Grateful for 2025. Planning for 2026.

Our Business Advisory Team includes Senior Advisors Steve Wilcox and

Chad Haldeman, Jerry Olson, Bill Oelrich and Sara Bryan.

Visit our Team Page to get to know the whole team at The Resultants

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A Season of Reflection, Gratitude, and Looking Ahead:

Our Holiday Message to You

As we enter the season of good cheer, fun, and fellowship, we always feel this pull to pause.

The fourth quarter has its own rhythm. A mix of holiday spirit, intense preparation, annuals, quarterlies, and looking ahead to a brand-new year.

It’s also a moment to take a breath, reflect on the year that’s passed, and prepare ourselves and our teams for what’s coming in 2026.

And so, as a team, we gathered to share what this season means to us — the gratitude we feel, the lessons we’ve witnessed in our work with leaders, and the encouragement we want to offer as we all close out 2025.

Check out our full-length video blog below and see Bill's very special Christmas sweater or just read on...

Reflections: Why Looking Back Matters

This time of year always brings us back to the “why.”

Why we lead, why we build businesses, why we pursue growth.

It’s easy to stay focused on the top line or bottom line, but the real meaning often sits behind those numbers: our families, our teams, the people who rely on the work we do.

For many leaders, the year-end is the only moment when they actually stop long enough to see how far they’ve come.

As Jerry shared, “We’re all working to make tomorrow better than today.”

The holidays are a reminder to pause and acknowledge that progress instead of plowing forward with the weight of unfinished tasks.

Reflection also reveals what’s working (and what’s not.)

Whether it’s noticing how far a leadership team has matured, recognizing the increased balance that comes from a stronger operating system, or simply realizing that the business can now function without the owner touching every detail, these insights set the foundation for intentional growth in the new year.

Looking back is not a luxury. It’s a discipline that strengthens your leadership perspective.

It’s the grounding point that ensures next year’s decisions are tied to purpose, not just momentum.

Gratitude: The Fuel Behind Healthy Work and Healthy Lives

Every one of us came back to gratitude. For the people we work with, for the leaders who invite us into their most sensitive conversations, and for the teams who show up every week committed to improving their businesses.

We talked about the joy of watching strangers become almost like family over the course of a year. About the leaders who have invested in themselves enough to finally experience balance (even while being busy.) About the clients who have allowed us to walk beside them as they build cultures, strengthen operations, and create opportunities not only for themselves but for their teams and communities.

Gratitude also shows up in the stories we carry.

Jerry shared one of a leader who spent five years building his business into something strong enough that he could take three months a year to serve communities across the country and around the world.

His mission drove the business. And the business enabled the mission. That’s the kind of alignment many leaders are seeking, even when they can’t yet name it.

Bill reflected on the simple joy of wearing a sweater with a muskie on it — a reminder of the experiences that bring life meaning beyond work. And that’s the point: business ownership isn’t just grind. It creates the margin that allows leaders to live out their values, enjoy their families, and give back.

For our clients, gratitude plays a similar role.

It centers teams. It reinforces culture. It reminds owners that their effort matters — not only to the business, but to the lives of the people around them.

Gratitude strengthens leadership because it keeps the human side of business front and center.

Looking Ahead: Planning and Priorities for 2026

As energizing as reflection is, the real excitement comes from what lies ahead.

Every leader we met with this season is feeling the shift. Uncertainty defined much of 2025, but 2026 is shaping up to be a year of action.

Across industries, the message is consistent: “Your competitors are done waiting. They’re moving.”

Costs are rising.

Technology (especially AI) is evolving quickly.

Security demands are increasing.

Teams need more clarity, not less.

And the leaders who will thrive are those who step forward with purpose.

As you plan for 2026, here are the questions we invite you to consider:

1. What needs to change for you to gain more freedom next year?

Are you still too involved in the day-to-day?

Are you the bottleneck?

What structure or clarity does your team need to carry more of the load?

2. How will you invest in your people?

Your team wants direction, development, and connection — especially in a world where uncertainty is the norm.

3. Where do you need to simplify?

Complexity grows with success.

The companies gaining traction are the ones tightening their systems, focusing on the right metrics, and maintaining a simple, disciplined rhythm.

4. What mission is driving you forward?

Margin enables mission. But mission gives the margin meaning.

When leaders reconnect with purpose, their teams rise with them.

5. How will you build adaptability into your leadership?

2026 will reward leaders who can think clearly, communicate often, and empower their teams through constant transition.

This is a season to appreciate how far you’ve come and to boldly prepare for what’s next.

Thank you for letting us be the Team Behind Your Team.

May your holidays be full of joy, your reflections meaningful, and your plans for 2026 bold and energizing.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year from all of us at The Resultants.