--- title: "2025 year in review: a year of building, learning, and gratitude" url: "https://alex.zappa.dev/blog/year-in-review-2025/" description: "Reflecting on a year filled with code, open-source contributions, and the amazing people who made it all worthwhile." --- # 2025 year in review: a year of building, learning, and gratitude December 28, 2025 * [#featured](/tags/featured/), * [#personal](/tags/personal/), * [#year-in-review](/tags/year-in-review/) If you’ve noticed my blog has been quiet this year, there’s a good reason for that. I’ve been heads-down, completely immersed in development, research, and building things I’m genuinely proud of. ## The numbers tell a story Looking at my GitHub profile, this year brought: ![GitHub Contributions 2025](/_astro/github-stats-2025.wJDRVMwS_1prdnv.webp) * **4,738+ contributions** across various projects * **81 repositories** across my [personal](https://github.com/reatlat) and [FreshJuice](https://github.com/freshjuice-dev) accounts * **7+ Eleventy plugins** published and maintained * Multiple HubSpot themes and modules * And countless hours of learning, debugging, and shipping But numbers only tell part of the story. ## FreshJuice: from side project to passion Most of my energy this year went into [FreshJuice](https://freshjuice.dev/), a creative development studio focused on HubSpot CMS and modern web development. What started as a way to share HubSpot development knowledge evolved into something bigger: * **[FreshJuice HubSpot Theme](https://github.com/freshjuice-dev/freshjuice-dev-hubspot-theme)** - A developer starter theme with Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js (27 stars, 12 forks) * **[Professional HubSpot Modules](https://demo.freshjuice.dev/)** - 4 premium modules for HubSpot CMS * **[HubSpot DevTools Extension](https://freshjuice.dev/hubspot-devtools/)** - A browser extension I use every single day * **[FreshJuice 11ty Starter](https://github.com/freshjuice-dev/freshjuice-11ty-starter)** - A modern Eleventy starter theme with CloudCannon CMS integration * **[Free Online Tools](https://freshjuice.dev/tools/)** - A collection of 15+ free utilities for developers and marketers ### Free tools for everyone Speaking of tools, this year I built and launched a whole suite of [free online utilities](https://freshjuice.dev/tools/) on FreshJuice: * **SEO Tools**: Broken Link Checker, Keyword Density Checker, Metadata Checker, Robots.txt Analyzer, SEO Analyzer, Readability Score Checker * **AI/LLM Tools**: [llms.txt Generator](https://freshjuice.dev/tools/llmstxt-generator/) for creating AI-friendly site documentation * **Development Tools**: CSS Clamp() Font Size Generator, UUID Generator * **Marketing Tools**: [Campaign URL Builder](https://campaign-url-builder.com/) for UTM tracking All completely free, no sign-up required. Just open and use. ### CloudCannon partnership A highlight of the year was partnering with [CloudCannon](https://cloudcannon.com/). The FreshJuice 11ty Starter is now available in their community themes, featuring full visual editing and page builder capabilities. If you’re looking for a modern Eleventy starter with a powerful CMS, [check it out](https://snappy-lemon.cloudvent.net/)! I’ve also been maintaining and improving several Eleventy plugins: * [eleventy-plugin-phosphoricons](https://github.com/reatlat/eleventy-plugin-phosphoricons) * [eleventy-plugin-speculation-rules](https://github.com/reatlat/eleventy-plugin-speculation-rules) * [eleventy-plugin-hubspot](https://github.com/reatlat/eleventy-plugin-hubspot) * [eleventy-plugin-vidyard](https://github.com/reatlat/eleventy-plugin-vidyard) * And a few more… ## Kandji to Iru: my main gig My primary work continues to be with the amazing marketing team at Kandji, which transitioned to [Iru](https://www.iru.com/) this year. As part of the team, I build and maintain their HubSpot infrastructure, internal tools, and marketing websites. I even spent six months working from Kandji’s London HQ, where I had the chance to meet and collaborate with some truly incredible people in person. To the entire team: thank you for your trust, collaboration, and the opportunity to build something meaningful together. ### A special thank you to Sylvia I want to give a special shoutout to [Sylvia LePoidevin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvialepoidevin/), who I had the pleasure of working with for almost 8 years, even before Kandji. This year, Sylvia decided to start something new: her own journey in the marketing world. She launched [Zero to One Marketer](https://www.zerotoonemarketer.com/), a blog