SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hi there, I'm Molly. And I'm Jamie. We're the owners of Hired Hand Software. And this is season six of our From the Pasture podcast. For more than 15 years, we've been helping breeders promote their pedigree livestock with our easy-to-use, animal management-driven website software. Each week, we bring you stories from the pasture, breeding philosophies, ranch traditions, cattle knowledge, and conversation with folks using Hired Hand to power their livestock marketing. So settle in for today's episode of From the Pasture with Hired Hand. Welcome to this episode of From the Pasture with Hired Hand. I'm your host, Molly Clubb, and today we're doing something a little different. Most weeks on this show we walk you through a breeder's pastures and their pedigrees, but today we're walking you through their phones. Our guests are Matt Hill of Junction Hill Cattle Company in Chapel Hill, Texas, better known to thousands of TikTok followers as the Longhorn Coach, and his daughter-in-law and social media manager, Karina Hill. In a couple of years, they've built an audience that reaches way outside of the Longhorn world, and they've brought people into this breed who had never touched a cow before they found them on their phone. So if you've ever wondered whether social media is worth your time or you're already on there and can't figure out why nothing is happening, this episode is for you. Thank you both for joining me, Matt and Karina.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Thanks for inviting us.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Good morning. Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

Matt, why don't you start and just give our listeners the quick version of Junction Hill Cattle Company? How many head, what kind of operation you're running, and how long you've been at it.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Okay. Uh originally, um I guess I got in the business back in like 2008. We had some property out in West Texas, and um I did what a lot of breeders do. You know, I I got jumped in you know with both feet and ran up to like 60 head of cattle, didn't really pay attention to um, you know, exactly how I didn't have a plan. I didn't uh it wasn't until I was in the business a couple years that uh I kind of learned about um you know genetics and and you know all the all the traits that you want to breed for. And so um I um did then started kind of culling my herd and everything, and then I ended up getting out of the business in 2013 because it was after the 2010 drought out in West Texas and uh you know with Cal's Canted Rocks. And so we we got out and you know, I you know, basically living life, and you know, kids were going to college. And so once uh the kids kind of calmed down and a couple of them got out of school back in 2023, we got back into the breed. And um, you know, by that time we had some uh land in Chapel Hill that uh outside of Brenham, Texas, which uh is you know has has has a lot more grass than Junction, Texas for sure. And so that's how we had got the name Junction Hill Cattle. That was the name that we originally started out with. And so I decided when we got back into it that we would just keep it small. I didn't want to have to have someone, you know, because when we we had the place out in Junction, I had a ranch manager, and you know, he nobody's gonna take care of your cattle the way that you would take care of them. And you know, that was six hours away, and so I figured, you know, the best thing for us to do that that fit our you know, kind of fit where we were in life was to have a small program and um you know, just just very selective breeding, and and so you know, we we spent some time uh you know, I never really got out of the business. I kind of stayed in touch with a lot of you know a lot of my friends uh the whole time that we were in. So I still knew what bulls were um you know were were that I wanted in my program. And and so whenever we started back up, you know, I had I had a you know uh learned what you know so many breeders learn, you know, it it it's not about quantity, it's about quality.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

So where did the Longhorn coach come from? Why coach instead of rancher or breeder?

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Well, I I coached football for 15 years, and I guess there was it was one weekend I'd run into one of my players and uh and I came home and I told my wife, you know, hey, I saw so-and-so at the movie theater, and and you know, this is going on in their life, and she said, Well, you know, you can just connect with them on Instagram and you would know that anyway. And I was like, Well, I don't okay, I don't even know what that means. And so we so when when I set up my first Instagram page, I put a coach Matt Hill, just so my kids would know who I was and they'd be able to identify and and and you know, I guess accept my uh accept me if I asked to to be on their page or whatever. And so uh anyway, so that that started out as you know coach, and and then when Karina came to me um and she she said, Hey, you know, people would really like to see on social media, because Karina has a lot of history with uh social media, and she said people would really like to see what you do. And I was like, who would want to see that? And you know, I I I didn't think anybody, I I I never thought about it. And so she she wouldn't um she wouldn't let me alone about it, so she kept after me, kept after me. I said, okay, finally, we'll we'll do it, we'll we'll just try it out. And so we kept kind of coming up with a name, and and one day I finally said, Well, what about coach? Everybody knows me as coach, and and and so that's how we got the long horn.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

So, Karina, talk me through that part of the story a little bit. You finally wore him down. Do you remember the first time you all went out to record, or maybe the first you know, posts that you made? Just walk us through that a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Absolutely. So I've always had a passion for social media and content creation. And I did a little bit on uh my own personal channel. So now I'm at a different stage of my life where um we're expecting my husband and I are expecting our first newborn, and my the kind of content that I used to do, which is aviation related, is not very feasible. So I was just missing that part of my creativity, and I just kept thinking, who is someone that's interesting enough that can have a really good following and people like? So I started going over the list of family members and individuals that I that we see all the time. And um I thought about uh Mad and I just proposed it to him. And the first time that I approached him, he was like, absolutely not. This is not for me. Who is gonna wanna watch my channel? No. And um, it took maybe a few times of convincing, and then I just said, Hey, listen, we're gonna have fun, we're gonna uh record a couple of videos, and if you are really not into this, then we can stop. So I just kept filming him, and um it's basically filming his passion, which is has been very fruitful and rewarding.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

So the first the first video that you posted, how did it do? And how was how was your reaction to it, Matt? Both both uh well let's talk about the viewers' reaction, but also seeing yourself out there on social.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

I didn't I didn't like it. Um I didn't I didn't you know I think Karina will tell you when when we first started, I was very uh I guess self-conscious about you know speaking with the microphone and and and you know Karina had to edit so much because I kept you know stammering and stumbling over what I was saying. And um and the first time I saw a couple that you know she did some some preliminary stuff saying you know you know coming soon and all this kind of stuff, I I didn't like it at all. But um, you know, it it's and I think one of the things that I was really worried about uh was you know other breeders and friends that I have in the breed thinking, well who's this guy who who's Matt think he is? You know, I mean he he do he doesn't know anything, he doesn't know more than I do. And and you know, and I don't I don't claim to know more than anybody else in the breed. I just kind of th through the course of of doing it, we just kind of said, this is what we do. And and um most of the people that are following us, they don't know any better anyway. And then uh but but and if they do, a lot of times they'll comment about, you know, yeah, that happened to me, or thanks, thanks for thanks for you know suggesting this, or I'll I'm gonna do this, or where'd you get that? And and and when you when you start thinking that it's an educational thing, which goes back to what I love to do in coaching football, is you know, it when when you see that people are out there and and other breeders are saying, you know, they're they're not making fun of me like I thought they would, but you know, a lot of a lot of breeders are saying, hey, man, that's pretty cool. I'm watching it, or or uh, you know, my kids watch it. Um a guy I went to high school with, he reached out to me 25 years later and said, Hey man, thanks for doing this. My daughter started watching you uh because she's going to bed school, and and now I'm watching you too. And and and that'd be he was the last person I'd ever thought to to reach out to me. So um yeah, but but it's an evolution. I did not like it at all at first.

