EPISODE
10
Leadership & Legacy with Gabrielle Homer
EPISODE LINKS.
SHOW NOTES.
In Episode 10 of ‘McFarland Minutes’, Natalie and Scout introduce Gabrielle Homer, a multi-talented professional who holds several roles including rancher, CFO, secretary, and treasurer at Painted Hills Natural Beef. Gabrielle, influenced by strong women in her family, dives into her career, highlighting her extensive experience in banking, insurance, and marketing, and explains how each experience has shaped her leadership skills. The discussion touches on the importance of finding and nurturing the right people, maintaining a supportive company culture, and the critical need to focus on personal well-being. Gabrielle also talks about her involvement with Oregon State University and Texas Tech, sharing the impactful connections and projects she’s undertaken, including the campaign to name the T-bone steak as Oregon’s state steak. The episode wraps up with a discussion on effective leadership, mentorship, and the importance of human connection in both personal and professional realms.
00:00 Introduction to McFarland Minutes
00:35 Meet Gabrielle Homer: Multifaceted Professional
02:27 Gabrielle’s Background and Upbringing
07:50 Leadership Insights and Mentorship
16:40 Finding the Right People for Painted Hills
21:11 Involvement with OSU Alumni Association
27:00 OSU Alumni Trips and Rabo Agri Finance
28:12 Women in Agriculture Trip to Monterey
29:23 Agricultural Tour in Australia
30:35 Exploring Agriculture in the Netherlands
31:42 Challenges of Ranching in Fossil, Oregon
33:25 Texas Tech and Family Stories
38:54 Marketing and Painted Hills Natural Beef
46:45 Oregon State Steak Initiative
50:58 Personal Reflections and Closing Remarks
ABOUT THIS EPISODE.
Welcome back to McFarland Minutes, where we offer a soft launch into your Monday with insights on leadership, business, and creativity. In Episode 10, hosts Natalie and Scout welcome Gabrielle Homer, whose multifaceted career and profound insights on leadership offer lessons for us all.
Gabrielle is not just a business force to be reckoned with, but a pioneer whose story inspires those around her. As a member rancher, chief financial officer, corporate secretary, and treasurer of Painted Hills Natural Beef, her roles are as diverse as they are demanding. Gabrielle’s leadership doesn’t stop there; she is also the president-elect of Oregon Cattle Women and a proud grandmother.
Gabrielle grew up balancing academic pursuits with real-world experiences, such as driving hay trucks at the age of twelve and managing ad sales in her teens. Her deep connection to both her family heritage and the lands of Oregon has molded her into the leader she is today.
Pathways to Leadership
Leadership is a recurring theme in Gabrielle’s career. With a knack for embracing new experiences, she describes her journey as a kaleidoscope of unrelated pieces that formed the framework of her career today. Each role, whether in insurance or banking, contributed skills that culminated in her current responsibilities.
Natalie and Gabrielle chat the importance of investing in people, a cornerstone of Gabrielle’s leadership philosophy. She believes that taking care of employees ensures a fiercely loyal team, willing to weather industry challenges like pandemics and financial crises. This ethos is encapsulated by her frequent motto, “It’s not world peace, it’s just beef.”
A New Chapter with Painted Hills
Painted Hills Natural Beef is celebrated for its top-tier products derived from sustainable practices. Gabrielle shares anecdotes of her journey, from being the first employee to seeing the company become a beacon of excellence in the beef industry. She humbly attributes success to the strong bonds fostered within the team, allowing each person’s strengths to shine.
The conversation also explores Painted Hills’ approach to marketing, which leans heavily on genuine human connections. From live demonstrations to collaborations with Oregon State University, Gabrielle emphasizes the essence of connecting with their audience on a personal level.
Looking to the Future with Oregon Cattle Women
As Gabrielle prepares to step into the role of president of the Oregon Cattle Women, she reflects on the synergy between her experience and the talents of her peers. It’s a testament to her belief in collaboration and the power of shared goals.
Innovation, Community, and Education
Education and community involvement hold significant places in Gabrielle’s life. Her work with Oregon State University reflects her commitment to nurturing future leaders through internships and collaborative projects. The same dedication is highlighted in her family’s ties to Texas Tech University, further broadening her engagement with educational initiatives.
The Oregon State Steak
A unique endeavor close to Gabrielle’s heart involves establishing the T-bone steak as the Oregon State Steak—a vision celebrating the diverse and multifaceted spirit of Oregon. This initiative showcases Gabrielle’s passion for agriculture and leadership, tongue-in-cheek as a tasty tribute to her state’s agricultural pride.
Embracing Empowerment
As the episode closes, Gabrielle reflects on her journey, emphasizing the need to take care of oneself in the quest for professional excellence. Her story is a testament to resilience, continuous learning, and the drive to empower others.
IN THIS EPISODE.
Gabrielle Homer
CFO Painted Hills Natural Beef
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
OUTREACH MARKETING MANAGER
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.
