Success Is Found In The Process... Featuring Brandon Callis

Summary

EmpowerU Podcast: “Success Is Found In The Process... Featuring Brandon Callas”

Release Date: November 1, 2024

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Introduction

In the latest episode of EmpowerU, hosts Weston Hendrix, Augustus Sexton, and Quinn Hartley dive deep into the theme “Success Is Found In The Process” with their special guest, Brandon Callas. The episode, released on November 1, 2024, aims to inspire listeners by exploring Brandon’s extensive journey within the livestock industry, his coaching philosophies, and the pivotal role of faith in his career.

Brandon Callas's Background

Brandon Callas opens up about his roots and early influences. Growing up in Needville, Texas, Brandon was immersed in livestock and agricultural activities from a young age. As the middle child, he took on the role of the worker in his family, handling steers, pigs, and other livestock under the guidance of his father, a county agent.

Brandon Callas [01:52]: “We showed heat, pigs, steers, even a few chickens and turkeys as well. When your dad's the county agent, you have to try everything.”

Brandon’s passion for livestock judging led him to pursue higher education in the field. He attended Connors State College before transferring to Texas A&M, where one of his proudest achievements was persuading an Oklahoma girl to join him at the university. His transition continued at Kansas State University (K State), where a chance involvement with coaching transformed his career trajectory from a prospective PhD candidate to a dedicated livestock judging coach.

Transition from Texas to Oklahoma

Brandon narrates his move from Texas to Oklahoma, highlighting the differences between the two states in terms of livestock opportunities and competition levels.

Brandon Callas [08:10]: “Both states have definitely have their strengths. The gravity of the Texas majors, the rewards for kids and opportunities for kids are still second to none.”

In Texas, the abundance of livestock and numerous show opportunities make it a vibrant environment for budding judges and breeders. In contrast, Oklahoma presents a more intense competitive landscape with fewer opportunities, requiring participants to aim higher and work harder to succeed.

Coaching Philosophy

As a coach at Redlands Community College, Brandon distinguishes between coaching at junior colleges versus senior colleges. He emphasizes building foundational skills and character in junior college students to prepare them for success at higher levels.

Brandon Callas [15:43]: “In junior college, you're there to build the basics, build kids fundamentals, build their character so they can be successful in senior college.”

His approach focuses not just on winning, but on the personal and professional growth of his students, ensuring they develop into well-rounded individuals equipped for future challenges.

Judging Approach and Mindset

Brandon shares his comprehensive approach to livestock judging, stressing the importance of delivering constructive feedback while maintaining humility.

Brandon Callas [27:14]: “My job is to give you the truth of what I see in that animal and dictate it to you in a way that's understandable.” [27:14]

He strives to ensure that every participant, regardless of the outcome, leaves the ring with a sense of education and fairness, avoiding any feelings of resentment or discouragement.

Trends in Livestock Judging

While Brandon acknowledges the presence of trends in livestock judging, he maintains that breeders are the primary drivers of these trends. Judges, in his view, should focus on evaluating the animals based on consistent fundamentals rather than chasing fleeting trends.

Brandon Callas [29:27]: “I think it's the breeders that set the trends. And so my job as a judge is to try to find what's Best.” [29:27]

Defining Success

Central to the episode’s theme, Brandon defines success not as an end goal but as continual personal and professional improvement.

Brandon Callas [30:40]: “Success is getting better every day. To me, success is within the process.” [30:40]

He emphasizes the importance of daily growth, both in his work with livestock and his spiritual journey, aligning his definition of success with his faith in God.

Challenges of State Fairs

Brandon discusses the unique challenges presented by different state fairs, particularly highlighting the competitive nature of the Fort Worth and Oklahoma state fairs.

Brandon Callas [32:23]: “Fort Worth is probably just to survive the big blue wall, to get pulled, to get through your class without something going wrong and then to finally get through your division.” [32:23]

He underscores the high level of competition and the rigorous standards required to succeed in these prominent events.

Faith and Competition

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around integrating faith with competitive ambition. Brandon advises maintaining humility and letting faith guide competitive endeavors.

Brandon Callas [35:27]: “If you still stick to the fundamentals, you'll get more classes... that's how you achieve success.” [35:27]

He references biblical passages to illustrate balancing ambition with spiritual integrity, ensuring that competition remains a means to honor God rather than diminish personal humility.

Mentorship and Leadership

Brandon elaborates on what makes a good mentor, highlighting the importance of genuine care and long-term impact.

Brandon Callas [37:26]: “All of my mentors, the folks that I've drawn from, the common denominator is they care.” [37:26]

He emphasizes that true mentors prioritize the mentee’s well-being and future over their own reputation or immediate gains.

Inspirational Quotes and Bible Verses

Brandon shares his favorite Bible verse, Proverbs 16:9, which has profoundly influenced his life and career.

Brandon Callas [39:03]: “Proverbs 16:9. It changed my life. Man decides the direction of his heart, but the Lord guides his steps.” [39:03]

This verse encapsulates his belief in God’s guidance and the importance of aligning personal goals with divine will.

Empowerment and Personal Motivation

When asked about what empowers him, Brandon attributes his strength to faith, family pride, and witnessing the growth of young individuals in the livestock industry.

Brandon Callas [40:21]: “Please, God. In everything I do, I want my wife to always feel proud that I'm her husband and I want my kids to go out and, and change the world for Christ.” [40:21]

He finds motivation in nurturing others and seeing the positive impact of his coaching and mentorship on their lives.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a reflection on Brandon’s impactful journey and the mutual respect between him and the hosts. Brandon acknowledges the growth and achievements of EmpowerU, expressing pride in mentoring the next generation.

Brandon Callas [43:37]: “I'm proud of what y'all are doing, and y'all keep it up.” [43:37]

The hosts extend their gratitude, highlighting Brandon’s significant contributions to the industry and their personal development.

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Final Thoughts

“Success Is Found In The Process... Featuring Brandon Callas” offers a profound exploration of what it means to achieve success through dedication, humility, and faith. Brandon Callas’s experiences and insights provide valuable lessons for anyone involved in the livestock industry or seeking personal and professional growth. This episode embodies EmpowerU’s mission to empower listeners by sharing knowledge and confidence from industry leaders.

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Notable Quotes:

• Brandon Callas [01:52]: “When your dad's the county agent, you have to try everything.”
• Brandon Callas [08:10]: “Both states have definitely have their strengths...”
• Brandon Callas [15:43]: “In junior college, you're there to build the basics...”
• Brandon Callas [27:14]: “My job is to give you the truth of what I see in that animal and dictate it to you in a way that's understandable.”
• Brandon Callas [30:40]: “Success is getting better every day. To me, success is within the process.”
• Brandon Callas [35:27]: “If you still stick to the fundamentals, you'll get more classes... that's how you achieve success.”
• Brandon Callas [39:03]: “Proverbs 16:9. It changed my life.”
• Brandon Callas [40:21]: “Please, God. In everything I do, I want my wife to always feel proud...”

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened while highlighting Brandon Callas's key insights and experiences within the livestock industry.

Transcript

[Weston Hendricks]

Welcome to season three of Empower your and I'm Weston Hendricks, the owner and host and this is my team.

[Augustus Sexton]

Hey guys. I'm Augustus Sexton. I'm the co host and supervisor of the podcast.

[Quinn Hartley]

And I'm Quinn Hartley, the social media manager as well as another co host of the platform. With that said, season three comes with change. Every Friday a new episode is released with sneak peeks on our social medias out the day before.

[Augustus Sexton]

Our goal is to be consistent, competitive and Christ like. We as a team strive for excellence in all that we do and want to gain knowledge from industry leaders and expand on trends of the industry and what they offer.

[Weston Hendricks]

Our priority is to empower you as an individual in the livestock industry and to gain knowledge and confidence while consuming it from some of the most influential people in our industry. So, as always, enjoy the episode and here's to empowering you. Well, folks, I cannot tell you how excited I am not only for the fact that we get to kick off season three with all the blessings that God has given us, but with all that said, Mr. Augustus Sexton is back as the co host. And not only do I have the opportunity to do this with one of my best friends, but to be able to talk to someone that's mentored me and Augustus in a lot of aspects and it's just an absolute honor to be able to do this. It's something that I've always strived to do and something that I just can't stop and to be able to have someone like Brandon on just means a lot. So with all that said, Mr. Callas, if you could do an introduction of yourself so the listeners can get to know you a little bit and just give us a little background about yourself.

[Brandon Callas]

