A new NFYFC podcast episode shares the importance of building resilience and includes insights from industry speakers and young people involved in the rural economy.
The podcast – Prepare for the future. Building resilience in a changing landscape – was recorded at the second New Voices training event in Birmingham, which was developed by NFYFC, in collaboration with Lantra and Landex, and supported by Defra.
YFC members and finalists of the Land Based & Environment Learners (LBEL) awards were invited to learn more about how to thrive in uncertain times and the podcast shares insights from the event to support more young people.
The training session was led by Business Coach Amy Fry, the NFU’s Chief Economic Advisor Rohit Kaushish. Lantra’s Head of Communications Clegg Bamber helped young people discover ways to take advantage of opportunities and survive the challenges ahead.
Amy’s session focused on encouraging young people to identify their strengths, recognise how to build resilience and know how to express their personal brand.
“Resilience is about bounce-back-ability,” explains Amy to podcaster Ben Eagle. “The ability to keep moving forward when things don’t go to plan. We’re all faced with that at the moment. It’s the quiet strength that helps you learn from the challenges.”
Amy spoke about the four-pillar framework – your mindset, your energy, your connections and your purpose.
“When all of those are in place, it does make it easier and you’re building your own resilience to be able to bounce back, continuing growing, even through all the uncertainty,” added Amy.
This was the second year NFYFC has run the training event and after attending the year before, YFC member Jess Radnor from Herefordshire was keen to be part of it again.
“I feel like I'm in a completely different place this year to what I was last year because of that event,” says Jess to podcaster Ben Eagle. “Everything transcribes into my everyday life, including my career and my personal life with it all.
“It's been great to acknowledge that you do need to be resilient. And then that also involves taking time for yourself, because I think within the industry, as a whole, it's very hard to do that sometimes. You focus so much on the end goal that you forget that you need to take a step back and process everything.”
Taking time out to reflect was one of the key points from Rohit Kaushish’s presentation. He was keen to demonstrate how resting is important to allow you to better navigate through life.
“If you're always on the go, you're never really having time to sit back and think about the big picture, and how what you're doing kind of fits into that. I think that's an important, practical, productive function of chilling out,” explains Rohit on the podcast.
“Resting comes in many forms. I think actually some of your best ideas come during that time.”
Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive with optimism for a future in the industry. Clegg Bamber from Lantra explained that it was important to recognise there were challenges but also that they could be overcome.
“What I always refer it to is a bit like a storm. The big waves come, but you can get over them as long as you stay on the ship – or on the surfboard – whatever you fancy! The main thing is you stay focused on what you can control and work with what you can’t control when it arises,” says Clegg during the podcast episode.
“I think there's plenty of new and arising opportunities that are certainly coming out or starting to come out through policy announcements and other various business decisions. I do think the future is hopeful.”
The podcast Prepare for the future. Building resilience in a changing landscape is available to listen to now.
