Founder, High School Firewood · Freshman, University of Georgia

I run a firewood company. I built the software that runs it with AI.

I started High School Firewood at 16 with $500. It's now the #1 rated firewood company in the Southeast on Google. I built it around AI, with agents handling everything from a customer's first text to each driver's route.

Front desk booked Ms. Reyes for Saturday. Planner refused Truck C, capacity unknown, then planned 14 stops on 4 trucks with 2 reloads. Dispatch texted Mr. Cole his ETA. Books matched the cash from Truck B. Planning a day went from 3 hours to 10 minutes.
rated firewood company in the Southeast on Google
#1
Google reviews, all five stars
250+
run rate this season
$200K
high schoolers hired
29
to plan a delivery day, 95% less time
3 hrs → 10 min
on time across 105 deliveries
96%

What we brought in each season. 2026 shows our run rate.

Google reviews · word for word

What customers say

We have 250+ Google reviews, all five stars. Here are some of them, word for word.

New Google reviews each month250+ total
Aug 2024: 3 reviewsSep 2024: 5 reviewsOct 2024: 13 reviewsNov 2024: 12 reviewsDec 2024: 7 reviewsJan 2025: 7 reviewsFeb 2025: 1 reviewMar 2025: 0 reviewsApr 2025: 0 reviewsMay 2025: 0 reviewsJun 2025: 0 reviewsJul 2025: 0 reviewsAug 2025: 3 reviewsSep 2025: 11 reviewsOct 2025: 10 reviewsNov 2025: 38 reviewsDec 2025: 35 reviewsJan 2026: 2 reviewsFeb 2026: 0 reviewsMar 2026: 0 reviewsApr 2026: 2 reviewsMay 2026: 10 reviewsJun 2026: 8 reviewsJul 2026: 2 reviewsAug 2026: 5 reviewsSep 2026: 13 reviewsOct 2026: 55 reviewsNov 2026: 8 reviews
Google

We were incredibly impressed with the professionalism and work ethic from this young high-school entrepreneur. Communication was clear and timely from start to finish. ...

Jaclyn B. Nov 2025
Google

His professionalism and manners surpassed any adult I have ever worked with! Will use again!

Elizabeth P. Dec 2024
Google

Bray and his team are top notch professionals that have embraced the lost art of great customer service. They communicate well, show up on time, and deliver a great product. ...

Brian T. Oct 2025
Google

Bray has an amazing work ethic. ... He could serve as an example to other service folks who struggle with communicating and show up when they say they will. This guy does! ...

Jeff W. Aug 2025
Google

Great work! This company is hospitality driven. Enjoy the rest of the school year.

Gil A. Sep 2026
Google

This is our 2nd year ordering wood through High School Firewood. You could not ask for a better experience. ... Call them, book them, tell your friends. ...

Martha R. Oct 2026
Google

... We had some firewood left from last year and he made sure to stack so that we could access it first. ...

Alice C. Oct 2026
Google

... He let my son use his gloves and he stacked the wood up nicely. Will use again!

rearden Oct 2026
Google

Super polite, neat, hardworking firewood hustler! We gladly support young men who work hard to make an honest living in a noisy get-rich-quick world.

kristy p. Dec 2025
Google

... He was responsive over text from the first time I called him through delivery. He showed up exactly when he said he would and was extremely polite. ...

Daniel E. Dec 2025
Google

Sean did a great job stacking the truckload of wood all by himself in the pouring rain!!! Thank you so much!!

Doreen M. Oct 2026
Google

Excellent experience buying Firewood from Bray. Nice young man. I love seeing young people working hard with entrepreneurial spirit!

Chris S. Nov 2024
Google

... We’ve been hosed by a lot of groups saying they sold seasoned firewood but Mack showed up with a moisture meter and confidently tested the wood to show me it was actually seasoned. ...

Spencer B. Oct 2026
Google

... Mack communicated throughout the process perfectly! He was super kind, respectful, and efficient. I will be requesting his service every time.

Hope L. Oct 2026
Google

... They showed up right on time, worked fast, and got out of there without making a mess! ...

Louis R. Apr 2026
Google

... I was blown away how neatly he stacked the firewood. He went well beyond my expectations, sweeping up the area and offering to help with some recycling materials I have. ...

