Burnout, stress, and mental health are not topics often discussed in ranching, but they affect nearly every producer at some point. In this episode, John Haskell sits down with Vermont rancher Josh Lucas to discuss the realities of balancing business ownership, family responsibilities, and the pressures that come with building a ranch. Josh shares his personal experience with burnout, a panic attack that forced him to reevaluate his approach to work, and the lessons he learned about sustainability beyond the balance sheet.

The conversation explores the connection between mental well-being, relationships, leadership, and business performance. Josh explains why caring for yourself is not selfish, how financial stress can compound burnout, and why sustainable businesses require sustainable effort. They also discuss the importance of focusing on what you can control, building strong support systems, and recognizing that no one succeeds alone.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• Josh's experience with burnout and what led to a panic attack
• How family responsibilities and business growth can compound stress
• Why caring for yourself is essential to caring for others
• The relationship between mental health, leadership, and ranch profitability
• How the "circles of control" framework can reduce overwhelm
• Why financial stress often drives burnout and poor decision-making
• The importance of mentors, friendships, and having someone to call when life gets difficult

Connect with Josh:

• Follow on Facebook

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• For the Love of Land by Jim Howell
• 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson
• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

At Ranch Right, we help producers build clarity around cash flow, margins, and risk so the decisions we talk about on Ranchonomics actually work in the real world.

Book a free discovery call

In this episode of Ranchonomics Stories, John Haskell and Wally Olson sit down with Roger and Betsy Indreland to share the story of building a ranching operation over nearly five decades. Starting with just 13 bred heifers in 1977, Roger pursued a lifelong dream of ranching, gradually growing the business through persistence, continuous learning, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities. Along the way, Roger and Betsy navigated expansion, changing markets, family transitions, and the many challenges that come with building a business over time.

The conversation explores the role of education, mentorship, relationships, and long-term thinking in creating lasting success. Roger and Betsy reflect on lessons learned from decades of grit in the cattle business, the importance of staying curious and adaptable, and why opportunities still exist for people willing to get started today. More than anything, their story is a reminder that meaningful success is rarely built overnight, but through years of persistence, improvement, and commitment to a vision.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• How Roger grew from 13 bred heifers to a 12,000-acre ranching operation
• The role of passion, persistence, and continuous improvement in long-term success
• Why education and professional development accelerated their growth
• Lessons learned about leasing land, building relationships, and finding opportunities
• How Roger and Betsy are approaching succession and the future of the ranch
• Why young producers don't necessarily need to own land to get started
• The importance of starting where you are and building over time

Connect with Roger and Betsy:

• Check out their website
• Follow on Facebook

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

Record cattle prices can create just as many challenges as opportunities. In this episode, John Haskell and Wally Olson discuss why producers should stop focusing on headline prices and start paying attention to the relationships within the market. Whether you're in the stocker business or the cow-calf sector, profitability comes from understanding value, costs, and margin, not from chasing the highest prices.

The conversation explores value of gain, market volatility, cow herd turnover, and the importance of making decisions based on current opportunities rather than past prices or future forecasts. Using real-world examples, John and Wally walk through how to start looking at relationships to evaluate trades, identify where profit actually exists, and avoid getting emotionally attached to inventory.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• Why profitability is determined by relationships and margins, not cattle prices alone
• How to evaluate opportunities using value of gain calculations
• Why market volatility can create profit opportunities for prepared operators
• The case for cow herd turnover and focusing on overvalued versus undervalued animals
• How to think about heifer development in the current market environment
• Why producers should avoid looking backward at past prices when making decisions
• The importance of making timely decisions instead of freezing during market swings

Connect with Wally:

• Check out his website

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube 
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc 
• Follow on Facebook 
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More 
• Ranching for Profit 
• Ranching.FYI 
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

In this episode of Ranchonomics Stories, John Haskell sits down with Steve and Sarah Hisel to share their journey of building a ranching business from scratch. Without inheriting a family operation, they navigated a series of unexpected turns, difficult decisions, and calculated risks to create opportunities for themselves and their growing family. Along the way, they discuss the mindset shifts, education, and persistence that helped them move from dreaming about ranching to actually making it a reality.

