The Truth about Tree Removal!

Join Joe Matteson as he shares his inspiring journey from struggling in his career to becoming a thriving business owner. In this episode, Joe opens up about the challenges he faced, the lessons he learned, and the strategies he used to turn his life around from high anxiety. From overcoming self doubt and fear to building a successful business, Joe's story is a testament the power of hard work, determination, and trusting in GOD. If you're feeling stuck in your career or struggling to find your path, this episode is for you. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Hey, hey, hey. This is Matt Madison, along with our host Nathan Hempler, with the Comin'Tacks and Comin' Tracks podcast. Uh today we've got a special guest on the podcast today, Joe Madison with uh Madison's Arbor. Uh he also happens to be my brother. So thanks for coming in.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Yeah, I appreciate the opportunity to come on here with you guys and uh get to talk a little bit about what you guys do, what I get to do, and uh share it with the world, man.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Trees. Yes, sir. Trees. Well, good, man. Well, we're gonna go ahead and kick it off. Um, I I know your story, obviously, because I'm your brother. Um, but you've got a really cool story. So uh kind of like break down break down how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

So um born born in High Point, moved uh moved to Archdale when I was younger, started out childhood here, played sports here, uh loved the area. Moving into you know the adult life and everything like that. Um I never could quite decide what it was that I was gonna do when I grew up. You know, I thought about military, thought about all the different career options, going to school, things like that. And uh, you know, just kind of had a a roller coaster of a ride for um early employment. So trying different things out and you know, venturing through through life and figuring out what's best gonna support myself as well as my family. Um so through time, about seven years ago, uh going to church with a a friend of mine that uh he grew up into scouts, had a lot of uh a lot of knowledge and uh felling trees and things like that. And me uh being that I had always looked for different opportunities and ways to make money along with uh a few friends of mine. We have always kind of had an obsession with business. Um so that was kind of a a preliminary indicator that you know, hey, if I were to jump into trees, it would give me an opportunity to make some money low overhead. Um and you know, I could get out here and start, you know, cutting things down and being a kid again. So um that's is simply how it started. I started out with uh a small chainsaw and uh you know a couple little odd end jobs. Uh as I got a little bit bigger into it, um you know, it was more than just felling. I knew that it wasn't, you know, we're not out west. I can't just go out here and log trees. Uh, you know, there's there's other avenues and things that you've got to be able to uh adjust to here. We have a different type of tree growth, obviously, in neighborhoods and things like that. Um it's uh a little more complex than just felling them. Uh so I had a tax return and a desire to start start making some money with this. Um, and again, this is this is seven years ago. Um and this buddy that I was going to church with, he said, I know a guy that does this part-time, knows how to climb. He said, I'll talk to him, see if you know if he's interested in showing you anything. So went out and checked this guy out, and you know, I got to his house. He had a simple line set up in a tree, uh, had the harness out there and everything like that, and was like, here it is. Here's here's the basics. Try it on, see what you think. So um obviously put the saddle on, jumped into this tree, you know, learned bare bones of of what it was to actually ascend into a tree. Um, and that definitely spiked my interest. I I don't know many kids that don't enjoy climbing up into a pine tree, magnolia, something with a bunch of limbs that they can jump up into and kind of uh venture out through it. Through through time, I saw that um, you know, hey, this is a way that I can have fun. It became a hobby. It was something that you know I would do for friends, friends and family, things like that, make a little extra money. I had a full-time job, but it was something to you know be able to go do extra stuff with. And again, I enjoyed it. So fast forward to where we are now. About a year ago is when I actually pursued this full-time. I was a fiber splicer for a contract company. We contracted for Spectrum.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Um it was uh We're not a fan of spectrum here, but we can't, we can't, we'll probably get sued if we say that.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

So well, and I I had worked for some some other uh telecom companies as well, but uh I had got into fiber splicing, and every day that I'd be sitting, I'd I'd sit there and think, man, what can I be doing? You know, I could be yeah, I could be I could be studying something, I could be doing something, um, something that's gonna, you know, again, money was a little bit of the focus at the time just to be able be able to provide. Sure. Um I believe your brother's got a little bit of that. Yeah, yeah. It's a curse.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Yeah, it is a curse. What's wrong with you? Relax, man. You gotta work all the time.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

You know, by the time I was getting out of it, I was I was making roughly six figures. Um, so it it was, you know, providing the financial opportunities.

