Sam Fryer: [00:00:00] Good day everyone and welcome to a Place School Home podcast. I have a pretty fun episode for you guys today. I caught up with Tom Ford and Jamie Lee Cooper. Now, just a bit of a heads up. I have known Tom since I was a kid.
So, uh, just ignore some of the banter that's thrown throughout the episode but we did have a bit of fun doing this. Anyway, Tom and Jamie Lee run TJ Rural, which is a fencing contracting business here in North Queensland. And they have a really interesting story from building a business outside of their own families, Tom's family business. And also, Jamie Lee tells her story about Moving from the coast and pursuing this dream in rural Australia. It's a pretty good mix, and 2 of their stories combining [00:01:00] and the journey that they're on at the moment of finding a place to call home.
Also, I must apologize because this is the first time I have interviewed a couple on the podcast. So there is a bit of rough interviewing style going on in the background. Um, but once we ease out of the nerves and get into the podcast it turns into a great chat. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it. If you do, please share it with friends and family And throw us a rating.
I'd greatly appreciate it. Now before we jump into this week's episode, I just wanna say a big thank you to this week's sponsors, PRP Regional North Queensland. Now Roger's been a supporter of this podcast from the very beginning. And he's teamed up with Brendan Leggett with this new venture based in North Queensland, Helping to support everyone with their rural valuation needs. Now, be sure to get in contact with them as a [00:02:00] way to say thanks, And you'll hear a bit more later on the podcast.
So whatever you're up to, whether you're on a bike, in the office, or maybe in a tractor, hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you very much, Jamie Lee and Tom, for jumping on the Place to Call Home podcast. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, can you tell us a bit more about yourself? Where do you live, and what do you do? Uh, thanks,
Tom Ford: Sam.
Uh, we are contract fences and yard builders. Um, we're we sort of Our base is Cara at Cara Station outside of
Jamie Lee Cooper: Richmond. Mum, Jamie Lee, thanks for having us on the podcast. And, um, yeah, I live and work with Tom. Um, together, we run TJ Rural Fencing and Yard Building.
Sam Fryer: Look. Before we get too far ahead, can you tell us a bit more about where you both grew up? Like, uh, and and did you grow up in a rural environment? Did you grow up in a property? [00:03:00]
Tom Ford: Um, well, Jamie Lee says that I haven't really grown up yet, but I suppose I got older around Huwandan and Richmond on our Family places, and, uh, I think we moved to Tennant Creek when I was about 7.
We got a cattle station out there. So sort of grew up there until until went to school and left school? Yeah.
Jamie Lee Cooper: Uh, so I grew up, um, you could say I I my early, early years, um, outside of sort of Brisbane near the Bay Areas. After that, we moved south, uh, just south of the Gold Coast, um, where I went to school there.
Uh, we lived on a few Small properties, more like horse and small cattle places. Um, and from there, as a young teenager, I moved out to Tenerifeld, and you could say I grew up on a cattle and sheep station or property there. And
Sam Fryer: [00:04:00] yeah. Did you guys both go away to boarding school? Did were you be able were you able to school locally?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Um, I was able to school locally. Uh, I did do the last year through distance education. Uh, so I just did that At at my own pace, uh, as I sort of worked on the property as well, I'd always wanted to be outside. So being in a classroom wasn't really for me, but, Uh, no. I didn't go to boarding school.
Tom Ford: Um, Yeah. I went to from grade 8 to 12, I went to All Souls in Charter Sears. Yep. Yeah. I got my education there.
How'd
Sam Fryer: you go going into I'm guessing you would have been distance ed in primary years and into a boarding school, how is that transition? Yeah.
Tom Ford: Um, I I loved it. I really enjoyed boarding school. Um, out of Tennant Creek, there wasn't a lot of kids.
And doing distance ed, you only see kids, um, sorta every now and then, say, 3 or 4 times a year. So going there and being amongst kids all the time was It was unreal for me. I really enjoyed it. And you
Sam Fryer: [00:05:00] both had pretty interesting career leaving school. I think, Jamie, I was gonna start with you because You traditionally don't have apart from growing up on the station, you didn't go out to agriculture straight away.
