Cultivating Influence with Tanner Winterhof: The Farm4Profit Story from Fields to Digital Frontiers
Tanner Winterhof brings to the Farm4Profit media company a lifelong involvement in agriculture and 15 years of banking experience. His skills in everyday problem-solving and analytical thinking allow him to create growth strategies for the listeners so their farms have the opportunity to become more profitable.
Please tell us a little bit about your business — what is Farm4Profit all about?
Farm4Profit is a media company that was started originally to host an annual conference for farmers. After four years of successful conferences we evolved into a podcast and newsletter platform. Once our audience continued to grow and our connections with agriculture companies also grew, we realized our company was more than just a podcast. Today, our company utilizes marketing strategy across social media podcasts, YouTube, and other written forms to help agriculture companies reach their target audience in an effective and efficient manner.
We are all about driving value to our partners through the use of storytelling to expand their brand and influence that marketplace. Our reputation as a trusted source of information for those looking to improve their farms provides great opportunities for our partners to reach our listeners. Farm4Profit is a movement of modernizing the way people learn about agriculture and with our growing online presence, our reach is why partners want to work with us.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I have always enjoyed the idea of running small businesses to make an impact on the lives of others and my own personal well-being. The first business that I started was a lawn care and landscaping business, beginning with mowing churches and cemeteries. We would utilize our connections to establish new client relationships and then use the power of referrals to continue to grow that business. After seeing the success of that business, I was able to sell those assets and transition into a more educational format. I then created a media company targeting agriculture professionals wanting to have higher levels of profitability. In the beginning, the business was based around in-person meetings, providing expert presentations, and a model where companies would receive trade show benefits and in return, get access to the audience. It was a fun pivot when we paired the mission of our business with a personal enjoyment of podcasts to develop the media company with a strong product offering across many different channels. I am glad I had the initial experience of running and growing that lawn care business to apply some of the same successes to growing and managing the growth of our current audience and client base.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires a combination of various skills and attributes. While it’s challenging to narrow it down to just three, here are three crucial skills that can significantly contribute to entrepreneurial success:
1. Adaptability and Resilience: The business landscape is dynamic, and unexpected challenges are inevitable. Successful entrepreneurs need to adapt to changes, whether they are market trends, technological advancements, or unforeseen obstacles. Resilience is crucial for bouncing back from failures and setbacks, which are an inherent part of entrepreneurship.
2. Effective Communication: Entrepreneurs need to communicate their vision, ideas, and goals clearly and persuasively. Effective communication is vital for building strong relationships with team members, investors, customers, and other stakeholders. It facilitates collaboration, fosters a positive work culture, and helps in negotiating and closing deals.
3. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Entrepreneurs face numerous decisions and challenges daily. Effective decision-making involves evaluating options, considering potential risks and rewards, and making informed choices. Problem-solving is essential for overcoming obstacles and finding innovative solutions to complex issues.
What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to grow this company?
Our company continues to see wonderful increases in obtaining new customers in addition to renewals with our existing clientele. We, of course, like referrals as the №1 source of any new customers. The referral customers are typically much easier to convert from prospect into customer due to the positive influence they’ve had from another one of our great clients. However, sometimes we as a company get discovered through our social media or other media platforms from companies that want to work with us. Those organic leads are certainly nice because they already are interested in the services that we provide. We also do a little bit of advertising to try to catch the attention of other potential clients. They are a little bit more difficult to convert but are still looking for the service. Otherwise, the advertising wouldn’t have caught their attention to begin with. We also will identify, through strategic meetings, internal companies or businesses that we want to work with. When a new customer is acquired through cold- calling and solicitation, it feels much more rewarding. However, it is the least cost-effective way to obtain a new client. All in all, it is essential for our business to utilize a mixture of all those methods of acquiring new clients or partners as we continue to build our company.
We had the opportunity to purchase and renovate a building in our community in 2023 where we built a custom recording studio as part of the project. We identified a need in our community for others to create great content and the studio serves as an inviting place when we are recording guests in person. We have found if the guest is comfortable and relaxed we tend to get better content.
How have the pandemic and lockdown affected you or your new business?
