First-Generation Farmers, Building from Scratch | Grant & Spencer Hilbert of Hilbert Farms

Speaker A: We do have a pretty special connection between us with brothers to where, like, if there has ever been a fight in the past 10 or 15 years, I don't think the, uh, I don't think it's lasted more than like 30 minutes or an hour. So that makes it really easy when you're in business together.

Speaker B: Welcome to Family Business Connection, the podcast that uncovers the stories behind family businesses, where leaders share how they navigate the unique challenges of working with loved ones while building a lasting legacy. I'm your host, Stephanie Larchide of Prairie Family Business Association. Today's episode is a little extra special for me. I get to talk with my cousins, Grant and Spencer Hilbert. They didn't grow up on a farm, but now they're running one in central Iowa from scratch. It's a story that starts in the suburbs and ends up with acres of grain. Along the way, they've built a following online, learned the ropes of farming the hard way, and discovered what it really means to be first generation entrepreneurs. You'll hear how two brothers took an unconventional path to build something lasting. One field and one idea at a time. Welcome to our episode. Grant and Spencer, it's great to have you here.

Speaker A: Yes, thank you. Uh, thank you for inviting us on. Excited to be here.

Speaker B: This is a real treat today because I get my own family. On podcast episodes, I'm talking with other families about their family story and their family business. And today I get my own relatives. So this is a huge treat. Grant and Spencer and I are. Our dads are brothers, so first cousins. And Grant and Spencer grew up in the city life. I grew up on, on a farm in north central Iowa. So we're going to talk a little bit about that growing up and how that's really impacted where we both are today. So tell us your beginnings, tell us your roots. Um, and I'll tell you what I recall. I'll make a few points in there, but go ahead and give us the beginning where you grew up.

Speaker A: Spencer, you want to start or you want me to?

Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. So it's, um, it's just Grant and I were two years apart. Grant's a bit older than me, and then, um, yeah, just us too. So we grew up in like, the suburbs of Des Moines. And so like Stephanie was saying, um, our parents. So, um, our parents are brothers and so they grew up on the farm. Uh, but, but our parents moved back, so we grew up in the suburbs. Then we would come up and visit Stephanie in the extended family, um, here and there, like spring break, summer breaks, Christmases, Thanksgiving. So that was always fun. We were able to see that. But really for the most part we were busy. Our childhood I'd say just playing sports. Every season we were doing something different. Um, and uh. But Grant always kind of had a knack for like farming growing up, really enjoyed it and when we came up to help, I feel like spring break for a week we'd come help our uncles and, and look around. So that was sports school. That kept us busy and then right. Kind of Once we turned 13, 14, you get your first job. We were uh, we were busy trying to you know, just high school teenage kid earn some money and get to work as soon as possible.

Speaker B: I remember those farm weeks. We'd call them Grant and Spencer, the Hilbert boys are up for farm week. We get to take them around in the tractor and teach them a few things about the farm. And the family loved that time.

Speaker A: Yeah. And, and so really to, to add on to that we were, we were so we, we grew up in Ankeney, Iowa. You um, guys were up in Northern Iowa Algona areas where a lot of our extended family's from and grandparents farm. And so that was, that was a two hour drive so we couldn't always be around there. It was just like Stephanie you mentioned it was more uh, you know, week at a time or weekends at a time and stuff. And so I feel like that's where Spencer and I really kind of enjoyed and got to learn about the farm even though we didn't grow, grow up on it is those, those weekend trips and stuff like that. So that kind of what, what got the ball rolling at least at a young age.

Speaker B: You're true entrepreneurs. You have started from scratch. Um, your parents weren't entrepreneurs. They both had still have corporate jobs and the farming was something that was of real interest to you and you found an opportunity. And so often in family business and family farms and family operations we talk about innovation in the next generation and, and how important that is. You can't keep doing the same thing that your grandparents have done and expect that you're going to earn more profits and support more members of the family tree. So innovation is something that you two have a knack for and you've really um, taken it to the next level. So talk about innovation starting your businesses.

