How FFA Gave Me a CEO Mindset
Running a successful company requires business acumen, as well as the flexibility to switch gears when needed. Just ask Thomas Rindfuss, CEO and owner of TRUSS Services LLC, a drone services company and dealership in north-central Ohio. He stays busy spraying fields for local farmers and selling drones to customers across the country. Rindfuss started his company in 2021 with the intention of doing drone photography but quickly realized there wasn’t enough of a market for that service. After attending Ohio State University for a year, he decided to restart his business — this time purchasing an agricultural drone and focusing on commercial spraying. “I expected to do about 1,000 acres of application my first year, but I ended up doing 8,000 acres,” Rindfuss says.
He credits much of his success to growing up on a family farm, as well as his time in FFA. An Alumni of the Wynford FFA Chapter, Rindfuss competed in Career Development Events (CDEs), played trumpet in the National FFA Band and earned his State and American FFA Degrees. Here’s how his FFA experiences helped him find personal growth and career success.
Thomas Rindfuss, CEO and owner of TRUSS Services LLC.
1. I learned to keep good records.
“Our FFA advisors got on us about taking good records and not procrastinating until the last minute. I learned to be methodical and create systems,” he says. “Now that I run a drone business, we have to document everything.”
2. I practiced money management.
“When I was in FFA, I was given $1,000 for labor. I could go throw it away on whatever, or I could invest it. Now that I’m self-employed, I have to deal with every penny that comes and goes,” Rindfuss says. “If you can’t be wise with managing a little, you won’t be wise managing a lot.”
3. I became more resilient.
“I remember spending so many hours filling out documents and wanting to throw my computer across the room. But it paid off when I got first place in national proficiency in fiber and oil production,” Rindfuss says. “In my business, I’m not going to just give up when things get difficult.”
4. I learned to be a leader.
“FFA really taught me a lot about setting a good example,” Rindfuss says. “When we are wearing our FFA jackets, we are representing not only ourselves, but our family and our organization. Today, my objective is to be a leader, not just a boss. When the sun is blazing and we’re out in the fields, my employees see me out there with them.”
5. I sought out new opportunities.
“I encourage people to get involved with competitions, to travel and have fun with their peers in FFA and to make the most of it. Opportunities are out there; you just have to look for them. I’ve been receptive and curious and it’s been paying off,” he says.
