Ep. 45 - Markie Hageman with Girls Eat Beef Too
This article was originally published in the CATTLE MAG ag influencer column (Winter 2020).
Ag Influencers are individuals that are promoting their lifestyle in a way that is both educational and positive to the agricultural world, whether that be through speaking engagements, writing articles for papers or online forums such as blogging, video blogging, social media content creation, and more.
Growing up on a horse ranch, showing sheep and pigs, Markie Hageman was a barrel racer who ran for rodeo queen contests and thoughts of agriculture and FFA never crossed her mind. A fashion merchandising major out of high school, she was planning to move to the big city of Los Angeles but that all changed in 2014 when she was named the Miss Loodlake Lions (California) Rodeo Queen and discovered the lacking gap in communication between the urban and rural divide.
Known for getting to the root of the issue, having a moderate outlook on life that allows her to understand the situation at hand, Markie’s blog Girls Eat Beef Too is fast becoming the go-to beef advocate blog in today’s cyberworld. An National Cattlemen’s Beef Association top ambassador and Masters of Beef Advocacy member, her talent in agriculture writing allows her to communicate the stories, information and lessons she’s learning on her adventure working with the California beef industry.
Finding a place to belong…
“I had a hard time figuring out where I belonged in the ag industry. Sometimes, others can make you feel like you don’t belong if you didn’t come from a specific background,” says Markie. “I always felt like I wasn’t good enough at anything and growing up around a huge agricultural area [in California], I didn’t know anything about any part of the industry.”
Changing her major to animal science, Markie still felt intimidated and out of place. She changed her major five more times, dropped out of college, and worked full time at the local college bookstore. It wasn’t until she had the opportunity to go to her family’s cattle ranch in Alabama and got involved with the local county cattlemen’s chapter that she started to find a place to belong.
“I discovered the community surrounding the [beef] industry and the need to tell my story of ranching from my perspective. I found my purpose, confidence and my entire passion through the beef industry.”
But she didn’t lose sight of the things that also made her Markie the Ag Writer, as her Twitter handle reads. She shares her love of hiking, her dogs and of writing about all things western lifestyle. She shows that there is more diversity than first meets the eye in the beef world.
Taking followers along for the ride...
Besides following Markie’s journey to start her own herd of cattle and the articles she writes as she learns, she also shares beef features and current event stories. An overall underlying current of empowering women rises through the text and, whether it’s about body-positivity or being okay with being a beginner at something (cooking, advocating, or ranching), she shows that you are not alone.
“I hope women are afraid to put themselves out there will find some inspiration to follow their dreams, even if they don’t feel qualified. I also hope to change the way many people communicate with consumers - we need to be less prideful, more open to different ideas and willing to understand the other side of someone’s story.”
An industry under fire…
Through constant media attacks on the dairy and beef industries, Markie is at the forefront of advocates working hard to share the story of the modern dairy farmer and rancher.
“It is the heaviest, most amazing weight on my shoulders,” shares Markie about the consumers and interested parties that reach out to her with questions or comment on her posts. “I have this responsibility to make sure consumers know what the truth is about our industry. I don’t take this lightly or for granted.”
When it comes to what people are putting in their bodies, or their children’s bodies, or how our animals are being treated, and how beef affects the environment - Markie embraces her duty to make sure people know the truth and not the most recent market fad.
“I have to be vulnerable and willing to show them that I am not in this for myself, but that I wholeheartedly believe in the future of the beef industry and that I ultimately care most about the people and the animals that make our industry what it is.”
#1 Key Success for Girls Eat Beef Social Media:
“Social media success is a marathon, not a spring,” says Markie. “I think that understanding my story better helped me to connect to specific people. I had to really sit down and figure out what I wanted to say, and, ultimately, couldn’t be afraid to say it anymore.”
Markie’s advice? Stop thinking that your story or your words aren’t important, because someone always needs to hear them.
Her bonus addition is the mental shift that she felt herself make from her own negative attitude. As an introvert, she found her inner dialogue being sarcastic, prideful, and many other things. Looking back on each failure in her life, realizing that she has overcome each one that seemed “impossible” at the time, helped her with this transition.
“I truly believe that these are the reasons it took me so long to find success and a path towards my goals. So many doors have opened when I changed my mindset - I still struggle a lot with these things,” admits Markie. “I remind myself constantly that I am responsible for my own happiness and success so blaming other things or people, or just being bitter, isn’t getting me anywhere. I am learning grace and forgiveness for myself.”