#748 - Dad’s Wisdom with Steve Hess: Family Governance, Succession Planning, and Tough Times Lessons

Recorded live at the Ag View Solutions Executive Business Conference in Phoenix, Sam sits down for a Dad’s Wisdom conversation with Steve Hess, a multi generation farmer from west central Illinois.Steve shares the kind of perspective you only get after decades in ag, including what he would tell his younger self (listen more, talk less), what the 1980s taught him about surviving tough cycles, and why knowing your numbers matters even more when margins are thin.He also explains a powerful family transition framework, the “five year rule” for coming back to the farm, building healthy family governance, and including kids in real financial conversations so the next generation is prepared.This episode is a reminder that the best operators are students of history, disciplined with cash flow, and intentional about family, communication, and long term decision making.