121 | Stop Planning Backwards! Why Female Founders Need a Champagne Moment Before Setting Goals

Are you planning goals that secretly exhaust you before you even begin?

Every January, you’re fired up and ready to plan the hell out of your year. By March? You’re resentful, off track, and wondering what went wrong. Spoiler: It’s not your strategy, it’s your starting point.

In this potent Founder’s Rant, Dawn Andrews reveals the one mindset shift that can prevent burnout, align your goals with actual joy, and help you build a business you still like by the end of the year.

And it all starts with a glass of champagne.

Write your Champagne Moment. Take 10 minutes this week and write the toast you'd give on December 31st, 2026. No edits, no pressure, just the slightly tipsy truth. That story is your truest roadmap.

What You’ll Take Away

• Why reverse-engineering your year from a Champagne Toast actually works—and isn't just fluffy founder journaling
• The unexpected clarity you gain when you plan based on who you want to become, not just what you want to build
• How skipping this ONE reflective exercise keeps you chasing goals that don’t actually matter
• What resentment in March reveals about the way you set goals in January

Resources & Links:

• Join the AI for Founders Community
• Grab the Feedback Fix Freebie

Related Episodes to Feature

• 114 | Female Founders Stop Planning Like You’re Corporate
  A deep dive into strategic planning that feels aligned and human, not corporate chaos — especially useful for listeners tired of goal‑setting that burns them out.
• 112 | The 4‑Stage AI Process Female Founders Use to Stop Losing 10 Hours Each Week
  A tactical episode that helps founders reclaim time — which pairs nicely with vision planning around what you want your year to feel like.
• 110 | 3 Custom GPTs That Save Female Founders 16 Hours a Week
  Shows how AI can support your team and free up space to live into that Champagne Moment vision.

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