One Ride at a Time: Riding the Ride After CREW

The hum before the quiet

The Sunday after the 2025 CREW Network Convention felt like Austin had exhaled.
The city had been buzzing for days — more than 1,400 brilliant women in commercial real estate gathered downtown to share, learn, and lead. It was the kind of energy that doesn’t just fill rooms; it fills people.

All week, I’d been riding a different kind of current — one of conversations, panels, late-night ideas scribbled on notepads, and the joyful chaos of hosting friends from across the country in my city.
I’d stood behind the hospitality table welcoming attendees, proud to represent CREW Austin — proud of what these women accomplish together and what they stand for.

And as much as I wanted to have a few of my e-bikes there for people to touch and test, it wasn’t the week for that. This was about advancing women through real estate, and that mission deserved the main stage. Still, somewhere between all the networking and inspiration, I couldn’t help but think — this is what it feels like when purpose and motion align.

That thought stayed with me.

A different kind of ride

By Sunday, I needed air. Not hotel ballroom air — real air.
The kind that smells like cedar and pavement, like Austin after a long week.

It also happened to be ACL Live Weekend, UT vs OU Football, Texas State Fair, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend, which gave this trail a peaceful pulse. Fewer cars, slower streets. For most, it was a holiday. For me, it was one of those hybrid days founders know too well — part work, part reflection, part reset.

So I rolled my little blue e-bike out of the garage, still humming with post-conference energy, and pointed it toward Brushy Creek East Trail in Round Rock.

Buzz meets balance

The first few miles were just noise and movement.
That lingering convention high was still in my system — all the voices, the panels on leadership, the buzzwords like “AI” and “tariffs” mixing with laughter from the Dine Around dinner we’d hosted the night before.

But as I pedaled farther, the city noise began to fade. The rhythm of the road took over. The wide Austin sidewalks gave way to suburban paths lined with oak trees and open sky.

And somewhere between traffic lights and treetops, I found it — the stillness that comes after inspiration.

The trail unfolded like a reset button. Families with strollers, runners, the occasional cyclist. The quiet kind of company that lets your thoughts breathe.

Dog Days and the Hill

I wasn’t chasing distance — I just wanted to see where the trail would take me.
But somewhere around the halfway mark, I met the hill.

Not just a hill — a long, winding, “do-you-really-want-this” kind of climb.

And right on cue, Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” came through my headphones, as if the universe had queued up the soundtrack for this moment.

So I leaned in.
Pedal assist on, legs pumping, smile stretching wider with every push.

There’s a specific kind of joy that happens when your body says “I can,” your mind says “maybe not,” and your e-bike motor says “watch this.”

It’s hard to describe, but it’s something between empowerment and play.
The kind of grin that sneaks up on you halfway up a hill and doesn’t leave even after you’ve crested it.

Sixteen miles later, I’d felt every kind of motion — effort, ease, gratitude.

Where movement becomes meaning

I stopped for a moment at the top, looking back down the trail.
The world was quiet, but my thoughts weren’t.

All week, I’d been surrounded by women talking about building — companies, projects, careers, communities. And here I was, doing the same thing in my own way — building something that moves, literally.

That’s the overlap between CREW and Rovo for me.
It’s not about categories — real estate vs. rides. It’s about momentum. About taking up space and shaping it into something better.

Through CREW, I’ve become a better version of myself — a version that leads, that listens, that believes progress doesn’t just happen; it’s built.
And now, I’m building the next version of me — one that rides that belief forward.

The founder’s trail

There’s a lesson in the rhythm of a ride like this.
The push and coast. The way speed and stillness trade places.

Running a business feels like that, too. Some days it’s pedal-assist — smooth, efficient, forward without friction. Other days, it’s the hill. You just grit your teeth and keep pedaling.

But even on the hardest climbs, it’s impossible not to smile when you realize you’re still moving.

That’s what keeps me showing up — not just for Rovo, but for what it represents:
Freedom. Connection. A different way to move through the world.

“Through CREW, I learned to walk the walk.
Through Rovo, I’m learning to ride the ride.”

Austin pride, global perspective

The funny thing about hosting the CREW Convention in your hometown is you start to see your city through new eyes.
Watching 1,400 guests fall in love with Austin — its skyline, its music, its late-night tacos — reminded me how proud I am to call it home.

The same pride carries into every Rovo ride.
Every time I glide past traffic on that sleek blue bike, heads turn. And I can’t help but grin — not from ego, but from gratitude. Because this city, these women, this movement — they all share the same heartbeat: possibility.

Sixteen miles of reflection

By the time I wrapped up my 16-mile loop, I wasn’t measuring time or distance.
I was thinking about how rare it is to feel so connected — to a mission, a community, a city, and a simple joy like a well-timed song on a climb.

This wasn’t just another test ride. It was a checkpoint — a reminder that motion doesn’t always have to be monumental to be meaningful.

Sometimes it’s as simple as finding your rhythm after a busy week, letting gratitude lead, and letting the ride remind you who you are becoming.

The next version

I know this is just the start.
There will be more rides, more stories, more people joining along the way. I’ll host that Rovo group ride soon — maybe even invite some CREW friends to hop on and see Austin from the trail instead of the hotel window.

Because that’s what I’ve learned through all of this — whether it’s building a business, a network, or a better world — it happens one ride at a time.