For so many of us, so often our self-confidence and sense of self go up and down with the seasons. We feel good about ourselves when times are good, and we are intently hard on ourselves, and even think we are failing, when the season, the conditions or the markets go against us.

Before Christmas we saw a shock hit the sheep-meat market, impacting meat producers at that time significantly. In many areas of our country, we see farming families navigating extended flood events, and in others extended dries.

In this podcast I invite Tracy Secombe- Director Well-being & Coaching at FOA- to join me and explore this issue, and how- as a farm business owner- we can overcome it and rise above it.

Ladies & gentlemen, we are not our bank account balance. We are so much more than ‘just farmers’ and ‘just farmers wives’. We are leaders of families and great businesses. We are citizens in communities and valued friends to so many. We are good, hard-working, dependable, capable humans doing very good work and making very real differences in so many ways.

As we explore in this important discussion, we have the opportunity to take ownership of OUR IDENTITY. We have the opportunity to change our personal story and realise that farming is what we do, it is NOT who we are.

In the episode, Tracy shares some tips on how to expand our identity, to include all the important roles we play; how to find a greater sense of balance between them; and how to also shift our sense of self to ‘who we are’ rather than ‘what we do’.

Tracy also helps us understand how can best navigate those moments in life when our Identity needs to shift from an active farmer into retirement; from technical farmer to farm business owner; from ‘farmers wife’ to ‘partner in a successful family business’ and from career person to being a Mum & Dad for the first time…

Changing our story and embracing practices that support a strpgner sense- of self and a well-rounded IDENTITY is fundamental in the pursuit of growth and expansion in any area of life.

Elite athletes, musicians, artists and professionals all get coaching on this – Australian Rugby Captain Michael Hooper’s interview with Ben Crowe on his podcast ‘Car Chats with Crowey’ being a great example. Good enough for them, equally important for us.

Thank you Tracy for your time and for your insights on such an important topic at this time.

Thank you.

Hutch & Team