Thursday Thoughts... Don't Be A Commodity

This week, I’ve been thinking about commodities.

By definition, a commodity is something whose value is determined in aggregate with everyone else’s. It isn’t seen as special or different, it’s just more of the same.

I work in agriculture, and no one fights this reality more than farmers. President John F. Kennedy once said, “The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.”

Part of that is because food supply is a high-leverage point for governments. If you want a quick way to be taken out of power, let your people go hungry. But another part of it comes down to non-differentiation.

I was talking with a couple friends last week—one farms full time, and the other owns land but partners with a farmer to work it. Both conversations circled back to the same point: the high costs of land, rent, and inputs stacked against the low value of the commodity produced.

What struck me was that neither, like so many others, has built a brand.

Grain, cattle, cotton - it can all be branded. Think about beef: adding the simple label “Certified Black Angus” created significant opportunity as every Angus with a blotch of black became instantly more valuable. Wheat raised in a specific way can tell a story (non-enriched, ancient grains, etc.), and the bread made from it can extend that story even further. Branding itself doesn’t change the physical product, but it tells a story, and it definitely changes the way people see it.

Building a brand takes intentionality. It requires stepping away from the norm. But here’s the caveat... it has to be accompanied by excellence. Because when done well, it unlocks new doors and new opportunities that don’t exist when you’re just another producer of the same old commodity. Unfortunately, when it lacks, the opposite is true.

And this isn’t just about agriculture.

It doesn’t matter if you’re in teaching, preaching, accounting, or sales. Your personal brand is what differentiates you. It’s the combination of excellence, story, and consistency that tells others, “This isn’t just more of the same… this is worth paying attention to.”

If you don’t develop a brand, you risk being valued only in aggregate. And that rarely works in your favor.

That Leads Me to This Week’s Challenge… Ask yourself: are you living, working, and leading like a commodity, or are you building a brand?

• In your career, what sets you apart from everyone else in your field?

• In your relationships, how do you show up in a way that people know they can count on you?

• In your community, what story are you telling with your consistency and excellence?

Commodities are replaceable. Brands are memorable.

Don’t settle for being one of many. Build something that’s uniquely you.

I’m thankful you took the time to read this, for choosing to work, and for being part of what makes this world amazing!