Be willing to “grind out” hours and work through tough situations. Also, don’t be afraid to venture into new opportunities and have patience to see your ideas take form.
Kion Kashefi was born and raised in Stanislaus County, and now currently resides in Merced County. Kion graduated from UCLA in 2006 with a B.S. in Biology. He later also completed a Master’s Program in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis in 2010. He currently is the Business Development Manager for Stanislaus Farm Supply. Although Kion was not raised with an agriculture background, he has immersed himself in the industry over the last 8 years and has gained a love and appreciation for agriculture. He is responsible for marketing new programs and products in current and developing markets, and provides consulting in nutrient management, animal nutrition, crop health and soil fertility. Kion is also the vice president of Merced County’s YF&R.
Kion Kashefi is also a new member of the Ceres Rotary Club, and has recently move back to Modesto, CA. He enjoys spending his free time volunteering in the local community and spending time with his family. Kion is also looking forward to starting a specialty cattle operation on his family’s ranch in the near future to help keep this family tradition alive. Kion looks forward to helping influencing more young people to pursue and support careers in agriculture and is excited for continuing a future in Agriculture.
Where did the idea for Farmer Coop come from?
Farmer Coop, put together in 1949 to secure supply of baling twine.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I begin my day early in the morning around 6 a.m. by checking in with our Nevada Operations and directing delivery and operation decisions for the day. I then focus on managing our Nevada sales staff and marketing new products and opportunities to local customers in California and Nevada. I end my day spending time with my family, and staying up late at night completing work associated with my consulting services.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I am constantly meeting with new suppliers in the industry and other community leaders or customers to inquire about new products and/or opportunities that may be valuable to our company, customer base, or community. I then pick out the ideas I see most valuable and present them to other managers within the company. We then make a decision on whether we will implement the new idea and how to implement the idea if we decide to launch.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Seeing new young people venture into Agriculture. I also like seeing the new technology that is coming down the pipeline in our industry.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Persistence.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
Sweeping sidewalks in the middle of the summer. I learned that, although some jobs are tough, they are an honest way to make a living. These types of jobs can also help make a person more humble and appreciative in life.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t do too many things over again; however, one thing I would have done differently was to put myself in positions to acquire more hands on experience with equipment.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Have more patience at times…
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
Not being afraid to cold call on customers and providing them results through persistence and education. A driven work ethic. Also, a willingness to think “outside the box” and offer honest and effective solutions to customers.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Not being patient enough to see an opportunity take shape…..did not overcome it at the time, but my new understanding helped my approach the next go around
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Be willing to “grind out” hours and work through tough situations. Also, don’t be afraid to venture into new opportunities and have patience to see your ideas take form.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
A surprise $100 that I gave my wife for a trip she took with my young daughter. The saying is true “Happy wife, happy life”, especially when you are working long hours and away from your family at times. Make sure your family knows you care about them.
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
I use outlook and a program called Zendesk. Outlook is a great way to organize emails/meetings. Zendesk is a great tool that we use in house to help track orders/deliveries.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
1984, I believe it helps give perspective on how lucky we are to live in the United States and helps provide perspective on how valuable our freedom is in this country.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
I have personal mentors at work that have helped guide my development. I do not know if the general public would take much interest in who they are. However, their message of being patient, humble and working hard would be great messages for the general public to acknowledge.
Connect:
Kion Kashefi on LinkedIn:
Kion Kashefi on Twitter: @kionkashefiinfo
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.