I can’t tell you how many times I spent hours editing a 'good' video with retention editing, and doing everything 'right,' only for it to flop and get 300 views. Then, I would just film a video off the cuff, barely edit it, and it would get 100,000 views. It kind of hurt my ego as an editor, tbh. It started with TikTok, but YouTube, Insta...everywhere is leaning toward a more raw style of content. I don’t know if everyone got tired of the overproduced 'Lambo lifestyle' influencer videos or if it’s all the AI slop videos, but either way, people don't like that style as much. So for 2026, I’m only doing talking head, storytelling, and educational-type content. (Those type of videos get more qualified leads anyways) I'm not going to overthink or over-edit videos. I'm not going to be emotionally attached to my videos. I'm not even going to care how many views I get, but rather if I'm getting the RIGHT viewers. And with less editing, I can probably triple my output. No trends. No flash. No bullshit.

If you don't have attention, you don't have a business. You just have a product sitting in the dark. Most of us claim we have a "traffic problem." But usually, we just have an input problem. Alex Hormozi has a brutal rule of thumb for this. He says that if you are under $1M/year, you should be spending at least 4 hours a day on getting attention (Content, Outreach, Paid Ads). 4 Hours. Every Single Day. Because nobody even knows you exist yet. If you look at your calendar right now and you see 30 minutes of posting and 7 hours of "busy work," you don't have a traffic problem. Gary Vee recently dropped this line: "Whatever you think you do for a living is actually secondary. The primary thing you do for a living is make content for social networks." The Fix: Stop treating content as the thing you do "when you have time." And make getting traffic THE priority. Or you will never grow.

I’m currently doing a cleanup pass on the community to make sure everyone’s privacy is respected. It’s a manual process, so it’s taking a bit of time, but I’m about halfway through. Starting in January, this community will transition to a public space. That means posts inside the group will be visible to anyone viewing the community. Because of that, I wanted to give you plenty of notice and time. If there’s anything you’ve shared that you’d prefer not to be public, now’s a good time to edit or remove it. If a public community doesn’t feel like the right fit for you anymore, you’re absolutely free to step away. No pressure and no hard feelings at all BUT I will be adding some valuable videos in the classroom soon. Going forward, this space will stay focused on clear, practical breakdowns on getting traffic to your community, along with updates and announcements designed to help you make smarter decisions about growth and visibility. Thank you! 2026 is going to be a great year for us all!

If you’re creating content, you don’t need a studio full of gear. Here’s the simple setup I recommend and that I use right now 👇 (these are NOT affiliate links btw) 1️⃣ Audio-Technica ATR2100x https://a.co/d/9v9OC6O Best for: - Podcasts - Sit-down videos - Talking head YouTube content - Long-form recordings This is your main, professional sounding mic. USB + XLR means you can plug straight into your computer now and it just works. It’s a dynamic mic, which means it picks up less echo and room noise compared to a condenser mic (like a Blue Yeti). I actually sold my $400 SM7b and $200 Preamps because this mic isn't too far off from soundling like it AND it's much easier to setup. AND it comes with a stand. 💰 Price: ~$70 2️⃣ Hollyland Lark A1 (Wireless) https://a.co/d/b8uNjs3 💰 Price: ~$30 Best for: - Lives - Shorts (TikTok / Reels / YouTube Shorts) - Walking & talking videos - Mobile content Wireless is king for fast content. Plug the receiver in your phone. Clip it on, hit record, go live — no desk, no cables, no friction. AND this thing sounds as good if not better than wireless mics 5x its price that I've tested. Foam Windscreen https://a.co/d/ae3ykT0 Best for: - Reducing popping sounds - Cutting breath noise - Cleaner audio overall Cheap, boring, but worth it. Any Sm58 style foam mic cover will do. 💰 Price: ~$2–5 Bonus tip Shure Mv7+ https://a.co/d/81LemWj Pretty much as good as it gets for USB podcast and sit down mics. You won't have to upgrade for a long time (Until you start going down the audio interface route)

First, here is some data: in 2023, a survey found that 81% of China's population had purchased something through livestream commerce. (That's over a billion people!) Social commerce is massive there, and buying goods and services off of livestreams is the norm (think QVC on steroids). People make entire careers just out of selling on livestreams. Some of the top sellers in China are doing $14 million in sales in a single live stream. Yes, that number is correct! The USA isn't even close to hitting China's percentage of people buying through livestreams, but it is growing year after year. The global livestream e-commerce market was valued at approximately $940.3 billion in 2024 and the market is projected to reach an estimated $6.08 trillion by 2035. It's a pretty good assumption to think that livestream social commerce is the future here too. I myself have done really well with live selling and I plan to go after it even harder in 2026. This doesn't just apply to goods, but also to services. I know plenty of people selling courses and community access on lives and having great success with it. I would start going live now, building those connections and getting ready for what is coming.