Join our champion program: [email protected] Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025 Instagram: @the.momentum.company LinkedIn: /momentum-company

Transform your team from reactive firefighting to proactive accountability systems that drive results without micromanaging.

Most leaders struggle with holding people accountable because they're using outdated methods that create resentment and resistance. You're stuck in endless meetings, chasing people for updates, and feeling like a babysitter instead of a leader. This reactive approach burns you out while your team underperforms.

We've worked with hundreds of agribusiness leaders who've transformed their teams using proven accountability frameworks. Today, we're sharing the exact system that creates a culture where people hold themselves accountable. This frees you to focus on strategy while your team delivers consistent results.

Stop These Accountability Mistakes:

● Trying to hold people accountable without clear written expectations

● Having accountability conversations without documented agreements

● Waiting until problems occur to address performance issues

● Making accountability conversations feel like personal attacks

● Relying on reactive management instead of systematic processes

Start These High-Performance Behaviors:

● Document clear expectations and get written agreements before starting work

● Establish regular accountability cadences with consistent frameworks

● Create systems where team members hold each other accountable

● Use "we" language that invites people back to agreements vs calling them out

● Build accountability into your core values and company culture

FOR:

✓ Agribusiness leaders tired of chasing their team for basic deliverables

✓ CEOs wanting to scale without becoming the bottleneck for every decision

✓ Managers struggling with team members who make excuses instead of delivering results

✓ Directors building high-performance teams that operate with minimal oversight

✓ Business owners ready to create systematic accountability instead of reactive firefighting

Either build accountability systems now or stay trapped in the exhausting cycle of micromanaging underperforming teams forever.

This Week's Challenge: Document one clear expectation with your team, get their written agreement, and establish a weekly check-in cadence to review progress together.

If you're ready to stop micromanaging and want to build a self-accountable team, email [email protected] to learn about the Thriving Leader Program.

👥 Share with leaders stuck in reactive management cycles! 💡 Comment below: What's your biggest challenge with team accountability? Is it setting clear expectations or having the tough conversations?

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes. The Thriving Leader Program and coaching services mentioned are designed for business leaders and entrepreneurs. Results may vary based on implementation, team dynamics, and organizational commitment.

Join our champion program: [email protected]

Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025

Instagram: @the.momentum.company

LinkedIn: /momentum-company

In this inspiring episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast, Mark Jewell sits down with Nicholas McCarthy, the newly appointed CEO of Central Valley Ag (CVA). With 25 years of experience rising through the ranks—from applicator to the top seat—Nick shares a raw, honest look at leadership, culture, and the role of faith and humility in his journey. This episode is packed with wisdom on creating high-trust organizations, empowering local leadership, navigating talent challenges, and leveraging technology in modern agribusiness.

Key Takeaways:

Leading with Core Values

Nick defines intentional leadership as living true to your values—trust, integrity, honoring your name, and doing what you say you'll do. These values guide both his personal and professional life.

Culture Is Local and People-First

CVA emphasizes enabling local leaders to make meaningful decisions. With a massive geographic footprint, the company empowers location managers with hiring, operations, and P&L ownership—building trust and adaptability into the culture.

Transparent Leadership Drives Loyalty

Nick shares how transparency and regular, honest conversations with employees have become a critical differentiator for CVA in talent retention—especially in rural communities.

From Failure to Feedback

Nick opens up about strategy missteps and how CVA’s culture gave him the confidence to take risks, fail, and grow. He stresses the importance of owning failures and using them to build better systems.

Technology as an Accelerator, Not a Replacement

Rather than replacing people, Nick sees AI and automation as tools that shift job duties and elevate human potential. Leaders who embrace tech will outperform in tomorrow’s agribusiness landscape.

Sharpen Your Axe

Nick closes with a powerful reminder that leaders must pause to recharge—whether it's reading scripture, spending time with family, or simply stepping back to gain perspective. “Sharpen your axe” to keep leading with excellence.

