Climbing the Egg Ladder—and Leading Through It All with Mark Kellen of Daybreak Foods
04/25/25 • 30 min
This week on Eggheads, we sit down with Mark Kellen, Executive Vice President at Daybreak Foods, to explore the mindset, skillset, and lived experience behind leadership in the egg industry. From his beginnings on a small family farm in Minnesota to overseeing operations across six states, Mark’s journey is rooted in curiosity, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to his team.
We unpack what it takes to become a well-rounded general manager—from hands-on live bird work to managing budgets, community relations, and customer expectations. Mark shares how Daybreak is building internal pipelines of leadership through tailored development plans and cross-training opportunities, and why communication is the most overlooked (yet essential) ingredient in promoting from within.
The episode also touches on Mark’s firsthand experience navigating avian influenza—from the emotional toll of depopulation to the importance of transparent planning and employee trust. It’s a candid conversation about growth, grit, and what it means to lead during both steady days and storms.
Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you're interested in sponsoring a future episode of Eggheads, you can contact us by filling out this form.
This week on Eggheads, we sit down with Mark Kellen, Executive Vice President at Daybreak Foods, to explore the mindset, skillset, and lived experience behind leadership in the egg industry. From his beginnings on a small family farm in Minnesota to overseeing operations across six states, Mark’s journey is rooted in curiosity, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to his team.
We unpack what it takes to become a well-rounded general manager—from hands-on live bird work to managing budgets, community relations, and customer expectations. Mark shares how Daybreak is building internal pipelines of leadership through tailored development plans and cross-training opportunities, and why communication is the most overlooked (yet essential) ingredient in promoting from within.
The episode also touches on Mark’s firsthand experience navigating avian influenza—from the emotional toll of depopulation to the importance of transparent planning and employee trust. It’s a candid conversation about growth, grit, and what it means to lead during both steady days and storms.
Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you're interested in sponsoring a future episode of Eggheads, you can contact us by filling out this form.
Previous Episode
AgriNerds: Using Technology and Data to Combat Bird Flu with Dr. Maurice Pitesky
This week on Eggheads, we sit down with Dr. Maurice Pitesky, veterinary epidemiologist at UC Davis and founder of AgriNerds, to explore how technology—think radar, satellites, and spatial modeling—is reshaping disease prevention in the poultry industry. His tool, the Waterfowl Alert Network, helps producers track wild bird movement in real time, offering a red-light, green-light system for assessing avian influenza risk.
Maurice explains how biosecurity needs to expand beyond the barn, why data sharing is just as important as data collection, and what it’ll take to modernize vet training for the 21st century. From drones that chase birds to historical migration data from the '90s, this episode dives deep into innovation, practicality, and the challenges of protecting flocks in the middle of a historic outbreak.
What does it look like to layer biosecurity, mapping, and epidemiology in a way that actually works? And how can we build systems that help producers act before—not after—a crisis hits?
Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Next Episode
58 Years of Studying Chickens with Ken Anderson
This week on Eggheads, we're chatting with Dr. Ken Anderson, a long-time poultry scientist and a Professor in the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University. Ken has been working with eggs since he was 6 years old, and his perspective is informed by a wealth of hands-on industrial and academic experience.
One of his biggest contributions is a project called the Layer Performance and Management Test. It's a long running trial where different breeds of hens are raised under various production systems to measure their impact on egg output, feed efficiency, shell quality, and various other factors. Running the test has given Ken a unique vantage point to observe the industry's trajectory over the past decades.
In this episode me and Ken talk about all of the changes he's witnessed in his nearly 60 years working in the egg industry, including the evolution of layer housing, egg safety protocols and the animal welfare debate. This is a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion that includes some controversial opinions. And while you may not agree with them, they'll definitely make you think.
Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you're interested in sponsoring a future episode of Eggheads, you can contact us by filling out this form.
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