Gator Rides with a Mentor: they ask great questions, share knowledge & belief.

Where would we all be without mentors? Their ability to support us, their selflessness with time and their ability to inspire us to do the same for others.

by Chad Steiner

Ryan Holiday, author, marketeer, stoic, wrote 7 Lessons that will make you better… #1. Find a Mentor. As I sit down to talk about “Gator Rides with a Mentor”, I find it to be a bit nostalgic. For those of us who’ve been fortunate enough to have mentors – we know what a blessing they are. For most of my childhood, I didn’t have a father. My Grandpa (Denny) played a significant role in my life – picture weekends operating a small tractor, or wood splitter (they heated mostly with a wood stove), rain, cold and lots of lessons on life. I think Grandpa Denny inspired me to think strategically. But, unlike a family member, seeking out a mentor is a bit different. It could be in High School, or at a new job, or moving to a new town and community. It could be later in life or early in life. It could be just related to life or focused on parenting or work. What I’d like to focus on is – questions, knowledge and belief. Mentors have a way of asking questions, sharing knowledge and expressing belief in you. Our small farm has created a magical opportunity for some of Jeana and I’s mentors to come visit, see what we’re up to and crazily, jump in and lend a hand. As we ride around the farm on the gator together, the connection we created over the years feels alive again. I hope these special people take pride in having helped us achieve our goals.

Caption: Jeana and Chad’s Sumner High School Ag/FFA Teacher, Mr. Pile, his wife Melissa and her 90 year old mother on a recent visit. Without Mr. Pile and his wife’s support and inspiration, we would not have our farm. And, all the sheep are from his flock.

Let’s start with questions. How do you know you’ve got a great mentor? They ask amazing questions. Let’s be clear, these aren’t “probing” or “interrogation” style questions, these are questions of curiosity. Questions of – “have you thought of how, going through the pain of building a business is going to make success feel so much better? (thanks Tom)”. It also sometimes feels as though these questions express belief in you. Like, you can tell they truly believe in you and what you’re doing, even though the questions make you think. Like, huh, I hadn’t thought about that, oh gosh, I just learned something by being asked a supportive question. Plus, these questions can also be where a course correction occurs without your knowing. It’s been really rewarding hearing these questions come out as we drive around the farm on the gator. And the humility these folks have is incredible. As Jeana and I’s High School Ag Teacher Mr. Pile and I drove around the farm recently, he said he feels like the roles reversed… but I think it’s just a sincere curiosity and interest in what we’re doing because we still have so much to learn from him.

Caption: Our good friends and mentors Tom and Lisa on their visit to The Farm. Lisa inspired Jeana on this trip to start our Story Walk.

Sometimes mentors share knowledge. The amount of experience a mentor can have is inspiring. They may have done things, seen things, studied things we may never have a chance to. Someone who has inspired me for a long time, recently visited the farm and we talked for hours about Regenerative Agriculture while assembling the straw maze. The crazy thing is – it’s not surface level knowledge, the breadth and depth is astounding. Then it becomes a quest of – how did you assemble this knowledge, what are you reading, what are you watching. And it sometimes feels like maybe there’s a common goal mentor and mentee might have of figuring out how things work and figuring out, how can we be the most help to others with our lives. Books are a great way to accumulate knowledge, but having experts share their knowledge (because they likely read books) is a gift.

Caption: Chad and Vern getting their morning work out building the straw maze and talking about Regenerative Agriculture, farming and how to gather knowledge – plus just having fun. Vern’s wife Deana was equally inspiring on this visit – we can’t wait to have them back.

The older I get, the more I realize we all have doubts. At the beginning of a tough mountain climb we may question ourself – did I train hard enough, will I find the route ok, will the weather be in our favor (out of our control). Starting a small business raises the same doubts – am I looking at the numbers right, will customers like what we offer, can I hire the right team, will the economy support growth, etc.. And then enters the mentor. They enter by showing up, by flying across the country and saying, where can I help? They ride around for the weekend on the gator saying “my gosh, I’m so proud of what you’ve created”. Or, when you’re doubting, they stop you and say, “look at all the progress you’ve made”. These mentors also become part of your fan club – they send pictures of what you offer for sale at their kitchen table or they call and say, guess what I’m enjoying or I’m not a wine drinker, but my neighbor is now a fan with the bottle I shared. The point with all this is not to in any way toot our horn – I want to make that clear. But rather highlight and celebrate what mentors offer. If we stop for a moment to consider the time and energy it takes to support someone else un-related to you – it’s really amazing. A big thank you to all mentors out there!! Sometimes it’s formal, sometimes it lasts years, sometimes its momentary. Believing in someone can also happen whether you’re a mentor or not.

Caption: Mike and Jeanne have been incredible friends and mentors. Flying across the country to see what we’re up to, jump in and express their belief in us – thank you!

Caption: Evan, Terri – well, we didn’t know what good wine or friends were.

I’m uncertain how what I’ve written will land with all of you. If you read this far, maybe it’s given you a moment to think of the great mentors in your own life. Or, if you don’t have any mentors currently, its inspired you to find one. I’ve literally asked many of my mentors directly – “can I adopt you as a mentor?”. These mentors have become lifelong friends. These mentors ability to ask questions, share knowledge and express belief is a gift and a way we can impact generations to come. Just think, these folks – whether formal or informal – likely had mentors, or family or even books who influenced their life. Finding a way to pass these lessons, learnings and ways to believe in others to the next generation is an opportunity for each of us. To all Jeana and I’s mentors – thank you!

PS – I mention a few of our mentors in this article. But there are so many, really so many. We’ve got local mentors (some we ride on their gator and argue over who inspires who at the business), we’ve got an advisory board who we love and so, so many more. Plus, one other incredible thing mentors do – LISTEN. Thank all of you!!!