Speaker C: Yeah. Grant was kind of the first one to get started really. I'd say being the older brother.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So it kind of went into like uh, so, so really Spencer and I always enjoyed farming and, and you know being at grandparents farm and stuff. But we never actually did, you know, we're too young to do the physical aspect, physical, physical aspect of farming. And so we were always trying to go down kind of entrepreneurial paths. So we were doing the lawn care, we were doing uh, uh, we're doing drop shipping. Starting a drop shipping business where we're arbitraging kind of opportunity of buying products on Amazon and then reselling them on ebay at a young age, like sixth, seventh grade. And then came kind of came in an opportunity at least just like in my mind of maybe starting a YouTube channel. And we saw YouTubers and we were like okay, well these guys can obviously make, have, make a full time living on YouTube. Let's go after that. And so uh, so I started a YouTube channel in 2014 with a friend actually. And uh, we, I started playing a game called Farming Simulator. We initially started playing a lot of different, a lot of different video games actually at that time. And then I started playing a game called Farming Similar. And that really kind of was one of those moments where a lot of viewers started gathering based off this, this farming similar game that, that I started playing. And so that really took over the channel. And I, I took over the channel from there in 2015 once that started taking off. Um, and then from there I would have been in high school still and uh, was just like okay, well we got this opportunity to expand uh, the YouTube channel and really focus hard on it. So in uh, in 2016 while I was going into college, I was just like let's make a YouTube video every day on this farming simulator game and just see where it goes. And so for 2016 to 2020, uh, that channel went from 30,000 subscribers to over a million subscribers. And during college kind of allowed myself to have a full time income during college and a little more uh, to where I could then roll that into maybe starting a farming operation myself or starting uh, starting another business at that time. And uh, so 2016 was when I was going to college. And then right around that time is spent all that you take over. But that's really when you started your YouTube channel doing really something really similar to what I was doing.

Speaker C: Yes, exactly. Gran uh, was just started the YouTube thing just because what you were 16, 17 and there's these videos on here. You're young, you're easily influenced and stuff. And uh, it's like what the heck. This guy started YouTube channel in six months he bought a Lamborghini. Sure it was clickbait, it was just to get you fired up. But you're like, well, you can make money on the Internet. So I actually, Grant, I was on your Twitter the other day, and I was scrolling down in April 2018, you tweeted, the way I see it, there's no, there's no such thing opportunity with. There's no. There's so much opportunity with YouTube, almost like no barriers to entry. And if you create videos on something that you enjoy, it's insane how lucrative a channel can turn out to be. But few actually realize this and take advantage of it. So I was, I just found that on Grant's, uh, Twitter the other day. So that was really right when you probably turned on the jets and was like, hey, I'm posting every single day. Um, so it's kind of cool to go back on there and see that, um, that you tweeted that back then.

Speaker B: Yeah. Seven years ago. That opportunity that you took advantage of and said, hey, let's see what happens. No risk, no reward. Going back a little bit further, let's talk about you as youths and how your parents instilled values in you or gave, believed in you, gave you that, that foundation that said, we can do this, why not us? Talk about that.

Speaker C: Yeah, I'd say, um, one thing they did really good was first, we just played sports when we were young, learned discipline quick and just how to, like, work hard. So just fundamental things, what you want to teach your kid, if you want them to have patience, you probably aren't going to give them things right away. And if you want them to, uh, have discipline, you're going to make them work, uh, with no reward for a long period of time. So I feel like they did that through sports. I feel like they were very open at the dunan table with us. Obviously, we were too young at times to even comprehend things, but once we got older, they were like, hey, look, you know, we, we don't buy a fancy house because of this. We save our money because of this. Hey, when you. Our first job when we were like, 13, 14, hey, save that money. Don't buy that toy at Target or whatever. So that was like, I feel like, really instilled with me and Grant. You can touch on that more. But, uh, those are the things I take away from an early age was just, uh, discipline, working hard, and then also just understanding what it took. Obviously you don't understand what it takes to raise a family, but they did kind of say, like, hey, look, we're working overtime here. We're doing this. And then as you got older, you see, you see all the years of doing that, what it equals. So, um, that's what I remember.