Is that right?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Yeah. That's right. Uh, when I I left school in year 10 and, um, to pursue vet nursing, uh, for me, that was my way of, uh, Being with animals, I guess, it was something that, uh, growing up, and I'd always wanted to be around animals, large and small. So I left school to to pursue that.
It ended up not being a great interest of mine. Um, I did do a bit of Traveling with, uh, the mobile vet, but then changed hands. I ended up being in the clinic, which wasn't for me. Uh, so I left Tenor field when I was about 21 and and went back to the coast to pursue a career in childcare.
Sam Fryer: This is, uh, I must say it's a pretty good fight because you guys would be the first couple I'm [00:06:00] gonna have on the podcast.
So it is exciting. So I do, um, I do apologize for some of the roughness, probably the interviewing style that's going on at the moment. But, Tom, what did you get up to once you
Tom Ford: left school? I see went to Canada for a couple of years. Just when was working on ranches and just having a look around over there, um, and then come home and did a little bit of contracting.
And then, Yeah. When I only did that for 6 to 8 months, I think, and then went home for a few years. And And then, yeah, went, um, back contracting again. So
Sam Fryer: Was it always contract mastering or contract fencing or Just
Tom Ford: just mastering to start with. Um, this, The TJ Rural is the first, uh, contract fencing that really undertaken.
Yeah.
Sam Fryer: So touching on TJ Rural, What is TJ Rule? What do you guys do, and what area do you cover?
Tom Ford: TJ Ruhl, we're a like we [00:07:00] said at the start, we're a fencing and yard building business. We started off we were advertising for mustering too, but, Just as our sort of vehicle to get where we wanna go, we we found we're finding the fencing is a lot more Profitable for us, and especially with only 2 people and the shortage of staff we're finding.
We've set our gear up so that we can We can run quite efficiently with 2 people. So, um, that sort of cuts out having to find staff too much. At the moment, we are sort of servicing well, our the job we're going to in all week is in Dolby. So, Yeah. We will go anywhere soon from there sorta up to the territory if we we're just Chasing the work really.
Uh, good contract. We'll just about go anywhere for it.
Sam Fryer: And how did you start or why did you start TJ Verul?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Well, we started TJ Rural. Um, it it sort of bounced off [00:08:00] a few conversations through traveling, um, together.
Uh, Tom sort of put it to me after a bit of contract work that he'd done recently, Uh, where he'd built a set of yards with with a mate of his, and, um, you know, it sort of sparked a bit more of an interest with him, I guess, as to whether or not it was something that we could move forward with together. Uh, so, Yeah. We were we were traveling along in the truck, and Tom said, what do you think about fencing? And I said, oh, I don't I don't know why. And I guess it sort of just evolved from there.
Um, you know, it's it's a very Physically demanding job. It's hard work. It can deter a lot of people because I guess it doesn't have that fun aspect that mustering does, but we make our own fun. So, um, you know, we make the most of where we are and [00:09:00] and, Yeah. And who we've got with us, um, if it's not just us.
So, yeah, the the conversation just Kept blooming, and and before we knew it, we had a registered company and a logo, and we sort of thought, Well Follow through. We've yeah. Better follow through with it now. And and, uh, yeah, then we went ahead and purchased the machinery, which meant We really have to go along with this now. So yeah.
Sam Fryer: I think it's interesting because you you guys definitely well, I'll touch back on you guys as we're jumping back into it, but I think it's Really interesting. It's like service, um, businesses and stuff that are popping up because of the shortage of labor on properties. Like, people these days don't have 3 or 4 ringers that they can go out and, and put a fence up. And a lot of people are time poor. So, you know, you're seeing the growth of people That are running like either contract fencing, contract mastering, machinery operation, whatever it is, all those other services that most properties don't have the time for Really starting to bloom and it's a [00:10:00] massive opportunity to grow.
