The Poultry Leadership Podcast

"Welcome to 'The Poultry Leadership Podcast,' where we dive deep into the world of poultry leadership to help you soar to new heights in your career. Join us as we sit down with some of the industry's most accomplished leaders, farm owners, and allied professionals. Gain valuable insights, strategies, and personal stories that reveal the secrets behind their success. Discover what makes these poultry visionaries the outstanding leaders they are. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, our show is your go-to resource for unlocking your full leadership potential. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey to becoming the poultry leader you aspire to be." This podcast is brought to you by Prism Controls, the leader in Environmental Controls for the past 45 years! Check them out at http://www.prismcontrols.com

The Poultry Leadership Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Brandon Mulnix, with 47 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Brandon Mulnix hosts The Poultry Leadership Podcast, a business show with 47 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #48

  Animal Welfare Audits: Ryan Bennett, American Humane Certified

  Sep 17, 202639 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail UPDATE: Ryan Bennett was last on this show in July 2024 as Executive Director of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance. He is now Vice President of the Farm Program at the American Humane Society. Animal welfare audits are no longer a niche concern for specialty producers. Roughly 90% of the cage-free eggs sold in the United States carry the American Humane Certified label, and a new set of pullet standards took effect January 1. Ryan Bennett runs that program. In this episode he walks through what an auditor actually looks for on a poultry farm, why most farms struggle their first time through, and why he thinks the entire industry is framing animal welfare the wrong way. In this episode: - What happens during an animal welfare audit, and why organization beats perfection - The single biggest reason farms get dinged, and it is not what the birds look like - How American Humane Certified answers the criticism that it does not require 100 percent compliance - Where the new 2026 pullet welfare standards came from, and whether they require capital spend or just a change in management - What actually happens when a certification gets revoked - Why Ryan argues animal welfare belongs in the same category as food safety and airline safety, not marketing About Ryan Bennett: Ryan Bennett is Vice President of the Farm Program at the American Humane Society, where he leads American Humane Certified, a farm animal welfare certification program covering more than a billion animals a year across nine species. He previously spent eight years as Executive Director of both the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance. He holds an agriculture degree from Kansas State University. Resources: - Ryan Bennett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-r-bennett/ - American Humane Certified farm program and published standards: https://www.americanhumane.org/what-we-do/certify-humane-treatment/farms/ - PAACO, the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization: https://animalauditor.org/ - AVMA Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals, 2026 Edition: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/avma-guidelines-depopulation-animals - Ryan's first appearance, "Incremental Change" (Ep 17, July 2024): [PASTE EP 17 URL] - Prism Controls, farm automation and controls technology: https://www.prismcontrols.com The Poultry Leadership Podcast is hosted by Brandon Mulnix, Director of Commercial Accounts at Prism Controls. New episodes every week. Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Sales - Prism Controls The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls Find out more about them at www.prismcontrols.com

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  Episode #47

  What Not to Cut When Egg Prices Are Killing Your Margins: Curtis Novak, Alltech

  Jun 18, 202640 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail Egg prices can fall faster than your feed bill, and that’s when “normal” nutrition habits start burning cash. We sit down with Curtis Novak, PhD , Director of Poultry at Alltech , to get practical about what layer farms can do right now to reduce feed cost per ton without accidentally crashing egg production, shell quality, or livability. Curtis brings both bench science and field experience, and he doesn’t dodge the uncomfortable reality that some operations are forced to consider pulling older, lower-producing flocks earlier than planned. We dig into the decision tree Curtis uses with producers: start with the biggest cost drivers like energy, fat, and protein, then tighten formulation by thinking in amino acids instead of just crude protein. From there, we talk feed additives with a hard ROI lens. Which products protect gut health and reduce losses from issues like E. coli, and which ones can be paused when the only goal is survival? Curtis also explains why enzymes often belong in the “do not cut” category because they’re relatively inexpensive and can unlock nutrients that lower total diet cost. We also zoom out beyond nutrition, because management and data decide whether any diet works. “You can’t feed yourself out of poor management” becomes a real on-farm standard when ventilation, water, feed delivery, or wet litter problems drag performance down. We discuss how accurate egg counters and better flock data help you spot row-by-row issues faster, and why investing in pullet quality and uniformity sets you up for profitable long-cycle layers out to 90 to 100 weeks. Contect with Curtis on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-novak-3961b8a2/ Subscribe for more producer-first conversations, share this with a farmer or nutritionist who’s feeling the squeeze, and leave a review so more poultry teams can find it. What’s the hardest cost decision you’re facing right now? Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Sales - Prism Controls The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls Find out more about them at www.prismcontrols.com

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  Episode #46

  Feeding the World with Eggs: How the International Egg Foundation Builds Sustainable Farms