SPEAKER_02 9:46

What about from those first views aspect, Karina?

SPEAKER_00 9:51

So the first views were m not not that good, to be honest with you, in in terms of performance, because we started as just our family watching the channel, and then um the more people talk about algorithm and hashtags and all that, which I believe we're gonna get into that a little bit later. But the first ones, I just wanted Matt to feel comfortable. Um, so the first ones there there wasn't a technique, there wasn't a tactic, there wasn't a plan. It was just, hey, this is who Matt is, and this are the longhorns, and this is a space where you can come and learn a thing or two. So, in terms of view, we might have gotten maybe 500 views per video, um, which is minimal in comparison to some of the videos that are currently posted.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

Which I feel like is where most people just quit and throw in the towel, right? Their first video doesn't go viral, they they think it's not worth the time and they're they're done.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Correct. I mean, I feel like the sweet spot is just doing something and recording something that you're truly passionate about because the evolution, like Mai was saying, he's been able to enjoy that evolution from hey, we're posting this because we want to post it in this instance because I was forcing him to post, and uh to hey, we have a community and hey, we have uh this recognition. So it's been very rewarding.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Well, I went and looked at your account uh last week as we were preparing for uh this interview, and so I want to put some real numbers in front of you all to get your feedback, but also our listeners. So you have a video explaining what a longhorn actually costs, and it has over 50,000 views. Uh, you have a video about whether bigger horns mean older cattle, and that one has about 17,000 views. And Karina, correct me if these numbers are already old and it has a lot more. Um, you also have a sunset video, which is which I thought was genuinely beautiful, and that only has about 1,400. So do you see a pattern and has it changed what you film or the types of videos that you make?

SPEAKER_00 12:10

So, in terms of numbers, we don't really keep a goal in mind. What we're doing is just posting whatever we want when we want what we like. Um, so the numbers can fluctuate a little bit between videos, but there's not a consistent formula that we're currently using. We're just staying true to the mission, which is educating individuals and some of the feel-good videos with uh pretty views and uh funny cows and everything in the middle.

SPEAKER_02 12:43

So, with the numbers I listed, that's about a 35 to ap between teaching people something and showing them something pretty. What do you think that says about people who like what people actually want from livestock content?

SPEAKER_01 12:56

You know, I I I think people are really uh curious about ranch life. And um, you know, especially, you know, I mean, a a lot of our followers are, you know, I mean, I'm I'm I just uh would imagine that they're you know live in a city, don't, you know, have any clue of you know of what ranch life is or what ranch life is in Texas or or whatever. So I think uh there's just a curiosity about ranch life, and then I think there's always a curiosity about cattle, the cattle industry, and it just so happens that you know we're obviously in the longhorn industry, and and I I just think longhorns are a lot cooler than any other uh the other breed of cattle, and I think everybody, even if you're in another breed, everybody's always fascinated by bighhorns and color and everything that we breed for and everything that we all love as breeders. And and I just think the fact that you know we have the coolest the the the the coolest breed of cattle on our ranch, and and and you know, you know, people are always kind of you know commenting about you know what about the horns and all this kind of stuff and all the stuff that we kind of take for granted as breeders, everybody else is really fascinated with that.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Well you have a video about Argo and it got picked up and reshared by RFD TV and a few other notable accounts. What was it like watching something travel past your own following? And did anything change after that?

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Yeah, I mean we we may have picked up some more followers. Um but yeah, I mean that's always that's always cool to see um you know you your your your your cattle and and something that you've done and and and um not not that I did either. I I think I might have filmed it, but Karina did all the work. But the um you know it it it yeah, it's cool to see that there's a you know positive reaction out there and that that people are interested. I mean, like I said, I mean they're they're the cool we all know it as breeders, but you know, they are the coolest breed out there. And if people see if you if you see if you see a black Angus cow, you're just gonna keep on going. You see a big old longhorn, you're gonna stop and look at it.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

Have you learned anything surprising about who's actually watching? Like, were there was there one maybe impression you had when you started about who you thought would watch and now you know that's that's completely been misproven? I know you talked a little bit about like your your ex-players and your you know high school friends and stuff, but do you do any um like Karina, do you run any numbers on who mostly comprises the audience and who's actually watching?

SPEAKER_00 16:25

When our numbers have actually fluctuated in terms of who's watching, um at first it was about maybe 95% were women, um, ages 50 plus. And uh now we have a healthy balance between uh 45 um 55 ratio of both uh demographics and uh in terms of ages, we truly do have a whole collective group age, anywhere from according to social media, um 18 to 65 is our sweet spot. So in terms of uh who do we currently target, we're open to newcomers, to individuals who have been in the field for the longest time, and everyone in between.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

Do you see most of the traffic coming from Texas and the surrounding states, or is it really spread out throughout the US and even the world?

