Why better strategies won't fix this - What's really holding your farm business back?

You say you want to grow your business.

You want to hit $150k in revenue. You want to hire help. You want to build systems. You want to feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

You've read the books. You've listened to the podcasts. You know what you're supposed to do.

But you keep hitting the same ceiling. The same revenue. The same problems. The same patterns.

And you're starting to wonder: why isn't this working?

Here's what I know: you can't grow your business past who you're willing to become.

Your business will only grow as big as you're willing to grow as a person. And right now, there's a version of you that's keeping your business exactly where it is.

Not because you're not smart enough or capable enough. But because you haven't become the person who can steward a business at that next level.

Let me explain what I mean.

The Identity Problem

Right now, you have an identity. A story about who you are and what you're capable of.

Maybe that story is: "I'm a small-scale farmer who does everything myself."

Maybe it's: "I'm scrappy and resourceful but I'm not really a business person."

Maybe it's: "I'm good at growing things but I'm terrible at marketing."

Whatever your story is, it's creating a ceiling for your business.

Because everything you do flows from who you believe you are.

And if you believe you're a certain kind of person, you'll act accordingly.

If you believe you're someone who does everything yourself, you won't hire help even when you desperately need it.

If you believe you're not a business person, you won't invest in systems or bookkeeping or the infrastructure your business actually needs.

If you believe you're terrible at marketing, you won't show up consistently even though you know you should.

Your identity determines your actions. And your actions determine your results.

So if you want different results, you need to become a different person. You need a new identity.

The $50k Person And The $150k Person

Let me give you an example.

The person who runs a $50k farm is different from the person who runs a $150k farm. Not better. Not worse. Just different.

The $50k person does everything themselves because they can. They're involved in every detail. They make every decision. They're the one in the field and the one at the market and the one doing the bookkeeping.

And that works at $50k. It's sustainable. It's manageable.

But if you want to get to $150k, you can't be that same person. You can't do everything yourself anymore. The math doesn't work.

The $150k person has help. They've hired someone to do the tasks that don't need their specific expertise. They've built systems so things can run without them. They've learned to delegate and trust and let go of control.

The $150k person has different thoughts. Different habits. Different priorities.

And here's the hard part: you can't become the $150k person by just working harder as the $50k person.

You have to actually change. You have to let go of the old identity and step into a new one.

And that feels scary. Because the old identity is familiar. It's who you've been. It's what's gotten you this far.

What You're Protecting

Here's what I see when my clients resist growing: they're protecting their current identity.

Because if you become the person who hires help, you have to let go of being the person who does everything yourself. And maybe that feels like losing part of who you are.

If you become the person who charges premium prices, you have to let go of being the scrappy underdog. And maybe that feels like abandoning your values.

If you become the person who shows up on social media every week, you have to let go of being the person who "doesn't do marketing." And maybe that feels inauthentic.

So you stay stuck. Not because you don't know what to do. But because doing it would require you to become someone you're not sure you want to be.

You're protecting the old version of yourself. Even though it's the old version that's keeping you stuck.

The Becoming Is The Work

Here's what I need you to understand: the becoming is the actual work.

Not the strategy. Not the tactics. Not the plan.

The work is becoming the person who can execute the plan. The person who can handle the growth. The person who can steward a business at the next level.

And that work is internal. It's about examining your thoughts. Challenging your beliefs. Questioning your identity.

It's about asking: who do I need to become to have what I want?

And then: am I willing to become that person?

Because if you're not willing to change who you are, your business won't change either.

You'll keep hitting the same ceiling. You'll keep wondering why nothing's working. You'll keep feeling stuck.

Not because you're not capable. But because you're holding onto an identity that can't take you where you want to go.

What Needs To Change

So let's get specific. What actually needs to change?

Your thoughts about yourself.

If you think "I'm not good at business," you need to challenge that. What if you're perfectly capable of learning what you don't know? What if you're resourceful and smart and figuring it out just like everyone else?

Your habits and priorities.

If you want to grow, you need to act like someone who's growing. That means prioritizing business development over production sometimes. That means allocating resources on help or systems or marketing. That means doing things that feel uncomfortable because they're new.

Your willingness to be uncomfortable.

Growth is uncomfortable. Becoming someone new is uncomfortable. Learning new skills is uncomfortable. Letting go of control is uncomfortable.

If you're not willing to be uncomfortable, you're not willing to grow. It's that simple.

Your standards for yourself.

The person who runs a thriving business has different standards. They show up even when they don't feel like it. They follow through on what they say they'll do. They take themselves seriously.

If your standards stay the same, your results will too.

Who Do You Need To Become?

So here's the question to sit with this winter:

Who do you need to become to steward the business you say you want?

Not what do you need to do. Who do you need to BE?

What thoughts does that person have? What habits do they keep? How do they spend their time? What do they prioritize? How do they show up?

And then the harder question: are you willing to become that person?

Are you willing to let go of who you've been in order to become who you need to be?

Because that's the work. That's what will actually move your business forward.

Not another strategy. Not another course. Not more information.

Becoming.

It's Not Overnight

I want to be clear: this isn't an overnight transformation.

You don't become a new person by deciding to. You become a new person through consistent action over time.

You practice the new thoughts. You try the new habits. You show up as the person you're becoming, even when it feels awkward and unfamiliar.

And slowly, over weeks and months, the new identity starts to feel real. The new version of you becomes who you actually are.

But it starts with willingness. With recognizing that the old version of you got you here, but it can't take you there.

With deciding that growth matters more than comfort. That becoming matters more than staying the same.

The Invitation

This isn't about becoming someone you're not. It's about becoming MORE of who you're capable of being.

It's about shedding the limiting beliefs and the small identity and the stories that keep you stuck.

It's about stepping into the version of you that can handle what you say you want.

That version already exists. She's already in you. You just have to be willing to become her.

So as you plan for 2026, don't just plan your crops and your revenue and your marketing.

Plan who you need to become. What thoughts you need to practice. What habits you need to build. What old identity you need to let go of.

That's the plan that will actually change everything.

You're capable of so much more than you think. And the only thing standing between you and what you want is your willingness to become someone new.

If you need support with this work, I'm here. You can schedule a chat with me anytime at FarmCoachKatia.com/work-with-me.