Two Tree Guys - Audio Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Sarah LeBlanc from Global Insurance Billing, a full-service company designed for tree removal professionals. Learn how they simplify insurance collections and billing, provide state-specific contracts, and support tree contractors in navigating insurance claim jobs. With a membership-based portal and a focus on building client trust, Global Insurance Billing helps tree experts save time and maximize earnings. Discover essential tips for pricing, documentation, and working with adjusters to streamline your business and get paid faster. Don’t miss this inside look at transforming the way tree companies handle insurance claims!

In this episode, we talk with an arborist who transitioned from the oil field to the tree care industry, falling in love with the work on day one. With seven years of experience, he shares his journey from double-line to single-line climbing and his goal to explore contract climbing across the country to learn from different styles and perspectives—because "outside eyes are the best eyes.

Justin shares his journey from Boston to Hawaii, overcoming challenges in leadership, teamwork, and business ownership. He discusses the importance of building strong teams, putting the right people in the right roles, and leading by example to earn respect and trust. Justin emphasizes communication, coaching, and fostering a positive attitude to help teams grow, step up, and succeed—one small step at a time.

In this episode, we dive into the adventurous life of a man who’s lived a journey full of physical challenges and personal growth. From his Minnesota roots to Colorado, he excelled in sports like rock climbing, wrestling, and diving, even earning a scholarship for art. After a year of college wrestling, he joined the Marine Corps, which reshaped his perspective on leadership and life. He went on to pursue ice climbing, raft guiding, and tree work, eventually becoming a foreman. After training for Navy SEALs and an injury in BUD/S, he returned to tree work and now trains others at the Colorado Academy. Tune in to hear how his diverse experiences shaped his path and personal philosophy.

Join us with The Academy Instructors after their 2023 Summit Meeting where they share their experiences with teaching and working production.

Alex, Geoff, and Ryan join us from The Academy training facility in Loveland, CO to talk about their paths into the industry, near misses, gear and more.

Join lead instructors Andy and Kyel from the The Academy CO Bootcamp as they break down what it takes to run a successful three-day tree care training bootcamp. Covering everything from intense pre-camp prep—sourcing wood, gathering gear, and setting up training spaces—to hands-on training days focused on chainsaw safety, climbing operations, and working aloft, they give listeners a roadmap for hosting a safe, efficient, and engaging bootcamp. Hear tips on managing trainer-to-student ratios, engaging seasoned participants, keeping energy high, and fostering a team-oriented learning environment. Perfect for tree care professionals looking to elevate training in their own teams, this episode emphasizes the importance of investing in people, planning, and a passion for safety.

Rodlyf grew up surrounded by violence and drug addiction and spent time in and out of shelters in Brooklyn. As a child he was able to find positive adult influences that instilled in him a strong work ethic. For the past 15 years, he has worked for the Department of Agriculture, focusing on an eradication program targeting the Asian long-horned beetle. He spends much of his time climbing trees in Central Park and Prospect Park, searching for signs of beetles. Rodlyf is now dedicated to passing on his knowledge to others.

Phil Rogers discusses Clogger’s high-performance chaps and the cost of ownership for various types of PPE. Their next-generation chaps feature improved attachment systems, better breathability, flexibility, and enhanced washability. He highlights how downtime due to broken gear and the need to buy multiple replacements diminish any initial cost savings. Rogers emphasizes that the real value lies in durability and performance, especially as productivity drops when the heat index rises. Clogger, a company from New Zealand, aims to address these challenges with innovative PPE designs.

Meet the 67-year-old tree expert who's been climbing for almost 50 years. He started at 17 and had to be rescued out of the tree on his first climb! Hear about his journey from post-Vietnam tree work, pruning during dormancy, and battling Dutch Elm Disease—plus his faith and commitment to preserving trees whenever possible. livingtreecare.com

From the forests of Switzerland to studying mechanical engineering and earning a master’s degree in forestry, Greg’s career has been far from conventional. After working in various roles, he eventually launched his own tree care company. Faced with tough challenges in the field, Greg invented the groundbreaking GRCS winch in 1997, revolutionizing how tree work is done. The idea came to life during a tricky job removing a dead silver maple over a tile-roofed home, where crane access was impossible. His innovative solution? A rigging system that has since transformed the tree care industry. goodrigging.com

Cameron, a tree care specialist at Sennebogen, is back on the 2TG podcast to share his journey of physical recovery and the insights he's gained along the way.