And it's awesome to see like a young couple like yourselves taking advantage of that and diving head first. Were you daunted at all after buying the machinery? You've jumped and traded the business. Were you a bit worried about the work, or did it just start coming in?
Tom Ford: At the start, as as anything taking on a big debt, you'd be worried about lining up contracts.
But, very early on, we well, yeah, very early on, we'd we'd secured 2 2 jobs, 2 smaller jobs to get us started. And then, Actually, when we were going down to pick up our truck, we we got contact contacted by our main client, and He's they're pretty much giving us enough work to keep us pretty busy for the foreseeable future. So that, yeah, that Sort of at the beginning took a lot of weight off our shoulders in that aspect.
Sam Fryer: I'm gonna touch on the cattle a bit more later because I really wanted to focus on this [00:11:00] because I I I really see, And you guys have talked about this previously is that this is the business that's helping you drive towards that goal of land ownership and towards the cattle business. But, You know, I think it's awesome to see because so much in this generation, I suppose, will get thrown around. It's like, young people don't wanna work. Yet here we are 2, like a young couple having a crack hooking in doing it's bloody hard work fencing and making a good, Good business out of it, and it's awesome to see.
But along the journey, what are some of the things, I suppose, you wish you learned at the start And what you've learned now, which which you wish you would knew at the start of the journey.
Tom Ford: Um, well, I I wish I would have known known about it Probably 10 years ago. Yep. That would've been good. And then just going along through it, I think The the things that we haven't known and have learned have made it sort of have made it exciting.
[00:12:00] And Well, at at this at the time, it's not exciting when when things are breaking down and you gotta redo Certain jobs and that, but, um, not the the learning along the way is is what's Sort of keeps us ticking, and that continuous improvement has been a a fun part of it. Um, always I'm always building gadgets or something like that just to Continuously improve. I think if I thought I knew everything at the start, I'd sort of plateau. And that that goes with the fence and just how we anything we do, we always try to always try to Do it better and maybe a little quicker and and things like that. So I I think, you know, I'm sort of glad that we didn't know everything at the start.
Uh, we certainly don't know everything now, but, yeah, it's I think that's sorta is that answer your question?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Yeah. And when when we do hit a little speed bump, and [00:13:00] and I say a little speed bump because that's how I like to look at things, um, it sorta It keeps us on that incline more than anything, and I I think if we didn't have those little speed bumps, What what would drive us? You know? What what would push us to to keep trying and to keep going?
So I think when you when you do hit an obstacle, Um, use it to your advantage. Uh, that's what we try to do. Um And laugh. Sometimes things are just a laughable situation. It's always
Sam Fryer: a laughing situation when I tell him, isn't he?
He brings the light. You guys mentioned before, you're also trying, like building a bit of a cattle business 2 on as well as what you're doing with TJ Ruhr, you've got your fencing, and then you're also trying to build a bit of a herd chasing that dream. Um, Can you guys tell us a bit more how that's been? How has the journey been into stepping into some of your own cattle and some of the challenges that you faced?
Tom Ford: Um, yeah.
Well, like you [00:14:00] said, that's that's the catalyst is what I'm passionate about. I couldn't care if I never did another kay offense in in my life, but I would like to, Yeah. If I wasn't to have anything to do with cattle anymore, you know, that's sort of that's that's the reason why we're Why we're doing the fencing is to be able to have that place where we can run our cows and don't have to go away and and go fencing. Um, so I think the, the building the cows part has been very
Sam Fryer: rewarding. How have you found that?
How how has it been? What are some of the things that have been, um, been really struggling with? Like, has adjustment lease? Like, these are stuff that's People really struggle with up here is trying to find that paddock, especially when you're building, you don't have 500 head that you can go and lease some like half a property. And you've only got, I know, like for us, for instance, we only got that.
I had 150 breeders [00:15:00] up here in adjustment we had, and it was bloody tough trying to find a paddock because this, That scale, that smaller scale is really hard to find that place for them. Have you guys faced that challenge as well?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Yeah. Look. It all So that happened really quickly.
