Inside the Nest | Q4
Holiday Office Closure
'Tis the season! We look forward to celebrating the holidays with family and friends. The Dove Agency will be closed from noon on December 24th through January 1st. We'll return refreshed and ready to assist you on January 2nd. For any urgent matters during this time, please email us and we'll respond upon our return.
Here's to 2026
As we approach the new year, we're pleased to offer guidance to help you streamline your financial planning for 2026. We've curated a collection of actionable recommendations designed to help you organize your finances as you transition into 2026—whether you choose to address them during the holiday downtime or as you settle back into your routine in early January. If you're a Financial Services client, you'll find these insights now available and conveniently accessible in IDnest Assignments within the "2025 Year-End Financial Tidy-Up" folder.
Wishing you and yours a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished moments.
Happy Holidays!
Warmly,
The Dove Agency Team
Make Time for Some True Rest
Happy Holidays, everyone! I'm writing this with a little smirk and a touch of irony. Let's talk about something most business owners desperately need but rarely practice: true rest. Shocking as it may sound, one in four business owners takes absolutely no time off during the year. Glassdoor just dubbed “fatigue” as its 2025 word of the year. There are endless statistics and cultural nods to the fact that business owners are overworked.
This holiday season, I'm challenging you (and myself) to do something radical: actually disconnect. Set clear boundaries with your team and clients. Craft an out-of-office message that provides peace of mind - and maybe keep it on for that first day back to ease the transition. If you never want to give the impression of truly being OOO, consider also outhorsing your email.
Use the downtime over the holiday to reflect. What worked in 2025? What didn't? Document your goals for the coming year, not as a rushed checklist, but as a thoughtful roadmap. Consider how you'll communicate these aspirations to your team, transforming individual vision into collective momentum.
Can We Tell You a Secret?
The dirty little secret about us, crazed business owners, is that we actually enjoy thinking about our business during downtime. This doesn’t mean letting it take over or coming before family, friends, or self-care. But I consider (possibly a sad testimony on my part) that musing about new service offerings and product features, resource shifts and process updates is actually a welcome use of time “away” from work.
In terms of “real” recreation – this isn't a luxury. It's strategic recovery. Reconnect with family, catch up on sleep, dust off those hobbies gathering cobwebs. Your mind needs this reset more than another spreadsheet or strategy session. One study from the University of Illinois indicates that time away from work can improve productivity by up to 30%. If even half of the improved productivity came to fruition in January – it would be well worth it!
Let’s take that much-needed break from work – with a bit of time spent considering our businesses away from the chaos of the day-to-day – and vow to return in 2026 energized and excited about the year to come. Leaving fatigue in the 2025 rearview mirror.
And yes, I'm fully aware I'll likely be the hypocrite checking emails and responding to Slack messages. I will consider progress over perfection as a win. Here’s to 2026!
Wishing you the happiest of holidays!
Our Favorite Online Gems
1. Keep with the Pace
Many small business leaders aim for growth. However, once they achieve it and have a team in place to manage daily tasks, they often find it challenging to let go. Dallas-based Executive Coach, author, and founder of a leadership development firm, Robin Pou, shares his insights on this important issue.
2. Enter Your ‘Flow State’ Era
How do you enter a state of flow? Watch this 7-minute talk delivered by New York Times bestselling author Stephen Kotler. Kotler has been studying peak performance for 30+ years and has authored popular books such as The Rise of Superman and The Art of the Impossible. Listen to Stephen’s tips on entering flow – the same ones he shares with clients such as Google and the US Navy Seals. Learn more about moments of total absorption – when everything else falls away.
3. This is Colossal
Colossal - Art by humans, for humans. The online art magazine is a pop of color and intrigue with images of all things art from traditional pieces to crocheted vessels and peanut headed dolls. The Colossal daily newsletter showcases both emerging and established artists and photographers. A recent highlight is the Northern Lights Photography of the Year. Get ready to be inspired!
A truly intriguing concept. This is the title of a twice-monthly newsletter authored by Oliver Burkeman. Burkeman is a British Author and Journalist who writes about embracing limitation, managing time realistically, and building a more fulfilling existence. The newsletter explores topics like productivity, morality, and the power of limits.
Wishing you & yours ALL THE MERRY
There's nothing quite like the right music to make the holidays feel complete! Our 2026 Dovely Holiday Playlist is here to be the soundtrack for your festive gatherings, family celebrations, and every magical moment in between.
Exciting New Features in Our Latest IDnest Release
We're thrilled to introduce a suite of powerful enhancements designed to streamline your workflow, boost efficiency, and give you even more control over your business. Here's what's new:
Flexible Client and Vendor Details: Choose between keeping detailed information inline for quick access or moving longer text to a clean appendix—whichever suits your style best.
Personalized Project Views: Customize your Project Management dashboard with Custom Views that show only the columns that matter most to you, for a clutter-free experience.
Seamless File Attachments: Easily add reference files directly to any item in Project Management using the new File Column, keeping everything organized and at your fingertips.
Improved Organization: Tags and Labels are now automatically sorted alphabetically, making it faster and easier to navigate and find what you need.
Advanced Filtering Options: Select multiple areas, statuses, or vendors at once when filtering and sorting—gain deeper insights and refine your views with precision.
Enhanced Document Editing: Now you can add or remove items from existing Project Management Documents, giving you full flexibility even after creation.
Direct PDF Quotes on POs: Attach PDF vendor quotes straight to any Purchase Order for better tracking and quicker processing.
Powerful Global Search: Search across all items, including every folder in the Vault, to locate files and information instantly—no more digging through layers.
Rich Time Tracking Notes: Add long-form text directly in Time Tracking details to capture comprehensive notes, explanations, or context for every entry.
These updates are designed to make your day-to-day smoother and more productive. If you have feedback or ideas for future improvements, we'd love to hear from you at support@idnest.com.