Hi there! Welcome back to On Brand - your weekly dose of cultural commentary, brand strategy, and what's actually happening in social media and the creator economy.

I'm writing this to you from 40,000 feet, heading off for what I'm calling my "Eat Pray Love moment."

This year has been... a lot. The kind of year where you're moving at 100mph, hitting milestones, launching things, and then you finally stop moving and realize you're completely exhausted.

So I'm taking a week to unwind, realign, and actually think about what I want next year to look like instead of just reacting to whatever's in front of me.

December has historically been my most productive month. I don't know if it's the slowing down that brings me the best ideas or the intentional time I take to realign, but either way, it’s usually when everything clicks into place.

While everyone else is waiting for January to start fresh, I'm mapping out what I want the next year to look like, wrapping up loose ends, and getting a head start on projects that matter most.

It means I can start January with momentum instead of that "where do I even begin?" feeling.

Today, I'm sharing the exact framework I've used for the last 3 years to plan my year, set goals, and prioritize projects. It's how I've grown Girls Club, my personal brand, launched some of my favorite things, and built a system for myself that allows me to run a business with relevant sanity and discipline (no one tells you how hard it is to stay focused when you work for yourself).

I’m not saying you should be grinding through holidays. Do not feel pressured to do that. Honestly, we all need a little rest after the year we’ve had. But using the slower pace to intentionally align on what’s next for you and setting yourself up for success might be a good idea.

Here's my framework for planning your best year yet. Let’s dive in.

We’re running the biggest sale of the year on all of our digital tools. Grab yourself a deal below!

CEO PLANNER - SAVE 50% 
(usually $47 - now $23.50)

Stop winging your business and get a handy tool to help you set your goals and, most importantly, take action and stay consistent so you can go 10x in 2026. Includes a full goal-setting framework, project management tool, weekly agenda, networking tracker and so much more. 

My ride-or-die companion when it comes to growing Girls Club, and loved by 100s of other entrepreneurs and creators worldwide. 

REBRAND GUIDE - SAVE 50% 
(usually $47 - now $23.50)

Goals for 2026 include becoming a little bit internet famous?! Got you! Grab the Rebrand Guide to help you create a new brand & content strategy step-by-step (including your brand messaging, signature content and workflow to create content at scale without burning out) so you can hit the ground running! 

The best things we’ve read, watched and listened to + news from the internet.

Looking for a new gig?! We got you! Here are some of the coolest jobs in social media, the creator economy & female-led brands.

Before you even think about what you want to do next year, you need to understand what worked (or didn’t) this year.

Pull up your data from the last 12 months. Revenue breakdown by products, content that drove the best results, where your favorite clients came from, what you spent time on versus what actually made money.

What's working? (Keep doing this)

Look for patterns. Ask yourself:

Write down 3-5 specific things you want to do MORE of in 2026. Be specific. "Post more carousels about brand strategy" is better than "post more on Instagram."

What's not working? (Time to let go)

Be ruthless here. This is where most people lie to themselves because letting go feels like failure. It's not. Knowing what to cut is one of the best business skills you can develop.

Make a "stop doing" list. Give yourself permission to let these things go. You'll be shocked at how much mental space this creates.

What's missing? (Introduce this in 2026)

Think about the gaps. The things that would make your business easier, more profitable, or more fulfilling.

Identify 2-3 things you're committing to introducing this year. Not 10. Not "eventually." Pick 2-3, schedule them in your calendar and actually do them.

"Grow my audience" is not a goal. It's a vague wish that leads to vague results.

Here's how I set goals. This is hardly anything groundbreaking, but it works. Make them specific and measurable. "Grow my Instagram to 50,000 by EOY by posting 5 times every week" is so much better than "grow my audience."

I like to look at these categories:

Revenue
How much do you want to make in 2026? Break it down by quarter so you know what you're working toward.

Audience growth
What platforms matter most to your business? Set measurable targets.

Visibility
Collaborations, press, speaking opportunities, partnerships. What do you want to be known for this year?

