your 2026 cultural reset
a guide for strategists, my predictions, apologies, + more
we are SO back.
I say that a lot, but if there’s ever an especially applicable time to use that phrase, it’s now. with something as small as the flip of a calendar page, I really do feel, well, different.
maybe it’s the two weeks away from a laptop, putting my feet in the Florida sand with my nephew, or reassessing my entire life (I’m so serious), but the New Year really does fill me with hopeful energy. I hope it does for you, too.
I’m back in NYC after we drove for two days (#brave), and wanted to share how I’m resetting at the top of the year. this is a mix of personal, professional, spritual — because when you’re multifaceted and multihyphenate, it all blends together anyway. amiright???
you’ll see more of that, and of me, in this newsletter in 2026 — fair warning.
your 2026 cultural reset
🔮 predictions for the fun of it (bc it’s supposed to be)
💻 the goal setting structure that changed my life
📈 social strategy reset if you’re a strategist or creator
🔮 predictions
I know, I’m late to this — you’ve probably read a few dozen by now. and same. but these are more cultural and vibe-based. I also felt left out.
I’m not going to tell you that Social As TV and Authenticity™️ are going to trend in 2026. they already were, and are (which I love, btw)! do action on those.
food for thought —
💻 the goal setting structure that changed my life
due to a cocktail of undiagnosed ADHD and a creative brain that likes to pursue shiny objects, traditional “goal setting” doesn’t work for me — listing 10 things I want to be better at in the new year feels daunting instead of motivating.
but, I’m a firm believer that success is rooted in ritual.
it’s how I lost 60 pounds (#lore), achieved leg press numbers I did not know possible, launched and grew on Substack and LinkedIn, evolved as a human, and have otherwise made every year better than the last one, with a lot to show for 2025.
here’s how it works:
01_reflection
02_big picture ideating
03_tactical break down
04_monthly tracking
05_setting a theme
01_reflection
being honest with myself (and calling out my own bullshit, frankly) is perhaps the most pivotal in the process.
in this reflection, I start with stream-of-consciousness journaling, then more pointed questions like "what was I proud of?" "what did I do well?" "what did I not do well?" "who impacted my year the most?" "what's getting in my way?" etc.
we all need to BFFR when it comes to our own pitfalls and wins, and more frequently.
this feels less rah-rah than the rest of the process, but is important if you seek real change. god, there's a lot I want to work on this year. and that's a good thing!
*Grace Clark's annual planning template is also stellar for this!
02_ big picture ideating
I feel like we're all pretty good at this. right?
dream big, dream small, think about where you'd like to be in a year. what would feel great? what would feel great, but feels out of reach? jot it all down in your braindump format of choice.
03_ tactical break down
I have my goals in every category broken down by month—family, career, creativity, et al, along with milestones.
it's as nerdy and as type A as I get (oldest daughters rise up). but really makes things feel concrete.
if a big goal is for you to get a promotion, for example, what are the specific things that would help get you there? is it managing up via weekly recap emails, working on 3 pitches, ownership of certain tasks, increasing scope, a truly viral moment? get so granular that it feels a little ridiculous (and please for the love of god, quantify "viral").
04_ monthly tracking
this is fun for me, but might feel painful if it's not your jam.
however you structure it, I find it helpful to look at the pieces of the whole — spread out over 12 months. my big goals feel a little more attainable this way, and it provides me monthly accountability. I literally make these tasks into checklists in my excel doc.
05_ choosing a theme.
this is optional, if you’re feeling lazy. but i've done variations of this the past few years, and I find this helps me keep a north star at the center of what I'm doing, based on the goals I've outlined.
it's a reminder, it's repeatable, and it's now a well-placed sticky note on my desk.
2025’s theme? was to be known. on a deeper level, by more people, for who I truly am. as someone reading my Substack, I’ll let you be the judge of whether I accomplished that or not. <3
📈 social strategy reset
since I started doing social strategy, the key components of an annual plan have mostly remained the same — they’re made up of marketing fundamentals and key to the brand’s overall strategy.
but as social has changed, so has what lives within those key components.
here are what I think is essential to have, with some musings on the evolution of each.