  Apr 14, 202641 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail The International Egg Foundation is building an infrastructure of hope across nutritionally disadvantaged regions — and the humble egg is at the center of it. When a teacher reported her students were getting loud, wild, and "naughty" after a school started serving eggs, that complaint was actually proof something was finally working. Children who'd been running on empty now had enough protein to act like kids again. In this episode, Brandon Mulnix sits down with Cassy Price, the first dedicated staff member of the International Egg Foundation (IEF), to unpack how the global egg industry is building sustainable 400 to 1,000-bird farms that turn parents into entrepreneurs while feeding children who need it most. In this episode: The naughty kids story — what a teacher's complaint revealed about nutrition and energy How IEF builds 400 to 1,000-bird farms that create local entrepreneurs and feed school programs The Honduras First 1,000 Days of Life program — and how one 400-bird barn became a 3,000-hen operation The Eswatini breakthrough: hard-boiled eggs preserved for 30 days without refrigeration in extreme heat How younger leaders and employees can plug into meaningful philanthropy through the egg industry About Cassy Price: Cassy Price is the first dedicated staff member of the International Egg Foundation, based in Shropshire, England. She transitioned from the International Egg Commission to lead IEF full time in 2022 and oversees programs across 10 countries. Resources: Cassy Price on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassy-price-98a8b153/ International Egg Foundation: https://internationaleggfoundation.org Prism Controls — farm automation and controls technology for poultry producers: https://www.prismcontrols.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=poultry_leadership&utm_content=ep46 The Poultry Leadership Podcast is hosted by Brandon Mulnix, Director of Sales and Marketing at Prism Controls. New episodes every Wednesday. Prism Controls Prism Controls — Farm automation & controls technology for poultry producers. 45 years of expertise. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Sales - Prism Controls The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls Find out more about them at www.prismcontrols.com

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  Episode #45

  AI for Poultry Leaders: Using ChatGPT and Tech to Scale

  Mar 25, 202620 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail Most leaders in the agricultural industry know AI is coming. Far fewer have actually figured out how to use it in a way that makes their day-to-day leadership better — not someday, but this week. In this solo episode, Brandon Mulnix shares what happened when he stopped treating AI like a search engine and started using it as a thinking partner. Over the last quarter, he used AI to prepare for a difficult performance conversation, build documents he had no formal training to write, automate a weekly reporting process he'd been doing by hand for years, and finally get his best ideas out of his head and into finished work. He also responds to something a team member said that stopped him cold: "You didn't do this. AI did this." His answer — the Michelangelo and the chisel — is the most important thing in this episode. Brandon walks through the Three Doors Framework — Thinking, Drafting, and Research — and gives you one specific action to take before Monday. He covers the tools he actually uses (Gemini and Claude, both free to start), addresses every fear that's keeping leaders on the sideline, and closes with the servant leadership question that changed how he thinks about all of it. If you manage people, walk houses, run reports, or lead a team in the poultry or egg industry — this episode was built for you. Mentioned in this episode: Gemini — gemini.google.com (free), Claude — claude.ai (free to start) Want to talk to a human about getting started with AI? Call or text Brandon directly: 616-265-0752 Email: bmulnix@prismcontrols.com The Poultry Leadership Podcast is sponsored by Prism Controls — 45 years of technology that helps farmers sleep at night. Learn more at PrismControls.com. Prism Controls Prism Controls — Farm automation & controls technology for poultry producers. 45 years of expertise. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Sales - Prism Controls The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls Find out more about them at www.prismcontrols.com

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  Episode #44

  American Egg Board CEO: AI & Policy with Emily Metz

  Mar 11, 202633 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail Prices spike, headlines swirl, and a humble staple turns into a cultural flashpoint. We sat down with Emily Metz, CEO of the American Egg Board, to unpack how the egg industry is rebuilding trust, boosting demand, and standing up new tools to keep farmers and consumers on the same side of the table. From a 50-year mandate to market eggs and fund research, to hands-on support for producers facing biosecurity and ransomware threats, Emily opens the playbook on what it takes to lead a commodity through chaos. We dig into how AEB’s insights engine tracks real consumer behavior and tests messaging with a custom AI model, turning data into point-of-purchase wins and new meal occasions beyond breakfast. Emily breaks down the roller coaster of COVID pantry loading, avian influenza outbreaks, and meme-ready price swings—and how every dollar now gets judged by one metric: does it drive sales? She also walks us through the hard but necessary work of correcting decades-old cholesterol myths, then harnessing momentum with Stronger by the Dozen to meet people on personal wellness journeys, from GLP-1 users seeking protein to families chasing affordable, real food. Looking ahead, Emily shares a bold export vision. With only 3–4% of U.S. eggs currently sold overseas, she lays out a path to a cooperative model and a new global brand for U.S. eggs aimed at markets that value safety, traceability, and performance. We also go behind the scenes of the White House Easter Egg Roll—the largest public event on the White House calendar—and how AEB uses it to tell the farm-to-table story with joy and clarity. If you care about food, farming, or the future of consumer trust, this conversation hits the sweet spot where science, marketing, and mission meet. Listen now, then subscribe, rate, and share with someone who thinks a commodity can’t reinvent itself. Prism Controls Prism Controls — Farm automation & controls technology for poultry producers. 45 years of expertise. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Sales - Prism Controls The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls Find out more about them at www.prismcontrols.com

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