1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,560 Hello everyone and welcome to the Within Range Coaching Podcast. 2 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,160 I'm Ranger, a certified holistic success coach, and in this podcast I break down the 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:17,480 journey entrepreneurs face as they start their organizations, overcome roadblocks in their 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,960 way and create an impact that lasts. 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,120 We talk with entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and purpose-driven community members just 6 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:26,120 like you. 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,800 Together, we learn how to grow our impact and develop ourselves as the people behind 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,240 the mission. 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,160 My intention is to help more people, help more people. 10 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:41,100 And remember, if you're curious about expanding your impact, growing a community or defining 11 00:00:41,100 --> 00:00:45,400 your mission, vision or values, we can chat off the record. 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:50,800 You can find my info in the show notes or at my website, withinrangecoaching.com. 13 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,260 We're also looking to build our sponsor community with organizations and individuals who align 14 00:00:55,260 --> 00:01:00,920 with our values of fearless innovation, social responsibility and courageous candor. 15 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,340 If you're interested in helping us highlight individuals doing great work in the world 16 00:01:04,340 --> 00:01:10,680 and share these values, reach out to me directly at ranger at withinrangecoaching.com. 17 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:20,520 I know you're just as eager to get started as I am, so let's jump right in. 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,400 Good morning, good afternoon and good evening everybody and welcome to another episode of 19 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,960 the Within Range Coaching Podcast. 20 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:33,960 And we are still continuing on our series of my walk across America journey. 21 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,040 And today we're not talking with someone that I've met along the way. 22 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,360 I mean, kind of sort of, but not really. 23 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,520 We are doing another nonprofit partner spotlight. 24 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,080 We've talked with bigger than the trail in the past. 25 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,840 We've talked with the Hospice Promise Foundation and we've actually already kind of sort of 26 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,000 talked it up to this organization. 27 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:57,560 But what's unique about this organization, you know, the Future Farmers of America, is 28 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,040 there's two major aspects to it. 29 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:05,200 There's kind of that adult adult side where it's the faculty, the staff, and then there's 30 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:10,260 also the side of leadership for the younger folks, the FFA members. 31 00:02:10,260 --> 00:02:16,560 On the national level, it's typically more so based in the recent high school graduates 32 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,900 rather than the high school students like we've kind of chatted about before. 33 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:28,360 But today we have one of those very, very special recent high school-ish slash college 34 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,280 student people right now. 35 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,760 She's nodding so I got that part right. 36 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:40,000 We are joined by the 2023 to 2024 National Future Farmers of America president, Amara 37 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,000 Jackson. 38 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,600 Amara, how are you doing today? 39 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,440 Hey, I'm good. 40 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,160 Thank you so much for having me. 41 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:51,240 I'm so excited to be here and to be able to spend our time together and celebrating and 42 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:56,800 highlighting your journey across America and the way that it's continuing to impact agriculture 43 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:57,800 and agro-fa. 44 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:02,920 We're very grateful for your support and we look forward to cheering you on on your journey. 45 00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:04,480 Yeah, I appreciate it. 46 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,240 I'm glad that I finally got to sit down. 47 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,280 I always, it sounds so silly. 48 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:09,280 Maybe it's not silly. 49 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:10,280 I don't know. 50 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:14,480 Whenever I talk to like a state or national officer, I always feel like I'm talking to 51 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:15,480 a celebrity. 52 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,480 It's like the conditioning that we kind of have in, you know, state conference or at 53 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:20,480 the chapter level. 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,920 It's like, oh my God, like we're going to get visited by a state officer. 55 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:25,120 How cool is that? 56 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:26,360 You know? 57 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,800 So this is like tickling that little part of my high school brain that's like, ooh, 58 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,800 look, look where I am now. 59 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,800 Well, thank you. 60 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:41,000 Something I have to tell students when I'm meeting them on the road, because we very 61 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,720 often they're like, oh my gosh, it's an officer. 62 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,720 Oh my gosh, like who are you? 63 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,520 Or like, why are you here? 64 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,800 I always just tell them like, well, my name's Amara and I'm a human too. 65 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,880 Like I'm, I still get nervous. 66 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:53,880 I still get excited. 67 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:54,880 I still get all the things. 68 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,000 And so even like this podcast, I'm just really excited to be here with you. 69 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,400 So yeah, I love that. 70 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:03,400 No and I hear you. 71 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:09,080 I think it's so, it's so interesting because when I, my second day of my walk, there was 72 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,840 a woman that walked up to me and she kind of acted like she was starstruck. 73 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,560 Like she was saying like, I saw you on TikTok. 74 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:15,720 I saw you on the news. 75 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,400 Like, oh my God, you're real. 76 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,240 And I was like, whoa, I'm just, I'm just an overweight white dude. 77 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:22,360 That's that's doing that. 78 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,400 That's like low key homeless and unemployed right now. 79 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,280 Like, whoa, I'm just walking here, you know? 80 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:34,200 So it's always kind of funny to see different people's reactions or how people kind of perceive, 81 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,160 I guess, who you are. 82 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,280 And I want to say like how important you are. 83 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:39,280 You know what I mean though? 84 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:42,640 It's like, it's such a weird. 85 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,280 I know exactly what you're saying because you're right. 86 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:50,920 Theoretically, I'm a college dropout student who doesn't have a job or, you know, just 87 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,360 travels because I can, I guess. 88 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:59,440 Like, yeah, it's so funny that perception and like the power that like public recognition 89 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,400 or like that title can can use. 90 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,640 And so I was raised thankfully by a mom who always taught me the power of humility. 91 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,880 And so I have really had to lean into that this year and be like, okay, well, yes, I 92 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:15,160 do have, I might have this title on my chest, but like it's my actions that truly make that 93 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:16,160 biggest impact. 94 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,160 And, and I would say the same for you too, like your ability to power through. 95 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,320 I mean, I can only imagine the mental toughness that you have from all the walking on those 96 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:25,320 miles. 97 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,480 That's, that's where the power truly lays. 98 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:29,200 Yeah, no, I agree. 99 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,800 I think it's, it's so interesting because I mean, anybody can, okay, I want to say anybody 100 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,120 can do what we do. 101 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,760 I feel like anybody could, you know, quit their job, drop it, you know, go and walk 102 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:39,760 across the country. 103 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,200 I mean, plenty of people have done it with very different resources than I have less 104 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,280 or more or whatever, but you're right. 105 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:50,640 Like when you say it's more about the character, like, what do you mean when you say that? 106 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,160 Like what are those character traits that you're referring to? 107 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:54,160 Yeah. 108 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:59,200 So when I think about character traits, like a leader or obviously any person should have 109 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,840 humility, like I had mentioned, really comes to mind. 110 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:07,360 I have always believed that you don't know what you don't know until you realize you 111 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:08,360 don't know it. 112 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,760 And same thing goes, you don't realize what you know until you realize that you know it. 113 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,120 And so honestly, being humble and willing to ask those questions, admit that you don't 114 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:22,120 know what's going on can really serve you in a capacity where people will then respect 115 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:27,480 you for being willing to admit that you're not in the know of everything or that you're 116 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,120 not necessarily the one that has all the answers. 117 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,040 And so that's something that I really value. 