Steve and Sarah reflect on lessons learned about financial discipline, surrounding yourself with the right people, evaluating opportunities, and resisting the temptation to overinvest in equipment and infrastructure too early. They also share how mentorship, business education, and a willingness to adapt have shaped their operation. More than anything, this episode offers encouragement for aspiring ranchers who have been told that starting from scratch is impossible.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• How Steve and Sarah built a ranching operation without inheriting land or livestock
• Why education, mentorship, and networking accelerated their progress
• The importance of evaluating opportunities and being willing to change course
• Why starting small can be an advantage when building a business
• How financial discipline helped them avoid unnecessary debt and expenses
• The role of accountability, shared goals, and community in long-term success
• Why ranching is still possible for people willing to commit to the journey

Connect with Steve and Sarah:

• Check out their website
• Follow on Instagram @genuinely.sara
• Follow on Facebook at Trinity S Ranch

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube 
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc 
• Follow on Facebook 
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• The Zig Zag Principle by Rich Christiansen
• Never Burn Your Moving Boxes by Jolyn Young
• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More 
• Ranching for Profit 
• Ranching.FYI 
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

In this episode, John Haskell and Wally Olson sit down with longtime West Texas rancher Joel Ham to discuss the management principles that have transformed the way he thinks about ranching, grazing, and profitability. Drawing on decades of experience and mentorship from leaders such as Bud Williams, Joel explains why the land, not the animal, must be viewed as the true unit of production. The conversation explores how improving land productivity, stockmanship, and grazing management can dramatically impact long-term ranch profitability and resilience in harsh, low-rainfall environments.

Joel also shares lessons learned from low-stress stockmanship, holistic management, and adapting to the realities of ranching in West Texas. From grazing planning and drought management to integrating sheep with cattle and reducing predator pressure through better systems, the episode emphasizes personal responsibility, observation, and continual replanning. At its core, this conversation is about learning to work with animals and ecosystems instead of against them, while building a ranch business that is both productive and sustainable over time.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the land must be the unit of production, not the animal
• How improving production per acre impacts long-term profitability
• Why successful stockmanship requires reading and responding to cattle
• The importance of grazing planning, monitoring, and replanning
• How Joel combines sheep and cattle to increase overall stocking capacity
• Why ranch management ultimately comes back to responsibility, observation, and adaptation

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube 
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc 
• Follow on Facebook 
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More 
• Ranching for Profit 
• Ranching.FYI 
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

In the first episode of the new Ranchonomics Storytelling series, host John Haskell sits down with Dave and Carol Perry to share how they built a ranching operation from humble beginnings through decades of hard work, financial discipline, and persistence. Starting with just 10 cows and very little capital, the Perrys discuss the sacrifices, setbacks, and unconventional decisions that allowed them to gradually grow their business while staying focused on long-term sustainability and family goals.

Throughout the conversation, Dave and Carol reflect on lessons learned from droughts, debt, injury, volatile cattle markets, and raising a family while building the ranch. They discuss the importance of cash flow planning, creative thinking, education, mentorship, and knowing your numbers, while emphasizing that success in ranching is still possible for those willing to commit fully to the lifestyle. More than anything, this episode is a story about resilience, sacrifice, faith, and building a life around purpose rather than comfort.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• How Dave and Carol built a ranching operation starting with just 10 cows
• Why financial discipline and principal payments accelerated their growth
• How creative thinking and unconventional decisions improved profitability
• The role of cash flow planning and knowing your numbers in surviving tough years
• Why education, mentorship, and holistic management shaped their operation
• Lessons learned from drought, injury, debt, and volatile cattle markets
• Why ranching success still depends on passion, sacrifice, and long-term commitment

Connect with Dave and Carol:

• Email them at [email protected]

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

Invasive weeds can quietly reduce carrying capacity and create long-term management challenges across a ranch. In this episode, John Haskell sits down with Ben Habig to discuss how prescribed grazing with goats and sheep can provide a biological alternative to chemical weed control. Using species like leafy spurge and houndstongue as examples, Ben explains how targeted grazing can reduce weed pressure, improve pasture utilization, and support healthier soils and riparian areas.