Yeah, I grew up as a native Texan there on the, on the Gulf Coast. They're a little town called Needville. It's not so little anymore, it keeps growing. But 4, 8, FFA and sports were kind of our life. I'm the middle child, had an older brother who's more the athlete of the family. I had a younger sister who may have had a few more brains and I was the worker. So that meant I stayed in the barn quite a bit. We showed heat, pigs, steers, even a few chickens and turkeys as well. When your dad's the county agent, you have to try everything. And so we did. We showed a little bit of everything, but more so probably steers and, and lambs for the most part. Old was pretty active in about anything and everything. I've always prided myself on being pretty well rounded but really took a liking to basketball and livestock judging were kind of my thing and obviously I wasn't going to grow to be 6 foot. So when the time came to figure out what I wanted to do for after high school definitely livestock judging was the route I ended up taking. The way the good Lord works and everything went nine hours away from home. Didn't really know anybody. The one person I did know I didn't like him from high school. Brain and Gun we competed against each other but end up in that Connors experience. Ended up with a wife and Gun ended up being in our wedding as well. So I was a juco kid. Absolutely loved it. Was on a very good team. We were behind a very talented team. So we were always kind of called ourselves the stepchildren with the sophomores that were ahead of us. But we kind of held our own as well and then transitioned and went to A and M. Probably the biggest accomplishment of my life is I convinced an Oklahoma girl to move and go to school at Texas A and M. That was. That took a lot of persuasion but she came down there as well. We both judged there at A and M. We're blessed to be a part of a very good team there with some Austin team members as well. In fact I think this year is our 20 year reunion at Kansas City. So we'll all kind of meet up at Kansas City and hang out during the contest from there. Did not plan on being a livestock judging coach. I actually enrolled at K State in grad school to just go to grad school and kind of earn a master's and get out of there. And my roommate at the time was guy named Garrett Parsons. He was the assistant coach there at K State and his research project took off and Dr. Shockey needed a van driver and little. Little did I know I thought it was a setup. They set me up basically to start helping coach the team. So I went from van driver to assistant coach in about a two year span and I turned a two year master's program into three because I liked it so well up there. Ended up moving back to Texas. I was working on a PhD. I got tired of school finally Braden was on the way. My oldest. And so I ended up coaching there at Blinn College for three teams I think. And then I made the. I made a big life change and we can talk about that later. But like that's when I really dedicated myself to the good Lord while I wild. I guess the last year I was there was fighting and struggling with things and finally decided to take a different direction in life or same direction, but just get my steps in order basically. And we moved to Oklahoma and my wife was feeling homesick and so we moved to Oklahoma and I've been at Redlands Community College ever since. So that's where I'm here today. I love that.

[Augustus Sexton]

And so you talk about growing up with your dad being a county agent. I can certainly attest to that as well. Did that give you a better appreciation for the livestock and ag industry specifically?

[Brandon Callas]

Yeah, it was the birthplace of it. I followed that guy around everywhere I could. He judged quite a bit down there. And if I did not have school, if I was on spring break, I've never been a kid that had to go to the lake or go necessarily have what they call conventional functions. My fun was jumping in the rig with my pops and whatever county fair he was going to, I was going to go sit on the front row, not ask anybody for anything and sit and watch the show. And that, that was. That was my version of fun. And so yeah, being around him and, and really his parents as well, they raised registered Brahmins down there in Jackson county in Edna. And so I've always just been around it and then just took a liking to it and became a passion for sure.

[Augustus Sexton]

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[Weston Hendricks]

Well, and then you're talking about you growing up in Texas and being in the 4H program as well as coaching in Texas, but then going and moving forward to coach in Oklahoma. But now what you'd call a quote unquote show dad. What are some of the differences that you see in opportunities offered between these two states?

[Brandon Callas]

Both states have definitely have their strengths. I would say the gravity of the Texas majors, the rewards for kids and opportunities for kids are still second to none. As many animals that can possibly make the sale. All your chances to go to different shows to try to make that sale whole or try to win a breed or try to win a show, there's no place like it. Probably the biggest difference for me if I lived in Texas are on our limited budget. We'd Be trying to play for lightweight class winners and the Red Angus breed champ or something like that is what we'd be trying to do. And up here in Oklahoma, if you're not trying to swing for the fence, you ain't swinging at all. And so it's, it's. It's pretty tough. And even to make the sale, it's very, very, very tough. And so you've kind of got to have one that you feel like you can do very, very big battle with, knowing that you still might fall short. But if you fall short with one like that, you're at least going to make the sale. So I'd say the difference is just the. There's maybe a heightened level at the top as far as the amount of folks in this state that trade them and raise them and breed them, but their kids also show like my kids are the same age as their kids. That makes it a knife fight up here. But I would say no matter what state you live in, you feel like it's probably the toughest. But I will say being a Texan, there's not quite anything like the. From January to March, like, like living in Texas.

[Augustus Sexton]

Absolutely. And so you talk about your. Once you graduated high school and that you went up to Connors and then went back down to A and M, kind of what was the pull to attend those two schools?

[Brandon Callas]

I wasn't heavily recruited by anybody or anything. I had some buddies that had gone to Connors. Wes Mason was a guy that was coaching A and M's team at the time when I was a kid and he went to Connors and then Ryan Raffman had gone up there and Jake, Frankie and I got pretty close in high school and he had gone up there. And so it was one of those deals that me and some people I knew and respected it. Gone and had a good time up there, had good things to say about it and so I decided to try it. Went up and visited and I liked it. It was something different. I've never been afraid to go away from home and so just kind of stuck up there at Connors. And really again, I call it just a good Lord's guidance. It wasn't any choice by me on purpose. It was just one of those. I didn't know I'd meet a wife and my life would change. Going to Connor State College in eastern Oklahoma for danger. But I'm glad I did. It worked out.

