WEBVTT 00:00:02.826 --> 00:00:04.932 Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:00:04.932 --> 00:00:20.030 In this show, the Texas FFA Foundation will take on a journey of exploration into agricultural science, education, leadership development and insights from subject matter experts and sponsors who provide the fuel to make dreams come true. 00:00:20.030 --> 00:00:22.481 Here's your host, Aaron Alejandro. 00:00:30.248 --> 00:00:40.356 Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or whenever you may be tuning in to the Growing Our Future podcast, we want to, as number one, start off by saying thank you. 00:00:40.356 --> 00:00:43.479 Thank you for taking time to join us. 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:55.792 I mean, we appreciate a platform like this where we can bring on guests that share their insights, their experiences, their expertise, in hopes that we, we pour into people. 00:00:55.792 --> 00:00:58.976 Like I always say, if agriculture has taught me anything, it's taught me this. 00:00:58.976 --> 00:01:02.831 If you want to know what the future is growing, well, how do you grow it? 00:01:02.831 --> 00:01:04.804 Well, you got to have the right information. 00:01:04.825 --> 00:01:09.037 You got to have the right seeds, and that's what this podcast is all about. 00:01:09.037 --> 00:01:18.325 It's bringing on people that can pour into us and make us better, make our communities better, our organizations, our families, and today is no different. 00:01:18.325 --> 00:01:31.813 I have known this young lady for a very long time and I was so excited when she changed roles and I said, hey, listen, you got to come be a guest on the podcast, and she graciously accepted. 00:01:31.813 --> 00:01:36.588 So, ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to introduce you to Melissa Rosenbush Spicer. 00:01:36.588 --> 00:01:40.367 You're going to learn more about Melissa here in a second, but, melissa, thank you for joining us. 00:01:41.329 --> 00:01:44.665 Thank you so much, Aaron, for allowing me to be on here. 00:01:44.665 --> 00:01:54.203 This is quite an honor and a privilege, and I am super excited to talk to you today about definitely UNI's probably favorite topic to discuss. 00:01:54.823 --> 00:01:59.593 Yeah, we share a lot and, again, I've known her and her family for a long time. 00:01:59.593 --> 00:02:01.665 I'm excited about this opportunity to share. 00:02:01.665 --> 00:02:06.501 Okay, every guest we start off the show the same way with the same question. 00:02:06.501 --> 00:02:12.394 And I'm just curious, melissa, today, what are you grateful for today? 00:02:13.580 --> 00:02:32.296 That's a great question and I think it all comes down to one person, and it's the Lord and Savior above, because without Him I wouldn't have been able to wake up today and take a breath and be able to tackle all the things that are in front of me without him and his guiding light. 00:02:32.296 --> 00:02:42.164 He provides everything we need from health and family, friends and career paths and just every day enjoying what he provides for us. 00:02:42.164 --> 00:02:44.931 So that's an easy one for me, wow. 00:02:46.055 --> 00:02:47.038 Okay, we can stop there. 00:02:47.038 --> 00:02:47.840 That's all we needed. 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:58.106 So that was great, because it's so true and I share, by the way, with the young people and with teachers. 00:02:58.106 --> 00:03:03.286 You know, one of my fun things I like to do with the kids is ask them name the most famous people they can name. 00:03:03.286 --> 00:03:10.274 And they will name entertainers, and they'll name movie stars and sports figures and business people. 00:03:10.274 --> 00:03:13.765 And then I said, great, now name me just one, that's all. 00:03:13.765 --> 00:03:18.483 I want One Name, one that wakes up every day and makes their own heartbeat. 00:03:18.483 --> 00:03:24.350 And I said you've got to have faith. 00:03:24.390 --> 00:03:43.391 You've got to have faith, and faith provides us the opportunity to serve a purpose, and that's kind of what brought us together, because you've had a life's purpose and I think I've had a life's purpose, and it becomes a passion of what we do and why we do it, and I'm hopeful that that's maybe today. 00:03:43.391 --> 00:03:52.600 That's what people will take out of this interview are some of the very paths that we've walked, experiences that we've had and things that we'd like to share. 00:03:53.683 --> 00:03:55.587 So I agree wholeheartedly. 00:03:55.788 --> 00:03:58.294 Thank you for that, because I agree with you completely. 00:03:58.294 --> 00:04:02.707 So let's start off and kind of give us a little path. 00:04:02.707 --> 00:04:13.163 You did not just fall into that seat that you're in right now, so I know that there was a journey that brought you to where you are at this stage in your career, the stage in life. 00:04:13.163 --> 00:04:14.747 Walk us through that. 00:04:14.747 --> 00:04:19.646 Tell us what it was like, where you grew up, how you chose the profession that you chose. 00:04:19.646 --> 00:04:21.391 Take us through that journey. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:23.021 Absolutely. 00:04:23.021 --> 00:04:25.569 I think I was very blessed. 