Dear 2025

You moved at the speed of contradiction.

Slow in the way 2020 was fast — long, heavy, relentless. Every day delivered something shocking, depressing, or astonishing. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and before you could decide, another headline landed. The only option was to keep moving, because stopping long enough to make sense of it all felt impossible.

You gave me perspective.

The economy was erratic and unforgiving. Work slowed. Projects stalled, postponed, or disappeared — not just for me, but across an entire industry. Watching talented, hardworking people recalibrate in real time was sobering. It forced an important distinction: this wasn’t personal failure. These were forces larger than individual effort.

So I went back to the shed.

I sharpened my skills. I read more. I learned more. I went through my expenses line by line and made smarter, cleaner choices. Not out of fear — but out of respect for the work and the life it supports.

I also learned to use AI — not as novelty, not as entertainment, but as business literacy. A tool I work with daily to think better, move faster, and stay relevant. Unavoidable. Necessary. Clarifying.

There were real triumphs too.

Watching my two youngest daughters step into the fashion world alongside me is a moment of pride I hold quietly but deeply. Building something that creates access — not just opportunity, but agency — feels like a legacy moment, even as it’s still unfolding.

Politically, the noise was deafening and divisive. It reminded me that reacting is easy. Listening takes discipline. Reflection takes courage. I’m choosing both.

2025 didn’t teach me to do more.

It taught me to do less — and do it better.

As I look toward 2026, my focus is clarity — in communication, collaboration, and in how I listen to my own need for rest and growth. Less noise. More signal.

Goodbye, 2025. You were hard. You were instructive.

2026 — I can’t wait to meet you.