In the first episode of Backstage Pass: Inside Energy, Brittni Castilaw sits down with Jimmy Robinson, Founder & COO of Northern Oilfield Services, for a candid conversation about business, leadership, technology, and what’s ahead for the energy industry.

As a third-generation oilfield professional, Jimmy has seen the industry evolve firsthand. He shares how Northern Oilfield Services has navigated downturns and changing markets, why adaptability matters, and why “that’s how we’ve always done it” might be one of the most dangerous phrases in the business.

They also dig into AI and the opportunities Jimmy is already seeing inside his own business, including how technology can take repetitive work off people’s plates while making room for the human skills and relationships this industry still runs on.

And because the way business gets done is changing too, Jimmy weighs in on shifting generations of decision-makers, the return of more personal relationship-building and how his generation somehow ended up trading golf outings for pickleball and mountain bikes.

But the conversation ultimately comes back to something bigger: the energy industry is vital. From the products we use every day to the infrastructure powering the next wave of AI and technology, Jimmy makes the case for remembering just how much depends on the men and women who keep energy moving.

It’s honest, wide-ranging and exactly the kind of conversation we created Backstage Pass for.