The smartest brands I know are doing this in 2026

Most founders aren’t confused because they don’t have goals.
They’re overwhelmed because they have too many goals that don’t feel good anymore.

And no one really talks about that part tbh.
There’s usually some quiet moment when you’re trying to settle in with popcorn and a movie, but your little inner voice isn’t buying it. Deep inside, something’s whispering: “Heyyy girl… there’s so much to do. Who do you think you are resting?”

So how do we ground into structure that actually supports creative clarity without over-optimizing, forcing rigid routines, or convincing ourselves we need fixing?

Here’s my approach.
It’s doable, even with all the other sh*t I’ve got going on, and it still gives me space for… well, life outside of business.

Here are the routines I’m bringing into 2026:

📆 An annual reset — Honest audit time: Am I building this from desire or from default? What systems help me do this better?
🧭 Monthly alignment reviews — Reconnecting goals and energy. Adjusting without shame.
🧠 Weekly clarity check-ins — A quiet hour with big returns. What’s actually working? What matters now?
🧘‍♀️ A daily ritual — 10 minutes to recenter (for me: dancing it out in the kitchen, a warm drink and my walking pad, I keep this eassssy).

I started my annual reset over the last few days and, interestingly…
the very first place I applied this mindset wasn’t my content or my calendar.

It was my money. It completely changed how calm this year already feels.

I’m sharing this because none of this happened by accident. It happened because I followed the process I teach in The Manifestation Blueprint Planner, my full ritual-based system for mapping your next chapter. It’s part workbook, part vision board builder, part accountability tracker. And it’s just $11 for one more day. ➡️ Grab the Planner Here

These practices don’t make you a better artist, creative or founder, they help you see more clearly. The aligned version of your work already exists. You just need space to hear her.

It’s not the best visuals. It’s not the biggest following. It’s not even the coolest products.

It’s clarity of identity.

The brands that will win in 2026 will be the ones that own their perspective and POV so clearly that even their simplest post feels like a signature.

You know them when you see them:

→ The captions sound like an IYKYK friend you trust.
→ The product feels like a piece of a bigger worldview.
→ The content might change formats, but the feeling never shifts

Here’s what they do differently:

They build from values first, not vibes.
Aesthetic can’t carry a brand if the message is muddy. The best brands get clear on what they believe, what they stand for, and how they show up before they worry about colors or fonts.

They invest in language that sticks.
Voice is the brand. Full stop. Whether it’s playful, poetic, or potent, they know how to say things in a way no one else does. And that becomes part of the culture.

They architect their presence.
It’s not just content—it’s content with a system. Every offer, email, and caption builds brand equity. They're not winging it. They’re telling a story across platforms with intention.

The best part? None of this requires a massive budget or a big team.
It requires depth. Perspective. Repetition.
(That’s the part most people skip.)

🧠 My biz bestie Alex and I just taught an entire workshop on this: Creator to CEO—from brand architecture and messaging strategy to building a narrative that people actually want to follow.

The replay’s only available for a few more days, and it’s worth carving out time for.

→ 🎥 Grab the Replay Here

Somewhere between all the Instagram pivots and TikTok scroll fatigue, long-form content started making a quiet comeback. Not because the algorithm changed, but because people did.

We’re seeing it everywhere:

📝 Substack newsletters with cult followings
💌 Flodesk newsletter drops that feel like letters from your coolest, creative friend
📚 Beehiiv magazine style launches that sound like mini-manifestos
🖥️ Founders dusting off their old blogs, and building in public there

And I’m obsessed. Not because it’s nostalgic.
Because it works so much better for founders trying to keep a regulated nervous system amidst the barage of internet noise.

I started my first blog 15 years ago on Tumblr. Then launched ouiwegirl.com two years a later on. I had zero grand plan, certainly didn’t have an email funnel…. just stories from the local fashion scene, bts moments from shoots and shows, and what I was seeing in my city through a creative lens.

A year later I moved to Spain on a one-way ticket. I had no idea what I was doing just a sense that my story was just beginning. So I wrote. And people read. And somehow, over time, that tiny corner of the internet evolved into:

→ A million-dollar business
→ Multiple book deals
→ A podcast I love showing up for
→ A creative career that feels aligned in every way

And all of it started with long-form storytelling.

So when people ask me, “Is blogging dead?” I laugh a little (and a lot). Maybe it’s not monetized the way it once was, but long-form isn’t dead it’s just coming back in a new way.

In 2026, here’s what I believe will shape the most magnetic brands:

✨ Original thought, not just original audio.
✨ Substance > swipeability.
✨ Narrative that compounds over time.

If you’ve been craving deeper connection with your audience, this is your permission slip to go back to your roots or plant new ones.

Your story is worth more than 15 seconds of attention. So, whether it's a newsletter, a blog, a private podcast, or a Flodesk newsletter that feels like a mini-memoir, write it.

Your people are reading. And they’re hungry for more than tips.

Here’s what’s on the radar this month if you’re building a brand, refining your leadership, or stepping into your next-level creative CEO energy:

🗓 Sunday, January 21st at 10 AM PT / 12 PM PT
👀 Only 100 seats available live (our last workshop had 1,000 registrations!)
📍 Get on the Waitlist + RSVP Here

If you’re ready to stop duct-taping your brand together and finally architect the identity, narrative, and ecosystem your work deserves—this is where we start.

In this session, we’ll walk through:

This is the system I use with my private clients, and it’s the framework that’s built legacy brands across categories. If you want in—let’s go! Only 100 get in the room.

This is the high-touch, 1:1 container where I step in as your Fractional Chief Brand Officer and help you move from "growing" to "growing with clarity and power."

We’ll co-build:

– Your evolved brand identity
– A strategy that connects dots across offers, content, and vision
– Systems that support scale without overwhelm
– Messaging that finally reflects your actual level

This is for you if you're already doing well—but you're ready for your brand to feel as big as your vision.

💌 Apply here to start the conversation

👯‍♀️ Want to share a Smart Girl Opportunity with the community?
Job openings, collabs, grants, speaking gigs—whatever you’ve got—send it my way and we’ll include it in a future issue.
Just reply to this email and drop the details.

I joined Lori Harder for her podcast Earn Your Happy and it’s one of my favorite convos on a pod ever.

Give it a listen here.

P.S. You don’t need to push harder to feel momentum. You just need the right systems, the right routines and rituals, and the right support to keep moving in the direction of your real desires.

This is the year we build without burnout. This is the year we stop trying to prove and start building from enoughness. Small, intentional moves are where it all begins. And you’re already doing it.

See you next week—

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