We’re heading into shoulder season. Tourist traffic slows. Locals reset. And this year, the quiet feels heavier.

Economic uncertainty, shifting consumer behavior, unpredictable platform performance, it’s enough to make even the most resilient business owner hesitate. Looking back over the last few years, we’ve run the entire gamut.

One thing I know for sure: this isn’t the time to freeze. This is the time to look back and listen. Because often, what looks like a failure is actually valuable feedback — if we’re willing to face it.

The hard part? Failure doesn’t whisper. It barks. Loudly. Defensively. Your ego hears every bit of it. That’s why figuring out why something didn’t work feels like digging for a needle in a haystack, with the barking dog of ego guarding it.

And yet, if you can push past the noise, the defensiveness, the overthinking, the "just move on" impulse, what you find might be the clarity you’ve been missing.

Next week?

We flip the script. One of our recent Instagram campaigns hit big, and we’ll break down exactly why it worked and how to leverage a win just as strategically as a loss.

Now Is the Season for Looking Back

We’re three-quarters through the year. Before we rush to Q4 goals, this is a good moment to ask:

• What have I actually accomplished this year?
• Where did I grow — and where did I stall out?
• What worked? And more importantly…
• What didn’t?

Finding the Flop: The Angry Dog and the Haystack

We talk a lot about optimizing what works. But the truth is, we learn just as much — if not more — from what didn’t work.

And yet... It’s hard to look.

Because figuring out why something failed is like digging through a haystack with an angry dog guarding it.

The haystack is the noise. The needle is the insight. The dog? That’s your ego, and it doesn’t want to go there. But if we’re serious about showing up better next season — as creators, business owners, and brands — we have to look anyway.

A Simple Framework for Strategic Review:

Here’s a 5-step check-in you can do this week, whether you're a team of ten or a team of one.

1. Clarify Your Original Goals

• What were you actually trying to do?
• Grow your list? Sell a service?
• Drive awareness?
• No clear goal = no useful data.

2. Look at the Numbers, Not the Noise

Don’t guess. Check:

• Which posts or products actually converted?
• What formats consistently underperform?
• Where are people dropping off in your funnels?

3. Spot Repeat Offenders

If one post flopped, it might be timing. If five posts flopped, same topic, same format, there’s a deeper signal.

4. Align With Your Audience

• Have your people changed?
• Are they still listening for the same message?
• Fall is a different mood than summer. S
• peak to the season.

5. Set 2–3 Clear Goals for the Remainder of the Year

And only those. Not 12. Not “be better at marketing.” Specific, measurable, doable goals for Q4.

This season isn’t just about doing less. It’s about doing the right things, with more clarity, more intention, and less noise.

Yes, the economy is unpredictable. Yes, platforms are chaotic. Yes, some things just didn’t work.

But that doesn’t mean stop. It means shift. Step back. Reassess. And keep moving forward — smarter.

Next week, we’ll tackle "The Win."

Because when a campaign actually works, it can be just as challenging to know how to respond. What do you do with a successful post? How do you build momentum from it ?That’s where strategy matters most.

If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about by all means comment below or direct message and I’ll do my best.

Nothing better than a good question to jump into.

Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com

Comment below or share.

Trina Gold

Master Creator

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