DES MOINES, IA / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2026 / Rena Striegel has noticed something interesting after years of working with farm families. The conversations that families fear the most are often the ones they wish they had started sooner.
Photo credits: Kirstie Veatch Photography
As President of Transition Point Business Advisors, Striegel works with agricultural operations at different stages of transition. Some families arrive with plans already in motion. Others have spent years knowing they need to discuss the future but have never found the right moment to begin.
“The families who navigate transition most successfully are rarely the ones with all the answers at the beginning,” Striegel said. “They’re the ones who started the conversation early enough to learn, adjust, and move forward together.”
Waiting Often Feels Easier Than Starting
Many farm owners tell Striegel they intend to address succession planning eventually. The challenge is deciding when.
There is always another season approaching. Another project to finish. Another reason to put the discussion off until later.
Over time, that delay can become a habit.
Striegel has worked with families who spent years assuming there would be a better opportunity to talk about leadership, ownership, or retirement. Then an unexpected health issue, a business change, or a family event suddenly moved those topics from the future into the present.
Nobody Needs All the Answers
One misconception Striegel frequently encounters is the belief that families need a complete roadmap before they can discuss succession.
She disagrees.
In her experience, productive conversations usually begin with uncertainty. People bring questions, concerns, and different ideas about what the future might look like. The purpose of the conversation is not to arrive at solutions. It is to create enough understanding for solutions to emerge.
Some families start by discussing future goals. Others begin by discussing responsibilities that are already changing within the operation. There is no single formula.
What matters is that the discussion starts.
Different Generations Learn Different Things
Striegel often sees family members enter succession conversations with assumptions they have never shared.
Parents may believe their intentions are obvious. Adult children may be interpreting the situation very differently.
One generation may be thinking about retirement. Another may be wondering whether there is a meaningful future for them within the business. Until those perspectives are openly discussed, people can spend years operating under completely different expectations.
Starting early creates room for those differences to be explored gradually rather than during a period of urgency.
Building Momentum Over Time
Raised on a dairy farm in What Cheer, Iowa, Striegel understands that farming decisions are rarely isolated from family relationships.
That is one reason she encourages families to approach succession as a series of conversations rather than a single milestone.
The goal is not to solve every issue in one meeting. The goal is to create enough momentum that families can continue learning, adapting, and making decisions together as circumstances change.
According to Striegel, some of the most meaningful progress begins when someone is willing to ask a simple question about the future and give others permission to do the same.
More information about Transition Point Business Advisors is available at https://transitionpointba.com/. Rena Striegel also shares insights through Facebook and YouTube.
About Rena Striegel
Rena Striegel is the President of Transition Point Business Advisors and one of the leading authorities in agricultural and family business succession planning in the United States. Born on August 21, 1970, in What Cheer, Iowa, and raised on a dairy farm, Rena developed an early understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of operating a multi-generational agricultural business. Her upbringing gave her firsthand insight into the realities of family farming and the importance of preserving both the business and the relationships behind it.
Rena earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa, and later completed her Master of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. Before specializing in succession planning, she built a successful career in financial services and advisory roles, gaining extensive experience in business planning, leadership development, family enterprise dynamics, and long-term strategic decision-making.
For more than twenty years, Rena has worked with farm families and family-owned businesses across the United States, helping them navigate some of the most important decisions they will ever make. Her work focuses on the human side of transition, addressing communication challenges, leadership development, family alignment, ownership transfer, and next-generation readiness. She is widely recognized for helping families move beyond uncertainty and conflict toward greater clarity, understanding, and continuity.
Rena is the creator of the The DIRTT Project, a succession planning framework developed specifically for agricultural families. The program was designed to address the unique emotional, relational, and operational challenges that often accompany farm transitions. She is also the host of the Ag Inspo podcast, where she shares insights, stories, and practical guidance for agricultural leaders and family business owners.
Through her consulting work, workshops, speaking engagements, and educational programs, Rena continues to help families preserve their legacy while preparing future generations for leadership. Her practical experience, deep understanding of agricultural operations, and commitment to strengthening family businesses have made her a trusted advisor to farm families throughout the country.
About Transition Point Business Advisors
Transition Point Business Advisors specializes in succession planning for agricultural and family-owned businesses. The firm provides facilitation, communication support, and transition planning guidance to help families prepare for long-term continuity across generations.
Contact Information:
Organization: Transition Point Business Advisors
Website: https://transitionpointba.com
Email: support@strategyachievers.com
Contact Person: Rena Striegel
SOURCE: Transition Point Business Advisors
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