Guest Columns

Perspective:
Industry Issues

You crossed the finish line — now what?

Norm Monsen

Norm Monsen is vice president of the agriculture division of Creative Business Services CBS-Global, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and has worked for many years as a dairy economic development consultant. He contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

I can write with confidence that everyone reading this column is goal-driven. You work hard and you work diligently. People in the dairy industry — farmers, dairy processors, dairy suppliers — are like athletes. You strive for the goal. Most importantly, you strive for the victory: the crossing of the finish line.

And then you cross the finish line. Now what?

There are lots of musings and self-help books providing guidance and advice on how to live your life after retirement. These experts tell you what to do, how to find yourself and how to be happy.

But this column won’t tell you what to do. That’s for you to decide and find. What this column will do is share stories of people working in the dairy industry who have crossed the finish line and have figured out how to have fun while still doing good.

The first story comes from a recent experience. I had a meeting with some “dairy guys.” What set these “dairy guys” apart was that they were each between five and 10 years post-employment. I suppose it could be stated they were in their golden years — and maybe should have been doing victory laps. Each had done well. But these fellas weren’t thinking about riding off into the sunset. Instead, they were looking at new opportunities.

They figured their skills, experiences and knowledge might be valuable to new ventures. One of them told me, “When dairy is in your blood, it never leaves.” My prediction: They will start a new dairy company.

That group of guys is a perfect example of what a recent best-selling book by Arthur Brooks described. In his book, “Strength to Strength,” Brooks tells how post-retirement careers can be impactful and meaningful. No longer burdened by the day-to-day challenges and responsibilities of running a business, an individual can give and share with others, thereby finding deep fulfillment.

A few examples:

First, many of you reading this know the name Steve McKeon. Steve made things happen in dairy, not just where he lived, but across the country. Over the years, Steve learned and managed and directed. After a few years away, Steve came back to give counsel, and in his unique way, help dairy companies grow and prosper.

I can write with certainty that Steve’s work has helped more than one company or cooperative turn the corner.
Second, Dan and Jane Carter. In the early 2000s, Dan and Jane responded to a request from U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl to help reinvigorate the Wisconsin dairy industry. Dan and Jane had already made a huge mark in the dairy world by promoting and selling cheese and partnering with many processors. They had crossed the finish line. Dan liked to tell the story that Sen. Kohl called him and said: “Carter! Get out of your rocking chair and do something!” Long story short: The Carters’ work led to the creation of the Dairy Business Innovation Center and helped hundreds of new and existing dairy companies across the Midwest grow and prosper.

Years later, the work of the Carters paved the path to another initiative that has provided a way for many in dairy to share their wisdoms and experiences with others. Thanks to the work of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, several Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) centers are now located around the country to aid dairy processors as they start, grow, experience challenges and capture opportunities. And who are the people recruited as mentors to help? Those folks could be case profiles for the book “Strength to Strength” — people who have crossed the finish line and are still looking to do good in the industry they love. For example, the Midwest DBIA mentor program boasts a who’s who of last names in dairy including Natzke, Krahenbuhl, Schwager, Riesterer and Matucheski.

Last story: I know a couple who run a successful restaurant and who are big promoters of good cheese. Even though they are several years away from crossing the finish line, they have the line in sight. They’re making plans now to make sure their business continues when they move on to their retirement goal of running a food cart serving coffee and waffles. (I hope they add ice cream, too.)

When I talk with them, I remember how important it is for all of us to not only dream about the lives we’ll live after we cross the finish line, but to start planning early enough that those dreams don’t fade or become so unachievable that we simply give up. That’s why I was pleased to learn they’re working with an evaluation company to determine what their business is worth now and to start thinking how they want to transition it to the next owner. Like everyone else I’ve mentioned in this column, they have no plan to stop having fun while still doing good, even in “retirement.”

As I finish up this writing, I hope that these words offer encouragement to all of you who have crossed the finish line, and to those of you who someday plan to cross the finish line and are dreaming a little about what life can be like when you do. Godspeed.

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

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