00:04:25.569 --> 00:04:34.365 There's a lot of people out there that kind of probably have similar stories as mine because there's a lot of ag teacher kids out there and I was one of them. 00:04:34.365 --> 00:04:37.850 My family from the beginning of time. 00:04:37.850 --> 00:04:46.740 I can remember wearing blue and gold little toboggans with FFA emblems on them when I was two years old, but I have been surrounded by the FFA program. 00:04:46.740 --> 00:05:02.526 My uncle's an ag teacher, my dad was an ag teacher and I was able to go K through 12 in our little town where my parents grew up and my dad was my ag teacher and put me through everything that I could be involved in with FFA. 00:05:02.526 --> 00:05:05.817 And then I decided my junior year. 00:05:05.817 --> 00:05:10.374 I knew I wanted to go to Tarleton State University and I knew I wanted to do something in agriculture. 00:05:10.574 --> 00:05:20.461 I thought I wanted to be an ag teacher but, I, wasn't really sure I had been an area president, had been very involved in the officer and leadership roles and I enjoyed working with people. 00:05:20.461 --> 00:05:23.586 So I followed that path and I'm going to be honest. 00:05:23.586 --> 00:05:28.476 At one time I thought, oh, I'm going to transfer to A&M and be a vet by my sophomore year. 00:05:28.476 --> 00:05:32.750 Well, the sophomore year came and I was like you know what? 00:05:32.750 --> 00:05:39.810 I think I'm supposed to be here for a reason and we started the classes with education and started learning about all the things in agriculture. 00:05:39.810 --> 00:05:45.312 And my path just kept rolling and God just kept putting me in the right places where I needed to be. 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:52.293 I graduated, I applied for one job and I said, ok, if I don't get that one, I'm going to stay here and work on my master's. 00:05:52.293 --> 00:05:53.521 I didn't get it. 00:05:53.521 --> 00:05:55.386 I laugh about that all the time. 00:05:55.386 --> 00:05:58.653 I won't say where it's at, but joke about that all the time. 00:05:58.653 --> 00:06:03.187 But he come back to me later and he said I really messed up not hiring you. 00:06:03.187 --> 00:06:04.069 I said you know what? 00:06:04.069 --> 00:06:19.225 The good Lord had a path and where it ended up was a couple months later, in the middle of the year, my high school principal called me back and said there was an opening with my dad back in Florence, and so I went back home. 00:06:19.666 --> 00:06:19.987 Wow. 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:23.581 And that's where I stayed for 29 years. 00:06:23.581 --> 00:06:40.932 So not only was it my K through 12 school, but it's also where I taught my entire you know ag career and for 15 years of that I got to teach with my dad and I think that those were some gifts that I could never give up and what a great mentor he was to me. 00:06:40.932 --> 00:06:42.973 You know his friends were ag teachers. 00:06:42.973 --> 00:07:02.074 My family was, you know, devout and, you know, going to believe 100 percent in what the program produces, and I am a product of that program and I know, just like you are, aaron, that we, you know, living proof of what an ag education and FFA program can, you know, produce and put out there. 00:07:02.074 --> 00:07:11.752 So, after kind of going through the realm of 29 years and I loved it 100 percent it was the best career ag teaching. 00:07:11.853 --> 00:07:14.901 I will forever be a champion of ag teachers. 00:07:14.901 --> 00:07:22.442 That, what they do and the way that they change lives and impact and inspire students there's nothing like it. 00:07:22.442 --> 00:07:27.560 And they work hard and they are passionate and they believe. 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:33.754 And I will, like I said, I will, champion them for the day I die, till I have my last breath. 00:07:33.754 --> 00:07:35.403 I will bleed blue and gold. 00:07:35.403 --> 00:07:37.908 I will believe that this is the best thing on earth. 00:07:38.709 --> 00:07:55.567 And it just kind of happened that I crossed paths with Pete Hexter a couple years back and we had kind of crossed paths with Bloom for Good and we were very successful with a campaign that he put out and he just said, man, you've got something special there. 00:07:55.567 --> 00:08:00.785 And I'm really thinking I would like to grab some of that energy you have. 00:08:00.785 --> 00:08:09.031 And we started a you know, a real, you know a partnership and relationship there as I finished out my career and was ready to jump on board. 00:08:09.031 --> 00:08:12.023 And I tell you what it's been great, because guess what I get to do? 00:08:12.023 --> 00:08:19.927 I still get to help ag teachers and support FFA programs and still be involved in this industry that I love so very much. 00:08:19.927 --> 00:08:21.651 And so I again. 00:08:21.651 --> 00:08:27.257 God has blessed me just unbelievably and I'm just thankful every day for that. 00:08:28.661 --> 00:08:29.362 What a story. 00:08:29.362 --> 00:08:32.389 By the way, let me ask you real quick how big is Florence? 00:08:32.389 --> 00:08:33.972 What class school is that? 00:08:34.721 --> 00:08:35.725 It's a 3A school. 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:47.806 So for listeners that are not from Texas, they might not understand how big is a 3A school In the high school we had around 350 students In the entire school district. 00:08:47.865 --> 00:08:49.389 it was about a little over a thousand. 00:08:49.408 --> 00:08:50.250 It was about a little over a thousand. 