For many in the beef industry, ranching is more than a job — it’s a sacred trust. As Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, United States Air Force fighter pilot and founder and CEO of Folds of Honor, took center stage back in February, that trust became obvious. Attendees of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, were reminded that purpose and passion remain the foundation of ranching, even in an era of rapid change.

Drawing from deep spiritual convictions and a lifetime of experiential wisdom, Rooney challenged listeners to think beyond daily tasks and market reports. His words weren’t just motivational, but also a heartfelt reminder that purpose matters as much as profits.

Built for the hard days

Every cattleman knows the worst time to fix a fence is when the cattle are already out. Likewise, the worst time to find discipline is when you find yourself in the throes of adversity. 

Rooney suggested attendees stay in a state of readiness. “The best advice I have for you is this: stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready.”

The beef industry lives by the truth behind what Rooney described as “Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.” There’s no shortcut to elite genetics or healthy pastures; it takes daily, deliberate effort. That commitment pays off in the long run. 

He added that achieving this kind of life begins by taking care of the basics, especially health and rest. 

“If you get less than eight hours of sleep at night, you increase your risk of cancer by 40%,” he said. On the other hand, he encouraged, “If you get 10,000 steps a day, you decrease your risk of all morbidity by 50%.” 

Though these may sound like numbers from a medical journal, they’re survival truths for a profession that demands long days, physical strain and sharp judgment.

That same discipline applied to our bodies guides the decisions made in life and work. Whether it’s buying your first piece of land, expanding the herd or passing the reins to the next generation, each of those steps takes faith and courage — but also preparation. 

Make it happen

Time moves fast. Every year goes by quicker than the last, and suddenly you’re thinking the ’90s were just yesterday. Meaning? Each and every day counts. 

That’s why routines matter. Rooney shared his routine, derived from two decades of intense military training. It starts with his envisioning each day as filled with prime opportunity. 

“The perfect day to fly a fighter jet [is in] those steel-blue skies,” he said. 

That image of perfection transformed into a mindset, one he now calls CAVU: Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited.

“Every day is an unlimited gift if you lean into the sanctity of the day,” he told the audience. 

Whether you’re flying at 50,000 feet or fixing waterers in the back pasture, your demeanor when handling obstacles stems from mental toughness and routine. 

“We don’t rise to the level of expectations; we fall to the level of training.”

Grow in the valleys

Rooney didn’t preach perfection. He spoke about pain, about challenges and about the real, hard parts of life that don’t make headlines but shape who we are. 

“Everybody goes through peaks and valleys in your life,” he said. “But if you look at a valley, it’s actually the fertile ground. It is where things grow in life.” 

Cattlemen know this instinctively. Broken-down tractors, market fluctuations and droughts aren’t dead ends. They’re a signal that better days are possible.

“As we walk through those valleys in the struggle, they’re hard,” Rooney said. “So often in life, these setbacks are a setup.”

The real growth, Rooney explained, doesn’t happen at the peak, but in the struggle. 

“It’s [from] this place of great trial in our life that great testimony comes,” Rooney said. “You’ve got to be in the fight to see the reward.”

Through those dark times, a bigger truth shines through. 

“God brings everybody into this world with a mission, but I believe the accountability is the same: Did you use it to the maximum extent possible?”

That’s not just motivational fluff; it’s a cattleman’s creed. 

Show up. Dig deep. Do something good, even when the valley seems vast.

Leap before you’re ready

“Go before you’re ready,” Rooney said. 

This line captures the spirit of every cattleman who’s ever taken a leap of faith. 

“The one strand of DNA that greatness shares, I think is this: the people that figure out that you’re never going to have it figured out,” he said. “The people that have the courage and faith to listen to their heart and go.”

That means embracing discomfort and charging forward even when the path isn’t clear. 

“The place of your greatest discomfort is where defining moments live,” he said. “It is where you build self-worth, self-belief, in the valleys, the hard stuff in life.”

As the founder of Folds of Honor, Rooney described how the nonprofit began not with a business plan, but with a burden. After witnessing a fallen soldier’s return at a commercial airport, he felt a divine nudge, saying, “It was a hand of God.” 

He responded to that moment by listening first, then taking action, knowing God picks the willing.

He cold-called Anheuser-Busch for support of the Folds of Honor scholarship program and heard a hard “no.” He went back every six months for three years until that “no” became a $33 million partnership. 

“Our lives are defined by what we do when it doesn’t go our way.”

For those sitting among the crowd in San Antonio — many who have made bold choices in their own lives — it wasn’t just inspiring, it was personal.

“The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.”

As he concluded, Rooney reflected on what he calls a divine echo. 

“Whatever you put out in the world echoes back.” 

He delivered a simple challenge.

“You are the pilot in command of your life.” 

The land may change. The markets may shift. But purpose rooted in faith, service and grit stays steady.

“You come into this world by yourself, and you leave this world by yourself,” Rooney said. “But your life’s work is to figure out why you’re here and then get really good at doing it.”

Whether it’s a cockpit or a cow pasture, purpose is what gets you off the ground.