Meredith and Andrew teach us about Oath Soil Life products and how their microbes create a strong support system for trees and promote healthy growth. These powder packets, which have been in development for 30 years, contain 150 strings of healthy soil microbes which increase the microbial diversity in the soil. www.oathsoillife.com

Cortland was born in CA and started climbing trees at the age of 17 through his family owned business. He joined the army after attending Sac State and was deployed a year later. While in Iraq Cortland was a part of a 9 man QRF team. After his deployment he was looking for that same sort of camaraderie and could only find it within the tree industry. He is now running his own tree company and learning as much as he can about training.

Megan grew up a tomboy and learned about forestry in her vocational high school. After graduating from college with two degrees she got a job training telecom tower climbers rope access techniques. Next she joined Husqvarna and did product training with them for 3 years before going onto Wright Tree Service as a safety supervisor. She now owns her own training company - www.upward-training.com where she works with owners to be safer and more productive.

Patrick and Peter join our guest host David O’Neill to share stories and insight into rope rescue and the arborist community.

Dave White, CEO of TCIA, shares with us tips and tricks for succeeding in the tree business. He covers everything from fractional employees to effective networking and explains why it is important to avoid becoming too busy working IN the business rather than working ON the business.

Dustin joins Phil to share his experience at at TCIA Expo and talk a bit about Treepalooza in FL.

Austin came from a ski racing background and realized there was an opportunity to bring action sports safety technology to the construction industry. The helmets that they have developed are ANSI type 2 rated and are made with Koroyd which are superior from an impact perspective and breathability. They even have a helmet with a NFC chip which can store your medical profile or any other pertinent information.

Brandon got his start in the Texas oil fields and transitioned over to trees after seeing what his mom was charged for some tree work. He started his YouTube learning and never looked back. His son, Hunter, started working in trees right out of high school. He had tired a bit of construction before and decided tree work was more his thing. His first job was doing line clearance!

Justin was born in Oxford, Ohio. He went to college for Homeland Security and Terrorism and participated in the National Guard for 6 years. Out of college he worked cyber security and IT but wasn’t feeling fulfilled and missed the outdoors. He had a neighbor with a White Pine that he needed taken down so Justin started learning about tree removals via YouTube. He continued working full time in cyber security while doing side tree work. He finally decided to get a truck and dump trailer and leave his full time job for the world of tree work.

Work Safety Territory Manager for Edelrid, Josiah Georgeson, joins us in the studio to share his story about leaving school for biomedical engineering and getting into tree work. He started as a groundsman and decided he’d “rather be the pitcher than the guy in the outfield” and got into climbing. He pushed through his fear of heights and continues to climb and pursue his passion for gear and training.

Todd and Jesse are hosting the second annual Rec The River event July 11-14 on the New River in Ivanhoe, VA. They are combining their passions for river rafting and tree climbing into 4 days of learning unique skills, conversing with peers, floating the river and relaxation. Check it out on Facebook - Rec the River Group or https://www.treepeoplegear.com/rec-the-river.

David gives us some history on how he developed Branch Manager Grapples while his granddaughter Grace shares about her nonprofit which facilitates emotional support clubs that write letters of love to pediatric patients worldwide.

Eric explains his 5 key considerations when considering insurance coverage. 1 - What equipment do you own? 2 - What vehicles do you use? 3 - People that work for you: employees and/or contractors. 4 - What happen if you injure someone else? 5 - What happen if you injure yourself?

Carol is an entrepreneur who has worked as the Director of Media and Events at TCIA, owns and operates an event planning business as well as the tree care focused business incubator Arbor BC. Arbor BC is a women’s owned company that helps put businesses on the right path to grow within the tree care industry.

After retiring from his military and firefighting careers Zach started exploring tree work. He quickly realized how much he had to learn and started searching for training resources. After a climbing injury he became determined to teach aerial rescue to other climbers and rescue personnel.

Mark Chisholm, Brian Noyes, and Robert Phillips stop by the studio while on their west coast pruning tour to chop it up with Jared.

Justin started climbing with his grandpa who worked in line clearance. Most of his family has worked in trees, including his grandma that drug brush! He started running crews at 22 years old and has now been with Monster Tree Service for 3 years.

Sara joins us at the grand opening of The Academy 2 in Loveland Colorado to tell us how she came to work for Pro Lift Crain and Rigging.

Michael grew up with a love for the outdoors and always wanted to do some sort of trade with his hands. He fell a few trees for his grandma and realized this was something he wanted to do. He got on with a good company that trained him well and is now leading his crew.

