So, if you've been here since January, I’ve written to you 219 times this year -- if you're mathing, I write Mon-Fri and took a short summer hiatus.

So first off, thanks for still being here.

I hope that’s a signal that you’re getting value from micro-doses of my always-evolving lens on solo consulting.

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We’ve covered a lot together, and the umbrella theme over all of it has been simply:

How to nail your consulting niche and become known for it.

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In fact, that’s almost exactly the positioning copy my friends Joel & Leah from Kelford, Inc. helped me craft around my business back in January.

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But let’s go a level deeper, shall we?

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Just like I preach about value being found in the niche crannies of a domain, I’ve dug through the crannies of my 2025 archive, and thought it'd be fun to share the highest-engagement Lightbulb from each month.

This isn't based on opens or clicks (those metrics can be gamed), but rather on the number of your collective replies to a particular email -- the emails that made you feel some sort of way that you just had to write in.

That's my internal signal of resonance.

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Please enjoy the stroll down memory lane, click-in to those you may have missed, and perhaps this year's top posts might prompt some thinking about how to continue optimizing your solo business next year.

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At the bottom, I'll share the most replied-to Lightbulb of 2025, and a preview of what's coming in 2026.

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Here we go:

January

​#241 💡 Follow your genius, simplify your offer​

TLDR: Draw a tight circle around what you’re great at, and sign up for little else

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February

​#270 💡 Tossing the shell​

TLDR: Your corporate context was ephemeral, and your expertise is all that carries on

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March

​#285 💡 Assessing a stray opportunity - The CZAR test​

TLDR: A framework to triage a tempting, but perhaps distracting opportunity

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April

​#304 💡 Minding the pain curve​

TLDR: A visual framework depicting how your approach and message should shift to match the degree of your client's pain.

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May

​#337 💡 I’m talking but it’s not landing​

TLDR: A visual framework on distillation of your expertise from verbal to visual

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June

​#339 💡 “The sales prevention department”​

TLDR: A client's "Intellectual Headshot" - a sharp POV turned into an unforgettable mental image

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July

​#366 💡 Watering the weeds​

TLDR: A visual reminder to quit trying to appeal to everyone

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August

​#388 💡 Calm is magnetic​

TLDR: My former finance professor shows us by example the immeasurable value of bringing calm among the chaos.

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September

​#401 💡 Self-employed vs freelancer​

TLDR: How you talk about yourself matters -- the 'freelancer' mindset is a holdover from your corporate life, and it can hold you back.

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October

​#411 💡 Very Niche: Seattle Ring Hunter​

TLDR: A very specific solo practice teaches us a few lessons on niche strategy

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November

​#434 💡 TOOL: Map your service evolution​

TLDR: Finding your niche is a process, and not a linear one. Map template included.

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December

​#455 💡 Rethinking your pricing next year​

TLDR: A recent Headshots sprint delivered ahead of schedule crystallized some pricing principles:
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Pinpoint what you’re selling, and set the price you need. The rest is up to them.

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And the most replied-to Lightbulb this year was:

November 26, 2025

​#443 💡 A quiet confidence​

TLDR: Solo consultants continue to amaze me, in their empathetic and vulnerable way

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Thanks for joining me on this journey, and for all the engagement throughout the year.

Have a wonderful break of rest and recharge.

Write to me if you're bored and pondering.

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Otherwise, next year will bring:

• More reflections, mental models, and frameworks
• More features from my client sprints
• The release of my first book, The Expert's Privilege ( 🥳 !!!)
• The launch of Seattle Solos (first in-person event Jan 13th)
• and who knows what else...

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See you then.

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💡

-Wes