Speaker A: Yeah, I'd say, uh, I'd say those things. And then to add one more thing, just very, uh, at a young age I feel like they were very transparent with us on, on anything business related. If we asked a certain question or you want to discuss a certain thing about, about business or money or anything like that, it was extremely open. I know some families are like, you cannot talk about money at all at the business table. And I could have been 10 years old and asked mom, hey, how much do you have in your bank account? And she could have a civil conversation with me and be open and talk about that and maybe how, and maybe how she got there or something like that. And so I think, I think that was maybe a little bit different than most families, but I think that was extremely important for us at a young age to learn those things.

Speaker B: And I'm sure with your experience being city kids and then having experience at the family farms, it was, hey, we didn't grow up on the farm, but we see an opportunity to still be involved in the farm and dive into some of our passions that fulfill us. And you took advantage of it. And when you think about when your parents were having those conversations with you at the dinner table at a young age, when you came to them and said, hey, we're starting a YouTube channel, do you remember that conversation with your mom and dad?

Speaker A: So I didn't, I didn't tell them like I was starting a YouTube channel. Like I, I really didn't tell most things but I do remember when, uh, got my first paycheck off there it was when I was smaller on YouTube and just getting started. I remember Google sent me a check and I think it was for $600. I was like, wow, this is, this is very similar to a part time job. Um, if I went and worked a part time job in high school, I showed them it and they're like, oh that's, that's like really awesome. Like that's really cool how you can make money from that. And they're extremely supportive that way. So yeah, that was pretty cool to get that, get that reaction from them.

Speaker B: Yeah, they championed your ideas, they believed in you and then you took it to the next level.

Speaker C: And one thing we always did too, we didn't come to them say, hey, we're dropping out of school to go YouTube full time too. We always, and they always said, he, this is uh, and we understood, uh, this is a part time. Once you're done with school or after the school day is done, this is what you do in the evening. Um, and it was very like, hey, I feel like quite a few times they said grant, like this could end or this could not last forever. I feel like they really mentioned that. And we saw that too. You can see that, uh, in when, when, when you tweeted that Grant back in 2018, how bullish you were on just having a YouTube channel and the opportunity that is also at that time, uh, it was almost like YouTube was kind of oversaturated and that like this wasn't going to last forever. And like, I feel like vine died out. So just like, um, even today, I guess people listening if there's something feels oversaturated, I mean, do your research understand. But it wasn't. And people now look back at 2018 YouTube as that would have been the perfect time. So.

Speaker B: Oh yeah, oh yeah, you're right there in the cusp of it now. Today you're brothers working together. You have some ventures that are together, some ventures that are separate. Talk about working as a brother team and how you make decisions or how you talk about new ideas and decide to move one forward.

Speaker A: Yeah, there's a couple things where we do together and there's a couple different businesses that we do separate. So getting into the separate things, uh, in 2020 out of college, I started a software company where we uh, create mobile games. And so that was, that was kind of me doing my own thing for, for three. It took us three years to build our first mobile game called American Farming. Launch that in 2023. And now we're working on a couple other projects with that, with that company here that's excluded from, uh, from Spencer. But then there's some other things that we work together on which is like the farming operation where we share equipment. Uh, we each have our own different pieces of land that, that we, that that we own, but we share the equipment to go farm those pieces. And then when you get to the YouTube aspect, so we, we each started and we had our own individual Farm and Simulator YouTube channels. But then now we each have our own individual real life YouTube channels. Uh, one's called Grant Hilbert and one's just called Spencer Hilbert, where we just document the journey kind uh, of getting started farming on those. And so Spencer's really like kind of shined in that role of, of production of, of the YouTube side and filming and knowing what to say and how to get a video to maybe go get half a million views or a million views on YouTube. He's really figured it out. Good. And so from my stance, I've always been like, Spencer, you run the show on this. You manage my YouTube channel for me. You do the editing. Like, I trust you on this. Uh, you even tell me what to say on some intro scripts. Like, he's so much better at him that I have just 100 full trust. And so he's kind of taken over the whole YouTube side of, of our YouTube channels on that aspect. So, um, it kind of works together that way. And one thing I'll add is that, like, we do have a pretty special connection between us with brothers, to where, like, if there has ever been a fight in the past 10 or 15 years, I don't think the, uh, I don't think it's lasted more than like 30 minutes or an hour. Like, we could be screaming, cursing at each other, and then 30 minutes, hour later, like, hey, we could be laughing at each other. So that makes it really easy. When you're in business together.