00:08:50.250 --> 00:09:02.893 The reason I want to share that is because, you know, a lot of times people think well, you know, to get the best of something you've got to be in the largest cities or the more metropolis type suburban areas. 00:09:02.893 --> 00:09:09.354 And I will tell you that the Florence program was an outstanding program in the state of Texas. 00:09:09.354 --> 00:09:15.124 They were very innovative in some of their approaches to some of their industry connections. 00:09:16.186 --> 00:09:32.167 You know I can tell you as an old meats judger, as a guy who grew up, I mean, the top job at Boys Ranch where I grew up, the top job I mean you could not do it until you were a senior was to work in the meats lab and to work on the slaughter and the kill floor of the slaughterhouse. 00:09:32.167 --> 00:09:39.456 And I'll never forget working my way up to that top job and then going to Texas Tech University. 00:09:39.456 --> 00:09:40.923 That was my job. 00:09:40.923 --> 00:09:54.450 I worked in the meats lab, I worked with the Texas Tech program and then I went to work for one of the local grocery stores and when I see what Florence had accomplished it was very inspiring because it was innovative. 00:09:54.450 --> 00:09:56.784 So I just want to throw that out that. 00:09:56.784 --> 00:09:59.631 You know, big schools are great. 00:09:59.631 --> 00:10:12.407 They do have a lot of opportunity, but don't think that there's not some really good imaginative people out there in the smaller schools that are doing just incredible things, and where Melissa came from is an example of that. 00:10:13.649 --> 00:10:25.702 And I think it's a great point that you made, because even as small as a school district we are and people are always shocked by this there's actually five ag teachers there, and so we have a middle school program and then four at the high school. 00:10:25.702 --> 00:10:29.543 But I think what a lot of people don't realize, like oh well, that's just an ag class. 00:10:29.543 --> 00:10:31.869 When they don't realize half of what. 00:10:31.869 --> 00:10:36.240 I taught in the day was communications and radio and video. 00:10:36.740 --> 00:10:48.471 And we were, we were allowing to satisfy other components in the curriculum in our school and requirements for graduation that were not necessarily under the AFNR umbrella. 00:10:48.831 --> 00:11:27.086 And I think a lot of people don't realize that because those ag teachers are so passionate and creative and they understand the world that kids are learning some from those hands-on things that they do that they might not just from just a general ed teacher and nothing against general ed teachers but again, ag teachers they're my heroes, they always have been and what they can provide students. 00:11:27.187 --> 00:11:37.890 And you know, whether you learn floral and it's a fine arts career, or you know I'm learning speech and I'm getting all the time that the FFA program is what allows us to reach out. 00:11:37.890 --> 00:11:48.936 It's so complex and if you will open up those doors as an ag teacher and let those students feel, there's something for all of them to be involved in. 00:11:48.936 --> 00:12:07.187 You know, and I think that was the thing we tried to do, is make sure we were touching every student that sat in a seat in that building, whether it's a science fair because they really like science, which they wouldn't have thought that's ag related or even they're in the national band because they love music and that's something. 00:12:07.187 --> 00:12:13.289 But they were an FFA member, so that's something we've really worked hard at and I'm proud of that. 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:17.774 To be comprehensive of the program so here's something that you know. 00:12:17.815 --> 00:12:23.269 You're starting a dialogue here that I would not have taken us down, but I'm glad you're going down this path. 00:12:23.269 --> 00:12:46.731 You know, when we think of the scope of you know, melissa referenced AFNR Agriculture, food and Natural Resources our agriculture, food, natural resources when she referenced that, yes, that is a high school course, but the applications of what goes on there really are the basics of education that could go all the way down to the elementary level Exactly. 00:12:46.751 --> 00:12:48.397 I mean, I know of FFA chapters in Texas. 00:12:49.280 --> 00:13:00.111 We've got a chapter that is on NASA and they use longhorn cattle to teach dominant and recessive gene traits and they bring in the pre-AP eighth graders from the Houston ISD. 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:15.779 I know programs that are helping the kids connect with their pigs and with their sheep and goats and with their cattle and they teach the little kids about how much does a scoop weigh and with their cattle and they teach the little kids about how much does a scoop weigh? 00:13:15.779 --> 00:13:19.782 How much is a half a gallon? 00:13:19.782 --> 00:13:20.684 Hey, we got to fix this over here. 00:13:20.684 --> 00:13:22.109 I need you to weld me a 90 degree angle. 00:13:22.109 --> 00:13:24.335 And they say, well, I don't know what 90 degrees is, well, just weld me a T. 00:13:24.335 --> 00:13:25.841 Oh, that's 90 degrees. 00:13:25.841 --> 00:13:27.703 And so to your point. 