Episode 46 - Barry Clark from Shearing contracting to Farm flipping and that big tackle

We recorded this podcast with Barry Clark live at a conference, and I had the pleasure of co-hosting this interview with the affable and ultra-professional Kirstin Diprose.This one is a real standout story on so many fronts, and it's chock-full of great business lessons and takeaways. In this podcast, you have to listen intently and perhaps replay some of the points to find the take-home bits.Barry was a panelbeater but turned his hand to Shearing and was on the handpiece for 28 years. Somewhere in there, he became a Shearing Contractor, and at the peak, he had 14 teams running around and 220 people on the books. Barry was big on relationships; he would go out of his way to serve the Farmer in a time when Farmer-Contractor relationships were pretty testy. How he built and maintained those relationships is outlined in the podcast, and it's a real lesson for anyone dealing with customers or staff.Barry also has a passion for Farming and has been described by our mutual mate Jason "Chippa" Gordon as the most successful Farm flipper going around. In his and his wife Jodie's time, they have bought and sold 15 farms so far. Flipping Farms is a deliberate thing, and when buying a Farm, a few things they look for are: it has to have some kind of water asset, the location, and then there's also the renovation aspect, for both the Farm and Farm homestead. They have just exited the famous Perricoota Station just outside Echuca on the Murray River and have now taken over the blue-chip Larundel Estate between Ballarat and Meredith. Barry was involved in an incident in 2025 where he wrestled and disarmed a young man who had terrorist-like intentions on a Jetstar flight he boarded at Avalon en route to Sydney. This is a gripping story that had everyone in the room captivated.Some of the words I would use to describe Barry are curious, aware, engaging, entrepreneurial, and passionate. He is also a standard-setter. What a great interview. We hope you enjoy. End of message.The Farmers Club podcast is now only available to our paid newsletter subscribers. Our partner in this podcast is our sister business, Farm Tender. We are an online buying and selling marketplace for Farmers and anyone else associated with Agriculture. Go to www.farmtender.com.au and sign up from there.