Look, this year’s been weird, right?
If you’ve been paying attention to our corner of the online biz world (solo creative businesses for the most part), you’ve likely heard a lot about launches that didn’t go well.
I’ve been inside some of those launches. I’ve talked to friends after some of these launches.
Things that used to work so easily just aren’t working anymore AND things are changing really fast and it’s hard to keep up (AI is no joke).
You may be feeling kinda scared and not really sure where to focus.
But I also think it’s important to tell you:
not every launch is failing right now.
In 2026:
- I’ve personally had three launches that met or exceeded my sales goals.
- One student sold out an in-person retreat before they even finished launching it.
- An e-comm email client tripled their Kickstarter target.
- Mulitple clients saw >5% conversion rates.
- Another student came in just $30 short of their goal. (Which still feels pretty great to me!)
These are really just a handful of examples from much more just like them.
It’s so easy to look around, see other people struggling, and start to believe that if they can’t do it, how could you possibly?
I DO think it’s important that we share our failures with each other so that we don’t start to think that running a business is 100% roses 100% of the time.
And also…
Failure is always going to be part of this game.
I’ve failed a lot. It hurts every time. And yet I could not imagine going back to a world where I have a boss. I’m guessing it’s not the direction you want to go, either.
So in times like these, we must experiment.
We have to do the research required to build something incredibly useful for our people. So that when we sell that thing, we’re actually making their lives better in a way that feels valuable to them.
In many ways, we’re still recovering from how easy it was to sell things online in the early 2020s, because so many people were online (and buying things online. Ads were cheap!).
Now we’re tired of being online, and it’s different.
And that’s okay.
Trying something different can be scary, but also really, really fun. It can revitalize your entire business. It can bring YOU more joy in what you do.
I’m a 3/5 Manifestor. I loooove experimenting. And I think that’s part of why my business (while it’s certainly had its ups and downs) has been pretty steady over the past few years.
I keep trying things, learning, changing what I’m doing based on what I learn…
and enjoying (most) moments of it. 😁
I want to help you do that, too!
Last week, I told you about this new container my friend Podge Thomas and I are building together.
It’s going to be a very small group cohort…. we’re thinking around 8–12 people tops.
We’re going to help you:
- Research your audience and understand what they actually want (and are willing pay for).
- Build (or revitalize!) an offer that genuinely meets that need.
- Grow your list with more of the right people (This step is optional if you have a really engaged audience already, but we have some great resources for you).
- Experiment with your ideas, your offers, and the way you market them.
- Sell that offer with super clear messaging that helps people recognize its value.
- Learn from everything you do so that you can continue to improve on it.
Like I said in my last email, there’s a direct marketing principle that says your offer itself accounts for 40% of a campaign’s success.
That’s pretty big!
And it’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to be doing this with Podge in particular.
She’s really good at things that I’m just not good at.
(I’m going to tell you more about the differences between us in another email, but in short: she makes my selling strategies more organized and therefore far less stressful.)
This is going to be a very hands-on 6-month program.
Which might feel long if you’re like: “but I wanted to launch something sooner than that!”
To which I say: great!
The main reason we’ve chosen this length is that you can, ideally, launch more than once during your time with us. We can get your offer set up, sell it, and then sit down together with the metrics, look at what happened, update things, and sell it again.
What I really hope you take away from this email is:
1. It’s okay to fail.
2. Not every launch is failing. And that doesn’t have to be your story forever, either.
3. It can be really, really fun to pivot.
If you’re curious about starting 2027 with the kind of support that Podge and I are so excited to offer you, we’ll be sharing a lot more about the program to waitlisters:
I’ll see you soon!
xo,
Nicole
P.S.
Reminder, I’m writing this from the past and scheduling ahead because I’m getting married TWO DAYS after you read this!
Which means right now I’m probably, idk, running to Walgreens to pick up a revised seating chart? Obsessing over whether I chose the right processional song? Who knows what’ll pop up!
I’ll be back in the office November 16, and we’ll keep this convo going.
In the meantime, you’re welcome to send me any questions. Just be patient with my response time while I’m away. ❤️