The US government is shut down as I write this. Political noise is everywhere. Prices keep rising. Your customers are feeling it, your team is feeling it, and you're definitely feeling it.  And I can almost guarantee what's happening in marketing meetings right now across the country: someone's suggesting you "acknowledge the current climate" [...]

You're scrolling through LinkedIn during a rare five-minute break. Between client calls, team meetings, and putting out the usual operational fires, you're just trying to catch your breath.  Then you see it. You start seeing posts about 2026 marketing planning. "Get your 2026 strategy ready NOW." "Don't wait to plan next year's marketing." "Start [...]