Guests: Deb Buehler, Heidi Mittag

In this episode, we sit down with two standout speakers from the Leader Conference IGNITE Talks to explore what it takes to ignite an audience — and yourself — in just five minutes on stage.

Our guests share behind the scenes stories about the preparation that helped bring their ideas to life and the challenges of distilling a powerful leadership message. From working with a public speaking coach to navigating nerves and finding confidence under the lights, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the IGNITE Talk experience.

Guests: Amanda Bauer, Marni Frandson, Troy Pfannenstiel, Martin Johnson

This year’s ERG leaders discuss events coming up this year, how teammates can get involved, and why joining an ERG is such a rewarding experience.

QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE

“These ERGs are really for our teammates and to support our culture.”

“There’s a tremendous amount of personal development that comes from being part of an ERG.”

“We’re trying to make meaningful programs that teammates want across all of our ERGs.”

“It’s the people you get to know that you wouldn’t otherwise that make being part of an ERG such an awesome experience.”

Ginger shares insights into the upcoming Farm Credit Fly-In in Washington, D.C. — a powerful advocacy event uniting more than 800 Farm Credit representatives, directors, and customers to engage lawmakers on issues vital to rural America, young and beginning farmers, and veterans in agriculture.

Chris discusses Combat Coffee, a grassroots initiative that fosters connection, inclusion, and support among veterans, first responders, and teammates — creating a safe, purpose-driven space for sharing stories and strengthening community.

Martin and Chris expand on how vulnerability and authenticity transform these gatherings into family-like spaces of trust and healing.

Together, they highlight the profound bond between rural America and military service.

Host: Martin Johnson

Guests: Chris Obermeyer, Ginger Langemeier

QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE

“Forty-four percent of those who have served our country come from rural America. Combat Coffee and our advocacy efforts are about connecting those communities — because that’s where our strength lies.” — Ginger Langemeier

“Anytime we can humanize complex policy discussions, it shows that Farm Credit is truly committed to the success of American agriculture and our rural communities.” — Ginger Langemeier

“Even though I don’t have military experience, being invited into that space and feeling the sense of connection — it’s really touching. It’s special to be included in that community.” — Ginger Langemeier

“Combat Coffee is about inclusion — creating a space where veterans and teammates can share their stories, be vulnerable, and feel a renewed sense of purpose.” — Chris Obermeyer

“Nobody does it better than Farm Credit when it comes to supporting veterans. Combat Coffee is proof of that.” — Chris Obermeyer

Host: Andrew Strand

Guests: Joey Huff, Heather Otto, Zach Gansebom

QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE

"You love your kids and you just want them to be happy honestly."

"All flourishing is mutual."

"There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story."

Host: Jacob Nelson

Guest: Mark Vetter

QUOTES FROM MARK VETTER

“I was a collaborator before collaboration existed.”

“60% of what makes you a great leader is trial and error.”

“Every teammate gets to build their legacy by how they show up every day.”

“If you make a mistake, it’s okay to be vulnerable with the team.”

From early setbacks to strategic wins, Mark shares candid insights into what it means to lead with purpose—and why being present matters more than ever.

Host: Sydney Becker

Guests: Greg Roberg & Sara Keysor

Host: Liz Kerrigan

Guests: Amanda Bauer, Andy Strand, Joey Huff, Trish Mitchell

Host: Parker Clavin

Guests: Rob Fronning

Host: Martin Johnson

Guests: Herb Scruggs, Justin Leisy, Steve Groff, Mike Schafer

Guest: Lynn Pietig

Description: Join Catalyst and AgCountry board director Lynn Pietig as she describes her year of saying YES and the mindset change and confidence that followed her throughout her journey. 

Host: Ashley Schantell

Guests: Haley Byers and Rachel Schroeder

In this insightful episode, we explore the exciting collaboration of The Roots and RISE ERGs into the newly formed SPARK, aimed at leading young professional engagement through career development and teammate connection. Jaden and Jessa share their personal journeys with Roots and RISE, respectively, and discuss their vision for SPARK. Listeners will gain valuable insights into how SPARK plans to build on the strong foundations of both legacy ERGs to create even greater value for the three collaborating associations. The co-chairs delve into the driving forces behind the collaboration, key initiatives for the coming year, and the multitude of opportunities SPARK presents for young professionals. Listen in to learn more about the exciting future of SPARK and how it aims to foster connections, promote career development, and drive a more engaged culture across the associations.

Hosts: Troy Pfannenstiel, Kelly O'Donnell, and Ashley Schantell

Team Patriot is one of our associations ERGS. We are a “community of one" who aspire to serve and honor those who have served our country. Whether it’s installing American flags at each retail location, bringing in veteran speakers, or organizing the 9/11 stair climb events, we’re proud to honor those who currently serve, have served, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Host: Mary McNally

Guests (teammates): Jessica Nolte, Marissa Schuster, Chris Mobley, and Dyan McMullin

Hosts: Carli Jacobsen and Trish Mitchell

Guests: Jeneen Sagon

Advice for teammates that Jessica wishes she had been given earlier in her career… “I have a natural tendency to be a planner. I think early on in my career I kind of set forth and said this is what I want to do in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, etc. and I think for someone to tell me that it’s ok to plan, but it’s also ok for that plan to not turn out the way you expect.” 

