Hey, thoughtful people. Happy New Year! It's Montana.
I wanted to start the year by sharing three things with you:
what 2025 clarified for me as a founder, where rYOUminate is headed, and what you can expect from us in 2026, including our first workshop of the year on January 30.
Happy 2026!
First, I want to wish you a truly healthy 2026.
Holistically. The kind of health that comes from feeling supported, resourced, and a little less alone as you navigate life.
As the year turned, I wasn’t thinking about resolutions. I was thinking about what it’s taken to keep building something values-aligned in a moment when doing so hasn’t been easy.
What 2025 Made Clear
2025 was a hard year.
As the founder of a life skills education company serving underrepresented young adults, it meant building while equity-centered conversations were silenced. Policies shifted. And access to support, or even supportive spaces, narrowed.
It was frustrating, confusing, and sometimes lonely.
But life doesn’t pause because conversations and initiatives do. We still have to navigate money, careers, and emotional well-being, often without guidance or room to ask questions.
That reality sharpened my vision for rYOUminate.
Where That Vision Came From
It came from you.
From hellos at community fairs.
From recaps after workshops.
From comments on our posts.
I kept hearing how people wished this resource had existed sooner. How hard adulthood can be. And how what we're doing at rYOUminate makes things feel a little easier.
Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you even more for being part of mine.
You’ve reinstilled courage in me and reminded me why this work matters.
Let me show you how your feedback is shaping what's coming next.
What You Can Expect From Us in 2026
Today, rYOUminate focuses on three strands where support is needed most: financial literacy, career readiness and success, and social-emotional learning.
And in 2026, we’re expanding access in ways that reflect what you’ve asked for. Starting with our Monday newsletter (though at earlier times in the future, haha).
That also looks like:
- more workshops you can step into, including our January 30 session where you’ll leave with a draft of a budget you can use immediately and a clearer understanding of your relationship with money,
- rebranded memberships designed to keep growth going instead of stopping when a workshop ends,
- and more resources that adapt to you, so support can keep pace with your life.
What I’m Committing To
As we step into 2026, I’m committed to building rYOUminate around what we deserve.
Ongoing support.
Real tools for real life.
And space to grow without having to figure everything out alone.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I’m excited to keep building with you.
Here’s to a healthier, more supported 2026.
Kindly,
Montana
Founder & CEO
One Last Invitation
We’re extending our latest survey in partnership with the Seattle Public Library until February 4th. If you have 1 minute (it's 2 questions, promise!), we’d truly love to hear from you.
