Ep: 25 The Exact Process I Used to Map Out My 2026 Offers and Quarterly Goals
“If I create space for something to come in, something is going to come into that space.”
Emylee
Let’s talk about 2026. Not in the fluffy, “new year, new me” kind of way, but in the actually-sit-your-butt-down, get-your-numbers-out, map-your-capacity, and build-a-plan-that’s-realistic kind of way.
So many service providers skip the part where the math informs the strategy. They jump straight into wishful thinking, vision boarding, and manifesting a 500% revenue leap because it would be “nice.” But what I care about — and what I walk you through in this episode — is a grounded, data-backed approach that still leaves room for flexibility, alignment, intuition, and, yes, a little woo.
I spent a couple days this month sitting with my whiteboard, my planner, my spreadsheets, and my actual life calendar (kid birthday, travel, friends having babies, my pool obsession) and built the most intentional plan I’ve ever had for a new year. I’m going to show you exactly how I did it, how I expect to grow 11% again, and how you can map your revenue container for 2026 without blowing up your capacity.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
How I choose my revenue goal for the year (and why I don’t pick numbers out of thin air)
How I break my annual revenue into predictable monthly or quarterly targets
What “filling the container” means and how to visually plan your client capacity
How I use a big-ass glass whiteboard to map out launches, retainers, and contracted revenue
My 2026 cadence for Sold Out Services and why I’m only doing two big public launches
How I’m thinking about quiet launches and nurturing my “hot for SOS” segment
How I’m planning travel, time off, and family obligations first and then building my business around that
Why I’m taking expenses, investments, and OpEx way more seriously in 2026
What I’m doing with consulting, the digital ecosystem builds, and a potential new consulting offer
Why most of your 2026 growth will come from people you already know
Start With the Numbers (Not the Vibes)
I start every new year plan by looking backward.
What did I make in 2023? 2024? What am I projected to finish 2025 at?
2024 was my first full year in this version of my business.
2025 grew by 11%. That number felt doable, aligned, and realistic for me — not a stretch fantasy and not underperforming either.
So I chose another 11% growth goal for 2026.
Not because it sounds sexy, but because it’s grounded in what’s already working.
Once I have the annual revenue number, I break it down:
monthly average
quarterly average
what’s already locked in
what’s hypothetical but likely
what’s seasonal
This is where service providers get tripped up: you can’t plan 2026 without knowing your ACV, your capacity, and your actual lifestyle constraints.
Filling the Container
Once the annual number is set, I literally treat it like a container that needs blocks placed inside it.
Every “block” is:
a retainer
a project
a consulting contract
an SOS client
a launch
a payment plan crossing into the new year
I color-code every single one.
I map out:
what’s already contracted for Q1
which projects wrap and might move to retainer
which retainers need to be renegotiated
where hypothetical projects might land
where SOS launches need to live
where quiet launches fit between the big ones
This is where my giant glass whiteboard comes in. I write out Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 and fill in every expected number. Then I look for gaps, inconsistencies, or places where my capacity would choke.
And yes, I’m a little woo about it. If I create space, I believe it gets filled.
Quiet Launches, Hot Leads, and Why 2026 is the Year of Nurture
One of the smartest things I did during my last SOS launch was track the people who:
signed up for the webinar
watched the replay
clicked the sales page
hovered but didn’t buy
That segment — my “hot for SOS” list — now has just under 100 people.
I’m using that group for quiet launches, targeted nurture, and low-lift conversion opportunities between big public launches.
This year, I’m only doing two big SOS launches:
one in Q4 (locked)
one mid-year based on my travel and life calendar
Everything else is relationship-building, nurturing, and warming up the hottest buyers.
Planning the Actual Year: Life Comes First
This is the part I don’t think service providers talk about enough.
I planned 2026 around:
Christmas chaos
my kid’s birthday
baby shower travel
being in Oklahoma City most of April for my best friend’s new baby
speaking in Nashville in July
my own vacation patterns
my birthday month
my pool commitments (yes, commitments)
school schedules and leave-me-alone-the-first-week-of-August energy
If I already know I’m not fully operational until January 12, why would I pretend otherwise?
If I know I’ll be gone for almost all of April, why would I plan a launch that month?
I write my real life into the calendar, then build revenue around it.
My 2026 Ops Plan: Spend Less, Save More, Be Smart
2025 was a messy year for investments.
I was in my “maybe this will fix everything” era, and it cost me.
So I audited every:
software
subscription
membership
sunk cost
recurring payment
unnecessary convenience item
I listed:
monthly vs annual
cost
renewal dates
whether I’m keeping, downgrading, or canceling
I’m moving some tools from monthly to annual, canceling others, and spreading renewal dates so I don’t get slapped financially in one giant month.
I’m also working with a bookkeeper in January to set actual benchmarks for when to invest, hire, save, or expand.
OpEx is getting tight. Intentionally.
What’s Happening on the Consulting Side
Consulting is staying strong and predictable, and I’m doubling down on:
digital ecosystem builds
retainer support
and possibly a new offer
I’m seeing repeat patterns with my high-level clients around lead pipeline management:
tracking conversations, temperature, conversions, last touch points, and lead sources.
I’ve been quietly building something around that and testing it with clients, and 2026 might be the year it becomes a formal offer.
I’m also moving my consulting clients into Kitchen CRM because the email-based portal setup fits them perfectly.
The Hidden Revenue Strategy I’m Leaning On Hard
Here’s the truth:
I already know all the people who are going to grow my revenue in 2026.
Either they’ll hire me, rehire me, refer me, or introduce me to someone who will.
We focus way too much on new leads and not nearly enough on:
reactivations
referrals
renewals
LTV
warm networks
This is a huge part of SOS, and it’s becoming a huge part of how I scale simply.
Chapters
00:00 mapping out 2026
01:20 reviewing revenue trends from past years
02:30 why I chose 11% growth again
04:10 filling the revenue container
05:45 planning contracted revenue into Q1
07:21 the chalkboard method and capacity
09:35 mapping travel, life events, and energy
11:58 the “hot for SOS” segment
13:45 planning quiet vs public launches
14:55 when I actually return to work in January
16:32 Q1 planning sheets
18:54 my 2026 OpEx audit
21:19 software, subscriptions, and investments
23:40 working with a bookkeeper
24:55 collaborations, speaking, and JV webinars
25:58 a potential new consulting offer
28:15 hidden revenue and referrals
29:45 closing thoughts for 2026
Resources & Mentions
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.
