The Educated Climber Podcast

Nobody cares more about your own personal safety than you do. Never forget that. Thanks for being here Climber Nation, I appreciate you! - Patrick   www.educatedclimber.com/support Please send all comments/questions/hatemail to patrick@educatedclimber.com.   Also, just because the world has always been crazy, that does not mean that you have to like it.

A short discussion about making a living and a career out of tree work, the different paths available, being Unemployable, and the E-myth... Thanks for being here, I appreciate you. - Patrick www.educatedclimber.com/support

Jeff Jepson is one of my all-time favorite authors and he has a new book that just came out called Groundie. His previous books include The Tree Climber's Companion, To Fell A Tree, and Knots At Work. All of them are amazing. In this episode we take a deep dive into Jeff's writing process, how he chooses projects, the close call that inspired him to get writing and educating, how he lays out his books graphically, working with his illustrator Bryan Kotwica, how he got into the trade, what he's up to these days, as well as much, much more. I know you are going to get a lot of value out of this. Thanks for being here Climber Nation, I appreciate you!      - Patrick Visit Jeff Jepson's website to connect with him: www.beavertreemn.com   Visit The Educated Climber Podcast on the web: www.educatedclimber.com/ecpodcast Check out Educated Climber on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCroL14vN79ErKamK_dcopmQ   Peace out!

Turn off the news. Put your head down. Get to work. And know your enemy. The world has always been crazy.......

In this episode, I am joined by Jake Rogers (@guilty_of_treeson). We go in-depth into his backstory, his current role as superintendent at East Side Tree Works, where the name Guilty of Treeson came from, his thoughts on social media and Youtube, training new recruits, people skills vs. tree work skills, close calls, and much, much more.  Follow Guilty of Treeson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu4pT2XOGyTfnFcIUB13YZQ Instagram: www.instagram.com/guilty_of_treeson View the show notes page: www.educatedclimber.com/ecp-episode-25  

In this episode of Small Business Stories on the Educated Climber Podcast, I am joined by @troytreeguy, Rob Hogg. We discuss his backstory, early mentors, adventures running a small business in this trade, close calls, advice for young people getting into tree work, as well as much, much more. I know you guys are going to get a lot of value out of this one! - Patrick

Season 2 - Small Business Stories This is the second part of the story of how I handed a lot of the control of my company ConservaTree over to my friend Alex, and how that arrangement has worked out so far. In this episode we talk about autonomy based on trust, the importance of having a disconnect between production and sales, cashflow and deposits, back-end systems, being dispassionate in the sales process, the safety perspective as it relates to customers, avoiding the race to the bottom, becoming a category of 1, and much, much more. I hope you enjoy this ongoing discussion of the ups and downs that we have encountered over the last few years in running our own small tree service business. For more information about our company ConservaTree, you can follow us on Instagram: @conserva.tree, on Facebook: www.facebook.com/conservatree , or check out our website: www.conservatree.ca  Thanks for listening! - Patrick

In this episode of the podcast, I am joined by legendary climbing arborist, SRT advocate, and co-founder of Treebuzz.com, Tom Dunlap. We dive into Tom's backstory and his over 40-year career in tree work, his mentors and influences along the way including Don Blair, the founding of Treebuzz along with Mark Chisholm in the early 2000's, Tom's late friend Dr. Peter Donzelli, the ANSI Z133 committee and accompanying safety standard, as well as much, much more. We had a lot of fun in this conversation and I know you guys are going to get a lot of value out of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen!! Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Small Business Stories Season 2 Episode 2 Erik Keenan - Keenan Tree Care   In this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Erik Keenan. We dive into his backstory and how he got into the trade, how he moved from being an employee to entrepreneur, work-life balance, training and apprenticeship, and general trials and tribulations of being an owner-operator of a small tree care company. Continuing from our last episode, we talk about the chicken and the egg problems of hiring more help when you're not sure how you're even going to pay yourself, and how difficult it is to wear all of the hats in your business. Stick around, this is gonna be good!   Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Season 2 Ep. 1 - Small Business Stories This is (part of) the story of how I handed a lot of the control of my company ConservaTree over to my friend Alex, and how that arrangement has worked out so far. In this episode we talk about how Alex came to be involved in the company and in the trade, the decisions that lead up to his appointment as boss, how our arrangement works on a practical level, his role as diplomat with both customers and city officials, where we see the business heading in the future, his insights into training new recruits, why every tree care company needs a dedicated customer service person, what happens if you play Harvest Moon too long, and much, much more. This is gonna be good! Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

