HOLISTICATING IS HOW I STAY STEADY — From One Enterprise Steward to Another

Caring for land and livestock asks something particular of us. It asks us to think beyond the immediate task at hand and hold a much wider frame. Every decision we make influences plant recovery, water movement, livestock performance, cash flow, partnerships, and the long arc of our resource base. The work requires integration and awareness of how all of those threads weave together.

As I continue stewarding the ranching and consulting businesses Tony and I built with others, I have become even more aware that steadiness does not come from having fewer moving parts. It comes from being able to think clearly in the midst of them. For me, that way of thinking is Holistic Management.

Holistic Management has never been just a grazing tool or a financial template. It is a discipline of returning to a framework for decision-making. Our desired quality of life is not set in stone because we are hopefully learning and growing, not allowing for decay to happen before death. What brings us joy evolves over time. Decision makers, weather patterns, market conditions, and policy are in flux. The land itself reflects the history of how it has been treated. When I pause to revisit our Whole Under Management and our Holistic Context, I am reminding myself what truly matters and what we are working toward. That clarity guides the next decision far more effectively than urgency ever could.

On the ground, this shows up in practical ways. We pay close attention to where animals are placed, their behavior, how long they stay, and how their presence aligns with plant recovery. Conversations in ranching often circle around numbers—stocking rates, depreciation schedules, market forecasts. Yet what I have observed over and over is that timing and recovery carry tremendous influence over ecological response.

Like many of you, I have walked pastures with the same soils and rainfall that looked entirely different because the management honored recovery. That realization has deepened my respect for our role in stewarding land and relationships. Our behavior matters.

The same awareness now shapes how I approach financial stewardship.

My early experiences around money shaped my commitment to autonomy and clarity. Growing up as the daughter of a cattle buyer meant living inside market volatility. Watching my mother try and ultimately fail to navigate some sense of financial independence left an imprint that has guided me for decades. I knew that if I was going to steward land responsibly, I needed to steward money with the same intentionality.

The Holistic Financial Plan has provided that structure. Separating direct expenses from overhead clarifies which enterprises genuinely contribute to resilience. Running financial projections before circumstances unfold strengthens foresight. Building a cash flow plan creates confidence in motion rather than hesitation when financial situations change – as they always do. 

Still, I get caught up in the spreadsheet and avoid the relationships that are really at the heart of finances. Last August, I sold cattle and immediately applied the funds to pay down a land loan, a loan I really feel good about, leveraging capital at a low interest rate to provide valuable ecosystem services with a substantial return. But Tony was always the relationship person, so I had a bit of a freak-out when I saw I owed an additional payment the other day. It was all quickly resolved, and when I spoke to the banker, he was thoughtfully curious about what I’m doing; “Are you still running cattle, do you still have your consulting business?” I said, “Yes, I’ll send you my balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and my cash flow.”

Granted, these documents are not perfect. They reflect real-world uncertainty, including federal contracts that did not materialize as anticipated. Even so, having them ready changed the quality of the conversation. The dialogue felt collaborative rather than tentative or punitive. I understood where I had room to maneuver and where I needed to remain disciplined. That understanding carries into how I lead my enterprises and how I care for myself while managing them.

What I do have is confidence that I can present a current balance sheet, a clear cash flow projection, and a documented history. Having this changes the entire tone of the conversation. It changes how we sleep at night, how we know our profit, and where we have flexibility and where we do not.

This same steadiness strengthens work with agencies and conservation partners. When we ran livestock on public lands in Wyoming, we learned that bringing ecological trend data, actual-use records, grazing plans, and historical documentation to the table facilitated constructive conversations. 

Rather than reacting to scrutiny, we participated in shared stewardship. The monitoring did not exist solely for compliance. It existed to tell the story of the land in measurable terms.

Disciplined ecological monitoring continues to inform my decision-making. Whether through EOV or other structured protocols, it provides a way to observe trends rather than rely solely on memory. It makes visible improvements in ground cover, plant diversity, and ecosystem function. It also strengthens applications for conservation funding and ecosystem service partnerships. I have seen documentation supporting increased livestock numbers where the land demonstrated capacity. The credibility came from measured observation.

When people engage with us through UVE, they are often seeking this kind of integration. They want their financial planning aligned with their ecological intentions. They want monitoring that reinforces their credibility with governmental agencies or land trusts. They want thoughtful conversations about how enterprise design, grazing management, and relational leadership intersect. Our engagements are structured spaces for that work. They are not about prescribing answers. They are about creating coherence.

If you are considering what might strengthen your enterprises this year, I would encourage you to begin by setting aside time for reflection rather than reaction. Review your enterprises carefully. Distinguish direct expenses from overhead and consider which enterprises are truly building resilience. Run one scenario through your decision-making framework that stretches your assumptions. Let that exercise refine your foresight.

Walk your monitoring sites with intention. Participate fully in the protocols you are using. If you are part of the EOV process, lean into UVE’s Guild and the collective wisdom it offers. Allow recovery and trend to inform your grazing decisions.

Choose one relationship to strengthen proactively. Reach out to a banker, a conservation partner, or a collaborator with clear documentation in hand. Invite conversation grounded in shared purpose.

For me, holisticating is the ongoing practice of living in relationship with land, money, and people in a way that honors their interdependence. It is a discipline that has strengthened my leadership and deepened my sense of responsibility. It does not remove uncertainty. It gives me a way to move through it with clarity and confidence.

If this resonates, I am always glad to continue the conversation. Stewardship is relational work, and none of us are meant to carry it alone.