How to Leverage Community and Perspective to Grow in the Urban Lumber Industry Ft: Cambium Carbon

June 13, 2022

How to Leverage Community and Perspective to Grow in the Urban Lumber Industry Ft: Cambium Carbon

Ben and Paul from Cambium Carbon are well versed in building a company in the urban lumber industry. But that talent comes from experience, and they have many years of experience collectively and individually that have brought them to where they are today. Check out the advice from Ben, Paul, and our very own Steve Larosiliere as it relates to working with others in the industry and becoming part of something bigger.

“I would say two things. One is that we all do this as people. We’re all in our own worlds, working hard at whatever is in front of us. But I think there’s this fantastic thing that we should recognize within the space of wood and urban wood in particular, that we have an opportunity to be a transformative industry. One that is painting the future of what circular economies can look like.

All of this work, all of those pieces, all those extra hours you put in to make your business and this bigger movement work matters. So leaning into that and staying grateful for that is essential. The second thing we will always do with anybody who reaches out is to listen and see how we can connect.

I believe the more we can come together as an industry and produce really high-quality products with high volume and transform how cities manage their trees is going to be huge. The more that we can do that together rather than being competitive in this space is the biggest win.”

Ben Christensen

Talking About and Resetting Mentality

“As we’ve gone out, we’ve met with people, and we’ve talked with many groups around the country. One thing that I see in common, and I want to pass this along to all the listeners, is that everyone in this space is or was stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. It’s a lot of work; a lot is going into all of this; I was the same way. People out there think and do just like you, and we’re here to talk; we’re here to figure it out, reset your mentality and recognize that you’re doing the right thing.

Focus on continuing to do the right thing because it does pan out in your favor. If you’re interested in working together, don’t hesitate to reach out because that’s the attitude we bring, and we’re here to knock it out of the park. So please reset your mind and focus on what’s good here. There’s a team of people who are really interested in helping, and I think it’s important for everyone to hear that.”

Paul Timmins

Mindset should be a very familiar topic for most Woodpreneurs. Developing and honing your mindset will allow you to overcome the challenges that get in the way of the growth of your business. No matter how challenging the job itself might be, it will always be the difficulties surrounding the work itself that put people back the farthest—something Steve discusses in greater detail.

“I spent a lot of time talking to people about mindset. There’s a reason why my marketing agency is called Acres of Timber because when you see timber, there’s money. Nature is abundant, nature provides, and even if you were to take a percentage of the urban forest, there are still billions of acres of urban forest out there.

As long as IKEA, Pier One, and West Elm still sell billions of dollars in furniture, there’s a market for your wood products. So I like resetting the mindset a lot because Woodpreneurs work super hard and oftentimes by themselves. They’re milling, stacking, and stickering, all by themselves. I started masterminds, networking, and DM groups to help people feel like they’re not alone.

There’s nothing more lonely in an entrepreneurial journey than feeling like you’re alone. It’s the quickest way to give up. So knowing that you can plug into something bigger and work towards something even bigger than yourself can help. We’re on the ground level of something massive, and there’s more than enough money on the table for everybody to eat.”