Stay connected with CREW members and other families on the CREW's Engage page.

Host: Liz Kerrigan

Guests: Michelle Spies and Amy White

Jackie and Maryann emphasized the importance of effective change leadership & change management in organizational success. They discussed the need for adaptability, continuous learning, and collaboration within their own organization, and how each teammate has a personal responsibility on leading those around them with support, empathy and understanding of the changes around all of us.

The Patriot ERG mission statement describes our group as a community of one who aspire to continue to serve and honor those who have served our country. Whether it’s installing American flags at each retail location, bringing in veteran speakers, or organizing the 9/11 stair climb events, we’re proud to honor those who currently serve, have served, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Host: Sydney Becker

Guests: Christa Wilson, Barb Weber, and Theresa Johnson

Building Roots will be accepting nominations in the summer of 2024. Our second annual event is planned for September 2024. If you’re interested or would like more details please email $Roots.

We have an exciting announcement! All 5 ERGs will be joining forces to bring you relatable content throughout the year. With a new brand, we will post one episode per month related to each ERG’s focus area. Listen to the podcast and keep an eye out on Yammer to stay in the loop with changes coming!

Book: “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

FCCS | FCCS - Forward. Thinking. (fccsconsulting.com)

Quotes from Jud:

“Customers want lenders who have the unique ability and knowledge that they need, and provide value to the operation-that’s one key benefit to the industry specialization we have at Farm Credit.”

“Never compromise your core values.”

“If you need an alarm clock to get out bed in the morning, you’re not doing what you’re meant to do.”

The Patriot ERG mission statement describes our group as a community of one who aspire to continue to serve and honor those who have served our country. Whether it’s installing American flags at each retail location, bringing in veteran speakers, or organizing the 9/11 stair climb events, we’re proud to honor those who currently serve, have served, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Host

Chris Obermeyer

Guest

Evan Perperis

Host: Andy Pfeifer

How would your operation be different without a relationship with Megan?        

Kurt Trusty of AK Farms: “Without Megan, there would not be an AK farms.”

Megan Sprague, YBS officer: “I would like to highlight that when they came in last year, I was really excited about the opportunity they had in front of them(to farm 8 quarters) but I was really excited knowing that we just launched the YBS program, and this is exactly what program is designed for.”

Host: John Kofmehl

Advice for young professionals from Darrin & Abby:

Darrin- Have curiosity, read, listen to podcasts- there is always something to learn! Find a mentor, even if they are not in an area you are familiar with, they can challenge you to help you grow. Book recommendations- anything by Patrick Lencioni.

Abby- Get involved with classes, ERGs, or other groups to build relationships with teammates across the association. Focus on interactions with others!

Resource:

Farm Credit System: Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation

“Trust the process, trust our leaders, and know that although transition might be scary, it could lead to great opportunity. It may even pull skills out of ourselves that we didn’t even know we have. Push through the uncomfortable and don’t be your own worst enemy when it comes to mindset.”

 – Kelsey White and Angie Treptow

We look at Midwest agriculture as corn, soybeans, cattle and hogs, but the cool thing about our team is that we partner with and support other Farm Credit associations to serve industries like timber, energy, wine, and paper products. Serving these industries diversifies our risk and provides growth potential for Farm Credit Services of America.

Host: Sarah Weis

Guests: Dustin Oswald and Nichole Christensen

Join in their upcoming events. For more information, visit the Beacon SharePoint site.

Advice for teammates who would like to be in a leadership role someday….“Dig deep to understand what you’re trying to achieve, where you’re trying to go, and why. Many people can’t answer the why, and I think you have to really understand who you are and why you’re doing what you’re doing to be successful and to be happy.”—Jackie Martinie

Host: Karie Spencer

Guests: Haley Byers, Steph Lunden, Yue Titus

Description: Crew takes over the podcast this month to share some of their favorite recommendations for work life balance. Join them as they give you tips and tricks on topics including meal planning, budgeting, and activities to do with your kids, all with the goal of making your day more successful!

Links:

Meal Planning-  What To Cook When You Don't Feel Like

Cooking | caroline chambers | Substack

Productivity- Effective Edge Class , Pomodoro method 

Budgeting Tips- Everydollar app, Mint.com, digit app

Things to do with kids: Instagram @dayswithgrey,

@busytoddler, @ABClearning, @recycleandplay

Crew yammer page with ideas: (20+)

Yammer - Conversation

Book recommendations:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Audio books apps:

Scribed, libby, audible

"In this company, it doesn’t matter what your title is. You can contribute and have a relationship in a whole group of different ways regardless of your title.” -Scott Binder

Host: Andy Pfeifer

Jaden Coen - Leasing Representative, Omaha

Jess Miller – Business Analyst, Application Development Team 5, Omaha

Aditya Bhongir – Application Developer, Omaha

Sarah Weis – Product Support Analyst, Business Support, Cedar Rapids

Alyssa Buis – Business Analyst, Data Integration and GIS, Omaha

“I feel lucky to be working for a company that genuinely wants the best for its customers and employees, offers a multitude of different opportunities for involvement, and they are actively curating a culture people want to work in.” – Jaden Coen

