January Roundup: Stepping Into the Future
Clarity, creative momentum, and the seeds I’m planting for 2026.
Theme of the Month: Alignment
January didn’t arrive with fireworks for me. It arrived with steadiness — the kind that doesn’t ask for attention, but earns trust over time.
After a long stretch of noise – internal and external – this month felt like standing in a familiar kitchen, barefoot, knowing where everything is without looking. No scrambling. No forcing. No wondering what comes next. Just orientation.
That alone feels worth marking.
TL;DR
January wasn’t about outcomes — it was about alignment.
→ I reset this Substack around what actually fits.
→ I’m doing less, but with more intention.
→ I’m building from clarity instead of urgency.
→ And for the first time in a while, things don’t feel hard.
On the Calendar
In February, I’m co-teaching a live, virtual workshop on AI-Powered Growth Marketing, hosted by the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports.
The session is practical and application-first, focused on how AI is already being used across entertainment, media, and sports marketing. We’ll look at real-world examples and work through where AI fits into audience growth, engagement, and monetization without losing the human thread. No technical background required.
Virtual • 6-9 PM PT • $49
Learn More & Register → February 25 or February 27
In Case You Missed It: January Posts
January narrowed my focus, and these two pieces are where it landed.
On Marketing, AI, and Building What Actually Fits: A 2026 reset on marketing in an AI-shaped world — why access is table stakes now, judgment creates advantage, and strategy only works when it grows out of purpose and context. Catch up here.
I Miss Movies. That’s How I Know Awareness Has Changed. A reflection on what changed when discovery became automated, and why awareness today isn’t created by being louder or more frequent, but by fit, relevance, and affinity. Catch up here.
Both pieces came out of the same question I’ve been sitting with lately: what actually cuts through now — and why?.
What’s Coming Next
I’m currently building The Brand + AI Jumpstart System — a small clarity system for founders and operators who want to think clearly about brand and AI without overcomplicating things.
It’s a self-guided, intentionally contained system designed to help business leaders orient by clarifying what their brand stands for, how they can use AI to accelerate vs degrade strategic thinking, and what they need to do next.
Clarity first. Action second. No theatrics required.
More soon — but that’s the shape of it.
Creative Inputs: What’s Holding My Attention
Lately, my creative input has been coming from surprising places.
I’ve found myself saying yes to scripted movies and TV again — not as background noise, but as something to actually sit with.
For a long stretch between 2020 and now, so much of what hit my screen felt disposable — easy to half-watch, easy to abandon. Which is why I’m a little surprised, and genuinely delighted, to be coming across work worth sticking with. For me, that means work that commits to its vision, trusts the audience, and doesn’t rush to explain itself.
At the same time, I’m spending a lot of time with AI — hands-on, paying attention to where these tools genuinely accelerate the work and where judgment, taste, and human decision-making still matter most.
Across both worlds, the through line keeps surfacing: tools can move things faster, but human creativity is what gives the work shape, meaning, and edge.
Off the Clock: Feeling Grounded
January also had its share of grounding rituals — the kinds of things that don’t look like progress from the outside, but quietly make everything else possible.
I’m deep into soup season, which feels both accurate and necessary (even though ‘sweater weather’ is no longer a season here in Los Angeles). I’m calling it Souper Sunday. The name hasn’t caught on, but I’m enjoying the process and the soups have been tasty.
The secret is a small finishing move: a splash of heavy cream. Not enough to weigh it down — just enough to bring the whole thing together.
It turns out restraint and timing matter as much in the kitchen as they do in strategy.
I’ve also been experimenting with intermittent fasting and am up to about 13 hours off most days. That might not sound dramatic, but it’s shifted my life in ways I didn’t expect. More restful rest. More energy. Better meal planning. Oh my.
And I’ve finally committed to (almost) daily walks with my dog. She is, without exaggeration, sublimely happy. Watching that level of uncomplicated joy every day has been grounding in a way no system or routine could replicate. (I’m not proud of it, but walks have historically not been a daily thing — hence both of our excitement over the change.)
Wrap-up: Where I’m At
For those of you paying attention, this is my first monthly roundup since May 2025. The gap wasn’t intentional.
The second half of 2025 was hard for me — not because of one defining moment, but because I was misaligned. I was busy, but not grounded in the way I am today. Everything was taking more effort than it should have, and I couldn’t quite name why.
By the end of the year, I stopped trying to push through it and started listening more closely.
In hindsight, that listening showed up in my writing before it registered in my psyche. The AI Amplifier: Why Humans Still Make the Magic and Your Purpose Is the Strategy came from different angles, but they were both pointing to the same thing: tools are only useful when guided by judgment, and strategy only works when it’s rooted in something internal, not imposed from the outside.
That stillness brought clarity. January is where everything knitted together. Not as a big reinvention, but as a quieter kind of alignment. One that favors clarity over urgency, restraint over noise, and fit over force.
Momentum doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it shows up as restraint. Sometimes it sounds like listening instead of pushing. And sometimes it looks like planting seeds carefully, with no urgency to prove they’ll grow.
About the Work
I’m Amy Zwagerman—brand strategist, fractional CMO, and founder of The Launch Box. I work with founders and marketing leaders to translate durable marketing principles into strategies and systems that fit their specific context, stage, and goals.
Marketing Jam sits alongside my client work as a place to explore ideas more openly. If the thinking here resonates and you’re curious about working together, you can learn more about my services or get in touch here.
AI-supported, human-led. All ideas and insights are my own. Curious how I use AI and where I draw the line? See my AI Disclosure Policy →
Integrity Pledge 🙋🏻♀️: The books, newsletters, shows, podcasts, and client work shared here are 100% reflective of my world. I will always disclose if and when I have a relationship with a brand I mention in a post or am sharing an affiliate link.