CEO Message

TAKE TIME for Well-Being

Happy 2022! By now, we’ve all seen at least a few headlines, advertisements, social media posts or videos about making resolutions and recommitting to our goals. This time of year brings a sense of renewal, as many turn toward making improvements or accomplishing what didn’t get done the previous 12 months — or before.

The messages we hear in January tend to focus on making positive changes, such as getting in shape, eating better, giving up bad habits, reducing stress, improving relationships, developing a household budget and more. I admit, there’s usually at least one hint, tip or solution that I could adopt to make my own habits or routines more effective.

Especially on the farm, familiar messages like the ones we hear at the start of each year are easy to ignore. A life in agriculture is demanding and, sometimes, all-consuming. Competing priorities are constant and continue beyond planting and harvest or breeding and birthing seasons. The idea of taking attention away from daily responsibilities to focus on personal health and well-being — or to plan for the future — seems unrealistic. Even if you knew where to begin, you may wonder if it’s sustainable for the long term.

Because Compeer Financial focuses on building long-standing relationships with clients, our financial officers usually know when overall wellness is taking a back seat to the demands of the business. On the farm, business and personal life are intertwined, possibly more than in any other industry. When one area is or isn’t working well, the other tends to be similarly impacted.

Compeer has a variety of complimentary resources available to help clients capitalize on this season of motivation. From a business standpoint, the compeer.com website offers templates to help develop a more strategic approach to operational decision making. Look under Resources>Tools to find our business plan template, balance sheet, dairy margin manager and other tools. While there, also take a moment to visit the Financial Resources page for short educational articles that address cash flow, cost of production, key ratios and more. The Education and Events tab lists recordings and upcoming opportunities that focus on topics pertinent to farming operations. And, as always, contact your financial officer for insight specific to your business needs.

If you’re thinking about how you can personally reset and would like some guidance, check out our LifeWorks Resource Program — a confidential and complimentary “On the farm, business and personal life are intertwined ... When one area is or isn't working well, the other tends to be similarly impacted.”

service especially for Compeer Financial member-owners and their families. LifeWorks offers experts in a variety of areas, providing assistance for dealing with life’s daily challenges so you can be more fully present for your farm, your family and other aspects of your life. LifeWorks experts can provide guidance to: • Manage personal and emotional difficulties • Strengthen relationships and improve communication • Deal with stress, anxiety and depression • Understand grief and bereavement • Work toward life goals • Find resources for your family in the community • Address alcohol and drug misuse • Access crisis and trauma support • Obtain support for child/elder care To access LifeWorks online, visit login.lifeworks.com (User ID: CompeerFinancial Password: welcome1). You may also reach them by phone at (888) 267-8126.

On behalf of all of us at Compeer Financial, I wish you success in 2022. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with you and are excited for what we can accomplish together this year!

Rod Hebrink President and CEO