Personal growth
Skills to learn, boundaries to set, habits to build. Don't skip this one. Your business is only as strong as you are.

Write down 3-5 measurable goals across these categories. Make sure each one has a number and a deadline. Can you look at your goal in 6 months and know definitively if you hit it or not? If the answer is "maybe" or "sort of," your goal isn't specific enough.

List your major projects for 2026

Launches, partnerships, events, hiring, systems you want to build - get it all out of your head and on paper. Then prioritize what makes the most sense so you don't end up burnt out by March.

Write down every major project you want to complete this year. Be realistic about what you can actually handle. Account for holidays, travel, and life. Build in buffer time so you're not constantly running behind.

Work backward to plan milestones

For each project, break it down into the specific tasks that need to be done to make it happen. Content prep, building a website, hiring support, whatever it takes.

For your biggest 2026 project (ideally one you'll be focusing on in Q1), reverse-engineer the timeline and tasks it will take to complete. You'll be surprised how much more achievable even the biggest projects feel when you break them into tiny steps.

Systems create freedom and keep your nervous system regulated. They're what prevent you from burning out six months into the year. It’s not sexy (unless you’re a crazy Virgo known to be turned on by a spreadsheet like me), but don't skip it.

Organize your tasks

Use tools like Notion (or your organizational tool of choice) to map out your projects, launches, and content plans. Everything should have a home. I use our CEO Planner and couldn't be without it. Genuinely open it at least 20 times a day.

Set up your 2026 workspace this week:

Do it now, not "when you have time."

Track important numbers

Create a simple spreadsheet or dashboard where you'll track your key metrics monthly:

Keep it simple. You're more likely to use a basic tracker than an elaborate one you never open.

Block time for deep work

Protect time each week for revenue-generating and needle-moving tasks. Busy does not equal productive.

Block out 3-hour deep work sessions where you work on your business in your calendar for the next 3 months. Treat them like client meetings, but you're the client. They're non-negotiable.

You don't need to plan 365 pieces of content right now. Please don't do that. But having clarity on how you want to show up is important.

Define your key message for 2026

What do you want to be known for? What's something you want people to associate you with? Get clear on this first. Everything else flows from here.

Example: "I help female founders build personal brands that position them as industry leaders."

Pick 2-3 content topics

These are the building blocks for your brand strategy. What are the themes you'll be returning to again and again in your content to build your brand?

Example: Personal branding, content strategy, founder mindset.

Braindump ideas (but don't force it)

Spend 20 minutes brainstorming content ideas for Q1. That's it. You can do Q2-Q4 later.

Give yourself permission to ideate in phases instead of trying to plan everything at once. Your brain will thank you. Also, the content you plan now probably won’t be relevant in June 2026 so save yourself the hassle.

Here's the thing about planning: the framework is the easy part.

The hard part is actually doing it instead of getting distracted by the 47 other things competing for your attention.

So here's what I want you to do this week:

Don't try to do it all in one sitting. But do actually schedule when you'll do each part.

Your 2026 game plan starts now, while you have space to think strategically.

I can't wait to see what you build in 2026. Obviously, things will shift as the year unfolds - they always do. But having a clear starting point makes all the difference. You'll know what you're working toward, and more importantly, you'll know when to say no to things that don't serve your goals.

💰 Starting your own creator business? You can now host your courses, digital products and online communities with Teachable. Try it for 30 days for free with an extended trial.

🗓 Hit the ground running in 2026 with our CEO Planner. Get clear on your goals, manage your projects, and stay consistent with this all-in-one planner I seriously can’t be without.

🍒 Planning a full rebrand for 2026? Grab the Rebrand Guide and kickstart your brand growth. You’ll get clear on your brand narrative, your signature content strategy, and workflow to stay consistent and so much more.

🪩 Need more clarity on your (personal) brand? Download our free Obsession-Worthy Brand Guide to create a brand your audience can’t get enough of.

As always, thanks for being here! That’s it for this week. I hope this process will give you more clarity and get you excited for the year ahead.

The Girls Club Team

Say hi on Instagram or Linkedin.