SPEAKER_00 17:29

So believe it or not, um about 35 of our viewers are actually in Brazil. And then we found out that there's a big um longhorn community in Brazil, which is pretty amazing considering that we have never been in Brazil or advertised in Brazil or have any clients in Brazil. Um, and that shows you how social media is very inclusive. And with the globalization, you your audience can be reached from anywhere in the globe. Um, other than that, we have a lot from the Midwest. Uh, we have a healthy number from uh the Texans, um, of course. And um we have uh a few from Central America.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

I feel like that's like you need to lay the groundwork for maybe a trip to Brazil to do some more research or something.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Sounds good to me.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Karina's from Mexico, so we all all her family. We we we did credit for all her family watching as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

So they contribute to a little spike enjoyment as well. Well, many of our listeners may be in that group where they've seen your videos online or they're you know they're active on TikTok in terms of watching, but they've never posted anything at all. Um and then I think we probably have another group who maybe think TikTok is still just, you know, a bunch of teenagers dancing and you know they have no interest in even checking it out. But let's let's talk a little bit about the people that kind of just want to learn, or maybe, you know, a year from now they want to be where you all are. So someone downloads TikTok today, they have zero intention of ever posting, they just want to learn about cattle. What should be their first 15 minutes? Like what do they do in the app? How do they find relevant um topics? Kind of walk us through what they should be doing, Karina.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

So I at first TikTok and a lot of the social media platforms are very tricky. Why? Because there's an algorithm and there's all this AI stuff that personal personalizes your experience and it gets targeted to what do you want to view? So when I first introduced TikTok to Matt, he was like, I don't care about this. And there was a little bit of everything. There was a little bit of dancing, there was a little bit of cooking, there was a little bit of agriculture agriculture, there was a little bit of cows. So it takes about uh a few tries for you to actually get engaged with the application and actually see the things that matter the most to you. So for individuals who are trying to post a video and post uh get get on on board with social media, my first recommendation is to stay true to your passion and stay true to who you are, because social media is so powerful in terms of connecting with other individuals, connecting yourself with the rest of the world, like I was saying a few uh instances ago up on Brazil. But most important, you will get your community from there and you will get the support from there. Social media has developed from somewhere where you just see dance videos to now a new search engine. So sometimes individuals can actually use TikTok or Instagram or all of these platforms as a search engine. So I need a new lunghorn, I need a new recipe, how to do this, how to do that. So that was one of our main basis on why we use uh TikTok, which is uh short content platform, to do um instructional and educational videos.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

I feel like many times when someone is new to TikTok specifically, they're very hesitant to follow anyone, to like anything like um you know that they come across because they don't really understand that those interactions are what is going to fix their algorithm and feed them more of what they're interested in and you know help them find those those accounts that they might want to follow. Uh, what would be your advice to someone that you know is on there? They're they're not ready to post for themselves yet, but they they want their feed to be full of more of that that content that they're looking for.

SPEAKER_01 21:54

Just from a you know, of a beginner's standpoint, uh, I can probably speak to that a lot better than Karina can, but you know, just just go in there and find the stuff you're interested in. Like um, you know, I I I kept because I was trying to build you know interest in in you know, similar interests to to um to the long-horn culture, what we were trying to trying to promote, you know, the other other cattle, you know, I I I had you know looked at all kinds of other breeds, you like those, you you you ri you kind of reach out to them, any type of farm, you know, a lot of you know there there's all kinds of stuff about chickens and goats and all this, any type of agricultural um site I would I would click on. And and and and the thing about TikTok, kind of I think probably better than Instagram, TikTok. If somebody sees that you like them, they're gonna like you back. Or or or or you've connected with them, they're gonna connect you back. I think more so on TikTok than on um Instagram. So from a b beginner's perspective, you just kind of have to sit sit there and find, you know, like like Karina had said, you know, just kind of d define what it is the the the audience that you want, and um you know, and their TikTok is very receptive to to responding back.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Does that also apply to commenting? Like do you find yourself commenting on uh relatable posts a lot so that you know maybe their followers find you and and that sort of thing?

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Yeah, that that definitely works as well. Um because you know, in in real really on TikTok, people people seem and and maybe just just because it's maybe not as commercialized, I guess might be the right word for uh as say Instagram, people seem to communicate a lot easier on TikTok. And so, yeah, if you reach out to them, they're chances are pretty good they're gonna answer you back.

SPEAKER_02 23:52

Now that you all have been on it for a while and kind of are are have that community built, do you notice that your community is talking to each other? Do you have people going back and forth in the comments, kind of carrying on conversations about your video, like maybe the goldfish video or you know, different things like that?

SPEAKER_01 24:11

Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of funny. Um, you know, the the just the the stuff that people find interesting, and you know, maybe doesn't even have it, like you said, doesn't even have anything to do with longs. It has to do with, you know, it because what what the way the the way the goldfish thing worked, I posted something before we even had the longborne coach about when I was changing out a water trough. Well, a lot of my friends that are breeders, they actually just just on my my my personal page or whatever, one of my cows and and and her baby were right there with their heads in the trough, you know, wondering what I was doing, very curious. And so I was I just thought that was kind of cool. Well, not a single person commented, and these are breeders, not a single person commented on my cows. They commented, oh, why do you have goldfish in there? And and and these so these are coming from other longhorn breeders, and they were more interested in my goldfish. And and so I thought, well, so when we were thinking about things to do, I said, hey, let's do something on the goldfish because you know everybody seemed to be interested in that. So it yeah, so it's not necessarily about the cows. I mean, it it's it's um I mean, that's just another thing because we're in the industry. That's just another thing that's pretty interesting that people find, you know, uh you know intriguing and and what whether they're looking at your cows or not, they I guess everybody likes to go.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

What is the etiquette on DMing someone you don't know on TikTok? Whether it be a fellow breeder or you know, like you said, maybe um someone who is unrelated but they have a question about something you posted, what what would your advice be to our listeners about the the DMing etiquette?

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Well, you know, if you don't want to take anything personal, because you know, so some some you know, because you get a lot of kids, you know, kids will kids will make some you know comments that you know maybe they don't even make sense. Um, you know, I I I I typically just when I'm answering something, uh I even if it's something that's not necessarily positive, I'll say, well thank you know thanks for thanks for commenting and and you know thanks for thanks for your opinion. And then then I'll do my best to kind of educate them and let them know why I posted or why I said what I did. Um but you know we we haven't really had any real net real negativity out there at all.

SPEAKER_02 26:31

So Karina, I want to touch a little bit more on something that you mentioned about how TikTok is essentially like a search engine uh these days. As a user, um, what do you find it's more beneficial for a user who's trying to still maybe get more content in front of them that they're interested in to use the search function within TikTok versus just scrolling mindlessly and hoping something that interests you shows up?

