[Letter from the Editor] New Year, Same Awesome You!

Come February, those New Year’s resolutions you made might already be fading. I get it—throughout the years, I’ve made my share of promises to myself: exercise more, eat fewer potato chips, call my friends more often. And truthfully? More often than not, I didn’t keep them. But why is that? Why do habits feel so hard to form and stick with?

Lately, I’ve realized it’s not just about the habits themselves—it’s about how we measure progress. The problem lies in The Gap, not The Gain (credit to Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy for this game-changing perspective).

As a marketer, I spend a lot of time helping business owners set and track growth goals. But I can’t tell you how many meetings I’ve been to where someone has lost sight of the big picture. They’re so focused on The Gap—what hasn’t been achieved—that they miss The Gain entirely.Here’s

what I mean: The Gap is when you focus on where you aren’t yet. It’s looking at the 10 pounds you didn’t lose instead of the 20 you already did. It’s measuring yourself against perfection—a constantly moving target—and feeling frustrated, stuck, or even like a failure.

The Gain, though, is a completely different mindset. It’s about recognizing how far you’ve come. It’s seeing the 20 pounds you did lose, the healthier choices you made, and the progress you’ve already achieved.

That small shift changes everything. You feel motivated, fulfilled, and positive because you’re focused on real, tangible growth. So this year, let’s stop beating ourselves up over The Gap. Let’s start celebrating The Gain. If you’re aware of what you want to change, that’s a gain in itself. Because growth isn’t about being perfect; it’s about moving forward. So here’s to 2025 and to celebrating how far you’ve come.

Jen Bailey

Hi! I’m Jennifer Bailey and I partner with entrepreneurs who have massive ideas that could change the world. Most marketing is meaningless. Filled with empty promises, its only job is to bring in new traffic, new leads, and new customers. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand, and I’ve learned that marketing can do so much more than reach business goals and build profit. My methods give businesses the fire and soul they need to reach the right people, set the groundwork for sustainable relationships, and offer true value to the people on both the giving and receiving ends of marketing.