SPEAKER_03 5:10

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Um, and that brings us kind of to present day of where the transition into into the tree industry came. Um, it was something that I was familiar with, but I was uh dealing with some health issues at the time. I mean, I know everybody talks about anxiety and things like that, the mental health, uh, but it was something that I was really struggling with. I'm not a big uh guru on medication. It's not something that I've you know gone and gotten prescriptions from the doctor frequently. Uh I try to, you know, find avenues to take care of things on my own. But but the anxiety was, I mean, it was starting to creep in physically. I mean, I was having chest pains, camps, cramps in my calves, um, you know, a bunch of different issues. And I was um going to the doctor trying to figure out what was going on and finally broke down and started taking this medicine. The anxiety just it, I mean, it it definitely knocked the edge off of it. Um but it it was it was still there. Really? Yeah, it was still present. Um, so I started, you know, praying a lot more, having having conversations with friends. I I'd call Matt up and and talk with him, and it got to the point where you know I was on the phone with somebody eight hours a day. Every single day. Every single day. Absolutely. I hate this. This is killing me.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

And I'm like, well, figure it out. I think that's a good attestation too, that like there's a lot of things we could do to make a ton of money. Oh, yeah. But there's there's sacrifices that come with that. Money's not everything. Right. Don't get me wrong. We all like to be able to pay our bills and go to the beach and have a little bit extra. Right. Family and make yeah. That's uh and that's something that I've always kind of been about. Like, you know, my entire life. Obviously, what I do for a living, you don't do it for the money. Yeah, you do it because you have a passion for something. And I'm not gonna cut your story off.

SPEAKER_03 7:10

So basically what we're saying is it's Matt's fault. Matt's right.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

This is all your brother's the scapegoat.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Put it on me. But you know, through some of these conversations that I was starting to have with with friends and family, is you know, I've got this decision of, hey, suck it up, be a man, um, or you know, suck it up, be a man. I mean, there's two avenues that I can choose here, is is uh, you know, I have no choice but to work. My wife's been a stay-at-home mom for for the past eight years. Okay, that's awesome. Um, now has transitioned into working, but um I had a really hard conversation one day with a buddy, and I called him up and I said, Man, uh you know, like I told him, you know, I've been praying about it, been, you know, worried sick about this. You know, I've I've got a big income to replace at this point. Um and being the the sole provider at the time, it was something that I was I was really concerned with. So I um got on the phone with this guy one day. His name's Jake. I I coached baseball with him. Um super great dude. And you know, shout out to Jake. Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. So um this uh this conversation kind of went along those lines of uh, you know, man, I'm I'm so afraid to let go of what I have right now. You know, this this income, you know, I've I've bought a truck at this point. Um, you know, we're involved in travel ball, we're doing all these things, you know, trying to be as involved with our kids and and provide all these opportunities to go do things. I said, I'm afraid I'm gonna lose it all. You know, if I give up this job, man, I'm gonna take a big hit. There's no certainty in what I'm gonna go do. He said, Joe, whether you like to admit it or not, he said, you know, that family's yours, but it's God's family first.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

Oh, okay. Um, and that's a good perspective. Oh, yeah, really good perspective.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

And and so over over the next couple weeks, conversations with my wife and shout out to Jess as well. She's uh super, super patient. Smart man. That she's a lot smarter than I am, but she's uh she's been uh a huge blessing from God, man, as far as um you know having my back and supporting me through this. But um through all these hard conversations and tough, you know, tough things that I was dealing with, I came to the realization that no matter what I do, what any of us do in this life, um, that if there's no glory for God in it, there's no purpose in it. Absolutely. Totally agree with you here. Um so this you know, one, it it freed up some mental capacity there, you know, being able to let go of that. And uh two weeks later, put my or excuse me, that day I went in, put my two weeks notice in, um, and two weeks later I was jobless, per se. Um I had I had uh started kind of putting some feelers out for for some tree work again. You know, like I said, it's something that I'd dabbled with a lot part-time.

SPEAKER_03 10:15

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Um and you know, work just flying out of out of nowhere. It started going, you know, and and that's the thing, you know, through through prayer and and um, you know, just staying humble with it, you know, God opened opened a lot of doors. Open doors. Um so that that it leads us to, like I said, about a year ago, um, you know, no surefire plan, no guarantee of work, um, not anything that was set in stone. You know, I had I had the tree gear that I had acquired over the past seven years, but um, you know, that that was about it. I had the truck and and the tree gear, and that was that was what I was going with. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Ask him how many times he's gone hungry.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

Yeah, that was good.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

He's exactly right, man. And um that's awesome. It's you know, there don't get me wrong, there's there's some weeks I feel like El Chapo, and then other weeks I'm you know, I'm ready to go on the side of uh the corner of 85 and and 109 here and with some cardboard. Yeah, yeah. So but it's it's been you know a great testament, not only for entrepreneurship, but for my faith, man, is is uh been able to grow in the past year.

