Tern 2025 Wrapped: Big Wins, Hard Lessons, What’s Next

Episode Overview: In this episode, the Tern team wraps up 2025 with a special year-end reflection. David Shull (CEO and co-founder), Brad Turner (Head of Design), and Molly Johnson (Head of Product) share recent product updates, then look back on the biggest wins, hardest lessons, and most memorable moments of the year. From the redesigned client mobile app and commission reconciliation progress to honest lowlights and powerful advisor stories, it’s a fast-paced look at how Tern evolved in 2025. Plus, a preview of what the team is excited about heading into 2026.

Episode Topics: (00:00) End of Year Flight Path and What’s Ahead David introduces the year-end format and previews product updates, highlights, and learnings.

(01:16) Project Expedition Integration Improvements Brad covers updates to saving tours and option blocks in the library.

(03:02) Booking Automation and Auto-Attached Vouchers Authorized bookings now automatically include confirmations, commissions, and vouchers.

(03:55) Quality of Life Updates Improvements to website image importing and auto-filled document titles.

(05:15) Favorite Feature of 2025: Client Mobile App Molly shares why the redesigned app stands out, including offline mode and client actions.

(08:27) Favorite Feature of 2025: Commission Reconciliation Brad explains how reconciliation workflows now save agencies hours of work.

(10:18) Booking Integrations and Content Organization David highlights progress toward integrated booking workflows and better content organization.

(12:26) Learnings and Lowlights: Agency Implementations Brad discusses the complexity of migrating agencies from legacy systems.

(16:51) Community Feedback That Changed Priorities David reflects on feedback that reshaped Tern’s focus on simplicity.

(19:05) Trust and Transparency Lessons A candid look at a pricing miscommunication and what the team learned.

(19:39) Editor Migration Challenges Molly shares lessons from migrating legacy editor data and improving future rollouts.

(22:46) Memorable Advisor Moments Highlights from the user conference and industry events.

(25:31) Cancun Retreat and Poolside Training Brad recounts agency training sessions and unexpected moments.

(28:56) Cookies, Clicks, and Community Energy Molly shares lighthearted moments and advisor culture highlights.

(30:18) Emotional Moments on Stage Brad reflects on live reactions during the user conference keynote.

(32:19) Real Impact on Advisors’ Lives Molly shares powerful stories of time saved and lives changed.

(33:33) Team Gratitude and Reflection David reflects on the team retreat and building alongside an exceptional community.

(35:02) What’s Next in 2026 Molly previews an ambitious roadmap and a fully ramped team.

(36:08) Moving Faster and the Next User Conference David looks ahead to increased execution speed and New Orleans.

(37:40) Improving the Hardest Workflows Brad previews upcoming workflow improvements.

(38:08) Closing Thanks and Holiday Send-Off The team thanks the advisor community and closes out the year.

Show Highlights: Project Expedition tours can be saved individually or as reusable option blocks. Bookings now auto-attach confirmations, commissions, and vouchers. The client mobile app became a defining launch of 2025. Commission reconciliation now saves agencies significant time.