324. Why Your 2025 Didn't Go As Planned (And What That Teaches You About 2026)

324. Why Your 2025 Didn't Go As Planned (And What That Teaches You About 2026)

Author: Salome Schillack November 13, 2025 Duration: 56:22

I cut my email list in half this year on purpose and it tanked my podcast downloads overnight—turns out those "dead leads" were worth nearly $40,000 in revenue. 🚀

That's just one of three expensive mistakes I made in 2025 that taught me exactly what not to do in 2026. If you had big plans this year that didn't quite pan out—launches that underperformed, evergreen funnels that didn't convert, or ad spend with nothing to show for it—you're not alone. But before you just hope next year will be different, let me show you the three structural problems probably hiding in your business right now.

The difference between making $100K and $300K isn't working harder. It's fixing three foundational gaps. I'm talking about the gap between your calendar and your revenue (hello, feast-or-famine cycles), the gap between the metrics you're tracking and the ones that actually predict revenue, and the gap between the business model you built and the one you actually need for scaling online businesses sustainably.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on my own mistakes—because sometimes the best lessons come from seeing what NOT to do. I'll show you exactly how to identify these gaps and fix them before January 1st so you can build a freedom empire that actually gives you freedom.

🔥 In This Episode:

  • Why making 80-90% of your revenue in just three launch months is creating massive risk (and the four simple revenue bridges that fix it)

  • The expensive lesson about email list size versus engagement—and why optimizing for wrong metrics cost me thousands

  • How the high-ticket-only trap breaks your customer ascension path and leaves most of your audience with nowhere to go

  • Your three-tier offer ecosystem for predictable revenue without launching every month

  • Your exact action plan to audit 2025 and build systems that work for 2026

✨ If today's episode helped you, help other course creators find these strategies too! Your review helps us reach more people who need to get their knowledge into the world. Rate and review the show - when more helpers succeed, we all win. Thank you! 💫

 

💚 💚 💚 

Salome

Get full show notes here

Follow The Launch Lounge on Instagram.


For a decade, Salome Schillack operated behind the scenes, crafting the advertising campaigns that propelled many leading online course creators to success. Now, she’s pulling back the curtain in The Launch Lounge Podcast. This isn't about vague theory; it's a direct line to the precise online marketing, advertising, and business strategies that actually work for knowledge-based businesses. Each episode feels like a candid conversation in a trusted space, where Salome translates a complex landscape of digital promotion into actionable, practical advice you can apply immediately. You'll find that rare blend of hard-won tactical know-how and genuine inspiration, all aimed at building something profitable and sustainable. The goal is straightforward: to move your ideas from concept to a living, breathing enterprise. Tune in to this podcast for a clear-eyed, often fun, look at what it truly takes to construct a business around what you know, cutting through the noise to focus on what drives real growth and impact.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Launch Lounge Podcast
Podcast Episodes
355. Screw Organic Socials - Here's How To Get Attention With Ads [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:34
Ready to stop hoping the Instagram algorithm shows you some mercy and start building a real list of buyers instead? 🚀 If you've been posting, promoting and wondering why your audience still isn't buying, this episode is…
354. Design Ad Creatives That Gets Attention - Here's How [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:36
Tired of being told you need 500 fresh ad creatives every single day just to keep your Meta ads alive? 🚀 Here's what most ad advice gets wrong for course creators: it wasn't built for you. It was built for e-commerce — f…
353. Meta Ads - What's Really Working Part 2 - ABO vs CBO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:17
Ready to discover the boring little campaign setting that's quietly draining your meta ads budget before your best ads ever get a fair chance to work? 🚀 Most course creators blame high ad costs on weak creative or the wr…
352. Meta Ads - What's Really Working Now Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:38
Ready to stop attracting freebie seekers and start filling your email list with leads who actually buy your online course? 🚀 The Meta ads game has shifted again — and if you're still optimising for cheap clicks and high…
350. Passive Income Isn't Passive. Here's the Truth. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:39
Ever daydream about Stripe notifications rolling in while you sip a latte and never touch another funnel? 🚀 Here's the truth no one wants to say out loud: passive income is never actually passive. There's still a funnel…
349. The Launch Mistake That's Costing You the Most [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:00
Your last launch underperformed — and there's a very good chance you've been fixing the wrong thing. 🚀 Misdiagnosing a launch is one of the most expensive mistakes a course creator can make. In this episode, I'm walking…
348. More Followers Won't Make You More Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:46
Your follower count is growing. Your revenue isn't. And Instagram couldn't care less. 🚀 Here's the uncomfortable truth most online marketing gurus won't tell you: followers on Instagram are borrowed. The algorithm decide…
347. Content Is Not a Growth Strategy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:58
Your content is getting love — but your business still isn't growing, and it's starting to feel personal. 🚀 Here's what nobody tells you: content is not a growth strategy. It's evidence. It proves you exist, you know you…