#028: The Best of 2019 with the SherWare, Inc. Team
Today you’ll get to hear from the entire SherWare, Inc. team on their thoughts as we wrap up the year. We chat about the big wins that we’ve had in 2019, including our two new hires, Eric and Aubin. You’ll hear about new updates coming to the SherWare software, how we reached record sales this year and what we’re grateful for. We also look ahead to 2020 and discuss what we have planned for the new year, including the release of Well Profits to the public and our plans for putting together a one-day training event in a city near you, and releasing an integration with QuickBooks Online.
Here are some of the things you can look forward to in this episode:
- Big wins that SherWare, Inc. had in 2019
- A teaser about a new update coming to the software
- What everyone on the SherWare, Inc. team is grateful for this year
“I just want to salute the team for thinking positively. That’s one thing we always try to do at SherWare is to celebrate the wins and to think and remember things we’re grateful for because the human mind always goes to the negative for some reason.”
– Phil Sherwood
Highlights:
2:01 Some of the big wins of SherWare, Inc. in 2019
2:14 Eric’s experience with being apart of the SherWare, Inc. team
3:05 What Abin’s experience has been like since joining SherWare, Inc.
3:38 Anthony’s experience in going to the programming conference and applying that to SherWare, Inc.
4:19 Visiting conferences with Phil and getting to know current clients
5:26 Getting record sales this year and how the team worked together to make it happen
6:48 A new update coming to SherWare software
8:55 The one-day training events that SherWare, Inc. will be putting on in 2020
9:44 News about SherWare Inc. integrating with Quickbooks Online
10:01 Hitting the road in 2020 and what tradeshows they plan to attend
11:15 Rolling out Well Profits to the public in 2020
13:17 What the SherWare, Inc. team is grateful for in 2019
Links Mentioned
About SherWare, Inc.
If you’re enjoying this episode, please subscribe to our podcast and share with a friend! We also love ratings and reviews on Apple podcasts.
SherWare creates software to simplify your accounting needs so you have more time to do the things that matter. We serve independent oil and gas operators, accountants and investors with a platform to manage their distributions and joint-interest billings on a platform — and we’re the only software on the market that can integrate with your QuickBooks company.
Click here to watch a demo of the software in action right now.
#027: The SherWare, Inc. Experience with Customers, Robert Hutcheson, Cheryl Becker and John Miller
Today on the podcast, Phil interviews three professionals in the oil and gas industry to discuss their experiences of using SherWare, Inc. He chats with each guest one-on-one to hear how they found SherWare, Inc., what they like most about the software, their advice for someone considering making a switch and more. You’ll get to hear from seasoned professionals with many decades of experience in the oil and gas industry about how this software could help to improve your reporting, data, efficiency and save you many hours each month.
Here are some of the things you can look forward to in this episode:
- Three interviews with people from the oil and gas industry on their experience using SherWare, Inc.
- Why these SherWare, Inc. customers rave about the software
- Differences that SherWare, Inc. customers have seen from this software vs. competitors’ software
Highlights:
2:57 John’s experience of selling Alliance Petroleum Corporation and not being ready to leave the oil and gas industry
3:30 Looking for a software for his new company and stumbling upon SherWare, Inc.
4:32 How much time the software has saved John and what he uses it for
7:37 John’s advice for someone in oil and gas looking for software to use for their business
8:39 Cheryl’s position within Buckeye Oil Producing Company
8:52 Why she was searching for a new platform for her distributions
9:53 The biggest differences that they’ve had since using SherWare, Inc.
11:24 Why Cheryl loves the ease of use with the software
11:59 What Robert does as the founder of BoCor Holdings, LLC
13:01 Why Robert decided to use SherWare, Inc. over its competitors
14:17 Robert’s experience with using SherWare, Inc.
15:14 How SherWare, Inc. has evolved its software to fit client’s wants and needs
16:10 The simplicity of the auditing data and reports
17:34 His advice for someone choosing an oil and gas software
About Robert:
Robert Hutcheson received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the John Carroll University in 1990. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Robert spent two years with Canton Oil Well Service, Inc. from 1990 to 1992. In 1992, Robert furthered his business studies at the Ohio State University and graduated with his Master’s in Business Administration in 1994. From 1994 through 2000, Robert worked for Accenture (aka Andersen Consulting). Robert returned to Canton Oil Well in 2000 in a consulting capacity. In 2001, Robert became one of the original Members of the newly incorporated entity, BoCor Holdings, L.L.C. Robert’s primary role within BoCor is to manage all administrative aspects of the business, including accounting, finance, legal, and marketing.
Connect with Robert:
About Cheryl:
Cheryl Becker is the office manager for Buckeye Oil Producing Company and has worked for the company for 32 years.
Connect with Cheryl:
About John:
John Miller has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He is the former president and CEO of Alliance Petroleum Corporation. After selling that company, he wasn’t ready to get out of the business and with two partners, formed AIM Energy, LLC.
About SherWare, Inc.
If you’re enjoying this episode, please subscribe to our podcast and share with a friend! We also love ratings and reviews on Apple podcasts.