[Weston Hendricks]

And so after that you obviously left the state and continued your master's degree at K State. You kind of went into depth on. On that slightly. But what was the main goal for that? What was your moral decision on it?

[Brandon Callas]

I went up to study cow calf nutrition, and the guy I was wanting to learn from was full of grad students. They wouldn't let them have anymore. And so they kind of transitioned me over to animal breeding and genetics. And there's a guy named James Sanders, Dr. Sanders there at A and M. That was always. He was tough. But one of my favorite classes was an animal breeding class. So I decided to give that a try there at k State under Dr. Moser. And so I was working on that Masters and then, like I said, got the chance to drive the van for Scott Shockey, and who was actually one of the guys I looked up to, got to show to him a couple times, always liked the way he did things. And so it was pretty cool to really become part of his family. Me and his boys are still pretty tight to this day, and we end up living like a mile or two north of him when Kelly and I got married and moved up there. And so went up there to get a cow calf nutrition masters, came back with some extra family members, a degree, masters in animal breeding and genetics, and a judging coach.

[Augustus Sexton]

There you go.

[Weston Hendricks]

There you go.

[Augustus Sexton]

And so then once you've got after, as you said, you were wanting to get your PhD. How did coaching at Blend then come into that?

[Brandon Callas]

So my PhD journey is one of those sometimes God has a different plan for you type of deal. I was actually pretty much through all my curriculum. I was halfway through a project collecting data and stuff, and they shut my project down right in the middle of trying to finish up and collect some data. So I had no desire to start over. And that was kind of my options. It was start over or just quit. And around about that time, Doug Pierce had called and said, hey, we got this little gig over here. Brandt Poe needs some help. What do you think about coming to work at Blink College? And so, again, Braden was pretty young at the time, maybe six months old or so. And me and my wife talked about it. We were tired of eating ramen noodles off a grad student salary. And so we graduated to beans and ramen noodles and went and worked for Blair. And the funny thing about Pierce and I, I say I wasn't recruited. I lied a little bit, I guess. Doug Pierce in eighth grade, him and my dad were pretty good buddies. He made me sign a napkin as a letter of intent to attend Blend College. We were up there for an. We're up there for an FFA event. And the only reason I did not go to Bland was because of Doug Pierce, because he told me not to. They did not have a fully fledged judging program at the time. And his exact words to me were, I think you're talented. I think you can go places. Why don't you go up there and judge for McPeet? Because we're just not ready for a kid like you. And I didn't know what he meant by that at all. And so that's kind of what happened. So when he, when he called me about working at Blend, he goes, I knew I'd get you one way or the other. So you're just going to have to send a judging for me. You can come work for me. And so, yeah, that's how I ended up coaching there at Blinn. Loved it. I had three and a half really good teams. And the hardest thing about being a judging coach or really a coach in general is when you do have those life changes and feel like you, you need to move on or do something to help the family. It was hard leaving that team that I left because we, we had put together a good team at that time. Poet moved on and I had Joe there. Raffman was helping him and I were co coaching that thing and that was a heck of a team to leave. It was hard to do, but just felt like the good lord was pulling me to move my bride back home closer to family.

[Weston Hendricks]

Yes.

[Augustus Sexton]

So would you say going from coaching a senior college team to a junior college team, is there any specific differences.

[Brandon Callas]

Or is it relatively similar senior college versus junior college? There is a difference. Senior college, I call it much more gas pedal. You're going, you're refining. There's not a whole lot of teaching necessarily, especially with the amount of juco kids we get nowadays. We're at junior college. To me, you're there to build the basics, build kids fundamentals, build their character so they can be successful in senior college. Do I like to win in junior college? Yes. But I'm more so focused on how can we build them to make sound decisions and give competitive reasons. So the process to me matters even more in senior college. In junior college, senior college, it's let's go have fun and go hard.

[Augustus Sexton]

Yes, sir. And that's one thing I appreciate about you so much is that you also take time to invest into the kids and make sure that they're on the right path.

[Brandon Callas]

So my wife's from Yukon originally and really it again, one of those God things we had. So January of 2013. He kind of came to me and said hey, I'm really feeling homesick and man, if there's any way we can moved back to Oklahoma. I love it. You travel a lot. You're very involved in a lot of things. I miss my family. She's the oldest of six and so. And she was the only one that kind of didn't live back in the area. So actually we picked up and started moving cows and moving in general before I even had a job.

[Augustus Sexton]

Okay.

