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[ON BRAND] How to make the most of the last 4 months of 2025
+ not to be dramatic, but it's time to lock in
Alexandra Manderstam
August 25, 2025
Hi there! Welcome back to On Brand - your weekly dose of actionable strategies and insights to grow & monetize your personal brand.
Not to be dramatic, but we only have 4 months left in 2025.
Remember when we set those ambitious New Year goals back in January? When 12 months felt like forever and we had all the time in the world? Plot twist, we actually don’t!
But the end of the year is actually PERFECT timing. Some of my biggest breakthroughs have happened in these final months of the year. There's something about that time pressure that just makes you get serious about what actually matters.
When I look back at my years, September through December is when I get the most done. It's when I see the most improvements and reach goals faster than I ever thought possible.
Q4 2022: Tripled my audience
Q4 2023: Went full-time as a creator and quit my 9-5
Q4 2024: Launched Girls Club and made the move to LA
All of it happened in these final months.
You can make SO much happen in a short amount of time if you're intentional with your actions.
So let's get really serious about what we want to achieve. Your full plan is below. And I made you a dashboard and a challenge to kick off your Q4 lock-in. Click here to download it.
In this issue:
Interesting things from last week
The best things we’ve read, watched and listened to.
Live a Disciplined Life, Spontaneously by Naval Ravikant
Nervous system reset cheat sheet because 2025 has been A LOT so far?!
If you’re looking for a job, GirlBoss just published a helpful roundup of open roles at some really cool companies!
Episode of Shameless podcast discussing the damaging legacy of The Biggest Loser and other reality shows of the early noughties.
FREE WORKSHOP ALERT
Turn your expertise into scroll-stopping content
What we'll cover:
Framework for creating content that gets people excited
How to define your personal brand (beyond just niching down)
Using AI to streamline content creation without sounding generic
Who it's for: Entrepreneurs and creators who want to be known for their expertise, build a community around their message, and attract opportunities, whether that's brand partnerships or growing their business.
While everyone else is settling into "next year" energy, we’re going to make the most out of the rest of this year. Q4 is always so powerful because…
You don't have as much time, so you prioritize what matters
You move quickly and stop procrastinating because there’s a time pressure
The small actions you've been taking since the start of 2025 might now start compounding, so you can see exponential growth
I've been doing this reset twice a year for the past three years, always in January and September, and it literally changed my life.
The complete 2025 reset framework
Okay, let's get into the actual process. This is what's going to transform the next 4 months from "time flying by" to "holy s**t, look what I accomplished."
Step 1: What do I want to have by the end of 2025?
We're doing a full vision board, baby! Because when you can see it, you can be it. And more importantly, you need to be reminded of your goals daily.
Where do you want to be by December 31st, 2025? Be realistic but also challenge yourself a little bit. Here are some categories to get really specific:
Business/Career:
Revenue goals
Audience growth
New opportunities/partnerships
Skills you want to develop
Personal:
Relationships you want to build
Habits you want to establish
What your daily routine looks like
How you want to spend your time
Set your goals, create that vision board and put it somewhere you'll see it every single day.
Step 2: Who is the person that already has all these things?
Imagine it's December 31st, 2025, and you've achieved everything on that vision board.
Who is that version of you?
What's her morning routine like?
How does she spend her evenings?
What actions is she taking daily?
How does she feel about herself?
What are her boundaries like?
How does she show up online?
What does she prioritize?
Write this down in detail.
Step 3: Bridge the gap
Now we just need to figure out how to cross the bridge between the current you and the future you.
Write down all the things she's doing to maintain her success:
Maybe you want to grow your audience → She's posting consistent content and engaging authentically with her community
Maybe you want more clients → She's networking regularly and has optimized her sales process
Maybe you want to feel confident → She moves her body daily and dresses in a way that makes her feel powerful
Create two lists:
Start doing: What does the future you do that the current you doesn't?
Stop doing: What is the current you doing that future you has left behind?
Step 4: Your daily non-negotiables
Achieving big goals is rarely about doing one big thing. It's about how you show up daily and all these little actions you're taking consistently.
What are the 3-5 things that future you does EVERY SINGLE DAY, no matter what?
Your 7-day lock-in challenge starts Thursday!
I'm officially challenging you to lock in with me for 7 days starting Thursday, August 28th. You in?!
I've set some non-negotiables for my business baddies who are ready to grow their audiences and make big moves with their business. Feel free to customize these to fit your goals, but here's what I'm committing to:
My daily non-negotiables:
Movement: 30 minutes minimum - we need to move our energy and feel good in our bodies.
One piece of content: We're showing up consistently and creating our own opportunities.
One business action: Something that's actually going to move the needle - setting up your email list, working on a new product, updating your pricing, that email you’ve been meaning to send.
One "f**k it, let's try” action: What would your most confident self do? Who would she reach out to? What would she pitch herself for? What kind of things would she say online? Would she ask someone she really admires for a coffee? For 10 minutes a day, we're going to channel delusional confidence, go for it and do the scary thing.
Get dressed: Even if you're working from home, put on an outfit that makes you feel a million dollars. I don't know about you, but the moment I'm in real clothes instead of sweatpants with a messy bun, my productivity skyrockets.
Here are the challenge “rules”:
Track your daily non-negotiables
Share your progress in your stories (tag @joingirlsclub so I can cheer you on and repost!)
Show up for yourself for 7 days straight & watch how much momentum you’ll build.
I’ve created a simple Notion dashboard to help you stay on track. Click here to grab your copy.