Erin Lemos

Our ‘Why I Chose  FBN ’ series features stories from employees across different roles, teams, and geographies on how they got to  FBN , what it’s like to work here, and how their teams help fulfill our mission of putting Farmers First®. When did you join FBN ® , what is your current role at FBN , where are you based, and what are your responsibilities?  I joined FBN in October of 2021. I work out of FBN’s Newton, IA fulfillment center. I am the General Manager of the Central region, overseeing operations in Newton, IA, Lincoln, NE, and Shakopee, MN.  What was your previous work experience before joining FBN ?  Prior to my time at FBN , I spent the past 20 years working for Kreg Tool Company, BASF, and C.H. Robinson in many logistics, supply chain, and operations management roles.  What did you first find compelling about FBN that led you to want to learn more?  What I found compelling about FBN was the mission to help farmers become more profitable in all areas of their operation. Being a startup/distributor definitely had some appeal to me as well.  Why did you ultimately decide to join FBN ? What did this thought process look like for you?   The reason I chose FBN was the opportunity I saw to help the fulfillment team grow and change from where we were in 2021 to where we are going in the upcoming years. Leading a positive change in the culture is something I enjoy doing and saw FBN as a good opportunity to do so. During my interview process, I did just as much interviewing of FBN’s mission and culture as possible which led me to accepting the opportunity.  Now that you’ve joined, how would you describe FBN’s culture and what it’s like to work here?  FBN was definitely in a startup mentality when I started and in under 2 years seeing the growth in mindset and processes have contributed to our successes.  What kind of impact are you and your team having on the company’s future?  Our team is constantly seeking new ways to deliver farmers their product in a more cost effective and efficient manner. We are actively delivering more product out the door to farmers with the same or less labor needed than we did 2 years ago.  How does FBN’s mission come to life in your day-to-day work? How does your work positively impact farmers?  I try to take a servant leadership approach with my team to help them on a daily basis with things they need. This results in the whole team getting into the mindset of helping each other deliver the best possible experience for the farmers.  We know you have a life outside of work - what kinds of things do you do for fun?  My wife, daughter, and I reside in Ankeny, IA. In my spare time I love to golf, cook, bbq, and cheer on the Iowa Hawkeyes. What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone considering FBN ?  Be very open minded and willing to voice your thoughts on how to grow the business and help the farmer’s experience get even better.  Want to work for FBN ? Outstanding companies are built by outstanding people. The  FBN  team goes to work everyday to ensure farmers stay profitable while they feed the world. Learn more about the  open roles available  at  FBN. © 2014 - 2023 Farmer's Business Network, Inc. All rights Reserved. The sprout logo, Farmers First flag logo, "Farmers Business Network," "FBN," and "Farmers First" are registered trademarks of Farmer's Business Network, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Terms and conditions apply.

Our ‘Why I Chose  FBN ’ series features stories from employees across different roles, teams, and geographies on how they got to  FBN , what it’s like to work here, and how their teams help fulfill our mission of putting Farmers First®. When did you join FBN , what is your current role at FBN , where are you based, and what are your responsibilities?  I joined FBN in June of 2022 as the Head of UX Research and I’m currently based out of Atlanta, Georgia. User Experience Research (UX) at FBN partners with our product and design teams to ensure that our strategic and creative thinking for all digital experiences (web, app, etc.) are based in deep customer centricity.  We work across the organization to discover and deeply understand the needs, expectations, and pain points of growers and producers so that we can provide validated experiences of value for our users.  Basically, we talk with our members to understand what they need, help our internal teams understand why that's important, and then test our ideas with our members to make sure we created what they wanted and that it works correctly.  What was your previous work experience before joining FBN ?  Previous to FBN I was fortunate to work for digital transformation and marketing agencies, partnering with clientele from a broad range of industries and sectors, to both produce and manage user research initiatives and help organizations become more customer centric in their design and strategic thinking.    What did you first find compelling about FBN that led you to want to learn more?  I’m a sucker for the underdog story.  At our core, FBN is about the farmer: lots of small family businesses fighting to break even in an industry that has been dominated by a few large entities who control the marketplace.  FBN has always been about disrupting that status quo and empowering the underdog small farmer.   Why did you ultimately decide to join FBN ? What did this thought process look like for you?  I remember during our interview process finding it refreshing and motivating that everyone I spoke with at FBN was focused primarily on creating amazing experiences for our users. When we talked about what success would look like both for FBN and the various roles within UX Research, we focused on the quality of the work rather than profit targets.  Now that you’ve joined, how would you describe FBN’s culture and what it’s like to work here?  Hyper focused on the customer. That is the best description. The cultural aspect that reverberates from every level and department at FBN is making sure that we are getting it right for the growers and producers who are our members. The people we work with at FBN are some of the best in their disciplines and there is a true culture of innovation and experimentation.  What kind of impact are you and your team having on the company’s future?  Ultimately, UX Research is about advancing an organization's customer centricity. Customer centricity: creating experiences that are valuable, helpful, and occur at moments that matter to the user; are proven means to increase organizational success.  In much simpler terms, UX Research ensures our products and experiences are, and remain, relevant and meaningful for our members.  How does FBN’s mission come to life in your day-to-day work? How does your work positively impact farmers?  UX Research is the living embodiment of “Farmer First”.  Everyday we talk directly with our members to understand their needs, discover problems that we can help solve for them, and collaborate with them on design and usability of the experiences. Researchers become the voice of the member, representing their needs and concerns when they can’t be present.  We know you have a life outside of work - what kinds of things do you do for fun?  I am one of those people who has too many interests and too little time! If I’m not traveling back and forth between hockey tournaments for my kids, rebuilding an old car or motorcycle, hiking or just being outdoors as much as possible, then I’m probably in the middle of a home project that I underestimated the amount of time and materials (along with overestimating my own skill level) it would take me to build - lol.  What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone considering FBN ?  Everyone at FBN you are going to talk with has been thinking deeply about farmers and producers since they started with us. We didn’t all come from an agricultural background though - I’m a suburban kid from Chicago and, while I saw lots of corn and soy fields across the prairies growing up, I was very far removed from understanding what the life of a farmer or livestock producer is and that’s ok. My advice…don’t be afraid to ask questions. We respect that desire to learn and see it as a strength. Want to work for FBN ? Outstanding companies are built by outstanding people. The  FBN  team goes to work everyday to ensure farmers stay profitable while they feed the world. Learn more about the  open roles available  at  FBN. Copyright © 2014 - 2023 Farmer's Business Network, Inc. All rights Reserved. The sprout logo, Farmers First flag logo, "Farmers Business Network," "FBN," and "Farmers First" are registered trademarks of Farmer's Business Network, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Terms and conditions apply.