Notable Quotes:

"You enter this world with your name, and you leave with your legacy. That’s what matters." – Nicholas McCarthy

"Culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s how people show up to work every day." – Mark Jewell

"50% of your competition is eliminated by effort alone. Just showing up makes you stand out." – Nicholas McCarthy

"Don’t be afraid to fail. But when you do, own it, and use it to build something better." – Nicholas McCarthy

"When I go home to eat lunch, I sharpen my axe." – Nicholas McCarthy

Action Steps:

• Revisit your core values and ask: Am I living and leading by them daily?
• Schedule bi-weekly 1:1s with your team to foster real, human connection.
• Identify one job function that could be enhanced or streamlined with technology.
• Take 30 minutes this week to “sharpen your axe”—read, reflect, or recharge.
• Share this episode with a teammate who needs encouragement on their leadership path.

Listen If You Are:

• A leader navigating organizational change or succession
• A rural-based business struggling with talent attraction and retention
• Curious about AI’s role in agribusiness
• Looking for a practical example of value-driven leadership
• A fan of leadership rooted in humility, family, and faith

Join our champion program: [email protected]

Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025

Instagram: @the.momentum.company

LinkedIn: /momentum-company

In this eye-opening Intentional Agribusiness Leader episode, Mark and Cowboy Coach Jon Anderson expose the shocking data behind why most corporate training fails and reveal the exact framework successful companies use to get measurable results from their people development investments.

WHAT INTENTIONAL TRAINING BUYERS DO DIFFERENTLY

Stop These Training Mistakes:

● Investing in training without clear learning objectives or measurable outcomes

● Using the cookie-cutter approach - putting everyone through the same program regardless of need

● Buying training reactively to symptoms instead of addressing root causes

● Never measuring if training actually changed behavior or delivered ROI

● Tolerating "death by PowerPoint" sessions that disengage your team

Start These Results-Driven Behaviors:

● Setting specific, measurable learning objectives before any training investment

● Identifying who actually needs training and filtering participants strategically

● Connecting training to clear business drivers and expected behavioral changes

● Implementing measurement systems to track behavior change and ROI

● Expecting minimum 4:1 return on investment from every training dollar spent

TIMESTAMPS/CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Welcome to Intentional Agribusiness Leader

0:30 - Why Training Gets Bought Reactively

2:23 - How to Buy Training Intentionally

3:36 - Training Effectiveness and Engagement Challenges

5:45 - Death by PowerPoint Must Stop

8:25 - When Corporate Training Becomes a Social Event

9:38 - The Hidden Costs of Bad Training

11:12 - The $85 Billion Training Market Reality

13:19 - 67% Buy Training Without Clear Objectives

15:18 - Why Most Training Gets Bought Reactively

17:12 - The Missing ROI Measurement Problem

19:18 - How to Enhance, Keep, and Train Out Behaviors

21:32 - 58% Never Measure if Training Changed Behavior

22:26 - Expect Minimum 4:1 ROI from Training

24:19 - 84% Use Cookie Cutter Training Approach

25:16 - AI-Powered Assessment Solutions

28:00 - Hyper-Personalized Learning Plans Coming Soon

FOR:

✓ Business leaders tired of wasting money on ineffective training programs

✓ Managers who want to see actual ROI from their people development investments

✓ Anyone frustrated with "death by PowerPoint" corporate training sessions

✓ Leaders ready to move from reactive symptom-fixing to strategic people development

✓ Companies seeking measurable behavior change and business results from training

DECISION POINT:

Stop buying training reactively without clear objectives. Start measuring what matters and expect minimum 4:1 ROI from every training investment.

This Week's Challenge: Before your next training purchase, sit down with your leadership team and define: What behaviors need to be enhanced? What needs to stay? What needs to be trained out? Then measure the results 6 months later.

If you're ready to stop wasting money on ineffective training and want to see how hyper-personalized learning plans can transform your organization, email [email protected] to learn about our new strategic learning design process.

👥 Share with a leader who's tired of ineffective corporate training!

💡 Comment below: What's the worst training experience you've ever sat through?

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This content is for leadership development and training optimization purposes. The Thriving Leader Program and strategic learning design services mentioned are designed for organizations committed to measurable people development. Results may vary based on implementation and organizational commitment to change.

