Many years ago, I had the honor of running the National Beef Ambassador Program for the American National Cattlewomen. It was a leadership program for college students passionate about promoting beef across the country and online. (It now has a new name and funders, but aim is the same; develop beef leaders.)
I absolutely loved this job. It gave me countless core memories with each ambassador team. There was the year I found myself with a few ambassadors at the Boston Marathon just moments before the bombing. Another time, PETA staged one of their infamous protests at our national contest in Sacramento, where we were selecting the next group of beef ambassadors.
Of course, there were plenty of lighter moments too, like the time we hosted a legendary steak grilling contest at Cornell University. The winning team took home a massive steak-themed trophy, and let me tell you, those students knew how to grill!
This role took me everywhere—California to Florida, Pennsylvania to Arkansas—and so many places in between. The experiences were rich, the people were incredible, and the leadership lessons were endless. It’s wild to think that so many of "my" ambassadors are now out in the world, raising families, running advocacy programs, teaching butchers, and making waves in agri-business with creativity and courage.
Through this program, I’ve stayed connected with some truly amazing individuals. One of them is Tyler K. Schuster, host of the Basically Famous podcast. Recently, I sat down with Tyler to talk about my journey as a coach and consultant, the role horses played in shaping my career, and some of the books, like Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi, that influenced me along the way.
Give our conversation a listen, and drop a line to let us know what you think...especially about the book I recommend about...DEATH and dying (yup we need to talk about this more too!).
Thanks to Tyler for having me guest on her Basically Famous podcast and for making ME feel famous, in my small Nebraska town.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
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