Title:
Embracing 2026: A Reflective New Year’s Episode

Subtitle:
Owning Our Path: A New Year’s Journey with Alycia & Marty

Transcript:

Alycia Anderson: Welcome to Pushing Forward with Alycia, a podcast that gives disability a voice. Each week we will explore topics like confidence, ambition, resilience, and finding success against all odds. We are creating a collective community that believes that all things are possible for all people. Open hearts, clear paths.

Let’s go.

Happy New Year. Happy 2026, Marty. We made it.

Marty Anderson: Happy New Year.

Alycia Anderson: Happy New Year to our community. Welcome back to Pushing Forward with Alycia. We are kicking off the new year today with our annual New Year’s episode. Gosh, are we excited to put 2025 behind us and move forward into 2026? And I’m vibing it already. How are you feeling, Marty?

Marty Anderson: Yeah, we’re looking forward to a brand new year. Some new vibes for sure, and hoping for all the best.

Alycia Anderson: Welcome back to the show. I’m happy you wanted to kick off the new year, as we do with this type of episode.

Marty Anderson: Yeah, we’ve done this one before, and I’m excited to add another chapter into the New Year Trilogies.

Alycia Anderson: We’re going into our third year of this podcast. That’s a pretty big accomplishment. I think we’ve been doing pretty good, so congratulations on that, Marty. I wonder what it’ll bring this year.

Marty Anderson: Yeah, over 120 episodes. You’re right, we have put a lot of work into Pushing Forward with Alycia, and I really think it’s paying off. I think we’re building a great community. I think that the episodes are just getting better, and I’m excited for this new year to bring so many more guests, so many more topics, and all the good stuff.

Alycia Anderson: Last year during this episode, during this time, I was raring to go out of the gates. Just jump in. And this year, I feel like I wanna start off very thoughtfully, slow, focus on speaking, and stages, and content. And not feel like I have to be shipping off a million big things right away to kick off the year.

How are you feeling about kicking off the new year?

Marty Anderson: Yeah, this year is a lot different than last year. We started with a big question mark. We didn’t know what was gonna happen. The elections and everything were settled into that. It was a real eye-opener for us this year with all the things that are changing and everything else. But last year closed down with a lot of hope, with a lot of renewed focus, with the belief that what we’re doing is not going away.

That it’s only here to stay. I think that 2026 is really gonna bring another level to the conversation. It’s gonna help us move the needle in our own lives, with our business, and hopefully in our whole country.

Alycia Anderson: And in our personal life, too. We’ve got some big stuff coming up this year. We’re gonna have 15 years of marriage. We’re gonna go on some cool trip. We’re gonna have some adventures. We’ve got a lot of big announcements coming, so TBD on that. But I’m excited about some of the personal stuff that we’re planning behind the scenes right now, too.

What surprised you the most about 2025?

Marty Anderson: There was a lot of surprises. I think you surprised me the most.

Alycia Anderson: Oh.

Marty Anderson: It was a challenging year to, like I said, just gain traction, to keep that feeling alive. There was a real sense of burnout, and we had never seen that level of burnout before.There was a couple of times that I was like, “Are you gonna throw in the towel because we can’t throw in the towel right now. We gotta keep going.” I was so happy to see you pull outta that tailspin and find your wings again. And get that air under your wings and rise up again. There was a lot of things going on as far as the company structure, projects. What should we focus on? We threw a lot of paint on the wall, and I know that some of it stuck. And we’re seeing stuff that we can come back and fine tune. I think that it’s really just gonna be up to us this year, and I think we’re ready for it.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah. I think that throwing so much paint on the wall last year, at the beginning of the year, is what kind of kicked off some of the chaos for me. We got our footing, but there was just so many dreams, and wishes, and wants. And also, just uncertainty about what the year was gonna provide for us and what we were gonna be able to provide back.