SPEAKER_03 11:31

Definitely best story we've had. Yeah, that's awesome. Well, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

It feels it feels minuscule, and you know, I always think who am I? Um, you know, to be able to share my story with other people, but um at the same time, I've got to realize that the fact that I have a story is something to be thankful for and it's worth sharing at that point. Oh, absolutely. For it for it to fall on somebody else's ears, it may make a difference.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

It's it's been it's been cool to watch it. It it you know it's obviously I'm more tied to it than the average person, but it's still I'm an outsider. Like I'm not you. Yeah, I'm an outsider looking in. So it's been it's been cool to to watch where you were. You know, a lot of people have something that they're passionate about and want to do and never uh never jump off, you know, you gotta jump off a cliff for your parachute to open. Yeah I think I heard Steve Harvey make a uh a reference to that, talking about, you know, one thing's for sure, like if you jump off the cliff, you're gonna get scratched up, you're gonna get beat up. You're gonna get beat up. But your parachute's eventually gonna open. That's right. But your parachute will never open if, you know, it'll never open if you don't jump off the cliff. Yeah. So I think that's cool, you know, that might be, you know, motivation for people that listen to this, you know, kind of hear that story. Uh money's not everything, but you have a, you know, you got a passion for something you want to do, send it. Absolutely. Send it.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

And and just a you know, quick brush on this is you know, the friends that that I talked to, um, like I said, this initially started out, you know, seven years ago. I've got a group of friends that are really big into business. I've got a buddy of mine um that uh I want to say was 18, 19 years old. Uh, he he jumped off the off the cliff that Matt's talking about, and he has been successful ever since. Uh he's got a um a heck of a business going for him now. We work hand in hand. Oh, that's awesome. So uh you know, he it's a roll, it he does roll-off dumpsters. And uh really, yeah, okay. So he'll he'll come out and uh you know lay these dumpsters out for me. And it, you know, regardless of the fact of how big I get, I think it's you know, really helpful because you know, I'll be able to I'm able to stay on site, stay on task, and keep working and the hauling and everything like that's getting done for me. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 13:55

Yeah, and your system there in place.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

Absolutely, and and I mean he's been he's been another big one that um you know he he was there for me a lot having these hard conversations with me and uh you know, him, my wife, and like I said, my relationship with Christ, man, is is kind of what ultimately led to this big jump. Like, you know, I could have gone somewhere else to work, but decided that entrepreneurship would be, you know, kind of the best avenue to take. Yeah, best fit for your family and all that. Absolutely. It's fantastic. It's uh yeah, it's it's the one thing that I've found. Uh like I said, the anxiety medicine it knocked the edge off, but uh, I mean, God's the cure for that, man. I was able to another thing, uh, another testimony there is that I was able to cold turkey that. Oh man, that's awesome. Um, you know, taking that leap of faith and like I said, man, just putting it in God's hands. I'm the it whether whether I'm hanging from a tree and fall out of it tomorrow or leave here and get in a car accident.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Got it in his hands, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

My my battle's won, man.

SPEAKER_03 14:59

Yeah, that's awesome. So that's that's kill to hear. That's kill to hear. We gotta ask, uh, how crazy do you have to be to climb these trees that you go into?

SPEAKER_01 15:08

So so I think that um, you know, if I I'll say this if I were to come into your office tomorrow and try to do property management or sales or anything like that, I would probably be pretty intimidated.

SPEAKER_03 15:21

Um still easier, by the way, guys, than climbing these trees. We're gonna put some on the on the screen here as we go through and y'all y'all see how high he is. That is not what I want to do.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

But um, you know, anything can be intimidating, and of course, um there is still fear present. I don't want anybody to uh you know think that you know I'm up here and just you know free of everything. I mean, there's um a level of fear that comes with it, regardless, regardless of how long you've been doing it. And I think uh when you get too comfortable, there the complacency and things like that. I mean, like I said, you're at times hanging by a rope that's it's you know 12 and a half millimeters thick. It's it's it's I mean, it's you're cutting with sharp objects, whether you have a handsaw or a chainsaw. Um, so you've got to be really attentive to what's going on, you know, constantly checking your gear, making sure carabiners are closed, checking the you know, the status of your rope, um, you know, paying attention to I mean, these things are holding your life to that tree. Absolutely. Um so there, I guess there is a level of insanity.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

I mean, I know there's people out there that there is a level of insanity.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

So let me say this. First of all, I want hold it up. I want to know if you if he's got you up in these trees before.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

I've been in other forms of heights. Okay. I'm normally like the the like rope rigging and system rigging guy. I I'm the one that sets all that stuff up when I work with him. But my man here, when he started this, brother was terrified of heights.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

Oh my gosh, bro. Absolutely. Like, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

