Looking Back to Move Forward - A Year in Review
It’s officially 2026. I hope you stepped into the new year exactly the way you wanted to. I love the feeling of fresh beginnings - new things to learn, new places, new people. But before I get lost in all that, I like to take a moment to look back. So that’s what this is.
It hits differently when it’s your own thing.
When your name is on it.
When the stakes feel higher, even if no one else is keeping score.
That’s been the story of this year with SHKR Club.
When I started building this whole thing, I had three principles guiding me:
- it should look cool,
- add real value,
- and stand the test of time.
But the moment you set that bar, everything slows down. Caring deeply does that. It makes you more intentional, but it also makes you second-guess more. Things stop feeling as free and effortless as they did when I was just messing around and posting whatever.
And at the same time, I know how important it is to strike while the iron’s hot.
Move fast.
Act quick.
Catch the momentum when it shows up.
Balancing those two realities - intentionality and momentum - has been one of my biggest lessons this year.
A Year of Split Focus
With my attention divided between running the other leg of my business and building SHKR Club from the ground up, I didn’t make as much progress as I wanted to. But honestly, this whole year has been one long learning curve. A necessary one.
It forced me to get real about time, priorities, and what it means to build something I genuinely care about. One of my biggest goals for next year is carving out purposeful time, time that isn’t reactionary or last-minute, so I can give SHKR Club the actual love, craft, and consistency it deserves.
But It’s Not All Heavy
Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of what we did accomplish.
We launched the website - for real.
We tightened up our sales process.
We kicked off our first real marketing efforts (even the icky ones).
We expanded the circle of collaborators and brought more people into the fold than ever before.
And honestly? That’s a lot.
On top of that, I spent a good amount of energy connecting with the community offline. Teaching at the Reno Creator Camp was one of the highlights of my year. In-person stuff hits different, it’s validating in a way that online can’t compete with. You see the impact in real time. You feel the energy bounce back at you.
I also spent time documenting the process of some of my favorite artists, pulling back the curtain on people I genuinely admire. That project is still coming together, and I’m excited for where it’s headed.
Letting Go, Letting Things Work
Another big shift this year was getting better at getting out of my own way. At trusting other people. At delegating. At letting the SHKR Club team do what they do best without me hovering over every detail.
It’s not always easy, especially when it’s your baby, but it’s necessary. And I’m proud of the progress there, too.
Looking to 2026
The ethos stays the same:
Make good things for creatives. Make things that matter. Make things that last.
But next year, I want to take it a step further.
I want to pull my design background into this more intentionally.
Maybe even step into fabrication and production?
Make tangible tools. Things people can touch, hold, and use in the real world…
Bringing my concepts off the screen and into physical space feels right, and honestly, it excites me in a way I haven’t felt in a while.
What does that mean exactly?
We’ll have to see.
But it feels like the right direction.
This is me at the end of the year; tired, but proud, and still holding onto the work. Here’s to more of this (minus the accidental naps) in 2026.
Thanks for being here, whether you just joined us this year or you’ve been following the journey for a long time. This community, this support, these collaborations - they mean everything.
