Life First Business Strategy

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for Entrepreneurs

Hey Reader,

Happy 2026 ✨
And welcome to what I’m calling my Becoming Year.

I’ve been thinking about this episode for months. Not because I wanted it to be polished, but because this year feels… different.

I am not setting any goals for the year, at least not yet. (I know). 😳 I am declaring the first 90 days as my own. The business will still run, but we are sticking to the keep the lights on non-negotiables. One of them is the podcast. The rest is space to figure out what is next.

A little behind-the-scenes truth…

At the end of last year, we made some big changes.

After 600+ episodes, I finally gave myself permission to lean fully into less is more.

Here’s what that looks like for 2026:

• We’re going back to one episode a week
​• Every episode is 100% aligned (no filler, no forcing)
• The podcast is officially the star of the business. It kind of already was, but now its getting the attention it deserves.

Instead of doing more, we’re doing better.

And that shift has unlocked so much clarity, but also time! For 5 years, I have recorded,2 sometimes 3 episodes a week...that's 12+ hours a month. But that doesn't mean the podcast is taking a backseat; we are actually giving it more focus.

What’s new (and what’s coming 👀)

Because the podcast has always been a goldmine of real strategy, we’re doubling down on making it easier for you to actually use it.

✨ New resources — think playlists, toolkits, and curated “start here” guides
✨ New marketing (coming soon — this part is fun)
✨ A lot of SEO work — the kind you don’t always see, but you might notice
→ clearer titles
→ stronger descriptions
→ better show notes
→ blogs that actually help you find what you need

And after our first 30 days of this new rhythm, I’ll be sharing a real-life case study on what changed, what worked, and what surprised me most.

No theory. Just real data, real results, real alignment. And you can follow along as we roll it all out.

This week’s episode: The Becoming Year

In today’s pep talk, I’m sharing why 2026 doesn’t need a rigid plan to be powerful and how choosing a few grounded non-negotiables can create clarity, momentum, and space to actually step into your next season.

If January already feels loud or heavy, this episode is your permission slip to slow down.

🎧 Listen here → https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/blog/episode601​

You don’t need to have the year figured out.
You don’t need a perfect plan.
You don’t need to sprint because the internet says so.

You get to choose a rhythm.
You get to choose alignment.
You get to become — one grounded habit at a time.

More to come soon (especially after these first 30 days 👀).

Happy New Year! 🥂
Holly

P.S. If you want help creating structure without rigidity, the FREE CEO Week Challenge is always a great place to start. It got a glow-up, too! ​
👉 https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/ceoweek​
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​P.P.S. If you want to follow along, this week in the podcast glow-up, we updated our tagline, podcast cover, show notes, and Apple and Spotify descriptions, all using new SEO keywords, and went to 1 episode a week. Try it for your show!