I can hear I can hear his teeth chattering when he was climbing these ropes. So the fact that the fact that not only did he quit his job, but went into something where he had to like face a fear to do it. No, no. But he's good at what he does. He's fantastic is what he's done. And I'm proud of him, but like my man was scared of heights. Would not just hated it.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

How long did it take you to get out, you know, get away from the so I mean the the very first removal that I did, so obviously I didn't just buy gear and go jump into a tree with a chainsaw, but um my in-laws have a parent uh tree behind their house, and it is uh a huge willow oak. I mean, one of the is I'd say it's one of the bigger trees that we have here in the state, uh, aside from like a you know a big pine that's you know 100 foot tall, 120 feet tall. I'd say the very tip of the canopy, probably 90 to 100 feet. Um obviously getting to the very tip of that's pretty difficult, but I would say the bottom 70% is what I've climbed in that tree. Uh so I started out there and it would be you know incremental. So I started out with you know the bare basics. I was climbing a Blake's hitch, and all that is is a rope that you tie around another rope. Um I've moved into mechanical devices now, which just make it more they do the same purpose, but uh it's a lot easier. Is it um but the you know getting accustomed to to that height again? Whenever I'm just climbing, um you know, we'll say leisure climbing. Um it's nobody nobody does lead. I don't I don't know anybody that just leisure leisurely. But you you know the the pressure's not on at that point. So uh I I don't have a saw my ends. So I see what you're saying. It's it started there. Um and and there's still to this day that there's times that I'll get into something really big and there's an uneasiness about it. So um but the very first removal that I did, so the first time that I'm actually getting up here to start cutting and and removing some some chunks, I got out on a limb and it's you know 20, 25 feet tall. So uh uh not the entire tree, but this first limb. And I it's called limb walking. So you're not l not to get too detailed, but there's two different styles of climbing. You have spiking a tree.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

I've seen that. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Okay, so and you'll do that on a removal, and then you have uh another way. So if I'm just pruning a tree, it will be done with um foot ascenders, a foot ascender and a knee ascender. Okay. So at that point, I'm using the actual structure of the tree to climb. So I'm using branches to climb up um and that foot ascender, or I can directly ascend up the rope. So uh, you know, if I've got a limb, the first limb's 40 feet above me and I've got nothing underneath it, I'm able to use a foot ascender to travel up the rope to that point. Um so this this particular tree, I was yeah, I was using spikes, it was a full removal, so we were able to spike into the tree, but I've also got a lifeline in the tree. So it's important that you always have two tie-ins. So you've got one that you can kind of you know move and progress throughout the tree, and then a safety that you'll tie off. So anytime that you're cutting or something like that, you want to have multiple tie-ins. That way, if there is any slip up, mishap with the saw, something like that, that happens, um, you've got a secondary tie-in point. So if something fails or something like that, you've got uh an additional safety there.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

That's good. Um I'm sure your wife uh enjoys that you've got safety in mind there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

So um wait a minute, how how many life insurance policies does she have on your uh there uh one through her work, and then I've got I've got I was just joking, I've got one of my own.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

So um He's got the beneficiary area as me on that one.

SPEAKER_03 21:00

There you go. Can should we be getting uh a HIPAA Reality Life Insurance policy on Joe? That's what we're gonna do.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

So um the first limb walk, like I said, I'm 20, 25 feet up, and uh this has been several years ago, but the guy that was helping me from church, um, like I said, the guy that was in scouts and everything. Um I'm walking out on this limb and I get about halfway out and I freeze. I mean, there's uh no movement. There's nothing that I can just grip the bark of the tree and um yeah, what do I do? What uh I mean, what am I gonna do here? Um so I'd say probably about 10 or 15 minutes on that limb of talking about it and you know, what can I do here? You know, how can I handle this? What's the you know the next step I need to take? Um I start making cuts on it. We're able to get that limb down, and then I'm forced, you know, I have a customer that's paying me to be. To be out here on the property to remove this tree and a little bit of my pride involved. I I can't, you know, go tuck my tail and walk back to the house and say I can't do it. Um so I have no no choice but to continue up this tree. So I'm I'm I'm scared on the first one here. What am I gonna do when I get to the next one? Uh so it's been um a great opportunity to push through those those times of severe fear. I mean, where you're freezing up. So um you know, it yeah, I guess it has come incrementally over time where uh there's little barriers that I've had to push through. Uh there's you know, like I said, there's trees that that I'll get into nowadays that I would have never dreamed of climbing. Really? Never would have thought about doing it. And um and there's still things that are uh intimidating. I mean, I I'm I won't lie about that. There's things that I'll get into and I like I said, just take take my time uh and you know, really try to think through what I need to do, what I need to do.