00:13:27.703 --> 00:14:04.243 Agriculture programs have the capacity to help kids comprehend things that in a textbook they may be harder to understand, but in application they become easier to understand and that whole learning to do, doing to learn, and then when you accompany that with a teacher that's enthused about that learning opportunity, then I think that's a reason why, statistically we know statistically, not because we say so we know that our kids are outperforming their peers. 00:14:05.004 --> 00:14:11.927 We know that students in ag, science education and FFA are outperforming, and I think it's a lot of what Melissa's saying. 00:14:11.927 --> 00:14:22.948 I think it's a lot of the fact that, yes, these are agricultural courses, but we're offering something that creates so much more, which I'm a big you're in business. 00:14:22.948 --> 00:14:40.441 I'm a big believer in return on investment and, as a taxpayer, I want ROI and when I see what y'all do with our ag kids and our FFA kids, I think it's some of the best return on investment for tax dollars in the state and I just think it's all the things that you just said. 00:14:40.441 --> 00:14:45.150 So that's why I wanted to brag that I appreciate you bringing it up. 00:14:45.912 --> 00:14:54.114 So one of the things I like to talk about when we're talking to kids and I'm talking to teachers, as I always tell them practice R2A2. 00:14:54.114 --> 00:14:56.764 And everybody always asks me what's R2A2? 00:14:56.764 --> 00:14:59.048 Sounds like a Star Wars character. 00:14:59.048 --> 00:15:04.183 R2a2 is recognize, relate, assimilate and apply. 00:15:04.183 --> 00:15:20.311 Recognize what somebody says, relate to it, like you and I are talking, what goes on in Florence may not be the same as what goes on in downtown Dallas, so you got to kind of relate to it, but then you take it in, you assimilate it and then you've got to apply it. 00:15:20.311 --> 00:15:23.126 That's what this podcast is about. 00:15:23.126 --> 00:15:27.182 It's about bringing guests on and already just letting you know. 00:15:27.182 --> 00:15:35.455 Already you have talked about family faith, being flexible, being committed to your goals. 00:15:35.455 --> 00:15:38.043 Be on the lookout for opportunities. 00:15:38.043 --> 00:15:42.813 All of those, in my opinion, are great seeds of greatness. 00:15:42.813 --> 00:15:50.553 So I hope people that are listening heard every one of those, because those really are outstanding. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:16:00.547 So when we think about agriculture and we think about food, you were in the classroom and now you're out of the classroom, but you're kind of in the classroom. 00:16:00.547 --> 00:16:04.370 Do you think there's opportunities out there in agriculture? 00:16:04.370 --> 00:16:11.600 Do you see if I'm a kid sitting in Houston, dallas, austin, san Antonio right now, or maybe somebody's watching this. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.104 We've got people that call me from New York that love this podcast. 00:16:15.104 --> 00:16:21.567 If I'm sitting in a classroom in one of these other states, is there an opportunity in agriculture and FFA? 00:16:21.567 --> 00:16:25.104 Can it promote me into something along a career? 00:16:25.104 --> 00:16:27.490 What would you tell me is an opportunity? 00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:31.365 Anything, anything they want to do. 00:16:31.365 --> 00:16:41.230 And I used to tell kids that on the first day of school since we're everybody's going back to school now and they be in here and they're freshmen and they're like, you know, I don't even know why I'm in here. 00:16:41.230 --> 00:16:42.837 I'm not an ag kid. 00:16:42.837 --> 00:16:47.586 That's what they would always tell me and I was like, really, so how are you're not an ag kid? 00:16:47.586 --> 00:16:49.688 How did you get to school today, you know? 00:16:49.688 --> 00:16:51.711 And what did we eat for breakfast? 00:16:51.711 --> 00:16:53.634 And you put on clothes. 00:16:53.634 --> 00:16:56.365 We touch agriculture through. 00:16:56.365 --> 00:16:58.308 We wouldn't be alive without it. 00:16:58.308 --> 00:17:07.890 And so for you to say, and I would tell them, you tell me something you want to do, and I'm going to correlate it with an ag career, you know, like, well, I want to be a nurse or I want to be a doctor. 00:17:07.890 --> 00:17:11.865 I said, well, great, because in our meat science class you're going to learn about the anatomy. 00:17:11.865 --> 00:17:15.650 The bones and muscles of an animal are the same as they are in a human. 00:17:15.650 --> 00:17:19.335 You know, you're going to learn all of that, your basics and your background. 00:17:19.335 --> 00:17:33.355 I have a lot of students that would come back and then say, hey, I got as a grad assistant, I got on a work project to do a research, because I showed rabbits and chick and I was on the poultry judging team. 00:17:33.355 --> 00:17:40.554 But she's a doctor and because of her resume, because of that experience, she was able to. 00:17:40.554 --> 00:17:47.482 You know she got put on that job and you know those are the things that they don't realize and you know we think about all the time. 00:17:48.183 --> 00:17:49.846 I use the example. 00:17:49.846 --> 00:17:54.575 You know a doctor who has to make a split second decision when you're in the ER. 00:17:54.575 --> 00:18:01.093 Well, when you're judging of anything, you've got to do that in a small amount and you've got to tell me why. 00:18:01.093 --> 00:18:02.983 I don't want to hear, I don't know. 00:18:02.983 --> 00:18:06.311 You know, I want to know why you are backing up. 00:18:06.311 --> 00:18:10.470 If I'm on a gurney in the ER and they're fixing to have to do surgery. 