What does it take to turn a family farm into a business built to last for generations?

Nick Jorgensen is a fourth-generation owner and CEO Jorgensen Land & Cattle, a family business that began with a homestead in South Dakota in 1909 and has evolved into a diversified operation spanning cattle, farming, soil health, hunting, and coming soon, golf.

In this episode of Beyond Money, Nick shares how his family built the country's largest seedstock livestock operation, why he became CEO at just 28 years old, and how the business uses genetics, massive amounts of data, and AI to make better decisions.

We also dive into the family's approach to diversification, including the launch of Ideal Soil Solutions and the development of a hunting and sporting business into a future golf destination. But perhaps the most important conversation is about succession: how do you build a family business that creates opportunities for the next generation without simply handing them a job?

Nick and Adam discuss:

• Building and sustaining a 100+ year family business
• Becoming CEO at 28
• Growing a livestock business while diversifying revenue
• Using genetics, data, and AI in agriculture
• The economics of bull leasing
• Soil health and Ideal Soil Solutions
• Turning underutilized land and facilities into new businesses
• Family ownership and succession planning
• Creating opportunities for the next generation
• Nick's vision for the future of Jorgensen Land & Cattle

This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, family wealth, stewardship, and what it really means to build something that can outlast you.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro: Meet Nick Jorgensen
01:20 The 1909 Origins of Jorgensen Land & Cattle
03:31 The Family's Angus Cattle Legacy
05:29 From Farming to a Modern Business
06:45 Why Nick Always Wanted to Come Back
08:46 Becoming CEO at Just 28
10:07 Building a Management Structure for Growth
12:04 How the Business Is Structured Today
13:49 The Business of Leasing Black Angus Bulls
16:34 The Data Behind Modern Cattle Breeding
19:06 How AI Is Changing Agriculture
20:06 How Big Can the Bull Business Get?
23:00 Managing Bulls Like High-Performance Athletes
25:29 Building Ideal Soil Solutions
27:20 From a Hunting Lodge to a New Business
29:05 Building the Lazy J Grand Lodge
31:00 Why Golf Became the Next Opportunity
34:00 The Philosophy Behind Family Ownership
36:00 Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation
38:18 The Challenge of Family Business Succession
40:00 Building a Business That Can Outlast You
43:23 Growing From 15 to 80 Employees
44:10 Earning Market Share in a Shrinking Industry
44:54 What Legacy Means to Nick

What happens when you realize that money isn't the only measure of a successful life?

In the first episode of Beyond Money with Adam Cox, Adam sits down with longtime friend and entrepreneur Michael Bankowski to explore a career journey that took him from economics and financial advising to caregiving, healthcare entrepreneurship, and ultimately robotics and AI.

Michael shares the experiences that changed his perspective on wealth, health, and purpose—including caring for his mother, losing his brother, and realizing that his calling was to help people regain independence and dignity.

That mission eventually led him to create the concept for Rose, an assisted robotic walker designed to work alongside people with mobility limitations. Michael discusses how an idea born at a patient's bedside evolved into a patented technology, prototypes, federal grant efforts, collaborations with leading universities, and the formation of Prosperous Robotics.

The conversation also goes beyond the business itself. Michael and Adam discuss:

• Why Michael left a career in finance for healthcare
• The life experiences that shaped his sense of purpose
• How caregiving led to the idea for Rose
• Building a company around a problem he experienced firsthand
• Patents, prototypes, grants, and the challenges of medical innovation
• Working with researchers and institutions including MIT
• Why entrepreneurs need to understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• The importance of mentors, advisors, and surrounding yourself with the right people
• How Michael's relationship with risk has changed over time
• Failure, resilience, gratitude, and the entrepreneurial journey
• Why Michael believes health is a form of wealth
• His vision for the future of healthcare robotics and human independence

Beyond Money with Adam Cox explores the ideas, experiences, and perspectives that shape a meaningful life—not just a financially successful one.

Subscribe for more conversations about money, entrepreneurship, purpose, health, investing, and what it really means to build a prosperous life.



00:00 – Intro: Meet Michael Bankowski
01:29 – From the Air Force Academy to Finance
05:18 – A Life-Changing Shift Toward Healthcare
07:30 – Learning Healthcare From the Ground Up
10:06 – Discovering a Better Way to Help Patients Recover
12:29 – 10,000 Hours of Caregiving
13:37 – The Patient Who Inspired Rose
16:05 – What Makes Rose Different From Other Robots
19:00 – Patenting the Idea
20:13 – Building a Healthcare Business Around Innovation
22:16 – From South Dakota to the World of Robotics
24:28 – The Pivot to LightRun
25:15 – A Call From MIT
26:38 – Michael's First Experience at MIT
28:15 – Finding the Right Technical Co-Founders
30:03 – Building the Team Behind Rose
32:38 – Why South Dakota?
34:05 – The Reality of Becoming an Entrepreneur
36:49 – Surviving the Highs and Lows
38:38 – Finding Gratitude in the Hard Times
40:47 – Mentorship, Relationships & Personal Growth
42:18 – Overcoming the Darker Chapters
43:13 – The Role of Inner Work and Faith
45:23 – How Michael's View of Risk Has Changed
47:00 – Michael's Vision for the Future
48:23 – Knowing Your Strengths as an Entrepreneur
49:32 – From One Rose to Millions
51:01 – Solving the Global Caregiving Crisis
52:05 – What Comes Next for Prosperous Robotics?
52:38 – The Basketball Story
55:28 – Closing Thoughts

Adam Cox is back behind the microphone with a new podcast created specifically for high-net-worth investors.

Beyond Money explores the ideas that matter beyond financial success - including purpose, significance, risk, belief, and the way we think about money.

Through meaningful conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and other fascinating people, Adam's goal is to create a show that doesn't just inform you, but makes you think differently about money, success, and what ultimately matters most.

If you're ready to go beyond money, welcome to the show.

Subscribe and join Adam as we build something truly special.