Club Cultivate

This week's guest was actually a listener request AND she also happens to be host, Whitney Dahmer's, bestie. Briley Richard is a freelance agricultural communicator based outside Wichita, Kansas, who has built a thriving business rooted in writing, photography, graphic design, and social media - almost entirely through word of mouth and networking. She grew up in southern Louisiana showing Brahman cattle, found her way to Texas A&M's Ag Communications program, and after stints at the American Angus Association and an advertising agency, took the leap into full-time freelancing two years ago.
This episode is honest, funny, and genuinely useful — whether you're in ag comm, considering going freelance, or just trying to figure out what you're building toward.
In This Episode:
How Briley discovered Ag Communications as a degree path through a Brahman Association leadership program
Why Texas A&M's program is particularly writing-focused — and why that foundation matters for every kind of communicator
The "you can do anything for a year" rule her mom gave her (and how it shaped every career move since)
What she learned working at the American Angus Association and an ag advertising agency before going freelance
Why she recommends new grads work in an office setting before going out on their own
The loneliness of the creative review process when you're solo — and how she works around it
How her business evolved to focus on fewer, longer-term clients (and why that feels more sustainable)
Pricing your work as a first-time freelancer when there's no guide anywhere on the internet
Setting up business accounts, tracking expenses, and finding a CPA before tax season hits
Saying no to projects (and how to do it in a way that still serves the client)
Managing travel — the highs, the time zones, and the honest conversation about what it means for the future
A "Queenies & Weenies" segment inspired by The Toast podcast
Resources & People Mentioned:
Nikki Morgan — financial advisor (Texas-based)
Tonic Site Shop / Jen Olmsted — website templates for ShowIt + newsletter worth subscribing to
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See — Briley's book of 2024
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — bonus rec
The Secret Lives of Marjorie Post — another listener favorite

Taylor Fort graduated from Texas Tech with an ag communications degree, went back to the family hog farm, and spent five years figuring out how to photograph baby pigs. Then COVID hit, live sales dried up, and he bet everything on the only skill he had. Nobody was doing it full time. He did it anyway.
Today Taylor is a full-time livestock photographer, videographer, live stream producer, and founder of his own online sales platform. In this episode he gets refreshingly honest about what it actually takes to build a creative business from scratch — pricing your work, hiring the right people, surviving a travel-heavy lifestyle, and finding your own style in a crowded industry.
Topics covered include:
How video changed the show pig industry and why photos still matter
Learning live stream production through a competitive gaming obsession
Launching the Texas National Stock Show during COVID with a homemade camera rig
Pricing your creative work with confidence and knowing when to raise your rates
What he actually looks for when hiring — and it has nothing to do with experience
Why he thinks you should replace the word anxiety with ambition
The real cost of a travel-heavy creative career and what it takes to sustain it
Finding your creative style by consuming the content you want to create
Connect with Taylor:
Instagram & socials: @taylor.a.fort
Website & live streams: taylorfort.com
Online sales platform: taylorfortsales.com
Resources Mentioned:
Peter McKinnon, Matti Haapoja & Casey Neistat on YouTube
DaVinci Resolve

He was there at 3:30 in the morning on opening day and didn't leave until 1 a.m. He writes 90 pages of copy for a 208-page publication, sends up to 14 news releases a day during the show, manages 60 sponsored social posts across the run, and does it all with a team of four. Oh, and he started the whole thing 13 months ago.
Kyler Hardegree is the communications assistant at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo — one of the largest livestock shows and fifth largest rodeos in the world — and this episode pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to pull off a 23-day event when you're the one holding the camera, writing the captions, pitching the media stories, and building the content calendar all at once.
If you've ever wondered what a career in event communications or ag media actually looks like day to day, this one is for you.
In this episode, we cover:
Growing up on a West Texas cotton farm and cattle ranch and finding photography through a 4-H contest rivalry with his twin sister
Judging livestock at Howard College and how it shaped his eye as a photographer
How a professor quietly forwarded him a job listing that wasn't posted publicly — and how he beat out his best friend and twin sister for the shot
Why he chose to get his master's at Texas Tech and what grad school actually taught him that undergrad didn't
Winning a national research conference studying AI use in agricultural communications
The full scope of his job: social media manager, on-staff photographer and videographer, news media liaison, copywriter, and more
What goes into planning a 23-day event that draws 1.2 million people annually
How he builds a content calendar months in advance — and how he stays flexible when an ice storm shows up
The strategy behind 60 sponsored social posts and how he decides what actually gets posted
Shooting freehand vs. the full production crew — and why both have a place
Capturing content during the show that fuels an entire year of social posts
Why he wishes someone had told him earlier: social media is not that serious
Investing in camera gear that invests back into you
Connect with Kyler:
Instagram: @kylerstonephoto
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo: fwssr.com

