Adam Torres and Lincoln Ellis discuss Texas FFA.
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Show Notes:
Texas FFA provides leadership and growth opportunities for its members. In this episode, Adam Torres and Lincoln Ellis, Brand Ambassador at Texas FFA Foundation, explore Lincoln’s journey as a Texas FFA member and future plans to enter the real estate field.
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About Texas FFA Foundation
The Texas FFA Foundation seeks to strengthen agricultural education and the Texas FFA Program, so each student can develop their potential for personal growth, career success and leadership in a global marketplace.
Building on the proven success of Texas agricultural education and the Texas FFA Program, our mission will be distinguished by the continued development, funding and implementation, of cutting edge learning opportunities focusing on: critical thinking, technical and practical skills, teamwork, leadership and communication skills, strong work ethic and academic achievement. The Texas FFA Foundation understands the critical role of agricultural science teachers. We will promote our teachers as a valuable resource, dedicated to teaching, and service to the profession and their communities. As a necessary step in enhancing the range and depth of our teacher’s capabilities, the Texas FFA Foundation will work to develop effective programs and alliances with corporate sponsors, private foundations, community, education professionals and governmental leaders to maximize learning opportunities for Texas teachers, students and communities. To ensure a dynamic future for Texas agricultural education and the Texas FFA Program, the Texas FFA Foundation will seek financial resources sufficient to sustain these programs in perpetuity.
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres and I’m excited to be at the 95th Annual Texas F F A convention in Dallas. Texas, let me tell you, we’re having a lot of fun. And today I have on the show Lincoln Ellis, who is a brand ambassador for the Texas F F A Foundation.
Lincoln, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me on. All right, so we got a lot of talk about today. We, I wanna know what is, what’s behind that blue jacket? Like what’s this magic at the tough Texas f f a? What keeps bringing people back and from a brand ambassador? That, that’s where I want it.
So just to get started here, when did you first discover or learn about Texas F F A? Well, I’ve known about F F A my whole life, but I did not join F F A until my sophomore year. And I mean, it’s truly been amazing. You asked about the magic. I mean, it’s difficult to put into perspective, into words. Yeah.
What this jacket represents and what it means to the students. And I mean, it is crazy the opportunities that’s afforded to us and that we are offered from different things like. This right here. I, yeah, the interviewing, I’ve got to interview other corporate sponsors, corporate leaders. It’s truly amazing.
Like I said, my sophomore year I is, when I was introduced to it, and it’s like I said, it’s truly changed my life. I’ve become, I was sort of an introvert, if you wanna say, but I’m definitely much more of an extrovert now. I mean, it’s truly life changing, the things that are afforded to us. I mean, it’s amazing, but the brand ambassador, so just to tell you a little bit what we do.
Yeah. We handle a lot of the corporate and like convention sponsors like Mission Matters, McCoy’s pre forts superior trophies and buckles. We interact one-on-one with our sponsors to make sure that they are treated with the utmost respect and that they like if they need anything, we’re there to help ’em and anything they need for it from them.
So as you, what did it take to get to that position of brand ambassador? ’cause I know that’s a coveted position. Mm-hmm. And I know like, like there’s a lot of competition out here. Like, like how’d you make it there? Like what was some of your secret to success? So one of the things, and this is for, so I’ve ran for Chapter officer.
District officer. Mm-hmm. And when I apply for something and when I do something with a position, I always tell ’em the same story. I always tell ’em where I started out and where I came. So I didn’t come from a traditional background of. Ag, like my father was in the lumber business, but not so much growing crops instead animals.
And so I started off on like somewhat of a non-traditional. And so I tell people that I’m different and that, you know, different than how they are. Mm-hmm. And so applying and running for chapter, you know, for chapter office or whatever, it’s kind of difficult because you’re kind of an outsider and whatnot.
And so you’ve got to, you know, show them your story and how f f A has affected you. And so with becoming a brand ambassador is the same thing I did. I had told them about my different life and how, how I, through F F A have been able to change my life and so many other people around me. And so the application process was quite simple.