sharing her insights on marketing, growth, and building from scratch. If you’re in marketing or just curious about the field, I highly recommend checking it out. Her experience leading marketing teams and building brands from the ground up makes her perspective incredibly valuable. Thank you, Sylvia, for almost 8 years of collaboration and the countless projects we built together. Wishing you all the best in this exciting new chapter! ## Discovering LinkedIn (yes, really) Here’s something unexpected: I started actively posting on LinkedIn in July this year, and I’m genuinely surprised by what I found. What inspired me to try? Actually, it was Sylvia. After reading [her viral post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sylvialepoidevin_what-i-learned-from-a-post-that-got-458319-activity-7340505273695920129-sfON) about lessons from going 0 to 1 as the first marketing hire (458,000+ impressions!), I thought: “Maybe I should give this a real shot too.” I expected the usual corporate noise, but instead discovered a warm, supportive community of developers, marketers, and fellow HubSpot enthusiasts who actually engage, share insights, and help each other grow. The numbers speak for themselves: ![LinkedIn Stats 2025](/_astro/linkedin-stats-2025.AiPcIFPS_Z1wLGgs.webp) * **18,623 impressions** in just 6 months (starting from zero!) * **Nearly 4,000 members reached** with my content * **1,000+ followers** who decided to join the journey These might not be viral numbers, but for me they’re huge. I’ve always treated this blog as a personal journal rather than a platform for engagement: no comment sections, no analytics obsession, just me and my thoughts. LinkedIn changed that. For the first time, I have a space to actually connect with people who share my interests, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. Every like, comment, and connection has meant more than you know. ## This website got a refresh too And yes, while writing this very post, I updated the design of this website! The navbar now features a liquid glass effect with backdrop blur, a smart sticky header that hides on scroll down and shows on scroll up, and a slick animated mobile menu. I also added a [search functionality](/search/) powered by [Pagefind](https://pagefind.app/), an amazing static search tool created by the CloudCannon team. Sometimes you just need to practice what you preach and ship something for yourself. I’ve also been diving deep into accessibility. I set up automated tests to ensure this site passes [WCAG 2.1 AA](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/) validation, with plans to reach AAA where possible. The WCAG and ADA guidelines have evolved significantly, covering nuances I used to overlook. In the coming year, I’m committed to learning them all and building better web experiences. When design constraints make full compliance tricky, I’ll add controls like high-contrast modes to ensure everyone can use my sites comfortably. ## Gratitude This year reminded me why I love what I do. It’s not just about the code, it’s about the people. Thank you to: * **The Iru team** (formerly Kandji) for the incredible partnership * **[The FreshJuice community](https://www.linkedin.com/company/freshjuice)** for using, starring, and contributing to our open-source projects * **[My LinkedIn connections](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reatlat/)** for the unexpected warmth and engagement * **[The Eleventy community](https://www.11ty.dev/docs/community/)** for building such an amazing ecosystem * **[The HubSpot developer community](https://developers.hubspot.com/community)** for the constant inspiration * **Everyone who read my posts, opened an issue, or sent a kind message** ## Looking Ahead 2026 is around the corner, and I have plans. More open-source tools, more sharing, and hopefully more blog posts here (I promise to write more!). > If you get just 1% better each day, you’ll end up 37 times better by the end of the year. > > — James Clear, [Atomic Habits](https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits) Small steps, big impact. Let’s keep pushing for progress and spreading good into the world. But for now, I’m taking a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come. Thank you for being part of this journey. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🎉 May the 4th be with you, Alex * [PreviousGuest post on Orange Marketing: AIEO is the new SEO](/blog/aieo-orange-guest/) * [Next How I replaced my ISP router and extracted PPPoE credentials using a bridge sniffer](/blog/isp-router-replacement/)