In this special episode, we take a look at tips and tactics that could help a first-time competitor in an ISA-style tree climbing competition. I give my own advice, and then I'm joined by Chris Sallows and Brick Reilly who give us their own unique perspectives. My hope is that this information could be very helpful to someone who is competing for the first time and feeling overwhelmed in their preparations. This is by no means a definitive guide to competition climbing, but I definitely think there is some value here. Thanks for listening! Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Chris Sallows is a talented production climber in the private sector, as well as an up and coming competition climber on the Ontario circuit. In this conversation we talk about his backstory and how he got into the trade, mentors along the way, tornados, training for competitions, stress eating, heavy metal bands, and much, much more. Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick  This episode of the Educated Climber Podcast is brought to you by the new SAKA mini-MAX from Richard Mumford at ClimbingInnovations.com. This is the newest version of the classic SAKA knee ascender that is known and loved the world over. The new mini-MAX has be redesigned to be more versatile and adjustable. Get your SAKA mini-MAX today at www.climbinginnovations.com!   Chris on Instagram: @chrissallows Chris on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA_d9bAPn1HrCCplPuCaBMg

One-handing is the devil! Or is it? In this episode I explore how this one single issue somehow managed to get pushed to the front of the line of all the things that we should be worrying about in this trade. How and why did this happen, and was it justified? And where do we go from here? If you would like to send me a voicemail message to use on the podcast, you can go to www.educatedclimber.com/ecpodcast and scroll down to the big orange button. Or, you can email me at patrick@educatedclimber.com. Thanks for listening! Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Lawrence Schultz, aka Pfannerman, is a legend in the trade, known the world over for his climbing, rigging, and teaching videos. In this in-depth conversation, we dive into his backstory and how he got started in the trade, working for the city of New York and in Central Park, getting started in Youtube, competition climbing, The Schultz Effect and the value of online teaching materials, moving to California to become a contract climber, new projects, and much, much more. Lawrence is full of great stories, I know you are going to love this. Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick   Show notes: The Schultz Effect Lawrence's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuoueCKy2cRT4vBW_UsFj4g Pfannerman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pfannerman/?hl=en The Working Climber Series by Jerry Beranek: http://www.wesspur.com/videos/tree-climbing-videos.html  

With 46 years experience in tree work, Blair Glenn has seen and done it all. Tune in as we dive into his backstory, how his love of rock climbing and working outdoors eventually landed him in trees, the humble beginnings of his business, running a successful Youtube channel, working with his son, Alex Shigo falling off the stage, close calls, woodworking, mentors, and much, much more.   Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick Show Notes: Blair's Youtube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvKnNvIM044WTFypfAxDSQQ Saratoga Tree Service: http://saratogatreeservice.com/  

Brick Reilly is a phenom. Diagnosed as profoundly deaf at the age of 2, he has overcome adversity and carved out a niche for himself, as an accomplished competition tree climber, entrepreneur, fitness advocate, and all-around badass. In this conversation we talk about the challenges of being born deaf, how a cochlear implant changed his life, being a daredevil and how he found his way into the trade, his obsession with fitness, lunchtime grinds, competition climbing, his side business, writing on his blog, mentors, and much, much more. I know you guys are going to get a lot out of this one!   Show notes: Brick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaggedbrickclimber/ Brick on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brick.reilly?ref=br_rs His Blog: https://www.jaggedbrickclimber.com/   This episode of the Educated Climber Podcast is brought to you by "The Fundamentals of General Tree Work - Digital Edition" by G.F. Beranek. This amazing resource, literally a lifetime's worth of knowledge, was published in 1996 and went out of print in 2016. We brought it back as a digital edition e-book. There simply is no more-comprehensive reference book in our field. Simply put, if you work with trees, you need this book! Check out "The Fundamentals" today, at www.educatedclimber.com/shop Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Dakota Lucas, better known online as Treesus Bartelby, is a travelling arborist, standup comedian, coffee aficionado, filmmaker and musician. In this conversation, we dive into all of that, as well as his backstory, where the character Treesus came from, custom-made guitars, social media, and much, much more. It's a podcast subscriber party y'all! You can find the show notes for this episode at www.educatedclimber.com/ecpodcast Also, special extra super bonus points for sticking around to the very, very end... Support the mission! Purchase your Educated Climber coffee mugs and t-shirts today, at www.educatedclimber.com/shop Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

The X-man, David Driver, is one of the most innovative thinkers in our industry, a true pioneer. His work has single-handedly changed rigging in our industry, making our jobs easier and safer in a dramatic way. In this conversation, we talk about David's backstory, how he got into the trade, where the X-man name came from, climbing redwoods with Jerry Beranek, David's setup for running a huge knuckleboom crane remotely while climbing and cutting in the tree, where X-rigging rings came from, all of the adversity that he had to push through to pave the way for rings to be accepted by the industry, business deals gone bad, the importance of integrity, and much, much more. These are the stories that I have been wanting to hear for years, and I am so glad to finally hear them, from the man himself. David is such a knowledgeable and thoughtful guy, I could just talk to him for hours and hours. I know you guys are going to get so much out of this episode. Thanks for listening! Show notes for this episode are available at www.educatedclimber.com/ecpodcast Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Peter de Vries is a tree-climbing entrepreneur known all over the world for his custom-spliced climbing and rigging gear: rings, slings, ropes, and lanyards. His gear is top-quality and made to order. In this in-depth conversation, we delve into his backstory, how he got into splicing, break-testing his gear, making money on Instagram, competition climbing, travel, and much, much more. Thanks for tuning in! Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick   Show notes for this episode available at: www.educatedclimber.com/ecpodcast