It was just a lot of navigating of that. And I feel like a lot of the people that are following our business and following what we do, they see it. Most of the time, they’re seeing all the exciting things, the fun things, the stage, the impact, the people. But you just wrote a really interesting, great blog post end of the year last year, and it was talking about our last event at a tech company. And you said something in the blog post about the real impact of what we’re doing isn’t the before and after, or the stage, being on stage, and the big moments. It’s actually the interactions that we’re having, and the networking, and the relationships that we’re building in between that are actually what is building the foundation and the growth of what we’re doing.

I loved that you wrote about that in this last article. Because it really made me think, too, that we’re always so focused on the next stage, the next mic, the next speech, the next this, the next that. To settle into the experiences of community when we are doing the work is actually where we find the next open door, the next opportunity, the next layer of growth. I think that was a huge theme for us last year. It was super uncomfortable. But to your point, we’re beginning this year with a new sense of hopefulness and importance of the work that we’re doing, which I’m super excited about, for sure.

Marty Anderson: Yeah. I love that you have that attitude and I hate to hit you with another next, but.

Alycia Anderson: Go.

Marty Anderson: I wanna ask you, what do you think this next year is gonna bring? Where do you think we go from here?

Alycia Anderson: I’ve got big dreams of where we go.

This year, I wanna be in the top 1% of podcasts. We have such an incredible product. I wanna find a way to elevate the show into the most prominent levels of podcasting, and we’re getting there. I want to lean into my leadership. I feel like last year I was gifted a lot of verbal communication gifts from other people that follow me.

That have found some sense of empowerment in their own life by following our work, or having conversations, or whatever it might be. And that is the biggest reason why we’re doing this work. I would love to take my leadership, and figure out how to give it to other people in a larger way.

And hopefully, that’s gonna be the Own It collective and creating space for other women and disabled people to come together, and share space, and find their own confidence in really going after their dreams. There’s things that I wanna do that we’re getting really close to.

But most of all, I want to manifest believing that we are successful because we are who we are and not stress about every single dollar that’s coming in. But realize if we’re putting in the work, all of that’s gonna follow. The success that we’ve found so far is because we’ve created such a beautiful platform through us being who we are and sharing it.

Marty Anderson: Could I add in a little bit right there?

I’d like to talk about Own It, and I think that we’ve been toying with this idea. We want to create this collective. We want to be able to give people the place to come together, to talk about ideas, to discover how we can help each other out. To really lift each other up as a collective in owning who we are as a community, as ourselves, and what we can do together. And I’m really excited about that. We’ve been talking about it and you have all these things that happen when you’re making decisions for a business, and you’ve gotta do all kinds of strategic things.

What platform will we use? What will we do for this? How will we charge people? What should we charge people? What are the goals? What is the mission of this project? I think it ties back to what you were talking about. I was writing in that article last year about the connecting, and the pieces, and the relationships that we form. And I’m really excited to just open the door to this opportunity for our community, for us to come together. I know that a lot of people are doing these types of things, and I know that there’s a lot of options out there. But I can’t wait to see what ours is like. I can’t wait to see what kind of heart we bring to the message, and I think that it will reflect a lot of what’s happening on this podcast. I think that it will bring a wider discussion and create a forum for some true conversations. I’m sure that will have a ripple effect in our community. I’m sure that will end up being in articles, and posts, and things. What we discuss together really could be a beautiful thing. Before we dive even farther into 2026, I wanna do a quick little fun, couple moments. Do you mind if I fire a couple questions on you?

Alycia Anderson: If I could just sit here and be along for the ride the entire episode, I would love that. So please, take it away.

Marty Anderson: You deserve it because you just had your own episode.

Alycia Anderson: I would be sticking with the theme of easing into 2025, just sitting back easing in. So please go ahead.

Marty Anderson: All right, so, you mean easing in to ’26, but that’s okay.

Alycia Anderson: Oh, thank you.

Marty Anderson: Give me one word you would use to describe 2025.

Alycia Anderson: Work or personal?

Marty Anderson: Both.

Alycia Anderson: Together? Because they’re different.

Marty Anderson: Sure. One after the other.

Alycia Anderson: Work was very challenging. Work was very challenging in a way that made me pivot and figure out how to make it through. It was hard, but it was rewarding.

Marty Anderson: Then personally.

