What if the hardest seasons in your business turned out to be the ones that set you free?

In this deeply honest episode, Marina Gregor, one of our senior business coaches sits down with Andrew Graham, a cattle producer from southwest Victoria, to explore a powerful story of resilience, family, and business transformation.

Andrew was previously burnt out, juggling operations management for a large-scale dairy business while navigating succession plans for his own family farm. Fast forward to today, and his world looks remarkably different, with a thriving cattle operation with 2,500 head, family back on the land, systems in place, and a sense of balance he never thought possible.

This episode is a conversation about what happens when you step out of survival mode and into leadership with clarity and intention. It’s about letting go, backing yourself, and creating a business that truly works for you.

Together, they explore:

• The messy reality of succession and how Andrew found clarity through it

• How burnout showed up, and what it took to finally slow down

• Why mindset, not just management, was the missing piece

• What changed when Andrew started building the business around his life

• The power of building a team and trusting them to lead

These small shifts might not look like much at first, but they’re where real change starts. On the farm, it’s the everyday choices including how you plan, how you work with others and how you set priorities that determine the outcome of the season. The same applies in leadership. Creating space to step back, adding structure to the work, trusting others to lead, and getting clear on roles and direction helped Andrew move from burnout to focus and confidence.

If you’re looking to do the same, now is the time to take stock. Block time early in the new year to step off-farm and get clear on your 12-month priorities, because without space, clarity rarely comes. Need help resetting your goals for the new year ahead? Our Ultimate 2026 Planning Guide can help. It’s a practical resource designed to support reflection, bring focus, and give you a framework to set clear, purposeful goals for the year ahead. Download the guide here.

Thank you Andrew for your openness, your wisdom, and your leadership. You’ve not only changed your business, you’re lighting the way for others too. And to Marina, thank you for stepping in to lead this conversation with insight and care. Your ability to support others to reflect, share honestly, and draw out lessons that others can learn from is what makes conversations like this truly valuable.

Sincerely, 

Jeremy Hutchings and the Farm Owners Academy Team

As we reach the business end of the season for many, this episode offers a quiet reflection on some of the deeper and important challenges showing up for farming families and their business teams right across the country.

There’s no guest this time. Instead, I wanted to take a moment to share some of my learnings and observations over the year through coaching calls, leadership workshops, and time spent walking alongside farm owners who are doing their best to juggle family, team, operations, and future planning.

What continues to surface are three common forces quietly undermining even the most committed families. They don’t always get named, but they’re felt - in the tension, in the exhaustion, and in the weight that so many carry day to day.

Those three forces are confusion, conflict, and control.

In this episode, I explore what tends to happen when there’s no clear structure, when roles aren’t defined, and when everything rests on one or two people to hold it all together.

I also touch on something many find uncomfortable - the idea that succession might not in fact be the issue at all! Sometimes all that is missing can be a professional and practical business management framework. Without structure, succession becomes messy. With structure, it becomes manageable, and the potential for success through generations enhanced.

We will explore:

• Why resourcing decisions have such a direct impact on freedom, stress, and family dynamics

• The cost of carrying too much, and the long-term risk of building a business that depends on one person

• What it means to lead professionally and put the right frameworks in place, from organisational charts and role clarity to strategic planning and operating rhythms

• The career ladder model that helped one farming family move from tension to shared understanding

• What high-performing teams have in common, and how they’re built with intention, not guesswork

This is an honest look at what it takes to lead well inside a complex family business. It’s not about having all the answers, but about making time to pause, reflect, and begin putting the right pieces in place.

As you think about what you want 2026 to look and feel like, this could be the right time to reset. Our TOP Producers Workshop offers space to slow down, take stock, and plan from a stronger base. If you’re looking to lead with more clarity and confidence next year, this 2-Day Workshop in February is a great place to start. We highly recommend it. More details here.

You can also book a free coaching call to assess what’s working, pinpoint bottlenecks, and walk away with a clear 3-step action plan for your business. Click here to lock in a time and date that suits you.

Thank you for your continued involvement with us and well done on everything each of you achieve for yourselves, your families, teams and communities. We're honoured to share this journey with you.

Wishing you a safe, restful break and the clarity to make 2026 your most aligned year yet.

Merry Christmas!

From Hutch & the entire FOA Team

Sam Whitelock knows pressure. He’s captained the All Blacks through some of rugby’s most intense moments. He’s made high-stakes decisions with the weight of a nation on his shoulders. And now, he’s turned that same grit and composure to life on the farm.

But here’s what Sam’s learned. Real leadership isn’t about powering through at all costs. It’s knowing when to push and when to pause. When to speak and when to listen. And how to look after yourself, so you can lead others well.

In this episode, Sam opens up about his transition from rugby to farming, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how the principles of leadership he honed on the field apply to farming life. From managing stress and communicating effectively to balancing the demands of family and business, Sam offers practical insights that can help anyone facing the pressures of modern-day farming.

We cover:

• The parallels between leadership on the rugby field and managing a farming business, and how both environments require clear communication, calm decision-making, and showing up for your team.

• The importance of staying grounded and managing stress in high-pressure situations.

• The impact of Farmstrong, a wellness initiative supporting farmers' mental and physical health.

• The challenges of farming and why building a support network and taking time off are key to long-term success.

Whether you’re managing a farm or a team, Sam’s reflections remind us that leadership is not just about being in control. It’s about being self-aware enough to step back and ensure your own well-being is a priority.

Sam, thank you for sharing your journey with us and for reminding us that good leadership starts with taking care of ourselves.

For all our listeners, if you’re looking for resources to support your mental and physical health, be sure to check out Farmstrong. And if you're in Australia, I encourage you to get involved with Active Farmers, a great initiative supporting rural communities.

Keep leading, keep caring, and keep supporting your mental well-being.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team