As part of Positively Osceola’s 2026 — A New Year, A New Hope series, Kelly Trace, Founder and CEO of Reach, reflects on a year of personal and professional milestones while sharing her perspective on curiosity, leadership, and the responsibility of lifting the next generation forward.
In 2025, I hit a milestone. Let me tell you, turning forty has a funny way of sneaking up on you. One minute you are confidently checking the “young professional” box, and the next you are hoping the next generation does not cancel you for saying something that gives away your age. It is a milestone that makes you pause, especially as younger leaders rise up in our community and bring fresh energy, bold ideas, and urgency to the work. Do not be threatened by them. You were them once.
Our company, Reach, turned twelve this January. In 2025, we were proud to help generate real impact for our clients and to celebrate milestones like Best Places to Work in Orlando, a Visit Florida Flagler Award for a client campaign, and recognition as a Top 100 Women-Led Business in Florida. Just as important, our team gave 352 volunteer hours to organizations mentoring students, supporting families in need, and serving on local boards. That time was spent showing up for a community full of people who are hungry to learn, grow, and contribute.
The marketing industry moves at a relentless pace. With tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini (aka the robots taking over our brains), an idea you are excited to test today can already feel irrelevant tomorrow. And yet this is the speed at which we expect our teams, our students, and ourselves to keep up, and the resulting technology fatigue can be overwhelming. But the answer is not digging our heels in or opting out. It is pushing your curiosity.
Being curious does not mean you have to learn every new tool or suddenly love all things tech. As my 79-year-old dad likes to say when I try to get him to use ChatGPT, “I already know Alexa. I do not need more fake friends.” And honestly, Dad, same. I will also admit my curiosity has limits, especially when it comes to the music kids listen to today. I truly do not get it (I am sure my parents felt the same way about 90s boy bands!). But when it comes to our work, our communities, and the people coming up behind us, refusing to learn is not an option if we want to keep our community alive.
People say wisdom comes with age, and in today’s world it is easy to feel like you do not know anything about all the new things kids are doing. That feeling can be uncomfortable. But giving in to that fear does not help anyone. Pushing your curiosity does. Give yourself the time to keep learning.
For me, growing older this year has not made me feel less relevant. If anything, it has made me feel more responsible. Responsible for staying curious, pushing myself to keep learning, and bringing others up with me as I do. The next generation does not need us to guard our experience. They need us to share it, and my hope is that you will.
As part of Positively Osceola’s 2026 — A New Year, A New Hope series, Kelly Trace, Founder and CEO of Reach, reflects on a year of personal and professional milestones while sharing her perspective on curiosity, leadership, and the responsibility of lifting the next generation forward.
Kelly Trace
Founder and CEO
Reach