The pandemic created a huge growth opportunity for us. While people were confined to their homes and seeking entertainment, our platform was able to provide just that. We were unable to host in-person conferences like we had done in the past. However, we were able to grow the listener base for when the conference and venue spaces open back up. The quality content and value we provided to our listeners and our partners solidified their relationships after the world started turning again. Once we were able to attend trade shows and conferences, we were able to keep up with the same level of entertainment just doing it in person. Most of our interviews during the pandemic were done virtually via a virtual studio, but now we have the ability to host in-person interviews to drive even better content. We learned that even though it is convenient to host digital meetings, there is still a much deeper connection made while speaking in person. We also enjoy the human interaction and getting to see our audience, which is another thing that we took for granted prior to the pandemic.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
When you look at competition, outside of those directly doing what our media company is doing now, you look beyond those who are doing it the way it’s always been done before. As our industry continues to expand and gains the trust and popularity of more clients, you will see the sophistication of packages, offerings, and more will continue to grow. It will be fun to watch the industry grow and evolve as more funds and more companies get interested in the service. I am excited to continue to try to lead the media sector for agricultural businesses that are looking to partner with social media influencers and through contact-created platforms.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them? (Most Important to readers)
The first mistake I made was not delegating tasks soon enough. Whether it was as simple as newsletter writing or video editing, I felt that only I had the ability to create the quality I had expected. But as soon as I was able to delegate those tasks, my talents were freed up for more opportunities to serve the business.
Another mistake I made was not perceiving the value of our services at a high enough level. Our first clients received great value in our services but the pricing was too low. Too low is a relative term but when you look back, you realize the value the business provided could’ve been charged more. With that, I should have increased my prices. It is hard to identify what that value is, but it’s important for all business owners when starting to accurately assign a dollar amount to the value of the service or product being provided.
The last mistake I would share today is not being afraid to spend money to promote your brand early on. Once you have basic bills covered and some extra cash flow, turn right around and invest that in building your brand before building your assets list. If you’re able to build your brand sooner, that will provide more cash flow in the future to build your asset base.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process. What has been the most successful form of marketing for you? (Second Most Important to readers)
We have put a lot of focus on identifying our audience. Once we had identified our key audience, we were able to discover their other interests. We market with partners who have similar demographics in their clients or audience to ensure we are delivering our message and our marketing dollars effectively. We also have utilized the free social platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and more to be able to catch the attention of other potential clients or audience members. By using a combination of data, fact-finding, and free resources, we have been able to set up a great base for building our brand. This then provides us the opportunity to run paid partnerships with opportunities that present themselves. We have found that this has been successful for us, and have even started implementing the same strategy for some of our clients.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
It’s very difficult to not listen to what other people say — especially when it is negative — even though you can tell yourself their opinion doesn’t matter. It is still really hard for your brain to process negative feedback. There is research that tells us it takes multiple positive items to replace a negative. Those negative items can be very impactful. You have to be able to train yourself, your employees, and your company to look at negative feedback as an opportunity to learn and pivot.
What was your first business idea and what did you do with it?
The first business that I started was a lawn care and landscaping business, beginning with mowing churches and cemeteries. I was young and had limited resources but had the drive to create a business that served others. I ran my business all through high school, and continued when I moved to college.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I am learning now that consistency is almost the most important factor of any business. Both clients, whether they are corporations or individuals, need to know that you will always be there and the quality of your product or service will always have the same high quality they expect. When you consistently show up on time for meetings, provide reports and results ahead of due dates, and produce quality products or contacts, this will keep — and earn the business of — more customers than anything else. It seems in today’s business world, consistency is hard to come by, so when your business has that ability, then you have a leg up on your competition
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I would have doubled down on the opportunity to market and brand the company. I would have put more money into advertising and continued to push for higher-profile clients sooner. It was for a lack of confidence in the model, as well as my abilities, that restrained me from taking such an aggressive approach in the beginning. If I had known how successful the business would become, I would have pushed more and budgeted dollars into advertising to grow even more rapidly.
What are the top three online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company? (other than your own. Please insert links — Do explain why you’re recommending them)
ChatGPT, chat.openai.com: We use ChatGPT to help us quickly create outlines for recordings/interviews.
SimpleCast, https://www.simplecast.com/: This is the podcast distributing tool we use to post our shows. The show is then posted on all common podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, etc. SimpleCast is a tool we’ve been using for many years and it has worked well.
Wave, waveapps.com: This is what we use for online accounting purposes. The tool has an app that also makes it easy and faster to record transactions, create invoices, send reminders to clients of upcoming invoices due, and even has electronic payment options for the customer.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Thorough to-do lists that I check often and keep updated. I go back and forth between having a paper to-do list versus a digital one but I’ve found either to work for me.
