The Future of Agriculture Investment – Austin Maness on The Leader’s Mindset Podcast

What if your next investment didn’t just grow your portfolio—but helped keep a family farm alive?In this episode of The Leader’s Mindset, host Jason LeDuc sits down with Austin Maness, U.S. Army veteran and COO of Harvest Returns, a groundbreaking AgTech startup that's making it easier than ever to invest in sustainable agriculture, family farms, and cutting-edge food production. Austin shares his remarkable journey from artillery officer to entrepreneur, and how his military training prepared him for the fast-paced, unpredictable world of startups.Whether you’re a corporate executive, a training manager, an HR leader, or a startup founder, this episode is packed with powerful insights on:✅ Building a tech-enabled business without an internal tech team✅ Attracting strategic investors by building trust before you need capital✅ Creating SOPs and scalable processes as a small, remote team✅ Mentoring and empowering veteran entrepreneurs✅ How empathy and listening are underrated leadership superpowers✅ Solving real-world problems before building tech "solutions"We also dive into how Harvest Returns leverages Regulation D crowdfunding to match small-to-medium ag businesses with investors, helping family farms stay in the family and giving everyday investors access to a traditionally closed asset class.If you're serious about scaling a startup, leading with integrity, or finding innovative ways to support American agriculture, this episode will change how you think about capital, culture, and community.🎧 Listen now to learn:• Why empathy is a superpower in leadership and sales• The biggest lesson Austin had to unlearn after the military• What most tech founders get wrong about product-market fit• The #1 mistake startups make when fundraising• How the Texas startup ecosystem fuels growth—and what Las Vegas can learn from it🔗 Watch the full interview and discover how real leadership—grounded in service, humility, and strategic thinking—is reshaping the future of food, funding, and entrepreneurship.💬 Join the Conversation:Which part of Austin’s journey resonated with you the most? Drop a comment—we’d love to hear your take!Onward and Upward! 🚀✅ If you got value from this episode, do these 3 things:1) Like this video – It helps more people find these insights.2) Subscribe – New leadership content every week!3) Share this episode with a leader who needs to hear this!📌 Exclusive Leadership ProgramsWant to take your leadership development to the next level?📖 Take charge of your own leadership development with our online program: https://www.leducleadership.com/bethebossprogramIf you’re a Human Resources or Learning and Development professional and have a bunch of leaders you’d like to get trained, check out our corporate Leadership Academy for Tech Managers program: https://www.leducleadership.com/leadershipacademy📅 Ready to elevate your leadership skills? Book a discovery call: https://link.marketingmoneymachine.co/widget/bookings/training-discoveryLet’s create the leaders your team deserves.How to reach Austin:Website: https://www.harvestreturns.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-l-maness/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvestreturns/How to reach Jason LeDuc:Email: [email protected]: https://www.leducleadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leduc-3469823/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducleadership