2025 in Review: 3 Things That Built My Business - and 3 I'm Leaving Behind

What a year actually teaches you when you're willing to look.

Here's the thing about running a business: you can spend so much time looking forward that you forget to look back. And when you don't look back? You keep making the same mistakes. You forget what actually moved the needle. You lose the plot.

So I'm pulling back the curtain on my 2025 - the wins I'm carrying into 2026 and the dead weight I'm officially leaving behind. Maybe you'll see yourself in some of this. Maybe it'll spark your own reflection. Either way, let's get into it.

What Worked #1: Ruthless Consistency in Marketing

I published content every single week in 2025. Every. Single. Week. That's 52 blog posts, 52 newsletters, and well over 300 LinkedIn posts.

Was every piece groundbreaking? Absolutely not. Some weeks I didn't have a fresh idea. Some weeks I felt like my content was mediocre at best. I published anyway.

Here's what I've learned: consistency beats brilliance. Your audience doesn't need you to be perfect - they need you to show up. The people who've been on my email list for two years and finally reach out to buy? They didn't just appear out of nowhere. Those touchpoints compounded over time.

What Worked #2: Systems That Made Consistency Possible

Let me be clear - I don't rely on motivation. Motivation is fickle. It comes and goes like the weather. What I rely on are systems.

I have someone holding me accountable to deadlines. I have automations that create folders, documents, and links the moment I input a new content title. I use AI tools to help repurpose content (always with a human touch at the end). Everything lives in one database where anyone on my team can find any piece of content from the last two years in seconds.

This isn't glamorous work. But it's the work that lets me focus on what actually moves the business forward instead of making Google Drive folders.

The takeaway? Build systems that remove you from the equation. Your future self - the one who's tired, uninspired, or buried in other priorities - will thank you.

What Worked #3: The Courage to Simplify

At the start of 2025, my business was doing a lot. Lead generation services. Internal software. A community. Content creation for clients. A bigger team trying to deliver on all of it.

And honestly? It wasn't working the way I wanted it to.

Fractional executives don't have massive budgets. Revenue can be inconsistent. Most aren't natural B2B salespeople. Trying to serve everyone with everything was draining - and the results weren't there.

So I made a hard call. I simplified. One customer. One problem. One tool. I let go of team members. I shrunk the operation. I got focused.

It was painful. I'd poured time, money, and energy into building what we had. But holding onto something that isn't working because you've already invested in it? That's the sunk cost fallacy talking. Cut it loose.

What I'm Leaving Behind #1: Trying to Be Everything to Everyone

"Can you add this feature?" "Can you accommodate this request?" "What about customers who need X instead of Y?"

I've heard it all. And I used to try to say yes to most of it.

No more.

If you try to do everything for everyone, you end up doing nothing well for anyone. In 2026, I'm serving one specific customer in one specific way: B2B founders who are already generating revenue, who see the value in LinkedIn, and who need a system to show up authentically without burning hours every week.

That's it. Clear boundaries. Clear focus.

What I'm Leaving Behind #2: The "Pick Your Brain" Trap

I genuinely love talking to people. I love coaching. I love helping entrepreneurs figure things out.

But here's the reality: if I said yes to every "Hey, can I pick your brain?" request, I would be on calls 24/7. I'd never build. I'd never get customer feedback. I'd never actually run the business.

Some of those calls turn into customers. Some turn into great relationships. But I have to be ruthlessly selective about which ones I take - because my time and energy are finite resources.

This is also why I create so much content. If someone wants help launching or growing their consulting business, the resources are there. They don't require me to repeat myself a hundred times over.

What I'm Leaving Behind #3: The Distraction Spiral

There are two kinds of distractions that destroy my productivity.

First, the internal ones: Slack notifications, LinkedIn DMs, email pings. If I leave those open, I will literally spend all day responding to things and move zero rocks forward.

Second, the external ones: news, crypto prices (guilty), texts from friends, Instagram. The dopamine hits that feel productive but aren't.

Here's what actually works for me: phone in another room, app blockers on my computer, and dedicated blocks of deep focused work - especially in the morning when my brain is sharpest. When I do this, I get an incredible amount done. When I don't, nothing meaningful happens.

Distractions are staying in 2025. Deep work is coming with me.

The Bottom Line: Narrower and Deeper

If I had to summarize everything I learned this year, it's this: go narrower and deeper.

Narrower in who you serve. Narrower in what you build. Narrower in what you say yes to. And then go as deep as possible in those focused areas.

Fewer bets, but better bets. That's the play for 2026.

The market is big enough for all of us to win. There's no scarcity here. But winning requires focus, discipline, and the willingness to let go of what isn't working - even when it hurts.

So here's my invitation: take 20 minutes this week to do your own reflection. What worked for you in 2025? What's dead weight you're still carrying? Write it down. Declare it out loud.

And if showing up consistently on LinkedIn is one of your goals for 2026, come check out what we've built. It's designed to make thought leadership easy - so you can stop overthinking content and start connecting with your ideal clients.

Here's to a focused, profitable, and abundant 2026. Let's build.

Mylance

This article was written by Mylance, the LinkedIn content system built for founders and experts who want consistent, high-quality posts that attract clients. We help you lock in your positioning, clarify your ideal customer, and build a content strategy that actually resonates. Then our system gives you a content calendar, drafts posts in your authentic voice, and keeps you accountable - so you stay visible and attract the right clients while saving hours each week!If you’re ready to grow your presence and pipeline on LinkedIn, sign up at Mylance.co.