A Purpose-Driven Work Environment with Jimed Beach

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Jim Ed Beach, a native of Oklahoma, grew up on a purebred cow-calf operation in the northeastern part of the state. In high school, he was an active member of the Westville FFA Chapter and received his American FFA Degree. Beach graduated from Oklahoma State University, in 1994, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, majoring in Animal Science and minoring in Agriculture Economics.

Beach currently serves as the US Commercial Lead, Sustainable Solutions for Netafim USA and is responsible for managing all aspects of Netafim’s Sustainable Solutions products. He primarily works with our SDI-E™ products in Dairy, Swine, and Beef. SDI-E™ repurposes manure water by utilizing Netafim’s filtration and drip irrigation technology and making multiple applications to the field throughout the year. Most recently, Beach was the Dealer & Agronomic Relationship Manager of the Midwest and Northern Plains territory in Netafim’s Eastern Region.

Beach has more than 25 years in the agricultural industry in various roles. Prior to coming to Netafim in 2015, Beach spent the majority of his career in the crop protection and crop insurance industries.

In this enlightening episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast, host Mark Jewell invites Jim Ed from Netafim to discuss the power of intentional leadership within the agribusiness sector. The conversation delves deep into what it means to be purposeful in one's approach to managing projects and people, and the impact intentional leadership can have on a company's culture and employees’ drive.

As the dialogue unfolds, Jim shares his personal journey, revealing challenges and strategies for creating a purpose-driven work environment. The insightful interaction covers the nuances of leadership, work-life balance, employee retention, and cultural dynamics in the workplace. The discussion also touches upon the exciting work Jim is involved with at Netafim, emphasizing the environmental benefits of their latest product innovations.

Key Takeaways:

• Intentionality in Leadership: Being intentional means having a clear purpose and communicating it effectively, which positively influences project management and team direction.
• Impact of Company Culture: A culture that embodies intentionality fosters focus and success, whereas a lack of planning can lead to reactionary practices.
• Retention Strategy: Benefits and a “family” culture within a company are crucial for employee retention and job satisfaction.
• Challenges of Work-Life Balance: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is an ongoing challenge, especially for those with tendencies towards workaholism.
• Launching New Products: Jim Ed discusses the launch of an environmentally beneficial product at Netafim, highlighting the importance of building passion within your team to overcome internal and external obstacles.

Notable Quotes:

• "Being intentional is really about having a purpose."
• "If you don't [plan], then the next time you look up, it's two or three weeks later, and you go, 'Wow, did I really get all done that I need to get done?'"
• "If you don't have good benefits, I don't think you have much of an anchor to really hold people there."
• "I think a lot of times we probably gloss over the fact that we are intentional on some things."
• "The culture that we have here at Netafim, as far as I think we do a really good job of building a family within our company."

Dive into the full episode to uncover the depth of the conversation between Mark Jewell and Jim Ed, and gain a better understanding of how intentional leadership can transform your approach to agribusiness. Stay tuned to the Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast for more invaluable episodes that can shape the way you think about leadership and purpose in the industry.