We were very fortunate that a family member, um, did offer us up a paddock. Uh, we purchased the cattle. That all happened And settled them in and, uh, you know, we knew our time frame on that paddock. Uh, so I started searching for adjustment or we started searching for adjustment Through various ways, uh, ads in newspapers, Facebook, word-of-mouth, adjustment dot net, A lot of avenues, but we haven't had much success. It's a really hard thing.
I think the time of year that we were looking as well, we are still looking. You know, it's a challenge. It's 1 of been 1 of our biggest challenges, but it's not gonna deter us. You know? I think, [00:16:00] um, again, that's something that drives us to keep doing our everyday job because we wanna secure Yeah.
A paddock or a lease or or our own block. So, yeah, it's a challenge. It it can sort of get you down sometimes, but You just gotta pick yourself up and and be positive. Put that thought out there and and say we're gonna find a paddock. You know?
Um, you just have that determination. And, yeah, we sort of gotta be prepared, but at the same time, you've also gotta be prepared to roll with With what, what comes of
Sam Fryer: it, sir. Jamie, I'm gonna, I'm gonna stick with you for this next question. Because I, I think 1 of the big things I wanna touch on is succession in this season. It's gonna be pretty scary topic.
I'm really trying to work out how I'm still gonna have that conversation, but Probably the other thing that's coming out and you're definitely a big example of it is almost like the other side of where the partners come from a totally different background. Because you are actually your, you [00:17:00] mentioned that your family actually runs, is it like you, you have a family business down on the coast that you, All your, most of your family are involved in, and you've actually left that to come and pursue a rural lifestyle and a rural life. Like how, How was that stepping away? And, literally, you've gone from, you know, sandy beaches to Richmond.
Jamie Lee Cooper: Yeah.
As I said earlier, um, I did pursue that career in childcare. I started off With a center that wasn't involved with my family, but my mom does own 3 centers. And I had the opportunity to transition from the other childcare Over to the family 1, once once I'd obtained all my study and and a bit of experience from outside. Once I'd done that, I, you know, I worked with the babies and the toddlers and and worked my way up into admin and and the manage managerial side of things. And I guess after doing that, I'd been there working in the family business for [00:18:00] 5 years, and, yeah, it does it Did, and it still does involve a lot of the family.
But I couldn't deny my love for horses and being out on the land, so I ended up renting out my house that I'd worked so hard to, um, purchase and and have built. And I headed out to far Southwest Queensland to be a ringer, and that sort of led me on my journey to where I am now, I guess. The family business is something that I'm still involved in whenever I have a conversation with my mom. We're very much, um, you know, very much in touch in regards to the business still. So any kind of Contribution that I can make from afar.
You know, I feel like it it definitely still helps in it, um, still makes an impact From afar, but my family are also very supportive of the decisions that I've made and and [00:19:00] very encouraging of of this lifestyle that I'm living in, and they can see that it is essentially where I'm supposed to be. So if I'm happy, they're happy.
Sam Fryer: And touching on, I was going to go back, back a step, but touching on a house, you actually use your house to help. Was it buy the equipment or buy the cow? So you've, You know, you sold up that to invest in this lifestyle.
You're fully committed. Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie Lee Cooper: So I I rented it out, uh, for sort of 12 months when I first left because I took a big risk leaving my career. It was something that I was, you know, was very passionate about, and I really enjoyed it.
But, yeah, as I said, I I couldn't deny what, uh, what my heart and soul needed. Um, and, yeah, I then decided, well, this is I'm gonna do, I'm gonna sell my house, and and I'm gonna keep seeing where this agricultural industry can take me. You know? What can I do within it? I was then very fortunate that I'd sat on that.
You know? I'd I'd made a really good investment. I sat on that, [00:20:00] and I sorta didn't really know what I wanted to do with that, um, with that money from the sale of the house, but, Yeah. Then it it came to be that it was a good advantage. You know?
It was it was really good to have access to Some money there to help us get, yeah, to help us get this business going. So, um, so, yeah, it was definitely you know, it all all happened How it was supposed to, and and that's worked out well. So yeah.
Sam Fryer: You, um, turned up with Tom. He comes.
