A year in the life of KW
As 2025 draws to a close, there's no time like the present to pause and reflect on quite the year for Knapton Wright. Over the past twelve months, we've continued to evolve - strengthening our client partnerships, refining our approach, and growing not only as a business but as individuals within it. From career milestones and new responsibilities to shared successes and lessons learned along the way, this year has been shaped by the people behind the work and how they can deliver their best.Join the members of Team KW for this Year in Review, and discover what 2025 has meant to them personally and professionally...
Alex
The older I get, the faster the years go by but the more seems to get crammed into them! 2025 was no exception. In truth, I tend to reflect better in the early part of the new year, but Jo won't allow that, so here's my not so hot take on the year that was.
AI: I have a new personal assistant who is always there when I need them, to answer questions, do research, challenge me on my thinking and enable me to work more efficiently. This wouldn't have happened without my awesome team of humans who have shown us the way to make the most of tech that some people are scared of, but others, like our crew, have fully embraced. Did I know this would be how the year would end? No, but thanks in no small part to Notion's AI developments, we're in a very strong position.
The agency: smashing it. But not in a gloaty, papering over the cracks, Instgrammy way. We know much more about ourselves, our purpose and how we can use consultancy alongside expert "doing" to delight clients. There are always challenges, and we've had our fair share, but the way we continue to challenge ourselves and our clients to get the very best outcomes, fills me with pride and satisfaction. I've still got to get three proposals out by the end of the year, can anyone help with that?
Personally: running a business is fun, tough, fun, tough, rewarding, exciting, energising, challenging, exhausting and different every day. It gets in the way of my desire to spend more time outside, but I'm OK with that, because I love running the agency, even though the Ant to my Dec (Rob) has spent almost the whole year in Western Australia!
2026 looks pretty good. Full of great people, interesting work and a knowledge that whatever we do, we're working to have a positive impact on people and the planet. And B Corp? I'll commit to moving that forwards, hold me to it, please!
Rob
2025, the year of fundamental change for me, both personally and professionally. It doesn't get much more significant than working from the other side of the world in a different timezone, learning how to augment working life through AI and dealing with 46°C temperatures!
Video calls are all well and good, but I've thoroughly missed being with the KW gang in the Caistor office. That being said, it's given me time and space to focus on bringing in new ideas, technology and ways of working for the agency. I'm sure the team are sick of me banging on about AI, but I genuinely think we're about to experience yet another seismic shift in working ways since the internet became a thang.
Next year? Who knows. But we're blessed with some fantastic partners who really want to work with us to get the best for their business. They're open to being positively challenged by us, too. More than ever, we're clearer about who we are, what we do, and why we do this. The team are magnificent and will continue to work hard for those we serve. I couldn't be prouder of them. Onwards!
Tim
2025 has been "The Year of Change". Personally, becoming a dad has been a seismic shift in focus, purpose and direction, and not something that could be prepared for. Professionally, it's been a year of two halves, and a complete U-turn in the understanding of and use of AI. Having initially been fearful of AI and mindful of the general negativity surrounding the use of AI in digital and creative industries, I now use it every day as a tool to make my work better. I fully agree with the fact that it creates a lot of unusable garbage quickly, but if you have a very clear understanding of what you want it to do and how you want it to help you, it is genuinely game-changing. It has enabled me to do things this year that previously wouldn't have been achievable, and within the context of our clients, used as a tool in the right hands, the sky truly is the limit for what we might want to achieve.
