☕ Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and join us for today’s episode, where we’re going behind the brew of issue #43: Why Your Word of the Year Is Lying to You

I’m not anti–Word of the Year… I’m just very familiar with the moment you look up and realize you ghosted yours by February without even noticing. Mine was “Focus,” and the funny part is, I didn’t rebel against it. I just got busy and called it momentum.

Bernie and I talk about shiny-object season and why it’s almost impossible to label something as a “distraction” in real time (especially when the opportunity is genuinely good). We also get honest about how quickly “fun” collaborations can start quietly hijacking the commitments you swore were non-negotiable.

By the end, the question isn’t “Should I try harder?” It’s “Is this a recommit moment or a release moment?” And if you’re not regularly asking what’s working and what isn’t, you’re basically outsourcing your year to whatever shows up loudest.

About your hosts:

Alison Leigh Simmons (The Caffeinated Entrepreneur) is the founder of Lead Smarter Co. She helps established service-based founders clean up their backend, build smart systems, and use AI in a way that actually reduces the day-to-day chaos.

🌐 http://www.leadsmarterco.com

✉️ alison@leadsmarterco.com

🤝 https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-leigh-simmons/

Bernie DeSantis (The Man Behind the Mustache) is a virtual event producer and owner of Insignia Training Partners. He helps businesses plan and run high-quality virtual events that feel smooth, professional, and human, without making it a whole stressful production.

🌐 https://insigniatraining.com/

✉️ bernie@insigniatraining.com

🤝 https://www.linkedin.com/in/badiii/