SPEAKER_00 26:57

If you have a specific question, like for example, how to measure um the longhorns of the cow, well, I would specifically use the search engine. But in in terms of I want to follow or I want to discover things that are related to longhorn cattle in general, your your main page will actually uh bring you to content that is easily targeted to your liking. So one of my main recommendations will be to not only engage, but also follow those pages that you really feel find um that you really like and that you really find interesting. And the algorithm itself will uh target those accounts for you.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Well, let's shift gears a little bit and talk about um if someone else has an account they're getting started. Let's specifically talk about them wanting to be seen more. So more followers, more views, more growth. Um so someone's finally decided to take the leap and make a post. Do they are they good with just only having a phone? Do they need a bunch of professional gear um to record it before they make them their first post?

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Absolutely not. The only thing you need is your phone. Your phone and your creativity. The rest is up to uh the needs of your channel or your page. You will see when your channel or your page requires the next content. So uh, for example, in our case, we are as we expand, we bring new supplies like new microphones, or sometimes when we're shooting in the dark, we need some lighting or we need a special uh program or a feature to enhance what we have. But you absolutely do not need anything else in terms of a software or an editing tool or anything like that. You just need access to the internet um and a phone, and the rest is just your creativity. So um social media is very interesting because we go by trends, we go by music, and there's uh uh there's users that promise a magic formula to make your channel and content grow, but there's nothing like organic uh growth with real followers, real interactions, a real community. And that that takes time, just like um relationships outside of social media. It just takes time for uh viewers to get engaged with your content and feel that they have a community within.

SPEAKER_02 29:51

I'm glad you mentioned editing because I do think that's one of the pieces that scares a lot of people off. So, realistically, how long does one of you and Matt's videos take from coming up with the concept to filming it to editing it to posting it?

SPEAKER_00 30:06

You know, that's a funny question because sometimes we do uh videos that take no time. It will probably take from the filming to the posting about 10 minutes, and then there's some other videos that take days and sometimes even months because life happens, right? We're treating this as a hobby and we're treating this as an educational platform for individuals to connect and uh to just make friendships. So sometimes with this pregnancy and this new baby on the way, it does take me a little bit longer to get into the editing, but it takes anywhere between 10, 5, 10 minutes to um a few hours if you're if wanting to get very technical and put uh the editing, and then there's so many tools that we use right now to reduce the breathing and reduce the sound and reduce this and that, but it is absolutely non necessary for you to create content in social media. So you if you are debating whether you should make a video or not, you know what? Just post it and see what happens. And you might be really surprised in the community that you have within your own platform.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

So what we're trying to, Molly, with with with Christina with Karina being uh pregnant, is I'm thinking, well, how can I do this myself? And and you know, while she while she's you know, it it's too hot for her to go out there or whatever. And and I don't know. I mean, uh it it's evidently I'm a really heavy breather. So she has she has to edit out you know a lot a lot a lot of my breathing. But if I had to, I could I could I think I could do it myself, and and so we're in the process of kind of figuring out how how to do that, at least until you know, because she's only she's only gonna get more uncomfortable you know in the next couple months. So we're trying to figure that out.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

Do you all do everything off the cuff? Do you script things out and practice before you actually hit record?

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Karina's pretty good at telling me what she wants me to say. And um so she she'll she'll come up with we'll we'll come up with ideas together. Or or actually, you know, we've actually had uh people ask questions um you know through through the social media platforms, and and so we think, well, to answer the question we need to do a a video. And so um so Karina's pretty good at she kind of pretty good at visualizing how she wants it to look. And so she pretty much kind of directs me as to what what I'm supposed to say, what I'm supposed to do to do, all that. I mean, I I I I I've learned that uh it's a lot easier just to do what she says.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Well, and sometimes I I feel like we have a very healthy balance with coming up with new ideas and videos because sometimes I'll just get to the ranch and he'll be like, What if we film this? And I'm like, Okay, so it's just a healthy balance between someone from that does not know anything from the industry, and it's and I'm very new to the Longhorn industry, to someone that has a lot of experience and gets a lot of questions. So we have a healthy balance between what we want to create out there, something that's informing new individuals who might be interested in getting into the industry, someone that just wants to know a quick fun fact, and someone who actually knows the advanced education that's out there. So uh one of my favorite videos, um, because we try always to link our content to the longhorns, and sometimes you might see content that you might wonder where it came from. But one of my favorite videos is the uh most frequently used uh things at the ranch. And in that video, we have whitees, white bees that uh Matt uses after dealing with the cows, and we have flight traps and we have a little wagon that he uses every single day to feed the cows. So videos like that are my favorite because while they're not necessarily longhorn related, they kind of are.

SPEAKER_02 34:30

How important do you feel like those first few seconds of a video are? Has there been times where maybe Matt just, you know, starts talking and gets right into it, and you're kind of like, wait, back up, we need to phrase it like this because we need people to, you know, actually watch past those first few seconds or you know, before they swipe so the first few seconds are always fundamental in any video because as a user ourselves, if it doesn't engage you within the first couple of seconds, you are just gonna scroll by.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

So um the first few seconds, we usually use a very specific question, a very specific surprising uh sound, or a very um a very attractive video. So um the first seconds are everything when it comes to video performance. So our recommendation and what we've been using and what has been working is just to create the impactful few seconds as your main hook for the rest of your video.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

And if I remember correctly, a lot of your videos have text on the screen, right? So even if Matt is talking or or stating a fact or a question, you're also reiterating that for folks that maybe have their sound off. Is that right?

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Yes. So, I mean, in our videos, we try to be very inclusive uh to anyone. If so, we have a few users that are um of hard hearing. So whenever we are putting text out there, it's not only to fill out the blanks or fill our portrait or anything like that, but it's also to be able to reach um everyone out there who might be interested in the topic. And on top of that, we do have uh users and we've we've received the feedback of hey, sometimes I am in a quiet room or a waiting area with no uh headphones, and the text makes it a difference. So even as a user myself, I really enjoy when there's a text that gets synced with the voice and what's happening in the video. So we usually try to keep uh the text with all of our videos.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

What about captions and hashtags? Just talk to me a little bit again for someone that's maybe new, they're just trying to grow their account. How much thought and how much research or consistency needs put into uh your captions and hashtags?

