On the Exceptional Companies Podcast, I usually start with frameworks and strategies for buying, selling, or growing a business. But this episode opened a little differently—with me finally giving my friend Jake Smith a few words of affirmation after ten years of friendship. He laughed and said it might have been the first time I’d ever done that. That’s the kind of relationship we have, and it set the tone for a conversation that mixed humor, business lessons, and faith in a way I think you’ll find encouraging.
From rabbits to real deals
Jake grew up in Big Spring, Texas. He spent his high school years in 4H and Boy Scouts, raising animals and heading off to high adventure camps. Rabbits were the “easy money,” he told me, subsidizing the more competitive goats that could fetch big bids at the county fair. He also played sports and had what he calls a “normal upbringing.”
After graduation, he didn’t have a clear direction, so he went to work at Bob Rock Ford’s body shop, sanding and painting cars. A few years and a few shops later, his brother invited him into oil and gas as a landman. It was 2011, and Reeves and Pecos Counties were on fire with deals. It was the perfect time to cut his teeth.
I joked that he was basically Billy Bob Thornton from the show Landman, complete with stonewashed cowboy jeans. Without missing a beat, Jake said, “Wearing ’em right now.” We laughed, but the truth is, a lot of the wild stories from that show—cartel run-ins, plane crashes, even people pulling guns—did happen in West Texas. Just stretched out over a decade instead of one TV season.
Jake told me about a day that sounds like it came straight out of that show. He had put a family’s scattered mineral interests under contract across multiple counties and decided to close all of them in a single day. With the company plane, he flew from Midland to Brenham, San Marcos, Mission, Corsicana, Nashville, Little Rock, and back to Midland—signing papers and shaking hands at each stop. All in one day. That’s life in the basin.
The birth of River Tree
After years of doing deals together, Jake and my brother Andrew started meeting over coffee, talking about what was next. By 2023, with our prior company’s chapter wrapped up, they launched River Tree Resources.
The partnership works because their skills complement each other. Jake will admit he’s “unmanageable”—he loves building relationships but prefers to hand off the details. Andrew is steady, detail-oriented, and great at finding prospects before anyone else sees them. Together they’ve already bought assets in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
The name River Tree comes straight from Psalm 1: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, whose fruit shall come forth in its season, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” For Jake, that verse sets the tone. The business is about educating mineral owners, explaining value, and offering real options. What they refuse to do is lie, undercut, or trick someone out of their asset. Integrity is the core.
Mowing with a mission
One of the stories I loved most in our conversation didn’t involve oil and gas at all. It started with Jake and his wife Maddie watching lawn-mowing videos on YouTube to unwind at night. He said maybe when they retired, they’d load up a trailer and clean up yards for people who needed it. But instead of waiting, Jake grabbed his mower, loaded his trailer, and told Maddie and the boys they were going out that week.
They prayed with his son Luke about where to go. Then, as Jake put it, the Lord often speaks to him through Maddie—so he drove while she told him when to turn. They spotted a Meals on Wheels decal in a window, knocked on the door, and were greeted by a man wearing a hat that said “Jesus.” That was the one. They mowed, trimmed, hauled off junk, and prayed with him when they finished.
That evening became the Neighbors Eden Project. What started with Jake’s own mower grew quickly. Donations came in from Whitley Penn and generous individuals. LK Specialties stepped up to provide roll-off dumpsters at no cost. They raised about $30,000 and bought commercial zero-turn and stand-on mowers.
Volunteers poured in too. Through the Midland Legacy Foundation, local high school students who need forty hours of community service to qualify for a free associate’s degree at Midland College now join the work. In less than a year, they’ve grown to maintaining over sixty yards. On some days, eighteen volunteers can fill an entire dumpster with debris in thirty minutes. Every visit ends the same way: by praying with the homeowner.
Jake told me plainly, you can spend your life building businesses, but those eventually go to someone else. What you can take with you are the treasures stored in heaven. That’s why this mission matters so deeply to him and his family.
Faith, business, and being genuine
One thing I’ve always admired about Jake is that he doesn’t silo his life. He doesn’t have one version of himself for church, another for business, and another at home. He’s the same person everywhere. When I asked him what advice he’d give a young entrepreneur, he kept it simple: be genuine, and care about people. That’s where real connections come from.
For me, one of the things I’m working on this year is listening more. I love to talk and move fast, but I’ve realized that slowing down, asking more questions, and truly listening is one of the best ways to show care. It’s changed my business, my marriage, and even conversations with my kids. We don’t need to overcomplicate community. It starts with listening, with neighbors, with coffee shops, with showing up.
Tools for the road ahead
When I asked Jake what tool has made the biggest difference for him recently, he didn’t hesitate. Learn AI. If you don’t, you’ll be left behind. He laughed and said ChatGPT is the modern version of Samuel Colt’s revolver, putting everyone on an even playing field. For him, it speeds up document review, helps draft clauses in leases or deeds, and can even save an hour of attorney billing. “If I can save that hour,” he said, “I’m going to.”
A closing word
I always like to close these episodes with encouragement. I believe America is still the best place in the world for opportunity. Anyone willing to do the hard work and the things others won’t can build the life they want. For people of faith, there’s also a peace and joy that comes from releasing control of what we can’t manage, while still taking full responsibility for the actions we can take each day.
This conversation with Jake was a powerful reminder of what that looks like in real life. Whether in a business deal or mowing a neighbor’s yard, plant yourself by the river, act with honesty, care for people, and let the fruit come in its season.
AND MORE TOPICS COVERED IN THE FULL INTERVIEW!!! You can check that out and subscribe to YouTube.
If you want to know more about Jake Smith, you may reach out to him at:
Connect with Chris Seegers:
- Website: https://exceptionalcos.com/
- Email: Ch***@************OS.com
Other Resources:
- Books: Selling Main Street by Chris Seegers
