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AI ads are getting louder, funnels are getting messier — and creators are officially over it. Joanna and Michelle break down what’s actually going to work in 2026 (and what’s quietly dying).

What You’ll Learn:
How AI saturation is creating a huge opportunity for human-first creators
Why milestone-based planning beats traditional goal setting (especially if you “fall behind”)
Which digital products, offers, and formats are gaining traction — and which are losing steam

Timestamps:
04:45 – Introduction
04:45 – Why New Year goal-setting keeps setting creators up to fail
06:30 – The milestone mindset that finally gets projects finished
14:45 – AI ads, brand laziness, and the authenticity advantage
23:10 – “Fly-on-the-wall” content and the rise of voyeur-style marketing
27:15 – The slow death of massive async courses
31:40 – Simpler funnels, easier buying, and what customers actually want

References & Resources:
AI-generated ads
Digital memberships
Online communities
In-person retreats
Hannah Louise Poston

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📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
✅ Try Out Monday.com

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Still setting vague goals and hoping for the best? This episode breaks down how to plan 2026 with clarity, focus, and momentum—without burnout, shame, or chasing goals that don’t actually move the needle.

What You’ll Learn:
How to reflect on your year using data and intuition to make smarter decisions
How the 80/20 rule reveals what’s actually making you money (and what to cut)
How to turn big goals into action-based plans that actually convert

Timestamps:
00:00 – Why goal setting matters more than ever heading into 2026
01:05 – Why goal setting matters more than ever heading into 2026
05:45 – Reflection first: using data, metrics, and honest self-review
12:10 – The 80/20 rule and cutting what drains your time and revenue
18:40 – Taking inventory of business, health, and personal life
25:55 – Visioning your future identity and life by design
31:20 – Turning goals into 90-day sprints and action-based behaviors

References & Resources:
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

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📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
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What do M&M’s, Coca-Cola, Hershey’s Kisses, and John Travolta have in common? Holiday ads that don’t sell hard, but sell feelings—and quietly win wallets through nostalgia, repetition, and cultural timing.

What You’ll Learn:
How top brands use characters, familiarity, and emotion instead of aggressive CTAs
Why repetition and simplicity outperform over-produced content
How AI, nostalgia, and pop culture shape modern brand trust

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
01:15 – Why Character-Driven Branding Works (M&M’s)
07:45 – Celebrity Nostalgia & Instant Attention (Capital One + Grease)
14:30 – Dopamine, Tapping Cards & Emotional Triggers
21:00 – Minimalism & Repetition in Holiday Ads (Hershey’s Kisses)
26:45 – Coca-Cola, AI Commercials & 30 Years of Consistency

References & Resources:
M&M’s Holiday Commercials
Capital One Quicksilver
John Travolta
Hershey’s Kisses Holiday Ad
Coca-Cola “Holidays Are Coming” Campaign
AI-generated advertising

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📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
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What do McDonald’s pickle fries, Sydney Sweeney’s “great genes” controversy, and Martha Stewart’s Gen-Z renaissance all have in common? They reveal exactly how backlash, rebrands, and authenticity shape what actually sells in 2025.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why scarcity marketing still works—even when customers hate the product
• How public backlash impacts brand deals (and the real lesson from the Sydney Sweeney fallout)
• The shift from celebrity influence to micro-influence and how small creators are quietly winning

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
02:58 – Why McDonald’s Grinch Meal “sold out” even as everyone complained
06:40 – Backlash vs. brand collabs: which one actually drives sales?
09:15 – Scarcity, perceived value & the psychology behind selling digital products
19:45 – Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle: the fallout, the apology, and the Martha Stewart pivot
33:12 – Is the celebrity-endorsement era dying?
39:10 – Why micro-influencers outperform macro stars (and what this means for your niche)
46:20 – The YouTube pivot and why long-form, search-driven content is the future

📚 References & Resources

• McDonald’s Grinch Meal
• Martha Stewart
• Scooter Braun
• Snoop Dogg
• 75 Hard
• Steven Bartlett
• Diary of a CEO

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📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
✅ Try Out Monday.com

Send us a text

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This week, we break down why consistency—not fancy cameras, edits, or “perfect timing”—is still the fastest path to growth on any platform. Plus: the newest Instagram changes you actually need to care about and how cultural trends (yes, even Dubai chocolate) can win you customers.

