Seasons greetings!

As 2025 winds down, here’s my big takeaway and a foundation of my strategy for ’26. I almost hate to say it because it’s so clichéd, but it’s AI stuff. I have to confess, the whole “AI” project feels a bit nefarious. Every glimpse I get of the industry of AI itself, the more turned off I am by the environmental impacts, the exaggerations of AI’s ability (some predicted that it would have killed us all by now), and the evil-villain antics of what we now refer to as the “tech oligarchy.”

I’ve also seen its direct impact on the marketing industry. Earlier this year, a friend lost her job when her agency, (heavily focused on content execution) was shuttered after losing all of their clients to AI in a matter of months. That wasn’t an isolated case. Throughout the year there were waves of layoffs across the industry, including executives and marketers at the largest tech companies in the world. Teams that once felt untouchable were suddenly gone. In roles that see so much employee churn between companies, it puts all marketers and creatives in a precarious position. I only hope that it also provides opportunities for those of us who are able to adapt intelligently