Alycia Anderson: Personally, freedom. This last year in 2025, I turned 50, which was a weird age to hit and then own.

But once I did, it really gave me some freedoms and a lot of confidence. Especially in things like going to Mexico and wearing shorts for the first time and showing my legs. And allowing me to just be free, not only in my body, but in my soul and in my heart, in my skin. Just like all of it. I feel like I let go of a lot of insecurities just to allow myself to feel what it’s like to try my best to push all inhibitions aside and just let myself be free. I think that’s what 50 is. Allowing yourself to just be. You’ve put in the work to get to where you are. I allowed myself to show it off, and it was really freeing. And I feel like last year catapulted me in feeling very settled and strong.

I worked really hard on my body. I got a lot fitter and stronger, not only physically, but mentally. And it’s laid down the framework for me this year to really start off in strength, and confidence, and ease, and all the things. So, that was a big deal for me last year. How about for you?

Marty Anderson: One word to describe 2025 for me was just growth. We truly did a lot. We grew as a company. We got certified, we got woman-owned certified. We got disabled certified. We went through the ups and downs of financial things. We got to the root of getting new employees. We continued the podcast. We picked it up and ran with it on our own again.

We traveled a lot and did a lot of virtuals. But we also picked up the game, posting, writing stories, and doing a lot of those things. I know 2026 is gonna be huge in continuing all of that. I know that we’re just growing the team, we’re getting more resources, and we’re really learning to challenge ourselves in new ways with learning how to be leaders. In our own company, we’ve been leaders in the sense that we do it for ourselves ,and we’re out there, and we’re leading our own way. But now we’re having to question, “How am I treating my employees? Am I being clear? Am I doing all that I can for them?” What was your favorite trip of 2025?

Alycia Anderson: My favorite trip of 2025 for work was going to DC, and experiencing all the inspiration that is everywhere in DC. From the historians, the historic politicians and leadership, and amazing people that have created so much for us today. So just being in DC was really inspiring for me as an advocate, to really be engulfed in other past advocacy that has shaped our world. And then personally, my favorite trip was when we went to Playa Mujeres for the 50th, which was also just fun, in a year that was so tough. It was nice to be able to relax and have fun. And I want more of that this year, too.

How about for you?

Marty Anderson: You deserve that. It was fun. Going to spend time with family, lift up you and your sister, and turning 50 years old only happens once in your life. That was a really memorable way to ring it in. Again, I love DC, also.I think our first trip of the year was to Dallas, getting to go for Southwest and go speak there for what was Women’s History Month back then. Just all the fun and enjoyment that we had on that trip, starting off with the crew at the gate that found out you were going to speak for Southwest and we were flying Southwest. They quickly remedied up a little sign for you, “Happy Women’s History Month,” and decorated you with all kinds of things. We got out there to Dallas and really just enjoyed ourselves a little bit, too.

Even though the trips were a lot shorter this year, we didn’t add as many extra days. But we did get to stay at Omni Hotel out there overlooking all of downtown Dallas, which was beautiful up on the top floor. We again got out for some great meals and getting to see more history, like we did in DC. Getting to see the JFK Memorial there, and just experience a little bit more history. That was awesome.

Alycia Anderson: You know what else? “We did so good.” Even though this year was harder in business conversations, we closed a ton of business. We had a lot of partnerships. And we had some incredible partnerships, like Southwest, Uber, Ralph Lauren, and Victoria’s Secret, again. We spoke at so many disability-forward conferences, and we were in community a lot in the work. And that was so refreshing and so motivating. Just like this podcast does for me, it feels so good when we are in community with our community, with other disabled people and their allies, and you just feel really supported.

I love that you brought that trip up, because we’ve had a lot of those this year that were big and important.

Marty Anderson: Yeah. What would you consider a bucket list moment for work this year? Anything pop to mind?

Alycia Anderson: Going into the new year or last year?

Marty Anderson: Just last year, wrapping up.

Alycia Anderson: Oh, bucket list moment last year. Right now, speaking at Uber is coming to mind. That’s been on my list.

Marty Anderson: Do you know what pops to mind for me?

