​​Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com

Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://thriving-leader-2026.lovable.app/

Instagram: @the.momentum.company

LinkedIn: /momentum-company

In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader, Mark sits down with Ed Howie, a highly sought-after retention and branding expert whose work has helped generate more than $350 million in incremental revenue for some of the most recognizable brands in the world.

This is not a typical agribusiness conversation — and that’s exactly why it matters right now.

Ed brings decades of experience working with brands like Chick-fil-A, United Airlines, 7-Eleven, Kroger, and H-E-B, but the heart of this discussion isn’t about big brands. It’s about helping leaders understand how clarity, alignment, and intentional repetition create sales velocity, peace of mind, and long-term profitability.

Ed defines intentionality as doing all you can with what you have today — not what you wish you had, not what you used to have. That mindset shift alone reframes leadership from chasing the next thing to optimizing what already exists.

A major theme throughout the episode is incremental revenue. Instead of constantly pursuing new customers, Ed challenges leaders to look in their “kitchen cupboard.” What products, services, or solutions already exist that current customers aren’t buying simply because they don’t know about them, forgot about them, or were never intentionally guided toward them?

The conversation dives deep into why leaders and teams get distracted by novelty. Internal teams get bored with messaging long before customers do, leading organizations to constantly change their story instead of reinforcing it. Great brands don’t win by being clever — they win by being consistent.

Ed also introduces one of the most practical leadership frameworks in the episode: the words you use and the behaviors you choose. Culture isn’t a mission statement or a billboard. Culture is what your people say and do when it matters most. If leaders aren’t clear about the exact words to use — and just as importantly, the words not to use — confusion sets in, customers hesitate, and momentum slows.

Using powerful examples from Chick-fil-A, Ed explains how scripting language isn’t about removing authenticity. It’s about creating alignment, confidence, and a consistent experience that customers can trust. Confused customers don’t buy. Clear customers do.

Mark connects this directly to leadership inside organizations — from onboarding experiences to sales conversations to client retention. When teams lack clarity, they hesitate. When leaders provide clarity, alignment follows. And when clarity and alignment come together, velocity is the natural outcome.

The episode closes with a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t just about ROI — return on investment. It’s about return on impact. When leaders reduce confusion, remove distraction, and focus on what truly matters, the byproduct isn’t just growth. It’s peace of mind. And peace of mind creates joy.

This conversation is a masterclass in intentional leadership, retention, and sustainable growth — especially in seasons where margins are tight and distractions are high.

Listen if you are:

• A leader trying to generate growth without burning out your team
• Struggling with customer retention or stalled momentum
• Constantly changing your message but not seeing results
• Looking to drive incremental revenue without chasing strangers
• Someone who believes leadership should produce both results and joy

​​Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com

Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://thriving-leader-2026.lovable.app/

Instagram: @the.momentum.company

LinkedIn: /momentum-company

In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader, Mark sits down with Landon Bunderson, Chief Science Officer at Nano Yield, for a thoughtful conversation about intentional leadership, organizational clarity, and how innovation actually works inside a growing agribusiness.

Landon leads both science and marketing at Nano Yield—a combination that forces constant clarity. His definition of intentionality is simple but demanding: say fewer things, repeat them often, and never lose sight of why the company exists. At Nano Yield, everything ladders up to one goal—making the sales team’s job easier by ensuring customers clearly understand the value of the people and the products.

One of the central themes of the episode is the power of repetition in leadership. Landon explains that effective leaders don’t constantly reinvent their message. Instead, they identify the few things that matter most and put them on repeat. Just like a political stump speech, clarity is built through consistency—not novelty. Leaders don’t need more ideas; they need sharper focus.

The conversation also explores what Nano Yield actually does and why “nanotechnology” doesn’t need to be scary. Landon breaks down nano-scale delivery in simple terms, explaining how their technology improves the efficiency of fertilizers and crop inputs by helping nutrients reach plant cells more effectively. The result is better performance, less waste, and improved outcomes for growers.

