Pioneer Mindset: Built in the Dirt: Resiliency, Mental Health and Doing Hard Things with John Sachse
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Reference: Podcast Corner
Episode 142: Built in the Dirt: Resiliency, Mental Health and Doing Hard Things with John Sachse
October 27, 2026 | Pioneer Mindset Podcast | with Garrett Ruskamp
John Sachse is back on the podcast this week! John is a fourth generation Kansas rancher, Army National Guard officer, resiliency coach and now a published author. His book, Built in the Dirt: The Resiliency Playbook, just released and it's written for the person whose head is barely above water trying to keep the lights on and still show up for their family.
In this episode we get into the control paradox, why resiliency isn't about being tougher, the difference between the egg and the tennis ball, and two of the simplest tools John uses every single day to build a more resilient mindset: practicing gratitude and switching from "I have to" to "I get to."
We also talk about staying physically active during the busy season, even when there's no time and what he's building at his Kansas ranch with two upcoming rucks this fall and winter.
Life happens for you, not to you. That's the thread running through this whole conversation.
In this week's episode with Coach John:
- Resiliency is not about being tougher. It's about learning to carry the right load and let go of what you were never meant to carry.
- The control paradox: release what you can't control, act on what you can, lead through what you can influence.
- Practice gratitude every morning with three to five specific things.
- Flip "I have to" to "I get to" and watch how it changes your whole outlook on the task in front of you.
- There are no failures, only data points and opportunities to learn.
- Any movement is good movement in the busy season. Keep the train from stopping completely.
- You don't have to find out what you're made of alone. Do the hard things together.....
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Welcome to Pioneer Mindset! A podcast for rural ag business owners who want to challenge their mindset and address the discomfort in their business and personal lives by finding clarity resulting in bold conviction. Your host, Garrett Ruskamp, is a 5th generation farmer, husband and father from rural Nebraska. In the last 10 years of farming, he has experienced many challenges that business owners face on a day to day basis that stem from disorganization and being financially unaware. He understands the weight of uncertainty that comes from operating in a state of mind triggered by these struggles. Join Garrett as he shares his journey of the struggles he's faced in agriculture as a farmer and family man. He will dive into honest conversations to tackle the mindsets surrounding these issues, that will ultimately help you gain control leading to a profitable and sustainable business.
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