Introspective Candor - 2025 Edition

An annual assessment of my professional and personal journey.

The moment my finger hovers over the "publish" button to post this annual blog, a familiar mix of anticipation and vulnerability washes over me. In that instant, I'm acutely aware of the ritual I'm about to repeat for the ninth year in a row. As I hit "schedule," the muted sound of my laptop's fan serves as an unglamorous yet steady companion to this annual self-examination.

Every year, I write and post this blog around January 1st, asking myself a series of questions and reflecting openly. A lot of people do this quietly and keep the responses to themselves, and maybe I should, too, but that’s just not who I am. I don't love the fraudulent veneer of the "highlight reel" that seems to proliferate every aspect of our society. Life isn’t perfect; yes, it’s fantastic, but it’s also messy, stressful, challenging, and even ugly at times, which is one of the reasons I choose to do this publicly.

I’ve genuinely found that this annual reflection is a critical part of my growth into, ideally, the best version of myself. To accomplish this, it has to be as raw, unfiltered, and candid as I can make it. In my mind, being fully vulnerable and allowing people to read this and, potentially, judge me, is part of staying true to my goal of always being as authentic as possible. Love me, hate me, or land somewhere in the middle, I’m always going to be me.

With that bit of preamble out of the way, let’s get right to it.

Professionally, where was I this time last year?

At the end of last year, brandivate was at its most stable ever as the shift towards retainer-based work continued. While there were still a bunch of one-off projects, the bread and butter of the business accounted for 80% of the revenue stream, creating the stability and income predictability I had been craving since brandivate’s inception. This certainty allowed me to do something I’ve dreamed of doing since this little company was founded in 2020: lease a private office. Like so many, I had been working from home since the pandemic, and as convenient as it was, I really like “going” to work. I found an office less than four miles from my house, and it’s been a complete game-changer for me. Additionally, there was a sense of pride that came with it. To me, it's almost like brandivate grew up and became, for lack of a better term, real. Truthfully, I didn’t expect that feeling when I got the keys.

On the Promocations side of things, we ended 2024 looking forward to a March cruise and our first land-based event in Los Cabos in July. We didn’t know it at the time, but the cruise would be rescheduled to November due to the ship entering an unscheduled dry dock. Both events were wildly successful and we both continue to be incredibly proud of the genuine relationships that have grown out of our events and the business results they have driven.

Did I accomplish my goals for 2025 – why or why not?

Goals I accomplished

• Continue the time necessary to create the healthy meals I need to maintain my overall health – it’s truly hard to believe that it’s been two years since being admitted into intensive care because my body was in full diabetic ketoacidosis. Yes, it takes some time and planning, as well as a lot of dedication, to do the meal prep and exercise regularly. However, it’s been worth every extra effort I’ve made, even if I don't share much publicly about it.

• Sign up, train, and run a 5k – I accomplished this in May at the Hospital Hill 5k in Kansas City and was thrilled that I came in 11th (out of 33) in my age group. In fact, as David Schultz predicted, I’ve signed up for my first 10k in Austin in April.

• Mentor two people in the industry – I take volunteering and mentorship seriously, as I feel it’s so important to give back as much and as often as possible. This past year, I was able to mentor three people, and I hope they got just as much out of the experience as I did.

• Sell out all Promocations Events in 2025 – Even with the challenge of rescheduling the fourth sailing of the PromoCruise, we were able to sell out our 2025 events. Given how many events there are in the promotional products industry, it’s not an easy task.

Goals I didn’t accomplish

• Run six days a week with a minimum of 3 miles per session – I came SUPER close to this, but I didn’t close the deal. Looking back on the year, I averaged running five days a week and about 2 ½ miles per run. I did add pushups, core work, and a ton of intentional stretching before and after, but I didn’t hit that goal. In 2026, I plan to do better, which I’ll address below.

• Take off six Mondays, just because – Nope, not even close. It seemed like a reasonable and achievable goal a year ago, but I didn’t even take one Monday off unless there was a specific reason. This means, not only didn’t I achieve this goal, but I didn’t even try.

