Let's start with the big one.
In August, I got canned.
Eight years at the same gig (company got acquired halfway through). Principal-level work (without the title, because contractor). And then one day—done. Two weeks notice, handshake, goodbye.
I was shocked for about 15 seconds. And then I only saw opportunity.
I don't know why. That's just how my brain seems to work. Things go to shit, I get back up. Maybe I'm delusional. But that's what happened.
Here's the thing though: I was way too comfortable in that job. It paid well, I had a good reputation, nothing left to prove. I was doing the work - Bold on the side, family stuff - but I wasn't really grinding.
Nothing wakes you up like having two kids, a wife, and suddenly no paycheck, though.
I went all-in on Bold. No freelance safety net. No backup plan. Just a tiny bit of savings and a bet on myself.
Stressful? Yup, not gonna lie. Some weeks were rough. Still are.
Worth it? Ask me in a year.
Bold is starting to hit something. We found an angle in the market that people actually respond to. New customers are signing up because of it. No Lambo yet, but there's momentum. Real momentum.
Did I hit my financial goals for the year? Lol. Not even close. Hard to hit targets when you lose your income in August.
But I'd rather miss the goal and find the path than hit the number and stay stuck. At least that's what I tell myself :)
New Doors
In March, I went to MicroConf in New Orleans. My second MicroConf. Amazing. The hallway track is unmatched. Came back fired up.
I also spent a year in SaaS Academy. Best investment I've made.
It put everything in motion—the people I met, the coaches, the way it forced me to think bigger. I wouldn't be where I am without it.
My year ended right around when I got let go. Convenient timing, honestly.
Separately, I partnered up with Rob Hope this year. He's now my cofounder. If you know, you know. Having him on the team feels like a cheatcode (his first major contribution was acquiring boldvideo.com 🥳).
I also teamed up with Vanessa at Founderwell—her program now runs on Bold. Very grateful for that one.
Between SaaS Academy and these new partnerships, I'm now deep in the coaching and education space. Can't share everything yet, but it's exciting. We'll see where it goes.
Running
Let's start with me: 1,300km and 35,000 meters of elevation. Not bad, not great. A broken foot and a nasty flu didn't help. And once the job ended, running took a back seat to grinding. It's maintenance mode for now.
I'll get it back.
Monika though? This was her year.
As I'm writing this, she's about to cross 3,000 kilometers. 80,000 meters of climbing. Insane.
We traveled to races with the kids. They watched their mom compete. Our oldest, Victoria, even joined her own running class—she and Monika share a coach now. That's pretty cool.
Some highlights:
Ultra Mediterranea in Alcoi to kick off the year. Solid performance.
Confrides – third overall, but we made rookie mistakes. She could've won. That one stung but the learnings were super valuable.
OCC at Chamonix – always amazing. We're sort of like regulars there now. Our little ones did the kids races as well :)
World Championships in Canfranc – the big one.
Canfranc was special. Monika ran for Team Lithuania. But it wasn't about the prestige. It was about breaking her pattern.
She always plays it safe. Never DNFs. Never blows up. But she also never really pushes the edge.
The time limits on that course were brutal, so we planned it down to the gram—nutrition, pacing, carbs, all of it. And she executed like clockwork.
That race changed how we think about what she's capable of.
Other Adventures
We spent the summer in Lithuania, as we always do. Countryside life, letting the kids run wild. This time, close friends from Spain came to visit—we were excited to show them around. It's always a great change of pace before the craziness picks up again.
From there we headed to Chamonix for a couple of weeks. Mountains, training, the OCC race. Hard to complain.
And then for Monika's 40th, we went to San Sebastián. One of our favorite places on earth. Good friends, great food. Doesn't get better than that.
What I'm Taking With Me
I don't have some grand lesson figured out. But here's what I noticed: when shit gets uncomfortable, I work differently. Sharper. More focused. Less dicking around.
Losing the job forced me somewhere I've never been mentally. And I'm grateful for it.
I wake up at 3:30am almost every day. Maybe missed five or six mornings all year, usually travel days. Twenty minutes of breathwork, then straight to work. By the time the kids are done with school, I'm done. Present. Not distracted. That part I'm proud of.
I'm learning to work faster, using AI to stay efficient. Still figuring out what works. I'll write more about that at some point.
What's Next
2025 was not the year I planned. It was better. Harder in some ways, sure. But more exciting.
We've got stuff lined up for 2026. Monika's running Andorra (80K). We're heading back to Chamonix. Bold is getting traction.
I don't have it all figured out. But I'm hungrier than I've been in a while.
Let's see what happens.