Business Lessons From G rowing Up on a Farm shares the tales and teachings of a New York City businessman who worked for his family’s farm business from the 1950s to the 1980s. Through storytelling and reflection, author Bert Distelburger offers insights on a range of topics, from budgeting and business ethics to hiring and managing employees. The book imparts practical wisdom that can be applied to the farm, to the world of finance, or any professional or personal endeavor. With a focus on working hard, treating others well, and making smart decisions, Distelburger provides readers with a blueprint for success. Praise for "Lessons from Growing Up on a Farm" Bert has written a beautiful recollection of his life growing up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York. His stories were so clear I could almost smell the hay! But make no mistake. This book is so much more than just a nostalgic look back at his youth. Bert had the wisdom to take what he learned on the farm and expertly apply that experience to business. The heart of the book focuses on key principles, such as business ethics, meeting the customers’ needs, and establishing customer loyalty. He also explains in clear language the concepts of return on investment, economics of scale, competitive advantage, fixed versus variable costs, and managing employees. Most importantly, he emphasizes the importance of working hard. As Bert says, “When the cows needed milking, they were on their schedule- not yours.” Working on the farm, Bert learned a lot more than just how to buy and sell cattle. By being smart and adapting his life lessons, you might say he earned the equivalent of a self-designed “MBA,” which prepared him for a long and successful career. This book is a great read for anyone who aspires to become successful in business. Bert has written a gem of a book! Jerry Lieberman, Former President and COO, AllianceBernstein LP About the Author Bert Distelburger grew up on a dairy farm in Middletown, New York. His father was a successful farmer and cattle dealer with several farms and 200 head of cattle. Bert started working on the farm when he was 10, and he was in charge of all the harvesting by the time he was 16. After high school, he studied Agricultural Economics at Cornell University and later earned his MBA at Columbia Business School. As he was advancing his education and starting his professional life, he continued to work on his family farm every summer until his mid-twenties. He was also responsible for the farm’s bookkeeping, accounting, taxes, and customer acquisition for many years. After receiving his business degree, he was a CPA at Ernst & Young and then spent more than two decades helping build Daymon Worldwide into the world's largest Private Brand agency. During his time at Daymon, he helped grow the company from 60 to 6,000 employees and served as its CFO. Next, he earned his commercial real estate brokerage license and opened his own commercial brokerage and investment firm, Georgetown Investing. He currently lives in South Orange, New Jersey.