Rick B. Oct 2026
Google

Quick, affordable, and friendly. Need firewood … help out some kids doing great work heading into college.

Timothy S. Oct 2026
Google

... Logan was great, kept me updated via text, delivered on time, stacked and cleaned up after himself, very courteous young man. ...

Ryan W. Sep 2026
Google

2026 update: another great year. ... Dry seasoned wood! I can’t believe he’s in highschool. ...

Jessica W. Nov 2024
Google

My 2nd year getting firewood from this incredible group. Communication was excellent from start to finish. The wood was delivered and stacked neatly. ...

Jason G. Oct 2026
Google

... Great communication, on time and as expected. And great price! I have ordered two years and will be ordering a 3rd.

Shawn F. May 2026
Google

... He stated up front the wood was still slightly wet and recommended delaying the delivery until it was fully seasoned. ...

Matt P. Nov 2024
Google

... The wood was top notch. In fact… it was so good I bought a second load while he was there ...

Jack R. Oct 2025
Google

... Very helpful and well put together young men!

David G. Jun 2026
Read all 250+ on Google
Stop 01 · Try it

Plan a sample delivery day

Sample orders, not real customers. A simplified version of how my planner loads trucks: it fills each truck by what it can carry, schedules reloads, and won't approve a day when it doesn't know a truck's capacity.

8:00 AMSample day
Delivered
0/0
Stacked
0
On the road
0

      Customer texts

      0 sent

        Trucks

        Capacity in pieces of wood

        Clear a capacity to see the planner refuse the day.

        The day

        Orders

        #ProductPcsTruckLeaves barnArrivesStatusRemove

        One order always rides on one truck.

        Stop 02 · The driver app

        A driver on day one does it the way I would

        This is the real driver app with a sample customer. It runs through one stacked delivery on its own, following the full SOP in order. Tap the phone to drive it.

        High School FirewoodHelp

        Saturday

        Be at the barn by 8:30 AM

        2 stops

        ‹ BackHelp

        Prepare for tomorrow

        Be at the barn by 8:30 AM

        Your stops

        1. 1Ms. AlvarezCanton
        2. 2Mr. WhitfieldBall Ground

        Bring your wheelbarrow, your strap and your blower or broom

        My wheelbarrow
        My strap
        My blower or broom

        No wheelbarrow, strap or blower/broom means you can’t drive.

        Tick all three first: your wheelbarrow, your strap and your blower or broom.

        High School FirewoodHelp

        Saturday

        You’re set for tomorrow.

        Be at the barn by 8:30 AM

        2 stops

        High School FirewoodHelp

        Next stop

        Ms. Alvarez

        Canton

        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 1 of 12

        Text Ms. Alvarez your arrival time

        Send Ms. Alvarez this on-my-way text

        Good morning, Ms. Alvarez. This is Tyler with High School Firewood. I am headed your way now and expect to arrive around 9:40 AM.

        I am looking forward to completing your delivery!

        We prefer cash, paid to me once it’s delivered.
        Navigation arrival: 9:35 AMHSF customer buffer: +5 minMs. Alvarez will be told 9:40 AM.
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 1 of 12

        Drive to Ms. Alvarez

        Ms. Alvarez was told about 9:40 AM.

        Check the orderDeliver: Junior, about 210 piecesHow: StackedWhere: Left of the garage, by the side doorThey owe: $295.00
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 2 of 12

        Walk to the door

        Knock, say who you are, then say this to Ms. Alvarez:

        “In order to make the best use of your time, I’d love to show you to the truck and talk a little bit about the wood. Then I’d love for you to show me where you want the wood. I’ll do the stacking, and after you’re 100% satisfied, we’ll collect payment. We prefer cash. Does that work for you?”
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 3 of 12

        Did you say it?

        The agenda, to Ms. Alvarez: the truck and the wood, where it goes, the stacking, and when they pay.

        The best use of your time
        The truck and the wood
        You show me where it goes
        I stack, then payment. We prefer cash.
        Does that work for you?
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 4 of 12

        Let them test the wood

        Say something like this

        “We try to differentiate ourselves by showing you how we verify the firewood instead of just asking you to trust us. A lot of firewood companies sell wood that is not seasoned. We burn-test our batches and we check the moisture, so we can guarantee our wood is seasoned. Properly seasoned firewood should be around 20% moisture or less. Pick any piece you want. I’ll show you where to test it, and I want you to use the moisture meter yourself so you can see the reading.”
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 6 of 12

        Stack and count

        This trip: Junior, about 210 pieces.