SherWare creates software to simplify your accounting needs so you have more time to do the things that matter. We serve independent oil and gas operators, accountants and investors with a platform to manage their distributions and joint-interest billings on a platform — and we’re the only software on the market that can integrate with your QuickBooks company.
Click here to watch a demo of the software in action right now.
#020: The Inside Scoop at SherWare after 25 Years
It’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years since SherWare first started. On today’s episode of the podcast, you’ll hear from the employees of SherWare on what it is that they do with the company, how it’s evolved over the years and the most memorable experiences they have about working for SherWare. They share the biggest changes they’ve noticed and how they transitioned from working in an office to working from home. Phil chats with each team member to get their take on the business and how they feel about working for the company.
Here are some of the things you can look forward to in this episode:
- Interviews with the developer and support team for SherWare
- How technological advances have changed how SherWare supports clients
- Transitioning from having a central office to a fully remote team
- An interview with Phil’s kids, Mallory and John about their experience with SherWare
- How SherWare’s newest employee, Eric feels about the company
Highlights:
2:05 What Anthony and Austin do at SherWare
3:36 The biggest changes that employees have seen at the company
5:52 How technological advances have helped with customer support
6:57 The most memorable experiences they have with SherWare
9:11 Building relationships with clients
14:01 Being able to provide updates to their software online
15:32 Their move from a central office to a remote office
18:10 Hiring for a remote team
19:38 Brining on their first salesperson after 25 years in the business
23:24 What Mallory and John do at SherWare
26:07 Their perspective on SherWare while growing up
28:20 How Mallory started working at SherWare
28:58 What made John decide to work for SherWare
32:47 How they’ve felt about working for SherWare
36:10 What John does after moving on from SherWare
37:21 What Mallory does outside of working with her dad’s company
41:52 What Eric does in the sales department of the business
43:42 The thing that surprised Eric the most about SherWare
45:34 What Eric noticed about their sales process
Links:
Sherwood Woodcraft
Sherwood Woodcraft Instagram
Marketing Magic Podcast
Head over to our website to set up a free account with SherWare software. Please make sure to subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts.
#014: How to Track Non-Operator Interests from an Accountant
On today’s episode, we chat with Wade Cox, Senior Accountant for JMA Energy Company, L.L.C. (JMA). He discusses the in’s and out’s of working as an accountant in the oil and gas industry. You’ll find out what Wade does accounting wise for JMA, how he keeps track of their oil and gas interests and the issues that come up in his profession. He also discusses what he does outside of his work with JMA as a tax professional.
Here are some of the things you can look forward to in this episode:
- What Wade does as a CPA in the oil and gas industry
- Reports that simplify Wade’s career
- Wade’s experience with using Well Profits to track their clients’ interests
- How Well Profits has helped eliminate human error
Highlights:
1:28 How Wade Got Started in the oil and gas industry
4:40 What Wade does accounting wise for JMA
6:10 How Wade keeps track of their oil and gas interests
7:51 The issues that come up when tracking non-operating interests
9:11 Revenue disbursement rules
12:15 What reports make Wade’s job easier as a tax professional
15:05 The importance of being able to calculate the cost depletion
16:53 Wade’s experience with using the Well Profits software
19:02 How importing data has cut down on errors and saved time
21:20 What Wade does outside of JMA in accounting
About Wade:
I attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor in Science of Finance and a minor in Mathematics. Later, I attended the University of Central Oklahoma and obtained my CPA certificate in 1995. I have been working in the oil and gas business since 1996 for a company called JMA Energy Company, L.L.C. I started at an entry level position and worked in all areas of accounting in the oil & gas business (JIB, revenue, tax and financial accounting). I started my own oil & gas bookkeeping business in 2006. Some of my clients have up to 1,100 different well interests. I have been married for twenty years and I have a daughter that is nineteen and attending college. I like to read, watch movies and I love spending time with my two Golden Retrievers, Ethel and Hazel.
Connect with Wade:
Head over to our website to set up a free account with SherWare software. Please make sure to subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts.
#004: It Runs in the Family: Tom Stewart’s Lifetime Career in the Oil & Gas Industry
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Tom Stewart joined his father in the family oil and gas business. He got started as a roustabout, a place he says everyone who begins in the oil and gas industry should start: in the trenches.
His family has built a legacy in the oil and gas industry from his grandfather to his father and five uncles and then Tom joined at 23 years old and moved up to run the family business, and then eventually became head of organizations like OOGA, the Ohio Oil & Gas Association, and took a vested interest in getting laws passed through Congress to further the oil and gas industry.
Each guest that we have on the podcast references the dramatic use that technology plays in moving the oil and gas industry along at a rapid pace. Stewart is no different.
Highlights from his interview:
>> He calls himself a “fracking baby” because he grew up as a toddler in the early fracking age in 1953, where wells in the Clinton formation were being discovered and reworked with incredible success, giving his family new opportunities in a new state, that still exist today.