Alycia Anderson: What?

Marty Anderson: Going out to Shreveport, Louisiana and getting to be on the news. Going down to KTAL’s news station, and walking around where they do the nightly news broadcast for all the people out there. Meeting Jacque Jovic, and having just a wonderful experience with the whole Arc Caddo Bossier out there.

They really did it right for us. We love the community and all the surprises. Do you remember they showed up and met us at the hotel at the latest hour when we got in and had little goody bags? And then were kind enough because first time ever, our rental car we had rented was all of a sudden, “Oh, you don’t have a car? We don’t have a car in the lot for you guys.” And all of a sudden we were thrown into, “Oh no, how are we going to get around?” We’ve got this huge itinerary. They wanna take us from place to place. They really stepped up and took care of us. That was another really memorable trip. But, that leads to one other question. What were the hardest days of the year in work?

Alycia Anderson: The hardest days of the year for me were after the political landscape changed in the US. It definitely put our work in a light that was unfavorable. The hardest part for me was finding my voice to remind all of our customers, and the people that we’re partnering with, and the world that this work of inclusion doesn’t have bad intent. We’re not out there asking for extra favors or additional gifts that other people don’t get. We’re out there educating the world that for us to have a fair shake in the world, we need certain things like accessibility. And if we don’t talk about these things, we’re not exposing the world to it. People don’t understand that there’s many challenges and barriers. The work that we do is heart felt work to hopefully better the existence of everybody moving forward. The hardest days for me were being scared to pick up the phone and talk about it, because I would turn on the news and DEI was being demonized.

That was a real difficult thing to overcome. It wasn’t just something that we could snap our fingers one day we’re having this issue and it goes away the next. It was months of challenges and it’s still there. It’s still present.

Marty Anderson: Yeah, I can tell that deeply impacted you and that the feelings are there still to this day is something to talk about, and to realize, and to share. Because internalizing these feelings doesn’t help us. It doesn’t help anyone else. It only acts as a blockade. But the funny thing is when I asked that question, “What was the hardest days of 2025?” I wasn’t thinking of that. There was several days in 2025 where you had multi-day events or multi-event days doing Victoria’s Secret, and then speaking on the Wawability stage. Going to Butte, Montana and speaking to Union Pacific Railroad, and then turning around and speaking to the Montana Youth Transitions. International Disabled Persons with Disabilities Day, I think you had three events and you were up at six in the morning speaking to Konecranes, and then Uber. And then you went on a CDI quarterly meeting. I just love that those didn’t pop into your head as hard days, because that means that you’re enjoying the work.

That means that you’re ready to give the long hours that it requires. Just kudos to you, babe.

Alycia Anderson: We’re both putting in the hard work and the long work, but this work is privilege. And there’s days that I’m really tired and exhausted, like when we were in Kansas City and I came down with a really bad kidney infection right when we got there, and I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to even make it. But this work is a privilege, and it’s good work, and it’s important work, and it’s loving work. Yeah, those multiple events are a privilege to be booking many events on one day. That means we are in demand and we are going straight to the stars in 2026, sweetheart.

Marty Anderson: Speaking of that, we’re starting off the year with a trip already lined up in the books. We’re gonna be leaving in a week or two to go to Virginia. I don’t think too many people will fly across the country. One day they’re there, and then the very next day do all the stuff they gotta do, and then fly out the very next day. That’s the kind of year I think that we’re gearing up for. You’ve got to stay focused, you gotta do the things. But we also gotta remember to enjoy ourselves a little bit. But going to Virginia in a couple weeks is gonna be a nice little trip.

Alycia Anderson: I wanna have fun this year. I want to be free with my mindset. I wanna be open. I want to let things unfold as they should, naturally. I want to just enjoy our year together and chill. Work hard, but have a calm mindset and a positive mindset. Like a mindset of gratitude and privilege, andhope and grace, and things that are gonna just be calm.

That’s what I’m really hoping for this year. I’m grateful for the path that we’re on. We’re going into year six. This is incredible. I don’t even know how we’ve done this, but we have, and we are, and we’ll continue to do it.

