All Posts

I went back and forth on whether to post this or not. It's vulnerable and personal. It's also true. And if I think it might be able to help another family, I think it's worth it. So here goes.... Note: When I'm referring to the "conference", I'm referring to the Ranch Leadership & Dynamics: The People Part of Family Ranching Conference I'm hosting on Nov. 7 & 8, 2025 in Miles City, MT -- and no, that's not too far away....no matter where you live. Dear Ranchers, When my husb

Often, running a ranch feels like everyone is doing “a little bit of everything.” We aren't like big businesses - usually only one or a few people are wearing all the hats. And while that flexibility is valuable, it can also lead to confusion, miscommunication, and resentment, especially in family operations. That’s where an organizational chart comes in. An org chart isn’t just for corporations. It’s a simple, visual tool that shows who is responsible for what and the hierar

I know you've all been on the edge of your seat wondering what our resident cow diva cow is up to. She’s still out here living her best life. She is the bossiest cow I've ever seen! She spends a great deal of time giving every human the side-eye stare down when we're around. We just let her act like the Queen of the Ranch that she is. I know, call us enablers. Oh and… I wrote a children’s book about her! Lord knows she has enough personality to fill a whole series. Working on

I want to take a second to share the reason behind what I do....the "why" of this business. I'm always sharing the "what", but I don't always share the "why", and I think it's important for you all to understand the deeper purpose behind this work and these events you keep seeing from my page. I run this business because I believe in building something that makes a difference: for my family, for other families, and for myself. I want my kids to grow up watching their mom drea

There are lots of ranching families out there who have conflict, who don’t communicate, who don’t have a plan, and who are not in a healthy place with their family or their ranch. Yet, most of the families who need this conference the most won’t be the ones who sign up. These families are stuck in long-standing patterns of silence, pride, and fear, and it becomes either: A. Their comfort zone, meaning that change feels scarier than staying stuck; or B. Their unaware addiction

Let’s be honest, every ranch family has its moments. The stress, the long hours, the weather, the markets, the decisions that ripple through generations. Sometimes the work gets so heavy that communication takes a backseat. Struggling to communicate doesn’t mean your family is broken. It means you’re human. It means you care enough to keep showing up for the people and the place that matter most. We’ve heard families say, “We’d love to come, but we don’t want people to know o

Running a ranch with family isn’t hard because of the cattle. It’s hard because of the people. Unspoken expectations. Tension between siblings, couples, and/or generations. Does this sound familiar to you? The Ranch Leadership & Dynamics Conference is here to help you tackle the people part of ranching, particularly family ranching. Join us in Miles City, MT, November 7–8, 2025, to learn practical ways to improve communication, leadership, and teamwork across your ranch famil

To the Daughter-in-Law Walking on Egg Shells: You see it every day. Your husband works sunup to sundown, holding the ranch together with...

To The Son Who Works The Ranch But Doesn't Own It: You’re the one holding this ranch together day in and day out. The work, the long...

To The Matriarch of the Family: You’ve carried this family on your shoulders for a long time. You’ve been the one smoothing things over,...

I used to be caught up in the rat race. I followed the cultural norms of academic tradition. But when I finally paused long enough to...

To The Patriarch of the Family: You’ve probably already made up your mind about this conference. You’ve seen the ads, you’ve heard the...

Several years ago (like, so many that we were still putting Bud Light in the coolers), we got rained out while branding. Imagine it. The...

"We can't even do a holiday meal together, why would we have ranch meetings?" Yep. I hear you. It feels like putting you and your working...

And it impacts everything:  your health  their health  your cash flow  the day to day flow of your operation  your future When...

I have found myself needing to "unschool" myself a little. The advantage of homeschooling is that it doesn't need to be rigid curriculum...

I don't get to ride and be in the thick of the action nearly as much as I used to. Most days I’m in the side-by-side with two or more...

I can hardly put into words how excited I am about the next conference I'm hosting. Yes, ranching is about cattle, land, and markets, but...

We spent the day preconditioning calves yesterday. It was a long dusty day, but these are my favorite days. We had great helpers, great...

As many of you saw in my newsletter last week, I am homeschooling my 8-year-old son. It blows my mind to say that out loud. I have no...