Jamie Lee Cooper: Yeah. And then along the way, while I was nannying somewhere, I met Tom.
Sam Fryer: Sorry, Tom. I promise I'll I'll probably I won't spend the entirety throwing you out of the bus, but I will take more of a tune in then. But, Brandon Leggett And Roger Hill have joined forces to open their own regional property valuation business under the [00:21:00] Preston Roe Patterson franchise model.
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They are values in their own right with no conflict of interest. And for your bank finance valuations, they provide independent Valuations for your financial security. To find out more, be sure to get in contact with Brendan and Roger on 0 4 0 8 0 3 0 6 7 2. There's a big theme I do wanna touch on as Succession, and it's so it's such a hard conversation to have, and it's Something that needs to be had, though. And 1 thing, like, you actually came and you've mentioned a couple of times from [00:22:00] A family business from a from a property, like, from a rural business.
What, um, what made you go out and have a crack of your own and build With Jamie Lee, TJ Rural, and also have a crack with your own
Tom Ford: herd. Um, it's 1 of them is based around the succession part, and that's us. When it comes time to succession, we want to have something to offer. Yep. Not just be some, um, not just be something.
Yeah. Something Just to take, um, so that's that's 1 part. You know, we wanna we wanna build something where we can add to the family business Instead of just just working in it, we wanna work on it, you know, and have really have something to offer there. So that's That's, um, 1 part. And the other was to have a bit of freedom and enjoy our own journey as well because no 1 knows how succession's gonna go all the time.
[00:23:00] Um, so we didn't We don't really wanna just be relying on, uh, a handout Yep. Or anything like that. We wanna just build our own castle, really. And that way we've got if if we wanna do what we wanna do, well, we've got that option. That's that's what it's sort of about for us is, Um, having something to call our own and really just in enjoy our own enjoy our own journey sort of thing as we're going.
And And if we end up with something else down the down the track, well, all the better. But
Sam Fryer: yeah. It's it's also scary these days where you see, Um, you know, we've all heard the story of the, the, the son or daughter staying in business and turning around when they're 60 years old and don't end up with anything or they might, you know, they don't have anything to name, they've never done anything outside and in the end, the parents just decide to sell up and Well, you hear that scary story like that, or when they do get to that point and they get to sec succession, they don't have anything outside to bargain with. And, And it's also [00:24:00] and what's really good in what you guys are doing is you're building business now. It's like you've you've building your knowledge and experience of actually running your own business.
Right. And, you know, the challenges, like you said, the hiccups that happen along the way, like, it's learning to overcome those that give you the skills for 1 day, If you do take over or you, you do inherit or whatever happens is that you've actually got the skills and knowledge there that you've built up over years of
Tom Ford: Building your own thing? Yeah. A bit of skin in the game and Oh, it
Sam Fryer: helps. Yeah.
I think it needs it. Hey. Like, I think the industry needs it, So a bit more of that. And there's a lot of people out there doing it. We just that's why I'm hoping to showcase it a bit more.
The because there are people that just don't get the light shone on them enough. Have you, um, 1 thing I haven't encountered and probably I don't know. It's an issue for improvisation. It's a tough 1 too is I always get the question. I was like, why aren't you even home?
Or like, you know, and I I've already told my reasons previously and but you still get that in the main You still have people walk up to you like, oh, why aren't you helping [00:25:00] your dad? Or why aren't you doing this? Have you ever encountered much of that?
Tom Ford: Well, not really. Um, I'm sure there's some there may be some conversations, um, Around this, but we don't hear them.
But, like, my other siblings, We've all sort of got our own businesses Yep. And contracting in that, but we're all still very involved at home as well. Just the the nature of the properties that we've got, that sort of lends itself to Being relatively low maintenance. So it is not it doesn't take all of us to be there all the time. Like, we always, Everyone goes home to Tennant Creek for the mustering and the rounds and that sort of stuff.
Um, so, yeah, we are very involved in that sense. And so, yeah, we [00:26:00] we help we aren't just, um, cut off from it as such. Which is yeah.