[Brandon Callas]

And so I was going to sell insurance there in Oklahoma and got a call one day when I was moving my first set of cows up there saying that they had a. They had an opening for a judging coach at Redlands and they wanted me to interview for it. And this was on a Monday and they asked could they schedule within the next couple weeks for an interview. And I said well, how about tomorrow? And it kind of caught them off guard because they didn't know I was already hit it up with the first set of cows to move back up here. And so I interviewed that next morning, jumped in my in laws rig to drive the Texarkana the judge of Charlie Junior Nationals later that afternoon. And when I left Charlie junior Nationals that Wednesday, one of the freshmen, incoming freshmen on the team, their mom came up and said I hear you're the new coach at Redlands. And I guess he knew before I even accepted the job. So that's kind of how I ended up there. It was one of those deals when my wife. Between my wife coming up to me the devotional horn has sent that morning. Then I had another devotional of my own that I had on my phone and I called it my life verse which we'll go over it later. But Proverbs 16 and 9 showed up and the deal from horn and the deal on my phone and I didn't think that was. There was no coincidence there and that kind of, kind of ordered and put things in order for me. And life has never been better. Like it's been good every. Like that was the day I've been saved. Obviously my parents exposed me to the good Lord but like I'd say that January day was a day that I finally gave. Gave God all of it. And when I gave him all of it I just decided to follow. And that's kind of. That's how we ended up in Oklahoma.

[Quinn Hartley]

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[Augustus Sexton]

You mentioned Horn and him send you bible verses in those devotionals each morning. I'd get those as well. I want you to tell us the story of how you first met the man.

[Brandon Callas]

So I would, I would have, I would have been in junior high and I. It had been my first set of major show steers and a guy named Kenny Herzog is who I'd been who had helped me with all my steers. Me and my dad were real good friends and Kenny's daughter, it had been her first year actually to start showing. Well we were going to Burnett, Texas to jackpot. And he was like hey, you might not sit in front. We're going to pick up, this kid's gonna meet us in town, we're gonna jump in with us, go help us clip on stuff when we're at the show. I said okay, no problem. Just fast, fast talking, overly energetic, perfectly haired guy jumps in the front seat and I don't think he quit talking for the two hour, three hours it took to get to burn it from, from where we were believe it. And we were driving by, driving through town out to the fairgrounds and no one horned. He starts making fun of this hotel like it is a rundown, nasty hotel and it was called the La Vista. And he goes hersey, you gonna get us a room at the La Vista, huh? And just kind of joking, we're going to set things up. Kenny takes off, he gets us a room at that nasty place and when we, when we go in to sleep it's one room. It's probably half the size of one of yalls rooms at Blend College there. And there's a bed, there's a cot and there's a black and white tv. Kenny and his son slept on the bed. Me and this guy named Brandon Horn slept on the cot. That was the first time I met Brennan. That was my first trip was then and then I bought pigs from him after that. Never really bought a steer from him. He wasn't, he wasn't raising them quite yet then. But we got reconnected in 2007. I judged the saddle and sirloin actually and most amazing gold steer I'd ever seen at that point. Maybe still one of my favorite prospects I got to use to win the show. And I called the guy who had sold him and said, hey, what? Where does Kev come from? He said, call this number. And it was an 885 number. 885, that's from Sealy. So I knew, I knew the number but did not know why I knew the number. And when I called it, it was freaking Brandon Horn on the other end. He said, bush, it's been a while. I said, yeah. And it had been like 10, 12 years since we had talked really up to that point. And that very next morning he sent me one of the daily bread devotionals. And he's maybe missed two days since 2007 of sending those to me.

[Weston Hendricks]

That's awesome. And so you know, being able to talk about horn story and prior to that, you making your change to Redlands overall being a coach, what do you think is important to incorporate in your teams?

[Brandon Callas]

Again, I was probably a little, a little different from the standpoint of like I tell kids, don't fall in love with your own opinion. Learn to be a fact finder and don't learn to defend placings. Learn to talk what's true. That's kind of how I tried to do things. This lifestyle judging thing is an awesome program. I owe a lot to it. But it can breed arrogance, it can breed an entitlement, a sense of just. You grow yourself so much in it and you gain so much momentum and you meet so many people, you almost can be. You've got to be careful not to put yourself on a pedestal. And so you get to where you start to love your own opinion. Even when you're discussing a bunch of buddies, looking at bulls, looking at stock. It becomes an ego measuring contest sometimes with this lifestyle judging thing. And so the more you can get your mind wrapped around that, I need to find what's true. I need to keep the big picture in mind and find facts. That's how you establish and can build consistency in this livestock judging game. That's when you become an evaluator. When you, you, you might have a preference or a kind that you like, but the facts don't change. Your, your, your kind might change, your opinion might change. But heavy muscles, heavy muscles, big, big bodied and big bodied. Sound is sound. Those things don't change.

