Edition 84 — November 30th, 2025

What Happens If You Take Yourself Seriously in 2026?

If you work for yourself, whether as a freelancer or running a small studio, you live in a strange tension. You’re capable. You’re talented. You’re ambitious.

But you’re also overwhelmed, under-supported, and carrying far more responsibility than most people realize.

And the truth is, people like you don’t get stuck because you lack skill. You get stuck because your entire life rests on your own shoulders.

Business decisions, sales, creative decisions, emotional pressure, financial anxiety, leadership, you handle all of it, often alone.

So here’s the real question before 2026:


What happens if you take yourself seriously next year?

Not just the work you produce. Not just the projects you take. You, the person behind the business.

Because when you try to plan the next year, you feel it instantly: Generic goals won't cut it.

They sound generic. Too vague. Too forced. Too small.

And they will not give you the momentum you really need to make a change.


That’s not your fault. It’s conditioning.

You’ve absorbed the industry’s version of “success”, the Instagram version, the highlight reel version. And because of that, when you try to define what you want, it doesn’t land. It doesn’t resonate. It doesn’t feel honest.

Freelancers and small studio owners don’t need “goals.” They need clarity, support, structure, and psychological alignment.

And those things don’t happen in isolation.


If you’re carrying a business on your back, you need:

  • a mentor who sees your blind spots,
  • a group that keeps you accountable,
  • a rhythm that creates structure,
  • and inner work that helps you stop repeating the same emotional patterns.


Without that, you don’t grow, you grind.

  • You survive.
  • You plateau.
  • You keep working harder without moving forward.


So the real question becomes:

What would change if you put yourself in the right environment in 2026?

One that supports you instead of draining you? Not more courses. Not more tips. Not more hustle. Real clarity. Real direction. Real support.

That’s why we’re opening the January Focus Group, specifically for freelancers and small studio owners who want to take themselves seriously next year.


Inside, you’ll get:

  • consulting to clarify your strategy and direction
  • mentoring to maintain progress and momentum
  • therapy to understand and break the emotional patterns tied to your work
  • and yes, you'll get all the lessons, frameworks and roadmaps on top

This is where things finally align, your identity, your business, your creative direction, your emotional stability.


So I’ll ask again, with the weight it deserves:
What happens if you take yourself seriously in 2026?

If you’re ready to find out, reply:
“I’m interested.”

And we’ll see if the January Focus Group is the right fit for you.

Marko Pfann