If you’re closing out 2025 feeling proud, stretched, exhausted, clearer than ever, or all of the above, this reflection is for you.

This isn’t a highlight reel. This isn’t the polished Instagram recap.

This is the real behind-the-scenes version of what 2025 taught me — about business, leadership, motherhood, resilience, style, and learning how to evolve without needing permission or explanation.

Because this year reminded me of something important: Growth doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing things differently.

Below are the six biggest lessons that shaped me in 2025, and may help you as you reflect, reset, and step into 2026.

1. Hire Up (Even When You Know You Could Do It Yourself)

One of the most powerful lessons of 2025 was a reminder I already “knew”, but hadn’t fully embodied:

Hire people who are better than you.

Yes, I can do everything myself. No, I don’t need to prove that anymore.

This year, I hired a contractor to completely revamp our style quiz — something I had been tweaking on and off for nearly 10 years. Within three months, she created landing pages, refined the style boards, optimized emails, and brought clarity to a vision I had been holding onto for years.

It was humbling, and freeing. Hiring up doesn’t mean you’re incapable. It means you’re leading.

And the truth? When you bring the right people into your business, results don’t just improve; they accelerate.

2. Ask the Harder Questions (They Build Deeper Connections)

I’ve lost opportunities over the years simply because I was afraid to follow up.

Not because I’m not confident, but because asking vulnerable questions can feel uncomfortable:

• Why didn’t you move forward?

• Why did you choose someone else?

• What’s not working for you?

• How could this be better?

A mentor of mine taught me that honest questions don’t push people away; they bring them closer.

When I started asking deeper questions, everything changed:

• Stronger relationships

• Better feedback

• Clearer alignment

• Unexpected opportunities

People want to be heard. They want honesty. And real connection only happens when they feel safe telling the truth.

3. Failures Aren’t Failures; They’re Data

Let’s talk about the $10,000 “failed” marketing campaign.

Earlier this year, my team and I launched what we thought was a brilliant offer. We were prepared. We filmed videos. Built landing pages. Ran ads. Created systems.

And it completely flopped.

Unqualified leads. Bots. Ad spend drained. Two months of tweaking — and ultimately, letting it go.

It was frustrating. It was humbling. And it taught me more than any “successful” campaign ever had.

Here’s what I gained instead:

• Resilience

• Smarter systems

• Better decision-making

• Confidence to take bigger risks

Because of that willingness to experiment and learn, our business grew nearly 30% in one year — something most small businesses never experience.

Progress isn’t linear. But resilience compounds.

4. Not Every Big Opportunity Deserves a Yes

This was the first year I truly understood this: More opportunities doesn’t mean more alignment.

I was invited to events, trips, networks, and collaborations I’d never had access to before — and for the first time, I said no.

Not because they weren’t exciting. But because they weren’t right.

If something drains your energy instead of fueling it, it’s not meant for you — even if it looks good on paper.

Saying no isn’t closing doors. It’s protecting your capacity.

5. Slowing Down Doesn’t Mean Stopping

Slowing down has been my hardest lesson, especially as a business owner and a mother.

When my daughter is sick and I’m forced to stay home, my instinct is to focus on everything I can’t do. And that spiral takes a toll on my mental health.

So I shifted the question: What can I do instead?

• A 15-minute walk on my walking pad

• A short workout

• Journaling instead of opening my laptop

• Grocery shopping instead of delivery

• Small organization projects at home

Movement doesn’t always mean productivity. Sometimes it just means caring for yourself.

Slowing down isn’t quitting; it’s choosing sustainability.

6. Style, Boldness & Letting Yourself Be Seen

My style has evolved because I have evolved.

This year reminded me that I don’t need to blend in — in business, in life, or in how I dress.

Every time I attend a big event or work with next-level clients, I challenge myself:

• A stronger silhouette

• A bolder brand

• A different expression

Because style isn’t about fitting in; it’s about alignment.

And when you allow your outer expression to reflect who you’re becoming, it changes how you show up everywhere else.

Closing Thoughts: Who Are You Becoming Next?

2025 changed me — not because everything worked, but because I trusted myself enough to keep going when it didn’t.

Here’s what this year reinforced:

• Hiring help is leadership, not weakness

• Asking deeper questions builds stronger relationships

• “Failures” are feedback

• Time is your most valuable asset

• Slowing down is a form of self-respect

• Boldness is something you reclaim again and again

As you reflect on 2025, ask yourself:

• What did this year teach me?

• What am I ready to release?

• Who am I becoming next?

Ready to Step Into the Next Version of You?

Our Winter Wardrobe Guide is now available, and it’s designed to help you show up feeling confident, polished, and intentional this season.

Inside, you’ll find:

• How to elevate sweaters

• Outfit ideas for wide-leg pants

• How to style boots (when there are so many options)

My team and I are here to support you as you close out 2025 and step boldly into 2026 — in your style, your business, and your life.

Here’s to evolving, leading, and showing up as yourself.