2025 wasn’t a straight line, it was the kind of year that asks who you really are and what you truly believe. For me and for Bettr Strata, the answer was simple: keep faith, trust the process, and lean hard on values. When things were slow, I didn’t chase noise; I doubled down on the fundamentals – service, honesty, and the conviction that doing the right thing pays off, even if it doesn’t pay off immediately.
Gratitude for Clients and Contractors
A heartfelt thank you to our clients. You chose Bettr Strata in a market with plenty of options and entrusted us with your strata scheme, community association, company title, or Building Management Committee. We don’t take that lightly. It’s a privilege to serve, and we love the work.
To our contractors, you’ve become our biggest word-of-mouth engine. Not because we rubber-stamp every vendor (we don’t), but because the contractors we do recommend consistently deliver for our clients. That matters. And yes, we said, “Thanks, but no thanks,” a few times – both to potential clients and contractors – because alignment, standards, and mutual respect are non-negotiable. If we can’t look you in the eye and promise a great experience, we won’t take the job. That’s the Bettr way.
Faith, Values, and the Long Game
When momentum dips, it’s tempting to grasp for quick fixes. We didn’t. I had faith – not just in God’s plan, but in the work we were doing and the way we were doing it. We trusted the process. We made considered choices. We guarded the culture. We kept promises even when it cost us. Those decisions don’t always show up on a spreadsheet, but they show up in reputation, retention, and referrals – the things that compound over time.
StrataFy: The Right Move, The Right Partner
We didn’t just change software – we made a choice. It would have been easy to stick with one of the stock-standard platforms that dominate the market, but easy doesn’t always mean better. We chose StrataFy.
Relearning workflows is never fun, but the move has proven absolutely right. Clients are having a better experience – faster responses, cleaner portals, clearer data, and as one client and many contractors have put it, “we’re not being spammed by your system!” Our team is more confident and efficient. And StrataFy’s support team? Easily the best in the industry – responsive, human, invested. Buying software is one thing; finding a partner who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with you during change is another. StrataFy did that, and we can’t thank them enough.
Leaning Into the Brand, and Enjoying It
Anyone who knows me knows I prefer shining a light on the team. That won’t change. But this year, I had to lean into being the brand – show up on camera, share the message, start conversations that bring strata out of the shadows and into real-world dialogue. I’ll be honest: I enjoyed it. The brand is strong, and more and more people I bump into are loving the content. It’s sparking new business and better conversations. If that helps owners corporations make smarter decisions and helps committees feel supported, then it’s worth it.
Finding the Balance (Family, Health, Startup)
Building a company while raising a family and staying healthy is a dance. Some days I nail it; some days I don’t. I’ve enjoyed the balance in the end, but it takes discipline – keeping health appointments, switching off at the end of the day, resisting the urge to “do one more thing” when the energy is high. The work will always be there. Family and health are why we do the work.
Key Lessons from 2025
The first big lesson: you quickly find out who really supports you when you’re a startup and don’t have much to give back initially. I will remember the businesses and people who showed up. I’ll also remember the ones who didn’t – especially where I did show up for them in larger corporate roles. No bitterness, just clarity. It’s good information. It helps you decide who to invest in as you grow.
We also learned (again) that standards matter. The best clients want managers with backbone and empathy. The best contractors want to be held to high standards because they take pride in their craft. And the best outcomes arrive when everyone is aligned around transparent communication and consistent follow-through.
Special Thanks
Behind every milestone are people and partners who believed in the vision and helped make it real.
To our marketing, IT, accounting, and software partners – thank you for your expertise and commitment. Your support has kept Bettr Strata sharp, resilient, and ready for growth.
To the mentors, peers, and colleagues who offered guidance and encouragement – your counsel during the tough times mattered more than you know.
To our contractor network, who deliver for our clients every day and advocate for us when management is the real issue – thank you for standing with us.
And to the strata professionals and legal advisors who shared advice, friendship, and confidence in our journey – your support will never be forgotten.
We’re proud to work alongside such talented professionals and grateful for the friendships forged along the way.
Gratitude for Mentors and Family
My family stood behind this venture through some tough years endured personally and, in many ways, professionally. You walked through it with me, and I’m grateful.
Lauren, thank you for being my anchor through the highs and lows of building Bettr Strata. Your love, patience, encouragement, and belief in me have made this journey possible. You’re an incredible mum to our blended family, and I’m so grateful for the blessing of Charlie – she’s brought her siblings even closer together as they fuss and compete for her attention.
I love working in strata. I feel blessed to have found my calling when my friend and strata mentor, David “The GOAT” Terry – the greatest strata manager of all time and by some margin, the measuring stick for all – welcomed me to GK Strata after I’d been running a fire protection company supporting many of his clients. David simplified strata and delivered it in a way that made sense – less the BS. My 12 months with David was the best training I could have had. A lot of what I observed and learned are the foundations of how and why Bettr Strata was built.
Thank You to Our Clients
Last of all, thank you to our clients for placing your trust in Bettr Strata. It’s a privilege to manage your community. There are lots of choices out there, and we don’t take your business for granted. We’ll keep earning it – month by month, meeting by meeting, decision by decision.
We’ll be closed from Monday 22 December and reopen Monday 5 January. I’ll still check in daily for urgent matters, and committee members can reach me on my mobile if needed. Follow Bettr Strata on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and X for updates, practical tips, and real talk about strata.
God bless you all. We’ve got a big 2026 planned, with some cool initiatives for Bettr Strata and for the communities we serve. Onward.
Yours in strata,
JM