Closing out 2025 and looking ahead to a new year
As we approach the end of the year, I’ve been thinking about what 2025 has meant for me, my clients, and for our broader agricultural community.
Curious about how others were feeling, I reached out to a handful of colleagues, clients, and industry partners and asked them about the year we’ve had and the year ahead.
Their responses were thoughtful, honest, and full of the practical wisdom that comes from lived experience. Here’s what surfaced.
What we’re celebrating from 2025
2025 wasn’t an easy year for the ag sector across South Australia, but even in a challenging season there were important wins, the kind that come from perseverance, progress and staying focused where it counts.
For me, it’s been a year of growth. expanding my business, strengthening systems, welcoming new team members, and leaning into the truth that I don’t have to do everything alone.
Winning the tender for the GRDC roadside weeds project was a real highlight, as was being invited to contribute to the Carbon Farming Outreach Program. And on a personal level, I’m immensely proud of my kids and grateful for the unwavering support of my husband, the quiet backbone that makes everything possible.
Others are celebrating milestones big and small.
Jordan Lee from Collab Ag shared a reflection many will relate to:
“I’m proud to still be standing. Starting a business in a difficult year hasn’t been easy…I’ve realised that building a business is never straightforward but I’m proud of the progress so far.”
Susan Davies, from GAP Advisors, highlighted the momentum she’s created for her business and with clients:
“We’ve strengthened our systems, expanded our offerings, deepened our client relationships, and helped more businesses turn their financial data into meaningful direction.”
Leanne Muffet, Managing Director at Strategic Matters, is proud of what she delivered in a demanding, high-energy year.
“I am proud of the outcomes delivered, and grateful to the wonderful people I had the opportunity to work alongside.”
Steve Burt is Managing Director of Turfbreed, Chair of Mallee Sustainable Farming and an Non-Executive Director of AMPS Agribusiness. Across all three of these businesses, he is seeing the payoff from an intentional focus on people and strategic alignment during 2025:
“I’m proud to celebrate the success…which has come from empowering people to help shape and own the strategy, creating a culture where everyone’s contributions drive genuine value, not just the bottom line.”
Across all responses, the message was clear: progress not perfection is worth celebrating.
These cycles aren’t about doing everything at once, they’re about timing. Knowing where you are now (and where you want to be by 2030) helps you decide what 2026 should focus on.
Imagine your goal is to double cropping area or transition part of your farm to regenerative practices by 2030. That’s an Expansion goal but you might need a few years of Maintenance first to strengthen your team, systems, and cash flow, followed by a Consolidation phase to fine-tune before scaling up again.
When you map that path early, every 2026 decision, from hiring to financing, starts working toward your 2030 vision.
What we’re looking forward to in 2026
A strong theme emerged: 2025 laid the foundations, and 2026 is where that groundwork turns into momentum.
For me, 2026 feels full of possibility. I’m excited to keep growing my business, deepen relationships with clients, ask the questions that make people pause and think, and deliver high-quality project management across the GRDC project and other initiatives.
Most of all, I’m looking forward to being part of my clients’ journeys, watching them back themselves, kick goals, and celebrate the success they work so hard for.
Others are feeling the same energy. As Steve put it “…there has been a lot of work put into strategy in 2025 much of which will play out in 2026.”
Likewise, Susan is looking forward to sharpening her impact with “more clarity, more confidence, and even stronger support for businesses ready to scale with purpose.”
And Jordan is ready to shift into a higher gear: “2026 feels like it’s time to go full attack mode…I’m ready to hit the track and rejoin the race.”
Rebekah Starick is the Grower Relations Manager at the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). She’s looking forward to a return to “normal” cropping season (fingers crossed!) but also excited to engage with more growers. “I love hitting the road, inspecting crops at 100km/hr from the ute and having robust discussions on where to next for grain production.”
And I really love Leanne’s perspective:
“2026 is about collaboration, kindness, clarity and innovation… asking harder questions, creating space for diverse voices, and pushing boundaries to design solutions that are sustainable, equitable and future focused.”
Advice for starting 2026 strong
If there’s one thing I’m carrying into 2026, it’s this: eyes on the prize. Get clear on what you’re working toward for next year and beyond and use that to anchor every decision.
Jordan reminded us that progress doesn’t require perfection:
“Not hitting every target is totally okay… what matters is understanding whether those goals are still right for you or your business.”
Susan brought it back to the fundamentals:
“Start the year with clarity. Understand your numbers, define what success looks like, and build simple systems that help you stay focused.”
Rebekah shared her tip for developing your workplan early so it can serve as a guide that protects your time, energy, and priorities. She shared that “Focusing on the things I can control frees up a lot of thinking time rather than looking at the things I can’t.”
With his people-first approach, Steve asks us to think about how we show up for the people on our team, and what we are doing to help them become the best version of themselves. He quotes Sir Richard Branson: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
And Leanne offered a gentle reminder about leadership:
“Stay curious and considerate. Listen deeply and act with generosity.… a small act of kindness can ripple further than we imagine.”
Together, the advice paints a picture of what strong, meaningful progress looks like in 2026:
Get clear on your prize and align your decisions to it.
Know your numbers and build simple systems.
Focus on what you can control.
Invest in your people.
Lead with generosity.
It’s that combination of clarity, discipline and humanity that creates the conditions for a great year, not just for you, but for the people around you.
My final reflection
2025 tested us. We had to draw on our patience, resilience, adaptability, and courage.
As we head into 2026, my hope is that we all keep leaning into what’s working, learning from what isn’t, and making decisions aligned with the future we want, not just the pressures of the moment.
If you’d like help turning your reflections into a simple, focused plan for 2026 and aligning that plan with where you want to be by 2030, I’d love you to join me for the Strategic Planning Masterclass.
Or if you’d prefer to chat one-on-one about how I can help turn your 2026 plan into action, book a free 15-minute discovery call anytime.