Leah's Corner: Hello 2026!

Happy New Year! Hope everyone is having a restful start to the new year, embracing the season of cocooning and feeling all the cozies. I am finding an odd mixture of excitement and readiness for the year ahead while also wanting to sleep in as late as possible and not leave the house. What’s your January vibe been like so far?

I’ve been feeling some hesitancy around sharing how our year went based on all I am seeing from so many other small businesses. 2025 had no shortage of challenges (I feel like a broken record stating that every year) and I watched as small businesses navigated tariffs, price increases and economic shifts. It was hard. We also had to navigate a lot of these shifts at Scout, but I’m really proud to say that in the face of all of that, we had a good year. 

Not only are we here to celebrate a good year, we're also here to celebrate that together as a community we raised and donated $15,613 to organizations and causes close to our hearts, including Rainbow Railroad, food banks, local schools, and more! Thank you for supporting Scout, allowing us to give back.

We're so grateful you were part of our 2025. Thank you for coming to us when you were on your must be Canadian mission to boycott the US tariffs (let's keep that going this year), thank you for telling your friends about us, thank you for your mindfulness around your spending and where and how you chose to do that, and thank you for making Scout part of your annual holiday tradition. We’re so grateful we can provide a space that lets you turn off all the outside noise for a few minutes to find some calm, and some cute gifts too <3 

With 2025 behind us, I am a believer in reflecting to help understand where my focus needs to be in the year ahead. 

What am I prioritizing as a business owner this year?

1. Keeping my Nervous System in Check. 

I really noticed this past year how much my brain is just in hyper hyper mode all day when I am working. I stopped drinking coffee all together during the day because it was not helping the brain buzz! I really want to try and bring some more calm energy into my entire workday. The sense of urgency I often feel is hard to manage.

2. Embracing my 45 Year Old Energy.

I have a hard time accepting that aging does impact so many things in so many new ways! Instead of fighting against it, it’s time to accept the things I cannot change. Do I need reading glasses, probably! Can I work 4 days in a row on the sales floor at Christmas, probably not! 

3. Making Decisions Based in Values.

This is something I always try to lead by, but I sometimes get lost in the noise and stress of everything else going on around me. Leaning more into my values and letting that guide me as opposed to what other businesses are doing, or what the economists say I should be doing just throws me off course. I truly believe my guiding lights helped me through this year with a little more ease.

4. Reframing Growth + Success.

Last year I really sat down and thought about this. Yes numbers matter, yes I look at the numbers, but when do I actually feel successful. It’s rarely due to a big sales day/month/year. Are my staff happy? Are my customers coming back and understanding what we do? Are we giving back to our communities? Do I feel balanced? These are just a few ways I measure success. 

5. Sticking with My Work Boundaries.

It’s one thing to recognize what boundaries are needed, it's a whole other thing to adhere to them! I was proud of what I did stick with, and have made some mental notes of where there is “room for improvement”.

Is there anything you’d love to see from Leah’s corner in a future edition? Any questions you have you’d love for me to answer? Please don’t be shy, I’d love to hear from you so leave a comment below or send me a message!

xo Leah