The Germinate Podcast

In this captivating conversation, Joe Sampson and Chris Morbitzer explore the rise of AI from personal fascination to practical implementation. Joe recalls his first brush with ChatGPT in 2022, while Chris traces his journey back to the early days of natural language processing. Together, they discuss how AI has evolved, the dangers of blind reliance, and how it’s reshaping everything from manufac...

In this insightful and forward-thinking episode of The Germinate Podcast, host Joe Sampson reconnects with long-time industry leader Leah Olson, a powerhouse in Canadian agriculture, policy, and ag-tech innovation. With a career spanning the rail industry, seed innovation, autonomous equipment (DOT), and executive leadership roles like AMC and Pammi, Leah shares her journey, the reality of being a...

In this episode, host Joe Sampson sits down with Steve Bruere, President of Peoples Company, to explore how farmland ownership, management, and investment are transforming in today’s agricultural economy. Steve shares his personal journey from growing up on a small farm in Warren County, Iowa, to building one of the largest farmland real estate, management, and investment firms in the U.S. With op...

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson welcomes Matthew Rassi , founder of Twenty Helping Hands , a lean manufacturing consultant and operational strategist. With a background spanning 25 years in manufacturing, Matthew shares how his corporate experience evolved into launching his own consulting firm—driven by a passion for servant leadership and empowering teams. Together, J...

In this heartfelt episode of The Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson sits down with former University of Iowa basketball star and current faith-driven entrepreneur Al Lorenzen . Together, they explore the often-overlooked spiritual cost of worldly success and how true fulfillment only comes through a relationship with Jesus. From NCAA tournaments to running a ranch-based equine therapy nonprofit,...

In this special live episode recorded at Tech Hub Live in Des Moines, Iowa , Joe hosts a riveting panel discussion with leaders from across agriculture, technology, and law. Panelists include: Grateful for the thoughtful insights from this powerhouse group: Rhishi P. – Founder, Metal Dog Labs Christopher Dolan– Partner, Faegre Drinker Tami Craig Schilling – Strategic Comms, Bayer Crop Science Arth...

In this special edition of The Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson is joined by Adam Steen , who is running for Governor of Iowa, for a raw and powerful conversation recorded on the morning of September 11th. Still reeling from the shocking attack on Charlie Kirk, the two explore the spiritual, cultural, and emotional toll of evil in America—and how the nation has drifted away from truth. Steen s...

In this captivating episode, host Joe Sampson sits down with Gary Wickham , the visionary CEO of MagrowTec , to uncover the journey of a scientist turned serial entrepreneur who’s revolutionizing agriculture. From growing up in a family of nine in Ireland and falling in love with science as a kid in his father’s lab, to building a $300M business and founding a disruptive agri-tech company, Gary’s...

In this eye-opening episode, Joe Sampson chats with Natalie Kovarik, co-host of the Discover Ag podcast, about the whirlwind of food misinformation, agriculture myths, and what it really means to eat well in a world overloaded with social media soundbites. They explore the viral TikToks, trending health fads, glyphosate debates, and even whether Europe really has better food. From Natalie's ba...

In this episode of the Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson welcomes David Thompson, National Marketing and Sales Director at Stine Seed , for a wide-ranging conversation that dives into the evolution of agriculture, innovation in seed genetics, and the philosophy that fuels industry giants like Harry Stine . The episode opens with a compelling story about Harry Stine's global influence, follo...

In this real-talk episode of the podcast, Joe Sampson welcomes back sales leader Brian Timothy Kreifels for an unfiltered discussion on why relationships—not just quality or product—drive success in sales. They kick things off with a casual yet heartfelt golf story that quickly tees up the episode’s major theme: knowing your customer . From the marketing brilliance of Sidney Frank (the man behind...

In this episode, Joe Sampson reconnects with longtime friend Jason Swanson, Vice President at Business Publications Corporation (BPC) in Des Moines. The conversation journeys from their early days selling ads at CityView to BPC’s evolution into a powerhouse for Iowa’s business community. Jason shares how BPC has adapted over 42 years, maintaining its focus on high-value, niche content while embrac...