118 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:40,520 I also just really value the ability to remain grounded and a good listener and someone who 119 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:46,720 isn't, who's willing to like be an observer and just like take in what's going on around 120 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:47,720 them. 121 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:52,160 It can be really overwhelming sometimes if you always feel like you have to be at the 122 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,600 front of the line or you always feel like you have to be making that first comment or 123 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,360 taking that first step. 124 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:03,680 But there's I feel like great power in being willing to slow down and to look around you, 125 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,880 observe, like remain grounded. 126 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,400 I feel like you have such better control of yourself and your actions when you do that. 127 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,760 Whereas if you always feel like you're running that race, like you're going to eventually 128 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,560 lose control and your feet are going to go faster than your body and then you're going 129 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:17,920 to crash and burn. 130 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:22,480 And so I feel like those traits of just, you know, being able to remain humble and grounded 131 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:27,560 and an observant are just so important when it comes to leadership, especially when people 132 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:32,240 around you are like, oh my gosh, you're an X and X person or oh my goodness, like who 133 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:33,240 are you, what are you doing now? 134 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:34,240 Where are you traveling? 135 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,200 Like to them it's very fresh and new. 136 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,160 And to me, like, yeah, this is the life I live and this is how I have to remain consistent 137 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,160 is through these traits. 138 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:43,160 Yeah. 139 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,120 And there's a few things there that I kind of want to highlight. 140 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,800 It sounds like a lot of it, a lot of that really resonates with me because as a professional 141 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:58,480 coach, a lot of what I do is listen and reflect and be extremely present with people. 142 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:03,540 I mean, at my little closet desk at home, every time I was on coaching calls, I always 143 00:08:03,540 --> 00:08:07,840 had the coaching state in front of me and it was to be present and to be curious. 144 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,520 Because kind of like you're saying, if you start making assumptions or you start acting 145 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:15,620 like you know everything, who is that really serving? 146 00:08:15,620 --> 00:08:17,060 Like it's not serving yourself. 147 00:08:17,060 --> 00:08:19,240 It's not serving the person in front of you. 148 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:23,080 It's really truly taking what people are saying and finding what's deeper, what's underneath 149 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,480 that, seeing what's really going on. 150 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:32,120 Because that's really when you learn the most is when you, I don't know, just pay attention. 151 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:33,120 Yeah. 152 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:34,120 Yeah. 153 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:42,160 This year, like as I've traveled about almost 5000 miles just in 2024, it's all across the 154 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:48,000 country and I've realized that like it can be so easy to have hundreds of people around 155 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,940 you and to not know a single person. 156 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:56,640 But it also can be really easy to have hundreds of people around you and have made a bunch 157 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,240 of connections and a bunch of friends. 158 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,840 And it's like that intentional decision in your mind of like, okay, well, I sit here 159 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,120 and we'll listen and take in and observe what's going on around here. 160 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:13,080 Or will I like maybe stick to my own thoughts, stick to maybe my phone or stick to like what's 161 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,280 going on internally inside me. 162 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,160 And I just have really been pondering like as a National Officer, like building connections 163 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,720 with people, like how can I make sure that the person that is standing right in front 164 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:28,680 of me is feeling seen, is feeling valued and is feeling appreciated? 165 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:33,300 Because I've realized that so many of us lack that genuine human connection. 166 00:09:33,300 --> 00:09:37,400 And I think that's why so many people feel lonely is because they don't know who they 167 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:38,400 can rely on. 168 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,720 They don't know who they can call to. 169 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:45,360 And they just they'll be in a room full of so many people, but not even they'll feel 170 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:46,360 alone. 171 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:51,080 And so like there's so much importance and in being able to build that human connection 172 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:56,000 and make people feel like they're part of that string, like they're a part of something 173 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,000 bigger than themselves. 174 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,480 Because then then maybe feel less alone. 175 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,680 And we feel like we can maybe be a part of something good too. 176 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:06,520 And then my hope is that that trickle would continue. 177 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:11,960 Yeah, kind of like if I can help this person feel seen, maybe they can help someone else 178 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,440 and then help someone else. 179 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,400 And I guess that's really a big part of my is my I don't know, my intention with the 180 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,680 podcast overall is to help more people help more people. 181 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:27,960 So it's always like that's always at the forefront of my mind is like, OK, I can help this person, 182 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,720 but is there any way that I can serve them beyond that beyond just that initial hand 183 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,520 or assistance or whatever? 184 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:40,080 And I kind of want to circle back to something you just said a second ago, where you mentioned 185 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,440 that genuine human connection, that that's something that people are lacking. 186 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:50,880 I see that almost every single day with my walk. 187 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,600 It's not every day that this happens, but I would probably say like roughly once a week 188 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,740 or so when somebody pulls over to talk to me, people have told me the craziest things 189 00:10:59,740 --> 00:11:01,520 on the side of a highway. 190 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:07,880 And I think I feel like crazy maybe may not be the right word, but it's just so I guess 191 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:15,640 like personal and deep, whether it's struggles with mental illness or mental health, relationships 192 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:16,640 or this or that. 193 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:21,400 It's like when you're really able to be present and curious with them and like show that genuine 194 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:27,720 care for a stranger, like people just like that's what people really need. 195 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,440 And I think that's something that people. 196 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:30,840 Yeah, people can feel it. 197 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:35,600 And I think that's why like in your instance, they just like open up because they're like, 198 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:40,320 oh my gosh, like someone finally sees me or finally understands like that. 199 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,320 That happens a lot with students on my end. 200 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,080 It's like they'll like finally feel valued for something. 201 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:48,200 And then they're like, oh, and by the way, like this is something that like happened 202 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,760 and I'm like, oh, OK, like I'm here to support you. 203 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:51,760 But yeah, wow. 204 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:52,760 That wow. 205 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:53,760 I'm sure like that happens. 206 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:58,560 And then like you continue walking and like, do you just like think about it or like what 207 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:01,000 does that look like for you? 208 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,360 Oh, Jesus, you're flipping the script on this one. 209 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,600 I think it's so interesting. 210 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,160 I mean, usually after something like that happens, I call one of my friends and I'm 211 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:15,360 like, dude, this, you know, they kind of like talk me through it almost like nothing, nothing 212 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:21,280 to the point that I've been extremely concerned for their safety has happened. 213 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:26,840 But I have given out some bigger than the trail cards because they have like their little, 214 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,800 I guess, their QR code for the free therapy and mental health support. 215 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:35,760 So I'm very thankful that I had those on hand to kind of pass out to them. 216 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,360 But typically it's one of those things. 217 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:43,680 It's very much like the I think I talked to about this. 218 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:46,640 Somebody recently about the starfish story. 219 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:47,640 Have you heard of that? 220 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:48,640 I haven't. 221 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:55,160 OK, so basically it's there is, I guess, the person, whoever it is on the beach doesn't 222 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:56,160 matter. 223 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,640 She's on the beach and she's like dancing around and she's picking up starfish and throwing 224 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:01,840 them back in the ocean. 225 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:07,040 The beach is just covered in starfish and an old man walks up and says, what are you 226 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:08,040 doing? 227 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,280 And she's like, oh, I'm saving the starfish. 228 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,320 And she picks another one up and throws it into the ocean. 229 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:14,920 And he goes, well, there's so many of them. 230 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:16,720 Like, what difference does it make? 231 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:17,960 Like you're just one person. 232 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,160 Like you're not going to save them all. 233 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,800 And she picks up another one and says, well, it makes a difference to this one and throws 234 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:24,800 it back in the ocean. 