        How many did you stack?

        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 7 of 12

        Does it look like the photo?

        The official Junior reference photo: a stacked row of split firewood
        Official Junior

        The amount of wood, not the shape of the stack. Short? Add wood.

        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 8 of 12

        Clean up, then take the after photo

        I cleaned up with my blower or broom

        Loose bark, chips and dirt, from the stack, the unloading spot and the path. Leave it better than you found it.

        Tick “I cleaned up” first.

        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 10 of 12

        Ms. Alvarez owes

        $295.00

        How did Ms. Alvarez pay?

        Ask for cash first. Venmo or Zelle only if they have no cash.

        Cash
        Check
        Venmo
        Zelle
        Didn’t pay
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 11 of 12

        Ask for a review

        Say something like this

        “Would you be willing to leave a review today?”
        Show the review code
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 11 of 12

        What happened when you asked?

        They scanned the code
        They want the link texted
        They didn’t say yes

        Pick what happened when you asked.

        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 11 of 12

        Ask Ms. Alvarez to refer friends

        Say something like this

        “Would you be willing to refer us to your friends? If so, we can send you our contact information.”
        ‹ BackHelp

        Step 12 of 12

        Text Ms. Alvarez thank you

        Thank you, Ms. Alvarez. Your High School Firewood delivery is complete. We appreciate your business and your support of our students.
        I sent the thank-you
        High School FirewoodHelp

        Stop done.

        Next: Mr. Whitfield.

        Plays by itself. Tap to take over.

        01 / 11 · Night before: gear check

        Barn time and stops arrive the night before. No wheelbarrow, strap or blower or broom means you can’t drive: the button stays grey until all three are ticked.

        One Saturday, two apps

        The operator app on my phone runs the day. The driver app on a high schooler's phone gives him my full delivery playbook, so even on day one, he delivers the way I would.

        Driver app

        Prepare for Saturday

        Not ready yet. Checking…

        You’re ready. See you at the barn at 7:30 AM.

        No wheelbarrow, strap or blower/broom means you can’t drive

        I have my own wheelbarrow

        I have my own tie-down strap

        I have my own leaf blower or broom

        1. Who you are
        Eli
        ✓
        2. Your route
        4 stops for Saturday. Route downloaded.
        ✓
        3. Your truck
        Carries 1 Junior a trip. Reload at the barn after stop 1.
        ✓
        Certified driver
        Training video watched. Practice run passed, 12 of 12.
        Next

        Ms. Whitaker Stacked

        Canton, GA

        Trip 1 of 2 · 1 Junior · cash preferred

        1. Open navigation

        34.24, -84.49
        Open in WazeOpen in Google Maps

        2. Text Ms. Whitaker when you leave

        Good morning, Ms. Whitaker. This is Eli with High School Firewood. I am headed your way now and expect to arrive around 9:40 AM.
        Coach · on the walk up
        “Truck and wood, where it goes, the stacking, then payment. Cash preferred.”
        Next

        Did you say it?

        The agenda, to Ms. Whitaker: the truck and the wood, where it goes, the stacking, and when they pay.

        1. “In order to make the best use of your time,”heard
        2. “I’d love to show you to the truck and talk a little bit about the wood.”heard
        3. “Then I’d love for you to show me where you want the wood.”heard
        4. “I’ll do the stacking, and after you’re 100% satisfied, we’ll collect payment. We prefer cash.”heard
        5. “Does that work for you?”heard

        Let them test the wood

        Say something like this

        “We try to differentiate ourselves by showing you how we verify the firewood instead of just asking you to trust us. We burn-test our batches and we check the moisture, so we can guarantee our wood is seasoned. Properly seasoned firewood should be around 20% moisture or less. Pick any piece you want. I’ll show you where to test it, and I want you to use the moisture meter yourself so you can see the reading.”

        Ms. Whitaker’s reading14%Seasoned. Around 20% or less.

        ✓She picked the piece herself

        ✓She held the meter and read it

        A piece reads high, or it is raining?

