About this episode

Brad Guse discusses the key management areas that distinguish excellent dairy producers from average ones.

Join Brad Guse from BMO and host Kimmi Devaney for a discussion about what sets excellent dairy producers apart from the rest. Learn which financial metrics they focus on, risk management strategies and how they build a great team culture while fine-tuning their own leadership skills. Here is an episode overview. [~2:10] The financial metrics that excellent dairy producers focus on [~5:50] The role high beef prices play and how it has influenced dairy financials [~7:15] How risk management can make a huge difference for dairy operations [~8:35] How culture and leadership impact profitability [~9:55] Examples of how successful dairies build a productive team culture [~12:30] Characteristics of great leaders [~14:05] Tips to improve overall communication between all levels of employees [~17:25] Steps to grow your leadership skills [~19:05] The types of questions excellent dairy producers are asking their advisers [~21:15] What causes an A player to fall into the C category? [~24:55] How someone can move from being a C player to an A player faster [~26:30] How peer groups and advisory boards can help producers identify and improve their blind spots [~28:20] Qualities to look for…

People in this episode

Host: Kimmi Devaney

Guest: Brad Guse

Topics covered

• dairy production
• financial metrics
• risk management
• team culture
• leadership skills

Keywords

• dairy producers
• financial metrics
• risk management
• leadership
• team culture
• communication
• peer groups

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BMO

More episodes of Progressive Dairy Podcast

• Incorporating Simplot Animal Sciences programs into daily operations and adapting to regional market demands (Sponsored Podcast) · July 16, 2026 · 26 min
• The hidden challenges behind dairy data and artificial intelligence (Sponsored Podcast) · July 2, 2026 · 14 min
• America 250: Raise a glass of milk to dairy’s past, present and future · June 30, 2026 · 25 min
• The Dairy Industry Isn't Guessing – How Checkoff Uses Data to Build Demand (Sponsored Podcast) · June 25, 2026 · 10 min
• Matthew Evangelo talks mastitis management at Bar E Dairy · June 16, 2026 · 20 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Progressive Dairy Podcast podcast page.