235 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:26,560 And then the ocean is gone. 236 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:32,640 Yeah, I'll send you I'll I'll I'll put in the show notes or something to. 237 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,360 But no, I mean, I heard that I heard like five or six years ago and I was like, oh, 238 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:37,720 my God, I love it. 239 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:38,720 And that's very much what it is. 240 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:39,720 Right. 241 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:41,360 Is you can't help everybody. 242 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,700 You can't help anybody 100 percent, but maybe just that one percent to get them over the 243 00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:49,940 edge to help themselves to take action. 244 00:13:49,940 --> 00:13:55,120 And I guess in that case, usually the barrier to entry for therapy and stuff is the cost. 245 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:59,120 So I'm kind of like, OK, maybe this conversation, maybe this resource, maybe this will be what 246 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,320 kind of helps them move forward. 247 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,840 So I guess at the end of the day, it's like, OK, I did everything I could in that 10 minute 248 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:07,720 conversation on the side of the highway. 249 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,640 So you kind of have to let go and like, you know, let the universe or whatever kind of 250 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:12,740 take hold from there. 251 00:14:12,740 --> 00:14:17,320 So that's kind of how I deal with that and kind of placate it in my mind. 252 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:18,320 That's awesome. 253 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:19,320 That's yeah. 254 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:20,320 I'm just super curious. 255 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:21,320 That's awesome. 256 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:29,680 Hey, listeners, we're taking a quick break to give a special shout out to our friends 257 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,920 and episode sponsor over at D.K. 258 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,640 Dorpers, located in the heart of Galt, California. 259 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:37,640 D.K. 260 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:43,480 Dorpers is a family farm that's been raising full blood Dorper sheep since 2014. 261 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:48,280 And let me tell you, they're all about fearless innovation, a value that resonates deeply 262 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,880 with us at Within Range Coaching. 263 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:56,280 They blend the best of U.S. and imported Australian genetics to uphold the Dorper breed standard, 264 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:01,680 ensuring their sheep excel in the show ring, pasture and in taste. 265 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:06,680 Their sheep are inspected and tagged annually by certified South African inspectors, ensuring 266 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,840 you get the best of the best. 267 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,200 So whether you're looking to start your own flock or elevate your breeding program to 268 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:13,840 the next level, D.K. 269 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,360 Dorpers has got you covered. 270 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:21,320 If you're ready to take your farm to the next level, get in touch with Kathy Diaz-Concefid 271 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:30,440 at 916-956-2657 or drop her an email at dkdorpers at gmail.com. 272 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:35,840 For more information, visit their website at dkdorpers.com or check out their Facebook 273 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:41,520 page and everything is listed down in the description as well for ease of contact. 274 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:48,400 Remember, excellence starts with the best genetics and D.K. Dorpers delivers just that. 275 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:54,080 Now let's get back to the show. 276 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,360 We got carried away right away and I didn't even ask you what your intention is for today's 277 00:15:58,360 --> 00:15:59,360 episode. 278 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:03,240 It sounds like based on the conversation we had off the record that we're still on track, 279 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:07,240 but just for our listeners, what would you say is your intention for the rest of our 280 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:08,240 time together? 281 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:13,720 Yeah, looking forward to chatting with you about obviously your walk, but your walk is 282 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,840 having a huge impact on the national FFA organization. 283 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:21,200 So I'm wanting to chat a little bit about that. 284 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,880 For your listeners if they don't know, his walk is impacting our students. 285 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:30,880 In our organization we have almost one million FFA members all across the country and the 286 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,560 U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 287 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:40,280 And something about FFA is our students engage in work-based learning, also known as supervised 288 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,240 agriculture experiences. 289 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:47,000 And sometimes when students are trying to begin this work-based learning project, there 290 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,920 can be a financial barrier. 291 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:55,840 And so with his walk, with his commitment, he is helping our students receive SAE grants, 292 00:16:55,840 --> 00:17:00,120 which essentially provides students with financial support to create a project. 293 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:07,320 It could be anything from research to having a livestock animal to show up there to starting 294 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:08,760 a business themselves. 295 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:15,760 And so these students who are our future leaders of tomorrow are receiving such great support 296 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,920 from the good work that he's doing here. 297 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,400 So looking forward to highlighting that and talking a little bit about our students and 298 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:27,840 sharing their stories and the experiences that they're receiving by being an FFA member. 299 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:28,840 Perfect. 300 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,560 Yeah, so mostly talking about the good work that I'm doing. 301 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:32,800 I love it. 302 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,120 And no, so it's true. 303 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:37,120 Yeah. 304 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:44,360 And I'd love to hear some stories from you about the SAE grants and just to kind of share 305 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:46,400 why I'm picking FFA. 306 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,080 I mean, I mean, well, you know, I had my FFA ring right here, like my class ring, and like 307 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,120 I was in it all four years. 308 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:55,480 Super impactful for me. 309 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,120 Super cute, super wholesome, right? 310 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:02,720 But really the reason that I picked the SAE grants in particular is because I had a few 311 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:07,080 friends in high school or people that I met from other chapters or even just as an alumni 312 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:12,480 hearing stories that there's kids that definitely should have gone and gotten their state degrees 313 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:19,200 or their American degrees, and they just couldn't afford to get started. 314 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,320 And you know, I came from a good place where my family was able to support me. 315 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,520 They were able to give me my first few animals, get help me with feed, help me with this or 316 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:27,920 that. 317 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:32,000 But there's other people that didn't really have that opportunity. 318 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,360 And I don't know, I feel like FFA was extremely influential for me and them still. 319 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:39,640 But I feel like it would have helped them get the recognition that I thought that they 320 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:41,480 really deserve for the work that they were putting in. 321 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,920 And so if you kind of want to take it away and share a couple stories of kiddos that 322 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,200 have received that grants and where they've gone, I think that that would be extremely 323 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,320 impactful and useful. 324 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:52,440 For sure. 325 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:58,760 So one story that I love to share, just because I find it so unique and so niche, is there 326 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:06,280 was a student who grew up raising, showing livestock, sheep in particular, and she loved 327 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:07,280 that. 328 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:11,760 But she saw a need within her community and within her state that there wasn't a good 329 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:18,080 practice to pregnancy check the female sheep, or also known as ewes, on people's farms. 330 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:23,960 And so within her community, she production was something that a lot of families did. 331 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:32,240 And so she through an SAE grant she had applied, received financial support, she now can ultrasound 332 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,560 and pregnancy check these new lambs. 333 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:40,640 And so she travels all across the state, checking for pregnancy checks within these animals, 334 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:47,120 she has all the equipment needed, the safety standards, the hygiene, like all of it, she 335 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:53,200 was able to purchase and basically get everything that she needed because of the financial support 336 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,000 from the SAE grant. 337 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,920 And the equipment to do an ultrasound, I like, I like, I'll sit here and think like, my 338 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:00,480 gosh, that has to be so expensive. 339 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,080 So like, I'm so thankful that she was able to receive that. 340 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,440 And then she was able to continue on with that. 341 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:07,480 She got her American FFA degree. 342 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:12,140 And now she's working in the agriculture industry and still continuing to support our community 343 00:20:12,140 --> 00:20:18,160 in what might seem like a niche way, but to those agriculturalists is so important for 344 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,320 the livelihood of their production. 345 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:26,600 And so it's so fascinating to see how a 15 year old girl could someday be 21 now and 346 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,820 still continuing on just because of that lump of money that she received as an FFA member. 347 00:20:31,820 --> 00:20:32,820 It's incredible. 348 00:20:32,820 --> 00:20:35,320 And there's stories like that all across the country. 