SPEAKER_00 37:33

So the hashtag is being currently utilized in our channel as a way that individuals can find us. So during the search engine, we go back to our previous conversation. If they want to find a specific topic, they they can just search Longhorn Education and our video will pop up based on the hashtag. So I will treat the hashtag as a way to have individuals find you and their likings, basically.

SPEAKER_02 38:08

What would you say to a fellow breeder who tells you straight up that they're never gonna use social media?

SPEAKER_01 38:16

Well, I would tell them that that that's fine, but you know, it at at least you need to have a website. And and I think that uh just about every breeder that has tried to do their own website and not utilize hired hand um would would agree with me. Um but as far as social media goes, you know, yeah, I I I would say that I felt the same way. Um I would not uh I would never have thought that we would have received the reception that we have, not only from from the public, but from uh other breeders that just say, hey, you know, um, or I meet uh I'm meet a new breeder and they say, Hey, oh, uh I watch your channel. And I never would have in a million years thought that that would uh that that would happen and that that would be a positive thing. Um so I would just encourage them, you know, not not to be so closed-minded. Uh, you know, to you know, the world we live in is uh you know moving this direction. And you know, if if you want to do everything to maximize your marketability for your cattle and your and your ranch, that you need to take advantage of everything that's out there.

SPEAKER_00 39:29

And to pee back on what Matt said, basically any reputable business today, they do have a website. So the first thing that I would do in terms of the first step to get online will be getting a website to just get that brand recognition and to let your consumer know that you are legit and that you are there to make business and the rest of this stuff. But other than that, social media is a very powerful marketing tool that a lot of businesses sleep on. So that in conjunction, social media in conjunction with a good branding website could be the potential uh flip to your business and what you've been looking in terms of growing your business.

SPEAKER_02 40:23

Since you all obviously are interacting with following a lot of other agricultural accounts, whether it be longhorn breeders, other animal breeders, maybe it's crops. Um is there one mistake you see agricultural people making on TikTok that you wish you could just, you know, say, hey, like don't do this anymore, or hey, fix this and it'll go a lot better?

SPEAKER_01 40:46

I guess that's probably more of a technical question. I I I really don't see anything because you know there's a lot there's a lot of a lot of things that I learned. Like I don't I don't understand, you know, I don't know that whole uh a lot about farming. And um, so you know, so some of the some of the accounts that we kind of follow and that follow us, I mean I I learned stuff from from you know them, stuff that I've kind of always wondered and just never had anybody to ask. Um but as far as a technical thing that I see that they do, I I don't really see anything.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

Do you see anything, Karina, you know, technically that other people speaking from performance, what I generally see the most growth and the most engagement is when an individual talks to the camera. So there's a lot of accounts out there with very useful information, but it's a picture and a long text. So the chances of an individual pausing the video, reading a long text are very, very slim versus just a face talking to you and explaining a certain uh task or situation. So my recommendation would be to just get out there, film yourself, be stay true to yourself, be you, and upload it and see the magic happen.

SPEAKER_02 42:11

We're all more critical of ourselves on camera or in person or whatnot than we are of other people, I feel like. Like, you know, you think everyone else does a great job, but then you then you always critique yourself the most.

SPEAKER_00 42:23

Absolutely. Sometimes I just have to post a video without even getting madfully on board, and then it turns out that the video's performing and individuals are engaging with the video, and you're just in your head thinking that you're gonna sound silly or that people are just gonna maybe make fun of you. But in reality, individuals want to see you, they want to form that relationship with you, and it is just much easier doing it while they feel like they're speaking to someone versus just reading a text.

SPEAKER_01 42:59

Yeah, it's it's kind of funny, Molly. We we um we were working cows um and and Karina and and my oldest son showed up late and we were almost finished. And so so Karina's like, oh, I want to film this, I want to film this, and so we we started filming. So she she ended up posting it, and I obviously I didn't know that we were gonna film that day. And so she posted it the other day, and I'm like, I had a pimple patch on the side of my head right here, and I'm like, oh, nice pimple patch. And so if if anybody sees a post and I've got a pimple patch, it's because I didn't know we were gonna film that day.

SPEAKER_02 43:36

And yet the video's probably doing okay, and no one's no one's came at you about it, right?

SPEAKER_01 43:42

Yeah, there would have been a time I would have been mortified. Now it's like, yeah, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

Yes, and another tool, Molly, that we have really found success in using is actually going live. A lot of individuals, um, man couldn't believe how many individuals were connecting, following, contacting, and everything in between when we went live. So we are usually uh a couple of thousand individuals connected when we go live, and we're just having a good time. We're just introducing the cows, answering questions, and uh bonding with individuals who have the same interests as the Longhorn coach.

SPEAKER_01 44:27

Yeah, that really blew my mind. Like I think the first time we went live, I think we might have had 300 people, and then we went to like 700 people, then all of a sudden we're at like 1,100 people. I'm like, man, how in the world is this even possible? Who there's 1,100 people out there that that care that I'm standing in the pen and I'm just like talking to the cows and and and the people people love it. And and I think I think breeders, um people other breeders want to see other breeders' cows. So so even though that breeder's not gonna I mean their breeders aren't gonna learn anything from me, but they might want to see my cows, or they m they you know, they or they I mean if if I saw another breeder just and they were live and they're you know, I I'd want to hear what they had to say and I would I would be interested. So, you know, it's just something that I would never Would have thought of and it quite frankly blew my mind whenever we did you get you get that kind of reception.

SPEAKER_02 45:25

All right. So let's talk a little bit about the questions that people actually ask you uh on social media. Because I, you know, some of these I was a little surprised by, or you know, had a little chuckle at some of them. Again, just being being breeders ourselves, we we understand more than what we, you know, what the common person does. So I went through your comments and I'm gonna read you some of the real comments you've received, and I'd like you to answer them as though you were answering them online, or how you would answer them. Um, so the number one comment by far was about price. So uh one said, is that $45,000? Uh another one said, I had no idea a cow could cost that much. And another person asked, How much are the horns worth? So why do you all think that everyone fixates on price?