It was quite, it was, it was definitely a longer process than what I remembered it being last year. And, but it is, like you said, a more coveted position and it’s more like, Not superior, but you do a lot more with your brand. So like we in like I’m interviewing other people. Yeah. And so like a regular ambassador takes care of the sponsors, helps them with anything they need.
Brand ambassadors. We are more of the online side, like we do, we do interviews, we do a lot of media posts and we cover. We cover everything that F F A does at convention because we’re sort of like an out outreach program in a way to get what F F A does and what F F A is out further than what it’s, than what it is within the F F A.
What’s been one of your favorite, like experiences or favorite experiences of being part of the F F A? Like what’s one of your favorite standouts? Oh, definitely showing cattle. Mm. I mean, it’s been one of my most. Favorite things to do. I mean, going to a cattle show and just the environment there. Mm-hmm.
It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. It’s ju it’s mind boggling how, yeah. Crazy It is. And as you kind of, as you now, now, just to clarify this, so you can be in the a member of the tech f f a as you kind of mm-hmm. As you’re going through college, and then at a certain point you, you have to give up the jacket.
Right. Right. And you move on. What is kind of like this vantage point of getting to work with corporate sponsors and like this, this training program you’ve really been in? Like what is that, what do you think that means to your future? Right. So getting to work with corporate sponsors, like you said, it, it gives you a little bit of a leverage.
It like, just like the man I interviewed for McCoy’s, he told me if I ever needed anything to call him that he’s there, he can help me if, if he can. Mm-hmm. And so I know a lot of my. Other fellow, fellow ambassadors, they’ve already had internships offered to ’em straight out of college jobs, startups.
And so that is one of the advantage points of being an ambassador rather than just being a student at convention. ’cause you’re getting that one-on-one connection with a sponsor and people that are higher up that can offer you things, you know, like. Tit for tat. Like you, you help them, they help you type thing.
Mm-hmm. So you’ve been doing interviews yourself and Yes, sir. Which is awesome. What’s your favorite thing about being a host? Honestly, it’s different. It really, yeah. I mean, it’s different than like being, being the one to ask the questions. It’s fun, right? It is. Yeah. It is fun. I do like being the interviewer just ’cause I, I already know what’s coming.
Yep. And so I will say, but It. I mean, I do enjoy being a host. It’s, mm-hmm. I know it’s kind of special, you know? Oh, it’s fun. I never, I mean, I never thought I was gonna be a host. I was, I was in a completely different business, and I just kind of sucked me in and, and now and then, and now getting to ask the questions and learning.
Mm-hmm. Like, have you been going through, like, I, I mean you interviewed a lot of people there, like this learning process. Talk to me about that. Right, so our biggest out for whenever we were told that we were the ambassador or a brand ambassador, they told us to come up with questions. Research your who you’re gonna be interviewing and stuff.
And so that process, that one was a little bit different for me. I was like, I was like, oh, I, like, I’ve never interviewed someone before, like, what am I doing? And so just like sitting down, coming up with questions. Yeah. Researching the people. So I wrote like a little article about like the people I’m planning on interviewing and just so I would like know what they are and like what they do.
Mm-hmm. And so definitely what was most different is like taking the time to. Play, like know someone before they know you. Yeah. It felt almost kind of like being a stalk, a stalker. You retalking them. Right. Come on. It’s exactly what it’s like. I was like, I would’ve never normally done something like this.
Yeah. But it’s definitely been a life-changing experience for sure. Yeah. So let me tell you the the, the funny part about this. So the more you start doing interviews, well mm-hmm. So like you’re interviewed here, what’s gonna be interesting is when people start to see your work and they start knowing things about you and your life.
We never had that conversation. Yes, exactly. Like what? And then you’re like, oh, I said that on the podcast, or, oh, I gave that on this or that. Like that’s the next level of where you’re headed in that career. Yeah, and I mean, some people like, so I was, like I said, a district officer. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So many, like a lot of people know me.
