Goodbye & Good Riddance 2025. HELLO 2026!

Dec 30, 2025

Well, I’d love to say I accomplished all my goals for 2025, but the truth is, I didn’t land a single, damn one!

Each year I try to pick some kind of theme or word to guide and inspire me and the word for 2025 was tenacious, and I can tell you, I needed it for last year. Lots of whoppers to get through personally and professionally. It had a lot of hard hits in it.

Tenacious: A tenacious person is determined, persistent and doesn't give up easily. Yes, that was me and that was BS Communication Strategies. Some changes in staffing, business took a downward dip due in part to help family and because running a business is risky and challenging. And I had to make lots of decisions that were hard, were needed and were about zero on the fun scale. #truth

🎯 All that being said, we accomplished a great many things:

Lecturing and coaching veterinary students at University of Calgary and veterinary technology students at Olds College.
Custom team workshops in Alberta, Yukon and Ontario.
Building Better Leaders; January & December.
The Horsewoman’s Conference in January
Conferences & Meetings attended: OAVT (ON Assoc.Veterinary Technicians), CVMA (Canadian Vet Med Assoc) Annual Conference, CanWest Conference (AB Vet Med Assoc.), IVG (Independent Veterinary Group) Meeting, VetCare Leadership Summit and ICVA (International Committee for Veterinary Assessments), VCA Canada Virtual Symposium.
Mobilizing RVTs®: 2 in Alberta and 1 in Ontario (that’s 15 offerings thus far and over 200 RVTs that have built & retained their communication confidence). One collaborative research project - soon to be published…stay tuned. Two new editions created; End of Life and Large Animal.
Rally the Receptionists: Alberta & Ontario.
FIRST EVER! Curiosity in Conversation, THE Communication Summit in Calgary, AB.
Co-authoring a chapter in a new book; Companion Animal End of Life Care for the Veterinary Technician, edited by Alyssa Eslinger & Joye Sears, published by Wiley in 2025.

💼 On the business side….

BS Communication Strategies officially began in the spring of 2020. I was still working full time and began this little biz with Sage MacIntosh and ran it from the ‘side of my plate’ until June 2021. Then, I incorporated and began operating BSCS full time. That’s 5 years and counting in business. HOORAY!!!!

So here's what happened in 2025.

We fully moved our business over to Kajabi - a powerful online platform that houses our entire digital profile; website, event information & registration, marketing tools, online courses and virtual community. This was no small task and took us the entire year to get comfy with it.
Created our first online course: Say It So It Lands.
Celebrated our team member, Madeline and her husband Riley, on the birth of their beautiful son, Brooks.
Added Shanna, Programs & Engagement to our team in the fall.
Crafted all new marketing assets; videos, photos, magazines, posters, social media assets.
Offered the FIRST, Curiosity in Conversation - Communication Summit. This was NO SMALL TASK!
Worked with a business coach through RSBN (Regional Support Business Network) to have an outside look at BS through a strategic business lens. Very impactful!

Lots of people ask me about my 'why?". Why this business? To me, it's simple. It's people, it's relationships, it's bringing the JOY. I am grateful and inspired by the many clients, across many professions, that are seeing the power of good, skilled communication and seeing results for themselves.

You see, I'm not here to point out problems - we all know what we're up against at work and in our lives. I'm here to build dialogue skills from wherever we're at. I know when we do that, we automatically to reduce the stress and tension that comes from our communication conundrums. No gimmicks - just skills.

🐴 On the fun side, I also managed to spend lots of time with my horses and building my side hustle, The Horsewoman’s Club. As per the previous 3 years, I was able to attend 2 months with Jonathan Field Horsemanship as camp host in May and September where I get to enjoy the outdoors, be with amazing horse people, be coached by Jonathan and spend much needed time with my horses, Ringo & Brass. My passion outside of my family and my work, is horses!

I love being with my family; Colin, Nick and Maddy and we enjoy spending time together on the lake, around a fire or playing games. For the first time, Colin & I were empty nesters this year!

🥳 SO, what’s in store for 2026?

Full steam ahead with Signature Programs:
Mobilizing RVTs® (2 new editions)
Building Better Leaders
Dynamic Dialogue
Rally the Receptionists
Clinically Clear ** NEW Program for Veterinarians **
Speak Up With Skill ** NEW Program for RVTs **
Curiosity in Conversation - THE Summit for Communication Nerds
Launching 3 new Online Courses
Launch of the BS App (available on App Store & Google Play)
Launch of the BS HUB - subscription based online community
Custom workshops across Canada
Staying NERDY all year long!

🧡 I’m nowhere in business without a strong network of supporting people and businesses. I am grateful to continue to work with, Diane, the Business Manager of BS and a dear dear friend whom I respect and adore. I’m excited to keep working with Shanna, Programs & Engagement - already I can see the positive impact she is having. We're in it for the long haul and I am JAZZED.

📸 Meghan Unger Photography at OffSet Studios