[Augustus Sexton]

I certainly agree with that and I have A quote hanging on my wall that I like to tell myself every day. It's from the great Harlan Ritchie says judging instills confidence in those people who may be timid and humble. Those who tend to be conceited.

[Brandon Callas]

So true.

[Weston Hendricks]

Very true.

[Augustus Sexton]

That's. Harlan was coaching my dad when he was at Michigan State.

[Brandon Callas]

Michigan State, Yeah.

[Weston Hendricks]

Yep.

[Brandon Callas]

So. Yeah.

[Weston Hendricks]

And so now I kind of want to incorporate what we've been talking about into this next question. But I'm judging my first year at Blinn here. And obviously it's no secret that Augustus will probably be doing the same after high school. But if you could give me and him advice for a path of success, what would that be?

[Brandon Callas]

Keep God first. Obviously, both of you aren't scared to be proud of your faith. And so never lose that ability. Never lose that feeling. But also, again, I'll go back to really life in general. In life and lifestyle judging. I've always paralleled the two. It's all about the big picture. We, as human nature like to dive into the details. We like to live in the details sometimes. But the big picture of life is God's in control. Just let him lead you. The big picture of livestock judging is there's certain facts and fundamentals that have not changed over the years. That if you still stick to those, you'll get more classes. Right. The minute we dive into the details of life, the minute we dive into the details of livestock judging, we allow it to become art. Because we go the chasing and seeing all the details. It's no different than if Adam and Eve never would have ate from the tree of life, how much easier life would be. But because they wanted the knowledge of the details, the devil tempted them with the knowledge of the details of good and evil. I think we're just programmed to want to live in details. And so to fight that urge to make yourself become disciplined, to really stick to the fundamentals, to me, that's the biggest thing. That's how you achieve success.

[Augustus Sexton]

Absolutely. I love that. So moving along, we've hit talks about you judging and coaching now. But also, you have judged a lot of shows throughout several different states. Judged several very recently. But what is your mindset kind of going into a show ring and judging? What are you running through your head?

[Brandon Callas]

I always ask God to use me however he sees fit to use me. But then also I want every kid there to have a positive experience. Not every kid's going to love the experience because we're all competitive and there can only be one winner. And so my Goal was not necessarily to make the winner happy. I want to find what I feel is the best one. There's a challenge in that, especially at the big shows. But at the end of the day, I like to leave there and know that every kid felt like they got looked at. Every kid felt like they were educated, whether they liked what I said about their animal or not. My job is to give you the truth of what I see in that animal and dictate it to you in a way that's understandable. So as long as you can understand what I'm saying and what I'm seeing, I don't want to come off arrogant. I don't want to come off as if my opinion is the only one and the only way. It just so happens that day I'm the one being paid to do it and so it becomes official. But I never want a kid to leave there feeling like, boy, I'd rather go play basketball then show animals again like that. That would be heartbreaking for me if I came off in that. And so my approach to those shows, again, I'm like a 14 day guy. I'll take just. I'll start changing the way I read, changing the way I eat, changing the way I'll actually start exercising about 14 days out just to make sure I'm physically and mentally ready for that. Like Dallas coming up. I'm doing the stairs of Dallas. And then a couple weeks after that I'll do the goats Kansas City. And so it'll be one of those deals of man really trying to hone and focus myself in and get closer to the Lord to really do the job he wants me to do. Because after all, we're here to glorify him, not ourselves.

[Augustus Sexton]

Yes, sir. So you've also been judging for quite a while now. I want to ask you, have you seen any trends change or start to develop through that time frame?

[Brandon Callas]

Yeah, I've seen lots of trends. I'm not a trend guy. I'm not smart enough to be a trend guy. I'm not bright enough to tell people how they need to breed their livestock. I love the fact that the good Lord may be simple minded because to me it's just, it is what it is. And you judge the animals in front of you and you roll with it, but they're definitely trends. And I think people give judges the credit for setting trends. I think it's opposite. I think it's the breeders that set the trends. And so my job as a judge is to try to find what's Best. The best combination things in front of me. The breeders are going to decide if we can add neck link to these or if we need that muscle to these or if we need to keep them sounder. To me, the brainer still handled the trend part of it. I'm just out there trying to survive and keep my head above water and pick the one I like.

[Weston Hendricks]

Yes, sir. And so I like. Tack on. What's the biggest take you have on the word success? And what describes success in your mind?

