Looking back at 2025.
December 28, 2025.
I’m walking down a dirt road just outside my village when it hits me.
Not a thought. Not an insight. A wave of happiness so intense I don’t know what to do with it.
I start whistling. Then humming. Then making these weird sounds that don’t mean anything because I just feel good and need to express it somehow.
Here’s the thing: normally around this time of year, I’d be slipping into a winter depression.
But not this year.
This year, I felt so good I literally started sprinting down that path for absolutely no reason other than I had to do something with all that energy.
That’s when I knew. 2025 was different.
Three Years of Building
I’ve been building for three years now. Three years of not knowing if any of this would work. Three years of uncertainty, of second-guessing, of wondering if I was delusional.
And this year? It all started clicking.
I hit a million subscribers on YouTube. A million followers on TikTok. Made €50K in revenue at a 98% profit margin because I kept my business stupid simple.
Those numbers feel good to write. They do.
But they’re not why I was sprinting down that dirt road.
The Beginning of A New Chapter
The real change happened in how I spent my time.
I visited friends in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin. Met new, incredibly special people who truly inspire me. Not in the shallow “great to connect!” networking way. But in the “I want to be better after talking to you” way.
The way they show up, fully present, that’s what I want more of.
So I started slowing down. Paying attention. Being present.
Until one afternoon I’m digging through the basement and find an old box shoved in the corner.
Inside is a photo from October 15th, 2001. Me at ten months old with my stuffed animal (still have it). Big smile, messy hair, not a single worry in the world.
I sat there holding that photo for a long time.
That kid had no idea what was coming.
It’s strange to look at yourself, see how far you’ve come, and get completely overwhelmed with this emotional cocktail of gratitude, pride, and nostalgia all at once.
And that feeling? That’s worth more than any milestone.
…I’m satisfied. I think that’s the word I’ve been looking for.
Does that mean I’m losing my ambition? No. Obsessively chasing goals that genuinely interest me, that’s just who I am.
But now I stop to smell the roses.
As Walter Hagen once said: “Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
What I’m Building Toward
So what’s next in 2026?
Three things on the business side: publish my first book for my faceless brand, help more coaches actually make money from their expertise instead of just talking about it, and simplify my operations even further without sacrificing quality.
But more than anything?
I want to protect what made this year special. The relationships. The presence. The gratitude that isn’t forced.
Because the business metrics are great. They validate the work. They create freedom.
But the moments where you feel so good you have to move your body? Where you’re crying over old photos? Where you look around and think, “this is exactly where I want to be”?
That’s what I’m optimizing for now.
Final Words
I’m curious, what was your 2025 like?
What moment made you stop and think, “okay, something’s different now”?
Hit reply and let me know. I read every single response, and honestly, these conversations are one of my favorite parts of sending this newsletter.
And if you feel like our paths should cross, don’t hesitate to reach out.
The best things happen when you start conversations you almost didn’t.
Here’s to 2026.
Much love,
Martijn