00:18:10.470 --> 00:18:20.046 I want you to be confident, I want you to have a decision and I want you to be able to back it up. 00:18:20.046 --> 00:18:35.756 Well, that skill set that we learn in all of our career development events are going to help you with anything, and so really, I will not allow them to tell me that they're not an ag kid anymore and that without it you know you've heard the t-shirt you know without it we'd be hungry and naked and all of the things that we would be. 00:18:35.756 --> 00:18:44.490 But agriculture touches every single person's life one way or another and there's so many opportunities for us to do. 00:18:44.490 --> 00:19:02.151 I know that when you were talking about reaching down into the elementary, I'm going to add in real quick I used to do an ag science day with elementary students and we would communicate with the teachers of the elementary in their science curriculum and it was called ag science day because I started to think. 00:19:02.211 --> 00:19:18.491 I said, if our high school students are getting those hands-on opportunities and experiences where they're learning those, we're, you know, we are basically supporting history, we're supporting English, we're supporting math because they're actually doing those in the ag education classroom. 00:19:18.491 --> 00:19:20.343 How can we do that in elementary? 00:19:20.343 --> 00:19:30.049 So we started, you know, about 15 years ago, doing Ag Science Day, working with Texas Farm Bureau and our county Farm Bureau to sponsor that. 00:19:30.049 --> 00:19:35.461 It was so successful because the kids they rotated it with a different topic. 00:19:35.461 --> 00:19:40.531 So in let's use third grade they had to do a, the life cycle of an animal. 00:19:40.531 --> 00:19:42.263 So we use poultry science. 00:19:42.705 --> 00:19:47.461 Or maybe in fifth grade I had the teachers there said man, we are not doing good on the star test. 00:19:47.461 --> 00:20:00.685 They don't understand soil particle size, perfect, let's do soil science and we would bring it in and they would touch it and they make that and they were taught by the high school FFA students and talk about mentorship for that. 00:20:00.685 --> 00:20:05.164 And then when they got in high school I would say, hey, do you remember Ag Science Day? 00:20:05.164 --> 00:20:12.327 And they did, and that give back, you know, and that community outreach, it was just a blessing altogether. 00:20:12.327 --> 00:20:25.513 Programs like that that we can do, where we can reach elementary students, embed into other curriculums, it's a win because, like we just said, it touches everything and you can see I'm a fan. 00:20:26.381 --> 00:20:29.010 Hey, listen everything that you just said, everything. 00:20:29.010 --> 00:20:38.372 If you want to know what the future is growing to ag science teachers, if you want to know what the future is growing to ag science teachers, if you want to know what your future classroom looks like, do exactly what Melissa just said. 00:20:38.372 --> 00:20:42.650 There is no one cooler in that elementary school than the high school kids. 00:20:42.650 --> 00:20:46.265 And if they show up in official dress, what is this? 00:20:46.265 --> 00:20:53.148 And next thing you know they're showing up with animals or they're showing up with experimental or plants. 00:20:53.148 --> 00:20:55.723 That is what fascinates them. 00:20:55.723 --> 00:21:01.862 So, to your point, you're growing your classroom and business is about numbers and numbers. 00:21:01.862 --> 00:21:06.343 So if you're growing your classroom, that's a good thing and the administration would like that. 00:21:06.343 --> 00:21:09.210 So keep growing your numbers Makes a lot of sense. 00:21:09.210 --> 00:21:20.883 One of the things that you said there that I thought was just a takeaway Wayne Gretzky, a famous hockey player. 00:21:20.883 --> 00:21:24.336 They asked him one time what makes you such a great hockey player and he said most players skate to where the puck is. 00:21:24.336 --> 00:21:25.740 I skate to where the puck is going. 00:21:27.063 --> 00:21:31.813 And if we think about that, we know that the world population is growing. 00:21:31.813 --> 00:21:39.897 Right now we're experiencing it right here in Texas a lot of growth, a lot of urban sprawl, taking up of natural resources. 00:21:39.897 --> 00:21:58.542 I got news for you we're going to have more people in this world in the next 30 years and we're not going to have more land to grow, more food, more water to take care of our growing, of our food supply to your point. 00:21:58.542 --> 00:22:15.787 It's going to take a lot of brilliant minds and we're going to have to have people that say I may not understand livestock production, but I understand engineering or linguistics or marketing to help get this commodity to the people that need it. 00:22:15.787 --> 00:22:17.071 If they don't, they're going to die. 00:22:17.071 --> 00:22:20.986 So I think there is tremendous opportunity. 00:22:20.986 --> 00:22:32.794 I think it's sad that when they polled Americans, a lot of Americans don't know what agriculture is, but everybody knows what food is and I love what you said. 00:22:32.794 --> 00:22:35.930 From the time we get up in the morning, we got a roof over our head. 00:22:35.930 --> 00:22:39.785 Ag commodity that's a product If we eat. 00:22:39.945 --> 00:22:43.032 Breathe in oxygen that was produced by trees and plants. 