        Stack and count

        Count toward 210, then compare the delivered volume to the official Junior photo.

        210pieces of 210
        Official Junior photo

        Does it look like the photo?

        Junior standard
        Your after photo, live
        Matches the Junior standard
        About 210 pieces · faces aligned · area clean
        Next

        ✓Delivered and counted carefully

        ✓Stacked neatly

        ✓Area cleaned with blower or broom

        Amount due$295.00

        How did they pay?

        CashCheckVenmoZelleDidn’t pay

        We prefer cash. Do not count the cash in front of them.

        Ask for a review

        “Would you be willing to leave a review?”

        She said yes. The review link goes out after you pull away.

        Ask Ms. Whitaker to refer friends

        “Would you be willing to refer us to your friends? If so, we can send you our contact information.”

        Stop done.

        Ms. Whitaker left five stars+$5 to you, from your own customer’s review

        Your five-star reviews31

        Review bonus this season$155

        Payment recordedCash $295

        Thank-you text, after you pull away

        Thank you, Ms. Whitaker. Your High School Firewood delivery is complete. We appreciate your business and your support of our students.
        Operator app

        Today

        Wednesday · 6:12 PM

        Live callCanton · 6:12 PMNext

        Answered by the front desk.

        Do you have a Junior for this Saturday?

        We do. A Junior is about 210 pieces, $295, stacked for you. Saturday works.

        New order: Ms. Whitaker

        Junior$295SaturdayCanton

        ✓ No duplicate. Not already in the order sheets.

        Tomorrow’s plan

        Saturday · 3 drivers · 11 stops

        Today

        Thursday · 8:47 PM

        First cold night: Saturday

        Next
        Wed52°Thu47°Fri43°Sat36°Sun33°

        Reorder texts: 41 due

        Ordered this week last year.

        Mr. DaltonSophomore · Woodstock

        Ms. PruittJunior · Jasper

        Mr. OkaforJunior · Cumming

        38 more

        7replied YES by 9:30 AMNext

        What’s going on now

        Saturday · updated 9:34 AM

        Eli · Sam · Noah · live Next
        Sam is 18 min behindNext

        Mr. Reyes, Holly Springs, was told 10:15 AM. Noah is 6 min away with the wood on board.

        EliStop 1 of 4 · Ms. Whitakeron time

        SamStop 2 of 4 · traffic on 92+18 min

        NoahStop 3 of 3 · wood on boardon time

        Profit per driver hourNext$41

        Money

        Saturday · 5:40 PM

        Saturday close-out

        3 drivers · 11 stops · the day took 10 minutes to plan, not 3 hours

        Customers paid11 of 11

        Cash, 3 customers, handed in$885

        Venmo, Zelle or check, 8 customers$1,640

        Hours confirmed3 of 3

        Five-star reviews6 · $30 bonus

        Profit per driver hourNext$41

        No driver texted anyone

        Problems and payments came in through the app. 0 unpaid, 0 complaints, 2 referrals.

        The phone takes the call. A customer calls at dinner. The front desk answers, quotes $295 for a Junior, checks for a duplicate, and books Saturday.

        Plays by itself · tap a phone to take over

        Nine steps, about 97 seconds. Sample customers in real north Georgia towns.

        Stop 03 · The barn

        One minute at the barn

        Four members of the High School Firewood crew in the barn
        Stop 04 · Proof of work

        The system

        I built an operator app and a driver app with AI coding tools. They've handled real deliveries since August 31, 2026, taking orders from the first customer text through delivery and payment.

        Animated map on real satellite imagery: the delivery season replays day by day from Aug 31, 2026. Trucks leave Ball Ground, deliver, and come back to reload. It ends on 80 mapped deliveries across 12 delivery days and 47 truckloads, out of 111 orders.
        Real deliveries since August 31, replayed day by day. Locations blurred to about half a mile.

        The real apps

        Real app, sample data

        These are the apps the crew and I run the business on, shown here with sample data.