Sam Fryer: Tell me what about you? Do you ever get an account of that?
Because you have it'd be a totally different culture to where you're originally from. Do you ever get some of your friends or family from home going, what are you doing?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Not so much. And it's funny as, you know, I listen, you sit here and talk about Succession planning within the agricultural industry, I feel like it's something that hasn't even really Been discussed within my family about the centers. And because I come from that different light, You know, for me, it's not even am I gonna get that, or am I Yeah.
Gonna get a bite of that or something like that. You know? So I guess that's Where I have this drive to really succeed on my own, and I and I always sort of have. And That's not to take away from Tom and his family because I'm I'm very encouraging and supporting of that. We [00:27:00] have loads of fun when we Get to go and help with the rounds or whether we're home and, you know, contribute to a bit of fencing or some ideas, and it's all really important stuff.
But, Yeah. It definitely I can confidently say no. It's not a question that's been asked of me. Maybe at the Start. You know?
My gosh. You know? You could work from home. It's so flexible. Yeah.
And and, yeah, I had all those great things, but I didn't have a life, really. My my life was so indebted to that childcare center that I didn't Have anything enjoyable outside of it, and that's what I I needed. And and this lifestyle that we have and that we're creating For ourselves and, and with the family, it's just absolutely amazing.
Sam Fryer: If you have a paradigm shift For you, Tom, like, coming from what Jamie Lee is saying with, with that thought on succession, it is so much as like, it's in agriculture. So much that so many kids are like, oh, what do I get?
What am I gonna get? When [00:28:00] you look outside of agriculture, everyone's kind of Want to have a crack in what are they gonna build themselves? And I don't know what it is, but it's definitely a conversation you see, um, when you kind of step out And move away and, and talk to other people. They all say the same thing. It's like succession in agriculture is it's a weird little thing that goes on If you're not a part of it, you know?
Um, but look look, moving on a bit, what what does the next couple years look on look like for you guys? Next 5, 10, 20 years. You got some big, hairy, audacious goals, or what's happening?
Tom Ford: Uh, Yeah. We do.
For the immediate future, just straight lines and barbed wire. Yeah. There's a lot of welding looking through a welding helmet. Like we're on
Sam Fryer: it. Just dream dreaming of welding slag and That's
Tom Ford: that's the immediate future.
But,
Sam Fryer: um, You you're building [00:29:00] something though. Like you you With TJ Real, what you're doing there? Are you are you guys looking to do a bit like, some more farm vesting or something as well as building your own herd, or what are you planning to do there?
Jamie Lee Cooper: Yeah. So given that we can secure some adjustment Yep.
Or lease, We're definitely looking at building our our breed among. That'll be pretty fun. There's a lot of work amidst all of this. And, uh, for this year, we definitely have insight purchasing an investment property, solar rental. Uh, we've been looking for for some time now just sort of seeing what's out there, what what areas.
Sam Fryer: Getting that equity under nature. Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie Lee Cooper: Definitely. Um, and we just you know, that we wanna build our portfolio, I guess Yeah.
So that we can Reach that goal, whether it you know, hopefully, we're we're very hopeful that it's within this 5 years Um, that we can purchase Even just a small property, [00:30:00] somewhere where we can put our breeders and and know that We don't have to keep looking for adjustment, at least for them. Yep.
Tom Ford: Yep. And, yeah, just keep on just keep on building, because we'd most certainly not gonna be able to save save our way to a property. So I'm beast.
Just, um, we may have to find a A good person in QI to talk to about that. Throw him under the bus. It's just a shame there's no good, um, reps in our area.
Sam Fryer: And, fuck, I'll leave that in. In fact, that
Tom Ford: Um, but, yeah, just just building up.
So It may be multiple, um, properties like in, um, residential properties or commercial blocks or something like that just to Build them up and and then borrow against them or and then try to continue building on our breeder numbers. Like Jamie Lee said, just [00:31:00] All these all these vehicles to keep on just building up enough so that we can go and put down on something and then just Keep on rolling on from there. That's that's really the the the plan. It's good. It's
Sam Fryer: a It's a big thing that building that equity.
