Earlier this year, the Education team pitched an idea for a podcast, and after months of brainstorming, research, content development, and interviews, Across the Acres was born.

Serving as Beck’s official podcast, Across the Acres, was launched in August 2021 and is hosted by Carlye Frye (Delta Region Training Innovation Manager) and David Ringger (Central Region Training Innovation Manager). Each month, they introduce a member of the Beck family of employees, dealers, and farmers across our marketing territory and provide a platform to share stories about their careers, families, and their faith.

And while the guest and topics vary across the board, the mission of each podcast remains the same; to connect, challenge, and inspire listeners by sharing the stories, struggles, and successes of others.

If you have not yet had the chance to check out the first three episodes, I highly recommend you do so. You can scan the QR code at the end of this article to access them today! But like last month’s article recapping episode three, today I want to share with you some of my favorite highlights from episode four, “Youthful Leadership,” featuring Missouri Area Team Leader Reid Nodine.

Reid grew up in northern Illinois and is one of the youngest of Beck’s 20 Area Team Leaders (ATL). He leads and inspires a tight-knit team of eight seed advisors and multiple dealers across the great state of Missouri.

If you want to listen to Reid share his wisdom on young leadership, his glasshalf- full mentality, and the amazing story of where he learned to iron his clothes, check out his full podcast! Below I break down my “connect, challenge, and inspire” takeaways from Reid’s inspiring, light-hearted interview.

When posed with the question, “What leader do you want to emulate?” Reid couldn’t decide between two individuals – so he named them both. The first, his grandfather and the second, Michael Jordan. “He’s one that believed in everyone on his team, but he was a toughlove guy,” he said, speaking of Jordan. “He was a guy that expected more out of you because he was giving more than what he had, and a lot of people respect him for that.”

“Like Jordan, I don’t want anyone to ever question if my passion’s there or how hard I’m working at it,” he said. “I believe in everyone we work with. I believe in the customers we have, and I believe in the Beck family and what we do. And that’s what makes our job easy. It’s an opportunity, and you have to look at it that way. There may be times when your glass might be getting half empty, but you still have to look at it like it’s half full and just keep charging through.”

When reflecting on his team and what they would say about his leadership style, Reid noted, “I am going to be one that is going to have their back. I’m going to go to bat for them and with them.” He continued, “I want to be present as much as I can, but also I don’t want to micromanage either. I want them to be able to make mistakes; I want them to take risks.”

But most importantly, he wants them to know that, “I am going to do everything I can to help make them successful, and at the same time, I’m going to expect them to do the same.”

What you will not hear in this podcast is how his team has continued to respond to and rally behind Reid for his hard work and dedication to leading his team with tenacity and grace. As a former seed advisor, moving into a leadership role and overseeing former co-workers can be a daunting task, but it’s one that Reid has faced head-on. There is no shortage of respect and support for Reid within the Missouri team and at Beck’s as a whole, which I think is a true testament to how dedicated he is to not only helping farmers succeed, but helping his team succeed as well.

So, what inspires Reid to inspire others? Seeking sources of inspiration that drive him forward. As one of the youngest ATLs on Beck’s team, Reid is always looking to others for tips on how to be the best leader and motivator he can be… especially when it comes to two main challenges; facing failure head-on and standing up for what he believes in.

“Not being afraid of failure. That’s one thing that I will seek advice on, and that’s one thing that I have been working on, is making sure I don’t take it all on myself,” he said. “But also, not being afraid to stand up for what just feels right. It’s a ‘Hey, my gut tells me this, so we’re doing it” kind of feeling.” Basically, Reid boils it down to this; don’t be afraid to make the decision if it feels right and then come back and reflect on it later. No matter what the situation, always trust your gut.

“Once I started to own that and not be afraid of that, that’s when we started to make things happen.”