The Vance Crowe Podcast

In this solo episode, Vance Crowe shares why he is pressing pause on the AgTribes news rundown and shifting the show toward deeper, more human conversations. Over the holidays, a series of experiences brought him back to one theme: being humbled.Crowe talks about the moments that knock people to their knees, how they open a door of understanding between people, and why the richest friendships and stories often come from facing failure, anxiety, and shame—and choosing to look for the light at the end of the tunnel.Key Discussion PointsGetting Unstuck: He discusses a simple practice for the new year: humbling oneself enough to ask, “What is the next small thing I should fix?” rather than seeking grand answers.Show Evolution: He outlines how the podcast will evolve to feature guests revealing the times they were humbled and what they learned, with the goal of connecting more deeply and getting better one step at a time.Communication Training: For those interested in sharpening communication—negotiation, storytelling, conflict navigation, and presenting ideas—Crowe is running his Interest-Based Communicating course (online and in-person in St. Louis).Details can be found at vancecrowe.com.

In this Christmas special of The Ag Tribes Report, I pause the weekly news breakdown to share a chapter-in-progress from my upcoming book on interest-based communicating—practical ways to create deeper, more meaningful conversations over the holidays and beyond. I tell the story of a second mate who taught me it’s better to be interested than interesting, then walk through how presence turns conversations into a kind of meditation: put the phone away, make eye contact, breathe, and really listen. I cover common pitfalls like fast matching and internal tripping, why mirroring has its place, and simple tools that change everything—body-language feedback, the three-word prompt “tell me more,” and question types that draw people out, like “beautiful questions,” contrast questions, and spotting “tiny choices” in a story. I also explain why “how” beats “why” for uncovering real motivations, and close with a reminder about the law of mutual self-disclosure: don’t ask questions you wouldn’t answer yourself. Whether you’re talking with grandparents, welcoming a new in-law, or trying to better connect with employees and vendors, this episode offers specific, repeatable techniques to help you listen with attention, ask with intention, and discover the kind of shared insight that makes conversations memorable—and relationships stronger.For more on Interest Based Communication: https://www.vancecrowe.com/interest-based-communicationFor a Legacy Interview: https://www.legacyinterviews.com/