Charles Michell, CEO of Local Seed Co., shares a motto that has stuck with him throughout his life and what it means to think independently.
Seed World: Got a New Year’s resolution this year?
Charles Michell: Not yet. That said, in the past I have centered my New Year’s resolution around personal growth, health and fitness like most people. I will really focus on that the week after Christmas.
SW: No. 1 hobby?
CM: Fitness, and while I prefer a fitness center, anything that keeps me active falls in this category.
SW: Got a motto you like to use while working?
CM: I have a motto that I use in my everyday life: “Begin with the End in Mind” by Stephen Covey. I attended a class early in my career and this quote has remained with me throughout. It is really simple: “Beginning with the end in mind is part of the process of personal leadership, taking control of our own lives. All things are created twice. We create them first in our minds, and then we work to bring them into physical existence.” Regardless, of whether you are an entrepreneur, a CEO, a software engineer, a brick layer, etc. this quote is essential and is a way of life for me.
SW: What’s your favorite part about being based in Memphis?
CM: The music and the food! Visit Memphis and take a walk down Beale Street. You will get a glimpse of the historians of music, to name a few: Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley, the Staple Singers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, more recently Justin Timberlake, all of which were born in, lived in or recorded in Memphis over the past century. Few cities could claim anything like such a group of musicians as influential as these, and no other city can claim to be the beginning of the Delta Blues. Memphis is the likewise place to be for top-notch barbecue and homestyle cooking. If you get the chance you can enjoy both music and barbecue at the Memphis in May Festival where the entire month of May is dedicated to music and the Barbeque World Championship.
SW: What does it mean to be “independent?”
CM: Honestly it means “think independently.” Whether raising our children or running our business, “independent thinking” is essential if you want to develop your personal skills and self-awareness. Both those skills set along with the knowledge and relationships we have built in the ag industry, allows us to understand and relate to our customers.
SW: We last chatted in 2017, when Local Seed Co. just began — how have you grown since then?
CM: Wow! Has it been that long? Seriously, much has happened. The last time we spoke, we were launching the Local Seed Brand and it was October (not the best time of year to launch a seed business). But to answer your question, yes, we have grown the business! We are excited to have added 20 new sales reps, strengthened our position in the Mid-South and we moved further into Ohio and Michigan; more importantly we have flipped our seed portfolio to the latest traits, newer genetics. By upgrading our portfolio and creating a consistent Product Life Cycle, combined with our LIFT testing protocol, we are now able to compete against all products in the marketplace. We have great people, great relationships and great products; however we have to demonstrate consistent performance year over year. Farmers can like you, but they need to be able to trust that we can consistently bring better products to market with excellent results. Anyone can have a one-hit wonder, only the great seed companies can manage to have a consistent product portfolio year over year.