00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:47.512 Everything that, like you said, that we touch has something to do with agriculture. 00:22:47.512 --> 00:22:49.759 Let's talk leadership for a second. 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:51.845 Let's talk leadership for a second. 00:22:51.845 --> 00:22:52.847 You've taught for a while. 00:22:52.847 --> 00:22:56.782 You've trained a lot of teams, you've offered a lot of advice. 00:22:56.782 --> 00:22:58.330 Give me your top three leadership traits. 00:22:58.330 --> 00:23:01.846 If you could tell somebody to be an effective leader, what would they be? 00:23:03.550 --> 00:23:06.654 I think the number one would be an effective communicator. 00:23:06.654 --> 00:23:29.721 You've got to be able to communicate with people and always tell the kids read the room, because sometimes they don't, and unfortunately today our students don't do that as well, because they are glued to something that thinks for them a lot of time, whether it's a computer or a phone or whatever it may be, and so communication is definitely my number one. 00:23:30.450 --> 00:23:32.473 The other one I'm going to say is work ethic. 00:23:32.473 --> 00:23:41.857 Work ethic is no leader should be outworked by their other people, you know, by the people below them. 00:23:41.857 --> 00:23:49.230 It should always be a team effort, and I want to work alongside the leader and they should be giving that as an example. 00:23:49.230 --> 00:23:59.800 And so if, if you don't understand how to work, or you put your best foot forward or you have pride in the work you're producing, uh, you always want to leave things. 00:23:59.800 --> 00:24:06.358 My daddy used to always say you leave things better than you got them, and I think that's something with the work ethic as well. 00:24:06.358 --> 00:24:16.323 And then the third one I actually have four, so dependability, which might fall with that work ethic. 00:24:16.323 --> 00:24:23.182 If you your word means something if you say you're going to do it, then you need to make sure that that you do. 00:24:23.182 --> 00:24:30.551 You know there's nothing more, and that integrity or character is, you know, part of that as well. 00:24:30.551 --> 00:24:33.182 And then with that I would roll in compassion. 00:24:33.683 --> 00:24:39.480 I think people have to be compassionate because everybody walks in different footsteps. 00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:53.961 We're all trying to do the same thing, but their paths are different, and so just be, you know, compassionate, to understand that people you know may be having a rough time or hard time, and that's where that servant heart comes from. 00:24:53.961 --> 00:24:57.538 That we talk about a lot is, with community service, the living to serve. 00:24:57.538 --> 00:25:06.823 I could dissect the entire FFA motto for you because it fits every single thing we're doing, but I do believe that that's something that we try to teach our kids. 00:25:06.823 --> 00:25:08.631 You know that that is something that you want. 00:25:08.631 --> 00:25:16.257 To be a productive citizen, you want to make sure that you're giving back and that compassion and understanding, living to serve. 00:25:16.277 --> 00:25:18.741 That was really good, by the way. 00:25:18.741 --> 00:25:20.044 That's real good. 00:25:20.044 --> 00:25:28.723 No doubt a good leader is an effective communicator, both in the written word and the spoken word. 00:25:28.723 --> 00:25:34.382 And the other thing is I like that you said this, by the way but don't lose your voice. 00:25:34.382 --> 00:25:38.058 Don't let technology become your voice. 00:25:38.058 --> 00:25:43.001 It can help you amplify your voice, but be discerning. 00:25:43.001 --> 00:25:55.198 I love that you said be discerning and don't be afraid of technology, but don't let it replace, because it's not going to replace your work ethic, it's not going to replace your integrity. 00:25:55.198 --> 00:25:57.854 I love to ask the kids. 00:25:57.854 --> 00:25:58.876 A lot of times I ask them. 00:25:58.876 --> 00:26:00.181 I said tell me about your business. 00:26:00.181 --> 00:26:03.960 And they always look at me and say, mr Alejandro, I don't have a business. 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:05.395 I said, yeah, you are, you're it. 00:26:05.395 --> 00:26:06.573 I said what time? 00:26:06.593 --> 00:26:07.075 do you open in? 00:26:07.095 --> 00:26:07.477 the morning. 00:26:07.477 --> 00:26:08.290 What? 00:26:08.310 --> 00:26:09.334 kind of customer service. 00:26:09.374 --> 00:26:09.955 Do you deliver? 00:26:09.955 --> 00:26:11.441 Are you responsive? 00:26:11.441 --> 00:26:14.076 Do you do what you say you're going to do? 00:26:14.076 --> 00:26:15.596 I mean, we are our business. 00:26:15.596 --> 00:26:20.096 That's why everybody knows I go by the handle of your brand, because that's who we are. 00:26:20.990 --> 00:26:23.598 And to your point, I think those are great examples. 00:26:23.598 --> 00:26:31.090 Work that could. 00:26:31.090 --> 00:26:34.377 Dependability, compassion, empathy, vulnerability, all of those are signs of great leaders. 00:26:34.377 --> 00:26:41.413 So I hope people picked up on those, because that's gold right there, gold All right. 00:26:41.413 --> 00:26:43.759 So now let's talk about a little bit about Bloom. