# 184 - Out of the Shadows of Succession: Taking the Lead as a Family, with Simon and Naomi Goode

There comes a moment in every farm business where the question isn’t how much more can we do, it’s what do we actually want to build?

For Simon and Naomi Goode, that moment came after years of doing everything: cropping, hay, livestock, all while raising four kids and managing 3,200 hectares in Victoria’s eastern Wimmera. They weren’t in crisis. In fact, from the outside, they were flying. But inside, they were carrying too much. Too many moving parts. Too many long days. Not enough space to step back, lead strategically, or live the life they were working so hard to create.

In this episode, their FOA Accountability Coach, Rick Morris sits down with Simon and Naomi to explore what it really looks like to evolve a fifth-generation family farm into a professionally run business without losing the heart of it.

From completing full succession to stepping into defined leadership roles, they share what it took to:

• exit a legacy enterprise that no longer served them;

• restructure the business and move Naomi into the CEO seat;

• create a trusted “Core Four” advisory team to guide decisions;

• redefine success around clarity, family time, and aligned growth.

You’ll hear Simon speak candidly about letting go of old work patterns, building a team he can trust, and learning to prioritise leadership over busyness. And Naomi with her background in public health and local government unpacks how she’s brought structure, financial discipline, and long-term planning into the heart of the business.

If you’re running a solid farm but craving more alignment… if you’re stuck in the weeds but ready to step up and lead… or if you simply want to see what’s possible when a couple gets clear, strategic, and intentional, this episode is for you.

Thank you Simon and Naomi for your candour, courage, and willingness to share the journey so generously. You are a brilliant example of what’s possible when structure meets heart, and business meets life. And Rick, thank you for being a steady guide and coach on their journey, and for holding this conversation with such care.

Here’s to more farmers leading like this.

Keep winning,

Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team