EPISODE
36
Team Talks Thanksgiving Gratitude
EPISODE LINKS.
SHOW NOTES.
In this special Thanksgiving episode of McFarland Minutes, host Natalie McFarland is joined by the entire McFarland Productions team for the first time on the podcast. Team members Scout Foster, Kevin McFarland, Molly McKitrick, and Ryan Lee share their gratitude, memorable highlights from 2025, and favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Discussions cover the value of real human relationships in their work, the significance of several key projects, the role of technology and remote work, family traditions, and humorous office culture. The episode encapsulates the importance of teamwork and appreciation, offering an inside look into the company’s unique working environment and their collective successes.
00:00 Introduction to McFarland Minutes
00:35 Thanksgiving Week Special
01:32 Meet the Team
03:27 Yearly Highlights and Gratitude
08:01 Favorite Projects and Achievements
15:23 Remote Work and Team Dynamics
28:04 Client Appreciation and Final Thoughts
30:26 Unexpected Beginnings
30:53 The Wild Rag Campaign
33:37 Joining Full-Time and Remote Work Adjustments
35:43 The Role of AI in Our Work
38:57 Thanksgiving Traditions
48:20 Favorite Thanksgiving Desserts
54:16 Regional Food Quirks
57:20 Wrapping Up and Thanksgiving Wishes
ABOUT THIS EPISODE.
As we embrace the Thanksgiving season, the McFarland Productions team gathered remotely for an episode filled with gratitude, reflections, and shared traditions. This blog post captures the highlights from our Thanksgiving-themed podcast episode, where team members Natalie McFarland, Scout Foster, Ryan Lee, Molly McKitrick, and Kevin McFarland shared their insights, favorite projects of the year, and Thanksgiving traditions.
During our podcast episode, the team took a moment to reintroduce themselves and their roles within McFarland Productions. Natalie McFarland, founder and president, along with operations VP Kevin McFarland, steered the conversation towards gratitude and team synergy. The team discussed the unique dynamics of remote work and expressed appreciation for the seamless communication and productivity they’ve achieved, despite being spread across different states.
Scout Foster emphasized her gratitude for having Molly on board, freeing her from the intricacies of social media management. Molly, now the company’s social media coordinator, shared her fondness for the team and the positivity that pervades daily interactions. Ryan Lee, post-production editor, elaborated on the professional growth he’s experienced since joining the team full-time, citing improved workflows and the strong connections made with the team and clients.
The team took a deep dive into some of their favorite projects from the past year. A particularly proud moment was when Scout mentioned winning a prestigious 2025 Telly Award for the campaign “Nice Job, Cowgirl.” The team also celebrated the success of the Wild Rag Project, an innovative campaign for Shafer Outfitters that highlighted the brand’s historical connections and artistic collaborations across four key locations.
The podcast wasn’t just about professional accomplishments. The team shared personal anecdotes about gratitude and team dynamics. Kevin and Ryan humorously recounted adventures from field projects, including unexpected friendships built along the way, while Natalie highlighted the unique blend of camaraderie and productivity within the team.
The discussion ventured into the technological tools that make their remote work possible. Special mention was given to platforms like Sonology Drive and ClickUp, pivotal in managing large amounts of data and coordinating project timelines effectively.
As the conversation shifted to personal traditions, the team’s warmth and diversity shone through. Scout and Ryan shared fond memories of family gatherings that transcend regional boundaries. For Ryan, Thanksgiving is synonymous with homemade chocolate chip cookies and the traditions passed down by his grandpa, while Molly spoke about the essential role of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in her holiday festivities.
Kevin and Natalie discussed the dual Thanksgiving experiences with their respective families, blending casual gatherings with more formal sit-down dinners. The variety of celebratory meals, ranging from brisket to Chinese takeout, highlighted the team’s diverse backgrounds and approach to holiday traditions.
The McFarland Productions’ Thanksgiving episode was a heartfelt reflection on a year filled with accomplishments, personal growth, and cherished traditions. As we move forward, we remain thankful for our amazing clients, the meaningful projects that bring us together, and the ability to work as a united, dedicated team.
We wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy, gratitude, and meaningful connections. Here’s to a prosperous Black Friday ahead!
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS.
NATALIE MCFARLAND
PRESIDENT, FOUNDER
MCFARLAND PRODUCTIONS
After freelancing her way through college, Natalie established McFarland Productions in 2014, which has continued to grow rapidly over the last few years. Her passion and focus have always remained the same; capturing, understanding, preserving and promoting Ranching, Farming, Western Lifestyle and AgriBusiness. She has always had a love for the western culture and even at a young age it was unmistakably clear she would someday find a career serving the industry.
Natalie grew up on a small ranch, rodeoed, showed horses in a variety of disciplines, showed livestock, and participated in 4H and Oregon High School Equestrian Teams. She has trained herding dogs and started colts, worked with sheep and cattle and has had the experience of racing to finish up a hayfield before a rainstorm hit. She understands the joys, sorrows, wins, losses and hard work of ranchers and farmers. That’s why McFarland Productions can produce authentic marketing campaigns for the businesses, organizations, events, and brands of the western and agriculture industry – it’s who she is.
With a passion for building community surrounding brands, Natalie focuses on building real connections between companies/brands and the people that make up their community. Telling the stories of your customers and making them apart of the brand’s story is her main focus. Creating real, human, meaningful connections and strengthening community within the western and agriculture industry through strategic marketing services.
SCOUT FOSTER
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC STORYTELLING
MCFARLAND PRODUCTIONS
Scout’s faithfulness to the agriculture and western sports industry is rooted in tradition. Growing up in Central Florida, she stood by her family as they supported different sectors of the industry, including raising beef cattle, bucking bulls for local rodeos, and spending weekends with her grandparents who lived on Disney’s Wilderness Preserve.
Moving away from The Mouse, Scout graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Nation’s top agricultural communications college at Texas Tech University in 2022.
Now residing in Crockett, she and her husband, Lane, keep busy raising beef cattle and bucking bulls with her family. Scout also loves gardening, raising chickens, reading, and her two dogs: Rue and Dill.