Speaker B: Yeah. You're able to get through those conflicts and those ups and downs and know, hey, we can disagree, but let's figure it out and move on. I'm sure those are values that you can trace back to the dinner table too, and how your parents raised you and how those values are carrying on today as you're in your 20s and running businesses.

Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. And, um, we keep some. Something separate just to have our own. So that, yeah, if you're always working together, you might, I don't know, running a family business business, if 100% of the time your working day is with that person, maybe you are going to get frustrated where Grant and I, it's, uh, you know, 60% of the time we're working together, 40% we're separate. Uh, we don't tie everything together. Not that that was deliberate just because thought through it would just kind of happen naturally. But, uh, yeah, that's kind of. I feel like we've worked together and half this too, we're just flying by the seat of our pants. So not much of it is planned. And, you know, just every year is different.

Speaker B: So you're figuring it out. You, you're figuring out what people like to watch, what, what your audience, what your followers will pay attention to or spend money on. And, and then you're going with it. It's. You're doing a great job at that. Um, what are you excited for? That. The directions that you're going in now, um, what is fulfilling your buckets day to day? That you're really passionate about.

Speaker C: Oh, I enjoy, uh, doing the real life YouTube videos. That's been really enjoyable. And um, trying to make videos that are exciting. Um, that's my favorite. Sometimes I'll post a video of uh, how much I paid for a piece of land and I'll break down all the numbers. And that is, uh, that's really the. I wasn't the best at school and it took till junior year high school till I actually enjoyed a subject and that was like economics. So those videos have been fun for me to make because it's actually something I'm passionate about. Break it all down. The numbers, how it looks projected out over 30 years and then it's uh, whenever we can make a video and we have people come up to us like, hey, uh, never even heard this. Um, right at their family dinner table. They, their family doesn't share what they paid for. A piece of ground doesn't share what input costs are. It doesn't share anything. And um, so those videos have done very well. And it's cool when people come up to us. In all, since we started, uh, it's been cool in our videos to like inspire a young person that comes up and is like, hey, look, uh, I think somebody said they, um, just the other day, ah, a kid started a landscaping business and mowing business and he just watched our videos growing up since he was like 7 to 14 years old. And he's like, I always enjoy doing that stuff. So, um, and he started his own business. So he. And he said we're an inspiration for it. So that's cool to hear. Really motivated.

Speaker B: Yeah. Inspiring the next generation. How about you, Grant?

Speaker A: Yeah, no, so I would say, um, I'd say on the farming side, my goal has always been to just spend a lot of time farming, like be a full time farmer. I've always made the statement that like, if I was ever someday I, this will never happen. But if I was ever a billionaire, I would just farm 2,000 acres in Iowa and I just, I'd still be farming. So it's not for the money or anything like that. It's just for the, the pure joy, the challenges that come with it. So right now we farm about uh, 440 acres. So our goal is to kind of always expand that and get to the point where we can spend a little more time farming. So that, that's kind of, we're trying to grow the farm slowly and then, uh, and then the YouTube side doing, doing the real life farming on YouTube and making those YouTube videos is something we're trying to expand also. And then personally for me on the uh, kind of on the entrepreneurs entrepreneurship side, uh, the software company I started back in 2020, uh, we've got a couple more projects coming and uh, we're expanding that team, hiring on a few more developers and artists. And so I think there's some cool things that can potentially be done there. And so uh, and so expanding that even more in the future is three main things I'm uh, pretty excited about.

Speaker B: Has your app American Farming been a success?

Speaker A: Yes. Yes. Now one of the things that, that, that helps it be a success is that, you know, part of it is I started that company in 2020, but part of it also is that, you know, I really started the marketing campaign for that in 2014 when I started my YouTube channel. So basically I. Having that huge YouTube audience behind you when you launch that initial first app helps so much because you have, you have very little marketing cost involved in that and you have an audience that, that you built trust with, uh, over years and years and years that knows you're going to, you're going to create a great game for them. So, so yeah, yeah, we're just looking to uh, compound on that and keep expanding that.