In this insightful episode, Mark sits down with Melinda Witten, President & CEO of the Ohio Agribusiness Association. Melinda opens up about the challenges of modern leadership, the changing labor landscape, and the importance of showing up authentically in today’s agribusiness environment. From culture creation to Gen Z retention, she shares practical lessons from her own leadership journey and the conversations she's having daily with ag leaders across Ohio. If you want to build a values-based, people-first team without losing your edge, this episode is a must-listen.

Lead the Culture You Want

Melinda shares how culture doesn’t come from words on a wall—it comes from modeling, consistency, and showing up with intention every day.

Don’t Treat Others How You Want to Be Treated

True leadership means learning how each person on your team needs to be supported, encouraged, and communicated with.

Labor Shortages Are Real—But Solvable

Retention issues and Gen Z expectations are shaking up the ag workforce. Leaders must shift from blanket strategies to personalized development and clear role design.

Vulnerability Builds Trust

Being honest about what you don’t know creates a safe, empowering space for your team to do the same—and strengthens your entire organization.

Developing Future Leaders Starts with You

Your team becomes a reflection of your leadership. If you’re not clear, consistent, or aligned, neither will they be.

“You can’t just say culture matters. You have to be the culture you want to create.” – Melinda Witten

“People follow people. But they don’t follow perfection—they follow authenticity.” – Melinda Witten

“You don’t build loyalty by treating people how you want to be treated. You lead by understanding how they need to be treated.” – Melinda Witten

“Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to ask questions and sit in the uncomfortable moments.” – Mark Jewell

• Reflect: Are you modeling the culture you want in your organization?
• Audit: Do you understand how your key team members need to be led and supported?
• Engage: Create intentional time to check in with your people—outside of performance reviews or task lists.

• An ag executive navigating generational change in your workforce
• A team leader trying to create a strong, authentic culture
• A CEO or director who wants to retain top talent and reduce turnover
• Someone craving more clarity, humanity, and leadership presence in their role

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation on how to lead with heart, clarity, and confidence.

—

Connect with Us:

💬 Email Mark: [email protected]

📆 Attend a Thriving Leader Event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025

📱 Instagram: @the.momentum.company

💼 LinkedIn: /momentum-company

Join our champion program: [email protected]

Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025

Instagram: @the.momentum.company

LinkedIn: /momentum-company

Tired of carrying the leadership load alone? Here's the exact 5-step framework to develop leaders who will rise up alongside you and stop making you feel like you're dragging everyone forward.

Are you exhausted from being the only one driving change in your organization? Feeling like you're constantly pulling people along instead of having true partners in leadership? You're not alone. In this game-changing Intentional Agribusiness Leader episode, Mark, Christine, and John reveal the proven framework for identifying and developing the right people into leaders who will champion your mission WITH you - not just work FOR you.

● Investing equal time in everyone instead of identifying high-potential candidates ● Promoting based on tenure or who complains the loudest ● Using only financial incentives to drive behavior change ● Operating without a proven, repeatable development process ● Leading from the ivory tower instead of sweating with your team

● Filtering for loyalty, values alignment, and growth mindset before heavy investment ● Creating a deliberate, decisive leadership identity that people can trust ● Implementing proven development processes (babysitting → referee → coaching → partnership) ● Edifying your team publicly and making them feel seen in their roles ● Getting in the trenches enough to build unbreakeable bonds through shared challenges

● 0:00 - The Leadership Loneliness Problem ● 1:16 - Who Should You Actually Invest In? ● 3:47 - The Loyalty Test: Are They Ride or Die? ● 7:40 - Why Most Leader Development Fails ● 12:27 - The 5-Step Leader Development Framework ● 13:36 - Step 1: Decide What Kind of Leader You Are (Deliberate, Decisive, Divine) ● 20:08 - Step 2: Know Your Process (From Spoon-Feeding to Partnership) ● 24:36 - Step 3: Edify Your Team (Make Them Feel Seen) ● 27:18 - Step 4: Sweat With Them (Get in the Trenches Together) ● 32:45 - Step 5: Incentivize the Right Behaviors (Show Me Your Incentives)

✓ Leaders feeling isolated and carrying too much weight alone ✓ Managers who want to develop their high-potential people effectively

✓ Anyone tired of promoting the wrong people for the wrong reasons ✓ Business owners ready to build a multiplication model, not just addition ✓ Leaders who want partners in the mission, not just employees doing tasks

Stop trying to develop everyone equally. Start identifying your champions and pour into them intentionally.