>> His father was the first person in Ohio to fracture a well that he believed to be a dry hole with only water and sand, which turned out to be a great well using this new technique. Up until that point, the industry had been using gelled crude oil to shoot back into the well to break it up and he didn’t want to waste hundreds of barrels of that on a dry well.
>> In 1977 in Hocking County in Ohio, men rushed to join the industry because of the tax advantages and the obvious success those already participating were having. But all of that competition meant it was harder to find acreage. A lot of them didn’t know what they were doing which ended up causing a host of environmental issues that would come into play later in their careers.
>> In the 1980s, Ohio had the highest drill rate in the nation with more than 5,000 wells drilled each year. It’s also known for water production with crude and natural gas and managing produced waters became a real issue with so many wells being drilled. Citizens and government officials stepped in to enact House Bill 501, which was highly controversial at the time. The bill primarily focused on banning putting water into pits and mandated that all brine be managed by Class 2 wells.
>> Working under his father, who he fondly labeled Old Guard and old-school, he said he took his role of introducing new technology and ways of drilling the wells seriously because it was something his father couldn’t understand. His father would give him advice about what it took to really be in the oil business. He admired those that kept to themselves, worked hard, honored their commitment and made agreements on handshakes.
He told him one thing that has carried him through his career in the industry for the past 45 years:
“Ninety-five percent of being in the oil business is reputation. Only 5 percent is finding oil. If you’ve got your reputation, you’ll succeed. If you don’t, you will not.”
>> He eventually became involved in OOGA and was appointed to be a regional producer representative and became engaged in the advocacy process. In 1991 he was asked to run the legislative committee. The industry was in a difficult place in Ohio at this time, so it felt like a good opportunity to try something new.
>> Nancy, known for her role as Director of the Department of Commerce under George Voinovich, ordered him over for drinks to talk about his future and outlined how I should apply for the executive vice president position at OOGA, and so he did.
>> His goal with joining the industry was to be known as an aggressive policy advocate. It meant going into the Legislature on a regular basis and make clear that when it came to oil and gas and energy issues, that OOGA was the preeminent voice and that we knew the issues. Several policy issues that were passed that were significant but not highly publicized.
>> In 2005 Stewart decided to take on a highly controversial topic with preemption and dealing with local government. In northeastern Ohio, we were dealing with surface development that was in conflict with well development, which led to unreasonable local regulations which weren’t designed for health and safety, but for the development movement. The tension was between landowners who wanted access to the mineral rights and their neighbors who didn’t want to be touched by that activity.
A significant court case was happening around this time, State vs Newbury, which decided that Ohio’s oil and gas division had predominant authority over most authority. Local authorities would use certain health and safety exemptions to get around this ruling and essentially ban oil and gas wells.
The bill Stewart began pushing in his role at OOGA was complete state preemption over local decisions on mineral development and it was difficult to get conservatives who believe whole-heartedly in local government on board.
“When they would bring this up with me about local government, I would agree and say, Local government is best, but what’s even more sacred is property rights and you’re forging property rights.”
This bill became House Bill 278, which is unlike what any other state has been able to pass.
>> One of the biggest frustrations in his career has been dealing with people who are against the oil and gas industry but simply don’t understand what they’re arguing against. The concept of energy and how they are using the very thing we’re drilling for in their day-to-day lives, but because it’s oil and gas, it’s wrong. HB 278 brought with it what Stewart now calls “well haters” that came in droves to protest the oil and gas industry.
>> The fracking debate that has sparked in the last decade has become political instead of safety-related and boils down to who should control the resources in the states, and who should benefit from the control over those resources.
>> His biggest fears for the future of the oil and gas industry is that the industry will be regulated to the point that entrepreneurship is a significant factor. Soon the only people who will be able to handle it will be largely capitally-funded businesses. “Being able to successfully navigate the regulatory structure on a federal and state level, is so challenge it often seems impossible to be in compliance with the law, and that’s an authentic threat,” Stewart says.
>>On the flip side, a driving force for the future of the industry is the technology that makes drilling for wells more affordable and successful. Where the limit was once 1,000 ft to test the capacity of reservoirs using wooden rigs, then cable tool rigs came along, then rotary development. Drilling technology made it deeper, safer and gave the industry the ability to find better reserves.
> Operators and producers in Ohio are already beginning to look at how to take the technology being used in horizontal drilling to boost production and how to implement that in conventional wells.
Connect with Tom
Tom Stewart is the immediate past executive vice president of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association, a state-based trade group representing the Ohio oil and gas exploration and production industry (www.ooga.org). In December 2014, Stewart retired from the OOGA after leading the Association since September 1991.
In January 2015, Stewart founded Oilfield Policy Advisors LLC, a firm providing consulting services related to public policy activities impacting the oil and gas exploration and production industry operating within the Appalachian Basin.
Prior to joining OOGA, Stewart had fifteen years of formal experience in the oil and gas industry as an oil and gas producer and provider of contract drilling services. He is the third generation of his family to make a livelihood in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. The family heritage extends back to the original oil regions of western Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio. Stewart currently is a board director for Stewart Brothers, Inc., an Illinois-based family partnership that manages non-operating oil and gas working interests in four states.