349 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:42,840 I know of other students who didn't grow up in rural America, but were in urban America 350 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:48,080 and received that funding to begin research projects in hospital labs. 351 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:54,880 That research project can be anything from testing different pesticides and herbicides 352 00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:01,680 and different plants to anything from working with livestock and analyzing maybe the way 353 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,480 that a lot of animals move or their health or anything. 354 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:06,920 It can be in a greenhouse. 355 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:12,880 It's incredible to see the way that we're engaging students both in urban areas and 356 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,760 rural areas through the SAE grants. 357 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:20,640 And that's providing them with, like you said, the recognition, the ability to apply for 358 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:26,720 those awards or pursue towards those different degrees and those levels within FFA simply 359 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:30,440 because they got started with $1,000 or $1,500. 360 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:35,000 You know, whatever that looks like, that can set a student off on a trajectory that they 361 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,800 might not have had the possibility to have. 362 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:44,520 I also love hearing stories from students where it's like, man, prior to FFA, I had 363 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:46,400 no idea what agriculture was. 364 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:48,320 I didn't think about where my food came from. 365 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,160 I didn't think about the clothing that I was wearing. 366 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:57,480 But then I joined FFA and I got hands on with it through an SAE, through that work-based 367 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,480 learning. 368 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:03,200 And now, like, I want to study agriculture or I want to go into a career in agriculture. 369 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:07,480 It's so fascinating where a year prior, they were a completely different person. 370 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:13,400 And now from being a year enrolled in agriculture science, that they have completely switched 371 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:18,440 their trajectory and truly found a passion that encourages them to come to school. 372 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:23,180 They built a community that allows them to feel supported and they're gaining skills 373 00:22:23,180 --> 00:22:26,840 that will carry them far beyond their time in their high school. 374 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:34,000 And so to me, it's just really inspiring to see how someone who is 14 years old, unsure 375 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:38,560 of what they want to do, can someday graduate high school at 18 and feel so passionate about 376 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,880 an industry that they want to serve. 377 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:42,640 Yeah, I love that. 378 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,440 I don't know. 379 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,520 I feel like that is such an important lesson also, right? 380 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:52,280 I got my degree in economics, so that's kind of how I see everything, right? 381 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,560 So just like the supply and demand, right? 382 00:22:54,560 --> 00:23:02,160 So I think it's so interesting that her, that she at 14, 15 was able to see that need and 383 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:08,680 I don't know, just really know that she, a 14, 15 year old in a state with adults that 384 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:14,120 could have done something about it way sooner, I'm sure, but was able to really take that 385 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:19,040 leap and get that support and backing of the FFA. 386 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,120 And let me know what you think about this statement. 387 00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:25,920 But one of the greatest things that I have always appreciated about FFA is that it's 388 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,600 an extremely safe place to fail. 389 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:36,140 That even if you, I don't know, you go out, you try and it just all blows up in your face. 390 00:23:36,140 --> 00:23:37,200 Now what? 391 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,360 It's not like you're, I don't know, like on the streets, right? 392 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:42,360 Like she could have done that. 393 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:46,400 It could have gone haywire, but she still would have been able to learn something from 394 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:47,400 it. 395 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:55,640 It's useful in some way, but knowing that the worst case scenario isn't, I don't know, 396 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,200 being homeless and unemployed in the middle of the US somewhere, I guess, I don't know, 397 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,520 that she can take that risk and take that backing. 398 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:09,380 So like, what have you seen in terms of, I don't know, like that risk mitigation of taking 399 00:24:09,380 --> 00:24:11,200 a chance with FFA for students? 400 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,720 Like how have you seen that come into play? 401 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:14,800 Yeah. 402 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,960 I actually have to think of just yesterday here. 403 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:19,800 I'm currently in Alabama. 404 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:27,920 I was here for their state FFA convention and each year at a state convention, they 405 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,640 will elect a new set of state FFA officers. 406 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:36,000 So they'll serve across their state, travel, meet with their students. 407 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:40,480 And so anyway, during the final session, that new team is always elected. 408 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:46,520 And usually that group of students has spent the whole week interviewing, going through 409 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,880 multiple rounds, trying to be the next state FFA officer. 410 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:56,240 And so this leads us to yesterday morning, 12 girls were running to be selected. 411 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:00,520 Six people get selected to serve, now they're not facing associations. 412 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:04,120 So they knew that it was a 50-50 percent chance of whether they got elected. 413 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,760 And they knew that when they left that holding room that six people were going to return 414 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:09,400 and six people were going to leave. 415 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:14,120 And so it was fascinating staying there and talking with them. 416 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:19,520 And they recognize that, you know, like there's a time and place for everybody. 417 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,840 And because of FFA, they could go through this interview process knowing that at the 418 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:29,080 end, whether they're selected or not, that this is not the end of their journey. 419 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:34,640 They know that these interviews have set them up for a job interview or have prepared them 420 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:41,600 to hold an educated conversation with somebody who might be 20, 30 years older than them. 421 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:47,720 Like, this is just one way that these students went through this whole process, maybe didn't 422 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:53,120 hear their name called, but can walk away knowing they still have support of their teachers, 423 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:58,160 their families, their mentors, all guiding them on whatever the next journey is in their 424 00:25:58,160 --> 00:25:59,160 life. 425 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,480 And it's like that for students at any level of an FFA. 426 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:06,700 I see all the time when students are competing for contests, maybe they've prepared a speech 427 00:26:06,700 --> 00:26:13,600 or they're about to go to day ag issues, whatever that is, there's always a crowd of people 428 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,600 following in behind them into that competition room because they're cheering them on. 429 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:18,600 They're proud of them. 430 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,060 Maybe they've coached them. 431 00:26:20,060 --> 00:26:21,680 They believe in them. 432 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:26,240 And that's what I truly love about FFA is people believe in people. 433 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:32,080 And I've realized that our student membership would not be growing as fast and as large 434 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:38,720 as it is if we didn't have that culture of belonging and that culture of support. 435 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:44,160 Students do feel like it's an okay place to fail and they do feel like it's a good place 436 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,820 to succeed. 437 00:26:45,820 --> 00:26:50,040 And they see both sides of it and they benefit from both sides of it. 438 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,680 And so I would agree 100% that FFA is a very safe place to fail. 439 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:59,520 I myself have had my own failures with an FFA and it honestly propelled me to keep going. 440 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,320 It encouraged me that I was like, you know what, like when I wake up tomorrow, I can 441 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:04,320 try again. 442 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:09,840 And I know that's because the blue corduroy jacket is a home and it represents more than 443 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,240 just myself. 444 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:17,680 And I truly believe that our over 900,000 FFA numbers also need to feel that way too. 445 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:22,800 And I truly believe that people join people, people don't just join organizations. 446 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:30,400 Our organization is conducted of hundreds and hundreds of wonderful, wonderful people. 447 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:31,400 Now I agree. 448 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:32,400 And there was something that I learned. 449 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:39,800 So I ran a herpetological society, lizard snakes, things like that for a few years and 450 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,520 registered 501c3 president, no big deal. 451 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:49,320 But that was something that I talked to a couple of nonprofit consultants and coaches 452 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:54,440 and they were always saying like, stop trying to sell a membership. 453 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,280 Explain to people, like don't tell them the perks. 454 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:57,680 Don't tell them the benefits. 455 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:01,280 Nobody cares that it's only $5 a month and you get 10% off. 456 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:03,880 Like nobody cares. 457 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:09,040 Frame it in the way of people like us do things like this. 458 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:10,400 Bring them into a community. 459 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,560 People don't join organizations, they join people. 460 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:18,400 And I think that that is like a huge lesson for a lot of like inspiring nonprofit leaders 461 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:26,240 or even entrepreneurs to really focus in on is the people, not the product, not the process. 