Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Look Back at One Wild Year

As 2025 wraps up, I’m taking a beat to reflect on one of the most transformational years I’ve ever had, both personally and professionally.

It’s been a big one.

The world watched AI go from hype to here, and I’m proud to say I didn’t just adapt. I helped lead.

At Monstrous Media Group, we went all-in on AI-driven transformation, not in theory, but in execution. We deployed MonstrousAI and OpsAI, our advanced internal agency agents, across every layer of our business. These systems didn’t just make things easier; they changed the game:

• Accounting

• Client onboarding

• Project and asset management

• Web and app design

• Digital marketing and paid advertising

• AI-enabled application coding and source management

All of it now runs with an intelligent, automated backbone. That means we’re not just faster, we’re more efficient. We’ve passed those savings directly to our customers, allowing them to push more budget into ad campaigns instead of bloated overhead or outdated dev timelines.

That’s real ROI. That’s why clients stay.

AI That Works for the Private Sector and the Public Good

Beyond the agency, 2025 marked a huge year for expanding the role of advanced AI in national defense and public policy. From leading AI strategy sessions with think tanks to contributing research and implementation frameworks across government sectors, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape how AI can be used for mission-driven, human-first progress.

AthenaAI, the R&D initiative I’ve helped pioneer for legislative intelligence and decision support to empower elected officials with real-time insights, threat models, and generative reasoning tools. We don’t just talk about AI at National Defense Lab, we focus it where it matters.

Can you say Smart Cities? I can. More to come.

A Year of Recognition and Accolades

2025 was also a year of awards and spotlight moments, and I’d be remiss not to share a few.

MMG and our team were honored with:

• A Netty Award

• 10 Web Excellence Awards across multiple categories

• Inc. Magazine’s Best in Business

• Inc. Power Partner Awards for our digital marketing services

It’s not about the hardware. It’s about the validation that we’re building systems that scale, create real impact, and elevate the way business gets done.

Media, Missions, and Moments That Mattered

I was fortunate to be featured in several global conferences, podcasts, and media appearances this year, but one that stands out is Big Media’s “Modern Warfare 2.0“, now streaming on HBO Max. It was an honor to contribute to that conversation about how technology, defense, and next-gen warfare are evolving in real time.

Add to that a growing list of National Defense Lab white papers, pioneering the AthenaAI Project, and participating in fundraising events that support our nation’s military heroes, along with hands-on collaboration and training with elite defense and security teams. Yeah, 2025 was more than just busy. It was powerful and deeply meaningful.

I also had the opportunity to design and implement a state-of-the-art data warehouse for one of the nation’s leading healthcare distributors, a complex technical build that was both challenging and rewarding.

Some Personal Highlights

While the agency and defense work moved fast, I made time to invest in myself, too. This year, I began my doctoral candidacy at The Institute of World Politics (IWP), the graduate school hidden in the shadows of my professional experience.

Now, I have the opportunity to again study at the highest level of strategy and statecraft, alongside some of the world’s most respected experts in military intelligence, policy, and national security.

It’s a privilege to learn from the best, and even more of one to bring those lessons into the boardroom, the war room, and everywhere in between.

Looking Ahead to 2026

If you think 2025 was wild, buckle up.

In 2026, I’ll be:

• Speaking at multiple private family offices and C-suite events, and having the privilege to work with some of the most influential families in the world

• Featured on several national defense and AI-focused podcasts

• Expanding our work with Fortune 500s, family offices, and emerging category leaders

• Doubling down on AI deployment across business systems, intelligence workflows, and national infrastructure

There’s no playbook for what’s coming. I’m writing the new one in real time. There’s a new world coming, I’m Blessed to get to help pioneer it with some of the World’s Best!

A Final Word for the Holidays

To our clients, partners, collaborators, and friends: thank you.

Thank you for believing in us, trusting us, challenging us, and building alongside us. Whether you’ve worked with me for a decade or just got here this year, I see you. I appreciate you.

Here’s to a restful break, a joyful holiday season, and a 2026 that will absolutely raise the bar.

If you’re still trying to figure out how to integrate AI into your business, your operations, or your future, you know where to find me.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I’ll see you at the starting line of what’s next.

-Brad