Garrett Ruskamp

Pioneer Mindset

Business EN ↓ 127 episodes

Welcome to Pioneer Mindset! A podcast for rural ag business owners who want to challenge their mindset and address the discomfort in their business and personal lives by finding clarity resulting in bold conviction. Your host, Garrett Ruskamp, is a 5th generation farmer, husband and father from rural Nebraska. In the last 10 years of farming, he has experienced many challenges that business owners face on a day to day basis that stem from disorganization and being financially unaware. He understands the weight of uncertainty that comes from operating in a state of mind triggered by these strug...

Author

Garrett Ruskamp

Category

Business

Podcast website

sites.libsyn.com

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

E26 | Navigating the Fog: How Do We Find Clarity in Uncertain Times? 06.08.2024

Episode Summary This week I discuss the challenges and stories in our head that come from a scarcity mindset. How do we overcome these mindsets when faced with new challenges? Tune in as I share of some ways that have helped me breed clarity when faced with uncertainty. In this week's episode I share how we can deal with a scarcity mindset: I dive into how focusing on the facts can help us through...

E25 | Breaking the Corn-Soybean Rotation: Recapping Our Small Grain Harvest 30.07.2024

Episode Summary In this week's episode, I share about our small grains harvest from this year, focusing on wheat, rye, and triticale. I dive into the yields, revenues, and unique benefits of each grain, and share some insights into our farming practices. Join me as I discuss the highs and lows of this year's harvest, the economics behind these crops, and the importance of soil health and crop dive...

E24 | Better the Barn than the House: Keeping a Positive Mindset Through Farming Setbacks 23.07.2024

Episode Summary On this episode of Pioneer Mindset, I dive into the struggles and challenges with some of our equipment on the farm and how I tried to keep a positive mindset through the setbacks. In today's episode I share how I am tried to manage some challenges we went through on the farm last week: I share some valuable advice received from a friend, "Better the barn than the house." Despite c...

E23 | Are You Managing Your Fields and Finances Like a Drive-By Crop Scouter? 16.07.2024

Episode Summary This week on Pioneer Mindset, I am diving into managing the different key areas of our farm operations and being intentional on where we are managing our time, both in the field and the finances. In this week's episode I share some thoughts that came up as we were in the thick of spraying this year's crop: I share an experience where I wasn't as intentional in the field and the con...

E22 | Proving Yourself: Keys Lessons From Innovation & Ego in Farming 09.07.2024

Episode Summary This week I shift my focus back to the mindset challenges that farmers face, especially during the busy season. I reflect on some personal challenges I've recently faced through trying new farming practices and dive into the mental stories that often come with working in the field and the difficulties in managing these thoughts. A few key take aways in this episode when handling ch...

E21 | Empower Your Farm Operation with Smart Financial Tools 02.07.2024

Episode Summary Today, I continue the discussion from the last episode on making informed financial decisions. I share my experience with a software program that has transformed our operation's financial management over the past three years. In this episode I share all the benefits of this financial tool: I share how this tool can help you stay on top of your numbers and make proactive decisions f...

E20 | Financial Clarity in Farming: Emotional Choices or Data-Driven Decisions? 25.06.2024

Episode Summary This week I discuss how to make informed decisions in our farming operations. I share my most recent experience with this year's alfalfa crop and how a change in price affected our breakeven projections. This episode is not just about alfalfa but it's about focusing on the principles of strategic decision-making that can apply to any crop or livestock operation. In this episode I s...

E19 | Finding Alignment in Farming & Business: The CORE 4 Approach 18.06.2024

Episode Summary Welcome back to another episode of Pioneer Mindset! It's easy to get caught up, stressed, and lose sight of the joy in our daily tasks, especially in agriculture. Today, I'm thankful for the opportunity to haul corn, drive truck, and bail hay—tasks I genuinely enjoy. Shift my mindset to focus on the things that I enjoy each day has been a game changer for me. Today I am sharing abo...

E18 | Shifting Gears: Busy Season Mindsets 11.06.2024

Episode Summary In today's episode, I talk focus on mindset during the busy season, talking about the stories we tell ourselves and the comparisons we often make with others. I dive into some of the mental challenges we all face during the busy farming seasons and share some strategies I use to help keep a positive mindset and effectively manage a busy workload. In this episode we share my thought...

E17 | Balancing Work & Family in the Busy Seasons 04.06.2024

Episode Summary In today's episode I talk about some of the challenges when it comes to work and family balance during the busy seasons. Everyone's situation and life is different but being aware and shifting your mindset could have a huge impact on how you balance your work/life balance. In this episode I share how shifting my mindset has helped me work through the challenges of balancing work an...

E16 | Applying the Principles of Extreme Ownership to Business 28.05.2024

Episode Summary Today I dive into the principles of extreme ownership discussed in one of my favorite books, "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. In this book they share their experiences in the military and how they can be applied to life and business. I am excited to share my takeaways from this book and how I have applied them to my own life. In this episode I share the principl...