462 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:27,240 Nobody really cares. 463 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:28,240 They care about the solution. 464 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,240 They care about how it impacts them and the community that they're going to join there. 465 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:39,480 So I love that you see that and we're able to speak to that and be the expert on it right 466 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,400 now because I think that's something that is important. 467 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:43,400 Oh, thank you. 468 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:44,400 Yeah. 469 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:51,080 And FFA made me laugh when you mentioned like, oh, nobody cares to hit a $5. 470 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:55,400 Something that FFA is actually working on right now is traditionally our students have 471 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,440 had to pay dues to be an FFA member. 472 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,600 And we recognize over the last several years that that creates a financial barrier for 473 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:03,600 students. 474 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:07,360 Some students are not able to physically walk up to their teacher and say, here's my $10 475 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:12,040 or here's my $7 or whatever the due might be for that time being for that chapter. 476 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:19,640 And so the National FFA organization is working to become what we call 100% affiliated where 477 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,360 the student would no longer pay that first student due. 478 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,320 Instead, it's going to be a flat rate chapter fee. 479 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,680 And so it lifts that barrier off of the student in that community. 480 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,600 That way they no longer have to worry about asking their parent or their guardian for 481 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,120 that money or maybe giving that money themselves. 482 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,680 Instead, the chapter can support the student in that way. 483 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:46,240 And so every student sitting in that classroom is considered an FFA member, which then in 484 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:50,600 our terms allows them to compete in all the contests or attend the events that they'd 485 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:57,640 like or connect with the people within FFA because that due is essentially paid for them. 486 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:05,000 And so it's really exciting that to me it shows that FFA wants to continue to flourish 487 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:10,960 at people building and to allow space for those students that although financially they might 488 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:15,920 not be able to support themselves, kind of like the SAE grant, we still value them and 489 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,480 we still want them a part of our organization. 490 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,640 And there's still a place for them. 491 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,660 Hey, everyone, just a quick message. 492 00:30:23,660 --> 00:30:27,240 You know that my mission with this podcast is to share stories of influence and impact 493 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,280 so that we can help more people help more people. 494 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,800 But to do that, I need your support. 495 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,660 Please rate, review and share this podcast. 496 00:30:35,660 --> 00:30:39,440 If I could ask for just one favor, it's to just leave a review. 497 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:43,200 It takes about 10 seconds and a few clicks, but it means the world to me and could inspire 498 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:45,520 someone else to make a difference. 499 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:46,520 Thank you so much. 500 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:52,080 And now back to the show. 501 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,000 I think it's a little bit of a stretch for me to ask this next question, but that really 502 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,040 does kind of start bleeding into, I guess, the representation of FFA members. 503 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,040 Yeah. 504 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:04,600 I know that you've mentioned, you know, there's a what is it like 60 40 rule to urban or something? 505 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,840 Well, I'll let you say the numbers, I guess. 506 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:07,840 Let's do that first. 507 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,280 And then I'll ask the other question I wanted to ask you because I'm curious on your thoughts. 508 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:11,540 But what does that kind of look like? 509 00:31:11,540 --> 00:31:14,480 So in terms of the membership, I've gotten this question a few times. 510 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:19,280 I've gotten people look at me kind of cock eyed and they're like future farmers of America. 511 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:23,000 Why not like future business leaders of America? 512 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:24,620 Why not Boy Scouts? 513 00:31:24,620 --> 00:31:25,620 Why not Girl Scouts? 514 00:31:25,620 --> 00:31:27,240 And I'm like, well, I was never an FBLA. 515 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:28,240 I wasn't in Boy Scouts. 516 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:29,240 I wasn't in Girl Scouts. 517 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:35,400 So I'm like, it feels disingenuous to, I don't know, support an organization for the walk 518 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,800 that I'm not directly a part of. 519 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,400 It feels kind of like fanfare almost to me. 520 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:48,520 But, you know, I've always tried to explain, you know, it's yes, it's cows, plows and whatever. 521 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:53,640 But like you kind of mentioned earlier, there's a sales aspect, there's science, there's research, 522 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,960 there's so many other aspects of the FFA. 523 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:01,320 I guess in terms of the demographics that you've seen, like what does that kind of look 524 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:02,320 like to you? 525 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:03,320 Yeah. 526 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:08,360 So yeah, so we do know 60% of our students come from rural America. 527 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,280 The other 40% come from urban and suburban areas. 528 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,240 And that number continues to tick. 529 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,480 We watch words that even 50-50. 530 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:24,280 And so our students, our students in urban areas are continuing to engage more and more. 531 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,760 They're curious about where their food comes from. 532 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,400 They're curious about the cotton that's in their clothing. 533 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:36,480 But also our students in rural America, we recognize that as an economy, there's not 534 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:43,160 as many young students coming from traditional quote unquote perfection agriculture. 535 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:48,440 And so we need representation both in rural and urban areas because they're consumers 536 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:52,240 of agriculture products just like anybody else's. 537 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:58,760 And so although FFA might have previously been known as Future Farmers of America, FFA 538 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:04,680 students are becoming lawyers, becoming teachers, they're becoming research specialists, they're 539 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:10,720 becoming your next high school principal, they're becoming podcasters, they're becoming 540 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:14,320 business owners, they're becoming everything and anything. 541 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:20,160 And I think that's the key with FFA that sometimes people miss is like you mentioned, like it 542 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:24,400 might sound like they're all farmers or like all of our students are only going to return 543 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:25,800 to agriculture. 544 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:31,480 But our hope is that even if our student doesn't return to agriculture, it's that they become 545 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:33,400 an educated consumer. 546 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:37,160 That when they walk into that grocery store, that they're aware of what it means to read 547 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,600 a label on GMO which is not in GMO. 548 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,400 Or that they understand what it means when there's milk and it says not antibiotic. 549 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:48,000 For any of those components that relate to the agriculture industry, they're educated 550 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:49,000 on. 551 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:53,120 And so education can then trickle down someday if they build a family and have children, 552 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:54,960 they can educate their children on it. 553 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:58,360 And so it's a ripple effect that the FFA organization has. 554 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:02,120 And it's not just for students who are in rural production agriculture. 555 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:08,240 Yes, it was started by 33 farm boys who saw value in rural America. 556 00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:10,520 That is where our heritage links. 557 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:15,200 But we have continued to grow and understand that we need those educated consumers who 558 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:19,800 can connect with agriculture because if you eat three times a day and you're wearing clothes 559 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,720 right now, you are connected to agriculture. 560 00:34:22,720 --> 00:34:26,560 And you would be naked, hungry and afraid if it wasn't for agriculture. 561 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:28,240 And I think sometimes we forget that. 562 00:34:28,240 --> 00:34:33,120 But our students don't because they are hands deep, they are engaged, they're very aware. 563 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:38,000 And it doesn't matter whether they live down a main street in an urban city or if they 564 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,280 live on a dirt road in the middle of a cornfield. 565 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:41,280 They value that. 566 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,320 And that's what's so powerful about our student demographic. 567 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:49,400 Yeah, and that's I guess on the on the business side of it too, right, is what I've always 568 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:54,640 heard is niche down, find a niche, get specific on the problem, the people, the community, 569 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:56,640 whatever you solve. 570 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:01,160 And just, you know, from my experience in FFA and seeing where the organization is going, 571 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:07,600 that's exactly what is happening is start off very niche, you know, farmers, this and 572 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:11,220 that, you know, livestock, farming, plants, etc. 573 00:35:11,220 --> 00:35:16,080 And now it very much is starting to broaden out because you we were able to get such a 574 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:21,480 on it like deeply rooted in the community in these areas to say, okay, this is specifically 575 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:22,840 the people that we serve. 