And like you said, like, if you just put your money in the bank, you're not going to save for it. You've got to make an investment. You've got to build. And it's probably something I'm going to try and Bring in later on in the season or later on in the podcast is looking at some more of the maybe bringing in a financial advisor or something like that, or someone to talk around this because a lot of people, they don't really understand. They're a bit scared of shares, or they're a bit scared of real estate investing yet these days, You're gonna have to do something like that.
You're gonna have to invest to make make your money work for you. Yeah. Look. Um, You guys I I saw I saw well, do follow you guys on social, but I see you guys been kicking around doing a few courses lately. What are some of the ones that You've got the [00:32:00] best bang for your buck out of it you've enjoyed?
Tom Ford: Um, um, well, for the cattle, the KLR school was really good. Now I'm just we had a few concerns around what we're gonna do with Progyny and and whatnot and being out and weighing up adjustment versus, Uh, what what we were gonna get for the cattle and that sort of thing. Just, uh, a lot of their strategies has really helped us through with that. That's a good year.
Sam Fryer: For those that don't know, what is the KLR school?
Jamie Lee Cooper: KLR gave Me, a a great understanding about what happens behind the scenes. Been a ringer for 4 or so years. Yeah. I'd worked with the cattle, the livestock, but I never got to know what happens when you know, What dollar signs or weights or why they're selling this or why they didn't sell that? So this this course [00:33:00] Being new into owning cattle, it it really gave me an in-depth understanding of the processes and and an understanding of of how to make that decision.
Uh, so, yeah, it really simplified everything. It gives you Tools that you can access, calculators, um, you know, to work off the market that day and and be able to Make a decision confidently based off actual figures. And for me, Knowing what the cattle cost, I went into it straight away With wanting to have an understanding of, okay, what are these cattle costing us? Yeah. What inputs do we have to what inputs do we have to contribute?
And And what are we gonna get back? Just to make sure that because it is an extra thing outside of our everyday [00:34:00] work, and we do work all over the place, We wanna make sure that they're at least paying for themselves at this stage. Yep. So, yeah, it was a really good understanding. I came into it With as a blank canvas, Tom has some other understanding and maybe a little bit of that old school trading kind of mind.
Whereas for me, I only really know this way of what what we learned at that course. And and we have so much more to learn along the way. Like, there's gonna be there's gonna be ups and downs all the way along the way, but this course gave us a little bit deeper understanding of how to make that confidently.
Sam Fryer: Yeah. Have you guys had any mentors or anyone who's helped you along your journey so far?
Jamie Lee Cooper: I'm gonna say straight up my mom. She Has had very successful business, and she's, I guess taught me how to have that work ethic, that [00:35:00] desire, um, chase what you truly want. Um, so she's she's been a a big mentor in a lot of my decisions in my life. And and more than anything, I think She supported me even if she thought my decision wasn't the best at that time. She wasn't gonna tell me that, but Then we work through what to do after that.
You know? So that that for me has been a big value because sometimes you don't learn until you make a steak or or until you get knocked down, and then you you know, how do you get back up out of that? And that that gives you gives you more skill from that. At the moment, I would say Tom's a pretty big mentor in regards to the physical work. I don't build
Sam Fryer: him much too much.
Sure. You won't gotta walk downstairs at the head. It's going too big. That's 10
Tom Ford: points. That's 10
Sam Fryer: points.
Jamie Lee Cooper: No. So, honestly, though, Tom Tom is sort of I I watch the way that [00:36:00] that Tom works, and And for Tom, nothing's ever really hard work because I guess you could say the way that he's been brought up is That it's just part of life. Mhmm. Whether it's Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, whatever day of the week it is, it's not work. It's just life.
And it's a really important thing to have in our business because we're away from home. We're away from things that are familiar. You know, all we think that there is to do is to work. So it is a good thing to have that drive.
Sam Fryer: Could Gotta have a thing, another thing called
Jamie Lee Cooper: balance too.
