6d • General discussion
Drowning the noise - moving the needle!
If there's one thing I've observed in the dairy industry, it's that we tend to follow norms and generally accepted practices without asking enough questions.
That's not always a bad thing. Experience matters. Proven practices matter.
But humor me for a minute.
We work in an industry where far too many farms operate at a loss—or barely above it. Stress is high. Morale is often low. If that's the reality, shouldn't we be willing to challenge some of the assumptions that got us here?
Start with your "why"
Before you change anything on the farm, you need clarity.
What do you actually want?
"I want to dairy farm."
Sure—but that's the starting point, not the destination.
A better answer might be:
"I want to build a dairy that supports my family, gets us out of debt, gives us financial freedom, and creates something worth passing on."
Now we're getting somewhere.
Research suggests you're significantly more likely to accomplish goals that you write down. I'm over here struggling to consistently post on Skool, so trust me—I understand the challenge.
Write it down anyway.
Grab a notebook. Open the notes app. Put it on a whiteboard. Make it real.
And remember, goals can evolve. They should. Just don't leave them floating around in your head.
(If goal setting is something you'd like to dive deeper into, let me know in the comments. I could talk about that subject for hours.)
Question the metric
Here's a classic example.
"I want my herd averaging 100 pounds of milk per cow."
Why?
Seriously...why?
Does that goal actually support your vision? Does it improve profitability? Does it reduce stress? Does it move your family closer to the life you want?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
I can't answer that for you.
What I can tell you is that some of my most profitable customers are not the highest-producing herds.
I've also watched farms intentionally reduce production because it improved the spread between feed costs and milk revenue—and they made more money.
That's an uncomfortable idea for some people.
But it's real.
The goal isn't to chase production.
The goal is to build a better business.
Challenge the stories you tell yourself
We all have beliefs that quietly shape our decisions.
Some are true.
Some aren't.
For years, I'd tell myself things like:
- "If we make this change, all our customers will leave."
- "If we change this process, our employees will quit."
Neither one happened.
Not even close.
That doesn't mean every warning or piece of advice is wrong. Far from it.
It means we need to apply a filter.
Think critically.
Ask questions.
Demand evidence.
Don't keep doing something simply because "that's how it's always been done."
When a three-year-old is asked why he threw mud at the house, the answer is usually:
"Because."
Or...
"He told me to."
It sounds ridiculous.
But adults aren't immune to the same thinking.
We've just become better at justifying it.
So what's your needle mover?
What's one belief you've accepted without questioning?
What's one small change you've been putting off?
What's one decision you've avoided because of fear, tradition, or someone else's opinion?
You probably already know the answer.
Sometimes you don't need more information.
You just need permission to think differently.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What's one assumption you've challenged that made your operation better?
Or what's one change you're considering that could move the needle?
Let's build a community that makes better decisions—not because someone said so, but because we've taken the time to think them through.
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Drowning the noise - moving the needle!
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