Looking Back on What Really Mattered This Year

Looking Back on What Really Mattered This Year

Hey, 

As I sit here on New Year's Eve reflecting on 2025, I keep coming back to the systems that quietly carried us through everything this year threw at us. 

You know I've talked about our shared inbox system before, but this year really tested it. Between market volatility, staffing changes, and the usual chaos of running an agency – this system proved its worth over and over again. 

Why I'm Thinking About Email on New Year's Eve 

I was reviewing some of my old articles recently and came across the piece I wrote for Rough Notes about how we built our shared inbox approach. Reading that article again made me realize how much we've learned since implementing it. 

What started as a simple solution to email chaos has become something much bigger: the foundation of how we think about teamwork and client service. 

The Real Test Came This Year 

When you've written about a system in theory, it's one thing. When it gets stress-tested by real business challenges, that's when you know if it actually works. 

This year brought: 

  • New team members who needed to get up to speed fast 

  • Vacation coverage during our busiest renewal periods 

  • Unexpected absences that could have derailed client service 

  • The ongoing challenge of maintaining our 4-day work week without compromising service 

The shared inbox system handled it all. 

New hires could jump in immediately because they had access to complete communication history. When someone was out, clients never knew – responses kept flowing seamlessly. Our teams continued collaborating and self-managing workload distribution exactly as designed. 

What I Learned This Year 

The biggest insight wasn't about the technology or the process mechanics. It was about what happens when you remove individual email ownership and replace it with collective accountability. 

Our teams don't just cover for each other – they actively look out for each other. When someone's swamped, others naturally step in. When a complex situation arises, multiple people can contribute their expertise immediately. 

That "championship sports team" feeling I wrote about in the original Rough Notes article? It's become our actual culture. 

If you want to read the full breakdown of how we implemented this system, you can check out the complete article here: FULL ARTICLE 

Looking Ahead 

As we head into 2026, I'm reminded that the best business systems aren't just about efficiency – they're about creating an environment where people can do their best work while taking care of clients and each other. 

Our shared inbox system continues to be a cornerstone of that environment. 

What systems carried you through 2025? I'm always curious to hear what's working at other agencies. 

Here's to another year of taking care of our people so they can take care of our clients. 

Happy New Year, 

Michael 

P.S. - Thanks for being part of this community. Whether you've been reading for years or just joined recently, your engagement and questions make these conversations better. Looking forward to more in 2026.