01_audience
02_north star
03_content pillars
04_community management
05_measurement
01_audience
so much more cohort and community-based than it used to be. a broad demo isn’t enough — segmentation is the new wave.
as you kick off a new year, audit if your audience has changed, diversified, or fractured. analyze where they’re showing up, and what they’re interested in.
bonus points if you make a finsta to do it so your algorithm is untainted.
02_north star
I had an old strategy leader who I was obsessed with, who was obsessed with what’s called a BHAG — a “big, hairy, audacious goal.” orienting towards something ambitious, for our social channels or for our lives, helps us aim higher.
your north star can be that — or it can be the role your brand plays on social, the problem it solves in the market, it’s positioning within the whitespace. ideally it’s both connected to your brand strategy and gives you something to work towards.
Some examples — The Most Followed Retailer in the World, The Coolest Brand in Finance, The Destination that’s Really an Entertainment Brand, The Most Shared Condiment Brand, Bringing Maximum Play to the Sports Feeds.
if it’s a little scary and gets you excited, you’re in a good place.
it’s a copy exercise, but it’s also a commitment exercise.
03_content pillars
you need to know what you’re talking about, and why. I try to stick to 3-5, but there’s not really rules here. shared clarity around what you’re saying is more important than a robust structure. when in doubt — keep it stupid simple.
a stupid simple example, with alliteration because I love it — People, Place, Play, Provenance.
what also might be helpful is outlining how much emphasis you’ll place on each, and what role they serve. I like to break down estimated cadence here, so everyone knows how much we’ll focus on human storytelling versus product features, for example.
04_community management
with social as almost everyone’s first impression of a brand in 2026, community management (both inbound and outbound), is incredibly important. this is where it’s nice to draft SLAs, operating procedures, R&Rs — anything that you think needs more governance.
this function has changed a lot, and I suspect we’ll see a lot of automation and refinement this year, especially with the normalization of tools like ManyChat and Meta’s built-in functionalities.
I know I’ll be thinking about where we can better streamline, track, and invest. and where generic proactive comments no longer make sense.
05_measurement
every! plan! needs! metrics!
if you don’t know what you’re measuring, you don’t know how to make the things. and I’ve been saying that!!!!
you probably inherently know what’s important to your organization, and what role social plays for the business. but really deeply understanding this is important, so dig in during 1:1s or new year catch-ups if you can to get more clarity.
KPIs that have 2025 results, benchmarks, and 2026 objectives are helpful. and getting granular is an unlock. look at the numbers by content pillar, by time of day posted, by format, by the amount of people present, VO vs no VO, by hook, by host, etc.
having robust analytics is great, but the priority here is insights.
last thing here — I won’t tell you that “impressions are dead,” because they’re not. but I will tell you that CMOs and marketing leaders care most about lower funnel numbers.
finding out how you can provide value is how you unlock more respect and more budget.
some bonus sections
if we’re talking decks (and I’m always talking decks), here are a few other things that might be useful, depending on your org or your audience.
creative direction
annual planning is a great time to reassess how you’re showing up visually, what series need a refresh, if you can introduce new, etc. we just presented unique, modern social fonts for a brand that I’m really excited about, and this was a great window to do that!
collaboration SOPs
if you frequently do collabs, how can you standardize? if you don’t yet do collabs, what is the aspiration? think big, in terms of influencers, celebs, or large brands, and also think small, like working with another small brand on a shared post.
workflows
a labor of love, but typically very helpful. include team R&Rs while you’re at it. and maybe see if your PM can help you. <3
editorial calendar
whether it’s here or separately, start planning key beats throughout the year. if you’re at a large brand, you’ve probably done this already, but good for everyone to chart out what the year looks like. including large campaigns all the way down to small moments that are celebrated with a single post.
recurring series
if you have multiple series, or want to, this is a great time to update, refine, and plus up. or sell it! make your dreams come true!
needs/ asks
speaking about selling things in, this may be a good time to make an ask — whether that’s budget, team members, freelance support, a new tool. people like to buy into a vision with a plan. make it easy to say yes.
godspeed this week, this month, and this year.
remember — you don’t enter a treadmill going 10 mph. you probably start at a walking pace, and increase over time. the start of the year can be like that too — slow, steady, measured, and at a pace that feels comfortable. ramp up as you go. then run.
thank you for being here. Luv ya.
<33333 DRL