• Scale brandivate by making an intentional new hire – At the beginning of the year, I put a very thoughtful and deliberate plan into place to accomplish this goal. However, I decided to abandon those plans in mid-June because they no longer aligned with my vision for brandivate, which I’ll get into more detail below.

What are my motivations, and how have they changed in the past year?

I’m starting to think I need to break this into two questions so I can fully and accurately address both personal and professional motivations. But, since I’m already writing, I’ll keep it as one section for now.

For starters, let's tackle the professional side of things. As I mentioned above, I set a goal at the beginning of the year to scale brandivate and make a strategic hire. However, as I went through the process, I began to question the importance of growing brandivate beyond what it was. After a lot of candid discussions with myself and others, the answer became increasingly clear: ego. Sure, adding someone to brandivate might enable us to double sales and double clients, but the reality is that I really enjoy being a solopreneur. I like the fact that I have personal relationships with every client and direct control over the work brandivate produces, and I don't ever want to lose that. So, my motivation has shifted from seeking to grow the company to making brandivate the best it can be. I'm very comfortable with the size of brandivate and no longer feel the need to add headcount just to show people we are bigger. I'm glad I had a bite of the reality sandwich and realized that my ego needed to step aside. When growth feels more like a pursuit of ego rather than genuine necessity, it's important to pause and reassess. This realization transformed a personal decision into a lesson in humility and clarity.

I still love serving others, whether it’s brandivate clients or Promocations attendees. Candidly, that’s just how I’m wired, which means it won’t ever change. So after that lengthy preamble, here are my motivations as we step into the second half of this decade:

• Provide for my family

  • Financially – I’m proud that we’ve been able to put our kids through college with minimal financial impact to either of them. Moving forward, I want to make sure that we have money set aside for experiences and, down the road, retirement. Don’t worry, I’m not going to retire for quite a while.

  • Emotionally – 2025 was a year of change for the family, with both kids graduating from college and moving permanently to different states to pursue their careers. Sure, when they were in college, we were, to an extent, empty nesters. However, when they are living in their own places, paying bills with their own money, and doing it hundreds of miles from you, that empty nest thing becomes very real.

• Continue to create work that matters for brandivate clients. There’s nothing that lights me up more professionally than when the work we’ve done has positively impacted a client’s business.

• Along with Josh Robbins, continue to deliver game-changing networking experiences through Promocations.

• Continue to donate my time and whatever talents I may have back to an industry I love, and that has given me far more than I could ever deserve.

What do I need to do more of in 2026?

Looking back at last year's edition of this blog, I was happy to see that I’ve succeeded in a few areas here. That being said, there’s always work to do.

First, I need to do a better job of prioritizing time that’s just for me. While I have intentionally carved out 90 minutes every morning as mine, I can tell you it wasn’t enough. When I’ve been good about giving my business a break from me, I’ve noticed that when I come back, I’m more focused and creative, resulting in better creative work. I’ve never believed in the concept of “work/life balance,” but I think making sure it’s not ALL laser-focused work is critically important to delivering the best possible results.

Second, and I still stink at this, I need to say “no” a bit more often. I’ve said before that I’m hard-wired to say “yes” when someone needs something and, to be clear, that instinctual “yes” has served me well. Even so, I still find myself saying yes to things that I end up regretting. My plan for 2026 is to pause EVERY time I’m asked to do something before answering, so that when I do say yes, there isn’t a tinge of regret. For those of you who read this annually, I do realize this section is strikingly (and sadly) similar to what I wrote last year. I hope that I can say “no” to the things I don’t want to do with a bit more regularity this year. We shall see.

Third, I need to put the phone down. This likely doesn’t need an explanation, but I’m annoyed with myself that I end up doomscrolling for hours while I’m watching a game or the fact that my phone has just attached to me like some sort of digital appendage. I’ve grown weary of wondering where the evening went, and I’ve done nothing but exercise my right thumb. I’ve grown keenly aware that my addiction to the device is allowing parts of life to pass me by, and that stops now.

