Episode Summary: “WAVE 2026: One‑Page Business Plan That Actually Works”

Podcast: Special Ops with Emma Rainville
Host: Emma Rainville
Date: December 9, 2025

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Emma Rainville dives deep into annual planning using her signature “WAVE” framework—a practical, one-page business plan method. Emma shares the step-by-step process she uses at her own company, Shockwave, to set a realistic yet ambitious direction for the year ahead. With a focus on direct response marketers and e-commerce sellers, the framework is about building a business—and a life—by design, not just by default.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Importance of Realistic Planning

• Balancing Ambition and Reality:
  Emma opens with a frank discussion about how goals need to align with lifestyle, especially for entrepreneurs who want both business growth and family time.
  • “You can't 10x a company year over year for 10 years as CEO and be mom or dad of the year, going to every soccer game, every theater show your child puts on.” (00:00)
• Difference Between Goals and Commitments:
  At Shockwave, Emma distinguishes between goals (“a target people try to hit”) and commitments (“things that people don’t go home unless they’re finished”).
  • “Commitments are things that people don't go home unless they're finished. They're done.” (04:30)

2. The WAVE Framework

Emma guides listeners through the four pillars of WAVE:

A. Written Vision (02:10)

• Start by writing a vivid paragraph about where you want your company to be in 10 years.
  • “If we all know where we're ultimately going, then we know exactly which way to paddle.” (02:25)
• Include both business and personal life elements for alignment.
• Example: “Our revenue is $10 million a year and our profit margin is holding strong at 24%.” (03:55)

B. Flash Forwards: Milestones for 5 and 3 Years (04:20)

• Identify critical milestones for 5 years and 3 years—the “flash forwards.”
• These should cascade logically from your 10-year vision, but Emma stresses that they don’t need to be linear or perfectly spaced.
  • “A lot of our products are going to come in the later half [of 10 years]… you can think that through.” (05:25)

C. One-Year Commitments (06:30)

• Commitments are the non-negotiable accomplishments for the year, broken down into specific, measurable deliverables (not just high-level targets).
• Attach clear KPIs and definitions of “done” to each one.
  • “It shouldn’t be: ‘I want to hit $10 million in revenue.’ It should be: ‘I want to launch five new products. Here are the products, here’s how much each product’s going to do for a total of $10 million in revenue.’” (06:55)

D. Absolute Focus (09:30)

• Establish a one-sentence statement of what your business is absolutely focused on this year.
• Use this as a filter for opportunities and as a guardrail to avoid “squirrels everywhere.”
  • “Whenever a new opportunity arises that doesn’t fit our commitments for the year, we can test it against our absolute focus.” (10:35)

E. Values Driven Future (11:10)

• Define the values you want to see in your team; find 4-6 that represent both you as a leader and what you want in your staff.
  • “They should align in your values. They don’t have to align in your skill set, but they should absolutely align in your values.” (11:45)
• Exercise: Think of 3-5 people you loved working with. List their values, then narrow and consolidate.

F. Execution Plan (15:00)

• Break your annual commitments into Q1 goals, assign a single person responsible for each, and assess what resources/people are needed per goal.
  • “One person on your team or you ... can only have responsible for the outcome, while many people may be contributing.” (16:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Reality vs. Optimism:
  “While we all want to be optimistic as business owners when we're talking about big ideas and big projects and creativity, this is operations. So we do need to be realistic here.” (01:12, repeated emphasis at 08:10)

• On the Power of Written Vision:
  “If we all know where we're ultimately going, then we know exactly which way to paddle.” (02:25)

• On Making Commitments:
  “Goals are a target people try to hit. Commitments are things that people don't go home unless they're finished.” (04:30)

• On Filtering New Opportunities:
  “Whenever a new opportunity arises that doesn’t fit our commitments for the year, we can test it against our absolute focus. Does it align? Does it fit? Does it make sense?” (10:35)

• On Company Values:
  “You have to live, breathe, and emulate these values always; they have to align with who I am as a person as well.” (14:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Opening perspective on realistic planning and CEO lifestyle
• 02:10 – Introducing WAVE and Written Vision
• 04:20 – Planning 5-year and 3-year milestones (“flash forwards”)
• 06:30 – Distinguishing one-year “commitments” from goals
• 09:30 – Defining and applying Absolute Focus
• 11:10 – Values Driven Future: team values and culture alignment
• 15:00 – Quarterly execution plan and assigning accountability
• 17:05 – Recap and encouragement to visit Visionary Vault for free resources

Episode Flow & Tone

Emma Rainville’s tone throughout is practical, direct, and a bit playful—designed to empower entrepreneurs with specific, no-nonsense steps. She uses relatable analogies (rowing canoes in different directions, chasing squirrels) to reinforce focus and fulfillment.

Resources Mentioned

• Visionary Vault:
  Free resources and the WAVE one-page PDF at specialopspodcast.com

This episode is a concise playbook for business owners who want a clear, actionable template to set (and achieve) high-impact goals—without losing sight of their personal priorities or burning out their teams.