It was 1962, Wichita, Kansas. My Dad surveyed the front yard—a very big front yard, a grim look on his face. "Weeds," he pronounced sullenly, as if our front yard had become the equivalent of ... [+]
Dan Houston is executive chair and former CEO of Principal Financial Group, driving the company's growth and transformation throughout his 40-year career. He's a fierce advocate for financial access and retirement security.
Three months, three weeks, and three days. That's the gestational period for the average sow. Three months. That's the amount of time it takes to raise a pig to 40 pounds so it's ready for market. Coincidentally, it's also the length of summer break.
The summer of 1976 I arrived at my grandfather's farm in rural Iowa fresh off a Greyhound bus. Looking forward to a summer away from Houston, I breathed in the familiar scents of diesel fuel, fresh-cut alfalfa, and my grandmother's cinnamon rolls. My home away from home.
Every day on the farm unfolds with a rhythm both familiar and unexpected