2025 BUSINESS Year in Review: Rejecting Endless Growth, Spacious Launches, and How My Sabbatical Changed Everything

I'm pulling back the curtain on my 2025 business insights... nosy bitches, this one's for you! I share the ultimate the plot twist: I made almost the exact same money as 2024, while taking a 3-month sabbatical, working essentially part-time, and living like an eccentric writer.I break down my Pitch Perfect launches (including a surprising feeling I had with my first $20K month), why I'm retiring from being "The Podcast Queen," and the creative possession that birthed SUPERNOVA — my new thinking lab for people who want to build intellectual frameworks that shape culture instead of learning more tactical skills. Plus: why I'm choosing restraint as my 2026 word, and why I'm actively exploring capped business models and circular economies instead of scaling into outer space.Themes from the episode:Making the same money while living exponentially better - I generated $143K (basically what I made in 2024), but took almost 3 months off, worked Tuesdays-Thursdays, and traveled to 10+ cities, which honestly feels more successful than any revenue goal ever could.From reactive hot takes to restrained discernment - I'm retiring the knee-jerk cultural commentary and choosing thoughtfulness over Threads wars, because not everything needs my opinion and frankly, discernment is sexy as hell.Why SUPERNOVA exists and why I refuse to be the podcast queen forever - The sabbatical revealed I don't want my legacy to be "she taught people to pitch/podcast," I want it to be "she taught people to build worlds," which required creating a 4-month thinking lab for intellectual frameworks that transcend your current business reputation.Ditching cold pitching for relational EVERYTHING - I stopped teaching extractive tactics and started focusing on nurturing your actual circle, which resulted in my most collaborative Pitch Perfect cohorts and proved that relationships always win over spray-and-pray strategies.Exploring capped income and circular economies because endless growth is a scam - I engaged in 8+ swaps/trades for high-ticket programs, I'm capping SUPERNOVA at 10 people, and I'm actively researching what it means to redistribute resources instead of building a team-run empire I don't even want.My 2026 themes: CREATE. PLAY. PHILOSOPHIZE. EXPLORE. UNEARTH. ASK BIG QUESTIONS. SIMMER. PONDER. WONDER. THINK.What are yours?!Connect with Chelsea:🪐 Pitch Perfect Fall 2026 Waitlist☄️ SUPERNOVA waitlist: the thinking lab for the deep thinkers, world-builders, and curious visionaries who see futures that don't exist yet. 💻 Website🍿Popcorn Club: Monthly meet-up to debrief TV, movies, and the zeitgeist📜 Footnotes newsletter filled with rabbit holes💌 The Art of the Ask Podcast📱 IG: ⁠@chelseariffe⁠🧵 Threads: @chelseariffeSupport NFNTW: Your donations help cover costs of running the show; you can help fund NFTNW right HERE. If you're unable to donate financially, share it. It all adds up!Want to sponsor NFTNW? Email [email protected] to discuss partnership packages!