SPEAKER_01 46:13

Well, I I I think that that video was uh taken from legacy and uh it was you know beautiful cow. And you know, it I think people are kind of shocked, but uh that you know the cow was at $45,000. I mean, she sold for more than that. Uh that's just what I've been that's just worth the the part that I recorded. But um, you know, I I part of that part of that is people are everybody wants to hear an auction. And everybody everybody loves the sound of an auctioneer, and and everybody lo loves the you know the mystique of a cattle auction. And so, you know, I think that particular video gets a lot of attention. But, you know, just just kind of letting people know that, you know, part part of that from uh from a uh competitive standpoint, I've got a bunch of buddies that are in the you know the commercial cattle business, and they're always like, you know, what why are you why are you messing around with long horns and all this kind of stuff? Well, that's why. You know, there there's there I don't see too many of their cows selling for the amount of some of the cows that that that our breed sells for. But um so that that's one of the reasons why I put it out there is let you know, let's you know, selfishly to let some of my buddies know that you know people do make a lot of money on so on some of these cows, not all of them. We all know that, but um, you know, I I I think that um and then you know, just in just educating the general public, you know, um I I think that it I think it's good to let people know that if they are potentially interested in the breed, that there is a potential to to to breed a cow that can make a lot of money back. Um but you know, I mean it's it's a it's uh as as we all know, I mean it's it's an educational experience and and you know if if it helps get people more involved in the breed, then you know, I I th I think it's a great thing.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

Um the second most common comment is basically what are they good for and what do you do with them? How do you interact with those people without getting defensive?

SPEAKER_01 48:49

Well, I think I mean i i it's a great question because um you know if you look back at the breed, you know, 25 years ago, you know, we've done a great job of of taking what everybody, you know, uh because I I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine that's in the was in the that's in the Agus business. He said, Man, I don't know why you want to, you know, breed those, you know, bony you know longhorns. Well, we we don't we don't really breed those anymore. We we breed you we've bred that out of the breed. Um you don't have these skinny, scraggly longhorns that ran all over the Texas plains and that nobody wanted. Um you know, we we've done a really good job of uh of focusing on the on on the positive traits of our breed. And I think that uh over the last 25 years that I've been involved, at least, I think there's been some some incredible um, you know, there's just not a focus anymore on horns. I I remember when you know there was this big focus, people would just buy buy a cow based on horns. They wouldn't look at their feet, they wouldn't look at their confirmation, they wouldn't look be particularly worried about their color. Now I think that there's a big uh emphasis on kind of the total package. And I think that that's just collectively, we've all kind of you know done a really good job of improving our breed. And I think that's at our responsibility as breeders. But um, you know, I uh and I think that people that have this misconception of what a longhorn is, if they actually went to any of our ranches and looked at some of our better cattle, they'd be very impressed.

SPEAKER_02 50:27

And Karina, I would imagine that as you get these questions, although they might seem kind of common sense to people within the breed, it's a great opportunity to continue that education process and go into other topics or, you know, refer them potentially to other videos that you all have put out there and things.

SPEAKER_00 50:45

Absolutely. We get all sorts of questions from beginner questions to questions that we might not even have the answer. And when that has happened in the past, um MAD uh has referred those individuals to a specific individual who might be uh specialized in the answer and always I I I our mission is to educate and provide useful and truthful information that serves the purpose.

SPEAKER_02 51:16

Well, and that kind of ties into the next section here is that you're you're not just entertaining people, you're not just educating people, but really you're recruiting for the breed. You're contributing to the breed growth and getting new people started, whether it be, you know, for maybe um a tax write-off, you know, just a few steers on their their property for their egg exemption, or maybe it's someone who's gonna become active in horn measurements and fraturities and and all the things. Is there anyone who's found you on TikTok and ended up buying their first cattle from you?

SPEAKER_01 51:50

Well, I've I've got i it's kind of funny. My one of my um one of my former football players, he he actually was the first one that bought uh one of our cattle. And it wasn't necessarily from exactly from uh from TikTok, except for the fact that his daughters had been on there and his daughters had watched and and and they had seen this one little heifer that he ended up buying. And um now he's come back and he's actually next week he'll be buying another one. And um, so so it's more of his kids kind of kind of watching, and and his kids saying, Oh, you know, no, that that's that's so and so that I saw on on the Longhorn coach's site. And and so anyway, um, but it just happens to be that uh, you know, he he was one of my football players. But um, you know, it it's it's there there are other people that you know, maybe they have a couple cows that have reached out and asked questions. Um as far as as far as you know direct sales, um, I have I have referred them, uh had a couple that I've referred to, other breeders that have a a better selection that you know, so maybe than I do. Um you know, because we because we're we're small. We only have like 15 uh 15 head. And and that's by design. And um, you know, as as I you know move and and you know, business slow, you know, slows down in the next several years, I'm sure I'll I'll grow that. But um uh I kind of selectively, as I said earlier, selectively pick some cows that I really like their pedigrees, I like their confirmations, and that's what I want to I want my brand to represent. And and so I might not be the right person uh for them to buy from, but I know people that are. And so I have referred uh people to other breeders.

SPEAKER_02 53:44

Do you feel a responsibility to these folks who might just see the cattle and think like, oh, you know, I want one, but maybe they don't have the correct amount of acres, maybe they don't have fences or pens, uh, or other, you know, there's a whole variety of things someone really needs before they ever take an animal home. Do you do you feel a responsibility to kind of, you know, inquire about those things versus just uh, you know, trying to sell them an animal or refer them to it to another breeder?

SPEAKER_01 54:12

Yeah, absolutely. Uh uh there there's a young man that works for me whenever I can't get out there to feed, and he he has, I think he inherited three acres. Um he he said, how much, how much land do I need? I really want I really want a cow. And and so you know, I kind of talked him through it and and he's not quite there. But yeah, you you want to make sure you you you want to you don't want to sell you don't want to sell an animal. I care too much about my animals probably to uh to to I want to make sure they're going to be taken care of and they're going to a place that they have uh you know plenty of room. And so I I think yes, I do feel a responsibility um to make sure that if it is a new breeder that they are set up and they are ready. You know, because you know I I think this is one thing that we'll t you mentioned that we'll talk about later. But you know, one on TikTok a lady had mentioned that she's got has a couple steers, but she does she can't get it she they'll come up to the fence and they'll eat fr from her hand, but she can't work them. She can't well she doesn't she's not set up, she doesn't have a pin, she doesn't have a w a way to work them into a chute uh to where it so you want to make sure that at least the people know what they're gonna have to do in you know, very short order to uh be able to work those cows and take care of them, right? But yes, there is a responsibility, I think we have as breeders to educate new buyers and let them know exactly uh the way they need to be set up to handle long goods.