Jo
My first full year of being full-time at KW, and what a year it's been! Much like everyone else out there, personally, 2025 has been full of ups and downs. Getting a house build out of the ground, attempting to move progress forward on a business venture with the hubs, continuing to feed the growth of a now neatly 9-year-old, with a healthy dose of boring life admin and health challenges we as families will no doubt all face at some point. Work, which, if you've been keeping updated on our socials this year, you'll already know isn't really like work, has been a source of total joy for me. To throw an overused cliche around, the people who make up mighty team KW are chuffing phenomenal humans, and they really do make my day, every day, in one way or another. As the rest of the team has said, it has been a year of change, but positively, so I feel. I've been working on my work balance, trying to find a happy point between 'doing the do' and getting out and about to meet more people and offer some more support when it comes to the business development and brand awareness side of the agency. If you know me, it won't come as a massive surprise that I've loved this shake-up. As much as I still love hammering on my keyboard, and I do - even more so this year, in fact, given the exciting projects I have on my desk, including ghostwriting The Billion Dollar Briefcase (a whistleblower's story that follows the chance discovery of Standard Chartered Bank's at least $1.5 billion in violations, tied to Iran and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps terrorism and the man who is bringing them to justice), but I digress… getting out again meeting some fantastic people has really taken me back to my roots in journalism, and why I loved that job so much. People. Their stories and spending time understanding them. Here's to making more connections in 2026! I've gone on long enough, but I'll end with one more little thing: Every year, rather than making resolutions I know I won't keep, I choose a word to guide the 12 months that lie ahead. 2024 was 'challenge' - and by god did that live up to the name! This year, it was 'contentment', and while it's been a mixed bag, there has certainly been more stability and happy, positive moments this year - which is always a winner! For 2026, I'm going with 'Fulfilment'. Filling up my own cup as well as that of others, and really focusing on expanding the skills, meetings and project work that will help me do this so I can be the best version of me across the board! Without being too w(anchor emoji)y about it!
Amias
This is my third year as a KW-er, and I'm still absolutely loving it! This year has been one for pushing myself technically, with both Tim and Rob migrating to the upside down (AKA Australia). As the main technical brain in the KW UK office, it's been the push I needed to get more to grips with everything technical, and get under the skin of new ways of working as well as new solutions that can support our work.Like everyone - we're all human, right? - things have been stressful at times this year, but I think it's just taught me more about how I can manage my workload better. Time scheduling has been a big area for me to focus on this year. This year has also nudged me to revisit my time at college. I've realised so many things I'd actually been taught were subconsiously directing my work. I've now brought some of these theories and practices to the forefront of my mind to benefit our clients, too.I can feel it, 2026 is going to bring more learning and improvement. Let's go!
Zoe
This year marked the start of my KW journey, from a week of work experience to a part-time role to now stepping into a full-time role here (who knew what they let themselves in for?). It's been a wild ride! 2025 has been a huge year of learning for me, putting my degree into practice, while also learning so much from those around me. I've been getting stuck into all things social media, video editing and my favourite thing…illustration, adding a new outlet and service for our clients to be able to share their brand story with bespoke illustrations and animations - whether they're a one-off requirement or something that's part of a bigger picture. As we head into 2026, I'm super excited to continue learning, diving more into the use of AI, but also how I can take my skills further. There is always, always, more to be done, more to be learning - especially when it comes to the ever-changing world of social media! Over on Instagram alone, the extent of what you can do in-app has come a long way! Let alone everything else. While illustration is my thing, picking up more with animation and evolving my knowledge will be another focus for 2026. My current process works, but it does mean creating animation by hand. I'm well aware there will be a more efficient use of time, so becoming a real whizz in Adobe is a real goal of mine next year. Oh, and I would like a dog, another big item on the wish-list for 2026.
Emily
For anyone who's followed along with my apprenticeship blog series, you'll know that 2025 has been a pretty big year for me. I completed my apprenticeship and officially stepped into my role as Client Services Associate - a milestone that felt both personal and professional, and one that's allowed me to contribute even more to the Knapton Wright team. With the step up came new responsibilities (and a few challenges), from juggling priorities to making sure communication stays clear and consistent across every client interaction.This year has really reinforced how important strong client relationships and timely, thoughtful communication are to the success of what we do. I genuinely enjoy being that all-important link between people, connecting them and making sure the right information gets to the right place at the right time - whether that's with clients or within the team. I've spent 2025 tightening up processes, getting more organised, and putting better structures in place to keep things running smoothly. As we head into 2026, I'm keen to build on that momentum, putting planning and processes firmly at the heart of my role… and hopefully a year with few curveballs (but I'm ready just in case).