Marty Anderson: Yeah, speaking of milestones and speaking of years, we’re going to be married for 15 years in 2026. We’re gonna be really celebrating many more years than that. When you think about our country, 250 years old this year. It’s really just amazing that people like you and I are able to live our lives, and thrive, and do all that we want, and really set the bar for ourselves and see how high we really want to jump.

It’s a testament to the great foundation of all the people that started our country and wanted to have that break away from the restraints of people telling you, “These are the limits and you have to stick to them.” And really setting it upon the individual to say, We’re all created equally and you all have the choice to create happiness for you, so go find your liberty. What does it mean to you?” So I think that this year is gonna bring so much greatness to our country, to our message. I believe that a lot of people are gonna be wanting to hear about us and bring us in. And I think the Own It speech that you developed this year for just really lifting yourself up is gonna resonate a lot. And I think that’s a message that’s gonna be really received. Share a little bit about it. Tell us a little bit about your Own It speech. How did it come about and what does it mean to you?

Alycia Anderson: The Own It speech is, I guess, a love letter to myself that allows me to navigate the path that I’ve had to go down to embrace who I am in this journey that we are on. Every layer of my disability, every part that I hide because it’s too hard, it’s too difficult, it sometimes hurts, or requires medical stuff.

Embrace the challenges and the wins of who I am. And then, I’m on the elevate stage of the Own It process right now, which is elevating those stories. How I went from being a baby that they said institutionalized ,to having this business and traveling around the world doing what we’re doing in sharing and storytelling.

Our platform is strong because we storytell. We’re educating, but we’re also giving real beautiful lived experience stories, and then empowering others in that process. And that’s what the Own It speech is about. It’s about discovering yourself, putting those talents into the world, whatever that might be. And becoming empowered, not only in your own space, in your own skin, but giving that to other people because people are watching you.

They watch us. They’re learning. How do you do this? How do you do that? How do you rise? How do you get back up when you fall? When you can gift those things away to somebody, small little nuggets, we’re having an active role in creating a beautiful society and culture of people who believe. That gift of belief is a powerful thing.

The Own It thing has been a really fun and inspiring process for myself that probably will eventually go into some book or something. I’m hoping that we just get to refine it all year on stages around the world, honestly.

Marty Anderson: Yeah, I think that it’s really still evolving. And the beautiful part about it was, I remember you getting ready for UC Davis and speaking to the young ladies that are all gearing up to graduate school, and go into their marketing, or careers, and whatever they wanted to be. The idea was that you were gonna go there and give them an inspirational speech, and you were donating your time. And it was at a stage in our business where there was so many things going on and the doubt was just starting to creep in. It was really a pressure time for you. And I remember I encouraged you.

I said, “Alycia, you don’t need to write a brand new speech. You don’t need to do anything than believe in yourself, and get up in front of this stage, and speak from your heart.” It really was a challenge for you to do that because youlike to be in control. You like to know what the next step is, what is happening, and knowing exactly the message you wanna send to the world.

So, I remember challenging you on that. I remember sitting there and we were with a lineup of other true professionals in the field. And these ladies were all sitting around the table with me as I was sitting there watching you up on the stage. I remember them saying, “Wow, she’s really good, and she is something up there.” You did take that and you lifted it up, and you recreated it. And of course, you spinned it into your own speech that you’ve prepared and you’ve got a game plan. But I really challenge you to just grab that inner strength and continue to lean into the ability to draw from 50 years of living with a disability. The stories that we’ve told really are just scratching the surface of what lays below, and it really just touches on things. The more that we can expound, the more that we can just really believe that we’ve embraced our story fully, and getting it out there and elevating it. You’re saying you’re at that elevate stage, but you’re also dabbling in that empowerment stage. You’re affecting other people and they’re seeing the courage that you have, and they’re taking that courage and running with it in their own lives.

Alycia Anderson: Okay, I have a question.

Marty Anderson: What’s the question?

Alycia Anderson: First of all, I have a note. All this empowerment stuff and the growth, these things. The way that you challenge me to be better. That’s why I get better. And I hate it sometimes when you’re like, “Nope. No.” But you do challenge me to do things, like you’re saying at the UC Davis event. There’s a lot of growth like that for both of us this year.