SPEAKER_00 55:45

To add on what Matt said, I can attest that every single animal and long corn that comes from the Junction Hill cattle is treated as a family member to the point that even after the sale of witness, Matt going to the ranch, making sure that the animal is fine, texting with the new owners, sending, receiving or requesting pictures, and making sure that the animal, our family member who just went away, is very well taken care of. So he does feel a great responsibility making sure that the animal is very well taken care of and educating the individual after the sale as well.

SPEAKER_01 56:34

Well, and and this football player of mine that that is buying the cow next week, so he he bought a heifer from me. Well, he's buying her mother uh next week. So so I he's like, Well, I'll come pick her up. And I said, Well, no, I'll I'll I'll go ahead and bring her to you because I want to witness kind of the reunion between because because I I think I don't I don't know this for sure, but I think that they'll know that, hey, that's my that that's my daughter, or that's my mom, and I want to see that, and I'm probably I'm gonna film it, and so that'll probably be another post because I just I think cows and particularly longhorns, I think longhorns are are a pretty smart cow, and I think that uh you you know that I think that the mothers will know, and I'm I I'm hoping to prove that.

SPEAKER_00 57:21

Well, and getting into nitty-gritty, but as an individual who, again, does not know a lot about the breed, it is really interesting and very sweet seeing the cows interacting. We have uh one one of the cows, Sassy, she is like a little puppy. She's a dog. She will see you in the field and she will come running to you. And just like you see her on the videos, she's just like that in real life. So it is very interesting to see the different personalities within the cows.

SPEAKER_02 57:54

One of the questions that we get a lot from folks that it might either be like when we we just launched their website and we're talking with them about their other needs, or they might, they might have been in the breed for 10 years and had social in a website for 10 years, is that they they hate the tire kickers, as they call them. So the folks that have 50 questions and you know want to know the price of every single animal and you know, they're just kick, they're just kicking tires, basically. They're never really gonna pull the trigger, but it takes up a lot of your time um to answer those people. What what is your approach in that regard on social? Do you kind of have to weed out um that type of stuff? Are you just do you take the time to help everyone? Tell me a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_01 58:37

You know, I mean, you you can you can kind of tell you can kind of tell um you can probably tell easier on social media, you know, the you know, that to find those tire kickers because you know, chan chances of them going to your website, I mean, uh maybe one percent of those people will actually go to your website to be serious. So um, yeah, I mean it's just it you you do have to deal with that, but uh it's it's pretty easy on social media to kind of weed that out. And and you know, I I don't I don't I don't ever you know but because part part of your growth on social media is responding to those questions. So when when we get the when you know we get the comments and stuff, I I always respond. I mean I it may just be I hit that I like it or you know if it's if it's kind of an offhand comment or if it doesn't make sense or I don't understand it. Um but uh I tr I try my best to always respond because I know that helps you know the the the interaction with uh you know with what I guess it's the algorithm, I don't know, that that that kind of drives your growth. But um unfortunately, I mean you do have to put up with a little bit of that. Um but if they if they're gonna take the time to go to your to to your website and go through and and you know they're gonna be a lot more serious than anybody that's just on social media that's just kind of learn it about the learning about the the lifestyle or the breed. So yeah, I mean that there is there is some of that.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:04

Do you all, when you're looking at your social analytics, do you track the conversions from your social to how many people do go visit, whether it be a specific animal that was in a video or you know, go look at your your sale pen page or whatnot on your website?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:19

We're kind of in the process of of transitioning. So when we first started out, you know, I you know, I was not, I didn't think it was going to go anywhere. And and so when we first started out, we were like, well, do we really want all these you know people that we don't know that you know particularly you know, you always hear about all the crazy people and the crazy stuff that goes on on social media. Do we really want them knowing where we are and and all this? So as we kind of as we kind of got better at it and and and you know, we started kind of opening up, you know, that you've we're in, you know, we're in Chapel Hill, Texas, and and then so now we're kind of introducing our website and and all this to it. Um but we we we were pretty cautious whenever we first started because you know Karina and my oldest son are both attorneys, and so they were they they were they were really kind of uh you know guarded, so to speak. And so now so now that we're now that we're into it, we're in the process of kind of integrating a lot more in into the social media. But but yes, we we we need to be able to, and and and I know we can start tracking those interactions.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:34

Well, one last segment I have here for us before we wrap up is uh a little game we're gonna play. If uh if you watched our podcast or listened to them before, you know, we try to always have a little fun before we end the interview here. So the game today is called Coach Em Up or Call a Time Out. So essentially I'm gonna give you a situation and uh if it's a good play and they just need direction, you can coach them up, Matt, uh and tell them what they need to do, or if it's headed for a wreck, you can call a timeout and tell them why, all right. So there's a couple in the suburbs who just bought uh a house with five acres. They saw Longhorns on TikTok, fell in love, and they want to buy two heifers next month. Barbed wire, no working pen, no trailer.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:15

It's a timeout so I can coach them up. But you know, they they need to understand, just like the the uh young man that that worked for me that you know you you need enough land and you need the proper pins because uh we, if you buy heifers, you might have a little bit of time. If you had enough land, you might have a little bit of time before you have to get them in a in a chute. But eventually those heifers are gonna grow and you're gonna have to be able to at least have a plan to have a shoot where you can work the longhorns.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:45

What about do you do you is it a red flag at all when folks only want to buy heifers? Do you have to have that conversation with them about breeding age and bulls and all that at that time?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:55

Well, yeah, but because it if they just want longhorns, if they just want pasture art, I mean they they're probably better off with steers. Um because if you know obviously, as we all know, if you if you buy a heifer, you're gonna then you're gonna have to worry about a bull, you're gonna have to worry about um, you know, then instead of having two, then all of a sudden you're gonna have four, and then um, so you you need to have a plan.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:20

All right, here's the next uh game time scenario. Somebody's about to post their very first video. They've written the opening. Hey guys, welcome to my channel. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:33

I would say go ahead, post it. Post it and let it happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:39