“I want to empower others to continue to grow whether that’s personally or professionally and I feel that Roots embodies that mindset.” – Alyssa Buis

Host: Sarah Walther

“The way you start your day influences the way it unfolds…we always perform in a way that is aligned with how we see ourselves, so turn I cant’s into I can’s and develop habits that help you reach your goals.” – Nathan Jensen, VP Capital Markets

Host: Kayleigh Stender

Podcast Recommendations: The Mandate Podcast, Peter Ziehan and the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

Book Recommendations: Winning by Tim Grover, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Winning the War in your Mind by Craig Groeschel

Host: Kayleigh Stender

“Technology is going to continue to grow, not only in how we reach our customers, but how can we reach more teammates that would like to get involved. As we look into 2023, we’ll want to challenge ourselves on how we can use technology in a meaningful way.” – Karie Spencer

Host: Chelsea Christensen and Marty Hoefer

“CREW is just that. It’s supporting employees as they lead their families and helping them to be the best they can be at work. You feel most productive at work when you’re happy in your family life, and we’re just trying to make that a little bit easier.” – Ryan Coleman

Host: Austin Fichter

“Blockchain is the technology that enables cryptocurrency to exist. Cryptocurrency are the projects that sit on top of that technology.” -Marty Hoefer 

Host: Maryann Peak

“The mission of catalyst is to foster opportunities to empower women and enrich their professional development… Our vision is around women discovering, pursuing, and achieving their true potential.” -Rebecca Shively 

Host: Karlie Jandel

“I love that we’re getting a front row seat to see lives change and families impacted, we’ve heard a lot of stories over the years of families that have engaged in the way Dave Ramsey teaches and carried that into their families and it’s inspiring to see.” -Lou

Host: Nichole Christensen

“Our mission is to educate, advocate, empower. We’re not here to tell you what to do, what to believe, vote for this person, don’t vote for that person. We’re really just here to be a resource to let people know different ways a person can have a gender identity or gender expression.”

- Alex Foreman 

Host: Kate Larsen

“You have one body and that’s all you get.  You have one chance at life, so you need to take care of it and you need to take care of yourself.”  - Maggie Holub 

Host: Sarah Walther

“We used an analogy of moving houses a lot. Of plumbing, electricity, and how we’re building this new solution for a lot of different scenarios. It’s not just a lift and shift from one system to another. We like to think of the change like moving from one home to another home. There are things that you feel comfortable with, and you know that are reliable, but when you go and do something in a new home, you don’t have the confidence. We wanted to make sure our teammates felt confident when they moved into their new home. Their relationships weren’t changing with their customers, they still knew their customers and what they needed, they had a lot of that foundation. We wanted their confidence in the system. So that’s what we really tried to focus on.”  - Erin Aliano 

Host: Julianne Pope

“There was discussion of what the vision of AgDirect was going to be and if it was sustainable. Out of “firefly”, the #1 idea was to expand AgDirect and expand it within the Farm Credit system. And that will lead to other things, which we’ve seen: Rural 1st®. FarmLend®. And more.” -Greg Roberg

Host: Andy Pfeifer

“Our vision is to get customers closer to what matters, what matters is different for everyone, and we want to help customers achieve their dreams.” –Kristin Larsen

Host: Chelsea Christensen

Tune in to hear Carl sing the original jingle!

“You have to start from the customer’s perspective...achieving business outcomes starts with talking to customers and solving their problems.”

–Kody Schrader

Host: Kayleigh Koch

“Taking that time, whether it’s writing it down, or just even having a conversation with a spouse or your leader or a coworker on this is what I’ve learned, this is what I’ve applied, this is how I’ve grown over the last year is really powerful” – Carol Brush

Host: Nichole Christensen

“It’s the people [I remember the most]. I’ve served with so many great men and women, from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and they are all passionate about doing one thing... and that’s protecting our country.”

– Chris Obermeyer

Host: Kate Larsen

Spoiler: The Godfather of Roots is uncovered!!

“The sooner you are willing to invite feedback from your leaders and your peers, the faster you’ll uncover development opportunities”

– Marty Hoefer

Host: Chelsea Christensen

Hear why Wes believes everyone should coach a youth sports team!

“Never forget to be humble and admit when you make a mistake" – Wes Chambers

Host: Breanne Ripperger

Hear why Swapna decided to head back to school!

Host: Kevin Kennedy

Don’t miss out on also hearing about his thoughts on homemade vs. boxed pie/cake!

"I've always told myself along the way that if it makes me a little uncomfortable, it's probably something I should jump at" – Parry Briggs

Host: Megan Heying

Don’t miss out on listening to Mark’s answer to “Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady?”

Mark shares his advice on feeling underqualified by saying, “Don’t use that as a hindrance, but use it more as a motivation, and a challenge to overcome.”

Host: Alden Madsen

Hosts: Kate Larsen, Kevin Kenney, Kayla McDonald, and Marty Hoefer