49. What Worked, What Didn’t, and What We’re Doing Differently in 2026

Are you jumping into 2026 planning without evaluating what actually worked this year?

In this episode, I'm doing something most business owners avoid: getting brutally honest about 2025. The wins that surprised me, the strategies that flopped hard, and the market shifts nobody saw coming.

This isn't reflection for nostalgia's sake. It's strategic. The businesses that scale aren't doing the same thing harder, they're stopping to assess and optimize based on real results.

I'm revealing my one word for 2026 (OPTIMIZATION) and sharing the Red, Yellow, Green framework I use every December to decide what stays, what needs work, and what gets cut entirely.

Key takeaways:

• Why Expert Content Society members are crushing it on LinkedIn and what content actually works (spoiler: video, newsletters, and consistency win)

• The partnership move that hit 250+ members when we weren't even trying

• Honest failures: evergreen funnels that didn't convert, features nobody wanted, and process gaps that killed our scalability

• Critical market shifts: buying patterns changed, trust became everything, and clients now expect personalized solutions with zero friction

• The simple framework for evaluating your year and planning strategically

If you're ready to stop doing more and start doing what matters, this is your starting point.

Learn more about Expert Content Society: The Time To Grow