From there, the discussion shifts to culture and growth. Having been with Nano Yield for over a decade, Landon shares how culture has evolved as the company has scaled. He describes culture through a family analogy—clear expectations, consistent communication, defined boundaries, and increasing autonomy over time. When people know what’s expected and feel trusted, they thrive.

Mark and Landon dive into the realities of hiring and growth, including one of the hardest leadership challenges: realizing when someone is in the wrong role. Landon frames these moments not as failures, but as necessary course corrections—helping people move on to roles where they can truly succeed.

Another key insight from the episode is the idea that people don’t actually thrive in total freedom—they thrive within clear boundaries. As companies grow, systems and processes become essential not to restrict people, but to support them. Structure creates stability, and stability enables innovation.

The episode closes with a discussion on creativity and problem-solving. Landon recommends the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, emphasizing that creativity isn’t about reinventing everything—it’s about approaching challenges with curiosity and courage. That creative muscle, when paired with disciplined execution, becomes a powerful leadership advantage.

This conversation is a reminder that intentional leadership isn’t loud or flashy. It’s focused, repeatable, human, and deeply practical.

Listen if you are:

• A leader trying to create clarity in a fast-growing organization
• Balancing innovation with execution
• Struggling with focus, messaging, or alignment across teams
• Building culture while scaling people, systems, and products
• Curious about how technology and leadership actually intersect in ag

​​Join our champion program: mark@themomentumcompany.com

Attend a Thriving Leader event: https://thriving-leader-2026.lovable.app/

Instagram: @the.momentum.company

LinkedIn: /momentum-company

In this episode of The Intentional Agribusiness Leader, Mark sits down with Dean Harder for a powerful conversation about intentionality, purpose, and why most sales conversations fail before they ever begin.

Dean’s definition of intentional leadership starts with one word: purpose. Without clearly defined purpose, it’s impossible to lead well, sell well, or even make good decisions. Throughout the episode, Dean challenges listeners to rethink how they define success, how they communicate value, and how they show up in conversations—whether in sales, leadership, or life.

One of the central themes of the conversation is the difference between pitching and conversational selling. Dean explains that pitching starts from the inside out—it’s focused on what you do, what you sell, and what you want. Conversational selling flips that model. It starts from the outside in by focusing on what the other person wants, what they care about, and what outcomes they’re trying to achieve.

The shift sounds simple, but it’s transformative. Instead of trying to convince, impress, or persuade, the goal becomes understanding. When you understand what someone wants, you earn the right to proceed—and only then does what you offer actually matter.

Dean also introduces a powerful framework for influence built on two principles: focus on the other person, and earn the right to proceed. Rather than jumping in with advice or opinions, great leaders and sellers ask permission, make observations, and invite conversation. This approach lowers defenses, builds trust, and creates space for real dialogue.

The episode goes deep into mindset and preparation, especially for newer sales professionals who feel stuck or intimidated. Dean emphasizes that confidence doesn’t come from talent—it comes from clarity. When outcomes are clearly defined and expectations are realistic, people are free to grow without comparing themselves to veterans with decades of experience.

Mark and Dean also explore accountability, drawing a distinction between monitoring activity and aligning around results. True accountability focuses on outcomes, not micromanaging behavior. When leaders agree on results and review progress consistently, people take ownership—and performance follows.

Throughout the conversation, there’s a recurring reminder: improvement doesn’t come from comparison. It comes from progress. Measuring yourself against who you were yesterday, not against someone with 30 years of experience, is how real growth happens.

This episode is a masterclass in communication, leadership, and selling with integrity. It’s not about scripts or tactics—it’s about mindset, discipline, and learning how to have better conversations that actually move people forward.

Listen if you are:

• A sales professional who feels stuck pitching instead of connecting
• A leader responsible for developing people, not just hitting numbers
• New to sales and looking for confidence without pressure
• Experienced in your role but ready to improve how you communicate
• Someone who believes relationships still matter in business