In this episode of the FBS Podcast, we unpack the concept of a “psychopathic sense of urgency,” from a great article by Tim Denning. This is a mindset arguing that forest-based businesses fail not from a lack of capability, but because plans linger and decisions slide into the off-season. We explain why waiting for perfect information is a trap where opportunities rot, and how shifting from weekly rhythms to daily iteration allows operators to learn faster than weather and market conditions change. Drawing on the reality that “next year” is often just a polite way of saying “never,” we discuss why imbalance is a feature of success rather than a cause of burnout, and how to collapse the distance between an idea and its execution to achieve years of progress in just 90 days.

In this episode of The FBS Podcast, we examine why well-designed forestry research so often struggles to show up in day-to-day decisions on the ground. Drawing from the January 2026 Forest Business School report Frictionless Forestry, the conversation explores what working foresters, loggers, and forest-economy professionals actually said about tools, formats, timing, and cognitive load—and why “good science” can still miss its mark when friction isn’t treated as a design problem. The episode situates these findings in the real pressures of climate volatility, market shifts, and workforce constraints, and explains how the Forest Business School works at the boundary between research and practice to translate ideas into usable courses, podcasts, visuals, and mobile tools. It’s a practical, unsentimental look at how applied impact really happens, and why translation—not persuasion—is often the missing link (www.vtfbs.com).

This FBS Podcast episode uses Washington’s 1776 crossing of the Delaware as a grounded, practical illustration of Critical Chain Project Management, focusing on how outcomes change when leaders design around constraints instead of relying on heroics. Set against collapsing morale, expiring enlistments, and severe time pressure, the episode explains how George Washington treated time as the binding constraint and deliberately built buffers into the system—extra boats, experienced operators like John Glover, synchronized execution, and schedule protection through a night crossing—so the operation could survive uncertainty. In contrast, the Hessian defenders at Trenton optimized locally for comfort and routine, storing their “buffers” in assumptions rather than readiness, which left them exposed to a critical-chain disruption. Framed for working-lands professionals and small business owners, the episode draws clear parallels to forestry, wood products, and project-driven work, showing how over-optimizing efficiency and running lean can create fragility, while constraint-based design preserves flow. The discussion closes by connecting this way of thinking to how CCPM and project flow are taught through Forest Business School programs, including the six-month Essentials course, and reinforces a simple takeaway: Washington succeeded not by gambling, but by designing a system that could absorb uncertainty.

In this episode, we explore how fintech platforms arerevolutionizing financial management in small businesses by replacing traditional, siloed brick-and-mortar banking with an integrated, software-driven ecosystem that acts as a virtual back office. Learn how forestry businesses can manage lump" income through automated tax buffering and leverage specialized "load-to-check" automation to streamline complex landowner stumpage settlements directly from the field. The discussion covers practical applications such as pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation that adjusts to seasonal logging schedules and self-service QR code payments for sawmill owners, all while ensuring funds remain securethrough FDIC-insured partner banks and expanded sweep networks. By moving to a "vertical stack" of specialized tools, foresters can achieve real-time financial visibility and job-costed expense tracking, transforming banking from a manual chore into a strategic tool for growth.

This episode is the full-length audio version of the book Wet Woods: Flux, Flex and Change in Our Forestry by Steve Bick. This audiobook is a year-end gift to our loyal listeners and is being put out in podcast form to make it easier to use this book in short courses on Climate Adaptation in Forest Operations. Listen close and you may well hear about someone you know.

This episode focuses on “Locking In”. The Forest BusinessSchool offers  an architecture for sustained advancement, built on five durable principles that form a clear blueprintfor Intentional Progress. The first tenet, Prioritization > Efficiency, requires focusing energy on the one critical task that truly moves the trajectory, actively refusing to optimize trivial work. Progress is secured by implementing Systems > Goals, consistent protocols that make successinevitable through repetition rather than relying on fragile willpower or mood. To build competence, one must first Replicate, Then Iterate to understand a proven pattern before innovating, while the principal Inspiration Is Perishabledemands immediate, decisive action before momentum evaporates. When instructions end, the approach demands the resourceful attitude of Figure It Out, meaning one must navigate ambiguity and keep moving rather than waitingfor perfect clarity or permission. These tenets reinforce each other, demanding engagement and movement to achieve sustained progress even when circumstances shift or the path ahead becomes complex. If locking in appeals to you, you should enroll in the upcoming (January 2026) 3-Month FBS Linchpin Course (more at www.vtfbs.com).

The episode explores George Mack’s powerful concept of High Agency, defining it as the characteristic of individuals who "do notaccept the constraints in front of them and instead find a way to get what they want", and who view the future as something to be shaped by human action.This capacity is built on a "tricycle" of distinct skills: clearthinking, bias to action, and disagreeability. The Forest Business School’s six-month Essentials program (and other offerings) cultivates this capability in mid-careerprofessionals by reorienting their habits and operational approach, resultingin a shift from compliance to authorship. The transformation is achieved by blending economic clarity, operational discipline, and environment design;participants adopt a culture of candor and truth-telling about the conditions of their work, recognizing that High Agency requires being "ruthlessly honest with themselves". They learnthroughput accounting to confront finacial truths and make decisive actions regarding profitability and waste;furthermore, they use Critical Chain Project Management to clarify project scope and reduce paralyzing multitasking, strengthening their bias toward action and execution. By employing constraint-driven thinking, participantslearn to see their work as a system, identifying bottlenecks to find leverage by focusing on the "right domino to push first", positioning themselves as the architects of their systems rather than just actors within them.

This episode breaks down what “digital twins” mean for forest operations. We look at how running the woods is getting harder—more fragmented forests, more moving parts—and how a digital copy of your operation can help test plans, spot problems early, and make better decisions. The ideas we discuss are drawn from recent publications by colleagues in Québec.

In this episode, we’re spotlighting the Forest Business School Linchpin Program, a unique opportunity for professionals in forestry, wood products, and related working lands fields. Launching its Fall 2025 Session on October 16th, this free program—made possible by last-minute funding—is tailored for key employees, with past participants ranging from logging crews and natural resource agencies to a baseball bat designer. Over ten weeks, participants engage in one-hour weekly remote sessions built on Socratic discussions rather than lectures, with about an hour of prep each week through articles, podcasts, or audio materials. The focus is on building leadership through a growth mindset, peer support, and practical application of proven business concepts, including Accountability, Continuous Improvement (with Theory of Constraints), Game Theory, and Project Management. Time is short - register at https://tinyurl.com/Linchpin-Fall25.

This episode applies ten principles from Kevin Kelly'sbook, Excellent Advice for Living, to small enterprises withinthe working lands sector, such as loggers, sawmills, and sugar bushes. The goal of this deep dive is to provide  apractical framework for strengthening profitability and resilience in these resource-based businesses by interpreting Kelly's general wisdom as concrete business strategies. Key areas of application include strategiesfor differentiation over competition (aiming to be the"only"), disciplined time management (prioritizinghigh-value activities over simply being busy), and building reputational capital through authenticity and generosity in rural markets. The reportsconclude with actionable recommendations, playbooks, and metrics designed to help owners implement these insights immediately.