94 | Don’t Wing It: Why Systems Matter- Justin & Kristen Deese

Show Information Episode Number: 94 Date: June 30, 2025 Duration: 41:14Host Contact Information Host: Justin Deese Website: JustinDeese.com Contact: [email protected] Co-Host Contact Information Guest Co-Host : Kristen Deese Company: Virtual CFO Guest Co-Host Website: www.KristenDeese.com Guest Co-Host Email: [email protected] The Land: https://www.youtube.com/c/SowtheLandSummary In this episode, Justin and Kristen Deese reflect on their first experience raising 50 meat chickens on their property—and the surprising number of business lessons that came with it. From the importance of planning and systems to knowing when to ask for help, they share insights that every home service business owner can relate to. Whether or not you care about chickens, you'll walk away with practical, grounded strategies for building a better business—one stage at a time.TakeawaysStart with the end in mind. Like raising chickens, business success requires a clear outcome and a roadmap to get there.Systems must evolve. What works in the early stages won’t scale—know when to upgrade.Research matters—but execution matters more. Get educated, but don’t wait forever to act.Ask for help. Hiring coaches or experts can shortcut costly trial and error.Measure what matters. The results—just like chicken weights—are worth tracking.Don’t let emotion block tough decisions. Business leaders must learn to separate care from sentimentality.Many hands make light work. Delegation and teamwork dramatically increase efficiency.Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to the Chicken Episode 02:00 – Why We Started Homesteading 07:15 – Choosing Meat Chickens: A Short-Term Farm Project 13:30 – Business Begins with Research and a Plan 18:45 – Phase One: The Brooder Stage 24:10 – First Losses and Learning from Mistakes 27:30 – Upgrading Systems as the Business (and Birds) Grow 34:00 – The Power of Routine and Team Buy-In 38:15 – Processing Day: Planning for the Final Step 45:00 – Coaching, Courses, and Outsourcing in Business 53:45 – Emotions vs. Leadership: Making Hard Decisions 59:10 – The Final Product: ROI on 275 Pounds of Chicken 66:00 – Lessons Learned and What We’d Do Differently 72:00 – Applying the Chicken Process to Business GrowthKeywords #BusinessSystems #LeadershipLessons #HomeServiceSuccess #EntrepreneurMindset #FarmToFreezer #SmallBusinessGrowth #OutsourceWisely #TeamEfficiency #EmotionalDiscipline #ChickensAndBusiness #FreedomBlueprint #JustinDeese #KristenDeese #HomesteadingBusiness #BusinessPlanning #KnowYourWhy