She knew she wanted to go to Oklahoma State University when she was seven years old. She applied nowhere else. And somehow, the girl from Turlock, California who loved English class and Angus cattle ended up exactly where she was supposed to be - managing editor of the Angus Journal in St. Joseph, Missouri, six years and counting.
Megan Silveira is one of those people who makes it look easy, but this episode pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a career in agricultural journalism including: the interview prep, the unglamorous office work, the AP style rules she once resented and now swears by, and the secret novel series she published on Amazon without telling a single soul, including her mom.
Whether you're an aspiring writer, a creative trying to find your lane, or someone who just wants to hear how one of ag's best storytellers thinks — this one's for you.
In this episode, we cover:
Growing up in Turlock, California as an Angus kid and knowing OSU was the only option
Taking the leap to move across the country at 17 — and what convinced her parents it would be okay
Applying to every summer internship and hearing back from exactly one: Angus Media
Why the worst they can say is no — and how to get comfortable with that
What Megan looks for when interviewing interns for the Angus Media editorial position
The interview process from start to finish: prep, field time, the formal sit-down, and when to call back
How she knows when she's actually getting a good story versus when to change tactics
Adding video to editorial work — how it changes the interview game
Her photography philosophy and what makes a great Angus Journal cover
The difference between writing a feature story and a technical story — and why both matter
Learning AP style, resenting it, and then realizing it made her a better, more creative writer
The most monotonous part of her job — and why she shows up for it anyway
Her surprise novel series, the Jaded Hearts, that she published on Amazon without telling anyone
Why self-publishing on Kindle Direct is shockingly simple and why more people should try it
Finding the one thing you care about most and never stopping chasing it
Connect with Megan:
Instagram & socials: Megan Silveira
Work portfolio: angusjournal.net
Books: Search Jaded Hearts series on Amazon & Kindle
Work email: Available via angusjournal.net
Books & Resources Mentioned:
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (recommended by Anna Miller)
We Do Have the Angus Conversation Podcast
Kindle Direct Publishing (for aspiring authors)
AP Stylebook

She started photographing goats at 15 with zero experience, made an ad in Microsoft Word, and somehow convinced herself she had it covered. Spoiler: she did not. But that scrappy, full-send mentality is exactly what built Samantha Rainey of Story Haus Collective into one of the most versatile creatives working in agriculture today.
At 24, Samantha is a videographer, graphic designer, web designer, and brand strategist who has worked across livestock, wildlife, real estate, weddings, and reproductive science — all while finishing her degree at Texas Tech online from Kansas and Georgia. In this episode, she gets refreshingly honest about burnout, the unglamorous reality of the creative life, and why she thinks stopping before you feel ready is the biggest mistake you can make.
In this episode, we cover:
Growing up in Garden City, Texas and getting behind a camera at 15 for Schaefer Farms
Why AgCom wasn't the right fit and how switching to Digital Art & Professional Communications changed everything
Moving to Kansas as a marketing director before she felt qualified — and why she'd do it again
The burnout cycle that creative people almost never talk about
How she structures shoot weeks vs. office weeks to protect her energy
Switching between photographer brain and designer brain in the same day
Her full gear setup: Sony bodies, lenses, ND filters, Pelican cases, and why she flies first class
Programs she swears by: DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, PixiSet
Why she left Premiere and never looked back
The AI editor she worked with who turned out to not be a person at all
Her honest fears about AI replacing creatives — and how she's staying ahead of it
The difference between what people idolize about creative work and what it actually looks like
"Consistency beats intensity" and other lessons from eight years of figuring it out
Connect with Samantha:
Instagram: @story.haus.co
Facebook: Story Haus
Books & Resources Mentioned:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Anything Everywhere with Emma Chamberlain (podcast)
DaVinci Resolve, PixiSet, Better Proposals, Square, Procreate

