WHOA That's Good Podcast

Episode: Goals, Growth and When It's Okay to Fail | Sadie Robertson Huff & Korie Robertson
Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Sadie Robertson Huff
Guest: Korie Robertson (Sadie’s mother)

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off 2026 with Sadie and her mom, Korie Robertson, diving into their traditions, goals, and growth over the years—both personally and on the podcast. They unpack their approach to New Year’s resolutions, setting intentions, embracing growth and renewal, and why failure is actually a valuable part of the journey. The conversation is rich with encouragement, practical tips, and honest stories about real-life change, accountability, and faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Podcast Longevity & Growth

• Sadie's podcasting journey: Reflects on starting the show at age 22 and how it’s evolved over 7.5 years.
  • “So much of my growth in life has happened while other people are listening. And sometimes learning on a podcast is a beautiful, beautiful thing…” [03:50]
• Importance of being genuinely curious: Korie notes the magic comes from hosts who are actually learning, not just interviewing.
  • “The best podcasters are those that are genuinely, genuinely learning, genuinely curious… want to hear from whoever you're sitting down with.” [03:22]
• Adapting over time: Sadie shares moving from scripted questions to more organic conversations, listening deeply and letting things flow.

2. The Value of Setting Intentions, Not Just Goals

• Yearly goal-setting: Korie shares her system of writing mission statements and goals in her yearly calendar/notebook, rewriting and reflecting each year.
  • “Every year what I do is I'll write down my mission statement.” [08:29]
• Intention vs. Perfection: Both discuss the difference between setting intentions and achieving everything perfectly:
  • “You don't always hit all of them… it's an intention.” [10:04]
  • Fun anecdote: Korie’s recurring goal of learning a song on piano—moved from year to year, still undone, but never dropped. [10:19]
• Failure isn’t the enemy:
  • “It's not a fail if you don't do it. It's not embarrassing. Like, this is your challenge to yourself to become better.” – Sadie [14:05]

3. Embracing Failure & Risk

• Family culture of trying and failing:
  • Korie emphasizes the family’s comfort with failure and “moving things to next year.”
  • “One thing I think our family is good at is failure... We're okay with, like, having an idea and it not happening, and we just kind of move on.” [14:52]
• Examples from Willie Robertson (Sadie’s dad):
  • Numerous “failed” ventures (bowling, DJ, Scrabble, golf) ultimately led to value and skill growth, even without classic success. [15:46]

4. Longevity, Sticking with What Matters, and Knowing When to Pivot

• Persistence pays off:
  • Korie and Sadie reflect on the long road to Duck Dynasty’s success (“40 years after Phil invented the duck call”).
  • “There’s value in staying and just continuing and just not quitting…” – Korie [16:53]
• But sometimes change is needful:
  • Sadie shares about major life and family changes in 2025, discerning when to move on, plant roots anew, or let go:
  • “I have learned that there is a time… a time to leave, and… a lot of that is a hard thing to do. It's a hard thing to leave when you actually are used to, like, the value of staying.” [34:45]

5. Words for the Year & Spiritual Reflection

• Korie’s word for 2026: “Growth” (and maybe “Remain”)
  • Anchored in John 15:4-5 (“Remain in me as I remain in you…you will bear much fruit…”):
  • “Growth come[s] in… when you remain with God…by remaining in him, that is how you grow.” [22:23]
• Sadie’s word for 2026: “Renew”
  • Draws from seasons of change after having children and the call to revive, regroup, and step into “the new.”
  • “I'm coming back in, but I'm doing this totally differently. And it is very hard and very challenging.” [56:39]
• The upside-down nature of strength and weakness (2 Corinthians 12):
  • “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” [26:02]
  • Sadie reframes recurring struggles (insecurity, anxiety) as not a lack of faith but opportunities for faith. [28:53]
  • “When I feel this week, I'm actually at my strongest state because I am dependent on you.” [29:12]

6. Resolutions and Accountability

• Being held accountable by listeners:
  • “So many of you loyal listeners love to remind me of goals I've set on this podcast that I haven't yet accomplished…” – Sadie [12:14]
• Saying it aloud fosters accountability—even if scary:
  • Both admit hesitance to choose “discipline” or state tough goals for fear of public failure; emphasize the power of just trying and being honest [14:01].
• Practical tools:
  • Writing down intentions/goals ("in notes or a notebook") creates trackable growth [09:23, 19:10, 57:53].
  • New year as a time to reflect what to take forward and what to leave behind.