SPEAKER_03 23:04

What's the next step and keep your safety?

SPEAKER_01 23:05

So and and the best way to eat an elephant is a bite at a time.

SPEAKER_03 23:09

Wow, that's a good analogy for everybody out there. I mean, that's that's a good perspective for sure.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Whenever I come out to look at a tree, I mean there's a few things that I'm looking at. Obviously, the structure of the tree. Um you know, if if it's a dead tree, obviously it's a little bit higher risk. Um mishaps that do happen, it's it's not an if, but when little things do happen. Mistakes that we're human mistakes are gonna happen. Um but uh they are at a higher frequency with dead trees. Uh there so when failing a tree or making cuts, you rely on hinge wood, different cuts. Um your approach to these cuts are made differently depending on where you're at in the tree, what's below you, uh the different surroundings and everything like that. Um with a dead tree, that hinge wood is compromised. So your ability to steer and to control things um is is more limited.

SPEAKER_03 24:05

So um But you don't really want to, I mean, obviously you never want to climb a dead tree.

SPEAKER_01 24:10

Right, right. So and the only, I guess, um caveats to that is if I have, we'll say there's two trees right side by side, um we'll just use a white oak. So I got a beautiful white oak right here, and then right beside it, we'll say 10, 15 feet away, I've got a a dead tree.

SPEAKER_03 24:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

Uh depending on the height of that oak and things like that, if I've got a safe tie-in into that tree, I'll tie into that tree and I have no issue going up a dead tree at that point. Really? And um, so that secondary holds me to that tree, but the primary or lifeline there, so if anything were to fail in this tree, you've got I've got a way to swing back. So I'll survive. I've never heard that.

SPEAKER_03 24:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

Yep. So I'll survive a swing over a fall.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

Yeah, it looks like Tarzan. I've seen it.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

So um interesting. But so that's kind of the explanation with the dead trees. Also, location has a lot. You take the you can take the exact same tree, uh, you put it out in the middle of a field where we can just, hey, drop it, cut it up, haul it off. And there's other options too. I mean, some folks like you to come out there, hey, I'll take care of the limbs and brush. You just put it on the ground for me.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

Um, so you've got a few different, I guess, scenarios that they're looking for there. Um, so that plays a factor into the cost as well. But if you take that same tree in a field versus beside a house, you know, whether you're having to use a lift, a bucket, climate, whatever it may be, um, you know, one one small mistake, and I mean something that is, you know, 10 to 15 pounds, if you drop it for, you know, 20 to 30 feet, yeah, it could, it could become uh a little more dangerous.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

So um anytime that we're working over a structure, um, you know, even to the things that you may not think about every day, you know, septic fields, uh or like your leech fields, septic tanks, uh, things like that. Um, you know, vehicles can be moved, houses can't, septic fields can't, um fences, a lot of these things play play factors into not only the risks that's involved, but the work that is involved to protect those. Um so like I said, in in the field it doesn't matter, you know, if you if you cut it and it it goes backwards, you know, then it's it's in a field. Yeah. Um but you again, like I said, with these other contributing factors, uh it it has a difference on on time, on um, you know, the resources that you need, the real removal. So and that's uh so I volunteered at the fire department when I was when I was younger, and the you know, three things that they would look at is life safety is number one, uh incident stabilization and property conservation. Um those are three things that I try to apply to this as well. Oh, that's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 27:03

Yeah, um picked it up from the fire department.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Yeah, so uh the first thing that I'm focused on is not only my safety, my my customer, anybody that's out there, I you know, it's it's an interesting process. So people are you know intrigued by it. Yeah. Um so you you do have bystanders, you have people that'll walk up and look, and you know, I'm here to work, but I'm here to protect everyone that's there. Absolutely. My the great guys on the ground, myself, the people around it. Um, and then second second to that is property. So we're wanting to protect, you know, stabilize the incident. Um so I don't, you know, I'm I'm not trying to hit houses. Not only is it a a financial burden at that point, but a extreme inconvenience to the customer. It's not a good business practice, it's not something that you want to, you know, like I said, it's thing things do happen. Um that's what insurance is for. But um ultimately that's you know one thing that you're trying to avoid.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Oh, I'm sure. Yeah, trying to avoid, you know, anything being hit really, it's not just houses or roofs or gutters, you know. I'm sure that would tear up a lot too.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

