A lot has shifted for many of us this year, and there were times when it asked more of us than we expected.  This episode comes from that place.

Leon and I sit down to reflect honestly on the year that was, not the highlight reel, but the real decisions, the tolerated chaos, the systems that lagged behind our growth, and the moments where pushing harder clearly wasn’t the answer.

We talk about why choosing a word for the year only works when it becomes a true decision-making lens, a filter for what stays, what changes, and what gets let go.

You’ll hear how sustainability shaped every major decision we made this year, what it forced us to clean up, and why the process of reflection led us very clearly to our word for 2026.

If you’re closing out the year feeling proud and tired… successful and stretched… this conversation will help you reflect with clarity, release what no longer fits, and move into the next chapter with far more intention.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:

• 03:01 – Why this year felt compressed and expansive at the same time
• 05:44 – The danger of choosing a word that feels good but isn’t operational
• 9:52 – Where sustainability was leaking, and how we were tolerating chaos
• 13:20 – The costs in our business that were quietly eroding profit
• 17:05 – Why “free tools” often cost more than paid ones
• 21:28 – How real downtime creates better CEO decisions
• 23:46 – When collaboration becomes misaligned, and how to set boundaries
• 26:08 – Re-keying offers so clients get faster results
• 30:40 – Our exact process for choosing a word that actually shapes the year
• 35:48 – The word we’ve chosen for 2026
• 38:07 – The three strategies we’re doubling down on next year
• 45:23 – The market always tells the truth
• 46:51 – The real reason money matters in business

Got questions or want more business growth content? Follow us over at @thesamriley and @leonflitton

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