In the velvet dark of pre-dawn, the clean white light of a hiker’s headlamp illuminates a narrow corridor that is the mountain path: conifer boughs leaning over the path flash deep green in the blue-white light; last season’s pine needles glow a rusty red underfoot. The light catches mere glimpses of the trail: ageless grey granite, emerald moss, the translucent cloud of warm breath exhaled, condensing in the cool morning air. And then, suddenly, the beauty seen in snippets is revealed in full as the hiker summits and the sun rises: forest, city and ocean below glow in the clear morning light. This is the hike that Gary Born takes twice a week throughout the year, rain or shine; it is a one hour trek that is a metaphor not merely for his business but for his life. Making time for it grounds him, rejuvenates him, and gives him a calm that he carries into his relationship with his family and with his clients. And the progress of the hike itself—beginning in darkness, a flashlight on the next step; ending in sunlight, the goal attained—mirrors the journey he takes with those he works with: a journey from idea to home. With more than a thousand trips up the Grouse Mountain trail, Gary might be forgiven for assuming he knows it like the back of his hand. He’ll tell you that he knows every step in much the same way as, after twenty-five years of working in real estate, he knows every step from listing to sale. But he’ll also tell you that every hike, like every client, is unique: each has a different rhythm and feel. And he’ll tell you that if he makes assumptions about what to expect, the mountain will always surprise him. In the end it is these lessons—knowledge, attention, and humility—that set Gary apart. He approaches his relationships with family, friends, and clients the way he approaches the mountain itself: with respect, acceptance, and anticipation; he works and lives with his light on the next step, his mind on the journey, and his eye on the summit.