09/12/2026
This guy. 💙 My nephew, Blazen James.
When he was less than a year old, I almost got in an accident driving in Edmonton because I was looking back at his big, infectious grin in the back seat. 😂
Now he’s 18, graduated, and somehow that grin hasn’t changed a bit.
I stopped in to watch him train horses the other day. He got off his horse to come say hi and give his auntie a great big hug, then climbed back on and went to work.
I watched him ride a young horse that had never been ridden in that arena before. Something as simple as a piece of twine suddenly became a pretty big deal, and that young horse started bucking.
Blazen didn’t panic.
He held on. Corrected him. Rode him through it. And then, instead of getting frustrated or quitting when things got a little western, he just kept quietly riding until that horse was every bit as relaxed as he was.
When he finally got off, there was that same big grin again — and the first thing he told me was how proud he was of the horse.
And I thought… there’s a lesson in that.
Life — and real estate — can be a little like riding a young horse sometimes. Things don't always go exactly according to plan. Deals get bumpy. Inspections uncover surprises. Financing changes. Negotiations get tough.
The answer isn't always to jump off when things get uncomfortable.
Sometimes you stay calm, make the correction, keep moving forward and give things a chance to settle.
Maybe that's why I love country people and country real estate so much. Some of the best lessons in business aren't learned in an office.
Sometimes they're learned from an 18-year-old cowboy with a great big grin.
And Blazen, your auntie is pretty darn proud of the young man you've become.💙
