“Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is.” ~ Seth Godin

Apparently, I thrive on constant change and a touch of anxiety.

Last Tuesday, I finally did something I've been meaning to do all season" I said yes to a dedicated ski day with Brad. He skis once a week like the mountain's his part-time office. Meanwhile, I keep telling myself I'll go "next week" and then five Tuesdays pass and I'm still in meetings and feeling the FOMO.

Last week I NEEDED it. No calendar math. No "maybe I'll catch up later" guilt. I grabbed my board and committed to a day on the slopes.

On the drive up, we checked a few messages, fielded some quick work calls, and had one of those rare, uninterrupted creative brainstorms that only happen when we're stuck in a car with no escape and no kids. Once we got to the mountain, we were fully tech-free for a few glorious hours. No phones (other than for my tunes), no emails, just us and the mountain...and far too many other people, but that's another post for another day.

We were blessed with the most beautiful bluebird day - like the kind of blue that makes your brain slow down and your shoulders unclench. The snow had that slight slushy hero snow, and we loved every bit of it. I wore my lightest vest and shell and still felt invincible (I usually pad up like the Pilsbury Doughboy because I hate falling). It was the kind of day that made me wonder why I don't make the time to go every week.

Somewhere mid-mountain, between one of my favorite runs and a quick mental check of whether I remembered sunscreen (unfortunately, I didn't), I realized something...I love snowboarding - but it also makes me a little anxious.

Why? Because the conditions are ALWAYS changing. From day to day, even from run to run. There are so many variables - sunlight, temperature, wind, crowds, time of day, snow quality, grooming, last week's storm, this morning's freeze, etc. I could do the exact same run tomorrow and it'd feel like a completely different mountain.

And that's when it hit me: Of course, I love this!! Because...real estate is the exact same.

No two days are ever the same. No two deals, no two clients, no two comps. Like snowboarding, it's the perfect blend of excitement and "huh, this might go sideways, but let's roll with it." The conditions are constantly in flux - market trends, interest rates, buyer moods, seller expectations, surprise repairs, surprise emotions (mine included)...the list goes on. The terrain changes, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically. And the trick is learning to read the slope, adjust on the fly, and remain flexible.

We recently had a transaction that started out as smooth as fresh powder on a blue groomer: clean listing, eager buyer, all the green lights. Until - BOOM - a hiccup on the loan. Suddenly, we were navigating an icy patch with quick pivots and a lot of balance (thank goodness I do a lot of core work). But we handled it, and everything worked out in the end. Because that's the job. Not to make things perfect, but to ride whatever the mountain throws at us and keep our clients upright.

Both on the slopes and in our business, the key is having strong systems and a headspace that can handle a little chaos. You don't control the snow, and you definitely don't control the market. But you CAN control your mindset, your preparedness, and your reaction time.

That's why I love days like last Tuesday! They remind me why I love this work. It's not predictable. It's not static. It requires constant presence, creativity, and a willingness to continuously remain nimble. Sometimes it requires dodging a few spring break skiers along the way - both literally and metaphorically.

Luckily, spring break is behind us now, so my favorite runs won't involve playing human frogger with tiny, helmeted humans pointing pizza wedges in my direction...at least not on the weekdays.