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs? (other than your own. Please insert links — Do explain why you’re recommending them)
The book: Who Moved My Cheese?
Here are a few reasons why Who Moved My Cheese? is a good read for entrepreneurs:
— Navigating Change: Entrepreneurs often operate in dynamic environments where change is constant. The book provides insights into the inevitability of change and the importance of adapting to new circumstances. It encourages people to proactively anticipate and respond to changes in the business landscape.
— Embracing Innovation: The story encourages a mindset of innovation and exploration. It emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to be open to new ideas, technologies, and approaches to stay ahead in a competitive market.
— Resilience and Adaptability: The characters in the book demonstrate the importance of resilience and adaptability when faced with unexpected challenges. These qualities are essential for entrepreneurs dealing with the uncertainties and setbacks inherent in building and growing a business.
— Taking Initiative: The book encourages you to take initiative and not wait passively for things to happen. This proactive approach aligns with the entrepreneurial spirit, where individuals often need to be self-starters and take ownership of their success.
If you only had $1,000 to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it? (Third Most Important to readers — Assume you have a laptop and unlimited wifi)
I would start with making sure I had the best quality equipment that we could afford for $1,000. By being able to create quality content and impressions, this equipment will provide you the opportunity to begin promoting yourself on free platforms. Using this equipment you can utilize your partners, existing clients, and other referral bases to share testimonials. This equipment can capture your story, your business plan, your business model, and its success targets to help you begin establishing new client relationships. Making sure the quality is present is important because the way you look is the way you are perceived when it comes to production and presentation. The thousand dollars would go a long way and help create a lot of good opportunities from free publications that are created after utilizing that equipment. To me, in my line of business, I would also need quality microphones, a good soundboard, clear 4K cameras, and the ability to provide adequate lighting for video content.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I think motivation is not a constant state and it’s normal to experience fluctuations. The key seems to be having a combination of strategies that resonate with me personally and that align with our business goals. Owning a business can be a demanding and challenging endeavor, and staying driven and motivated is crucial for our long-term success. Here are some strategies that have helped me.
— Clear Vision and Goals: Establish a clear vision for the business and set specific, achievable goals. Knowing what I am working on provides direction and purpose
— Passion for the Business: Having a genuine passion for what I do is a powerful source of motivation. When a person loves their work, it becomes easier to overcome obstacles and stay committed to their goals.
— Surround Yourself With a Supportive Network: Build a strong support system of mentors, advisors, and like-minded individuals. I have found value in surrounding myself with positive and supportive people who can provide encouragement during challenging times.
— Adaptability and Resilience: Embrace a mindset of adaptability and resilience. Understand that challenges are part of the journey, and view them as opportunities for growth and learning.
— Delegate and Collaborate: I recognize I don’t have to do everything alone. I am grateful to have the ability to delegate tasks to team members who have unique strengths and expertise that benefit the business.
— Regularly Assess and Adjust: We regularly assess the business strategies and adjust them based on listener feedback and results. Staying proactive in refining our approach prevents stagnation
What is your favorite quote?
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” — — Winston Churchill
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
The first advice I give them is to just get started. There are many times I have had ideas for a long time and delayed implementation for the fear of failure. When I actually did start them, they were a success and you wonder why you didn’t start sooner. The second piece of advice I give is to start small and focused. Begin with a very clear motivation and an opportunity with a strong relationship to grow. Next, the piece of advice I give is don’t be afraid to partner with others or collaborate. It is OK to be competitive, but if you can find a way to raise the tide, all ships will rise with it, including yours and your business. Another fun piece of advice to give is to inject your personality into the product that you create. If you pretend to be somebody else, it will become exhausting or it won’t come off as genuine. It’s much easier to be yourself, because people will respect genuine sincerity rather than those who are acting.
What is your definition of success?
Success is a subjective and multifaceted concept that encompasses the achievement of my personal or professional goals and overall how fulfilled I feel in my day-to-day. I am a highly motivated individual and am at my best when I am staying busy accomplishing productive tasks.
How do you personally overcome fear?
I don’t think you ever really overcome fear. Rather, you become more familiar with the feeling of being afraid. If you are able to muster up the courage to encounter one of your fears, each time you go through that process you become more comfortable. You won’t ever not be afraid, but this will provide a better level of anticipation or ability to deal with the fear. Whether it is public speaking, or it is climbing to new heights in your business, the more often you go through that process, the less fearful you become because you can anticipate what is going to happen next.
