Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 2 16 Since then, Chris has undergone twenty surgeries over six years. "I feel like I'm always in recovery now. It hasn't always been so happy and easy," he confides. Never one to give in to despair, Chris decided to take up golf, giving him something he could do with his friends to keep active and stave off boredom. One day, the conversation turned to real estate and one of them proposed that Chris, who is nothing if not personable, likable, and magnetic, had the perfect qualities to make a great real estate agent. "But I've been an electrician for 36 years," he protested. Still, the idea appealed to him in some way he couldn't quite define. Months later, he announced to his golf buddies that he had taken a class, passed a test and became a real estate agent. Now all he needed was a job. Chris proved his mettle by making some deals "right out of the gate and having a lot of fun." With multiple closings and four years of experience, Chris became a successful real estate agent. So when his buddies, Trecie Wheat Hughes & Jackie Wickens with Yellowstone Brokers wanted to bring another agent on board, they immediately thought of Chris. "Bottom line is that we trust Chris. We know he is always going to do the right thing, and that to us is priceless. Plus, we think it is pretty cool to have our local superhero on board," says Trecie. "It's been a pleasant ride," he says of his experience with Yellowstone Brokers, known nationally for their HGTV pro- gram Mountain Mamas. "They crack me up. They're as funny as they are pretty!" We asked him his favorite part of being a realtor, or "join- ing the dark side," as Trecie jokingly calls it. He tells us it's "getting people there and getting to know people at their best and worst. These are the biggest purchases of people's lives, and you're going through these stresses to- gether and you get to know the whole family. At the very end, when you hand them the keys to the house, you see the person come out from under the stress. It's a good moment, and I al- ways look forward to those moments as a real estate agent." When he's not skiing, hiking, adventuring, or helping make Montana real estate dreams come true, he's likely to be hanging out with his pups. "I have Charlie and she's five. She's a golden retriever, but they think she's an Irish setter because of how red she is. I didn't get enough with Charlie and got another one Sullie—he's Clifford the Big Red Dog on steroids—clumsy, but good-natured. Having dogs in your life is a good way to brighten your day for sure." But the "pinnacle of my day," he says, is invariably seeing his grandchildren. "They're the ones who keep me going, without a doubt. I'm a very lucky Papa Chris, as they call me. I went on a short hike to Pine Creek with them the other day to spend time with them and play in the water." Through it all, Chris is grounded and humble. He'd still consid- er himself an adrenaline junky, but now he'll take his modest hit of adrenaline from the little pleasures in his life. "I always try to keep things positive and happy. I've had a few knicks in the armor, but I came out the other side and tried to look forward to the good and not look back to the negative—life's short." Chris Bruha has won his share of wisdom. So does he have any advice for us mere mortals? "People don't know how easy the life light can slip away so enjoy it." Trecie Wheat Hughes BROKER (406) 579-5416 trecie@yellowstonebrokers.co Jackie Wickens BROKER (406) 451-3485 jackie@yellowstonebrokers.co "AT THE VERY END, WHEN YOU HAND THEM THE KEYS TO THE HOUSE, YOU SEE THE PERSON COME OUT FROM UNDER THE STRESS. IT'S A GOOD MOMENT, AND I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE MOMENTS AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT."

• Cover