What happens when a livestock judge who swore she'd never do "creative stuff" ends up building a thriving ag marketing business? You get Linay Williams — founder of Black Creek Innovations, former Director of Marketing at Texas Tech's Davis College of Agriculture, and current VP of Advertising at Texas Farm Credit.
In this episode, Linay gets real about the full arc of her career: freelancing right out of Texas Tech, growing Black Creek into a multi-client agency, burning out after baby number two, stepping back into a full-time role, and now consulting again on her own terms. She's the first to say that "doing it all" is a myth — and she's got the glass ball theory to prove it.
In this episode, we cover:
How internships at Capital Farm Credit and Purina Animal Nutrition shaped her path into marketing
Why she started Black Creek Innovations after noticing a gap between ag marketing agencies and actual ag consumers
Pricing yourself right when you're fresh out of college — and why being humble early pays off long-term
The hard truth about saying no (and how not learning it led to her 2022 burnout)
Hiring contractors vs. full-time employees — what she'd do differently
The behind-the-scenes chaos of a Rolex-sponsored equine event booth (and duct tape saving the day)
Why she stopped taking friends as clients — and the firm boundary she'd set again in a heartbeat
Organic vs. paid advertising strategy for small ag businesses
The "rifle vs. shotgun" approach to targeted ag marketing
Looking outside the ag industry for marketing inspiration (Liquid Death, PRCA, and more)
AI in advertising — exciting or terrifying?
Why your priorities are allowed to shift — and your business should shift with them
Connect with Linay:
Instagram (entrepreneurship content): @blackcreekinnovations
Instagram (personal): @linayannwilliams
LinkedIn: Linay Williams
Facebook: Linay Williams
Books & Resources Mentioned:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Masterclass (especially James Clear's session on building systems)
Codie Sanchez — Big Deal Podcast
Boss Babe Podcast

Tyler Schuster is a development professional at Texas Tech's College of Agriculture, host of the Basically Famous podcast, and founder of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Brands & Blazers. Born and raised on her family's ranch in Texas, Tyler brings a uniquely grounded perspective on building community, owning your personal brand, and showing up boldly in both life and career.
In this episode, Whitney and Tyler dive into what it really looks like to build a life and a brand through intentional action, community-seeking, and a whole lot of showing up.
What we cover:
Tyler's journey from Tarleton to A&M to Texas Tech - and why stretching into new environments is one of the best things you can do
How to intentionally build community when you move somewhere new and don't know a soul
The margarita-fueled origin story of the Basically Famous podcast and how it unexpectedly launched a speaking career
What "your name is your brand" actually means. Plus the simple, practical steps to start building yours
How a student in a blazer sparked the idea for Brands & Blazers, a nonprofit sending free professional blazers to students ages 16–24
Why your first job doesn't have to be your dream job - and what hard seasons are actually teaching you
The difference between happiness and joy, and why one is a choice
Resources mentioned:
📚 The Mountain Is You — Brianna Wiest
📚 Dare to Lead — Brené Brown
📚 Crushing It — Gary Vaynerchuk
📚 Likable Badass — Alison Fragale
📚 Do It My Way (personal branding)
🎙️ Leaders of the West with Jessie Jarvis / Out of the West
🎙️ Let's Freakin' Rodeo
🎙️ Diary of a CEO
🎙️ Mel Robbins Podcast
📱 Libby app — free audiobooks connected to your library card
🌐 [brandsandblazers.com] — apply for a free blazer (ages 16–24), donate blazers, or join the monthly virtual networking
Connect with Tyler:
Instagram/TikTok: @tylerkschuster
Podcast: Basically Famous
Nonprofit: Brands & Blazers
Connect with ClubCultivate:
Instagram/TikTok: @clubcultivate

