Ep: 27 A Practical Guide to Revenue Planning for Service Providers
“You get to choose what kind of business you run, but are you choosing the thing that actually works for you?”
Emylee
If you’re a service provider who’s tired of guessing your way into your goals, this episode is the permission slip you didn’t know you needed. I’m walking you through the behind-the-mic version of how I use real data from my actual business to map out my goals for 2026. And I’m not talking about fluffy goal setting or manifestation Pinterest boards. I mean looking at your actual product pie, seeing what’s pulling weight, what’s dead weight, and what needs to shift so you can grow in a way that feels aligned, sustainable and actually doable.
Most people think they have a goal setting problem, but what they really have is a data avoidance problem. I’m here to help you fix that.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
How I used my 2025 numbers to map out what I want for 2026
Why your product pie tells you way more than you think
The difference between seeing the data and knowing what to do with it
How to play out hypothetical business scenarios that actually make sense
Real client examples from two completely different business models
Why your offer ecosystem should shift as you grow
How to make decisions based on reality, not vibes
Why Your Product Pie Matters More Than Your Vision Board
For years I watched service providers map out goals based on vibes, wishful thinking or what someone else on Instagram said they “should” be doing. No shade, I’ve been there too. But the truth is your business already has the data you need to make smart decisions. We just tend to ignore it.
When I looked at my 2025 revenue pie, consulting made up 70 percent of my business. Sold Out Services came in around 19 percent. Affiliates and speaking were tiny slivers at the bottom. Could I have split my categories even more? Sure. But I only pay attention to the buckets I actively care about growing.
Your product pie tells a story. And if you actually read it, it will show you what needs to change.
Scenario Planning: The Step Everyone Skips
Just seeing the numbers isn’t enough. You have to ask, “So what does this mean for my decisions next year?”
That’s where people freeze. They either make assumptions that aren’t based in reality or they create a plan that doesn’t match their capacity.
This year, I mapped out different hypothetical scenarios for each part of my business. If consulting stays my core revenue driver, what percentage do I actually want it to carry? If Sold Out Services is going to grow, how much and what would that require of me? And if affiliate revenue doubled, what actions would I need to repeat and scale?
This is where business gets fun. It becomes a puzzle instead of a panic attack.
The Affiliate Example: Tiny Numbers Still Matter
In 2025, my affiliate revenue was hilariously small. We’re talking $1,361 small. If I wanted to grow that slice of the pie, 5 percent felt meaningless. So I asked myself, “What if I just doubled it?”
Doubling still isn’t huge money, but it’s doable. And that’s the point. Small wins add up when they’re intentional.
But the key question isn’t “How do I make more money?”
It’s “Where did that $1,361 come from and what actions created it?”
From there, I can reverse engineer the repeatable system to make it happen again with more intention.
Client Scenario #1: The Side-Hustle Web Designer
One of my clients has a full-time job and runs her web design business for extra income and creative fulfillment. Her time is her biggest constraint, not revenue. So our entire planning conversation focused on capacity.
She can realistically onboard about one client per month. Great. That means her entire pricing model needs to reflect that truth. If she wants to bring in a certain amount per month, she either needs to charge that amount or adjust her expectations about the number of clients she works with.
This is where most service providers fall short. They set income goals without checking if they actually have the time to hit them. Once she saw the math, her decisions got a whole lot clearer.
Client Scenario #2: The Scaling Multi-Offer Queen
Another client is scaling and has multiple offers performing incredibly well. When we looked at her revenue pie, everything was pulling equal weight. Picture a graph where every bar is rising at the exact same height. Great for revenue, terrible for focus.
Her attention was split three ways. And unless she intentionally shifts something, her business will keep trending that same way.
We talked about decreasing her one-on-one services from 30 percent of her pie down to 20 percent. If she wants to grow in 2026, that 20 percent still needs to cover her financial goals, which means raising her rates or reducing volume.
Again, the data tells the story. We just have to listen.
This Isn’t About Being More Ambitious. It’s About Being More Honest.
You can plan for growth without burning yourself out. You can scale simply. You can choose an aligned, profitable path instead of hoping to stumble into one. But you can’t do that if you’re terrified of what your numbers might say.
Your data is neutral. Your decisions are what give it meaning. And when you take time to play out these scenarios, you stop setting goals that don’t match your capacity or desire.
Give yourself the gift of clarity. Sit down with your actual numbers. Look at the pie. And then ask, “Okay… now what?”
Chapters
00:01 Goal setting with reality instead of vibes
01:30 Looking at your product pie
03:50 Why most people ignore their data
07:00 How I mapped out 2026
11:10 The affiliate revenue example
17:40 Consulting vs SOS and shifting the pie
21:00 Client example: limited capacity and pricing
25:50 Client example: scaling with multiple strong offers
28:20 How to use your data to choose aligned goals
Resources & Mentions
Lazy Business Podcast with Jessica Ely and Myself
Interested in Being on the Show or Working with Emylee?
Are you a service provider with a bold perspective to share? Apply to be a guest.
Ready to transform your service into a productized, scalable offer? Apply for Sold Out Services.
If you’d like to see a library of all published episodes in a gallery with easy-to-find links to all listening platforms be sure to check out the Sell The Damn Service Episode Library.