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:46.703 So it's really interesting. 00:26:46.723 --> 00:26:52.817 I love meeting people, by the way, and I'm always fascinated to learn about people, to learn about their backgrounds. 00:26:52.817 --> 00:27:02.020 And I remember, before COVID, I had an opportunity to meet this gentleman and he was telling me all about Bloom. 00:27:02.020 --> 00:27:11.777 His name was Pete Hexter and I just liked Pete Hexter, and I liked it because he was very accomplished in his career. 00:27:11.777 --> 00:27:21.065 But he was looking at what was next and it's like Tom Ziegler and Zig Ziegler say we're all going to leave a legacy. 00:27:21.065 --> 00:27:25.048 We're either going to leave that legacy by design or by default. 00:27:25.048 --> 00:27:30.451 Legacy by design or by default. 00:27:30.471 --> 00:27:35.798 And I just remember Pete telling me Aaron, I'm looking to do something that's going to make the world better, and I love it. 00:27:35.798 --> 00:27:50.679 When people have that FFA aha moment and I remember when Pete had that moment at the convention, both national and state convention when Pete had that moment at the convention, both national and state convention, he's like, OK, this is, I know we've got to support this. 00:27:50.679 --> 00:28:02.892 And so he's made several pivots in the company for the very purpose of wanting to support and why do you think it is that Pete's so committed to that? 00:28:02.892 --> 00:28:03.393 Why do you know him? 00:28:03.393 --> 00:28:03.472 Now? 00:28:03.472 --> 00:28:07.160 You work with him, what y'all do so focused on helping young people. 00:28:08.162 --> 00:28:34.082 Well, I do believe you know they changed the name from Bloom to Bloom for Good, because I do believe you nailed that that Pete is looking to leave a legacy of good and that goes right back to that servant heart which you know being a leader and wanting to give back, and he understands completely that, just like you said, we've got to grow our future in the youth, in all of our youth leadership programs. 00:28:34.082 --> 00:28:35.212 I mean, that is our mission. 00:28:35.212 --> 00:28:54.201 Bloom is about supporting youth in agriculture and other leadership programs, because if we don't lift them up and we don't help them and you know, I think a lot of times even my experience as an ag teacher a student will tell me later well, if you hadn't told me that I was going to be good at that, I wouldn't have done that. 00:28:54.201 --> 00:29:02.631 I'm like oh my gosh, you were so talented, you know, did you not see that? 00:29:02.631 --> 00:29:03.051 And I've said no. 00:29:03.051 --> 00:29:05.596 If you hadn't told me to be on this team, if you had not told me to write that speech. 00:29:05.615 --> 00:29:16.476 If you had not told me to run for this office, I would have done it because I didn't know I could or that I had the ability, and so I think a lot of times they are so fragile in the age that we're talking about. 00:29:16.476 --> 00:29:26.519 These youth are the future and again I say that, aaron, you and I are living proof of what an FFA program can build and grow. 00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:32.015 I mean, when I was a sophomore, I was so shy, I did not want to talk. 00:29:32.015 --> 00:29:34.741 I know this is unbelievable, people don't believe this. 00:29:34.741 --> 00:29:42.816 But my daddy said, nope, you're going to district leadership camp and he sent me away and I'm like, no, I won't know anybody, you can't do that to me. 00:29:42.816 --> 00:29:46.502 Came back and my mom says you haven't shut up since. 00:29:46.542 --> 00:29:51.816 So it was really that pivotal thing where it opens it up and then you talk about aha moments. 00:29:51.816 --> 00:30:02.074 Even as students we have that and that's so cool to watch when it switches and you realize about the premier leadership, the personal growth and leading you to career success. 00:30:02.074 --> 00:30:19.135 And I truly believe that Pete saw that and he wanted to be a part of it and he picked the best organization and I just I'm so happy to be on the journey with him and the entire Bloom team to help and serve, because I do. 00:30:19.135 --> 00:30:20.971 I have a servant heart and so it was. 00:30:20.971 --> 00:30:27.269 It was a no brainer for me at the time of retirement, when I had to get out of the classroom, that this was exactly what I wanted to do at the time of retirement when I had to get out of the classroom. 00:30:27.430 --> 00:30:28.530 That this was exactly what I wanted to do. 00:30:28.530 --> 00:30:32.934 That's the reason why I wanted to mention that, because I can tell you from the seat that I sit in. 00:30:32.934 --> 00:30:48.027 It was fun, and has been fun, to watch where Bloom was, to watch their connection with my colleagues across the United States, to see what role you're playing now and its next steps, if you will. 00:30:48.027 --> 00:30:55.174 But at the end of the day, I love it that it's not just about it is a business. 00:30:55.194 --> 00:30:55.896 Businesses are not. 00:30:55.896 --> 00:31:01.894 Like I tell my colleagues, businesses are not a fountain of funds for nonprofits. 00:31:01.894 --> 00:31:03.859 Businesses are in business to make money. 00:31:03.859 --> 00:31:20.676 But as a result of their success there comes a lot of philanthropy, and I like it when I see that they say, hey, listen, we want to support because businesses could put their money in a lot of places. 