But absolutely. So um those are you know some contributing factors and then also the time that it takes within, you know, when so it's not just the fact that, hey, this is over your house, but now we're having to tie every limb that we that we climb out on, we're having to put a rigging rope on. Uh we're having to block this down, whether it be a zip line setup, kind of like Matt was talking about earlier, or um, you know, just blocking it out of the tree, you know, setting a pulley in the tree, tying this off, and then having a braking device at the base of the tree. Um the amount of time that it takes to to accomplish those tasks versus if I were to climb a tree and just, you know, hey, it's too close to a house to be able to drop, but it's not close enough to where if I, you know, a poplar, they grow straight up, you know, branches kind of grow up and out. On your way up, you're just kind of lopping things off and they drop to the ground. Yeah. But if you were to try and fill that tree, you know, you've got structures in different areas that you'd be concerned with. So those are my favorite to climb. Uh it the rigging is is fun, it's uh it's an interesting process, but um, that's probably one of my favorite things to do is just work my way up the tree, chopping as I go, um, and then block it down as I come down without having to rig these points and stuff like them all.

SPEAKER_03 29:26

So most of y'all are trying to watch your favorite show on Netflix. This guy's out like trying to figure out how to climb the next tree that's 100 foot tall. It's it's a little different. He's a little different.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

We'll be riding around and you know, trying to go somewhere. I don't know. You see that tree over there? See that tree? I'm like, yeah, I see it, Joe. What about it? And he's like, man, it's a big old tree. Which I get it. You know, everybody has their thing. That's the thing. Everybody has their thing. I like trains, you know.

SPEAKER_03 29:54

He likes being really high now. Yeah. So now do you feel like you, I mean, do you honestly feel like you're comfortable 75 feet in the air?

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Yes. Oh, yeah. So it's um That's crazy to me. Like I said, there's the there is the the I guess that little voice in the back of your head that's you know screaming at you. Yeah. Uh it's a it's an unnatural feeling, but there's a once you're able to kind of pass through those mental blockers, being able to, I mean, I've had some of the most amazing views from the top from the top of the trees.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

Think about that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

Uh, you know, I had I had one early this year. It's uh I want to say January or February. I was climbing out by a lake. So it's really cold, but um, you know, just watching the waterfowl on the lake and you know, being able to see the sun and things moving throughout the sky as I'm working on this tree and the view that I've got, um, you know, and it'll be the last time that somebody's got that view on a removal. Uh because you're cutting you're taking it down. Yep. So that's awesome. So it it's um like I said, there the fear I don't I don't I hope it never leaves. I know it sounds crazy.

SPEAKER_03 30:58

Oh, that'll probably make you know, keep you safe, probably. Keep you safe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

So um, but it's it's definitely try not to let pride be a big ruler of my life, but there's a a sense of pride that comes with it, you know, the fact that not many are are willing or wanting right to to get up there and and to to do these things.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

But not only to do the work, but one thing that I can that I'll say about you, and again, like I know him personally, he's my brother. Sure. Um but he has this motto that I've always kind of thought was cool, but like leave it better than you found it. So you know, yeah, he's he's out here doing this to make money, but he truly cares about uh almost to the point it's annoying. I'm like, brother, this property looks a hundred times better. Like, let's go home. You know, we are not gonna take this screwdriver and go dig dirt out of this the the expansion cracks in this driveway. Like you you didn't cause that. So like he truly it's to a fault. It's his it's his character, but it it's uh, you know, I can personally attest to this. Like when he leaves a job site, he truly cares about what the customer thinks, you know. Um he takes pride in what he does. So you got that going for you at least.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

Now what brand do you see these some of these tree guys? I and I'm thinking of my dad. He's cut trees, you know, all my life. Um, because I used to help him. I was the limb guy, by the way. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

Um, what company, what what what's your what's your brand that you go to on uh so um there are there are several brands out there that I that I use, um, but I would say like my biggest vendor, and there's somebody here locally, is uh Cheryl Tree.

SPEAKER_03 32:41

What about saws?

SPEAKER_01 32:42

So saws, I'm a big steel guy right now. Steel guy, okay.

SPEAKER_03 32:45

That's what my dad had. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:46

Uh I run echo climbing saws, though. So you really uh they have a 2511. Uh it's a CS 2511, fantastic saw. Um, it is it is a smaller saw, but it's super lightweight. Um, you know, once you uh I run a 14-inch bar on it, and there are some things that is kind of, I mean, there's there's all kinds of build kits for these things. You can soup them up, do all kinds of crazy stuff.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

But so we're not talking about like a Lowe's chainsaw here. We're talking, we're talking high dollar.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

So there's a big difference there too. Um, as far as you know, he was talking about the 500i earlier. That is a fuel injected saw. Fuel injected saw yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:27

It's a it's a big daddy.

SPEAKER_03 33:29

Um I didn't even know they even had fuel injected saws.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

It's it it is incredible.