576 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:23,840 Great. 577 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,120 We've gotten this down pretty damn good. 578 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:28,280 Now we serve more people. 579 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,040 How can we broaden? 580 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:31,040 It's what is it? 581 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:32,800 Go deep and then go wide? 582 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:37,960 Because if you try to go wide too fast, then it's like, well, what are you really trying 583 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:38,960 to even do here? 584 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:39,960 And it's it's overwhelming. 585 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:41,640 It's confusing. 586 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:46,080 But now that you're so deeply rooted, you can expand out and help all these different 587 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:47,080 people. 588 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:51,720 And just like what you were saying, one of the people that comes to mind that was super 589 00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:56,400 involved in my chapter, she she was never going to be an act like she wasn't going to 590 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:57,400 be a farmer. 591 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,400 She that wasn't what she wanted. 592 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:04,040 But just watching her Facebook posts over the years from when she graduated, I think 593 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:09,800 she was able to go from like front desk lady at a hotel to general manager in just a few 594 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,680 years, which I don't know anything about the whole. 595 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:17,320 Well, my fiance works for a property, but not the type that she works at. 596 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:22,320 So I was like, I feel like there has to be some kind of connection on, you know, those 597 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:27,240 skills that she learned that were so specific to farming and FFA and agriculture that she 598 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:29,040 was able to take and broaden out. 599 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:34,280 And I think that's I know that's the most important thing for me is taking skills from 600 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:36,680 anywhere and applying it elsewhere. 601 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,760 I think that's a skill in and of itself. 602 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:44,440 Yeah, and FFA does such a good job at preparing our students to think about life outside of 603 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:45,440 the classroom. 604 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:52,080 At the end of our vision statement, it says, when your leadership personal growth and career 605 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:53,080 success. 606 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:58,920 And so we really value that students who are in the classroom as they're engaging with 607 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:03,200 that work based learning, as they're developing their leadership skills, that they're thinking 608 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:08,320 in terms of like, OK, how will this serve me when I'm no longer sitting in this classroom? 609 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:12,240 What jobs or what careers are there available for me? 610 00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:19,320 Because something that I was raised in agriculture and I didn't realize until I took my agriscience 611 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:24,240 education class and I was an FFA member that there was so many careers in agriculture far 612 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:26,800 beyond farming. 613 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:32,520 And whether that was agriculture sales, or maybe that's agricultural communications. 614 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:34,900 Maybe that looks like becoming a lawyer. 615 00:37:34,900 --> 00:37:41,080 Maybe you're a manager for an agribusiness, like there's so many opportunities. 616 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:45,440 Maybe you're passionate about livestock or plants or human health, because that still 617 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,120 impacts soil health, plant health. 618 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:53,200 I mean, all of it is tied to agriculture, like I mentioned earlier. 619 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:59,960 And so anyway, our students are getting that career success and they're having those conversations. 620 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:05,320 And like your friend, it's preparing them for a career in and out of agriculture because 621 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:08,200 you're prepared with those skills and that critical thinking mindset. 622 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,240 And it's just, I love watching students realize their potential. 623 00:38:12,240 --> 00:38:16,960 And then by the time they graduate, they're like, wow, my freshman version of myself never 624 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:20,360 could have imagined that I'd be here because of an organization called. 625 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,400 No, I think it's so funny. 626 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,440 Even there, it's like the, what is it like the butterfly effect? 627 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:29,760 It's like, wow, who would have known that me signing up for this class because I didn't 628 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:31,520 want to take regular biology. 629 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:32,520 Yep. 630 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,520 It happens all the time. 631 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:36,520 Yeah. 632 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:39,880 It's going to end me up, I don't know, in the middle of Texas in the hundred degree 633 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:41,720 heat for some reason. 634 00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:44,840 So it's so interesting. 635 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:46,240 Okay. 636 00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:51,160 So there's a couple of questions that I've been asked a lot on my journey or, okay, one's 637 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:52,440 a question I've been asked a lot. 638 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:54,840 One is something I've been thinking about a lot. 639 00:38:54,840 --> 00:39:02,560 And the first question that was asked a lot is have you noticed a difference in the people 640 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:07,040 that you've met state by state, county by county, zip code by zip code? 641 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:11,200 Cause I don't know, I, I feel like I'm just finally getting out of the South when I want 642 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,200 to say finally, but I'm getting out of the South right now. 643 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:20,040 I'm going to kind of like the Southwest, you know, New Mexico, Arizona, California area. 644 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:24,960 I'm curious before I answer that for myself, I'm curious on your thoughts of traveling 645 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:29,640 to all these different state conventions and seeing people in different regards. 646 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:31,160 Yeah. 647 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:39,320 I would say the biggest thing that I've recognized is the differences in cultures. 648 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:44,560 That would probably be what separates people, but ironically, because I'm constantly meeting 649 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:51,440 with FFA members and agricultural teachers and those involved in agriculture in our community 650 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:57,560 and our industry, we offer similar values of hard work, of high integrity, of learning. 651 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:00,400 And so that almost draws us all together. 652 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:05,600 And no matter where I go, it almost feels like a sense of home because of those shared 653 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:06,600 values. 654 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:12,600 But when I'm in a state like Alaska, and then I come to Texas, their cultures are different, 655 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:19,600 I've learned that on the road that there's so many ways people can live their life and 656 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:21,640 none of it is necessarily wrong. 657 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:26,040 I mean, obviously morally there's, you know, can be things like none of it, like from day 658 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:28,280 to day, none of it is wrong. 659 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:33,200 Like we all just value things and prioritize things. 660 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:40,520 And I have just really loved seeing how someone might choose to spend their day or what's 661 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:45,480 really important to them or like for a student standpoint, you get one student who is all 662 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,120 in on sports and then you get another student who will travel every single weekend to a 663 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:54,040 Caval Show just based on the different values that they have or the different priorities 664 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:55,120 in that time being. 665 00:40:55,120 --> 00:41:01,520 And so I don't know, I just I've been fascinated by the similarity in values despite the distance 666 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:07,880 between, but also the ability to spend your time differently and still have some of those 667 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,720 priorities align even though it's in different tests. 668 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:12,880 But I'm curious to hear your perspective as well. 669 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:14,920 Yeah, so no, I think that's interesting. 670 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:19,760 That's always so, because yeah, I feel like for you, you're jumping across the nation 671 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:20,760 a lot more than I am. 672 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:24,280 I think mine's pretty much a straight line, right? 673 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:28,440 And that's kind of what I was thinking along the lines of what you're going to say is, 674 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,360 well, you're meeting with FFA members. 675 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:35,400 Like you know, it's a very niche community. 676 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:38,960 It's very similar, but I was curious about what those differences were. 677 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:40,600 So like, it's kind of what I figured. 678 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:42,920 But thank you for sharing that. 679 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,360 On my perspective, what I've kind of been saying is that I feel like everybody so far 680 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:51,040 has been the same sentence, but a different font. 681 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:52,040 That's so good. 682 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:54,040 That's such a good way to put that. 683 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:55,040 Yeah. 684 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:58,300 And I talked to a couple other guys when I met up with them in Oklahoma City that walked 685 00:41:58,300 --> 00:42:02,040 across the country and they were like, yeah, no, dude, I feel the same way. 686 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:05,840 Like that's very much what it was for us too. 687 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:12,160 And I think a lot of it is just that the people that have stopped to talk to me or stopped 688 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:14,040 to help me, like it's that same thing, right? 689 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,480 Like they have similar values. 