00:31:20.676 --> 00:31:28.422 And so I'm always thrilled People that know me know I say this when I write proposals and we've been very successful. 00:31:28.911 --> 00:31:31.078 I'm very proud of what we've been able to accomplish. 00:31:31.078 --> 00:31:36.336 When we write proposals, there's two questions that I ask myself so what and according to who? 00:31:36.336 --> 00:31:54.665 It's real easy for us to go around and say we're the greatest youth organization in America, but we may have a stakeholder that their son or daughter was exceptional in sports or band or UIL, or speech and debate or Eagle Scout. 00:31:54.665 --> 00:31:58.279 So it's very arrogant for us to say that. 00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:10.925 But when I can say, well, according to Ford Motor Company, according to McCoy's, according to Justin Boots, according to Bloom, our kids are pretty good. 00:32:10.925 --> 00:32:15.320 So there's my so what and my according to who. 00:32:16.030 --> 00:32:23.970 So when we have stakeholders that believe in us, it makes our efforts more rewarding. 00:32:23.970 --> 00:32:33.519 So I just want to say thank you, thank you to you, thank you to Pete, and again, it's all about the leadership. 00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:36.263 We could sit and talk all day about all this. 00:32:36.263 --> 00:33:02.862 The good thing is, we both agree that we want a better Texas, we want a better United States and we believe that Ag, food and Natural Resources and the FFA could be a great portal to get those great leaders out there in business, in agriculture, in classrooms, and thank you for sharing that with us and joining us today. 00:33:02.862 --> 00:33:05.955 Before we leave, everybody gets a fun question. 00:33:07.019 --> 00:33:14.776 Okay before we leave, everybody gets a fun question, okay. 00:33:14.816 --> 00:33:19.390 So melissa rosenbush basher, tell me what is the best concert you've ever been to, oh, wow, okay. 00:33:19.390 --> 00:33:24.798 Well, I just went to one recently that was pretty fantastic. 00:33:24.798 --> 00:33:31.989 Um, it was Zach Topp, because my son that was his his graduation president from high school was that? 00:33:31.989 --> 00:33:32.589 That's what he said. 00:33:32.589 --> 00:33:34.374 He's such an old soul. 00:33:34.374 --> 00:33:48.682 I couldn't afford George Strait tickets to see Zach Topp, but I did sneak into the Astrodome in high school with my best friend and we did get to peek through the fence there and get to see George Strait ride around on his horse. 00:33:48.682 --> 00:33:49.934 So that was pretty good too. 00:33:49.934 --> 00:33:52.857 But I would say those are my top two for sure. 00:33:52.917 --> 00:33:54.080 Wow, that's good. 00:33:54.080 --> 00:33:55.734 That's really good. 00:33:55.734 --> 00:34:13.922 Yeah, no, it's a fun question to ask and it's amazing the spectrum of artists and entertainers and stories that have come out of this podcast, everything from Metallica to Pitbull to, obviously. 00:34:14.041 --> 00:34:14.742 King George. 00:34:17.251 --> 00:34:18.336 Even the greatest showman. 00:34:18.336 --> 00:34:24.840 I mean, it's been fascinating to hear people, but I just think it's a reminder that we're all the same. 00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:31.338 We all like a good movie, a good book, a good song, and those are just things that we have in common. 00:34:31.338 --> 00:34:34.349 So thank you for sharing that. 00:34:34.369 --> 00:34:35.996 Tom, absolutely yeah. 00:34:37.271 --> 00:34:37.974 All right folks. 00:34:37.974 --> 00:34:42.492 Well, thank you for stopping by for another edition of the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:34:42.492 --> 00:34:47.047 This is just another reason I loved Melissa coming on, for several reasons. 00:34:47.047 --> 00:34:50.438 Melissa really is an example of why I love my job. 00:34:50.438 --> 00:34:52.215 People ask me that all the time. 00:34:52.215 --> 00:34:53.335 They said you really like your job. 00:34:53.335 --> 00:34:53.856 I said I do. 00:34:53.856 --> 00:35:11.735 I said I get to work with some incredible educators, I get to work with young people that want to serve, and then I work with some incredible sponsors who have a heart for the future, and Melissa just kind of embodies all of that. 00:35:11.735 --> 00:35:13.340 So thank you all for stopping by. 00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:17.711 Until we meet again, go out and do something great for somebody. 00:35:17.711 --> 00:35:23.963 You'll feel better about it, you'll make things better and grow the future. 00:35:23.963 --> 00:35:26.333 Plant the seeds you heard today. 00:35:26.333 --> 00:35:31.240 Plant them, take care of them, harvest them and then share them. 00:35:31.240 --> 00:35:33.125 Thanks for stopping by. 00:35:33.125 --> 00:35:36.018 We'll see you next time on the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:35:41.010 --> 00:35:44.601 We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the Growing Our Future podcast. 00:35:44.601 --> 00:35:58.880 This show is sponsored by the Texas FFA Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen agricultural science education so students can develop their potential for personal growth, career success and leadership in a global marketplace. 00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:01.257 Learn more at mytexasffaorg.