        1. Operator app, customer messages: texts to send, and two customers whose day-before text is blocking today’s deliveries.
          01Operator: customer texts to send
        2. Operator app, orders: 22 active orders, each with package, price, day and a confirmation text to send.
          02Operator: every active order
        3. Operator app, today: follow-up texts for Friday’s deliveries and tomorrow’s plan with one driver and three stops.
          03Operator: today and tomorrow
        4. Driver app, prepare for tomorrow: the driver confirms wheelbarrow, strap and blower, and the route is downloaded.
          04Driver: gear check the night before
        5. Driver app, arriving at a stop: this order is more than the truck carries, so bring 2 Juniors now and collect payment on the last trip.
          05Driver: next stop, trip 1 of 2
        6. Driver app at the customer: a script for the moisture test, where the customer checks a piece of wood themselves.
          06Driver: at the door
        7. Driver app, payment step: amount due 109 dollars, and how the customer paid: cash, check, Venmo or Zelle.
          07Driver: payment
        Two crew members going over a delivery on the driver app
        Stop 05 · The route here

        How I built it

        1. Sep 2023

          Started the company at 16 with $500, delivering wood from my grandpa's land for gas money.

        2. 2023

          Used GPT to design our service packages, so we would avoid the roughly 10% margins common in commodity firewood. Orders went from 71 to 229 in one season.

        3. 2025

          An ice storm brought 100 orders in 48 hours, faster than I could route them by hand. Planning one delivery day took about 3 hours.

        4. Summer 2026

          Built the driver and operator apps with AI coding tools. My first launch broke because the planner ignored how much a truck could carry, so I rebuilt it around loads.

        5. Aug 31, 2026

          Went live on real deliveries. Day planning dropped to about 10 minutes.

        6. Fall 2026

          Added AI that answers customer texts, plans every route, and confirms each delivery, so the business keeps moving while I'm at UGA.

        The High School Firewood barn with cut logs stacked in the yard
        A pickup and trailer hauling logs into the wood yard
        A full rack of firewood stacked neatly at a home
        Stop 06 · Other work

        Other work

        This summer I worked two finance internships. I also built a tool for UGA's student-managed fund, and I test business ideas with my co-founder. Names, and the numbers in the visuals, are changed to keep client work confidential.

        • Joseph Breland Capital · M&A Analyst Intern · Summer 2026

          41 new targets for a 574-company pipeline

          I screened 200+ companies against a buyer's mandate, added 41 new targets to the firm's 574-company pipeline, and tested whether the lead target could actually close.

        • Animated illustration: 561 client households fly into gift tiers, each gift is packed into a box, and the shipped boxes fly to a stack while a counter of shipped boxes climbs.

          Harbor View Private Wealth · Wealth Management Intern · Summer 2026

          Thank-you gifts for 561 households

          I built the tracker the firm used to send thank-you gifts to 561 client households, from writing the card to packing, shipping, and tracking the box.

        • Harbor View Private Wealth · Wealth Management Intern · Summer 2026

          When a referral had no policy

          A referral came in and the firm had no policy for paying it. I researched peer firms and designed the referral compensation program. The firm adopted it.

        • UGA Student Managed Investment Fund · Since October 2026

          Connecting Claude to Bloomberg

          I connected Claude to the Bloomberg Terminal for UGA's student-managed fund, which admits only juniors and seniors. Members use it and my setup guide to build stock pitches.

        • Three business ideas each get a rule that can kill them; one is killed, routing is tested and computed routes drive 15% fewer miles, but the scorer check reaches 86% against a 90% pass mark set in advance, so it is not passed and the bar is kept.

          LATS · Research lab with my co-founder · Fall 2026

          We don't move the pass mark

          My co-founder and I test business ideas before we build them, and we set the pass mark first. Routing cut my firewood company's fleet miles 15%. The next version missed its accuracy bar, so it runs in the background for four weeks before it ships.

        Stop 07 · Next route

        What I want to build next

        I want to train an AI agent on our real delivery data. It'll practice thousands of Saturdays in a simulator, learning to make more profit per driver hour. If it works, I want to bring it to other seasonal service businesses.

        • Build the simulator

          I'll use our actual delivery data to model what happens on a busy Saturday.

        • Train the agent

          I'll use reinforcement learning to reward decisions that increase profit per driver hour, then test whether they work on real deliveries.

        • Take it further

          I want to try the same approach in holiday lighting, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing, where businesses rarely have software built for them.

        Why the Academy

        I've spent the last few years figuring things out as I go. I've made AI work for one business, but I have a lot to learn if I want to make it work for thousands.