If 2025 had a tagline, it would be: “Please hold; we are upgrading the operating system.” This year has been the biggest growth-year Ruby Assembly has ever had, and not in a tech bro “hustle harder” way, but in a “the team got smarter together” way. We came together, examined what wasn’t working, and rebuilt how we operate—new organisational structures, sharper reporting, and more responsive client supports—so we could scale without turning into a joyless content factory.
And because we apparently enjoy doing things the hard (and meaningful) way, we also integrated our first brand-new offering ever: Ruby Assembly Media, our full-service podcast arm. It’s been thrilling to see existing clients and brand new ones jump in with us, and to watch this offering build momentum. We launched 7 new podcasts this year through Ruby Assembly Media, and in the first quarter of ’26 we’ve got a whole new bunch of professional-services expert podcasts coming—led by our talented house of authorities who have something to say and the courage to say it well.
On a personal note: I delivered keynotes and travelled more than I ever have. I bounced from Spark! Smokeball to LawBizCon, exhibited at Svenson Barristers’ CPD Day, nabbed awards at Connecting Lawyer Mum’s brilliant Brisbane gala, and finished the year on a huge, joyful note at the final Retreat from Happy Lawyer Happy Life. I was also a finalist for Female AI Leader of the Year and Marketing Professional of the Year.
We also ran the Serious Women in Business Awards in February 2025 at Pentridge Adina (and yes, we’ll run another in the second half of 2026), plus hosted multiple in-real-life events—including a spectacular female-pleasure focused night at Gemini in Coburg with guest speakers Lauren Cassimatis of Gallant Law and Anthea Hawkins from Vation Vibes. That one was equal parts education, liberation, and “why are we only talking about this now?” energy, which is basically my entire brand.
All of this to say: we grew. We made exceptional things for talented people. We delivered work we’re proud of. We backed ourselves and each other. And we did it while the world kept world-ing—loudly, relentlessly, and not always kindly. So before we fling ourselves into another calendar year, here’s what the Ruby Assembly team is wishing for you this season.
Holiday wishes from Ruby Assembly
Jessie Marshall: This year has been a bit of a wild one. On both an individual and a collective level, it has felt like there have been deep cycles of helplessness and hopelessness as the world changes quickly around us and information (and misinformation) spreads in an instant. And at a volume that our poor little human brains struggle to take in or deal with. My wish and hope for us at the end of this calendar year, is for some gentleness and grace - with each other, with the world, and with ourselves. We all deserve some rest, to disconnect, and to rediscover our joy. That is my holiday wish for us all. (That, and a kitten called Claude.)
Matt Hicks: My wish for everyone is to have the chance to make art. I don’t mind what kind of art or what quality, just the fun of being creative and expressing something. We should all have the time and space in our lives to do that, not necessarily on a large scale, but enough to get the benefits of exercising that side of ourselves. One important caveat, though: please don’t rely on shortcuts. The struggles of the process are so worthwhile, because that’s where we work things out for ourselves, find our own expression and connect with what we make. My wish for myself and my family is to keep meeting interesting people. I feel very lucky to know and work with people whose spark makes life feel like we’re on a great adventure together, so I’d like more of that for my loved ones too, please.
Katherine Allan: My wish for everyone is to lead with empathy and not be afraid to use their voice, and their privilege, to advocate for others. The people of Palestine need us. The trans community needs us. And after the horrific violence in Bondi, the Muslim community is going to need us more than ever. Speak up. Be loud. Don’t let them make you feel like your voice doesn’t matter. Be the Ms Rachel you want to see in the world.
My wish for myself is to be creative for the sake of creativity, rather than for the validation of others. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people take big, exciting, scary creative swings, like my favourite movie of the year, Better Man (aka the Robbie Williams monkey movie, aka ART), and my favourite album of the year, West End Girl by Lily Allen (written and recorded in 10 days!!). Both of these projects could be raked over the coals by critics for what they didn’t get right on a technical basis, but they were each made by someone willing to pour every inch of themselves into their work. It’s the mess around the edges—like the cheese oozing out of a grilled cheese—that makes them so tasty. I want to do that. AI could NEVER. (Yes, he’s a monkey… and he’s also Robbie Williams… what’s the problem?)
Alex Russell: My wish for everyone is to have the time they deserve to properly recharge and play. We often live in a world that moves very quickly and demands a fast pace. On top of this can be pressure to complete certain achievements and have tangible, measurable results for each goal. Though this is valuable, so is engaging in the activities we enjoy, and filling up our cups whether for 5 minutes, or 30.
My wish for myself is to keep nurturing an explorer mindset. Learning a new skill, reading a genre of book that I wouldn't normally, and stepping out of my comfort zone. It sounds cheesy but it's always made things better.
Mariana Morris: I wish countries would stop imposing outrageously invasive political demands and fears on immigrants and visitors. My personal wish is to travel more and eventually find a way to spend time living in places like Mexico City, Hanoi, Buenos Aires and Dubrovnik…and have my daughters, friends, and family come spend time exploring.
Iolanthe Gabrie: I wish for more emergency housing across Australia. I recently learned there are only 440 emergency housing beds in Victoria—full stop—and that number has been sitting in my chest ever since. A lack of safe spaces for vulnerable people doesn’t just harm “other people”; it destabilises whole communities, and it’s one of the most fixable, least-excusable failures we keep normalising.
On a personal note, I wish for Ruby Assembly to keep growing in success so my team can all benefit from increased revenue—and so my family can hire a housekeeper to help us keep the wheels on our chaos. May your towels be folded, your inbox be quiet, and your floors be mysteriously clean without you having to spend your one precious life doing it.
Before we go: thank you (and yes, it’s time for a nap)
To our clients, collaborators, event attendees, podcast listeners, and cheer-squad: thank you for trusting us with your work, your stories, your brands, your launches, and your “can you please help me make this make sense?” moments. You are the reason we get to do what we do—and you also make it meaningful, because the work we build together has ripple effects far beyond a deliverable or a numeric.
I hope you get time to enjoy some time offline, time in your body, and time with the people who make you feel like yourself. I hope you make something for no reason other than it feels good. I hope you say what you mean in 2026, and you don’t apologise for taking up space while you do it.
