Jonathon Haralson grew up in north central Texas on a diversified operation which included cow-calf, backgrounding and small-grain production. His passion for agriculture started early on, but the economic challenges of the 1980s shifted the trajectory of his path before he was old enough to even realize the impact.
“Little did I know that my dream of coming back to the family farm was eroding away in those early years,” shares Haralson. “We still maintained our ag operation. It was just much smaller than what it had been.”
Despite the discouraging season of the farm crisis, Haralson continued to follow his passion and went on to work for Texas Farm Bureau, bought a farm and eventually founded Empire Ag alongside his wife. Empire Ag consists of strategy, accounting and branding divisions to guide producers toward more profitable businesses and more fulfilling lifestyles.
His approach is a holistic one that starts with the individual before the business.
“When we get a new client, there are three things we focus on: body, mind and spirit,” explains Haralson.
He explains that the body, mind and spirit all feed off each other and need proper attention for a business to be successful.
“Once the body has kind of been used and abused, our mind is not operating at a hundred percent,” says Haralson.
Easy strategies for improving physical health include preparing meals and snacks ahead of time or even going on short walks in the morning. These small steps add up and help clear the mind to focus on what matters instead of being buried in the operation.
Daily crises and endless to-do lists can contribute to financial disorganization, recordkeeping problems and burnout. Haralson helped one client organize financial records and restructure debt to better align with cash flow.
“We were able to kind of get it to where it actually matched where his true cash flows were coming in,” says Haralson. “And he didn't feel like he was behind the eight ball anymore.”
While producers can take control of their finances, many aspects of ranching remain outside their control, including weather, markets and public policy. These uncertainties can make it easy to adopt a victim mentality, but that mindset won't move the ranch forward.
“I think we've got to really keep an eye out for the solutions,” says Haralson. “I firmly believe that God has put you through whatever situation is there for a purpose, for a reason.”
The mindset Haralson outlines is the one that makes ranchers resilient and capable of running such complex businesses.
He says, “Look at it as an opportunity to prove who you are and what you are capable of.”
Spirituality is the third leg of the Empire Ag philosophy. Believing in something bigger creates a sense of purpose and provides direction and comfort during the highest highs and lowest lows.
Haralson says, “If you don't have something that you are believing in, you almost get this ‘I don't know what I'm living for attitude.’”
That’s an attitude that makes it challenging to build something for yourself let alone the next generation.
Once producers begin addressing their physical, mental and spiritual well-being, major shifts can happen. They gain clarity about their businesses, their purpose, transition plans and their overall vision for the operation.
“They all have that aha moment where it's like they've known there's a hole in the business somewhere, but they couldn't identify it before,” explains Haralson.
This strategy isn’t reserved for or effective only for certain producers. It’s one that works across the board as long as that first step to commit is taken.
“You've got to get started. You can't sit still waiting for the perfect thing,” says Haralson.
And for families, it can make the difference in building something worth passing down or not.
“The really successful operations that I see, they are in lockstep on their vision and mission,” says Haralson. “And while they may have disagreements, they know where they're headed and they're going to head there together.”
Building a successful ag empire starts with the person behind it. By taking care of the body, mind and spirit, producers can gain clarity on what matters most and where they want their operation to go.
Learn more about Haralson’s strategy on the Cattle Conversations podcast.
