As the year winds down and the holidays nudge their way into the schedule, we’re taking a moment to look back. It was neither a flashy year nor a chaotic one, and we’re grateful for that. It was steady. That steadiness let us breathe a little, think a bit and make choices without feeling like we were sprinting from one fire to the next. It gave the business space to grow, and it gave us space to appreciate the work rather than just react to it.
We’re thankful for the opportunities that emerged over the past twelve months, especially the ones that started as small ideas and somehow managed to grow into something legitimate. There’s a certain quiet satisfaction in watching something go from a rough sketch to a real possibility. A few of these opportunities are set to open new doors next year and seeing that momentum build has been one of the highlights of this season.
That’s not to say everything sailed along without interruption. We had our share of surprises. Some were the kind that show up precisely when you don’t have time for them, and others were more of the “well, that wasn’t on my Bingo card” variety. But we weathered them. We didn’t panic. We made adjustments, kept the conversations honest and kept moving forward. There’s comfort in knowing that even when things wobble a bit, the foundation holds.
None of this happens in a vacuum, and we’re grateful for the people who made the year what it has been. Clients who trusted our work, our people who unfailingly produced excellence in each and every project, our business partners, both old and new, with whom we created opportunities that are greater than either of us could have developed on our own: all of this reminds of us why we own a business in the first place. The conversations, the questions, the occasional bit of humor tossed into a serious meeting (one of our clients showing up on a Zoom call in a banana costume because Halloween) — these pieces added texture to the year and made the work easy to enjoy.
And then there’s the quiet, personal side of it. The routines that kept us grounded. The moments that reminded us to look up past the laptop screen. The sense of progress that isn’t loud or dramatic but feels steady and authentic. That matters just as much as, sometimes more than, the milestones.
As we head into the holidays, we’re grateful for everything this year offered, both the easy and the challenging bits. We’re grateful for the sense of possibility building for this coming year. Most of all, we’re grateful for the people who continue to support our work and stay connected. Here’s to a peaceful break, a holiday season that blesses you, gentle reader, with time with the people you love and a new year that builds on everything we’ve started.