Roderick tells us about his experiences participating in the TCIA Train the Trainer Program and shares his thoughts on Apprenticeship and Workforce Development.

Phillip Ruiz returns to 2TG to talk with us about his new role as a Technical Trainer/Safety Supervisor with Wright Tree Service. He explains a bit about the safety culture that’s changing throughout the industry.

Pro MMA fighter Tanner Saraceno shares his story with guest hosts Chris Bruner and Patrick Morgan. Tanner was looking for a day job that allowed him to train MMA at nights and found tree work. He started picking up some side jobs then started his own company, Tanner’s Legendary Tree Service. He prefers running smaller crews and working along side his employees.

Jonathan tried everything he could but was not able to get sawdust out of his blood. He came from a family of tree workers and was always a Maker. He pursued art and tattooing but ultimately came back to the trees. He had run chainsaws at a young age, even cut his knee when at 11, and decided to be full time climber at the age of 20.

🌿 Part 2! 🌲 The celebration continues on the "Two Tree Guys" podcast as we delve deeper into Richard Kingsborough's inspiring story in our 100th episode series. 🎧 Join us as we explore his remarkable journey as a veteran in the tree care industry, a championship climber, and an innovative leader. Get ready to be inspired and amazed by Richard's experiences and wisdom. Stay tuned for the second part of this unforgettable series! 🌟🎙️ #TwoTreeGuys #RichardKingsborough #InspiringJourney #PodcastSeries

👊🏻❤️🌳 Exciting Announcement! The "Two Tree Guys" podcast has been thriving for the past few years, and we have now reached our 100th EPISODE milestone! 🎙️ Over two years ago, we recorded our very first podcast in the studio. We held onto it for a special occasion, and that day has finally arrived. This journey wouldn't have been possible without our dear friend, mentor, and role model - Richard Kingsborough. A veteran in our industry, a champion climber, and an innovator in tree care. Jared and Phil are honored to share Richard's incredible story with you all. Sit back, relax, and get ready for a tale that will be remembered forever! 🌳🎧 #TwoTreeGuys #100thEpisode #ExcitingJourney #RichardKingsborough

Michael tells us about his journey into the tree world and how he ended up on the Main Stage at the TCIA Expo his first year attending.

Mohair joins us from Clairvest Group Inc. to teach us about Private Equity and how you can prepare your business when interested in talking with a PE firm.

Hansel and Hannah join us from Arbortec to talk about their company and some of the new products coming out.

Young tree enthusiast Sophie Arnold joins Jared at Arbor fest to share her experiences as she explores the world of tree care and climbing. Sophie is already climbing and doing removals and aspires to become an ISA certified arborist and possibly a contract climber.

Plant Healthcare Mgr at Heartwood Tree Service, Julia Hennessy, shares with us some of her favorite tools and resources to help in your PHC endeavors.

Andy and Thomas have thoroughly tested equipment from the various companies producing electric saws and give their no BS take on what they’ve experienced.

Juan is from the “End of the World” in Patagonia. After getting his engineering degree in safety health and environment he moved to Iowa. While studying accounting he was introduced to Wright Tree Service and started started working with corporate in the Safety Department. 4 years ago he learned to climb and is now in trees alongside his students teaching them how to be safer climbers.

Sean Klongerbo of treesavages.com explains that by building a standard of transparency he has been able to retain customers and charge premium prices. He provides a framework for other companies to find their ideal customer and become more profitable. Some examples of his materials are the How to Sell More Tree work Handbook, template contracts, and an app for pricing tree work.

After flipping his truck at the age of 17 and sustaining serious injuries, Bobby became addicted to pain pills. This eventually lead him to a cheaper substitute: heroine. After a stint in prison he got clean and has been 10 years sober. In 2016 he got hired on with Trees Unlimited and has been with them ever since.

Jake teaches us about Milwaukee Tool’s recent investment into the Outdoor Power Equipment industry. He shows us some of the features of their electric Top Handle Chainsaw and the Pole Saw.

Chad and David share with us details on Arkansas Urban Forestry Council’s Natural State Tree Climbing Championship.

Today we learn about the ratings and uses for Teufelberger's HipSTAR Flex Lite.

Evan grew up in the midwest and was drawn to the west by his passion for snowboarding. Growing up with a dad as a firefighter and mom as a nurse he always wanted to do something to serve his community. After working as a firefighter he was eventually introduced to Dave and Michale who founded a tree company and started Evan in the arborist field. He has worked for various tree companies and now is a trainer with Wright Tree Service.