2025 Year in Review: Milestones, Momentum, and Giving Back
As 2025 comes to an end, I’ve finally had a chance to sit down and process the achievements of the past year while looking ahead to 2026. If you’re curious about where this journey started, you can catch up on my 2024 recap here.
This year was full of surprises and, honestly, a fair share of distractions. Between the rise of AI and the constant loop of Google’s Search updates (HCU) affecting blog traffic, there was a lot happening in the real world that seemed to pull everyone’s attention away from online business - including my own. But despite those challenges, the systems I’ve been building for Beyondspace held strong. Even with the distractions and the paperwork, the business saw 30% sales growth this year.
Becoming Official: LLC and Platinum Status
One of my biggest hurdles this year was paperwork. It took four months and about $1,500 to finalize my LLC and get Beyondspace fully compliant. It wasn't the most exciting way to spend time, but it allowed me to finally support Stripe and card payments alongside PayPal.
Beyondspace is now Platinum Parter
On the professional side, I’m incredibly proud to have hit 5,500 Circle points, making me an official Squarespace Platinum Partner. This isn't just a badge for me; it’s a win for you. Until 2027, I have access to 12-month staging sites and 25% discounts on subscriptions. If you’re starting a long-term project in 2026, I can now clone or create a site for you that stays active for a full year before you need to pay for a plan.
The Growth of Ground Control
Ground Control has become the heart of my work this year. My goal was to take my most-used freebies and consolidate them into one interface. According to BuiltWith, Ground Control is now installed on over 3,300 Squarespace websites. While I know the real number is likely much higher, I prefer to keep my public figures grounded in what can be verified.
Ground Control usage (BuiltWith)
When I launched Ground Control, I didn't want it to be a paid service (yet), but I did decide to include a "Pay-What-You-Want" option. This isn't just a "buy me a coffee" button—it’s an alternative way for the community to support a tool that provides real value. So far, this model has collected over $1,200. It’s a solid start as I look toward 2026, where I plan to add premium features and turn this into a recurring part of the business.
Affiliates, Automation, and Influence
Earning with Monocle Search
I’ve also spent time refining my partnerships. My work with Monocle Search has been especially rewarding. This year, I brought in 427 clicks and 13 paid subscriptions (about a 2.8% conversion rate). I’ve earned around $1,000 from this partnership so far. While it’s a humble result compared to the massive affiliate success someone like Christy Price sees, I’m encouraged by these numbers and expect them to grow in 2026.
To add even more value, I updated Lightbox Studio so it can now display Monocle’s PDF results in a lightbox by default, allowing visitors to preview content without leaving the page.
Beyondspace’s newsletter
Our newsletter is still going strong with 2,800 subscribers and a solid 48% open rate, with over 167,700 emails sent in the past 365 days. I'll be doing some list cleaning in early 2026 to keep that engagement high.
Beyond partnerships, I’ve been digging deeper into automation by launching a self-hosted n8n instance. It serves my business needs, but I’ve also shared it with over 100 members so they can test their own workflows for free. Some of the templates I’ve published have already been used over 100 times.
Giving Back
The most rewarding part of Beyondspace’s growth is what it allows me to do outside of the office. This year, my home country faced devastating floods and storms. Because of your support and orders, I was able to use the benefits from Beyondspace to raise funds and donate backpacks and notebooks to remote schools affected by these disasters. It is a privilege to be able to help these children and families rebuild.
Looking Toward 2026
I’ll be honest: I didn't release a brand-new paid plugin in 2025. I spent my energy on bug fixes, compatibility, and the LLC transition. While that felt like a step back at times, the 200 reviews we've now collected on Trustpilot and our 30% growth tell me the quality is there.
In 2026, the goal is clear: bring more value to the toolbox and turn Ground Control into a powerhouse for Squarespace designers.
How was your 2025? If you have a milestone or a story to share, I’d love to hear it in the comments.