The conversation also explores the realities of managing small ruminants, including fencing, predators, labor, and marketing challenges. Ben shares how his business partners with landowners across Montana to provide targeted grazing services that help ranches manage invasive species while improving long-term pasture health and resilience.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• How goats and sheep can be used for targeted grazing and weed control
• Why species like leafy spurge reduce pasture utilization for cattle
• The difference between chemical control and biological land management approaches
• How prescribed grazing can improve soil health and nutrient cycling
• Why small ruminants require more intensive management and labor
• How targeted grazing can create long-term improvements in carrying capacity and pasture composition

Connect with Ben:

• Check out his website
• Follow on Instagram @habiglivestock
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube 
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc 
• Follow on Facebook 
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More 
• Ranching for Profit 
• Ranching.FYI 
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

In this special 100th episode of Ranchonomics, host John Haskell sits down with longtime cattleman and investor Wally Olson to reflect on the life and legacy of their close friend, Bob Metzger. Through stories about business deals, investing, cattle trading, and friendship, the conversation explores what Bob taught us; the principles he lived by, including disciplined money management, delayed gratification, risk mitigation, and the power of compounding over time. More than anything, the episode highlights why ranching is ultimately a relationship business built on trust, communication, and surrounding yourself with good people.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• Why successful operators focus on margin, cash flow, and risk mitigation
• The importance of surrounding yourself with people who challenge your thinking
• How humility, networking, and continuous improvement create long-term success
• Lessons from structuring joint ventures and avoiding partnership pitfalls
• Why succession and estate preparation matter more than most people realize
• How generosity and mentorship can create impact far beyond business

Connect with Wally:

• Check out his website

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

What separates two ranches with the exact same land, cattle, and infrastructure from having completely different outcomes? In this episode, host John Haskell explores the idea that the most valuable asset in any operation is not the ranch itself, but the knowledge, stewardship, and decision-making behind it. Using examples from learning curves, investing, grazing management, and succession, he explains how knowledge compounds over time, much like money does.

He breaks down how growth happens across multiple domains like grazing, stockmanship, marketing, financial literacy, and relationships, and how those areas begin compounding together when intentionally developed. At its core, this episode is about the long-term power of continuous learning and the role education plays in building resilient, profitable operations.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, I cover:

• Why knowledge and stewardship are more valuable than physical assets
• How learning curves and compound growth apply to ranching
• The connection between grazing, stockmanship, marketing, and financial literacy
• Why multiple areas of learning can compound together over time
• How financially literate operators connect daily actions to profitability
• Why succession planning often focuses too much on assets instead of education
• The importance of intentionally passing knowledge to the next generation

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube 
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc 
• Follow on Facebook 
• Check out the website
• Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More 
• Ranching for Profit 
• Ranching.FYI 
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars

What happens when better grazing management changes not only your ranch, but the entire ecosystem around it? In this episode, John Haskell sits down with Roger and Betsy Indreland to discuss how a shift in thinking around soil health, recovery, and grazing management transformed their operation. What began as skepticism after hearing regenerative grazing concepts eventually became a complete rethinking of forage management, drought resilience, and ranch profitability.

The Indrelands share how focusing on cover, stockpiled feed, and longer recovery periods dramatically improved both productivity and resilience on their ranch. They explain how better grazing management increased carrying capacity, while also improving wildlife abundance, biodiversity, and overall ranch health. This episode highlights the long-term biological and financial benefits of managing with resilience, recovery, and observation in mind.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

1. How a shift in thinking around soil health and grazing changed the operation
2. Why leaving cover and stockpiling feed improved drought resilience
3. The role of rest and recovery periods in increasing productivity
4. How improved grazing management increased carrying capacity without buying more land
5. The connection between biology, profitability, and ranch resilience
6. Why seeing these systems in person often creates a major mindset shift

Connect with Roger and Betsy:

1. Check out their website
2. Call them at 406 932 4232

Connect with Ranch Right:

1. Subscribe on YouTube
2. Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
3. Follow on Facebook
4. Check out the website
5. Check out all of our past webinars here

Resources & Links:

1. Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
2. Ranching for Profit
3. Ranching.FYI
4. Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join us online, ask questions, and get practical tools you can put to work tomorrow. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to receive updates on our next session. Click the link below to catch up on all of our past webinars on YouTube.

Webinars