What You’ll Learn

• Why what you post matters less than how consistently you show up
• How to borrow cultural trends to attract fresh eyes to your brand
• Which new Instagram features will impact reach, retention, and your 2025 content strategy
  
  

Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
02:40 – The Dubai chocolate takeover & why trend-listening matters
05:55 – Cultural relevance 101: how Mint Mobile scaled using 24-hour response marketing
07:50 – Instagram’s newest UI changes + what they signal for Reels
09:00 – Story scheduling, AI restyling & multi-part Reels explained
14:10 – Hashtag limitations + why SEO-first captions are the new non-negotiable
19:10 – The rise of repeated content & why familiarity boosts retention
20:00 – Case study: How one creator hit 5K on TikTok in 6 months—using pure consistency
23:20 – Experts vs. influencers: choosing the right content style for your business
27:00 – Skill over setup: why delivery outperforms equipment every time
29:40 – A pep talk on failure, pivots, and finding success at any age

References & Resources

• Ryan Reynolds
• Meta Business Suite
• Instagram Reels
• TikTok

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📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
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If you’ve ever tried shopping for a business owner or creator, you know we’re impossible—because we “don’t need anything”... until we do. This episode gives you the actually useful gift ideas that make creators’ lives easier, content better, and brains less fried.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

03:00 – Why holiday episodes are hitting on Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s
05:45 – The best low-cost tech upgrades for creators (lights, mics, tripods & more)
13:00 – Practical lifestyle gifts that reduce decision fatigue
20:30 – Personal care gifting for service-based business owners
29:45 – Education gifts: books, apps, subscriptions creators genuinely appreciate

References & Resources

• Lume Cube Edge Light 2.0: https://lumecube.com/products/edge-light-2-0-black-led-desk-lamp
• Cord & Iron Candles: https://cordandiron.com/collections/candles
• Hello Fresh: https://www.hellofresh.com/
• Wireless Microphones: https://store.hollyland.com/products/lark-m2
• Yeti Microphone
• Bose Noise canceling headphones: https://www.bose.com/p/headphones/quietcomfort-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones/QC-HEADPHONEARN-...
• Kindle Unlimited
• Blinkist: https://www.blinkist.com/en

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📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
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This week, Joanna and Michelle break down what Wicked, Dancing with the Stars, and reality TV villains can teach you about building a magnetic personal brand. Plus: the content formats dominating 2025 (and how to use them to get real traction).

What You’ll Learn:

• How to use personal branding the way Hollywood franchises and reality TV stars do
• The content formats currently outperforming everything else — and why
• How to improve watch time, hooks, POV angles, and “thought reversal” content to boost conversions
  
  

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
02:45 – The business lesson behind Costco’s $4 Culture Pop moment
05:58 – What to give away for free (and what not to) in 2025
11:52 – Wicked’s two-part rollout & why it’s a personal branding masterclass
18:40 – Why reality TV villains dominate attention (and how to replicate it ethically)
27:15 – The content formats popping off right now
39:10 – Why your content isn’t performing (and how to fix it)

References & Resources:

• Wicked (movie)
• Dancing With the Stars
• Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
• Alex Hormozi
• Culture Pop
  
  
  

Join the list, get the tea, tips & tools that convert: https://clickteasepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
✅ Try Out Monday.com

Send us a text

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From a $300 Starbucks cup to talking dogs powered by AI — this week’s episode unpacks what happens when creativity, culture, and smart positioning collide.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why you are not your customer — and how that shift can 10x your offer strategy.
• The secret behind Starbucks’ ability to sell “premium” without premium ingredients.
• How brands like Dove and Crumbl use unexpected collabs to revive relevance and reach.
• The viral AI dog campaign that proves entertainment still converts.
  
  

Timestamps:

00:00- Introduction

04:52 – You Are Not Your Customer: Building Offers Beyond Your Own Preferences
08:45 – Starbucks’ $300 Bearista Cup: Scarcity, Positioning, and Premium Perception
13:10 – Cold Foam Economics: How Starbucks Rebranded Whipped Cream into a $2 Add-On
17:00 – Dove x Crumbl: Turning Cookies into Soap and Collabs into Cash
24:45 – Cutting Through Holiday Noise: Standing Out During Black Friday Chaos
33:00 – AI Dogs, Real Impact: How Dog Pack Used Humor + Honesty to Win 20M Downloads

References & Resources:

• Starbucks “Bearista” Holiday Cup
• Crumbl Cookies
• Dove
• Dog Pack App
• Black Friday Statistics (2024)
  
  

Join the list, get the tea, tips & tools that convert: https://clickteasepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

📱 Social: @themichellepualani | @joanna_atwork
📩 Michelle: hello@michellepualani.com
🌐 Joanna: millennialmktr.com

📅 10-Day Course Creation Challenge (Joanna)
💻 Build a Successful Online Business Using Kajabi
🎙️ Get Descript for Podcasting
✅ Try Out Monday.com