This Week's Challenge: Audit your current team using the loyalty, values alignment, and growth mindset filters. Identify your top 2-3 champions and create a specific development plan for each.

If you're ready to stop carrying the load alone and want support building a thriving leader culture, email [email protected] about our Local Champion Program.

👥 Share with a leader who's feeling isolated in their role!

💡 Comment below: What's your biggest challenge in developing leaders around you?

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This content is for leadership development purposes. The Thriving Leader Program and coaching mentioned are designed for leaders committed to building thriving organizational cultures. Results may vary based on individual effort and organizational context.

In this powerful episode, Mark Jewell sits down with Brett Bell, President and CEO for Albert Lea Seed, to talk about what it really takes to transform a legacy business into a thriving, modern organization. Brett shares his journey of returning to the family ag business, the hard decisions behind building culture from scratch, and how clarity, leadership, and courage can shape a vision that transcends generations.

If you’re navigating team transitions, legacy leadership, or culture challenges—this one’s for you.

Clarity Precedes Culture

Brett emphasizes that before you can build a thriving team culture, you must be clear on who you are, where you’re going, and what you’re unwilling to compromise on.

Leadership Requires Hard Conversations

Whether it’s exiting the wrong people or redefining expectations, Brett shares how leadership often comes down to doing the uncomfortable things others avoid.

Hiring for Character, Not Just Competence

Bell Enterprises rebuilt their team by prioritizing values, integrity, and heart over technical skills—proving that people are the backbone of transformation.

The Power of Identity

Brett reflects on how losing—and then reclaiming—his identity as a leader and man of faith helped him lead with greater peace, purpose, and confidence.

Legacy Is Built Daily

Rather than being bound by tradition, Brett encourages listeners to see legacy as something we steward and shape every single day—by how we lead, live, and love.

“You can’t grow a thriving culture if you don’t know who you are or where you’re going.” – Brett Bell

“I had to fire myself from trying to be everything to everyone.” – Brett Bell

“We chose to hire people who had the heart—and we could teach the rest.” – Brett Bell

“Legacy isn’t what you leave behind. It’s what you build every day.” – Brett Bell

“When I surrendered my need to control it all, peace followed.” – Brett Bell

• Reflect: What part of your leadership identity needs to be reclaimed or redefined?
• Audit your team: Are you prioritizing heart, character, and clarity in your hiring and retention?
• Take inventory: What traditions need to be honored—and which ones need to be released?
• Initiate the conversation you’ve been avoiding—it might be the breakthrough your culture needs.

• A second or third-generation ag business leader in a season of transition
• Struggling to rebuild or reshape your company culture
• Wrestling with identity, control, and clarity as a leader
• Committed to creating a legacy of integrity, impact, and intentional leadership

Connect with The Momentum Company: 

Learn More: https://www.themomentumcompany.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.momentumcompany/

LinkedIn: / momentum-company

Are you tired of having brilliant ideas that nobody listens to? Living in the frustrating space between "I can see what we could create here" and "but I don't have the title or authority to make it happen"? You're not alone - and you might be exactly the kind of champion your organization desperately needs.

When we surveyed agricultural leaders about what drives them crazy, the overwhelming response wasn't about competition or market pressures - it was about being stuck in organizations that resist positive change while they can clearly see the solutions. Sound familiar?

In this game-changing Intentional Agribusiness Leader episode, Mark, Christine, and Jon dive deep into the heart of what makes a true champion and reveal why most high-potential leaders are unknowingly sabotaging their own influence - plus the exact framework to step into your champion identity and create the change you want to see.

