FREEDOM FARMER BLOG

There he was… Homer Simpson… fists clenched around Bart’s neck.
Eyes bulging. Tongue flailing.

It’s hilarious on TV.
Tragic in a farm business.

But that’s exactly how a lot of farmers lead.

Gripping too tight.
Controlling every little thing.
Strangling the very business they’re trying to grow.

Last week I r...

Last month, my son played Auskick at halftime of the footy.

He ran onto Adelaide Oval like he was in the Grand Final.
He was pumped.
I was proud.
And I was so damn grateful to share that moment with him.

There’s something about watching your kid do something they feel is big.
It reminds you what you care...

"It’s not the figures that matter, it’s what you do with them." – FOA Benchmark Analyst 
 
If you’re running a farm business, there’s a good chance someone’s told you to use Gross Margins to decide which enterprises are most profitable. 

It’s a common approach in farm consulting. 
 
But here’s the proble...

Business leadership, especially in family-owned or multi-generational farming businesses, can often feel like a murky maze.  
 
Who’s in charge?  
 
Who’s making decisions?  
 
Who’s taking responsibility?  
 
These questions might linger unresolved, leading to frustration, stagnation, or worse, conflict. 
 ...

In Patrick Lencioni's "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," trust emerges as the cornerstone of a successful team dynamic. 

Lencioni defines trust as the confidence team members have in each other's intentions, where there's no need for caution or defensiveness within the group. 

Put simply, tr...

In the realm of business, understanding human behaviour isn't just a nice-to-have skill—it's a strategic advantage. Among the many psychological phenomena that shape our interactions, the Hawthorne Effect stands out as a powerful force. Named after a series of studies conducted at the Western Electr...

In Ray Dalio's book Principles, the billionaire hedge fund manager draws a compelling analogy between managing a business and steering a professional sports team.  

Picture yourself gazing down at the field, assessing the players, and pondering, "What's our objective, and who do we need to secure t...

Imagine being a crew member on a yacht, setting sail from Sydney to Hobart during the bustling race day.

Now picture this: encountering a cyclone halfway across the Pacific Ocean, much like the dramatic events of the 1998 race.

What would you expect from the yacht's captain in such turbulent moments?

W...

Farming is more than a profession; it’s a way of life that often spans generations. 

This continuity brings with it invaluable wisdom and experience, but it can also lead to generational differences in the way the farm is managed and the business is run.

These differences can pose significant chal...

I had a great 50-minute conversation recently with Ben Law from “The Financial Bloke.”
 

I highly recommend checking out his podcast – Click Here!
 

During our discussion, we delved into the topic of personal and company values, covering various aspects such as:  

• How values can create conflict i...