Tuesdays with Mary

Tuesday, February 3, 2025 Some days, life feels like a sturdy old book with well-worn pages, its chapters unfolding just as we expect. We settle into our routines, comforted by the predictability of morning coffee, familiar conversations, and the quiet hum of daily life. And then, without warning, the page turns faster than we anticipated. A gust of change sweeps through, and suddenly, we’re standing in a new chapter we didn’t see coming. Rolling with change isn’t always easy. Whether it’s life or your life’s work that suddenly shifts course, the feeling of uncertainty can be unsettling. We can cling [...]

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 It’s Tuesday, so let’s talk about Monday morning quarterbacking—it’s practically a national pastime. We’ve all been there, rehashing the details of what went wrong or what could have gone better with the perfect clarity hindsight affords. It’s human nature to connect the dots once the outcome is known, and with that clarity, we often wonder why the right decision didn’t seem so obvious in the moment. The truth is, recognizing missed opportunities is always easier after the fact. The variables that seemed complex and uncertain when we were in the middle of the situation often feel [...]

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 As we step into 2025, the air feels charged with possibility and uncertainty. What lies ahead for housing finance and real estate? Much of the answer depends on how well we can navigate a world where complexity is often the only certainty. Among the challenges that demand our attention, one stands out: nested vulnerabilities. These hidden risks, woven into the very fabric of our systems, can remain dormant until the moment they cascade, disrupting entire processes and industries. The question isn’t whether they exist but how prepared we are to identify and address them. In housing [...]

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 Happy New Year!  It’s 2025 and I bet you have some big projects planned.  I’ve been thinking about successful projects and what makes or breaks one.  Before we go much further, it should be said that I love flying to or through Denver International Airport (DIA); the wide-open spaces, the striking architecture, the mountains peeking off to the west, and the sense that I’m about to embark on a new adventure. It’s a top-tier airport today, but it wasn’t always that way. DIA's early struggles illustrate how even brilliant concepts can face notorious setbacks in execution. [...]

Tuesday, December 31, 2024 I’ve been thinking that there’s something magical about stumbling across an old home video, isn’t there? The grainy footage, the muted colors, and the shaky, unscripted moments can instantly shuttle you back to a different time, a different version of the world. It seems I’m not the only one who feels this way; I read recently that Gen Z has recently embraced a fascinating trend of watching hours of camcorder footage from the 1980s and 1990s. What’s striking about this phenomenon is that it’s not rooted in personal memory; these viewers weren’t alive during the eras [...]

Tuesday, December 24, 2024 As we close another year and the magic of holiday lights fills the air simultaneously with serenity and possibility, I want to pause and share my heartfelt gratitude with you. The work you do matters. It’s not just about transactions or numbers on a ledger, it’s about building something lasting. Something sustainable.  Your dedication helps families create places to call home, shapes the legacies passed down through generations, and strengthens the foundation of our shared economy. It’s vital work, and it’s a privilege to be connected with so many who do it so well. Here at [...]

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 I’ve been thinking about this term since I first heard it used in a new context last week.  Technology providers have long employed euphemisms to describe the reduction in workforce that many software products enable.  Downsizing, restructuring, recalibrating, right-sizing…these terms have all been used in the past to delicately point out (while not speaking directly of) the cost savings a business could realize by automating its workflow.  Now, with AI, the promise is – rebalancing. Granted, this is still a way off in the future; despite many AI companies selling the vision already today.  I was [...]

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 I’ve been thinking about how hard it can be lately to have a good conversation.  Whether trying to discuss culture, news and events of the day or even the weather, it’s getting harder and harder to share common experiences, references, and viewpoints. Our silos are becoming taller and farther apart.  While it’s easier than ever to find a group who shares your deeply held political convictions or are just as wildly passionate for your rare hobby…our holing up (even if only virtually) more and more often with like-minded souls is causing other relationships to wither.  We’re [...]

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 I’ve been thinking about living with flourish.  Hopefully, you had a terrific long weekend filled with great food, hearty laughs with close family (or the wonderful friends who have chosen you as family) and plenty of high spirits.  As the holiday express train barrels toward the end of the year, as you balance and ration your energy between the things you want to do and the things you must do… keep the life of Sarah Joyce Snider in mind. Sarah and I never met, but after reading her obituary I certainly wish we had.  If you [...]

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 This Thanksgiving week I’ve been thinking about going home.  No matter what going home means to you, there is someplace that feels in your heart, like home.  Maybe you will travel there this week, and will slip into the comfortable, well-worn and sometimes slightly itchy roles established years ago.  Perhaps your house is the home that others make an effort to come to, and you’ll experience the joy of hosting. Last night I sat in the airport and watched many joy-filled homecomings.  As the digital advertising sign above the baggage carousel displayed houses in the area [...]