2025: Not the Sleigh Wreck It Was Shaping Up to Be

This image felt about right at the start of 2025.

Because let’s be honest, the first quarter of this year was one of the weirdest I’ve ever experienced in business.

No rhyme or reason. No clean pattern.

One week you’d have a run of interest, the next week it would go quiet for no clear reason.

Every founder conversation sounded the same:

• “Leads are weird.”
• “Conversions are unpredictable.”
• “Is it algorithms?”
• “Is it the economy?”
• “Is it AI?”
• “Is it just me?”

It wasn’t just you.

For a while, it felt like the old playbook had stopped working, but the new one hadn’t fully arrived yet. That messy in-between.

Then something shifted.

The second half of 2025 took off.

Confidence came back. Enquiries picked up. People made decisions again. It wasn’t just one niche either. Across the coaching space, momentum returned and it set a lot of us up for a proper crack at 2026.

So here’s my takeaway, especially two days before Christmas.

2026 won’t reward the loudest

It’ll reward the most human.

AI is now part of the landscape. It’s not going away. The noise will keep rising.

Which means the advantage shifts to the people who do the basics better than everyone else.

Not in a “hustle harder” way.

In a details-and-care way.

The people who rise above will do three things

1) They pay attention to system-level detail

Not sexy, but lethal:

• Clean onboarding
• Clear next steps
• No broken links
• Fewer choices
• Tracking that actually tells the truth

2) They communicate like a real person

No ghosting. No lazy replies. No hiding behind “busy”.

• They answer the email
• They reply to the comment
• They follow up when it would be easier not to

That’s not just good manners. It’s a growth strategy.

3) They build trust in tiny deposits

Small actions, repeated, compound. One extra sentence. One thoughtful reply. One fix that removes friction.

On my YouTube channel, I reply to every comment. Not a thumbs up. A real response.

It’s small right now, but it’s exactly how it grows. People feel seen, they come back, and the platform sees genuine interaction. Distribution follows attention.

Business is the same. Trust compounds.

A simple “One Step Further” rule for 2026

When you’re about to do the minimum, go one step further.

• Don’t just send the link, tell them what to do next.
• Don’t just answer the question, add the missing context.
• Don’t just post content, invite a real conversation.
• Don’t just plan growth, remove friction first.

That’s how you stand out in a market full of noise, tools, and templates.

So yes, the big fella in the red suit might have stacked it on the moon.

But 2025 wasn’t the sleigh wreck it looked like it was going to be.

And I’m going into 2026 more optimistic than I’ve been in a long time.

Because the coaches and founders who lead with clarity, care, and communication are going to do very well.

Who knows, you might even see me back on LinkedIn a bit more . . . but don't hold your breath 😉

Merry Christmas,

Andy