690 00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:17,600 Like they're curious. 691 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:19,720 They're trying to understand what's going on. 692 00:42:19,720 --> 00:42:20,720 They're open. 693 00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:24,160 And you know, people that invited me into their house, like, you know, inviting the 694 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:29,800 strange, you know, again, homeless, unemployed guy into their house, you know, I'm staying 695 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:31,200 in spare bedrooms. 696 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,840 Some people let me stay in their kids room and they've moved them to, you know, their 697 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:36,080 other kids room, you know? 698 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:43,200 So it's like, it's a very weird, intimate, like very trusting environment. 699 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:44,640 Right. 700 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:48,560 So it's and again, I think that's really the big thing is that the people that approach 701 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:53,140 me or that helped me, like you said, share those similar values. 702 00:42:53,140 --> 00:42:57,280 So it's kind of funny, like no matter what you do, as long as you're being authentic, 703 00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:03,200 let me know how authentic you feel about all that, but as long as you're authentic, you'll 704 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:06,240 find people that are authentically similar as well. 705 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:08,240 Yes, 100%. 706 00:43:08,240 --> 00:43:13,640 That'll like navigate and like they'll pull towards you and you'll pull towards them. 707 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:20,000 I feel like instinctually, because I can feel comfortable or safe or like a degree of trust 708 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:23,600 there compared to other people that maybe aren't aligning. 709 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:26,840 And I would 100% agree with that. 710 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:27,840 Yeah. 711 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:29,200 And that's, that's kind of what I've noticed too. 712 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:34,120 I mean, I finally, gosh, I had such bad luck finding, or now I want to say bad luck, no 713 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:37,960 luck, I guess, finding FFA members throughout the journey. 714 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:44,480 Because I know it feels weird messaging or calling schools to try to talk to the ag advisor. 715 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:46,480 That's a little bit like, are you a parent? 716 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:47,480 No. 717 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:49,480 Are you a student? 718 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:50,480 No. 719 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:56,440 You know, but I finally met up with a family in Oklahoma City or not Oklahoma City, just 720 00:43:56,440 --> 00:44:01,520 outside of Oklahoma City, that, you know, their kids are super involved in FFA. 721 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:05,320 And one of them is, you know, a state officer, all this cool stuff. 722 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:10,960 And the level of conversation we were able to have right away was so different just because 723 00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:13,680 of those shared values and shared experience. 724 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:19,040 So I think it's always so fun whenever I finally meet someone that, you know, either they're 725 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:24,240 a runner or they had someone go through hospice care or they're an FFA member, but that level 726 00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:30,200 of conversation, finding that common ground has been so useful and helpful in terms of 727 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:32,600 support and just good conversation. 728 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:33,600 Yeah. 729 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:34,600 That's awesome. 730 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:37,760 That's so special. 731 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:44,600 And then the other question I wanted to ask you is, so let me try to preface this. 732 00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:49,940 And this kind of wrapping up our conversation, I think, but I was in a little town in South 733 00:44:49,940 --> 00:44:52,560 Carolina called Saluda. 734 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:56,600 And when I was walking into town, I got stopped by a few people. 735 00:44:56,600 --> 00:44:59,360 And one of them was a mother daughter. 736 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:02,280 And the mom was like, it's okay if my daughter takes a picture with you. 737 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:05,440 And this kid couldn't have been more than 10 years old. 738 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:06,440 And I was like, sure. 739 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:07,440 Yeah, of course. 740 00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:08,440 Yeah, whatever. 741 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:13,440 So I took a picture with her and I was like, oh my God, like, they were, they wanted me 742 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,240 to take a picture with their kid. 743 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:18,500 Like that's such a moment, right? 744 00:45:18,500 --> 00:45:23,560 And then recently I was in, I think it was somewhere in Oklahoma too. 745 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:26,200 But this mom and son, like tracked me down. 746 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:29,960 They saw me, they followed me into the grocery store and asked to take a picture with me. 747 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,680 And I saw that he commented on one of my posts and that picture that I took with him, it's 748 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:35,680 his profile picture. 749 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:38,400 And I was like, this is such a weird feeling. 750 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,200 Like how cool, right? 751 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:44,760 Like it was just like such a surreal, like, oh my God, like this kid, like this is something 752 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:48,240 that I would have done with like a state officer or something, you know, like it's like so 753 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:51,400 funny. 754 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:53,520 And there's a concept that I'm working on myself. 755 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:56,400 I kind of call it the kid on the couch. 756 00:45:56,400 --> 00:46:02,480 And it's in terms of mission statements, vision statements, when you're working on a project. 757 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:07,120 And essentially it's kind of like, there is a kid out there that is watching what you 758 00:46:07,120 --> 00:46:11,640 do that is going to read your mission statement. 759 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:13,160 It's going to read your vision statement. 760 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,800 That's going to be inspired by what you do. 761 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:20,600 And it's kind of like be a role model, find something that's good, like always act as 762 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:26,560 if that kid on the couch is watching like a live stream of your life almost. 763 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:27,880 And again, I'm still working on it. 764 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:32,280 I want to make it more clear for, you know, a book or a post or something. 765 00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:33,280 Right. 766 00:46:33,280 --> 00:46:36,800 But just based off of what I've said there, like what kind of comes up for you when I 767 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:38,080 say that? 768 00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:44,960 Yeah, I, I know exactly the degree or the path that you're trying to go there because 769 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:46,920 I have felt that in my own life. 770 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:50,360 And I love your analogy of like kid on a couch watching that. 771 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:54,200 That's so applicable especially for our day and age. 772 00:46:54,200 --> 00:47:01,080 But as I think about my time in FFA, there's always been people throughout my journey as 773 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:08,360 a chapter member, a state officer, and now as a national officer who have expressed excitement 774 00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:14,800 or it's hard because it's like, I guess what they might say, like it's so, it's so 775 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:16,040 I'm so honored to meet you. 776 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,080 Like that, those kinds of comments. 777 00:47:19,080 --> 00:47:23,640 And it makes me stop and think like, okay, like why are you honored to meet me? 778 00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:24,640 Like what is it about me? 779 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:29,360 And it's like, it's caused me to like internally think like, okay, like what is it about myself 780 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,160 that is like drawing them to me? 781 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:39,240 But I've realized that like when that happens, the best thing that I can do for that person 782 00:47:39,240 --> 00:47:47,080 or for that, mainly the students is to give them my time in the most humble manner possible. 783 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:51,520 Because I myself have done like have like gone up to national officer like, oh my gosh, 784 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:53,000 like I feel so honored to meet you. 785 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:54,000 Thank you so much. 786 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:58,280 And like it's, I've always had very humble interactions. 787 00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:01,720 Whereas maybe there's been times when like I've gone up to somebody and they're like, 788 00:48:01,720 --> 00:48:03,200 oh my gosh, it's so cool to meet you. 789 00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:04,200 And like they blow you off. 790 00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:05,840 And they don't make you feel bad either. 791 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:07,480 Like those things. 792 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:14,280 And so to that kid that's sitting on the couch, I would want them to walk away being like, 793 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:16,480 wow, she's really humble. 794 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:18,480 Maybe I should like, what, how can I be more humble? 795 00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:22,480 And how can I be more like X trait or X characteristic? 796 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:28,920 And so like my hope is that my values are always how my actions are and like that goes 797 00:48:28,920 --> 00:48:29,920 a line. 798 00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:33,080 And so that way like others can hopefully maybe act in that manner. 799 00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:35,200 And that makes sense. 800 00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:36,600 But it happens all the time. 801 00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:42,360 It can honestly be a little overwhelming because I can think to myself, well, I'm just, I'm 802 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:43,360 just Samara. 803 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:45,600 Like, why do you want to like take another picture of me? 804 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:48,440 Or like, why do you want to like talk about like X? 805 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:52,640 Like sometimes it can be confusing, but I've realized like, okay, well, this is a unique 806 00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:55,360 stage of your life that only lasts for a year. 807 00:48:55,360 --> 00:49:00,600 And so what kind of positive seeds can I plant to have that student thinking about? 808 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:02,600 I'm like, okay, maybe I want to have called X trait. 