Twenty-five years ago, I would have told you that topics like self confidence and insecurities were a bunch of fluff. However, I’ve been through a lot and can tell you that it is the soft issues that become hard problems in farming.

What causes 30-plus years of building a family and a farm to fall apart within five minutes? Well, there are several reasons, but one is borderline personality disorder.

High-functioning family businesses need good conflict just as much as they need the right protocols for production.

In today’s industry, dairy producers are faced with a multitude of change. While these changes are difficult to navigate, understanding the process of change and how one can respond provides opportunity to flourish in the trenches of a transformation.

Transition talks can be dreadful and pit parties against each other in an effort to find a long-term plan for the farm, but with the right approach, these talks can have an entirely different successful outcome.

The root issue this family had was that they focused on growing a successful business but didn’t focus on what it would take to grow a successful family. There wasn’t a mutual understanding about work-life balance between business partners.

Narcissism is the mental disorder of “you.” People with this disorder are arrogant, self-centered, manipulative and demanding. They are convinced they deserve special treatment. They have difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat. Sometimes, it’s not fun to be around them.