As we close out 2025, I keep coming back to one undeniable truth: this year moved fast. Faster than many even realized. Technology accelerated. Consumer expectations evolved. Leadership required more courage, clarity and community than ever before. And through all of it, Founders continued to do what Founders do best — rise.

In our final Founderology podcast episode of the year, Cherryh and I sat down to reflect on the moments that mattered, the shifts that shaped us and the momentum carrying us into a breakthrough 2026. Rather than recap every detail, we want to share the themes that stood out — the ones that will inspire every Founder to tune in and move into next year with purpose.

2025: The Year Founders Took Control

This was the year Founders stopped waiting for the industry to stabilize and started rewriting the rules.

Cherryh called 2025 "the year of augmentation" — a season when technology supported people and strengthened their work. We watched Founders use AI, smarter systems and predictive tools not to cut corners but to elevate teams, strengthen operations and reclaim hospitality.

I called it the year of AI or Die — not fear-based, simply factual. The Founders who embraced new tools gained speed, clarity and confidence. The ones who resisted were falling behind faster than ever before.

These were great positions we unpack— real insights from the real front line experiences.

The Founder Shift: From Doing It Alone to Growing Through Community

If one message defined our year, it was this: Founders win bigger when they stop building alone.

We saw it throughout our Founderology Collaboratives, the Founderology podcast and the Founderology Growth Summit community. Founders accelerating forward are partnering, collaborating and reaching new levels of momentum together.

Our conversation highlights how this shift changed the game for every Founder who embraced it and why it matters even more in 2026.

What emerged was powerful:

• A network that grows your net worth.
• A community that accelerates your company.
• A shared language only Founders understand to help each other grow.

Hospitality Returned to the Center — And It's Not Going Away

Cherryh and I both agreed: the future of restaurants is the experience economy.

Guests aren't choosing based on product or price alone. They are choosing based on their experience — they want and expect great service, food, beverage and an overall experience they value.

We discussed examples of brand reinventions, leadership gaps and the renewed importance of hospitality as a true strategic advantage. This is THE section for any Founder ready to reignite the team or reexamine the guest journey.

Where We're Going in 2026

Cherryh said it best: 2026 is the year technology and humanity work together.

I added that to make it all work it has to be the year to invest in leaders and leadership development — the leaders you have, the leaders you are developing and the next generation of leaders you need to groew.

We also share a few surprises in this episode, including emerging trends and the mindsets we believe will define the next wave of restaurant growth.

Why the Founderology Growth Summit is the Ultimate Launchpad for 2026

This is one area we will not stop talking about because of the massive value and impact of the Founder to-Founder experience. Our conclusion there is no better way to start your year than with 125 visionary restaurant Founders who share your drive.

This is the room where breakthroughs happen.

This is the room where clarity clicks.

This is the room where Founders stop going it alone.

In the episode, Cherryh and I highlight:

• Why this Summit delivers one of the highest ROIs a Founder can make.
• How the Investor Grade Assessment and Growth

Danielle Mahon, the Founder of seafood steam pot brand Topsail Steamer, joined host Kathleen Wood on a recent episode of the "Founderology" podcast to discuss the evolution of her company from a local storefront to a national franchise.

During the interview, Mahon detailed the philosophy behind her brand, which offers pre-prepared seafood steam pots designed for customers to cook and share at home. Mahon founded Topsail Steamer in 2017 on Topsail Island in Surf City, North Carolina. She launched the business to replicate the family tradition of the "Lowcountry boil," aiming to pioneer a new category in the food industry centered on shared experiences.

"Connection creates meaning and growth," Mahon told Wood during the broadcast.

The discussion covered Mahon's trajectory from a single location to a multi-channel brand. Following a notable appearance on ABC's "Shark Tank," the company expanded its reach through a partnership with the e-commerce platform Goldbelly, allowing the company to ship its signature pots nationwide. Mahon has since transitioned the business into a franchise model, offering opportunities to operators seeking a lifestyle-oriented business model.

Wood, a growth strategist and founder of the consultancy Kathleen Wood Partners, spoke with Mahon about the specific mindset required to scale a niche product. Mahon emphasized a leadership style focused on "disciplined optimism" and the ability to find opportunities within obstacles.

"Challenges arrive, and she responds with clarity," Wood noted regarding Mahon's approach. "Her leadership reflects a founder who pioneers a category with originality and vision."

During the episode, Mahon outlined several key lessons for entrepreneurs, including:

• Staying aligned with a core purpose to direct business strategy.
• Designing experiences that foster human connection.
• Filtering external advice through personal values.
• Thinking beyond the starting point to expand vision with confidence.

Mahon is scheduled to elaborate on these strategies as a featured keynote speaker at the Founderology Growth Summit, Feb. 2-4 in Boston. Her session will cover the specific operational plans guiding Topsail Steamer's expansion and her approach to rewriting the standard franchise playbook.

Register for the summit here.

The "Founderology" podcast features interviews with business leaders and entrepreneurs focused on growth strategies and organizational culture.

Zane Tarence enters this conversation like a force of nature — fast, sharp and fully dialed in. His pace alone tells you he has lived this work. His experience comes through every sentence with the confidence of someone who has built companies, sold companies and guided leaders through outcomes most people only imagine. His energy lifts the entire episode into a higher gear.

This is not slow insight — this is momentum.

Zane shares perspectives with the speed of someone who has spent decades in the trenches and still wakes up hungry for the next challenge. He moves quickly, and every Founder listening will feel that speed — because it mirrors the pace their own business demands.

This episode leans into the questions Founders carry quietly while leading loudly.

• The tension between growth and exhaustion.
• The desire to create real value rather than volume.
• The challenge of hiring and developing people who can scale with the business.
• The responsibility of raising performance without sacrificing the heart of the company.
• And the importance of becoming investment grade even when an exit is not the goal

These questions shape a Founder's future. This conversation puts power behind them.

Zane's perspective also reflects why Founders Advisors is such a powerful partner for the Founderology Growth Summit. Their commitment to Founders, their depth of experience and their ability to translate complex ideas into clear, actionable insight creates an environment where leaders accelerate faster. This episode is a preview of just one of many conversations that will continue in Austin —high-velocity, high-impact and designed to strengthen every Founder who walks into that room.

This is the rare episode you listen to more than once because the first time gives you clarity, the second time gives you strategy and the third time fires you up for action. It is that intense, that rich and that aligned with the realities Founders face every day.

If you are a Founder who wants to strengthen your business, elevate your leadership and align your strategy with the value you are building, this episode is a catalyst. It is focused. It is energizing. It is built for the leadership necessary today to build your business to breakthrough with value.

Built to Breakthrough continues to be the place where Founders get the clarity they deserve. This episode sets a new standard—and deserves the replays. Join me for this episode of Founderology and access the must-have insights that strengthen your path, expand your perspective and accelerate the future you are building.

To provide securities-related services, certain principals of Founders Advisors, LLC are licensed with Founders M&A Advisory, LLC, member of FINRA & SiPC. Founders M&A Advisory is a wholly owned subsidiary of Founders Advisors. Neither Founders Advisors nor Founders M&A Advisory provide investment advice.