541 Alex Russell Saluki Proud

Alex Russell on FFA, communication, and finding a place in agriculture

Rob Sharkey talks with Alex Russell, the U.S. soybean seed care product lead for Syngenta, about how rodeo, homeschooling, FFA, and leadership training shaped her career in agriculture. Alex shares how she went from planning for nursing school to building a career in crop protection, training, and public speaking—and why communication, curiosity, and grit matter as much as technical knowledge.Alex also shares her views on women in agriculture, the value of being "kind, not nice," and why the ag industry needs people to tell the story of farming honestly. Along the way, she and Rob discuss career growth, imposter syndrome, and how to keep your personality while staying professional.

• Growing up in Fayette County, Illinois, and how rodeo and homeschooling influenced her path
• How FFA helped Alex find her direction in agriculture and leadership
• Studying ag business economics and weed science at SIU
• How internships and graduate school shaped her career
• Why effective communication means meeting people where they are
• Alex's "kind, not nice" approach to honest, constructive feedback
• Women's experiences in agriculture and staying confident in the room
• Building a career without coming from a large farming operation or an ag-industry family
• Fear of failure, fear of judgment, and advocating for yourself
• How the definition of agriculture is expanding for the next generation
• Creating genuine connections as a speaker

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and meeting Alex Russell
03:41 – Sponsor mention and conversation about farm trials
06:26 – Rodeo roots and learning responsibility through horses
09:46 – Moving from homeschooling to public school
11:11 – FFA involvement and leadership
14:01 – SIU, the Saluki identity, and discovering weed science
15:25 – Internships, graduate school, and building an ag career
17:15 – Public speaking and Alex's experience at SIU Women's Weekend
19:01 – Training, development, and "stealing with pride"
20:51 – Communication as a selfless act
22:12 – What "kind, not nice" means
24:01 – Being a woman in agriculture
25:29 – Staying professional without losing your personality
27:45 – Building a career without being born into agriculture
30:34 – Fear of failure, fear of judgment, and The Twin Thieves
31:32 – Why people may not be thinking about you as much as you think
33:56 – Speaking and working with agriculture groups
34:53 – Does agriculture care about feeding people?
36:43 – Changing paths into agriculture
38:30 – How younger generations are broadening the definition of ag
39:55 – Curiosity, generational differences, and changing minds
41:21 – Imposter syndrome and advocating for yourself
43:09 – Leadership training and learning from discomfort
44:33 – Alex's passion for speaking and connecting with audiences
46:20 – Vulnerability and creating a genuine audience connection
48:35 – Where to find Alex online and closing remarks