[Brandon Callas]

Man, y'all are getting deep. Success is getting better every day. Oh, like when it comes to our cow herd, we just wean52 head of springs here on Monday. And where you'll find me as soon as I get off of work until it's dark is in the middle of those 52 head trying to figure out if we got better, Trying to figure out how many mistakes we made and how not to make those again. And so to me, that word success, I try not to make it about a end result. To me, success is within the process. The way we grow as people, the way we grow as Christian followers of God. Nobody starts off perfect because Jesus was the only thing that was perfect. And so all we can do is get better every day. I get closer to him every day. And so to me, success is, am I better today than I was yesterday? In those days that I run into where I hit a snag, I don't want to fall two days back from where I was. I always want to try to charge forward and be better than I was the day before. To me, that's success.

[Augustus Sexton]

Certainly sound advice there. So before we get too far away from the topic of judging, I have to ask you, I know you haven't judged all these shows, but from your opinion between Illinois State Fair, Iowa State Fair, Fort Worth, Denver, and Oie, what is the hardest state fair or hardest show to win?

[Brandon Callas]

So if you think about the gravity of the situation, the sheer numbers and still the quality of the cattle, Fort Worth is one that I think will always be up there as seen as one of the best ones, I would say. Oye, it's different to try to keep hair on a bovine animal past February 1st is tough. And to keep it on to where it's competitive, to where it's not a deterrent for you. I'm not one that has to have hair when I judge, but we do like to show, and we do like to do well around here. And so you got to have the fuzz on come oie. And so Just the time of year of that one, keeping hair on them, keeping them fresh. And I'll just be honest, if I'm being just truthful about it. A lot of people in Fort Worth shop in Oklahoma for Fort Worth cattle. And so we go against those people that they're shopping with or shopping at. And so, like, it's. It's hard because we have so many quality breeders and traders in this state that go at it just as hard as anybody. And so although Fort Worth is probably just to survive the big blue wall, to get pulled, to get through your class without something going wrong and then to finally get through your division and then to get to, like, there's a lot of levels of hoops you gotta jump through to go in Fort Worth. To me, that's why it'll probably be the one I would crown as the hardest one. But showing in Oklahoma, I'm just telling you, it ain't for the faint at heart. I mean, it is. It is. It is a dog fight. It's a lot tougher than people probably give it credit for, just because we don't have the numbers. The midwestern state fairs, they are fun and they are good. I think that the very top end of those can compete just about anywhere, but I do not know if they have just the depth of quality all the way through that we find in Fort Worth or even OIE to a point as well.

[Augustus Sexton]

Understandable.

[Weston Hendricks]

Yes, sir.

[Augustus Sexton]

And you certainly have a front row seat at witness in the dog fight there at Hawaii.

[Brandon Callas]

Yeah, it's something.

[Weston Hendricks]

Sounds like it. I haven't never been person or haven't ever been able to experience that, but I hope to one day. But even talking about how it's a dog fight and there's competition there. This is a question that had come from a mentor of mine that I've gotten really close with over the last six years. You might know of him, Mr. Colton Thigpen. But he wanted to know how to be the ultimate competitor while still looking like Christ.

[Brandon Callas]

He would ask that there in. I think it's First Corinthians, 9, 23, 24, 25. Somewhere in there, it tells us how we're supposed to operate. Uh, it. It's something about running the race and everybody runs for the prize. And to me, that's. That's telling us, hey, I want you to compete, and I want you to compete to the best and hardest of your ability. Like. Like you're wanting to win that prize. But then that next verse comes in and says, but those who know the Lord basically know that of the bigger prize. And so I think people get that are chasing or Christian will say sometimes and I was guilty of this years ago, I can't go compete like I want to compete and still be a Christian. Well actually right there in the Bible it doesn't say that they want you to live and live abundantly. They want you to go after things. But also keep in picture, keep in mind, like I talked about the big picture, that you're still representing Christ, you're still doing it for his glory. So to me that's the way to do it. Like you work hard, you perfect your process, you become better. Every day you go working your tail off at your barn because you're wanting to win grand champion. But at the end of the day, if the good Lord doesn't call it for you, if he doesn't decide that you're the one that's going to win that day, you got to be content that you put all you could into it and did it to honor him. To me, that's how you still become a compete as a competitor but still remain Christian and keep Christ life.

[Augustus Sexton]

I mean that right there is very sound advice. That's one thing that you're very good at giving and that's the reason that you're a mentor to so many. But I want to know what do you think makes a good mentor to others?

[Brandon Callas]

All of my mentors, the folks that I've drawn from, the common denominator is they care. They're very and they're passionate about how they care. They, they want you to succeed, not to make themselves look good. They actually care about your well being. They care about the you 20 years from now, not just to you a year from now. Those are the mentors that I've tried to mimic myself after and always told recruits when they came to Redlands, by the way, you boys could come visit across the Red river. It's okay. Red dirt ain't that bad. But what I used to always, what I used to always tell the tell the kids that would come visit is my job is I want to have a big impact on the 20 year to you, not the two year you. So you're there at junior college for two years and we're going to do all we can to make sure you in 20 years is somebody you're still prepping.