Speaker B: That's great. And I know that brings a lot of joy and fulfillment to the people who, who play American farming, including those children in my own household. So thank you for that.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: One thing that you touched on that I think is so key and important when you talk about family business, family farming, family ranching. And Spencer, you really hit on it, on how you spend your money and how you save your money. And I know that you've given several examples in your videos and one that really sticks out to me is the truck that you drive and why you drive the truck that you drive. And I think it goes back to when you were a child and those stories that your parents were telling you around the dinner table about how they were spending money or about how kids in your neighborhood were spending money. Talk a little bit about that, Spencer.

Speaker C: Yeah, growing up I feel like our parents did a really good job. Uh, whether you're grocery shopping with your mom at Target, understanding that no, you don't get that toy or they just were like, hey, no, you need to do chores for the next six months and then you can afford that hundred dollar Lego. I feel like those are kind of ingrained in my mind and, and then uh, I got pretty at a young age. I feel like I enjoyed uh, actually saving more than uh, even Buying that toy. And so that was. Yeah, I think about that quite a bit actually how I still feel that and remember that. And it was passed on or I still noticed it 10, 15 years later. So yeah, yeah, that's been one thing that was passed down and then stayed with us for a long time. And then kind of parents taught us when we were growing up another thing, we do chores and then we'd help them. They had a few rental properties, so we'd help them put a new toilet in, fix uh, you know, broken window or drywall, paint, whatever when somebody's moving out, new tenants moving in. And so um, that was in hand a hands on way that they taught us how to invest and we could actually see how they were doing it and stuff. So I guess one thing I like in 2019, bought a house, fix it up and then lived in it and rented it out. So that was my first like entrepreneurial, real, real world thing. Other than uh, other than YouTube, that's one thing. I guess Grant and I have always made a point to do two things at once. So we had the, when we were in college we had the YouTube channel. So we did college and YouTube. And then when you're done with college, you started a gaming, um, company, software company while doing the YouTube channel. So that's one thing that always kind of. And if you just focus on one thing, you can get bored too or burnt out of it. So.

Speaker B: All right, we have Samantha, age 10, and she wants to ask you guys a question. What's your favorite part about farming?

Speaker C: Favorite part about farming? Yeah, favorite part about farming was so far, was like my first year just going through the full process. Um, and then also just the idea that you do something in April, March, May, and then you come and see it, uh, September or October, and you see it, see it through the whole entire year. Some things can happen and then you reap the reward of what you did in the springtime. So um, that, that kind of delayed gratification and then down the road too, it's just a very long game farming. So it's fun to see things that you did three years ago come uh, to today. So that's enjoyable.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I would say mine's similar. When I was your age, it used to be driving all the big equipment and it still is a little bit to this day. Driving the big green tractors and stuff. That was really fun. But now it's more, um, it's more having a failure crop a year ago and going in, improving and learning what you did wrong. And maybe it was a drainage issue. So you fix the drainage issue in the crop land or as a fertility issue, and you fix that and then the next year, a year later you have a successful crop. Like that's the thing that very much fulfills me. So.

Speaker C: So, yeah, thank you for the question.

Speaker A: Yes, thank you.

Speaker B: All right, we have our next child, Trace 8. And what's your question for Grant and Spencer? How many videos do you have in a year?

Speaker C: Ooh, not as much as we should. We used to post a lot more, so we need to get back on it. But at one point Grant was posting one a day, so 365, but that was a lot of work. Now probably posting, he's probably posting three a week. Two a week.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So I think I have like 2,500 videos on YouTube. At the peak, we were posting 365 to probably 380 videos a year depending on if we did two a day. But now it's a lot less than that.

Speaker B: Good question, Trace. Thank you. All right, say your name and how old you are. Mark 12. What's your question? Um, my question is how long does it usually take you to make a video without editing?

Speaker A: So I'd say a farm SIM YouTube video probably takes two to four hours to two to five hours to make without editing. A real life YouTube video that we're filming on the farm, it's usually multiple days of farming, so that's usually two or three days.

Speaker B: Good question. And then how about when you add your editing in?

Speaker C: Sometimes the real life videos, sometimes It'll take us six to 10 hours, depending how hard we want to work on it. And then sometimes the real life videos will actually save. We'll film something in the spring, over the summer, and then end up posting that video in November to show a full process. So it's kind of some planning. Um, and so it's not just sit down for an hour, do it. It's thinking out a little more. And then people like to see it too. Over time you can get a better idea because I feel like farming too. People drive down the road, they see once a month they see a field and they don't understand. So we try and make a video all in one to get the big picture.