And I I would say I would say just to to everybody listening, if you're not comfortable with that, I don't think we've ever asked anybody to like and subscribe. So I uh you know what yeah, but but definitely go definitely post.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:57

Yeah, stay true to yourself and you'll you'll find your community. Social media is a powerful tool, and everyone is an in.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:08

All right, there's a breeder with 12 head, he's out of sale and he's about to big bid on the big flashiest cow in the ring. He's going off of horn measurements alone. He hasn't looked at the dam, he hasn't looked at the pedigree.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:22

Time out. That's the same mistake that probably every single one of us has made. And you know, you you you want to research. Um, you know, and and that that's one of the greatest things that that I think you that you that you've done, uh, because I I remember when you started out, I was I was involved back then, just the the pedigrees and and and the the the knowledge that is on the in our that you've been able to accumulate in higher hand is g it gives us so much it makes it so much easier for us to do the research that we need to to to do on the pedigrees because we you know we all should know which bulls we like, we all should know which which cows we like, and but to go to a sale and get suckered into buying something that is not gonna produce for you, I mean we've all we've all made that same mistake, and I that so that's definitely a timeout.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:19

There's a first-time breeder pricing their very first calf crop. They found the highest price a longhorn ever sold for online, and that's where they set their number.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:30

Timeout. That's um there there again. I mean, we we've all made those mistakes or we've had those expectations that hey, I've got this cow just because I love this cow doesn't mean that she's gonna do well at a sale. Um do an advertisement for a private treaty. You know, p people aren't going to uh you need to be attuned to what the market wants um and and basically how to promote that cow to get the kind of money that you that you want if if you're asking a lot of money. And in and that's just an experience thing. I mean, but yeah, we've all we've all had to deal with that too. You know, had expectations of you know a cow that we like being worth a lot more than what somebody's willing to pay.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:17

All right, Karina. This might be one for you as an assistant coach here. Uh somebody left a nasty comment on a new breeder's video telling them their cattle are junk, and the breeder's about to fire back a very emotional answer.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:31

Well, fortunately, we have never been in that situation on our channel where I had to call out mad. But I would say you get everything on social media, the good, the bad, and everything in between. So what I would say, if you don't like content that's out there, just keep scrolling. Keep scrolling, and you'll eventually find a video that you fully engage and agree with.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:59

All right, so there's a breeder who's posting on social media four times a day. All of it is sunset photos and cows standing in a field, nothing selling, and he can't figure out why.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:10

Timeout. I would definitely say, are you making sure that you the the individual is able to contact you? So if your main point is selling your cow, you need to make sure that the individual has a way to find you or approach you or get a hold of you, whether it's putting on your bio your website or your address or a way that they can actually get a hold of you. Sometimes that's a very common mistake that individuals make when they're using social media and they don't see the growth uh transfer into their business.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:53

All right, last one here. Um, a breeder has got a genuinely good herd, um, but zero online presence. And he tells you, My cattle sell themselves.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:05

Well, I would say that uh I I'd call time out, just coach him up a little bit, and and say that um you know that while that may be the case, it's not gonna hurt. It's not gonna how how could it possibly hurt to promote your business? So so everybody at least needs a website and at least needs some way for the public to look at your cows and and and you know have a have a way of contacting you. But what I've learned and and if I learned it, anybody can learn it, is that there there's there's an infinite resource here with social media that will not only s promote your cattle, but can also promote other breeders' cattle. And and and it may it may just be like I said earlier, it may just be one percent of everybody that's looking at it, but they're looking at it because they're interested. And so that those are people that you're gonna miss. So while it may be true that you that your cows do sell themselves, it's most likely within the breeding as to other breeders because the other breeders know what to expect. For newcomers, they don't know you from Adam. And and you know, I I think that through some of the things that that that we've that we've done, uh it's kind of opened my eyes that uh you know there there's kind of a there's there's there's a whole new world out there and and there's people out there that you would never ever be able to uh come in contact with without social media.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:43

Well, as we wrap up here, I just have a few more questions. Uh if someone's listening to this in their truck right now and they've never posted a thing in their life, what's one thing you would tell them to do this week?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:54

I'd tell them to to to you know not be afraid and and do a post. I mean, you know, before before we had the Longhorn Coach, you know, all all all of you know, there's quite a quite a few, I'd say the majority of breeders, at least, you know, we all follow each other. We're all we're all friends on Facebook or or whatever. You know, people want to see your cows. They want to see you interacting with your cows. So, you know, it doesn't take anything to uh just film your cows or or or show yourself out there feeding them. Or, you know, we all like to see that. And so I would I would say just do a post.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:31

I would say there's a great community out there waiting for you. So the sooner the better. Just post yourself out there and see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:43

Well, last question here. Uh, tell everyone where they can find you and Junction Hill.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:49

Well, our website is jhkettle.com and on social media we are at the Longhorn Coach. And um what what whether you want to make fun of me or you want to you know look look at some of the cows or whatever, it's uh you know, it it it I hope it's entertaining and I hope it's educational. Um and I hope that uh if there's something that uh that we do, maybe, or a product that we use, or a product, you know, something that we've done, maybe it maybe it could help you. And if there's something, you know, uh people what I've learned is people always want to learn and they always want to learn from somebody that does it. And just because I do it one way doesn't mean that you know an another breeder does it the same way. And so it you know, social media gives you the uh platform to go back and forth and and to figure out what's best for you and and what works for somebody else. So um, and and like I said, it it's done as far as meeting other people. Um you know, I've met other breeders that you know if they if they've been on you know the site, they know you know they know who you are, and they'll they'll they'll come up. I I think it makes it easier to meet people if they feel more comfortable with you because they've seen they've seen your your side or whatever. And and I would have never thought that that's the exact opposite reaction that uh I thought would actually happen whenever Karina recommended that we do this, because I was pretty embarrassed.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:20

Well, thank you both so much for joining me on From the Pasture with Hired Hand. Uh, we hope our listeners enjoyed this visit with the Longhorn Coach and learned something new about the world of Texas Longhorns. If you liked today's episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review, as well as follow the Longhorn Coach on social media. You can always explore more stories on From the Pasture by visiting our website or following us on social media as well. Until next time, remember to appreciate the pastures you roam and the traditions that make them special.