Travor is one of the most well-known photographers in the trade, and a bad-ass climber to boot, so I had to get him on the podcast! In this wide-ranging conversation, we touch on his backstory and how he got started in tree climbing, backflips, photography, long-form video, social media, drone racing, and much, much more. I had a lot of fun with this episode, I know you will get a lot of value out of it. Thanks for listening! Visit me at www.educatedclimber.com Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

What's up Climber Nation! So stoked to have Dan Holliday of ClimbingArborist.com on the podcast. This was a fantastic conversation, we had a lot of fun. We dive deep into Dan's backstory, how he ended up living in Canada, his take on the value of online teaching materials in the trade, apprenticeship, building his website, climbing competitions, and much, much more. This is gonna be good! Visit me at www.educatedclimber.com Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Today I'm joined on the podcast by the reigning North American and International tree climbing champion, Krista Strating. We dive deep into what it takes to compete at a high level, how she got into the trade, why tree climbing competitions are so important, the changing role of women in arboriculture, teaching the younger generation, and much, much more. This is gonna be good! Climb High, Work Smart, Read More. - Patrick   Connect with me at www.educatedclimber.com

I've seen it time and time again. We get started on a big tree, we get going at a good pace, working away steadily for a couple of hours, and then we have the tendency to sort of extrapolate out the day based on the current pace. But inevitably we hit the wall. It's a physical wall, you are tired and sore, but more importantly, it's a mental wall. Now, for his part, in this particular tree, I don't think James knew he would hit that wall. He had never climbed that long before in one tree. Visit me at educatedclimber.com Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

Today on the podcast we explore some fundamental aspects of how we price our services in this industry. This is a very complex topic, and there is a lot of disagreement out there, so I want to start off by saying that I am no expert. I haven't “figured it all out”. But I do have some thoughts. Pricing is serious business, seriously. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “Pricing is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” The truth is, the biggest companies in the world struggle with pricing. For real. In this episode we explore time-based vs. value-based pricing. This single piece of content may be the most important thing that I have put out to-date. It's only 20 minutes long, super digestible, and very applicable. Please, if you run a tree service, or tree care business, give this short little episode a chance. It just might change the way that you think about the work that we do. Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

In this episode, the original MonkeyBeaver himself reveals some of his secrets for filming and editing tree work, and storytelling on Youtube. We dive deep into just how much grit and determination is required to stick with it, when you're part-way through a tree job and it seems like it would be so much easier to just put the cameras away and get the job done! We also talk about his backstory, where his work ethic and passion for tree work came from, how he dealt with having all of his tree gear stolen, as well as his entrepreneurial tendencies and need to be independent.  And then we follow that up with the MonkeyBeaver belt and monkeybeaver.com, and his advice for his younger self. You are going to love these stories, trust me! Connect with EducatedClimber online at www.educatedclimber.com Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick  

This is the behind-the-scenes story of the development of the Rope Wrench, from the godfather of SRT himself, Mr. Kevin Bingham. From the initial idea that led to the F8 Revolver, to online collaboration that produced the ZK-1, to licensing the Wrench to ISC and refining the tool to produce the shiny ZK-2, this is the inside scoop that few have heard. We also dive deep into the backstory of how Kevin got into climbing, where innovation comes from, Kevin's ideas for bike-based tree care services, some current projects, as well as where he sees the industry heading into the future. I know you will enjoy listening to Kevin's stories! Connect with EducatedClimber online at www.educatedclimber.com Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick

In this episode, we explore some of the basic aspects of subcontracting/freelancing, one of the easiest and best ways for an up and coming arborist to transition from being an employee to being self-employed. We start with the basic concepts and then go on to explore equipment, expectations and responsibilities, money, liability, choosing your customers, and promoting your skills. This is gonna be good! Climb high, Work smart, Read more. - Patrick   This episode is brought to you by The Schultz Effect. Documenting Pfannerman's journey from doubled rope climbing to SRT expert, The Schultz Effect explores all aspects of climbing systems, hardware, basal and canopy anchors, remote and retrievable redirects, hybrid systems, as well as practical, in the field SRT climbing for both trimming and removals. If you are looking to level-up your climbing game, head over to theschultzeffect.com to get started.

Good day friends! Today we are looking at harnessing the power of the internet and social media to create an online presence for your tree service or tree care company. We explore what I consider to be the 5 essential elements of online marketing for your business in 2018: 1. a website 2. an email list 3. a Facebook page 4. an Instagram account 5. a Youtube account The concept is this: how can I take everything that I have learned from promoting my side hustle, EducatedClimber, and apply it directly to my actual physical business, ConservaTree, while documenting my progress along the way so that you can see what works and what doesn't. This is gonna be good! - Patrick

Welcome friends! So excited to get the new podcast out to the world. No set format, no set length, opinionated and raw, the podcast will explore primarily the business side of the industry, with interviews from innovators and entrepreneurs who make their living in the canopy. This is gonna be good! In this first episode we explore a little bit about my background in both audio recording and tree work, and we set out the framework for what you can expect from the podcast in the future.