Last, I want to build on the relationships I have with my now 23-year-old boys. Mitch has begun his career in sports broadcasting in Montgomery, AL, and Drew embarks on his work life by working at Garney Construction as a Project Engineer on January 12, 2026. We already have some plans, and I can’t wait to experience their independent lives through their eyes. If this sounds like a proud dad moment, it is and I'm not sorry about it.

What do I need to do less of in 2026?

I need to stop burning mental calories on things beyond my control. Ever since I can remember, I’ve worried about things that I could do nothing about – sometimes to the point of paralysis. While I’ve gotten better at that as I’ve aged, I still tend to waste time and energy in areas where whatever may or may not happen is entirely outside my sphere of influence. This coming year, I really want to continue to do less of that and build on the work I’ve already done in this area.

What am I grateful for in 2025?

Damn, where do I begin? My life is so beyond blessed it doesn’t feel fair. Even so, it’s essential to share gratitude when possible, so let’s start with the professional:

• Clients that truly value the work done for them at brandivate. I’m not sure I have the words to describe the pride I feel when a client shares successes that are direct results of the marketing we do for them. Even more, so many of my clients have become part of my circle of trust: the people I not only use as my de facto “Board of Directors,” but also have become some of my closest friends. That is a tremendous blessing and one that’s not lost on me.

• Let’s talk about that unofficial brandivate “Board of Directors” for a minute. I’m fortunate that it’s a rather large and diverse list, which means I’m not going to name names for fear of leaving someone out, but I’m sure they know who they are. These are trusted humans I’ve come to rely on for advice, support, direction, collaboration, and, when necessary, a swift kick in the pants. To be clear, I could not do what I do to the level I do it without these folks – period.

• I’m so thankful for the launch and evolution of the Between 2 Brands Podcast. When Kirby and I decided to end Promo UPFront last year, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted Between 2 Brands to be: a marketing-focused version of Zach Galifianakis’ “Between Two Ferns.” Over time, however, it saw it needed to be less of a comedic vehicle and more of a way to have profound, insightful conversations with people in and out of the promotional products industry who have unique brands. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I’m just getting started.

• Piggybacking off of the podcast note above, I’m so grateful that there are people who eagerly read what I write, listen to me on podcasts, pack a room when I speak at an event, or those who simply support me in what I do. I may come across as this confident, thick-skinned human, but the truth is that I’m a fragile and brittle soul that has a large case of imposter syndrome more often than I care to admit. When someone reaches out to me to express appreciation for putting myself out there for others to judge, it means more than I can say. So, from the bottom of my Billy heart, thank you.

  
  

As I referenced above, 2025 has been a transformative year on the personal front:

• It’s tough for me to believe that my twin boys are grown now and truly charting their own paths. So, my real gratitude is that we have raised smart, compassionate, caring, and independent children who are really at the precipice of their lives. As a parent, that’s like hitting the lottery.

• I write it every year, but it’s my blog, and I can write what I want. I am eternally grateful for the support that my bride of 31 years, Sandy, has always given me. Whether it was walking away from a regular paycheck to start brandivate at the height of the pandemic or partnering with Josh Robbins on the crazy idea that we could pull off industry networking events on a cruise ship or a world-class resort, she’s been nothing but encouraging of me and my dreams.

• I’m thankful that I continue to be the leanest and healthiest I’ve been in over 30 years. At the same time, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit prideful about it as well. It’s taken an immeasurable amount of hard work and discipline, but I wouldn’t change that effort for the world.  

• I’m grateful that, even at 56, my mind remains curious. Some might call it restless, but I don’t love the negative connotation that goes along with that word. Curious, on the other hand, means that I’m open to new ideas, excited to experience different things, and always seeking to learn.

  
  

How did I serve others in 2025?

I’ve been called a “serial volunteer,” and it’s a badge of honor I wear proudly because it means that I can be relied on to give back to an industry that’s given me so much. This past year, I served on both the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) and the Government Relations Action Council (GRAC). It was my final year serving on the PPEF board and my second year as Vice Chair, Marketing. It’s been an honor to help shape the messaging narrative to ensure we raise – and distribute – as much educational money as possible to deserving kids of promotional products industry professionals.

