Blayne Larson grew up in a bar.
His mom, a true “mama bear,” shielded her children from the less pleasant parts of bar life. But when your family’s bar is a Missoula institution—Stockman’s Bar, to be exact—you learn the family business.
“My dad used to take me down to the bar every Sunday,” Blayne said. “He’d do the books and I’d vacuum the back arcade room for two bucks. Then we’d go to Paul’s Pancakes. I thought that was so cool.”
Blayne’s grandfather bought Stockman’s Bar in 1956. Back then, it was a little hole-in-the-wall, sharing a building with an insurance agency, John R. Daily’s Meats, and John Deere. Eventually, he purchased the whole building, expanding the bar’s footprint to what it is today.
Blayne’s father, Mike, started washing dishes at the bar when he was 14 years old, eventually partnering with Blayne’s uncle to buy into ownership of Stockman’s. Blayne went from Sunday-morning vacuuming to Friday-night bartending when he turned 21, spending ten years behind the bar.
“Stock’s has been a staple of Missoula. It’s given us a rich life of family and friends,” Blayne explained. “My grandpa always taught us that if you’re going to do something, be proud of it.”
Blayne’s family has certainly devoted much of their lives to the family bar, building not only an enduring Missoula establishment but a business that has led to other connections, especially for Blayne.
“It’s a fun lifestyle,” he said. “You can build other things off of it.”
Because of the close-knit ownership, Blayne said his family spent a lot of time together, enjoying Montana’s outdoor activities—hunting, camping, and fishing—as an alternative to vacations that would take them too far from Missoula and thus, too far from the bar.
After bartending throughout his 20s and early 30s, Blayne wanted to expand his career opportunities. Not that he didn’t love the bar. In fact, he still puts in a few shifts every week. But he knew that to stay in Missoula, he needed to be willing to work and take advantage of opportunities.
“I want to have as many irons in the fire as possible,” Blayne explained.
He’d considered medical device sales before he settled on real estate, getting his license in 2018, starting his real estate career on the anniversary of his first day tending bar at Stockman’s. For the first couple of years, he’d work a 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. bar shift, head home and sleep, then get to the Pure West real estate office at 9 a.m. to show and sell properties to clients.
The relationships he made through his years at Stock’s got his real estate business off the ground.
“Working at the bar, running a business, has helped me learn how to run this real estate business,” he explained. “I think everyone should work in the service industry at some point. It teaches you how to treat people, how to talk to people.”
Blayne’s Missoula life—one that transitioned from a childhood here to a hometown career—is a source of pride. While he knows that it can be difficult to stay in Montana, he’s never wanted to leave. Of his close group of friends, he’s one of only a few to make a career in Missoula.
“There’s nothing really that has drawn me away from Missoula,” he said. “I’ve known since day one that I’ve had every reason to stay here: my family, my horses, my dogs, the outdoor life.”
The Montana outdoor life is one that is loved by longtime locals and transplants alike. Unlike bigger urban areas, Montanans can often walk out their backdoor and be in the backcountry within a short drive. That, coupled with Missoula’s special flavor, is what keeps Blayne in Montana, likely forever.
“Missoula beats the other cities in Montana. Missoula’s soul is still here,” he said. “Yeah, it’s kinda quirky and weird but that’s how we like it. In Missoula, people smile and say hi.”
As a city, Missoula has changed over the years from a town of thriving lumber mills to an economy fueled by the University of Montana, the hospitals, and tourism. Blayne said that change is not uncommon but that it probably has made it tougher for those who are from here to remain in their hometown.
And while he says the stars aligned for him to remain in Missoula, he believes more locals could stay in the Montana they love.
“Figure out what you want to do. Find a niche,” Blayne said. “Missoula is growing. Be willing to work a couple of jobs to start out. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help. Learn a trade and start your own business.”
Missoula brims with opportunities for people who want to make a life here, Blayne said. His is a mentality of old-fashioned Montana grit coupled with ingenuity and maybe a bit of the Montana frontier spirit of long-ago.
“I try to live what I sell,” he said of his love for the outdoors. “Staying in your hometown can breed complacency. I try to look forward to something every single day. It’s a lifestyle mindset.”
An active community, Missoula is an obvious choice for people who would rather spend a morning on a trail than sitting at a desk. Blayne’s seen this through not only his own life but through the lives of people he works with, both in real estate and at one of Missoula’s most famous watering holes.
“If you’re bored in Montana, you’re just doing it wrong,” has been Blayne’s marketing tagline for the past couple of years.
“The bar hasn’t been helpful just for selling real estate,” he explained. “It’s a place where people are sharing recommendations for good horseshoers, the best fishing guides, and top outfitters. I go into the bar and I’m excited to see people.”
It’s the people who bring a town to life: from slinging drinks and stories at a family bar to helping people find their perfect slice of Montana.
“Missoula is a hometown, for sure,” Blayne said. “It’s a special way of life.”