On Your Terms®

It’s that time of year again — when everyone online suddenly becomes a color-coded-notion-board-wielding planning expert. But before you map out your entire 2026 vision board, we need to do something way more important: figure out what you actually want.

In today’s episode, I’m walking you through the exact reflection + annual planning exercise I do every single year — the one that helps me make decisions based on how I want to feel, not what the latest marketing trend says I “should” be doing. This episode pairs with last week’s 2025 reflection episode, so if you haven’t listened to that one yet, go queue it up next.

PLUS — I’m trying something new today. I pulled a random question from the “More, Tell Me More” connection cards I won at a mastermind retreat (yes, I was voted Best Strategy at my table and the whole room — no biggie). I answered it… and I want you to answer it too. If you love this segment, email me or DM me and tell me to keep it!

And before you dive in, don’t forget: I created a free 2026 Annual Planning Guide that includes every question I ask in this episode and space for you to jot down your reflections and goals. Grab it in the show notes!

In this episode, you’ll hear…

• The connection-card question I pulled — and the unforgettable story about the stranger who changed how I think about human connection
• Why planning for 2026 means starting with how you want to feel (not arbitrary goals like “50K followers”)
• How to imagine your ideal day next year so you can reverse-engineer what needs to change
• Why so many entrepreneurs felt unstable in 2025 — and how to honor what actually happened before planning ahead
• The questions I use every year to figure out what I truly need in my business and personal life
• A guided reflection to set aligned, realistic, energizing goals for 2026

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably hit the end of the year and thought:

Wait… what actually happened?!

How did we blink and suddenly find ourselves staring down a new calendar, new goals, and the same coffee mug we’ve dragged through the highs and lows of the last 12 months?

Before you sprint into planning mode for 2026 (don’t worry, we’re doing that next week!), today’s episode is all about slowing down long enough to look back—at what worked, what didn’t, what you let go of, what you gained, and most importantly… how it all felt.

Because building a business on your terms means regularly checking in with yourself—not just the metrics, money, or milestones, but the very real human (you!) behind all of it.

Inside this episode, I walk you through the exact year-end reflection process I do myself, including the six life categories I evaluate every single December to help me understand what’s out of balance, what’s thriving, and where I want to direct my energy next.

Grab your notebook, a cup of something warm, and prepare for some gentle-but-honest self-inquiry.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

• The six life categories I use to check in with myself each year
• Why reflecting before planning will make your 2026 goals actually stick
• The progress-based mindset shift that will keep you motivated all year long
• What to ask yourself about what you accomplished, added, and let go of
• How to identify your “accelerators” and “constrictors” going into a new year

If you’ve ever stared at a blinking cursor while trying to write your weekly newsletter and thought, “What in the whole enchilada am I supposed to say?” — today’s episode is your permission slip to stop overthinking and start structuring your emails in a way that works for you and your audience.

I’m breaking down the two classic newsletter formats (and why I don’t follow either), the hybrid structure I swear by, and the eight must-have elements your weekly emails need if you want them to be opened, read, clicked, and shared.

Whether you're brand new to email marketing or finally ready to clean up the spaghetti-at-the-wall approach we all start with — this episode gives you practical steps to build a bingeable, forwardable, valuable email your people will look forward to every week.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

• The two traditional newsletter formats — and why a hybrid approach wins
• Why story-driven writing builds connection (and how to use it well)
• How to structure “predictable sections” and weekly “boxes” your audience can rely on
• The three core goals every email should have (and how to choose yours each week)
• How many links to include — and the right balance between your content vs. other people's
• Eight essentials you must include in your weekly newsletter
• How to write subject lines + preview text that actually get opened
• My #1 habit that instantly elevates the quality of your emails (and makes them sound human)

Let’s be honest — most freebies out there? They’re not working.

If you’ve ever spent hours creating a lead magnet only for it to attract people who download and disappear, this episode is your new best friend.

In Part 3 of my 4-part email series, I’m breaking down why your freebie isn’t growing your list (hint: it’s not because freebies don’t work) and how to finally create one that brings in actual future customers — not just freebie hoarders.

From finding the perfect topic your people actually want to grabbing the right metrics to track whether it’s working, this episode gives you the full roadmap to a freebie that converts

In this episode, you’ll hear…

• Why most freebies flop — and how to fix yours
• The #1 rule for creating a freebie your audience can’t resist
• How to reverse engineer your freebie from your offer
• The secret to positioning your freebie so it attracts buyers, not browsers
• Which numbers to track to know if your email list is really growing

You’ve been told that the only way to grow your email list is with freebies, PDFs, and opt-ins galore—but what if there was an easier (and honestly, more effective) way?

In Part 2 of my How to Grow Your Email List series, I’m spilling the details on my Easy Email Strategy—a super simple way to get the right people (aka future customers, not freebie collectors) on your list without creating a single freebie.If you’ve ever felt frustrated with the traditional “freebie → nurture sequence → maybe they’ll stick around” method, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air. You’ll learn how to make your actual newsletter the thing people want to sign up for—and how to position it so it grows your list on autopilot.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

• Why traditional freebie funnels often attract the wrong people
• How to flip the script and make your newsletter the value
• The two steps in my Easy Email Strategy: design + promotion
• How to create a newsletter people are genuinely excited to receive
• Real-world examples of how this strategy simplifies your marketing