2025 was my first year on GRAC, and it’s been an incredible learning experience. I’ve often shared my belief that PPAI’s most significant function is advocating for small businesses through the lens of branded merchandise. Now, entering my second year on GRAC, I look forward to working with the members as we continue to help our elected officials truly understand the impact their decisions have on our shared industry.

I also had the opportunity to mentor three people, which is always rewarding. If you need to be mentored or, just as important, are ready to get off the bleachers and into the game to mentor someone, PromoKitchen easily has the best formalized program around. You can find out more and sign up here.

What are my goals for 2026?

I try very hard to make these as specific and measurable as possible, but don’t always succeed. Here are my professional and personal goals for 2026:

Professional

• Mentor three people in the industry.

• Rebuild/Upgrade the brandivate website.

• Land four new clients – two distributors and two suppliers.

• Sell out all Promocations events in 2026.

• Take every other Friday off.

Personal

• Create at least two intentional experiences with each of my twin boys and one as a whole family.

• Run five days a week with an average of 3.1 miles. To be clear, I’m scaling it back to be realistic – I’m 56 and, well, sometimes Billy’s bones, muscles, and tendons don’t spring back as quickly as they used to.

• Run the 10k in Austin in under one hour.

• Read 12 books - one per month.

• Put my cell phone in another room for two hours every workday and four hours every non-working day. I’ll keep the ringer on for emergency purposes, but that’s it.

Am I who I want to be?

In short, no. However, the longer – and far more accurate answer – is that I’m a better version of myself as I close out 2025 than I was a year ago.

It’s been a bit over two years since I was put in the ICU and had to make some radical changes if I wanted to live a long life. I’m proud that those changes have completely stuck and have become my lifestyle. I eat healthy and clean 90% of the time to the point I don’t even like the foods I used to crave – yes, I’m looking at you, my formerly-beloved Pringles. I exercise vigorously on a very regular basis, and now I find that when I do take a day off, I miss it. I don’t think I truly understood what people meant by a “wake-up call,” but now I completely get it. More than anything, when I did get that call, I’m damn sure glad I answered.

I believe I was a better father and husband in 2025 as I truly worked diligently to be in the moment and not stress over wishy-washy plans or unplanned expenses. Being present at two college graduations, two moves, two career beginnings, and watching your children become fully independent functioning members of society in one year easily qualifies this one as a top-five year.

From a work perspective, I believe I have finally figured out what brandivate is best at and which clients I can most positively impact. It’s hard for me to think that in July, brandivate will be six, and I’m just as excited about things now as I was in 2020 - maybe even a bit more.

That all being said, I’m still VERY much a work in progress. Like everyone on the planet, I’m a very flawed individual and have a lot of work to do. I’m not sure a “best” version of myself exists because best means that there’s no higher rung on the ladder of life to climb. I do believe I am a better version of myself heading into 2026 than I was a year ago. 2024 was a year of transformation for me. 2025 was a year of understanding and stability for me. I don’t exactly know what 2026 will hold, but that’s the exciting part.

When I sit down to write this blog every year, it always takes longer than I budget. For example, this year it took about eight hours over the course of a week. However, the way I look at it, that time is an investment in myself. I truly believe it's so important to pause and reflect, especially in a world where we are constantly surrounded by every possible distraction and noise. That quiet introspection is what allows us to take stock and make changes where necessary.

Writing this blog always gives me a sense of peace when I post it, as I feel completely and utterly cleansed from the previous year and ready to take on the new one. So, back to that question of why I share it, because allowing myself to be so vulnerable might encourage others to stop worrying about the 'highlight reel' and focus a bit more on their own personal life journey. Even so, this is the one blog I intentionally write annually for an audience of one: me. If it helps or inspires someone, that's wonderful. But, again, this is really for me.

As I look ahead to 2026, my guiding principle remains to embrace authenticity, challenge myself continuously, and cherish the meaningful connections I've formed along the way.

I truly wish each of you the absolute best that 2026 has to offer!