WHAT TRUE CHAMPIONS DO DIFFERENTLY

Stop These Self-Limiting Patterns: ● Waiting for permission or the "right title" before making change ● Getting caught up in meaningless conversations and office drama

● Believing you need to write the check to have influence ● Presenting problems without researching solutions ● Operating like you're not enough until you get promoted

Start These Champion Behaviors: ● Becoming the thermostat (setting the temperature) not the thermometer ● Bringing fully-researched solutions that make your boss's life easier ● Modeling the change you want to see before asking others to follow ● Building bridges between everyday employees and upper leadership ● Operating from core values that create unshakeable certainty

Connect with The Momentum Company: Join our champion program: [email protected] Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/events Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.momentum... LinkedIn: / momentum-company

TIMESTAMPS: ● 0:00 - What Makes Someone a True Champion ● 3:25 - The Champion vs. Status Quo Mentality

● 8:00 - Why Champions Often Feel Frustrated and Alone ● 12:00 - Denise's Story: Changing Culture from the Middle ● 15:00 - Chad's Strategy: How to Champion Ideas Up the Chain ● 17:00 - The Research Method That Gets Ideas Approved ● 21:00 - The Attractor Factor: Why Certainty Creates Influence ● 24:00 - Core Values: Your Champion Operating System ● 27:00 - Introducing the Local Champion Program

FOR: ✓ Mid-level leaders who see solutions but feel powerless to implement them ✓ High-potential employees tired of watching their ideas die in meetings ✓ Anyone who's ever thought "I could run this place better" but lacks the title ✓ Solution-oriented people who are allergic to mediocrity and status quo ✓ Leaders ready to stop waiting for permission and start creating change

DECISION POINT: Stop discounting your influence just because you don't have the corner office yet. Start being the change you want to see TODAY. Identify one small way you can model the culture shift you want to create and implement it this week.

If you're ready to become the champion your organization needs and want support in building a thriving leader culture, email [email protected] about our Local Champion Program.

👥 Share with someone who has champion potential but doesn't know it yet!

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This content is for leadership development and personal growth. The Local Champion Program is designed for individuals committed to creating positive organizational change. Results may vary based on individual effort and organizational receptivity.

In this impactful episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, Mark Jewell sits down with Russ Green—a seasoned agricultural executive, truth-teller, and founder of MACKAYBEN—to unpack what it means to lead with integrity, clarity, and long-term vision in the ag industry. Russ shares powerful insights from his 50-year journey across international agribusiness, reflecting on how relationships, mentorship, and “sense-making” have shaped his path and influenced countless others.

The Power of Clarity and Communication

Russ emphasizes the value of clear communication at every level—whether you're in a feedlot or a boardroom. Success, he says, often hinges on the ability to make complex ideas simple and relatable.

Relationships Are Everything

From small-town producers to global executives, Russ credits his success to a lifelong practice of building authentic relationships based on respect and genuine curiosity.

Mentorship as a Legacy Strategy

Through his work with MACKAYBEN, Russ is actively shaping the future of agriculture by investing in the next generation of leaders—urging industry veterans to do the same.

Truth-Telling in Leadership

Russ’s approach to leadership is grounded in honesty and practical wisdom. He doesn’t shy away from hard truths and believes in addressing problems head-on.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – Russ Green

“Clarity is a gift. And in agriculture, we need more people willing to speak truth with clarity.” – Russ Green

“Mentorship isn't just a nice idea—it's a necessity for the future of food and farming.” – Mark Jewell

• Reflect on who has mentored you—and who you could mentor next.
• Practice simplifying your message when leading or presenting.
• Explore how to build more intentional relationships across your organization.
• Visit mackayben.com to learn about Russ's leadership network.

• An ag leader looking for real-world wisdom
• A seasoned executive mentoring the next generation
• A young professional wanting to understand industry dynamics
• Interested in building legacy through leadership and influence

If this episode resonated with you, join us at the next Thriving Leader Event — where intentional leadership goes from theory to practice. Connect with like-minded leaders and build the clarity, confidence, and capacity you need to grow your people and business.  👉 Learn more and sign up here: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025

In today’s conversation, Mark, Christine, and Jon dive into a surprising—and deeply honest—topic that emerged from last summer’s Ag Leaders Summit: the desire for peace. Not more success. Not more productivity. Just peace. But what does that actually mean? And how do you truly access it when your life feels like a nonstop pressure cooker?

