E479 Diane Hendricks: She Wasn’t Allowed to Milk Cows. Now She’s Worth Over $20 Billion. скачать в хорошем качестве

E479 Diane Hendricks: She Wasn’t Allowed to Milk Cows. Now She’s Worth Over $20 Billion.

She grew up on a small Wisconsin dairy where the rules were clear: the boys milked cows and drove tractor—the girls did not. She watched decisions being made at the kitchen table, knew the numbers, understood the risk, and loved the business, but was never once treated like a future owner. Years later, that “farm daughter” would build a company worth more than many co-ops combined. This episode steps into that gap between what she could have been on the farm and what she became off it—and asks what your operation might be losing in the same blind spot. The Story You’ll Hear · The childhood chore list that quietly decided who was “management material” and who wasn’t · The moment she realised the farm she loved would never truly be hers—and what that did to her drive · Why she left dairy, and how those early barn lessons still shaped every tough call she made in business · The bets she placed that most “experts” said were reckless, and why they worked anyway · What it felt like to outgrow the expectations her own family and community had set for her · How building a multi‑billion‑dollar company still traces back to one belief: treat people like owners, not hired hands · The unspoken cost to the original farm—and to our industry—when someone like this has to leave to be taken seriously · A simple, uncomfortable question every farm family should ask at the kitchen table tonight This isn’t just the story of one woman who left a dairy and built a massive business; it’s a mirror for every family that has ever assumed “the farm will go to the son” without saying it out loud. It speaks to geneticists trying to move an operation forward but stuck inside old decision hierarchies, to farm kids who feel capable but sidelined, and to owners who know transition planning keeps getting pushed to “someday.” Her journey exposes how culture, not just economics, shapes who gets a real shot at leading—and how much value quietly walks down the laneway when people with ownership potential aren’t invited in. Listeners will not only hear a powerful personal story; they’ll feel the tension between loyalty to tradition and the need to build a future that doesn’t waste talent. For more on this story and the research behind it, visit https://www.thebullvine.com/dairy-ind... to read the full profile and related articles on succession, leadership, and the hidden economics of who gets a chance to own. Subscribe to The Bullvine Podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes that dig into the human decisions behind genetics, technology, and profitability. If this episode hits close to home, share it with your family or team—and if you see your own story in it, we’d love to hear from you on The Bullvine website and social channels.