One of the pleasures derived from working in the agribusiness advisory sector is the people and professionals you meet and hearing the stories of their own navigation of complex or challenging issues.

James Hamilton, founder of succession planning business Cultivate Advisory, is one of those professionals whose journey in farming and succession planning means he has a unique view on what makes families really work well. James and I recently presented in Birchip, Victoria to farmers yearning for a smooth, effective succession plan to enable all family members to prosper.

James also runs a mixed farming operation near Narromine in NSW with his wife Amanda, where they have raised three daughters. As a farmer, he became accustomed to managing a business at the mercy of seasons, interest rate uncertainty and volatile commodity prices.

James has plenty of succession stories to tell having founded his succession business in 2013, but his own may be the most insightful. Twenty five years ago James was involved in his parents succession planning process and recently he gathered his own family around the table. But this wasn’t just another catch-up—it was time to practice what he’d long preached to others. He was beginning his own succession planning process for the family farm.

James was stepping into the very process he’s helped so many families navigate. This was, in some ways, the ultimate test.

“We wanted our daughters to experience a structured way of communicating our hopes and dreams,” he said recently.

The meeting, which was full of generosity and goodwill, was a testament to the power of planning, patience, and timing.

“Succession isn’t a transaction…It’s a process—and one that needs to start early.” – James Hamilton

Indeed, this wasn’t always the way meetings started. James recalls bringing the subject up a number of years ago when one of his daughters said “Dad, is this your work sh*t?”

But time had passed.

“At the conclusion of our meeting, my daughter who once brushed it off as ‘your work sh*t’ said, ‘Thank you for planning and running your work sh*t.’ Timing is everything.”

James’s personal experience underpins his professional passion. With over two decades on the land he knows firsthand the emotional complexity and practical urgency of succession in farming families. His own family’s journey through transition gave him a deep appreciation of how clear communication and early planning can strengthen relationships and preserve legacy.

“Succession isn’t a transaction,” he says. “It’s a process—and one that needs to start early.”

James blends hands-on agricultural experience with board-level facilitation skills, having worked across government, corporate, and small business settings. His strength lies in creating safe spaces for families to have courageous conversations—often difficult, always necessary—about the future. His goal? To make sure everyone at the table feels heard, and that the plan reflects both the vision and the values of the family.

To contact James directly, or to know more about how Cato Advisory can assist with succession financial strategies, check out our links below.