01: On Launching Something That Matters
There is something meaningful about launching our new RanchesAt website, not because of a date on the calendar, but because of what it represents.
The Hill Country has a way of marking time differently. It is not measured in quarters or board meetings. It is measured in rain. In the way the grass greens up after a storm. In the sound of turkeys at first light. In sunsets that stretch wide across the horizon and remind you just how small, and how blessed, you really are.
As I sit down to write this first journal entry, I find myself reflecting less on a launch and more on a journey. RanchesAt did not begin as a business plan. It began as a conviction. A belief that land should be stewarded, not simply developed. That families deserve space to breathe. That the ranch lifestyle, with all its responsibility and beauty, should be accessible to more people.
Kim and I founded Clinard Properties in 2014. At that time, our focus was on developing premier retail centers in master planned communities. It was a natural extension of my previous 18 years helping build Cardtronics into a global leader. Serving as COO and President of Global Services during its growth into a multibillion dollar public company was an incredible experience. It taught me about scale, discipline, risk, leadership, and accountability.
But somewhere along the way, I realized that building businesses and building legacy are two very different things.
Success in the marketplace is important. Success at home, in faith, in family, and in stewardship, carries a different kind of weight.
In 2021, Kim and I felt called to expand into luxury residential ranchette communities. Not because it was the next logical growth move, but because it aligned with how we actually live.
Under the RanchesAt name, we became the visionaries behind three Texas Hill Country properties: Sentinel Peak, Big Mountain, and Dripping Springs. Each property was designed with a simple but disciplined philosophy. Breathtaking views. Low density living. Land stewarded with a focus on wildlife management and conservation.
We were not interested in placing as many rooftops as possible on a parcel. We were interested in protecting what makes the Hill Country special.
Kim and I live a God centered life on our own Hill Country ranch. Our days often begin before sunrise. There is something sacred about that early light, the stillness before the wind picks up, the quiet movement of wildlife, and the rhythm of chores that never really feel like chores.
Kim has always had a deep love for animals and nature. Watching her care for the animals on our property reminds me daily why this land matters. It is not ornamental. It is alive. It has been entrusted to us.
Our daughters, Madie and Kait, grew up here. Jack did too. They learned responsibility not from lectures, but from daily life. Feeding animals. Fixing fences. Respecting the land. When Trevor married Madie in 2019, we welcomed him into our family and into this way of life.
The Hill Country has shaped our children. It has shaped our faith. It has shaped our understanding of what truly lasts.
That is what RanchesAt means to me.
It is not about selling acreage. It is about creating places where families can build something enduring.
What I Love Most About the Hill Country
When people ask me why we focus on this region, I usually tell them the truth. I cannot imagine being anywhere else.
There is a quiet integrity to the Hill Country. It does not try to impress you. It simply stands as it is.
Here are a few of the places and experiences that continue to remind me why we do what we do.
Round Mountain: Where Quiet Speaks Loudest
Round Mountain embodies what I love most about Texas. Wide open space and understated beauty.
Some mornings I will drive the back roads with the windows down, watching the way the light stretches across pasture and limestone. There is no rush here. No artificial polish. Just land that has been shaped by time and weather.
One of my favorite nearby escapes is Pedernales Falls State Park. There is something powerful about watching the river move over layered rock, steady and patient. It is a reminder that the most meaningful work often happens slowly.
I also enjoy bringing family and friends to the Exotic Resort Zoo. Seeing kids light up when they encounter animals up close is a simple joy. And when the grandkids are visiting, a stop at the Science Mill always sparks curiosity and energy.
Round Mountain reminds me that peace is intentional. It is something you choose. It is something worth protecting.
Fischer and Canyon Lake: Rooted in History
Fischer carries history in its soil.
The land near Canyon Lake has long been one of my favorite places to unwind. Whether it is boating on the water or standing along a ridge looking across it, there is a sense of perspective that comes with that view.
Canyon Lake has a way of slowing conversations down. Of making you look up from your phone. Of reminding you that you do not control everything, and that is all right.
I have always appreciated the simple rhythm of fishing there, of spending time along the Guadalupe River basin, of visiting Fischer Hall and thinking about the generations who gathered there before us.
Places like Fischer remind me that we are not the first to steward this land, and we will not be the last.
That continuity matters.
Dripping Springs: Growth Done Thoughtfully
Dripping Springs carries a different energy, but one that I admire.
There is a balance there between charm and momentum. Mercer Street still feels historic and grounded, while the surrounding land continues to attract families who want something different from city living.
I have spent countless hours hiking and biking at Reimers Ranch. The cliffs overlooking the Pedernales River never lose their impact. Neither do the quiet moments at Westcave, standing near the waterfall tucked inside limestone.
And I will admit that I enjoy sitting with friends at a local winery or distillery as the sun sets over the hills. Those conversations, unhurried and honest, are some of the most meaningful ones I have had.
Dripping Springs shows that growth does not have to mean compromise. With the right intentions, it can mean expansion without erosion.
That belief guides how we approach every RanchesAt property.
Stewardship as a Calling
When we design a RanchesAt community, we begin with a simple question.
How do we protect what makes this land special?
We focus on wildlife management because it is necessary. White tailed deer, turkey, native grasses, water resources. These are not amenities on a brochure. They are part of an ecosystem that deserves respect.
We intentionally create larger, easier to maintain tracts. Enough land for animals. Enough land for privacy. Enough land for families to grow. But not so much that stewardship becomes overwhelming.
We work to protect sightlines. To preserve mature trees. To minimize disruption. To ensure that when you stand on your porch at sunset, what you see feels natural.
The ranch lifestyle is not about isolation. It is about connection. Connection to land. Connection to faith. Connection to family.
It is about kids catching their first fish. Teaching a teenager how to mend a fence. Watching a thunderstorm roll in from miles away.
It is about gratitude.
Looking Ahead
Launching this website is not the finish line. It is an invitation.
An invitation to slow down.
An invitation to steward something meaningful. An invitation to rediscover a way of life that prioritizes faith, family, and responsibility.
RanchesAt represents the intersection of experience and conviction. The lessons I learned building businesses at scale. The lessons I have learned living on this land.
If you are reading this, I hope you feel what we feel when we walk these properties. Possibility.
Possibility for your children.
Possibility for your grandchildren.
Possibility for memories that will outlast all of us.
Thank you for being here at the beginning of this new chapter.
We are grateful for the journey so far, and we are honored to share what comes next.
Mike
