12/10/2025
From high heels to cowgirl boots...
This time of year I've been doing a lot of reflecting including going through old journal entries. I opened an entry from May 5th, 2014 and it said at the top, "Last day of real estate, thank god!" Below that it said, "When you fill up on passion you are unstoppable. You've got this, Dev, so go all out!"
I remember the day of my last real estate closing like it was yesterday. I walked out of the title company doors into the parking lot, took a deep breath, and felt FREE. I'd been selling real estate for 6.5 years and simultaneously building my equine coaching business for 3.5 of those years.
I tried to picture myself showing houses for the next 40 years, but I knew in my heart and soul that real estate was not my long-term destiny. It was a great bridge career, but was not my ultimate path.
Two months before my last closing, I had already left behind my city life and Denver townhome and moved to my friend's ranch in Larkspur where I was sleeping on a pullout couch in a meeting room attached to an indoor arena. I was 100% committed to my dream and determined to make it work, no matter what.
What I've learned over the past 15 years of building my dream is that it takes a helluva lot of passion, determination, and following your intuition versus other people's expectations. Many well-intentioned people questioned my decision to leave real estate and wondered how I would make it work. I wondered too, but my intuition overrode doubt, and I knew deep down I was meant to go for it and would figure it out as I went.
Helping people through horses is a passion I can't shake...it's a calling. I've made tons of mistakes, faced fear, lived through uncertainty, and I wouldn't change a thing. Following your intuition requires getting comfortable being uncomfortable and taking many small steps, and sometimes leaps, into the unknown. It's scary, AND it's been worth it.
Today, my life reflects who I truly am... not who I tried or thought I should be in my younger years. It’s not perfect (and that’s okay), it's authentic. I’m proud to say I haven't uttered "Outstanding curb appeal, with a brand new stamped concrete patio, perfect for entertaining" in over a decade. 😉
"Don't look for your dreams to come true; look to become true to your dreams." - Michael Beckwith
If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your story in the comments. It’s inspiring and helpful to hear others’ journeys.🫶