gauge: http://www.thegaugepodcast.com/

Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Find the complete show notes here: https://www.elevateyouragstory.com/blogposts/014-mastermind-how-to-package-your-offer-so-it-gets-more-exposure-with-michelle-mensing-photography