Mm-hmm. And I might know their faces, but I don’t know their name of, and so I had a girl walk up to me in the convention center and she was like, Hey, Lincoln. And I was like, Hey, how are you? Like, I’m like, it was good seeing you again. Like I don’t know your name, but I know you. Yeah. And so it’s like, it’s like you said, like they know you but you don’t know them, or like relaying conversations.
Yeah. It’s fun though. The host thing and all of that, and you have good presence. I mean, keep it up, man. This is gonna be, well, thank you. That’s that’s a definite potential. So what are some of your plans like after f f A as you continue to grow? Like what, what are some of the things that you’re like planning in your future?
Well, I was recently accepted to Tarleton State University. Congrats. Congrats. Well, thank you. I will be majoring in ag business with a minor in Ag, agricultural Economics this fall. And so what I wanna do is I want to go back to either my hometown or one of the surrounding towns. Mm-hmm. And open up a real estate agency that specializes in farming and ranching.
Mm-hmm. But I’m gonna have, I want to have workers that still specialize in like residential homes. Wow. Just in case, you know, like let’s say the farming ranching like isn’t booming at the moment. Like there’s still stuff coming in. There’s still something for me to do. And so, and I’ll still be able to give jobs to other people.
And then for the economics part of the degree is I want to sell trades and like do a little bit of stock brokering. Mm-hmm. Where’d you get the, where’d you get the Love fra for? For real estate. My grandmother, she was a real estate agent. Oh. And I always thought it was kind of cool. Mm-hmm. Because I, like you’ve seen, like, you’ve seen movies and stuff or like videos where people like selling homes and I always thought it would be kind of cool to like sell someone their dream home or something like that.
Mm-hmm. But you’re thinking more on the commercial side, so like farm and ranches? Yes. Like, I know, I don’t know if you know, but four Six’s Ranch. Mm-hmm. Recently went up for sale within the past two years and. I thought it was cool. Like the real estate agency, that’s a lar, that’s one of the largest larger ranches and farms in Texas.
And I was like, that was really cool for like someone to take it, have it on the market and sell it. Yeah. For an owner. So that’s definitely interesting. Yeah. And then like dairy operations, like there’s, you’ve gotta know a lot about what you’re selling to Absolutely. To market it. Absolutely. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense.
Did you meet with one of the other sponsors here? Jim Wong by any chance? No sir. I did not. Oh, we’re gonna have to introduce you to him. So he’s over at exp Realty. He’s also an author in, in one of the books we just put out here. Okay. And that’s one of his main objectives as I was interviewing him, is they wanna, they wanna, he’s a big commercial real estate guy and he be realty.
I mean, they have like, I don’t know, 40,000 agents or something. Oh wow. So they’re huge. Yeah. Publicly traded and he was here and that’s just. I’m bringing up that story for the other corporate sponsors out there that should be here. Like you wanna be here, like you’re seeing it live now. So for example, if you’ve been watching this series for a while, I’ve asked some of the other individuals that are corporate sponsors why they’re here.
Now you’re hearing from the other side of things, you’re hearing somebody that’s wearing the blue jacket, as you can see, talking about real estate. Oh, guess what? We have them de link a corporate sponsor to link ’em with whose objective is what. Commercial real estate in Texas. So I, when I say these things, I’m just showing you like, you just saw it happen or, or heard it.
If you’re listening to this on the podcast real time, like this is how it happens and this is why we think more corporate sponsors and more individuals should be here. Because I mean, the, your peers, you yourself. Yeah, most definitely. Like, there’s so much potential and there’s so much promise and there’s so much good talent here to, to, that’s really our next generation of leaders.
Yes, most definitely. I agree with you a hundred percent. Yeah. Well, I’ll tell you Lincoln, really appreciate you coming on the show today. Well, thank you and taking some time and happy to bring this to our, to our audience and really just help tell the Texas f f a story. Yes, sir. So thank you for coming on.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