Speaker B: But do you edit your own videos?

Speaker C: We do the real life ones. Uh, but we do hire out somebody to edit the farm, uh, sim ones, just because it's a bit more repetitive and a lot. But starting out, we did absolutely everything. We edited all of it for years and years.

Speaker A: And years in a real life video, Spence usually takes probably four to eight hours to edit and then a farm sim video can take anywhere from one to three hours to edit.

Speaker C: Yep.

Speaker B: Thank you.

Speaker C: Yeah, thanks for the question.

Speaker A: Yeah, thanks for the question mark.

Speaker B: Is there anything else that you would add or any other advice that you would give to people who are trying to make it in the agriculture world?

Speaker A: So in the agriculture world, farming specifically, uh, the way me and Spencer have, have made it as kind of like first generation start starting from scratch really and I say this all the time and I'm extremely open about this is having that outside income and working some type of side job or side business that you've started on your own really makes it all possible because when tough times happen you can kind of take advantage of those tough times and, and still be fine versus if you don't have any of that outside income it, it really creates tough time on the farming operation. So that's one thing being Spencer have been kind of aggressive on is, is having some type of side income.

Speaker C: There would have been no way to start uh, just without that. So it was saving, it was investing and then it was okay, we want to farm. And it's very capital intensive. 90% of people farming are multi generational farmers. So you had people 90 years ago put work into the ground that people three generations later are you know, reaping the benefits. So yeah, that was just, that's how we did it. Um, and just in general entrepreneurship, it's probably no better time in human history than now to start something new to do, do something on the side. From 5pm to 10pm you can have a second job online. There's YouTube isn't even the best way to do it. There's a bunch of different ways. Uh, and if you're open minded there's so much resources on the Internet now more than ever. Like I go back to Grant's Tweet there in 2018 YouTube was oversaturated. Social media feels oversaturated now. But I'm sure somebody's starting tomorrow and they're going to be really successful and things like if somebody can figure out AI and a uh, better way to do things, um, it's probably looking, looking at things positively. If you think you can do it you can and if you think you can't, you probably can't. So that's probably the first thing I think about nowadays is there's just so much, so many different people to listen to and if you can sift through the bad stuff on social media and just the junk. And you can, you can listen to a good podcast like, uh, Gary Vee growing up, we'd listen to him from like 2017 to 2020. And that got you in the mindset of a businessman. What is this guy in New York who runs this marketing agency think? Nowhere in human history could you have that guy in your ear. You'd have to get on a plane, fly to New York, meet with him for 20 minutes, and now it costs you thousands of dollars. So, yeah, I just think there's so much opportunity now to learn anything, to do anything.

Speaker B: Well said. And we are grateful that you're sharing your story about brothers, uh, figuring it out together, being entrepreneurs, innovating and really embracing that next generation mindset that we can do it, we can do anything we put our minds to. Any last words that you'd like to add?

Speaker A: Really appreciate you having us on this podcast was fun to, fun to do a podcast with a, uh, with a cousin and stuff. So, uh, yeah, it was really, really fun. And thank you for having us on here.

Speaker B: Thanks. It's what family business is all about. So thanks for being a part of it and we're championing you and it's great to see the next generation interest from my own children too. So thanks for being great examples for them.

Speaker C: Yeah, thanks for having us on.

Speaker B: Grant and Spencer's story reminds us that every generation has the power to create its own kind of legacy. They didn't inherit land or equipment. They built everything from the ground up, combining grit, curiosity, and a, uh, willingness to learn. You don't have to have generations of history to build something that lasts. Sometimes the first generation still starts with a dream, a side hustle or a leap of faith. And that's enough to begin a legacy of your own. If Grant and Spencer's story inspired you to start thinking about your own leadership transition, succession plan or innovation in the next generation, we invite you to explore our resources and community@uh, fambus.org that's f a m m b u s.org There you'll find tools and events and stories from fellow business leaders walking a similar journey. And follow us on social media for more stories from inspiring leaders like Grant and Spencer.