Bailey R. Nordgaard, MBA

I attribute my success to being entrepreneurial-minded and believing strongly in having multiple streams of income. My husband and I have dabbled in so many different business ventures because agriculture is a very volatile market - some years there are very tight margins in the sectors of agriculture we are involved in while other years are more profitable, depending on the market and what's happening around the world. We're both very entrepreneurial-minded, which has allowed us to build resilience and diversify our income sources. Growing up on a dairy farm has also been fundamental to my success because it gave me a deep understanding and passion for helping farmers and producers, which is near and dear to my heart. I'm also a big believer in being passionate about many different things and showing people that you can be involved in multiple ventures simultaneously. Even with two little ones under two, I stay busy and make it all work, though my husband tells me I'm Superwoman and some days I think I'm just in survival mode. But I love sharing my story and reaching as many people as I can to show them what's possible.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is that I can build a successful career, pursue a strong college education, and become an entrepreneur while also embracing my roles as a mother and wife.

The advice I would give to young women entering my industry is: you can and you will succeed. Stay committed to hard work and dedication, and remain flexible and willing to pivot as needed when opportunities or challenges arise.

The biggest challenge right now is balancing everything as an entrepreneur with two kids under two. Cattle prices are really high right now, which presents a great opportunity, but also a demanding one with people's expectations being high, for those interested in being an appraiser or in the auction barn atmosphere. We also strive to do the best job we can with our custom cattle raising, so farmers can maximize those profits, especially with everything else costing so much these days. Another challenge in agriculture is that it's a very volatile market. That's why having multiple streams of income is so important. There's also an opportunity in education, because there are a lot of people in this world who know nothing about agriculture and don't realize where their food comes from or all the work it entails to get the product from the ground to the store.

Spending time with my family and friends is huge to me. Since we are so busy, I don't always get as much time to do that as I would like, but it's very important to me. I love being outside, going for walks and hiking. I'm also very passionate about health and wellness, which is why I got interested in water ionization systems - water is so important, especially with my two young children. I'm passionate about helping farmers and producers because I grew up on a dairy farm, so that work is near and dear to my heart. I work really hard to make sure farmers can maximize their profits, especially with everything else costing so much these days. I'm also passionate about education and reaching as many people as I can to share my story and show people that you can be involved in multiple things and be passionate about many different ventures. We're big sports fans too - any Wisconsin sports, especially the Badger and Packers. Being involved in my local community is important, like volunteering at dairy breakfasts and supporting local agriculture events like the county fair.