Yes. And I am the balance.
Sam Fryer: You are the balance. Tom, what about yourself? Have you got any mentors or anything like that that's really helped you out?
Tom Ford: Um, well, yeah. Mom and dad, just their work ethic and how Sure. The kind of lay. Yeah. Just how they're, Yeah.
I I think that I've sort of definitely got my work ethic from, um, [00:37:00] dad. He's just he never stops. It's quite annoying when you want a sundae, and he's hanging around in the shed. It sort of makes you yeah. You can't really Relax.
But, um, you know, that's that's just how how that generation is. I think they're just They're battlers, and they go. But and and it's hard not to be mentored by just about everyone in These communities out here, you just look around and you see people going through droughts and and all that and resilience and people throughout From the floods and that and just to bounce back and keep on going, it sort of you know, and that's they're sort of mentors for everyone. You just gotta look around, and You you get something that kicks you along. Yeah?
Yeah.
Sam Fryer: And, um, what would be your 1 piece of advice for the next generation Who are entering this land ownership journey? Don't wait
Tom Ford: to start. Just have a crack. [00:38:00] Yeah.
I'd yeah. That's pretty much it. Just just hook in. Don't be afraid to fail a couple of times. What about you,
Sam Fryer: Jamie Lee?
Jamie Lee Cooper: The biggest thing for me to share with others is don't doubt yourself. You are your number 1 supporter, so, you know, back yourself. Don't let anyone else's opinions or ideas Sway your way of thinking, and and, yeah, like Tom said, just have a go. You're only you know, you can only move forward. Whatever knocks you down, just get back up again.
Sam Fryer: Look. We've we've battled for the mowers. We've battled for the trucks and everything else passing by. But I just you guys mentioned a couple of times during the interview that you guys are still chasing that bit of adjustment and stuff like that. Let you guys do a call out, but also sharing out chasing some.
But, also, I think, um, 1 thing I've talking to some people, especially in, [00:39:00] like, Positions like yourself where you are running a contract fencing is sometimes it's a good way to negotiate, you know? For anyone out there looking to fix up block or doing a lot of fencing. It's you're you're a great couple to have come and lease your property because you can literally walk away with a fully fenced property by the end of it. Are you guys Willing to do something like that to help
Tom Ford: out? Yeah.
Absolutely, Sam. Thanks for the plug. That's alright. Thank you. That's ideally what we are.
We're very open to that. Yeah. If we can secure something semipermanent. You know? It doesn't have to be Forever, but, uh, that's that's really what we're we're aiming for because like you said, we are we contract Ventus, yard builders.
We can Improve your your infrastructure, and you let us eat your grass. And that's That's that's
Sam Fryer: a it's a good
Tom Ford: good deal. Yeah. Just that That trade off, I think it could really work well, say, for for people who because getting workers is Is the thing. It's [00:40:00] it's near impossible, and and we're prepared to we're prepared to help someone out who wants to help us out.
Sam Fryer: And I think it's this, like, the next generation helping the old generation. It's a it's a vice versa. Like, 1, there's a lot of older people out there with a big asset, like property, but then also they don't have the energy or the or they don't have the time to do it. So it's it's a great match if you can make it work, some type of thing. But, yeah, I just thought I'd give you guys the opportunity because I know you mentioned it a couple of times.
I'd I'd definitely see it as something that that'd be huge. Yeah. Yeah.
Tom Ford: Absolutely. No.
That's that's sort of That would be great. Really.
Sam Fryer: Too easy to have. Look. Tom and Jamie Lee, thank you very much for jumping on the Place Call Home podcast, and you guys have a cracker of a day.
You too,
Tom Ford: Sam. Thanks so
Sam Fryer: much. Thank you very much For listening to another episode of A Place to Call Home podcast. If you have enjoyed the episode, I'd greatly appreciate if you could follow along. And If you really did enjoy it, if you could leave us a rating, I'd [00:41:00] greatly appreciate that.
Look, for today's quote of the day, I wanna leave you with 1 from Jim Rohn. And he says, motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. Have a great day.