Year-end reflections often focus on numbers. How much growth. How many projects. What changed on paper.

But as Erik and Tanya shared in this year-in-review episode of Under Construction: Renovating a Home, Redeeming an Industry, 2025 was defined less by metrics and more by people. The moments that mattered most were not always the loud ones. They were the quiet, meaningful ones that shape who a company becomes over time.

As Erik and Tanya reflected on the year, one theme surfaced again and again. Growth does not always look the way people expect it to.

At Big Fish Contracting, success is not measured by hitting a specific number of jobs or chasing volume during hail seasons. Some years bring storms and spikes. Others do not. What stays consistent is the commitment to doing good work, building trust, and taking care of the people who make the work possible.

That mindset shaped 2025 in meaningful ways.

Tanya shared one of her most intentional personal goals of the year. Getting outside every single day, regardless of weather or schedule. Day after day, mile after mile, the commitment added up to more than physical movement. It became a way to slow down, reflect, and reset.

These kinds of habits mirror the way Big Fish approaches its work. Small, consistent actions that build something stronger over time.

Erik reflected on personal milestones as well, including finishing long-standing home projects and making time for the things that bring balance outside of work. Not every goal needs to be public or polished to matter.

From the outside, Big Fish continued to look steady in 2025. Internally, there was significant growth.

New team members joined. Roles evolved. Responsibilities expanded. Growth like this brings opportunity, but it also brings challenge. Big Fish has always been a close-knit team, and welcoming new people into a strong culture takes intention, patience, and care.

As Erik shared, culture is not something you hang on a wall. It is something you live every day. When the right people join, the team grows stronger. When it is not the right fit, the work becomes harder. Navigating that reality was part of this past year.

One area of growth that stood out in 2025 was messaging.

Big Fish continued to lean into storytelling through its podcast, radio work, and docuseries. Not to sell louder, but to explain better. To educate homeowners. To show what thoughtful contracting actually looks like.

Rather than chasing attention with gimmicks, our focus remained on clarity, honesty, and approachability. That intentional approach helped shape how the Big Fish brand continues to evolve.

Not every part of the year was easy, and one was particularly difficult.

In 2025, the Big Fish team experienced the loss of Jordan, one of our expediters. It was a reminder that work does not exist separately from life. Loss impacts teams deeply, especially in a company where people are connected beyond job titles.

Gratitude and grief can exist at the same time, and both shape how people show up for one another.

Throughout the year, one thing remained clear. Relationships are at the center of everything Big Fish does.

Relationships within the team. Relationships with crews. Relationships with homeowners who often become friends over the course of longer remodeling projects. Trust is built slowly, earned consistently, and never taken for granted.

That philosophy guided decisions throughout the year and continues to guide Big Fish’s direction.

As 2025 came to a close, the focus was not on dramatic resolutions or sweeping promises. The goal moving forward is simple. Continue doing the work the right way. Keep building strong teams. Serve homeowners well. Tell honest stories. Stay grounded in gratitude.

Growth will come in different forms, just as it always has. What matters most is carrying forward the values that made the year meaningful in the first place.

To every homeowner, partner, crew member, and listener who supported Big Fish in 2025, thank you. This work would not be possible without trust, relationships, and the people who show up day after day.

As the team looks ahead, the commitment remains the same. Renovating homes, redeeming an industry, and doing both with care.

Thanks for being here!