Trusting Yourself Again: 2025 Lessons and 2026 Predictions with Hannah Boeck

Jan 16

There are seasons in business where everything feels loud. Everyone has an opinion. Every scroll comes with advice about what you should be doing, how fast you should be growing, and what success is supposed to look like. Somewhere in that noise, it can get really easy to lose your footing and forget that you actually know what you’re doing.

That’s where I found myself in 2025.

This past year taught me some of the biggest lessons of my career, not because everything went wrong, but because I stopped listening to myself. As I step into 2026, I’m taking those lessons seriously and letting them shape how I move forward.

Here’s what I’m leaving behind, what I’m calling in, and what I believe is coming next for business, marketing, and private practice owners.

Letting Go of the “Shoulds”

One of the clearest lessons from 2025 was how easy it is to follow other people’s scripts instead of your own instincts. I spent a lot of time doing things the way I thought I should do them. I listened to voices that weren’t grounded in my business, my community, or my lived experience.

Social media is full of shoulding. You should launch this way. You should post like that. You should copy what worked for someone else. Over time, I stopped trusting my intuition and started questioning things I already knew worked for me.

The truth is, what worked in 2023 and 2024 didn’t automatically work the same way in 2025. Instead of honoring that shift, I followed advice that pulled me further out of alignment.

I’m leaving that behind.

In 2026, I’m choosing to trust what I know works for my business and for the people I serve. That doesn’t mean I won’t learn or grow. It means I’ll be intentional about whose voices I let in and how much space they take up.

Releasing the Need to Know More

Imposter syndrome showed up hard last year. It often does for people who care deeply about doing good work. For me, it showed up as constant learning mode.

When you believe you don’t know enough, it’s easy to stay stuck consuming information instead of taking action. I found myself endlessly researching, enrolling, listening, and learning while quietly benching myself from actually moving forward.

Here’s what I had to remind myself. I know my business. I know my community. I know the problems we’re navigating and the ways I can help.

That doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to learn. It means learning needs to support momentum, not replace it.

In 2026, I’m trusting that I know enough to lead, to teach, and to serve. I’m being thoughtful about mentorship and coaching instead of collecting it.

There Is No Secret You’re Missing

This one runs deep.

For a long time, I carried the belief that there was some secret everyone else knew. A hidden formula. A missing ingredient. If I could just find it, everything would finally click.

That belief didn’t start in business. It started when I was a kid, trying to make sense of being bullied and asking myself what everyone else knew that I didn’t. That story followed me into adulthood and into entrepreneurship.

Even recently, sitting in a room full of successful entrepreneurs, I caught myself thinking they must know something I don’t.

They don’t.

There is no secret. There are skills. There are lessons. There is experience. That’s it.

I’m leaving behind the idea that I’m missing something. And if you’ve been carrying that same belief, I want you to know you’re not missing anything either.

Choosing to Be Seen

Launching the ScaleSmart Podcast in late 2025 was a turning point for me. Being visible does not come naturally. I’m far more comfortable supporting others behind the scenes than standing in the spotlight.

But hiding keeps you small. And those old stories about being judged or not being good enough don’t disappear just because you’ve done the work. They show up in new ways and ask to be met again.

In 2026, I’m done letting fear of judgment be the gatekeeper to my future. The fear might still exist, but it doesn’t get to make the decisions.

I’m stepping on stage. I’m teaching. I’m sharing. And I’m letting myself be seen.

Releasing Perfectionism

Perfectionism has been a companion of mine for a long time. It’s also something I see constantly with the clinicians and business owners I work with.

The truth I finally integrated is simple. Perfection isn’t real. Nothing is flawless. And chasing it keeps you stuck.

I’m embracing a new standard. Seventy percent done is success. One hundred percent perfect is failure, because it never actually happens.

In 2026, I’m choosing progress, not polish.

Calling In a New Way of Working

As I step into my tenth year of business, I’m rethinking what sustainability actually looks like.

I’m calling in my own rhythm instead of hustle and grind. Long hours and doing everything myself no longer serve me or the stage of business I’m in.

I’m also leaning into a simple cycle. Try. Learn. Revise. Try again. Not everything needs to be mapped out perfectly before you begin.

Faith is another anchor for this year. Fear is faith in what we don’t want. I’m choosing to pour my energy into what I do want instead.

And finally, I’m deepening my connection with the community. Real connection requires visibility, honesty, and shared experience. That’s why I’m so excited to bring more community conversations forward and highlight voices walking alongside us, not just the ones at the top.

What I See Coming in 2026

After nearly a decade in business, 2025 stood out. The biggest shift was the rise of AI. While it’s powerful, it’s also created a flood of average, disconnected content and overly filtered, artificial spaces.

The result is a growing demand for authenticity.

People are tired of polished promises and shiny numbers without context. Trust is built through honesty, behind the scenes realities, and showing how things actually work.

Simplicity is another major shift. Simplifying services, messaging, specialties, and offers creates stronger foundations. When everything is pruned back to what truly matters, businesses become more resilient.

And money matters. Life is expensive. Clients are being more thoughtful about how and where they spend. That means we need to be creative, flexible, and intentional in how we offer support while still delivering high value and meaningful outcomes.

Moving Forward

As 2026 unfolds, I’m committed to sharing what’s working, what I’m learning, and what I’m letting go of. Not from a place of perfection, but from lived experience.

If this reflection sparked something for you, I hope it gives you permission to trust yourself again too. To release what no longer fits. To step forward without waiting for certainty.

Here’s to a grounded, honest, and aligned 2026.