This week is a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, my core business (Digital Brand Expressions) is doing very well, and we’re positioned for a great 2026.
On a personal note, my husband and I have our first grandchild on the way and everyone in our family is in a good place. Photos and videos of my grandniece and grandnephew keep a smile on my face throughout each day, and I’m fortunate to have truly wonderful people in my life as family and friends.
But no matter how grateful I am, it doesn’t mean change is always easy, even when I’m the one driving it. Case in point: I said “so long” earlier this week to the best office manager I’ve ever had—Stacy Sarno. The company’s needs have changed, and it’s just no longer a full-time role. While I’d happily keep her as a part-time employee, that’s not aligned with her needs, and so, we parted ways.
If you or anyone you know needs a truly superlative operations manager, you’ll want to know more about Stacy Sarno. She’s been proactively generating quantifiable results for DBE for 5+ years heading our operations and admin areas. She’s an analytical thinker with an eye for detail while also getting “the big picture.” She’s a consummate team player, and has been instrumental in shaping our company’s culture. I know how hard it is to find “that person,” so if you are looking for someone to handle operations/admin work with ease and grace, reach out and I can tell you more about Stacy.
And in the meantime, here are shares to help you cultivate your best self:
Curated Shares
Curated Shares- If you didn’t get a bonus this year, or didn’t get the one you were expecting, this may help explain why.
- The move away from billable hours to charging for results that I forecasted a few years back is tangibly underway. Buckle up.
- Are you among the 645,000 “401K millionaires in the US?” If not, fret not, this share has some tips for you.
- TLRA (Too Long, Read Anyway): Derek Thompson’s got oodles of insights about what’s coming in 2026 with data to back it up. If you’re pressed for time, tag it for later but do read.
- I caught up with Kelly Stewart of The Positive Business last week. She told me about an evolving set of steps smart companies are using to solve problems and I just had to share it with you:
It’s still necessary to keep solving problems in the traditional sense:
- What’s the problem?
- What’s the solution?
- How quickly can we implement it?
And today, teams benefit more from also:
- Asking if there is an opportunity in this challenge and change. (There usually is.)
- Taking time to reflect and wonder: How good could it (this opportunity) get? What would make it wildly successful?
- Considering how to move in the direction of this opportunity.
- Looking for early evidence that confirms it’s working. (Faster decisions, new ideas, people taking initiative, hope rising.)
Kindness is Contagious, Pass It Along!
Kindness is Contagious, Pass It Along!Have you heard about the Kindness Wall by the Kind Community Project? It’s an opportunity to be uplifted by other people’s stories about kind acts and to share kindness stories of your own, too. Read, share, enjoy!
Do Good Spotlight: Leave No Trace
You may have seen their signs at the start of a trailhead or in a local park. Leave No Trace helps people enjoy the outdoors while minimizing their impact. This membership-based nonprofit provides hands-on training to make stewards of the environment and preserve highly trafficked places in nature: Leave No Trace.
⏳Until Next Time…
I’m taking some time off over the next two weeks, and Niki’s Notes will be back in your inboxes on January 8.
So be in the moment—enjoy the holiday season—we’ve got our work cut out for us in 2026!
Niki