Matt Dowdy started his own company, Dowdy’s Forest & Land Management, in 2007 and it’s a full-service forest consulting firm in the state of Virginia. With slightly over 26 years of forestry consulting experience, Matt has a lot of wisdom to share on today’s podcast! Find out what’s it like being your own boss, lessons Matt wished he’d learned sooner, and where the future of forestry is headed!
Key Takeaways:
[1:05] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:45] A quick intro about Matt’s background.
[3:10] How did Matt get into forestry?
[4:45] What was Matt’s first job like?
[7:10] Matt shares what he likes about being a forestry consultant.
[8:35] What kinds of lessons has Matt learned along the way, that surprised him?
[9:25] As a forestry consultant, you’re pretty much a middleman, working on behalf of your client.
[10:55] How does Matt work with clients who don’t know what they want?
[12:25] What kinds of challenges has Matt faced so far?
[13:25] Matt shares some of his first leadership experiences and the lessons he learned.
[16:00] Even though Matt is the owner of his own business, his clients are really his boss.
[19:40] What kinds of mentors has Matt had, over the years?
[21:20] What makes a good forestry consultant?
[22:45] Matt shares some of his wisdom for those aspiring forestry consultants out there!
[23:05] Where is the future of forestry headed for the younger generation?
[29:25] What has Matt’s experience at ACF been like?
[34:35] Once you realize you’re wasting your time, move on!
Mentioned in This Episode:
David Henderson is the owner of Henderson Forestry Consultants and has been serving landowners in the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia area for over 30 years. David says it took him a good eight years to get the hang of owning his own business and another 20 years to get a good hang on consulting! David is a wise soul with lots of wisdom about consulting, owning a business, and what he wishes he’d learned sooner!
Key Takeaways:
[1:05] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:40] A quick intro about David’s background.
[3:05] How did David get into forestry?
[5:40] What was David’s first job like?
[9:25] How did David become a forestry consultant?
[11:30] It took David eight years to get his business off the ground and another 20 years before he felt like he was a consultant.
[13:10] What does David wish he learned sooner?
[17:10] What does David’s team look like today?
[19:45] Working with new technology is a struggle for older foresters, which is why it’s important to bring in new and young talent into the mix.
[23:40] What is David most proud of so far?
[27:05] What does David wish he’d learned sooner in his career?
[29:00] David offers some words of wisdom for young foresters looking to excel in their career.
[30:40] David dives into ACF and how they’ve helped him in his career.
[33:30] Where does David think the forestry industry is headed?
[38:25] What kinds of mentors has David had over the years?
Mentioned in This Episode:
American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation, by Eric Rutkow
Justin Miller is the Founder and President of Green Timber Consulting Foresters. Established in 2001, Green Timber currently staffs 8 foresters and serves clients throughout the upper great lakes region in Michigan. In 2017, Justin was recognized at the School of Forest Resource Environmental Sciences as Outstanding Aluminist for his contributions in the forestry industry and students at MTU. On today’s show, Justin explains how you don’t need to have a ‘traditional’ path to get into forestry and offers key advice for aspiring forestry consulting students.
Key Takeaways:
[1:05] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:50] A quick intro about Justin’s background.
[4:25] How did Justin get into forestry and natural resources?
[6:10] What types of jobs did Justin when he first got out of college?
[7:50] How do people typically get into forestry consulting?
[9:00] You can get started in consulting through other ways. You don’t have to join a big firm in order to be a consulting forester.
[10:25] What types of clients does Justin have at Green Timber?
[11:30] What kind of problems does the average client have when they first come to Green Timber?
[13:55] Justin shares a little bit about the differences in environment and silvicultural characteristics of his area.
[16:00] What’s fun about being a forester and a forestry consultant?
[19:40] Justin explains the ACF vetting process and what you need to do to join.
[21:55] Justin has learned so much material through ACF that wasn’t available at his university.
[24:35] What did Justin wished he learned sooner about the industry?
[26:55] What do people ought to know about becoming a supervisor?
[32:15] What makes a good leader?
[33:05] What advice does Justin have for aspiring forest professionals?
[36:55] Justin talks about some of the exciting projects he’s worked on in the past.
[41:00] What kind of mentors has Justin had over the years?
Mentioned in This Episode:
Tom Hittle is a Forester with 30 years of experience as a Forestry Consultant and is the Senior Vice President of Project Coordination at Steigerwaldt Land Services. Tom’s experiences include due diligence for timberland acquisitions, resource analysis, and forest management planning, and systems development and implementation! With Tom’s background, you don’t want to miss what he has to say when it comes to his line of work and what he looks for in young talent!
Key Takeaways:
[1:05] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:45] A quick intro about Tom’s background.
[3:50] How did Tom get into forestry and natural resources?
[6:00] What kind of work has Tom done over the years?
[8:10] What’s the most interesting part about being a consulting forester?
[9:20] Tom shares the types of technology he works with in his field.
[10:55] Tom has a lot of fun on the job! He shares some of the things he’s enjoyed the most about his job so far.
[12:55] Tom shares a little bit about the history of Steigerwaldt Land Services.
[15:15] What advice does Tom have for those who want to become a forestry consultant?
[20:25] What types of challenges do forestry consultants face?
[24:15] Tom shares how he uses his introversion to his advantages while on the job!
[26:00] What was it like when Tom first started supervising people?
[27:15] What is one leadership lesson Tom wished he learned sooner?
[28:55] Tom shares the types of mentors he has had throughout his career.
[32:25] Tom has been working hard to develop relationships with students early on in their career, even if they don’t have a position currently open at the moment.
[35:35] Tom recommends watching the Apollo 13 movie!
Mentioned in This Episode: