The Year That Changed Me

Alright… last newsletter of 2025. That feels wild to even type. Looking back, it’s honestly crazy how much I’ve changed this year.

To start the month off, my friend Ezra and I did a junk job for a vape shop. When we pulled up, we both looked at each other like, “bro, what?” The stuff in the back was so random: a Walmart shopping cart, wood pallets, barrels with glycerine still in them, a drinking fountain, about 100 vapes, and a bunch of other junk 😂
Super weird job, but honestly pretty funny.

A few days later, Ezra and I were on another job when we noticed a cat hanging around. The client had already asked all the neighbors if anyone knew where it came from. No one had a clue. So Ezra and I took her to the clinic to see if she was chipped or spayed. Turns out she was a girl, no chip, not spayed… and Ezra decided to take her home and keep her.
We showed up to that job to haul a couch and somehow left with a cat too. Lmao

Looking Back on the Year

I wanted to take a second to really reflect on this year, because it’s been one of the most impactful of my life.

I started the year in Puerto Rico, then not long after was in Paris, followed by two weeks in Morocco. Seeing the Eiffel Tower and riding camels in the Sahara Desert are easily some of my biggest highlights. Add in the Colosseum and all the other countries I got to experience… it still doesn’t feel real sometimes.

After traveling, I came back home and tried a bunch of different things. I messed around with a music making business, made an AI music album, did a little reselling… and then I got my first junk job with Junk Pros.
That’s where everything really took off.

One job turned into another, then another. I went to boys camp, came back, and started crushing it. There were wins and there were losses, and the learning curve was steep. At first, I was using AI to help price jobs and juggling a bunch of apps like Stripe, Google Calendar, Maps, Google Sheets, you name it. If I’m being honest, I had no idea what I was doing.

I was learning how to schedule jobs, how to sell, how to price correctly, how to market, and how to actually run a business that was making real money. I was nervous at first. There were moments where I definitely hit the brakes because I wasn’t sure if I could handle it all.

But day after day, job after job, I got better. I still made dumb mistakes (obviously), but I also made friends, memories, and learned lessons I never would’ve gotten any other way.

That’s why this year has been so impactful for me. Not just business wise, but personally and spiritually too. If you don’t know, I’m planning on going on a two year mission next year. I don’t know where I’ll go yet, but I know I’ll do the absolute best I can wherever I end up.

The version of me from last year compared to now is drastically different. I’m still the same nice guy I’ve always been, but I’ve grown a lot, and I’ve had experiences I’ll carry with me forever. This business, my family, and everything that came with this year have prepared me so much for life.

I don’t know what 2026 is going to bring, but I do know it’s another year to improve, gain skills, make friends, learn new things, face challenges, and accomplish big goals. Whatever comes, I’m excited and ready.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been reading these newsletters. It’s crazy to think I’ve been doing this since March of 2024.
I’ll see you all next year. Love you guys!

— Michael