The Scoop Podcast: Jumping On The Bullet Train
Court White manages the ag sales team at Logan Agri-Service in western Illinois. When he joined as a sales team member he says it was like jumping on the bullet train. But he shares what helps his team stay focused, set goals, and reach success.
What led him to ag retail?
“The short answer is fate. Some really good leaders throughout my life is what has helped get me to where I'm at today. Not growing up in a family farm, I was an transplant into agriculture. And I found out at a young age that work ethic is the great equalizer in agriculture to be successful,” he says. “I knew how to work hard and had a willingness to learn.”
White says going into ag retail full-time was like jumping on a bullet train. As a recent example of the dynamics in his current role, he shares he took on the additional sales management responsibilities in the fall of 2021.
“It was terrible timing to move into that kind of a sales role with the product supply issues that we faced across the industry. And that has led me through my first year in this role, but some of the priorities that we tried to take initiative on were obviously trying to increase communications across the company in terms of what the impacts are.”
He adds working as a team to navigate the product shortages and labor demands helped build the team closer with more trust.
“We had a ton of guys that stepped up and had to wear many hats like we all like we all do in retail, but it was kind of taking it a step up,” White shares.
As for opportunities, White is bullish on the future.
“I think the greatest opportunity that we have as a company is to be able to double down on the support that we give our customers,” he says. “We're trying really hard to get in good position with equipment to offset some of these some of these labor issues that we're facing. I think we have a really big opportunity to go out and help our customers be more profitable in 2023.”
Another asset of the team at Logan Agri-Service is their company culture.
“There’s the theory that if you're thriving in your personal life, that starts to reflect in your in your professional life. And what we've created Logan Agri-Service is just a stellar culture that is extremely team oriented. We all have clarity on what the big picture is for our company and how we fit into that goal. And I think that kind of transparency as an employer is so important and often overlooked in our company or our industry,” he says.
For those early in their career in ag retail, White says focus on the work at hand.
“Those that are willing to put in the work and conduct themselves with humility and integrity are going to go places in today's workforce. For ag retail specifically, the door is always open for young people to get involved. So many of the barriers have been broken down in our industry and regardless of your background, you can come in and create success for yourselves. So to be successful, I think it comes down to your work ethic and integrity,” he says.
He adds to ask for help when needed, and to listen constantly.
White is also a big advocate for goal-setting.
“Accountability is so important for success in life. That’s a mistake that a lot make–they don't like to fail. When you can put a goal out into the world and find someone that can help you with accountability, it often brings people a lot more motivation and determination to reach those goals. And that's something that I believe motivation isn't found, but it's something that you create. You create motivation by the feeling you get when you get clear on what you need to create or build,” he says.
When asked what keeps him up at night—he says it’s volatility in this business and its effect on a team.
“Volatility creates a lot of stress across the board from top leadership's all the way down to the guys on the front line. And that uncertainty definitely makes your mind overthink and over worry,” he says. “But at the end of the day, we spend a lot of time during the slower periods of ag retail–if there is any–but we spent a lot of time meeting with our workforce and leadership and making sure we have many of the question marks going into spring answered as we can and putting contingency plans together.”
He says controlling the controllables and preparation are the best approach.
“So much of what we do and sell in a season is somewhat dependent on things we can't control like the weather and markets, but the best thing that we can do is put as many contingency plans in place and be as prepared as we can. And we feel great about our staff right now. That's something I think a lot of retailers probably can't say. So we're very fortunate on that front, but we’re just doing the best we can every day.”