Revenue does not equal profit. In this solo episode, Whitney breaks down the Profit First system by Mike Michalowicz and explains how this simple framework can help creative entrepreneurs organize their finances, pay themselves consistently, and build a healthier business.
Instead of waiting to see what’s left at the end of the month, this system flips the traditional equation and puts profit first.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why revenue numbers online can be misleading• The simple equation that changes how you run your business• The five bank accounts that make cash flow easier to manage• How to pay yourself consistently as a business owner• Why systems matter more than just “making more money”• How to start implementing Profit First immediately
Resource Mentioned
Profit First Book – Mike Michalowicz
Action Steps
Open the five bank accounts
Decide your percentage allocations
Review your expenses
Start implementing on the next 10th or 25th
Read the book for the full framework
If you enjoy these solo episodes and conversations around building sustainable creative businesses, make sure you're following Club Cultivate wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to create content inside a breed association (or how to break into that world), this episode is for you. Kelsey Vejraska shares how she went from “I know nothing about a camera” to Audio Visual Specialist at the American Hereford Association, plus practical advice on storytelling, gear, inspiration, and fast turnaround event coverage.
In this episode, you’ll learn…
What breed association “content” work actually includes (and why the title rarely says “content creator”)
How Kelsey learned video quickly: repetition, mentoring, and “YouTube University”
Where to find inspiration outside the ag space without copying
How storytelling gets stronger when you research well and ask better questions
What gear is truly essential for travel-heavy livestock + event coverage
How to balance video vs photo vs graphics so you’re not “making noise to make noise”
The mindset shift Kelsey wishes she had earlier: confidence, tunnel vision, and less comparison
Kelsey Vejraska — Audio Visual Specialist at the American Hereford Association, creating photo/video/design content for events, digital marketing, and on-farm features across the industry.
Links mentioned:
American Hereford Association (socials mentioned in episode)
Sunny Okanagan Angus: @SunnyOKAngus (Kelsey noted this is the tag)
Resources mentioned (tools, gear, books)
Book
Steal Like an Artist (Austin Kleon)
Learning / inspiration
YouTube (editing + skill-building)
TikTok (especially for graphic design tips)
Adobe MAX (conference she wants to attend)
Gear (Kelsey’s essentials)
Sony cameras: A7R series + A7S III (film-focused)
Lenses: 70–200mm f/2.8, 24–70mm f/2.8, 85mm f/1.8
Audio: Rode shotgun mic (on-camera), Sony wired mics, DJI wireless mics (not her favorite)
Drone (regularly used for variety/angles)
Tripods: lightweight Manfrotto
Cases: moving from Pelican to Condition One case (likes the wheels/handle/foam)
Editing: Adobe Premiere (referenced)
If this episode made you think “I want that job” or “I need to get better fast,” hit follow/subscribe on Club Cultivate so you don’t miss the next creator conversation.

In this episode of the Club Cultivate Podcast, Whitney sits down with social media strategist Taylor Caruso to unpack what’s actually working in social media right now. From building content pillars and planning smarter, to using AI without losing authenticity, this conversation is a tactical and honest look at growing a business online without burning out.
If you’ve ever wondered whether social media is “worth it” for your business or how to make it feel less chaotic, this episode is for you.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why content pillars are the foundation of a strong, sustainable social strategy
How to blend personal and business content without confusing your audience
What planning a month of content really looks like behind the scenes
How to track whether social media is actually driving sales
Where AI fits into your workflow (and where it shouldn’t)
Why “create without consuming” might be your best strategy this year
The biggest mindset shift Taylor had to make as a business owner
Taylor CarusoFounder of Caruso & Co Marketing
Taylor is a boutique social media strategist who works with small to mid-sized businesses across industries including hospitality, fitness, weddings, and personal brands. She specializes in building personalized strategies that prioritize authentic connection while driving measurable growth.
Connect with Taylor:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carusoandcomarketingWedding Content: https://www.instagram.com/blushingbridecontentPersonal: https://www.instagram.com/taytaycaruso
Resources Mentioned
Vista Social – Social media scheduling + analytics platform
ManyChat – Automation tool for tracking engagement and clicks
Hot Smart Rich Podcast – Founder-focused business podcast
The Market Podcast by Sauce Media – Social media + marketing conversations
ChatGPT – AI tool for content brainstorming, ideation, and workflow efficiency
ConnectFollow along for weekly conversations with host, Whitney Dahmer as she visits with creatives in the agriculture and western industries!Instagram: @clubcultivateIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s working to grow their skills in this space.