My 2025 Reflection: Lessons, Wins, and What's Next

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In this special end-of-year episode, I'm getting personal and reflective about 2025 - the wins, the struggles, and what I'm cooking up for next year. If you've been following along this year (or if this is your first episode), grab a coffee and join me for an honest look at what it means to build a sustainable creative business while staying true to yourself.

What You'll Learn

Why I almost walked away from my production business this year (and what changed my mind)
The power of collaboration over traditional client work (including my successful revenue-share partnerships)
How being intentional about relationships transformed my business and life
What's coming in 2026: new book, app launch, and a non-filmmaker mastermind

Key Takeaways

On Gratitude and Relationships

Your personal relationships are your business foundation - the mastermind retreat in Austin was a career highlight
The power of connecting people in your network (it brings more fulfillment than any film project)
Why surrounding yourself with people who've gone before you is non-negotiable

On Business Evolution

2025 was the best year financially since COVID for Tell Studios
Some relationships cook for a decade before they turn into six-figure projects
Revenue-share partnerships (like the one with Susan generating $2M+ in sales) can be more profitable than traditional client work

On Content and Platform Building

Nearly 500 episodes over 10 years - consistency compounds
The podcast has opened more doors than any marketing campaign ever could
Sometimes you need fresh audience to revitalize your offers

On Taking Action

Took multiple swings this year - plenty missed, but the ones that connected were worth it
Pitching creative collaboration ideas (like YouTube creator partnerships) creates new revenue streams
Perfectionism will kill your momentum - share the journey, not just the destination

What's Coming in 2026

A Book (Finally!) About the power of your story as a business owner and how to use it as your differentiator. Plus a kids book with an artist!
New Collaboration Partnerships Following the success of revenue-share models, exploring 2-3 new strategic partnerships
An App Launch Built in collaboration with former mastermind member Andrew - designed to benefit video business owners
Non-Filmmaker Mastermind Expanding beyond the filmmaker space to work with entrepreneurs across industries
Updated Budget Maximizer Brand new spreadsheet, templates, and training to ensure project profitability

In This Episode

[00:00] Welcome to the show!

[04:38] Before the GYVB Podcast

[11:44] When The Podcast Started

[17:45] Big Milestones In Life

[21:03] Financial Highlight Since Covid

[23:04] 2026 Hopes and Goals

[26:59] Collaboration

[30:35] Mastermind

[36:27] Newsletter

[39:05] Outro

Quotes

"I've made a lot more mistakes than I have had successes, but I'm still here learning and growing." - Ryan Koral

"People pay me money to facilitate relationships and conversations. It's mind-blowing." - Ryan Koral

"Your word matters. Being a person of integrity means sometimes not announcing things until you're sure - but also learning it's okay to dream out loud." - Ryan Koral