The Goal Digger Podcast — Episode 940

Title: 10 Marketing Predictions for 2026 (That Won't Make You Want to Quit)
Host: Jenna Kutcher
Date: December 17, 2025

Overview

In this rich solo episode, Jenna Kutcher shares her top 10 marketing predictions for 2026, focusing on seismic shifts she’s seeing among women entrepreneurs and creatives. Moving away from hustle culture, burnout, and shallow tactics, Jenna urges listeners to embrace alignment, intentionality, and sustainability over omnipresence and performance. Each prediction comes with candid advice, real-life anecdotes, and actionable steps, designed not to pile onto your to-do list, but to help you exhale and build a business that genuinely fits your life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Great Unfollowing: Fewer Platforms, Greater Results

Timestamp: 08:32

• Entrepreneurs will thrive by going deep on one or two platforms, not everywhere at once.

• The myth of needing to be "omnipresent" is fading; intentional presence wins.

• Jenna’s quote:

  “The ultimate form of freedom is choice, and it’s about being able to say, ‘I want to go deep here. I am at peace with all the things I’m not doing.’” (10:10)

• Action: Audit where you show up and cut one platform for 30-90 days. Assess if results change.

AI is Your Intern, Not Your Replacement

Timestamp: 17:12

• AI isn’t to be feared; it’s a tool for efficiency, not something that should erase your personality.

• The real winners will use AI to handle repetitive tasks and buy back time, so they can infuse work with more humanity.

• Pull quote:

  “AI can draft your emails, outline your podcast... but what it can’t do is tell your story, crack a joke only you would make, or know why this work matters to you.” (20:58)

• Gentle challenge: Try using AI for one draining, repeatable task, then edit it to sound like you.

The Death of “Just Post More” (The Rise of Depth)

Timestamp: 25:30

• Volume is out. Depth, value, and evergreen content are in.

• Algorithms are rewarding depth over frequency; one great post beats many mediocre ones.

• Jenna’s honest moment:

  “When I finally pulled back, guess what happened? Nothing... Actually, the opposite—because my content performed better.” (28:49)

• Shift your focus: Create one high-value, evergreen piece and promote it in multiple ways.

Permission-Based Selling: A Gentler, More Effective Approach

Timestamp: 36:18

• The era of bro-marketing, pushy DMs, fake scarcity is dying.

• Success will come from inviting, not forcing—using waitlists, opt-ins, gentle selling.

• “The quality of my customers changed completely. They showed up more committed... and got better results.” (39:34)

• Try: Use waitlists, ask for clear permission, and drop manipulative urgency unless it’s truly legitimate.

The Profitable Introvert Era

Timestamp: 44:18

• Being an extrovert is no longer a business requirement.

• Build around your energy and natural strengths; introverts can thrive and profit, too.

• “True success is a balanced and regulated nervous system.” (47:02)

• “Visibility is valuable, yes. But sustainability is priceless.” (54:50)

• Tip: Identify one draining performative aspect of your business and systematize, automate, or drop it.

Searchable > Sociable: Content for Longevity

Timestamp: 56:25

• Focus shifts from going viral to being discoverable and evergreen.

• Searchable content (blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Pinterest) compounds value over time—Instagram posts vanish quickly.

• “Viral is a moment. Searchable is forever.” (57:10)

• “Stop optimizing for the algorithm... start optimizing for the person searching for help at 2am.” (1:00:45)

• Start: Create one evergreen, SEO-focused blog post answering a key client question.

PoetCore and the Rise of Multifaceted Brands

Timestamp: 1:03:50

• Based on Pinterest trend predictions: the future belongs to multi-dimensional people, not narrowly niched-down brands.

• The most interesting, successful brands live at unique intersections (ex: strategy + spirituality).

• “Your different interests are not diluting your brand. They are defining it.” (1:07:17)

• Try: Identify two (or more) interests that seem unrelated—embrace the overlap as part of your brand DNA.

Rest as a Competitive Advantage

Timestamp: 1:11:05

• Burnout is being recognized as bad business.

• Hustle is required to start but shouldn’t be the only way to sustain; true productivity’s foundation is rest and boundaries.

• “Your nervous system is your most important business asset.” (1:15:11)

• “Rest is not selfish. I’m going to argue it’s strategic, especially as we move into the future.” (1:19:35)

• Challenge: Block out one non-negotiable period of rest and treat it like a client call.

Community Over Audience

Timestamp: 1:22:00

• Connection and depth will matter more than mass follower counts.

• Private, owned spaces (email lists, communities, memberships) are your “insurance policies” for the future.

• “Loyal beats loud every single time. So stop counting your followers and start counting your true fans.” (1:28:10)

• Task: Create a VIP/insider-only experience or perk for your core community.

The Portfolio Business Model

Timestamp: 1:30:00

• Relying on a single revenue stream is risky. Sustainability comes from an ecosystem: courses, membership, services, affiliate income.

• “If everything depends on one thing, the pressure is paralyzing. But with multiple streams, you can breathe.” (1:31:35)

• Action: Add one low-lift revenue stream (ex: affiliate, small digital offer, group program) in the coming year.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On presence vs. performance:

  “The future doesn’t belong to the loudest or busiest. It belongs to the women who built something they can actually sustain, who choose presence over performance.” (04:32)

• On AI and gender:

  “I have never once heard a male peer apologize for using AI. [...] I don’t want you to be left behind.” (22:12)

• On sustainable scaling:

  “You’re not behind. You’re right on time. The future belongs to the people who have figured out what matters and built their entire business around it.” (1:39:10)

• On redefining success:

  “True success is whether you made it to dinner with your family. Whether you still like yourself when you look in the mirror.” (1:37:23)

Timestamps Quick Reference

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-------|-----------| | 1 | Great Unfollowing: intentional platform presence | 08:32 | | 2 | AI as Intern | 17:12 | | 3 | Death of “Just Post More” | 25:30 | | 4 | Permission-Based Selling | 36:18 | | 5 | Profitable Introvert Era | 44:18 | | 6 | Searchable > Sociable Content | 56:25 | | 7 | PoetCore & Brand Multifacetedness | 1:03:50 | | 8 | Rest as Competitive Advantage | 1:11:05 | | 9 | Community Over Audience | 1:22:00 | | 10 | Portfolio Business Model | 1:30:00 | | Wrap | Jenna’s closing philosophical shift | 1:36:20 |

Tone & Style

Jenna’s tone is warm, candid, and empowering, blending personal storytelling with actionable strategy. She gently challenges listeners to rethink what’s necessary for success and to give themselves permission for rest, alignment, and intentional growth. Her direct yet compassionate delivery makes the future of marketing—and business—feel both doable and human.

Final Thought

You do NOT need to implement all 10 strategies. Pick the ones that made you exhale or feel like the “permission you’ve been waiting for.” The future belongs to those who choose what matters most and build bravely around it.

For show notes, links, and free resources, visit: goaldiggerpodcast.com
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