This episode is a raw, real exploration of what it looks like to break free from the chaos-driven operating system and step into a life where peace becomes the standard—not the exception.

Peace is Not the Absence of Activity—It’s a State of Being

Many high performers are unknowingly addicted to chaos. True peace isn't found in stillness alone, but in learning to operate from a grounded place, even when life is full.

Most People Don't Know How to Rest

Leaders often equate peace with laziness or loss of control. But peace isn’t passive—it’s powerful. And it begins with re-training your nervous system to slow down and be present.

False Peace vs. True Freedom

We often pacify our anxiety with temporary fixes—alcohol, work, scrolling. But real peace can only be accessed through presence, surrender, and intentional choices—not sedation.

The PRAY Framework

Christine shares a simple but powerful tool for cultivating peace:

• Pause (pattern interrupt)
• Reflect (what actually matters?)
• Ask (yourself, God, others)
• Yield (submit to the peaceful way forward)

• Start recognizing your current operating system—are you driven by peace or by pressure?
• Practice the PRAY Framework daily: Pause, Reflect, Ask, Yield
• Define what peace actually looks like for you—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually
• Revisit Colossians 3:15—Let peace be the deciding factor in your choices this week

• A high-achieving leader who feels exhausted, scattered, or constantly “on”
• Longing for rest but unsure how to access it without guilt
• Ready to trade anxiety and striving for clarity, peace, and presence
• Curious about spiritual tools and frameworks that go deeper than quick fixes

If this episode resonated with you, join us at the next Thriving Leader Event — where intentional leadership goes from theory to practice. Connect with like-minded leaders and build the clarity, confidence, and capacity you need to grow your people and business.  👉 Learn more and sign up here: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025

In this powerful episode, Mark Jewell is joined by Mark Waschek, President of Integra Partners, for a rich dialogue on what it truly means to lead with purpose. They reflect on years of shared leadership lessons, the evolution of personal identity, and the responsibility of building something that lasts beyond the leader. This is a raw, honest conversation about alignment, stewardship, and owning the call on your life—even when it gets uncomfortable.

Key Takeaways:

Bold Ownership is Required

True leadership requires taking full responsibility for the assignment God has placed on your life—even when it's inconvenient, misunderstood, or requires letting go of comfort.

Steward What You’ve Been Given

The call to leadership is a call to stewardship. The impact of your influence is directly tied to how well you steward the people, resources, and opportunities entrusted to you.

Your Identity Is Not What You Do

Mark and Mark discuss how to detach from performance-based identities and root leadership in a secure identity that’s not shaken by wins or losses.

Multiplication Over Addition

The highest calling of a leader isn’t just success—it’s multiplication. Building systems, people, and structures that thrive without you is the ultimate test of lasting leadership.

Notable Quotes:

• “When you hand it over to God, you’re no longer striving to prove. You’re showing up to serve.” – Mark Jewell
• “It’s not about you being the guy. It’s about you helping others grow and expand so the thing doesn’t die with you.” – Mark Waschek
• “If we’re not careful, leadership becomes a place to validate our identity instead of serving from it.” – Mark Jewell
• 
  

Action Steps:

• Reflect on where you're leading from performance vs. identity
• Write down what you're stewarding today—and ask, are you doing it faithfully?
• Ask God, “What do you want to build through me that outlasts me?”

Listen If You Are:

• A business or ministry leader in transition
• Struggling with letting go or passing the baton
• Seeking to lead from identity, not insecurity
• Building a legacy that multiplies beyond your direct efforts

If this episode resonated with you, join us at the next Thriving Leader Event — where intentional leadership goes from theory to practice. Connect with like-minded leaders and build the clarity, confidence, and capacity you need to grow your people and business.  👉 Learn more and sign up here: https://www.themomentumcompany.com/thrivingleader2025