7. Practical Resolutions for 2026 (with Accountability!)

Korie’s Goals:

• Write a book (in progress) [55:06]
• Learn a song on piano (and perform it at the family Christmas talent show!) [52:36]
• Play more tennis [53:09]
• Play grandma hard: be even more present and engaged as a grandmother [54:13]
• Grow a garden [53:57]
• “Get strong” – prioritize fitness [48:13]
• Go to the River House more (for peace and fun) [53:27]
• Help grow Duck Commander & launch new projects [55:23]
• Word for the year: Growth/Remain (John 15:4-5) [21:09]

Sadie’s Goals:

• Complete the Bible Recap (with Tara Leigh Cobble) – for the first time, read the whole Bible in a year [46:08]
• Read the Storybook Bible daily to Honey and Haven (her kids) [47:08]
• Start working out again (no specific target except to begin!) [48:25]
• Wake up earlier than needed: “set the tone” as a mom for better mornings [49:22]
• Word for the year: Renew (“resume after interruption,” “revive,” “replace something that is broken or worn out”) [30:09, 56:39]
• Return to touring (Ella Worship) and writing a book solo [56:39]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On failing forward and family perspective:
  • “You're not a failure when certain things didn't work out the way that you thought it was going to go. You learned something from it. And now...you have skill sets for [life].” – Sadie [16:17]
• On spiritual growth and remaining in God:
  • “In God's economy, remaining, that's how you grow and how you bear fruit.” – Korie [22:46]
• On strength in weakness:
  • “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – (Reading from 2 Corinthians 12) [26:02]
  • “This is your opportunity for faith… your insecurity isn't a faith problem, it's your opportunity for faith.” – Sadie [28:53]
• On season changes and courage to move:
  • “Season changes are hard… and every thing that we walked through last year that was changed was—even though it was the right decision—it was still hard.” – Sadie [38:22]
• On the value of both “staying” and “leaving”:
  • “The longer you live, the more you see is like, okay, yeah, that was there for this time period in my life and it was great then...I can go forward in gratefulness for what that was, but also move onto something new because God is doing a new thing in us.” – Korie [36:45]
• On writing things down:
  • “Final send off, write it down, because you'll be amazed next year, years to come, what God did in you this year.” – Sadie [57:53]
• On living fully in the now:
  • “Go hard in the grandma paint this year. That's living where you're at in the season you're in.” – Sadie [54:54]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Longevity of the podcast & learning out loud: 01:21 – 05:50
• Goal-setting systems & why intentions matter: 06:48 – 10:45
• Why people fear setting/announcing goals: 13:12 – 14:52
• Family failures and learning from “trying things”: 15:19 – 16:53
• Sticking with things vs knowing when to pivot: 16:53 – 18:29
• Writing things down and using physical calendars: 19:10 – 19:37
• Words for the year (“growth”/“remain”): 19:46 – 22:46
• Spiritual reflection and 2 Corinthians 12 “when I am weak…”: 26:02 – 30:09
• Exploring the meaning of “renew” as Sadie’s word: 30:09 – 32:44
• Navigating season changes & making hard moves: 32:44 – 41:57
• Lessons from Israelite story (Exodus): 41:10 – 42:05
• True vulnerability in hard seasons & friendship: 42:13 – 44:10
• Korie’s perspective on renewal and being a woman: 44:11 – 45:34
• Sharing 2026 resolutions/goals (detailed): 46:08 – 56:39
• Final encouragement & accountability: 56:40 – 57:53

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is warm, candid, and full of encouragement. Korie and Sadie’s banter keeps things relatable as they admit shortfalls, laugh about failed goals, and celebrate faithful persistence. The spiritual reflections are practical—focused on abiding in Christ, finding strength in weakness, and embracing change as a healthy, God-led part of life. Listeners are encouraged to set intentions, pursue accountability, be kind to themselves, and write down what they hope for in 2026.

Perfect for: Anyone feeling the pressure of making resolutions, afraid of failing, seeking spiritual encouragement, or ready to embrace a fresh season with honesty, hope, and renewed energy.

Practical Challenge:

• Write down your intentions for the year—big or small, spiritual or practical—and check back next year to see how you’ve grown.
• Be willing to “move a goal forward” if you need to, and thank yourself for the intention.
• If you have kids, consider reading the Storybook Bible nightly with them.
• Pick a “word for the year” and anchor yourself with a Bible verse that shapes your direction.

Closing Blessing:
“Let’s full send it, people.” – Sadie [57:53]