[Weston Hendricks]

Ranch House Designs is America's rural marketing hub. They're a proud sponsor of Empower you's new and improved website. We couldn't be more grateful for their efforts in helping us build a brand. But with that said, they can do the same for you. Creating and backing some of the biggest brands and websites in the industry. Trust the process and Visit [e-mail] Talking about being a mentor and what you think impacts others, I'd like to know, in terms of impacting yourself, what's a favorite quote or Bible verse that you go by that gets you amped up?

[Brandon Callas]

Proverbs 16:9. It changed my life. Man decides the direction of his heart, but the Lord guides his steps. If we can put our heart and our focus on the Lord and be disciplined enough and humble enough just to let him lead you won't you it's not going to guarantee the life's going to be smooth, but it guarantees you that you got a way to get out of it and you got somebody walking through it with you. And so that will forever be probably. I love the whole book of Ephesians, don't get me wrong. You talk about a template for how to live, just go live in Ephesians, I love it. But Proverbs 16 and 9, it changed me for the better. And so it'll probably always be my favorite one.

[Augustus Sexton]

Yes, sir.

[Weston Hendricks]

And so to follow along with that, to follow along with that, there's a question that we ask at the end of every episode and we're going to keep doing it in season three just because I love the perspectives that we get on it from every guest and how it impacts others and the amount of content we've received from others. Just hearing from other people's perspectives. But Brandon, what empowers you as a person, caretaker, or customer of the livestock industry to be better than who you were before?

[Brandon Callas]

Please, God. In everything I do, I want my wife to always feel proud that, that I'm her husband and I want my kids to go out and, and change the world for Christ. And so that's what empowers me. Finding or seeing young people grow, they're really things grow in general has been love of mine forever. Whether it be looking at prospects and watching them turn into fats, whether it be just watching some of you youngsters. Y'all probably don't realize I knew you when you were little. I've known that Dwight Sexton for quite a while, Mr. Soft spoken himself. And so I've got to watch you kids grow as well. And so watching that happen, watch people become so I guess that's why I probably got drawn to coaching so much, was watching somebody figure it out, watching the light bulb come on and then figure out, you know, what life judging is all about. But maybe even what life is all about. That keeps me empowered. That keeps me going. It's just. It's. It's almost like God's showing you that I'm still here, I'm still working, no matter how bad it may seem. Just keep leaning on me. I'll show you something. And so that's what keeps me empowered.

[Augustus Sexton]

And I feel like that's a good way. As we start to wrap this episode up with our scripture reading, this comes to us from John 10, verse 9. It says, yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

[Brandon Callas]

There you go. Pick the narrow one, not the wide one.

[Augustus Sexton]

That is correct.

[Brandon Callas]

There you go. Sure. Hey, you boys keep. Keep doing what you're doing. I love it. Like I said, I've loved to watch this grow. Braden's the one that actually turned me on the all podcast, and so I'm glad to find young people that aren't scared to voice their faith and live it out. I wish I would have been that bold as a child. I probably wouldn't have wasted opportunities and years if I'd have had my head on straight then. But I'll congratulate you and encourage you boys anytime. Just call, whatever. But I'm proud of what y'all are doing, and y'all keep it up.

[Augustus Sexton]

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

[Weston Hendricks]

Oh, we appreciate it. We try to stay as humble as possible just because that's what the good Lord wants us to do. And what we need to be is as good human beings. So pride doesn't get in the way. But to be able to have you on just means a lot. I've been fortunate enough to actually be a showman under you twice, but also be able to kind of go under your guidance here at Blinn and the impact you left on here. And it's been an awesome ride so far, and I can't wait to see what the future is. And you're someone I've wanted to have on for quite a long time. But just I appreciate all that you've done for me and Augustus and the impact you've had on the industry.

[Brandon Callas]

Thanks, man. Make sure you tell ODP and Binky and Bryce High for me, I'm still my boys.

[Weston Hendricks]

Yes, sir. Sure will. We sure will. So. All right, well, to wrap this up, this is going to be empowering you with Brandon Callis. We thank you for tuning in.

[Quinn Hartley]

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @empowerupod for episode sneak peeks and merchandise updates.

[Augustus Sexton]

But also go take a look at our new website, empowerupod.com where you'll find our team's story, sponsor updates and much more. Once again, we just want to thank you all for tuning in and please follow us on Spotify or App Apple Podcast and leave a five star rating. If you like what you hear, have a blessed day.