In this Issue

🤑    4 Words That Defined 2025
💸    Bullish on My Business
🚗    Measure in the Rearview Mirror

🤑  4 Words That Defined 2025

“Uncertainty” is the best word to describe this topsy-turvy year, but it’s not the word that defined 2025.

In spite of all the worries and unknowns, 2025 is ending on a high note. All of Sticky Branding’s clients hit their revenue targets, and several exceeded them. But in April, it was touch and go. Facing tariffs and canceled or delayed projects, the year was looking in doubt.

What defined 2025 was 4 words:

Grit

Without a doubt, 2025 was not a year to rest on your laurels. It required grit, or that mix of perseverance and commitment to see things through to the end. When things looked bleak, teams dug deep to be successful, no matter what.

Sunsetting

Seismic industry shifts set in motion in 2020 made many markets, products, and investments no longer relevant. 2025 was a year of sunsetting and shedding unprofitable products and customers.

Profitability

Profit is always important, but with rising costs, tariffs, and customer churn, 2025 was a year of managing to profit. One client described their cost cutting program as “squeezing a nickel until the beaver farts.” (Canadians have beavers on their 5 cent coins.)

Proactive

Winston Churchill famously said, “Never waste a good crisis.” 2025 awakened something that we hadn’t felt since the pandemic days of 2020. The trade war never turned into a crisis, or really into much of anything, but the threat response provoked companies to act fast, adapt faster, and not wait for the slowdown to slow them down.

By almost all measures, 2025 has turned into a pretty solid year.

💸  Bullish on My Business

Through December I surveyed CEOs and business owners on their predictions for 2026. I asked, “Are you bullish or bearish on the economy and on your business?”

Of 37 CEOs polled, 100% are bullish on their businesses. They are confident their businesses will grow in 2026.

Predictions on the economy were more diverse, but the general sentiment was bearish. One of the CEOs polled described the economy as “brittle.”

The divergence in sentiment is interesting and telling. Regardless of what happens in the economy, companies have control over their destiny. You get to choose what 2026 will be for your business.

One Stat to Watch

$592.50 billion

‘Tis the season for giving. U.S. charitable giving broke records in 2024, surpassing $592.50 billion. 2025 looks even more promising, according to Giving USA.

🚗  Measure in the Rearview Mirror

In the hustle and goal setting of the New Year, it’s important to take a moment to acknowledge what your team accomplished this year.

A powerful exercise is to measure your accomplishments from the rearview mirror. Look backwards to see what you achieved.

On a whiteboard create four columns:

• Successes: What did we achieve?
• Misses: Where did we fall short?
• Lessons: What did we learn?
• Priorities: What do we need to do differently?

For each column, task your team to brainstorm as many items as they can think of. Then take the time to review and discuss the items.

When you look back over the course of a year, it’s pretty amazing to see and share what you accomplished.

You’re doing great work. Celebrate it!

🤔  Thoughts on Today’s Issue?

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