A year-end recap is more than a highlight reel—it’s a practical reset. In this New Year episode, Trace Blackmore walks through 2025 using a “12 Days of the Scaling Up Nation” format, tying together performance, community growth, listener engagement, and the sponsor support that keeps the podcast and its companion tools available at no cost.
Year-end by the numbers
Trace explains how he used to track every stat closely—and how that shifted into an unhealthy measure of self-worth—so the team now uses numbers as feedback, not validation. He notes the show released 56 brand-new episodes in 2025 (including the additional releases during Industrial Water Week) and explains why the data still matters: it helps confirm what the community is using, such as discussion guides and other tools, and what needs to be improved.
Most-downloaded episodes and what listeners leaned into
Trace shares the three most-downloaded episodes of 2025:
- Episode 405 — cooling water innovation using treated wastewater
- Episode 418 — maleic acid (with Mike Standish)
- Episode 424 — chlorine dioxide (the most downloaded episode of the year)
Engagement that keeps learning moving
The episode highlights growth in the Scaling Up Nation across newsletter subscriptions, discussion guide downloads, and an expanding LinkedIn community.
Recognition, partners, and momentum into 2026
Trace acknowledges milestones including AWT naming Scaling Up H2O the official podcast of the Association of Water Technologies, and he thanks the sponsors who make the podcast’s free content possible—19 sponsoring partners in 2025. The episode closes with a direct invitation for listeners to share what they want to learn next, who they want interviewed, and what stories could help the industry keep “raising the bar.”
Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below.
Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
02:50 — Show open and New Year framing: a reset point for leaders and operators heading into 2026
03:10 — Why the retrospective exists: improve the next year and celebrate what the Scaling Up Nation achieved together
05:00 — The format revealed: “12 days” of highlights built from what happened in 2025
08:40 — The final 2025 “Water You Know” question: hydroxide ion formula—and the answer reveal
16:30 — The top three downloaded episodes of 2025
29:00 — Signature segments and field lessons: community participation, Detective H2O, and “quicker is not better
Quotes
“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”
“It’s not going to take somebody’s job away because of AI, but somebody who knows AI or is familiar with AI over somebody that is not familiar with it and refuses anything with AI, that person will probably take that other person’s job.”
“Lift others as you rise.”
Connect with Scaling UP! H2O
Submit a show idea: Submit a Show Idea
LinkedIn: in/traceblackmore/
YouTube: @ScalingUpH2O
Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
405 Cooling Water Innovation: Harnessing Wastewater for Sustainability
418 Maleic Acid-Based Corrosion Inhibitors: Expanding the Water Treatment Toolbox with Mike Standish
424 Chlorine Dioxide Insights with Greg Simpson
420 Tapping Into Tech: How Ben Frieders Uses AI to Elevate Water Treatment Marketing
422 Inside the Association of Water Technologies with John Caloritis
423 Pushing the Boundaries: Jacob Deak on Innovating Water Treatment Systems
446 Leveraging the Culture Index for Business Success with Danielle Scimeca and Conor Parrish
447 Unlocking Team Potential with Culture Index with Randi Fargen
179 Another One that Teaches Us to Communicate Better with Others
Water You Know with James McDonald
Question: What is the molecular formula for hydroxide ion?
2025 Events for Water Professionals
Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we’ve listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
