Veteran landman David Dachner shares how a Wall Street Journal article changed his life and launched his 45-year oil and gas career. In this clip from The Land Department podcast, Dachner reveals the unlikely path from Northern California to becoming a successful Texas landman in 1974, offering insights into what the land business looked like before the shale revolution.

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Dachner discusses the freedom and entrepreneurial spirit that defined landman work in the 1970s - when professionals were out prospecting, putting deals together, and taking calculated risks for potentially massive rewards. Host Brent Broussard contrasts this with the modern specialization of land work post-2000s, highlighting how the fundamental skills of relationship building, courthouse research, and deal-making remain timeless.

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Key takeaways include understanding the evolution from generalist landmen who controlled their destiny to today's specialized roles, the importance of mentorship from seasoned professionals, and how family connections and a single newspaper article can open doors in the energy industry. This conversation provides valuable perspective for both new landmen entering the field and veterans reflecting on how dramatically the profession has transformed while core principles endure.