Just Start: Dr. Tom Field on Entrepreneurship, Legacy, and Building a Purposeful Life
By the time host Jonathon Haralson cued up the mics to talk shop with Dr. Tom Field, he already knew the conversation would go beyond the spreadsheets and strategic plans that often define the world of agribusiness. As Haralson said, Field isn’t just churning out graduates with sharp business acumen — he’s helping young people "build purposeful lives."
In a recent episode of “Your Ag Empire,” Field, the man behind the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska, joined Haralson for a wide-ranging conversation on the power of starting, the beauty of blending work and life, and why the key to building a lasting business lies in a deep understanding of self.
Building a Person, Building a Business
Field’s program isn’t just about teaching students how to launch companies; it's about helping them uncover their purpose. He’s after building a different kind of entrepreneur — one who understands their work is about more than profit margins, but about building community and creating a legacy that extends far beyond the balance sheet.
Field understands that taking the first step toward entrepreneurship can be terrifying. The fear of failure, the pressure to conform, and the ever-present hum of social media can keep aspiring founders stuck in place. He asks, "How do I even get started?" The key is to take one step. "You don't have to take 20 steps. Just take one."
One way to overcome that fear, Field suggests, is to reframe failure as an opportunity for growth. "Fail forward, fail fast, fail cheap. And learn like crazy." He says it’s okay if the journey isn’t a straight line, but instead it might be a twisting path with lots of false starts.
Why the Janitor Matters Just as Much as the CEO
Field's commitment to building people, not just businesses, extends to every member of an organization. He emphasizes the importance of creating a culture of ownership, where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. He challenges future founders to look beyond the typical hierarchies and appreciate the unique contributions of every team member, no matter their title.
"Don't ever look beyond the capacity of any person on your team," he urges. "If you've got a custodian, you better get to know that person because that person is key… That person may be the person who finds the problem that, if it gets solved today, will save you a million dollars because it didn't break."
He asks his students to treat others the way they would want to be treated: by knowing their stories and caring about their families. Then and only then can the business hope to reach its full potential.
Leading With Love (and a Little Grit)
When it comes to leadership, Field isn't afraid to talk about values, even faith. He challenges the notion that leading with love is soft, arguing that "gentleness is strength under control."
He knows and recognizes, as he spoke with Haralson, that it "takes a little bit of raw courage to say to another guy, ‘hey, will help me carry this load a little bit and let me carry some of yours?’"
Haralson agreed, adding that they must help create a culture of growth, and that begins with the leader. To the grumps and dictators who have let the weight of life shape them, Field has a warning: "It's an issue of identity… and that isn’t the lasting piece of it. Our legacy comes from our capacity for community and to grow and nurture others.”
By the end of the conversation, Field made it clear that he's not just building businesses, he's building a movement — a movement of purposeful people who are committed to leaving the world a little better than they found it. He knows it starts with something as simple as taking a step and having "a dream with action." His closing thoughts? "Aspiring's hard, but you are made for hard."