809 00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:04,600 Don't think about X. 810 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:08,840 And so I don't know if that answers your question because I too am pondering this thought in 811 00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:09,840 my mind. 812 00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:15,720 I mean, and like it just happened like yesterday, like a student had came up to me and was like, 813 00:49:15,720 --> 00:49:17,600 I want to be the next National Athlete President. 814 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:18,600 Like what do I have to do? 815 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:25,160 And I was like, oh, like, so like, how can I best support them, you know, in a humble, 816 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:28,920 grounded manner where I've observed their needs? 817 00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:32,000 So I was trying to think of it like that. 818 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,720 Yeah, it's so hard. 819 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:37,720 Does that answer the question? 820 00:49:37,720 --> 00:49:38,720 Yeah, I know. 821 00:49:38,720 --> 00:49:43,920 I know I kind of sprung that on you and it's, it's no, it's such an important conversation 822 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:48,520 because I think people, it can be hard to like know how to respond or react. 823 00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:52,800 Like when someone like gives you a compliment in that way or like, it's excited to see you 824 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:53,800 in that way. 825 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:56,480 And so it's a, it's a good conversation to have. 826 00:49:56,480 --> 00:49:57,480 Yeah. 827 00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:01,560 Kind of like a, it's, it's so, I mean, cause for me, I'm 90. 828 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:04,040 Today's day 91 actually for my walk. 829 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:07,600 So it's like, I'm 90, almost a hundred days in, like, I'm like, I'm used to it. 830 00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:10,920 I like, it's just get through it at this point. 831 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:11,920 Right. 832 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:12,920 But there's people that meet me every day. 833 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:13,920 Oh, I saw you on the news. 834 00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:14,920 I saw you on TikTok. 835 00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:15,920 I saw you on social media. 836 00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:16,920 Are you, are you the guy? 837 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:17,920 You know? 838 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:22,600 And it's always like, okay, this is, this is a cool experience for them too. 839 00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:27,020 Like just as much as this whole thing is for me, like this conversation, this meeting is 840 00:50:27,020 --> 00:50:30,480 also important and impactful for them. 841 00:50:30,480 --> 00:50:32,920 Like almost more so than for me in a way. 842 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:33,920 Right. 843 00:50:33,920 --> 00:50:34,920 Yeah. 844 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:38,600 I had a mentor tell me once, and this has helped me a lot too. 845 00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:40,040 And I just remembered it. 846 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:46,360 They said it could be your 1000th time, like meeting a student or giving a workshop or 847 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:49,840 getting a keynote speech, but it's their first time. 848 00:50:49,840 --> 00:50:53,540 And so how can you make it the most impactful way for them? 849 00:50:53,540 --> 00:50:54,780 And I just remembered that. 850 00:50:54,780 --> 00:50:57,560 And that really does, that is something that I think about a lot. 851 00:50:57,560 --> 00:51:02,160 Like, okay, well I might be tired or overwhelmed right now, but it's their first time or possibly 852 00:51:02,160 --> 00:51:07,360 their only time interacting with a national officer or their only time interacting with 853 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:09,200 somebody who's walking all across the country. 854 00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:10,200 And like, yeah. 855 00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:14,160 And so I try to remember that too, from a humility standpoint. 856 00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:15,160 Okay. 857 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:20,240 So there's, I can't remember who it was. 858 00:51:20,240 --> 00:51:22,760 It was like, it's okay. 859 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:24,800 I'm like stumbling all over myself. 860 00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:29,240 There's a business creator that I watched, Alex Hermosy, and he tells this story. 861 00:51:29,240 --> 00:51:34,020 I think it's Michael Jordan, but Michael Jordan, I guess, was asked in an interview, like why 862 00:51:34,020 --> 00:51:39,220 he never sits the bench or why he always tries his best. 863 00:51:39,220 --> 00:51:44,000 And he was like, there's a dad that was able to scrape together enough money to bring him 864 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:45,280 and his son to this game. 865 00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:49,800 It's going to be the only chance that they ever get to go to a game like this. 866 00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:57,480 Like I know that I'm important enough that they are like, they're there to see me, but 867 00:51:57,480 --> 00:51:59,280 I'm humble enough to give them a good show. 868 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:00,820 Like I'm doing this for them. 869 00:52:00,820 --> 00:52:05,280 So it's kind of like, it's such a weird thing of like knowing how important you are, but 870 00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:09,200 also being humble enough to not let it get to your head. 871 00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:13,440 Yes, you just hit the nail on the head. 872 00:52:13,440 --> 00:52:16,440 Yeah, I'm going to have to find that story and link it in the show notes because I'm 873 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:17,440 like, I'm butchering it. 874 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:22,000 But I think that that gets the game, I guess that that explains the game then, right? 875 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:25,960 Of what it is that you're trying to do is knowing how important it is for them, but 876 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:29,000 being humble enough to, I guess, still show up. 877 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:30,000 100%. 878 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:35,520 Because you don't want to shoot yourself short because like what you're doing is really impactful 879 00:52:35,520 --> 00:52:39,600 and it is for you, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. 880 00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:42,760 But at the same time, you don't want to run people over in the midst. 881 00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:49,600 So like, that's exactly that's that's exactly it. 882 00:52:49,600 --> 00:52:50,600 We did it. 883 00:52:50,600 --> 00:52:51,600 We got it. 884 00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:52,600 Awesome. 885 00:52:52,600 --> 00:52:54,080 I'd probably say that's a good point to wrap up. 886 00:52:54,080 --> 00:52:59,440 Is there anything else that you want to tell the people of the internet before we hop off? 887 00:52:59,440 --> 00:53:05,640 Yeah, if someone's not familiar with FFA, I encourage you to go to FFA.org and just 888 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:09,160 scroll through our website and learn about what our students are doing. 889 00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:14,800 Also, we're very active on Instagram, Facebook, those good things. 890 00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:17,960 Always love sharing the message of agriculture and agriculture education. 891 00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:20,760 So love to connect if you ever have any more questions. 892 00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:23,240 But again, thank you for having me. 893 00:53:23,240 --> 00:53:24,240 Best of luck on your journey. 894 00:53:24,240 --> 00:53:26,520 It's going to be an incredible rest of the way. 895 00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:31,560 Hopefully you can stay cool kind of as you go through the southwest and wishing you safe, 896 00:53:31,560 --> 00:53:34,040 healthy and happy travels. 897 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:35,320 Perfect. 898 00:53:35,320 --> 00:53:36,320 Thank you. 899 00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:37,320 I appreciate it. 900 00:53:37,320 --> 00:53:40,640 It's going to be my mantra the next couple of months. 901 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:44,400 But just like Amara said, all the information for the National Future Farmers of America 902 00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:48,440 Association will be linked down in the show notes, their website, Facebook, Instagram, 903 00:53:48,440 --> 00:53:53,360 I don't know if you guys are on Twitter, whatever information I can find and ways to connect 904 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:55,560 with the organization I will put down below. 905 00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:59,920 But if you have any questions, comments, concerns, emotional outbursts about the organization, 906 00:53:59,920 --> 00:54:02,080 I'm always down to field questions. 907 00:54:02,080 --> 00:54:06,280 And I'm sure if you DM the pages, they'll answer questions as well. 908 00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:09,000 And if you can find Amara, I'm sure she'll answer too. 909 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:11,960 So yes, I'm like volunteering you for things. 910 00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:15,400 But anyway, Amara, thank you so much for your time today. 911 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:16,960 I appreciate it. 912 00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:20,640 And I hope you have a great rest of your term and beyond. 913 00:54:20,640 --> 00:54:23,160 Thank you. 914 00:54:23,160 --> 00:54:26,840 And once again, thank you to the listeners today for spending some time with Amara and 915 00:54:26,840 --> 00:54:27,840 I. 916 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:33,040 I think we had a great conversation about the impact that FFA has on students all the 917 00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:40,480 way from Alaska to Florida, New York to California, and just how impactful and important that 918 00:54:40,480 --> 00:54:45,880 connection of the Blue Jacket has on these members being able to make true connections 919 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:46,880 with one another. 920 00:54:46,880 --> 00:54:52,160 I'd say really the big three takeaways I have from this conversation are the importance 921 00:54:52,160 --> 00:54:57,880 of being open, present and curious and conversations with those that you meet. 922 00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:02,180 Really thinking about the question of what it means to be a leader with the kid on the 923 00:55:02,180 --> 00:55:09,560 couch analogy that we kind of came up with and just really understanding that when it 924 00:55:09,560 --> 00:55:14,040 comes to building an organization, there's a few key factors. 925 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:20,680 And I'd really say it's about really digging your roots down deep and being niche and understanding 926 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:23,440 the problem that you saw the community that you serve. 927 00:55:23,440 --> 00:55:27,560 And then over time, being open to the possibility of opening it up to others. 928 00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:32,140 I think that's something that the FFA has done really well and will continue to do well 929 00:55:32,140 --> 00:55:34,360 moving forward. 930 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:39,440 But once again, if you'd like to learn more about the FFA and the impact that they have, 931 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:43,360 how you can support, please go ahead and look in the show notes below. 932 00:55:43,360 --> 00:55:47,200 I will link their website, social media and everything down there. 933 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:50,980 And if you'd like to donate to my Walk Across America fundraiser, the link is down there 934 00:55:50,980 --> 00:55:52,640 as well. 935 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:57,720 And I would appreciate any support you can give, whether it's monetarily, whether it's 936 00:55:57,720 --> 00:56:02,040 sharing, commenting, helping with the algorithm, really just promoting the good work that these 937 00:56:02,040 --> 00:56:04,400 organizations do. 938 00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:11,240 But as always, remember to have fun, stay safe, be yourself, and I'll see you guys again 939 00:56:11,240 --> 00:56:12,240 next week. 940 00:56:12,240 --> 00:56:21,920 Bye now.