E15 | Farm Income: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies 21.05.2024

Episode Summary Today I take a look at farm income trends over the years, what "returning to normal" could look like and how farmers can navigate the financial ebbs and flows from the markets. I discuss how knowing our enterprise breakevens has impacted our operation and marketing decisions. I share how farmers can still make informed decisions that are beneficial to their operation even through t...

E14 | Prioritizing Value Over Chasing the Dollar 14.05.2024

Episode Summary This week I dive into the importance of focusing on providing value to others not only in business but also in our personal life as well. By shifting our mindset to value over money, it can have a great impact on others and ourselves in return. In this episode we share the mindset shift of providing value instead of just chasing the dollar: I share how beneficial it can be by being...

E13 | Embracing Change in Your Identity 07.05.2024

Episode Summary Welcome back to another episode of Pioneer Mindset where I dive into what your identity means. In this episode I share what our identity means: I thought that my identity was always what I did such as being a farmer or cattleman. Through having that mindset, I felt like that identity couldn't change. However through our different struggles on the farm, I began to open myself up to...

E12 | Pioneer Farmer: Mindset Shifts to Drive Your Operation in the Right Direction 30.04.2024

Episode Summary Thank you so much to everyone who has tuned into Pioneer Mindset and supported this podcast! I hope that you find value each week that resonates with you or your operation. This week I have a special episode, introducing the new business I am bringing to you, Pioneer Farmer! Tune in to find out more about shifting your mindset to drive your operation in the right direction! To Get...

E11 | Skillsets for Life: Coaching & Consulting 23.04.2024

Episode Summary In this episode, I wrap up the series of the six skill sets that will pay you for life. Together we've covered speaking, seduction, teaching, and training. Now, let's dive into coaching and consulting. In this final episode of the 6 skillsets for life series, I talk about coaching and consulting: I talk about the essential elements of coaching, including building trust, encouraging...

E10 | Applying Teaching & Training to Your Life & Business 16.04.2024

Episode Summary Continuing in the series of valuable life skillsets, I talk about how the value of teaching and training. As we get further into this series, I share how each of these skillsets are very beneficial and the importance of how they all connect together, bringing value back to your business, operation or even personal life. In this episode I talk about the value of teaching and trainin...

E9 | Mastering Win-Win Conversations: The Skillset of Seduction 09.04.2024

Episode Summary This week we are continuing on in the series of valuable life skillsets and moving on to seduction which is in the context of persuasion and influence in different situations. In this episode I share what the skillset of seduction in different life situations can look like: There are so many different areas of life from business to personal where these skillsets can be beneficial....

E8 | The Power of Effective Speaking 02.04.2024

Episode Summary In today's episode, I dive into a new series on some of life's valuable skillsets and I am kicking it off with the first one, which is the value of speaking. Speaking is something I was never really taught or took the time to understand the value of. Through time and experience, I began to understand the value and impact of speaking in both my personal life and business. In this ep...

E7 | Working ON Your Business Vs. IN Your Business 26.03.2024

Episode Summary In this episode I talk about the mindset shift that I had when I took more of a management role in our operation. The previous generation of the farm was always conditioned that if you worked hard day to day, it will pay off. Unfortunately, today that's not the case when it comes to operating and sustaining a business. In this episode I share my mindset shift from working ON our bu...

E6 | From Uncertainty to Confidence: Transforming Your Relationship with Your Banker 19.03.2024

Episode Summary In this episode I dive back into another big issue in the ag industry: operating in uncertainty and how that makes you feel powerless in your operation with your banker. Building on the previous episode about leveraging family legacies just to stay in business, I address the dynamics of relationships with bankers and the challenges of not having clarity on your financial position....

E5 | The Weight of Leveraging a Legacy 12.03.2024

Episode Summary Welcome back to Pioneer Mindset. In today's episode, we're diving back into a critical issue faced by many farmers, ranchers, and ag business owners. We'll be focusing on the challenges surrounding high leverage and its impact on not just businesses but also the legacies tied to them. In this episode I share how our own operation has been impacted by leveraging our legacy and some...

E4 | Changing the Negative Stories in Our Head 05.03.2024

Episode Summary In this week's episode, I walk through how I deal with some of the negative stories in my head. I share some of the tools that I use to change those stories to empowering feelings in order to take action to move forward. In this episode I share: How I deal with some of the stories in my head. What are the facts vs what I'm afraid of. The tools I use to change those stories in order...

E3 | How I Went From Barely Surviving to Taking Ownership in Our Operation 27.02.2024

Episode Summary In today's episode I share about how I was in the endless cycle of barely surviving and hoping for a magical solution. Our operation was struggling financially and it was hard to see a way out, making me question why we were even doing this. In this episode I share how I took ownership within that endless cycle of barely surviving: Stopping the karmic loop of stories in our heads....

E2 | How Has Disorganization Created Chaos in Your Operation? 27.02.2024

Episode Summary In today's episode, I address how the disorganization within our operation created a lot of chaos. Through the lack of organization, we struggled to keep the books up to date and it was always a challenge getting financials for the bank put together. Having this state of constant chaos lead to a lot of stress and pressure, but once I took the time to create some organization, it al...

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