At the top of a new year, Pilot Digital usually gathers all of our favorite things from the last 12 months into one blog post, focusing on marketing-related happenings, advancements, and tools.
At the end of 2025, however, we collectively decided that this approach didn’t feel exactly right. The year was, for many people across the world, a tough one. In America, the wealth gap widened, with Oxfam reporting that the share of total assets owned by the top 0.1% hit a record-high in 2025. As Trump was inaugurated and began pushing an anti-immigration agenda, the number of people detained in immigration facilities also hit a record-high in 2025; the overwhelming majority of these detainees have no criminal record. With each news story, event, or tragedy, the world seemed to become more disconnected than ever, despite estimates showing approximately six billion people currently having internet access.
Despite this, the employees at Pilot strive to be community-oriented, helpful, and, above all, hopeful. In this, we have collectively tried to focus on seeing the good in the world. For example, 2025 brought us the end of the green sea turtle being endangered, clinical trials beginning testing on a lung cancer vaccine, and renewable energy producing more electricity than coal for the first time on record.
We’ve also focused on supporting one another and our community, elevating both our volunteer efforts and pro bono work throughout the year.
With so many happenings, here’s how our team stayed grounded in 2025, both professionally and personally, and what we’re looking forward to next year:
Pilot’s Perspective
Alex Doane, Web:
“Since there are so many external factors I can’t control, I’ve been really trying to manage my mental and physical health more this past year. One of the things that I’ve found that has helped me is moving my body more. Thanks to my brother moving back to the area, I’ve taken up Bouldering – a form of rock climbing – with him. It’s been a great activity that is both social and physical. It’s been a really nice way to release stress, get a great workout in, and a great way to spend time with friends and family.”
Alice O’Keefe, Operations:
“This is one app/website called cosmos.so that’s kind of like a more art-forward Pinterest platform. You can make collections of images you like and search by HEX code for palate-specific images! You can also turn off AI, that’s why I liked it initially.”
Colleen Mayer, Sales:
“I hosted two LGBTQIA+ Networking Nights at a local queer-owned space in Chicago, where I offered free or pay-what-you-can professional headshots for members of the queer community. I started this initiative after realizing that many queer individuals were seeking gender-affirming headshots but weren’t sure where to begin. It became a meaningful way for me to use my craft to give back and uplift my community. Over the course of the events, I was able to capture 58 headshots in 2025.”
Charlie Weller, Analytics:
“The first year of parenthood has really been a whirlwind…Dancing around to music with my 10 month old baby boy has kept me sane! And the few hours I get on Sundays while he naps to watch the Chicago Bears win games has also done wonders for my sanity.”
Jordan Rawlings, SEO:
Caught this webinar at axe-con 2025 and have been thinking about it all year.
Michaylah Elliott, PPC:
“In 2025, I experienced the joy and positivity that can come out of community building. I married my partner of five years, and have never felt so surrounded by love and support in my life. I took up pottery as well, and discovered that leaning into creativity is a great way to center yourself when life feels chaotic. Finally, when the world felt hateful and scary, I focused on the “ICE OUT” posters I saw around both Indianapolis and Chicago – in every business window, in every apartment window, on every telephone pole. These posters are a small reminder to me that humans are good, and that we look out for each other.”
Bobby Maley, PPC:
“I’ve been reading “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, “The Courage to Be Disliked” by Ichiro Kishimi to keep myself grounded, and “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins to keep myself motivated and determined. I’ve also been writing things down, whether that be journaling out thoughts, quotes I’ve heard throughout the day, or random words that sparked my interest to help me think, inspire, and motivate me.”
Victor Kamhazi, PPC
“To me, the practice of writing and performing music brings me a lot of life. My practice of street photography also plays a big part in keeping me sane. To me, going out with the camera forces me to pay more attention to my surroundings and really tune in, more so while doing this with an analog camera because it makes me have to be very intentional about every frame that I shoot. Aside from my creative pursuits, Julieta (my partner) and I are both workaholics when it comes to either our work or art, so we have designated Sundays as our unplugging day – we go to coffee shops, walk around, eat out. I also tried to call a friend that doesn’t live here once a week, and see a friend that does live here once a week. Above all, I’m trying to teach myself to rest a little – I’m always at 100 mph by nature, slowing down is hard but I’m always happy when I get myself to do it.”
Julia Nordhem, SEO:
“Habits that help me stay grounded that I’d like to take into this new year: journaling, making sure to eat healthy and going for walks as much as I can. I’ve also been listening to wfmt; their programming is really great.”
Ben Hicks, SEO:
“Last year I tried my best to stay rooted in the real world. Less digital, less scrolling, less news. Spent a lot of time gardening, learning more and more plant names (in Latin when I can). I probably went for hundreds of neighborhood walks with my partner, and sometimes just noticing a bird, how a tree grows, or what flowers are blooming can bring a sense of awe. The world can be cruel and stressful and scary, but there is a lot of beauty and wonder to be seen if you look up.
But people have different selves, and there was another version of myself last year that watched a lot of TV. Who doesn’t love TV? I also listened to both a lot of country music AND electronic music. Perhaps most of all it was the year of the Happy Hour. We established a circuit of favorite happy hour spots, sometimes hitting two in the same evening. We’re looking to expand our circuit in 2026! “
Tyler Hoffman, Web:
“In 2026, my main focus is to work on the things close to me and not worry about external things I can’t control. Since I spend a lot of time at home, I want to focus on things like home improvement projects, upgrading my yard, and honing my cooking skills. I’d like to spend this year tidying up the things I spend energy on.”
And finally, a sendoff from Founding Partner Rod Holmes:
“Our team at Pilot has been a true inspiration. I don’t have to explain to anyone that the world is in a state of enormous change: the economy, government stability, and AI lead the list of changes we are seeing. The Pilot team has not shied away from this change and the challenges it brings. They have leaned into it; learning new skills and developing new services to take advantage of those changes.”