SPEAKER_02 33:33

You can cut this building down with that saw. Tell you what.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

It is great. Um, and you know, there's I want to say there's two production saws above that. There's a 661 and then an 881 Magnum uh that still makes. And that that 881, you might want to fact check me on this, but I'm almost certain the uh power head alone on it, so just no bar, anything like that. Nothing on it. Power head only. Uh I want to say it's 26 pounds.

SPEAKER_02 34:02

How much does that saw run?

SPEAKER_01 34:03

Uh that saw I think is retailing for about $2,600 right now.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

Would you say it was?

SPEAKER_01 34:09

The steel steel 881 Magnum. For the 500, uh, I use it super frequently. I use it a lot on the ground, bucking trees up, things like that. Um, you know, even sometimes it's overkill for what I'm using it for. I'd like to see three to five years out of it. Okay. Um, that one is about uh $2,000. I mean, it's it's got a little bit more. So the 661 and the 881, um, I believe they're both carbureted. I want to say the 661's got some um electronic equipment in there to kind of adjust throttle response and things on the fly.

SPEAKER_02 34:47

Technology is the 881 is. It actually says here, according to artificial intelligence.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

Uh is the most powerful production chainsaw in the world. Um, it's got an 8.6 horsepower engine, um, can run bars up to 41 inches and typically costs between 22 and 2700, depending on the bar and the retailer. So ace Hardware's got one on sale right now for uh 2689.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

So so I will say big old song, buddy. So so still they're gonna put those recommendations on there. Um it's it's my goal to have one of those. Is it really? Uh you know, I if for the once or twice a year that I may use it.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 35:32

Um, but that that'll be one that's a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

Well, speaking speaking of your goal there to to one day have that, what tell everybody how they can get a hold of you, what your company is and where it's based out of, and we'll get that out of the way and we'll probably move that around in the video too. But how can they get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_01 35:48

All right, so um Madison's Arbor is the uh the company name. Um we're big on Facebook, Instagram. We do have a TikTok. It's not something we post super frequently to. Um, you can find us on both of those there. Um working on our Google page right now. Okay. It is a headache.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

It is a headache to get that approved through Google. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

The the video verification and everything like that, or uh contact me by sell. Um, and that's 336-259-9685. Uh, even if you're out in the city.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

How did you look at me like that? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

I don't know if I you can edit that out if you want to.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

I know your phone number. Um you're just looking at me like I was supposed to be nodding at you or something.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

No, no. Um but one other thing, like I was telling you earlier, is Facebook is where I see a lot of actual business generate from, um, where people message or you know, contact me. Um, I don't know that Instagram has promoted those leads, uh, but Instagram has given me another foothold in a different realm. And um, like I said, the tree industry does carry a slightly bad rap here. Um and I hope that you know, a a kind face and uh a gentle heart to say is a promoter to kind of restore the faith in the industry. In the industry. Um to be uh that I'm like I said, I want to be as educated as I can on this on this stuff, but also provide that education to others. And Instagram um has kind of given me an opportunity to you know reach more people. Right. That one video that that we had talked about earlier, you know, it's it's me holding a stick and talking about how we're measuring this tree with a stick. Um and a million and a half people viewed it. That's crazy. That's awesome you know, uh again, not not tooting a horn or anything like that, but just to see how far something, you know, Matt filmed me in a in a backyard and was like, are you serious right now? Um, you know, for for that video to go, you know, from are you kidding me, this is a joke, to where it was.

SPEAKER_03 38:06

Matt, did you get any royalties off that million and a half uh views off that? I've sent him an invoice.

SPEAKER_02 38:14

So that was pretty wild how that works. Like talking about advertising, you know, that's one of the hardest things in this game to hit the nail on the head with what's gonna get traction and what's not. Yeah. You can spend hours. Yeah, he could spend hours on advertising and not get those views, and you go out there and go out there and take a negum video of him on my cell phone standing in his side yard talking to you know Uncle Rick across the street, and he's standing there with a stick talking about where the tree's gonna fall. And, you know, he's like, man, I got over at the time he's like, man, I got over 500,000 views on this. And I'm like, what? I spent four hours on a listing video that gets like, I don't know, 500 likes. And my man's out there diddling the stick around in the yard and gets a gets one, what, 1.4, 1.5?

SPEAKER_01 39:09

Now, yeah. Well, all it is is uh there's so there's books that I've read through through time to kind of learn some things, but this was a trick that's in that book is really shake a stick at it?

SPEAKER_02 39:20

No, no, no. So are you talking about how the tree's gonna fall? We're talking about no no views.

SPEAKER_01 39:24

No, well, no, I it attributes the view to the views, but I'm talking about how this, you know, the book was explained that to me.

