The Year of the Spine and the Softened Grip: A Reflection on 2025

I was born in the Year of the Snake, and 2025 returned to that energy. It was a hell of a year—beautiful, brutal, and transformative in equal measure.

In the Chinese zodiac, the Snake is the master of transmutation. This year, I didn't just change my habits; I shifted my energetic DNA. As I stand at the edge of 2026—the Year of the Horse—I feel a familiar thrum. I have always been connected to the horse. They represent power, movement, and an honest kind of strength. I can feel that power looming.

As I reflect on the year behind and the hope ahead, I find myself standing at the precipice of a simpler, more potent way of leading: One that costs me less and gives me more.

From Charisma to Earned Authority

For a long time, I operated from a place of proving I belonged. In 2025, I stopped. I started assuming I belong.

I traded the exhausting effort of being "impressive" for the quiet discipline of being grounded and precise. 

My work in governance, conflict navigation, and strategic facilitation matured into something sturdier. I asked sharper questions. I interrupted dysfunction faster. I let silence do the heavy lifting.

This was the shift from charisma-led influence to earned authority. It isn’t louder; it’s heavier. It’s the difference between a flare and a foundation.

Recalibration and Resilience

2025 required me to stay standing through a massive season of transition. A new town, new rhythms, and new relationships. I focused on a constant state of recalibration. I didn’t numb out, and I didn’t crash. I adapted. I realized I am far more resilient than I usually give myself credit for.

I also became fiercely discerning with my energy. I’m noticing faster who drains me, what work feels performative, and where I’m being underpaid—both financially and emotionally.

Amidst the internal shifts, there were some top moments, including:

1. Judging Miss Rodeo America...a full-circle moment.
   

   

   Miss Rodeo America Pageant 2026, Las Vegas, NV (PC: Sherry Smith Photography)

2. Standing on some of the most EPIC stages, serving the very best clients and agriculture leaders, including emceeing the Protein Pact Solutions Summit in LA.
   

   

   Protein PACT Solutions Summit in L.A.

3. Hosting a private retreat in Idaho for a rockstar client, and feeling the warm embrace of my hometown, my family, and my friends who love me deeply. We spent time in "church", gazing at starts, listening to horse whispers and soaking in the healing waters of Lava Hot Springs...and it was magic.
   

4. Getting a badass boot-stitch tattoo on my middle finger...with a supporting line for me, a line for B, and a line for Cashie. DYK boot stitching creates strength in the leather of boot tops?
   

5. Watching B compete in her first rodeo queen pageant, and carry the American flag horseback. Her horsemanship grew 10 fold this year and I bawled watching her ride with such grace and grit in the arena.
   

6. Watching Cashie excel on football AND baseball fields. This kid is FAST and full of athleticism and fire. And what's best of all, he's a great teammate. From quarterback to pitcher, he can do it all. And I love watching him zip around the barn on his dirt bike.
   

7. Demonstrating the the highest degree of discipline that I ever have in the gym and with my overall health. Leadership flows from the inside-out and it felt so good to walk-the-talk of taking care of physical health.
   

8. Spending a LOT of time at the barn. Horse energy is so healing and it was exactly what I needed in this season.
   

9. Completing a strategic plan for the Montana Pulse Crop Committee and starting a new one for the Northern Pulse Growers Association. Growing this side of my business has been challenging and SO meaningful. I love serving the growers who feed us.
   

10. Enjoying great live music, including the Red Clay Strays, Cody Johnson, Marcus King, and Ashley McBryde. I have been quite pleased with the music scene in Nebraska.
    

11. Celebrating 10 years in business...continuing to coach anti-average leaders who are making a major difference in their industries. I LOVE my work.
    

    

    10 years of Epic Shit! Holy cow!

12. Deepening relationships with long-time friends. And making a few new friends who I adore.
    

13. Being vulnerable to open myself up for dating. F-around...this part was probably the hardest, LOL. Dating in this era is not for the faint of heart. I'm also pleased that I didn't just jump into a new relationships to be in a relationship. I enjoy my own company and keep resisting the urge to settle for OK, when I know I'm worthy of more.

Looking Toward 2026: Softening the Grip

As I look toward the Year of the Horse, I realize I don’t need reinvention. I need refinement and permission.

I still have a tendency to over-carry responsibility, operating under the old lie: “If I don’t hold this together, it will fall apart.” That belief used to be my armor; now, it’s a cage. I’ve also realized that my loyalty and hope sometimes cause me to tolerate misalignment longer than I should. Staying too long drains my creativity and dulls my edge.

Meat Institute Coaching workshop in Charlotte,

In 2026, I am choosing:

• More ease and more pleasure.

• More money (as the powerful tool it is).

• More spaciousness and depth.

When that old voice asks, "Is this reasonable?" I recognize it as the voice of self-containment. It is outdated.

2025 was about strengthening my backbone. 2026 is about softening my grip. I will negotiate with myself less and follow the excitement that pulls me.

I’m ready for the ride.