Podcast Summary: The Heart & Hustle Podcast, Ep. 466 – What if 2026 is the year you stopped DIY'ing your business strategy?

Hosts: Evie McLeod & Lindsey Roman
Air Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

In this spirited and empowering episode, Evie and Lindsey kick off the year tackling a powerful question for creative entrepreneurs: “What if 2026 is the year you stopped DIY'ing your business strategy?” Drawing from their own experiences and years of business coaching, they discuss the limits of free information, the transformative impact of personalized business coaching, and how recognizing the right time to invest in tailored support can create true breakthroughs. With characteristic warmth and honesty, they break down the signs it's time to move beyond doing it all yourself—and exactly what a coach can offer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Limits of DIY and Free Content

• Seasons of Business Growth and Free Resources
  • Free educational content is invaluable, especially in the early or transitional seasons of business (05:14).
  • However, there is a natural limit: "If you keep returning to free content, it's only going to get you so far." – Lindsey (05:47)
• Even seasoned business owners may hit moments where DIY begins to hold them back. The overwhelm or plateau is often a sign it’s time for something new.

2. Personal Example: Outsourcing without Strategy

• Evie & Lindsey share a past misstep: after creating thriving businesses, they tried to “outsource” their way into evergreen funnel strategies without understanding enough themselves.
  • “I wish that’s one area I can look back on and be like, I’m so grateful for the moments I invested in a coach … but that one significantly, I think, hindered our growth.” – Evie (13:19)
• Lesson: Hiring skilled help only truly works when you have an informed strategy and can lead effectively as business owners.

3. The Transformative Power of Coaching

• Custom strategy, perspective, and accountability are the big differentiators between coaching and self-taught methods.
• Clarity & Accountability: “Clarity and direction … it gets you out of that ‘should I?’ spiral.” – Evie (14:44)
• Customized Strategy: One-on-one coaching trims out the noise, delivers step-by-step strategy, and provides clear deadlines.
• Mindset & Perspective Shifts: Sometimes, coaching is less about learning something new and more about hearing what you need, from someone who sees your business from above the maze.
  • "It's like you could be sitting in that hot air balloon and guiding... be like, turn left, turn right, that's a roadblock... when you're in that, you can't." – Evie (27:24)

4. When Coaching is Better than Courses or Workshops

• While all paid education has value, only custom coaching delivers one-on-one, nuanced advice and accountability tailored precisely to your business, your strengths, and your season.

5. Choosing the Right Coach

• Look for not just business acumen, but shared values and lifestyle alignment: “Are they building a life and a business that I am also wanting my life and business to look like?” – Evie (32:42)
• Pay attention to whether their overarching goals and worldview reflect your own.

Five Signs You're Ready for a Coach (34:06)

1. You're Hitting Goals, But You're Exhausted
   • Burnout signals unsustainable growth or systems (35:04).
2. You Have a Big Vision, But No Clear Path
   • Overwhelmed by ideas or lacking direction for even one big goal, regardless of your stage (36:50).
3. You Keep Circling the Same Problems
   • “You need someone with a different perspective... doing it myself is not working.” – Lindsey (39:34)
4. You’ve Outgrown Your Current Season
   • What used to work isn’t working now, and you need new strategies for new levels (40:36).
5. You’re Ready to Invest in Results, Not Just Resources
   • “You’ve realized free resources can only get you so far, and you know you're ready for the next level.” – Lindsey (41:51)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Outgrowing the DIY Approach:
  "Going and learning for free on the Internet can only get you so far. There comes a point in your business where hiring a coach or a strategist can be oftentimes what you need to reach the next level and to scale your business when you've felt that plateau." – Lindsey (13:32)

• On the Coach–Client Relationship:
  "Let's work on that area of weakness... I don't want you to walk away from coaching being like, 'yes, I did it' and then I just send you off and you have to do it by yourself now." – Evie (20:51)

• The Maze Analogy:
  "When you are in the maze, it is a completely different experience and a completely different perspective than somebody who's in a hot air balloon above the maze." – Evie (27:24)

• On Purposeful Coaching:
  "You know you love something and are doing something that is meant for you, that you were called to do, if you would not get paid ... I would coach for free for the rest of my life." – Evie (49:22)

• On Client Results:
  “I had a coaching student last year ... went from $24,000 to $124,000 by the end of the next business year.” – Evie (53:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Limits of Free Content & DIY — 05:14–07:22
• The Outsourcing Pitfall & Importance of Strategy — 09:10–13:32
• What Coaching Really Provides — 14:08–21:47
• How to Know if Coaching Is Right for You: 5 Signs — 34:06–42:47
• How to Choose the Right Coach — 31:18–33:37
• Hosts’ Heart for Coaching (Personal Stories & Motives) — 45:36–54:47
• Coaching Is Not a Magic Button: The Client’s Role — 54:41–56:32
• Encouragement for Taking the Leap — 56:38–End

Recap & Takeaways

• DIY will only take your business so far.
  When you feel plateaued, exhausted, or unclear, custom support is often the catalyst you need.

• Coaching provides more than knowledge.
  It provides clarity, accountability, custom strategy, mindset transformation, and a much-needed outside perspective.

• Choose your coach with intention.
  Find someone who has achieved what you want and whose values align with yours.

• You must be ready to do the work.
  Coaching is a support system, not a shortcut—but it can dramatically speed up your progress and reduce the overwhelm.

• 2026 could be your year.
  If you’re feeling called to stop doing everything yourself, consider this your invitation to step up and ask for the right help. As Evie reminded listeners, "It could take you from level one to level six." (57:48)

Final Words

Evie and Lindsey close out with encouragement—wherever you are in your journey, they’re in your corner. Whether you engage through their free podcast, or take the leap for direct coaching (with them or someone else), the “Heart & Hustle” vibe is all about cheering you on to live out your God-given dreams with intention, strategy, and joy.

Links for Coaching Consults:
Hosts mention putting links to their coaching offers in the show notes and invite listeners to DM them directly for honest guidance (59:00).

For more practical tools, encouragement, and fire-in-the-belly business advice, catch new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday with Evie & Lindsey!