SPEAKER_03 39:31

How how it works is how to figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

And and all it is is you're creating a right triangle. It is the path Pythagorean theorem, is all it is. And it's a squared. Can you spell that for me? Sorry, uh no, I can't. It's it's a squared plus b squared equals c squared.

SPEAKER_03 39:51

I always say when I when I goof up on these, I always say I went to Trinidad. Y'all didn't go to Trinity though, did you?

SPEAKER_01 39:55

No, sir. No.

SPEAKER_03 39:56

Okay. I always say I went to Trinity, so I that's probably messed up.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

But it you know, to see, but it was something that you know it's anybody can do it. Yeah. You know, um anybody can walk out there, grab a grab a stick, and and measure a tree. Uh but the the concept of it being so simple, you know, a resource so you don't have to go to the store to buy it. You can I mean these trees are dropping limbs all the time.

SPEAKER_03 40:23

Right.

SPEAKER_01 40:24

So you can walk out there, you find something reasonably straight, it matches the length of your arm, and then you create this right triangle. Um, and it yeah, it's pretty it is pretty accurate. I'll say that video, um if you look at the comments, I'm not very close, but it's I should have videoed it all in one video, but I had a result video come afterwards. Um but if you look at the tip of the canopy, I'd say we're probably within a foot or two of it. Really? Yes. Um so it's it was very close.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

Yep. I was there for it. Obviously, I made the video.

SPEAKER_01 40:57

It's uh no, like I said, that the the Instagram has uh provided that not that I'm trying to be an influencer, but another foothold, like I said, to kind of restore the the image to the industry.

SPEAKER_03 41:09

It's the new age of advertising. Yes. Yeah, and and you're doing right by you know trying to get um the image, you know, corrected by you know, the more you put out, you know, faith in God, uh doing the people right, the more you put out for that industry, the more that it's exactly gonna do what you're trying to do. You know, it's it's gonna make a better image um for your career. That's awesome. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

Word of mouth. I got one more question. It's probably gonna be the most interesting question of the day. Maybe not.

unknown 41:38

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

Um what is the absolute sketchiest thing you've done? Not in life.

SPEAKER_01 41:47

In the industry in the in the tree industry. Um I mean there's a couple out there that as far as looking back on it now, it's it wouldn't be as sketchy, but the first time you send a top out of a tree um is is pretty sketchy.

SPEAKER_03 42:05

Uh because it's this big mass of of tree that's not just a limb or whatever, and it's all falling. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 42:13

So so you've got and believe it or not, um the tree feels a lot more stable with a top in it. So whenever you're climbing a so well, you can think of it as resistance. So you've got a big sail, and so all the leaves, the foliage, all this stuff is in the top of that tree. Um you know, it takes a lot more inertia to move that.

SPEAKER_03 42:37

To move it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

So it's it's definitely it's physically the hardest thing that I've ever done. Really? Um, as far, you know, aside from like picking up big heavy logs and stuff like that, the climbing is probably the most strenuous that that I've ever done.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

It's a total body workout. I bet. Should sell that, market it and sell it.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

Put it on a t-shirt.

SPEAKER_02 42:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:01

Well, um, I've enjoyed learning actually. I didn't, you know, I didn't not to say that I didn't think about it, I would learn anything, but you've really got your uh you know, stuff together as far as your education on this. And I'm sure everybody can can tell that you're actually educated on this. You're you're not just I appreciate you're not just out there cutting, you know, like you know your stuff.

SPEAKER_01 43:22

Well, I'm I and I will never claim that I know everything, so there's always more to learn.

SPEAKER_03 43:26

But well, that's yeah, that's that's your you know, that's definitely the way to be. But at the same time, you don't sell yourself short. You you've got a good education on this for sure. And we appreciate you coming in. Tell them again uh how to get a hold of you, and we'll we'll run like I said, we'll run this a few times on the on the video and uh podcast as well. How can they get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Gotcha. So we've got uh face we can find us uh Madison's Arbor on Facebook, Instagram, like again, like I said, uh Light Presence on TikTok, and then we're working on our Google page now.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

Google page. So so once that Google page is gets gone, we want everybody to go on there and give you a five-star. Absolutely. If you boost it up.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

If you've had an experience with me and you enjoyed it, I'm more than welcome. Even if you didn't, I want honest opinions of of what you what you thought about us on your property and how you perceived us.

SPEAKER_03 44:13

Let us know when that gets you know gets uh together and and apart, and we'll definitely give you uh get you some uh output on that, get you some advertising on that. Uh we appreciate you. You guys know how to uh find him now, so we will end this one and we really appreciate you coming in, Joe. Matt, thank you for uh helping out today.

SPEAKER_02 44:31

Absolutely. Thank you, Joe. Joe, thank you, sir. Thank you guys for the having