Where leadership grows.
What does it actually take to lead well?
The Cultivating Leaders Podcast is the go-to resource for high-achieving agriculture professionals ready to take their leadership to the next level. This bi-weekly series brings you inside real conversations with C-suite executives and industry leaders across food, agriculture and natural resources. Every conversation is designed to leave you with practical tools, fresh perspective and the mindset to lead in today’s environment.
Why Listen
Actionable Advice: No fluff. Just real-world strategies you can use today
Exceptional Guests: Learn directly from executives who are leading at the highest level
For Leaders at Every Level: Whether you’re leading a team, an organization or simply yourself—this podcast meets you where you are
This is where leaders grow—through honest insights, practical tools and the kind of perspective you can’t get from a textbook.
Ready to Go Deeper?
The podcast is just the beginning.
If you’ve ever wondered how leaders actually got there—the pivotal moments, tough decisions and defining setbacks—The Cultivating Leaders Webinar Series takes you behind the scenes.
Go beyond leadership skills and into the experiences that shape great leaders.
👉 Catch the next Cultivating Leaders Webinar and take your growth even further. Learn more here: https://www.agfuture.org/about/cultivating-leaders-podcast
AFA student experiences give students the tools to build meaningful careers by preparing students to navigate career changes and empowering them to lead forward. Four AFA Alumni have taken the lessons they learned as college students to be influential leaders in the agriculture industry.
Four AFA Alumni join the Cultivating Leaders Webinar series to share how their experiences with AFA shape the way they show up, build relationships and navigate their careers today. From attending AFA Institutes and Leaders Conference as students to stepping into meaningful leadership roles across agriculture, each panelist has continued to build on the skills, connections and confidence they developed early on.
Joining The Cultivating Leaders Webinar:
Chase DeCoite [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-decoite/]- Senior Vice President, Food Industry Relations at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Brooke Clay Taylor [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookeclay/]- Chief Operating Officer at Empire Ag
Emily Peters [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-peters-2043a526/] - Director of Marketing and Sales at Union Pacific Railroad
Amanda Martin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaleemartinphd/] - President and CEO of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation
This conversation will explore the value of professional relationships, making the most of opportunities and developing the people skills that become increasingly important as your career grows. Panelists get real about the challenges, lessons and tools that helped them move from emerging professionals into influential mid-career leaders.
Dive Deeper: www.agfuture.org/news/career-lessons-from-afa-alumni [https://www.agfuture.org/news/career-lessons-from-afa-alumni]
9 Sept 2026
Building Strong Communities with Amanda Martin
Webinar Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AlumniToTheTop
Community is built when we take the time to know one another, celebrate each other's wins, show up when things get hard and create spaces where people feel like they belong.
Amanda Martin, President and CEO of the Illinois Agriculture Leadership Foundation, joins The Cultivating Leaders Podcast to talk about the role community has played throughout her leadership journey. From growing up in rural Illinois as a first-generation college student to building a career across higher education, agribusiness and nonprofit leadership, mentors opened doors for her. Now, she works to provide opportunities for other young leaders to learn, serve and come together.
Amanda opens up about:
* Building Community: Looking beyond your own circles, listening to different perspectives and creating spaces where people feel welcomed and supported.
* Leading Through Service: Showing up for others and using your time, skills and experiences to build authentic relationships and open doors for people around you.
* Navigating Growth: Moving through imposter syndrome, reinventing yourself throughout a career and getting comfortable with unexpected opportunities.
This episode is a reminder that leadership is about how we show up for others and help them feel like they belong.
Want to hear more from Amanda? Check out her blog here [https://www.agfuture.org/news/network-into-community]!
Connect with Amanda
* Connect on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaleemartinphd/]
* Follow the Illinois Agriculture Leadership Foundation on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/illinois-agricultural-leadership-foundation/]
* Visit their website [https://www.agleadership.org/]
Connect with AFA
* Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/agriculture-future-of-america/?viewAsMember=true]
* Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/agfutureamerica/]
* Like us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/agriculturefutureofamerica/]
* Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@agfutureamerica?_t=8itRyZdNDP5&_r=1]
* Visit our Website [https://www.agfuture.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy-mznZSbiAMVem8PAh0IFRDIEAAYASAAEgKpc_D_BwE]
About The Cultivating Leaders Series
The Cultivating Leaders Series is the go-to resource for anyone ready to take their leadership to the next level, delivering powerful insights from top voices in food, agriculture and beyond. The podcast offers immediate, actionable advice from the top leaders in food and ag, with guests who break down the skills that set them apart in the real world. Join the live webinars to bring leadership to life, with candid conversations, live Q&A and behind-the-scenes stories from C-suite executives. Together, these virtual experiences are designed to meet you where you are and help you lead with purpose, confidence and clarity.
Don't forget to follow/subscribe so you never miss another episode!
2 Sept 2026
Leading with Empathy and Accountability with Emily Peters
Webinar Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AlumniToTheTop
Caring about your team's strengths, contributions and growth can push everyone to greater success.
Emily Peters, Director of Marketing and Sales at Union Pacific Railroad, joins The Cultivating Leaders Podcast to talk about what it means to lead with people at the center. Throughout her 15-year career at Union Pacific, Emily has worked across industries and teams, learning that strong leadership requires curiosity, clear communication and a willingness to learn. Emily gets vulnerable how her own life experiences reshaped the way she thinks about empathy in the workplace.
Emily opens up about:
* Leading with Good Intentions: Asking questions and welcoming different perspectives can strengthen a team.
* Balancing Empathy: Caring for people while still setting clear expectations, having difficult conversations and helping them grow.
* Making leadership accessible at every level: strong relationships, thoughtful opportunities and everyday actions can help anyone lead, regardless of their title or career stage.
Whether you're leading a team or simply want to become a better teammate, this episode is a reminder that people matter and the way we show up for them matters, too.
Want to hear more from Emily? Check out her blog here [https://www.agfuture.org/news/empathy-leadership]!
Connect with Emily
* Connect on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-peters-2043a526/]
* Follow the Union Pacific Railroad on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/unionpacific/]
* Follow the Union Pacific Railroad on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/uprr/]
* Visit their website [https://www.up.com/]
Connect with AFA
* Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/agriculture-future-of-america/?viewAsMember=true]
* Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/agfutureamerica/]
* Like us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/agriculturefutureofamerica/]
* Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@agfutureamerica?_t=8itRyZdNDP5&_r=1]
* Visit our Website [https://www.agfuture.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy-mznZSbiAMVem8PAh0IFRDIEAAYASAAEgKpc_D_BwE]
About The Cultivating Leaders Series
The Cultivating Leaders Series is the go-to resource for anyone ready to take their leadership to the next level, delivering powerful insights from top voices in food, agriculture and beyond. The podcast offers immediate, actionable advice from the top leaders in food and ag, with guests who break down the skills that set them apart in the real world. Join the live webinars to bring leadership to life, with candid conversations, live Q&A and behind-the-scenes stories from C-suite executives. Together, these virtual experiences are designed to meet you where you are and help you lead with purpose, confidence and clarity.
Don't forget to follow/subscribe so you never miss another episode!
Who has been a guest on Cultivating Leaders
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Elizabeth Galbreath
Hannah Thompson-Weeman
Jarrod Gillig
Blaze Currie
Ashley Collins
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
44,514
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
75
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
32
Contact Cultivating Leaders
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Cultivating Leaders
Who hosts Cultivating Leaders?
Nicole host the show. Published by Agriculture Future of America.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Cultivating Leaders take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of Cultivating Leaders?
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