We both have been uncomfortable in a lot of different ways. So, I’m really grateful to you for that, even though it drives me just bonkers when you say, “No, go back to the table, and you’re not doing that right.” I just want you to know that you are such an integral, important piece in everything that we do. Not just in the business, but in our marriage, and in our love, and in our life.

Just the way that you help. You’re the glue that keeps everything together, honestly. You’re just really an amazing husband and partner. I am so excited to start this new year with you on a new note, a new sense of belief in the air, and lots of positivity and love. I just want you to know, number one, I love and appreciate you for all of those things. What is the intention? What do you wish for us collectively this year? What is your hope that we do together? I think it’s a good way to wrap up the show.

Marty Anderson: Yeah, I love that question. It really is at the root of what we talk about daily. I’m gonna lay it out there. I hope that we find a new sense of freedom this year. I hope that we believe in ourselves more than ever. I hope that through that, we find financial strength and a new lease on not stressing about the day-to-day, but stressing about the time we have left, more than that. How are we using it? Are we doing it the best we can? I want to try to find some freedom in the struggle, and really find the heart of the work. I really want to dive into the work. I really want to get deeper into our message. I really want it to resonate with new weight. I want it to be impacting more than it ever has, and for us to find the strength to share the hardest things in our life, without making it a negative message. I think we need to focus on the positives. I think that in every hard situation, there’s always a silver lining and for us to really find those fruits. To find the thing that’s gonna fill our spirit. So that when we’re out there and we’re working with the community, whether it’s in the professional realm, in the workforces and the companies, or amongst our peers, lifting them up, lifting ourselves up right alongside them. Lifting up those that are doing the work that needs to be done. And for us all to feel that we can do it. We say it over and over again, “If we do it together, it’s much easier. If we do it together, the work is so much easier.” So, I really want us to just find the freedom to reach into 2026 with our hearts on our sleeves, but with our messages in our minds. Really grounded in the knowledge, and the wisdom, and the power to make every moment count and to just be there for each other. Starting with me for you, you for me. Us for them, them for us. All of it.

Alycia Anderson: Beautiful.

Marty Anderson: Yeah.

Alycia Anderson: Let’s go. Let’s go do it babe. What is your pushing forward moment?

Marty Anderson: You beat me to it. I was just gonna crack that one on you. So the pushing forward moment for ending 2025 and moving into 2026, just try to love yourself in everything that you do. Nobody’s perfect, nobody’s ever done everything the right way. And we tend to beat ourselves up about it sometimes, “Oh, I could have done much better. If I would’ve only done this.” Love yourself enough to say, “What I’ve done is enough to move forward to something better.” If I set aside the doubt, and the fear, and the pain, and love myself enough to make opportunities for the future, and provide myself the grace and the mercy to move forward, no matter the mistakes. That hopefully, we’re gonna find that way if we just continue to put in the work behind the scenes, deepen our souls, and free ourselves from the chains that we’ve put on ourselves, and really share the true beauty that lies at the heart of inclusion.

Alycia Anderson: There you go. I love it. Happy New Year.

Marty Anderson: Happy New Year’s to you, sweetheart. Do you have a pushing forward moment for the audience?

Alycia Anderson: I think my pushing forward moment for the year is to push forward with intention. The work continues. Be grateful for that, and hope remains in it. As long as we have hope, we can continue on. Happy 2026, my love. Happy 2026 to our community. Let’s go out and make things happen this year.

Let’s get it done. Let’s make ourselves proud. Let’s support one another. We promise to keep showing up for you every single week, this year and beyond, and we wish you a very happy New Year. This has been Pushing Forward with Alycia and Marty.

Marty Anderson: I see that sparkle in your eye, sweetheart. And I hope that it’s shining in all of yours out there. We love you. Keep pushing forward. This is Pushing Forward with Alycia, and Marty, and that is how we roll.

Alycia Anderson: Yeah, it is.

Marty Anderson: We’ll see you next time.