SHOW NOTES

KEY IDEAS: 

I get to interview a lot of very interesting entrepreneurs on this show, and that allows me to really explore the aspects of what other people are doing that I find the most interesting.  Every now and then I come across a business that sounds like every day would be a great time.  And occasionally when I come across one of those businesses it also dawns on me that I might not have the right passion or work ethic to be successful there.

Today’s guest definitely reminded me of this.  I love “old world” things, and Dehan Courtney makes his living in an “old world” way.  To hear him say it he “gets to play with his horses” everyday.  That sounded great, and then I really started asking questions.

Dehan’s horses are his friends, his passion and his tools.  They are the engine that allow him to run his horse logging business.  This seasonal business starts when it gets cold, which is a great compliment to the end of the farming season.  Dehan states that the ideal temperature for horse logging is 15 degrees with snow on the ground and leaves off of the trees.

There is a lot of hard work involved in this business including walking on uneven ground, stepping over deadfall, feeding horses daily, loading and unloading horses into a trailer daily, rigging and unrigging horses daily, wrapping lumber in chain and operating a chainsaw for long hours on a daily basis.  Dehan says that you get sore, and you go to work sore.  But he loves it.

This is also very dangerous work.  Dehan told me that logging is the #1 most dangerous work there is, and he is out in the forest doing it by himself everyday.

This business allows Dehan to live the life that he wants.  He is outdoors and with his horses.  His strong work ethic and his passion for horses is what drives him and allows him to be able to do this.  He also has a niche market that he can serve, and a great story that goes with his business that helps him to succeed.  However, the work is challenging and dangerous enough that if you are choosing this business just to make money, Dehan believes you will not succeed.

So, in today’s episode we get to answer a question that so many horse lovers have: how can I work exclusively with horses and make money?  Dehan’s answer to this question is horse logging.  It is effective, but you will really find out how much you love horses!

ADVICE FROM DEHAN:

SKILL: If you are going to do work that is this challenging and dangerous, you better be really honest with yourself about your skill level.

CHAINSAWS: If this is the career you are thinking about pursuing you need to know horses, but you are also going to need to know chainsaws just as well.

LOVE WORK: There are those of us who work because we have to, and there are those of us who work because we get to.  If you are going to make it in this business, you had better love to work.

SHADOW: Before you take the plunge on a business like this you should find someone to job shadow and spend a few days with them learning and seeing what is all about.  This is worth it to you, even if you have to travel and spend a few nights in a hotel.

BEST BUSINESS ADVICE DEHAN HAS EVER RECEIVED:

Be honest and work hard.  That advice is pretty timeless but might be out of fashion right these days.  However, it is paying off for Dehan and will ultimately hold true forever.

PERSONAL HABIT:

WORK ETHIC: Dehan credits growing up on a farm and being homeschooled in a time in which his parents were chastised for wanting to raise their family this way as giving him a strong work ethic as well as a belief in his own self-sufficiency.

RESOURCE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Dehan is not much of a reader, so that makes his recommendation here all the more impressive because he takes the time to read Rural Heritage Magazine Vol. 37/No. 6 (Dec 2012/Jan 2013) and all the other issues.  He recommends that you do as well.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Facebook: LINK

Email: LINK

ARTICLE ABOUT DEHAN: LINK

Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:

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