In this episode, host Joe Sampson welcomes Tracey Wiedmeyer, co-founder of Gripp , a software platform revolutionizing agricultural maintenance through dead-simple QR code tagging. Introduced through mutual connections at FEMA, Tracey discusses how Gripp came out of Purdue University’s venture studio, Dial Labs, to address the chronic issue of equipment record-keeping in agriculture. Tracey shares...

In this candid and thought-provoking episode of The German Eight Podcast , Joe Sampson sits down with Mark Waschek, President of Ag One Source, a top-tier recruiting firm specializing in agriculture and agribusiness. They unpack the deep shifts in career paths, hiring practices, and organizational culture across the ag industry — and why so many placements fail. Mark draws from 20+ years of experi...

In this episode of the Germinate Podcast, host Joe Sampson joins forces with Marc Adams from GBGI to spotlight an inspiring agricultural entrepreneur: Vaughn Koehn of New Day Precision. Based in Aberdeen, Mississippi, Vaughn shares the remarkable story of growing his precision ag dealership from a solo operation to one of the South's most trusted ag partners. The conversation delves into New Day P...

In this heartfelt and deeply engaging episode of the Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson is joined by Katie Hall, Senior Director of Advocacy at the Iowa Soybean Association. A farm kid turned ag policy powerhouse, Katie shares her winding journey from soybean fields and organic popcorn to the halls of government in Des Moines and D.C. Listeners get a front-row seat to her rural Iowa upbringing,...

In this dynamic episode of the Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson welcomes seasoned sales leader Brian Kreifels. Brian shares how he maintains confidence in sales, drawing parallels with overcoming the “after-crash” mentality in racing. They emphasize the power of building momentum—compounding small wins instead of swinging for home runs. Brian dives into his engineering-to-sales story, noting how pro...

Glendon Kuhns joins Joe to share the incredible journey of Norden Manufacturing—from humble beginnings on a family farm to becoming a trusted OEM in hay equipment and beyond. We discuss:- The patented bale accumulator that started it all- Transitioning from outsourcing to full in-house fabrication- Rebranding from Coons Mfg. to Norden- How faith, family, and service guide their leadership- Diversi...

In this episode, host Joe Sampson chats with Kat Coombes, GM at Tillage Management based in Tulare, California. A marine biology major turned agricultural innovator, Kat shares how a two-month job in 2012 with her family’s company turned into a fulfilling 13-year career. Her journey covers growing up on the family dairy and pistachio farm, working in Japan, and building a diversified product line...

In this episode, Joe Sampson and Tim Burenga take listeners on a 45-year journey of WorkSaver—from its founding by Tim’s father in 1980 to its evolution as a dual-focused manufacturer and OEM contract specialist. Tim shares hard-earned lessons in cost control, cash flow management, and the balance between growing the dealer network while protecting its value. They explore challenges from the reces...

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson sits down with Jesse DePriest and Rick Faber, co-founders of 5L Performance , to discuss what it really takes to scale a business beyond its sticking points. Grounded in decades of leadership, sales, and operational experience, the 5L framework— Love, Listen, Learn, Lead, and Lean —guides organizations from chaos to clarity. Rick and Jess...

In this timely and deeply insightful episode, Joe Sampson welcomes Steven Ford, retired CCO of Lapham Hickey and current M&A consultant, to discuss the wide-reaching implications of the latest U.S. tariffs. Recorded just a day after new trade measures were announced, the conversation dissects the historical roots of steel tariffs, China’s currency manipulation, and how global trade impacts U.S...

In this insightful episode of the Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson welcomes media executive and author Cynthia Kay for a deep-dive discussion into what it truly takes to build a sustainable, successful small business. From her humble beginnings sweeping floors at her father’s dry cleaners to leading an award-winning communications company, Cynthia shares hard-earned wisdom from 38+ years of en...

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson is joined by Scott Post , founder of S Post Consulting , to explore the art and science behind lean operations and business consulting. From manufacturing lines to restaurant chains, Scott applies a laser-focused strategy to help small and medium-sized businesses streamline operations, eliminate waste, and build systems that scale. They d...

In this episode of the Germinate Podcast , host Joe Sampson sits down with Brian Kovar , a seasoned professional in the Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) world and current business development expert at Ideal Computer Systems . What started as a casual LinkedIn connection has evolved into a robust professional relationship—and today’s conversation dives deep into why data, ethics, and genuine connecti...