Millie Moore Quit a Corporate Ag Job to Go Ranching... and It Changed Everything
Millie Moore didn’t leave her job because she was unhappy. She left because she was curious. After four and a half years in a corporate ag role, Millie made a decision that many people talk about but few actually take. She quit, moved to Canada, and went ranching to properly immerse herself in the beef industry and test herself on the ground. That choice led to something bigger. In this episode, Millie shares how ranch life in Alberta opened doors to meat judging, scholarships, and ultimately a fully funded Masters in meat science at the University of Illinois . This conversation explores career risk, confidence, building networks without a farming background, and why agriculture offers far more pathways than most people realise. It also kicks off a year-long series with Millie, where she’ll continue to share what she’s learning across the US, Canada, and Australia. ⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Quitting a corporate job to go ranching 02:10 — University, early career, and choosing what not to do 03:20 — Why Millie stayed 4.5 years in her first role 04:40 — The fear and reality of moving overseas 06:30 — First impressions of ranch life in Canada 08:45 — Canada vs the US beef industry 09:05 — Not coming from a farming background 10:30 — “If you want to be in beef, go be in beef” 11:40 — How Millie built her network from scratch 13:40 — Why agriculture feels hard to break into (and why it isn’t) 15:20 — Dealing with rejection and imposter syndrome 19:55 — Meat judging and why it shapes so many careers 22:10 — The US meat judging circuit explained 24:40 — Sponsorship, alumni, and industry support 26:20 — Returning to study and why Illinois made sense 28:30 — What’s next and a year of conversations ahead