Just Start: Writing Your 2026 (thesis)

Dear Andre, (10 min read)

If I told you that one decision at the beginning of 2026 would completely change the trajectory of your year, would you take the time to make it? I'm serious. This isn't theory. I watched it happen in my own life this year.

Here's what I did: I picked a word for 2025. Just one word. One organizing principle. One filter for every major decision. Mine was simple: Wisdom. And Andre, that single word changed everything.

But here's the problem: When I first started making decisions based on that word, I was terrified.

The Fear Didn't Go Away

January 2025. I'm staring at my bank account. There's this community called The Arena. It's a communication training program. The price tag? Significant. but I´d been thinking about joining for almost 2 years.

I had the same thoughts you probably would: What if this doesn't work? What if I'm wasting money? What if I could figure this out on my own?

But then I remembered Proverbs: "Wisdom is more valuable than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her." And: "In all your getting, get understanding." So with much hesitation… I joined.

Here's what made it possible: I had two clients who were going to pay me to help them with their marketing. So instead of the Arena costing me money, I was actually going to be positive. They were essentially funding my education so I could help them more effectively. But then I would also learn and have the skill moving forward. It was the perfect setup.

Then a few months later, I wanted to write a book. I'd been thinking about it for 4 years. I knew I could probably figure it out myself. Save the money. Grind it out. But I also knew: If I wanted to do this well, I needed help.

It was at an arena 1 day event in LA where I found the working title for my book, Just Start.

So I hired a consultant. Someone who could turn 8 months of fumbling into 9 weeks of focused work. The fear didn't go away when I Zelled the payment.

It whispered: Make it make sense. 

But I also knew that by working with him, I would gain all this knowledge and experience that I could pass on to my clients. I've now worked with published authors and have a few friends in the process of writing books. I've been able to share my process with them, and they've found it incredibly valuable. Me going through it myself made that possible.

Then later in the year, I joined Brand Builders Group with Rory Vaden. Then Alex Hormozi´s coaching cohort. Every single time, the same fear showed up. Every single time, my word answered: Wisdom.

And Andre, here's what I need you to understand: The fear never went away. But the results proved the thesis right.

From "Word of the Year" to Annual Thesis

At the beginning of 2025, I didn't call it a thesis. I called it my "word for the year." Something I've done most years. A single word to guide my decisions. This year, it was wisdom.

But as the year went on, as I had more conversations, as I watched how that word actually shaped my choices, I realized something: A word becomes a thesis when you actually test it. When you stop treating it like a nice idea and start using it as a filter for real decisions with real consequences.

That's when wisdom became: Wisdom is more valuable than money. And that became something I could test. (I also write about this in my book, a chapter called the fuel of money)

But here's what I didn't realize until I looked back: I wasn't just testing one thesis this year. I was unconsciously running three others at the same time.

People over everything. Every idea is a bad idea until it's been tested in the marketplace. Or, more simply: If I have an idea, experiment. Just start.

And this one surprised me most: My story matters. And in understanding that my story matters, it's allowed me to help other people see that their story matters too.

How I Tested My Thesis (And What Happened)

Let me walk you through what happened when I actually lived by my word.

Test #1: The Arena

I joined The Arena in January. It's where you find your voice and master your message. The result? I had over 50 speaking opportunities this year. But more than that: Every time I led a session, talked about a missions trip I went on, or spoke in front of business professionals, I brought a better version of myself. Not because I was naturally gifted. But because I'd been trained.

The Arena didn't just teach me how to speak. It taught me how to think about speaking. How to structure ideas. How to tell stories. How to give detail and progress. And I've developed some incredible friendships with people I talk with all across the country. many of them were there and supporting me during my book launch.

Every speaking opportunity after that became a compounding return on that initial investment.

Test #2: The Book Consultant

In March, I felt the tug to write Just Start. But I didn't know how. I could have figured it out. Watched YouTube videos. Read books about writing books. Spent 8 months fumbling toward a finished manuscript. Or I could hire someone who'd already done it. I chose wisdom.

We started March 26th. By June 5th, the book launched. Not just done. Actually good. But here's what mattered most: Working with him didn't just speed up the timeline. It changed what I believed was possible.

I used to think: Books take years. Now I know: Books take focus, structure, and the right guide. That belief shift? That's worth more than the book itself.

Test #3: Brand Builders Group

Then I joined Brand Builders Group with Rory Vaden. This was really about how to build a personal brand. It helped me clarify something crucial: I'm most perfectly positioned to serve the person I once was.

And through that process, I built a lot of industry expertise in how to build a personal brand. The whole Brand Builders journey really helped me understand what the purpose of my brand is and the problem that I solve. Expertise I've been able to translate to helping other business professionals do the same thing. I didn't just learn theory. I learned a system I could actually use and teach.

Test #4: The Forward Event

Here's one I almost didn't do. I got invited to the Forward event (a personal branding conference hosted by Neel Dhingra for real estate agents and mortgage brokers.) I'm not in real estate. I had no "reason" to be there. But I was fascinated by the topic. So I went anyway.

Actually, let me be honest. When I was getting on the plane to go there after having been in Europe and Central Asia for three weeks, I was exhausted and did not want to go. But once I was there, I was so glad that I chose to go.

The Forward event was actually a huge leap forward for me in terms of meeting other people who are really serious about building a platform via social media. The more people I've been around who have 10k or 20k or 30k or 100k followers, the more achievable it seems. Simply because I've been in proximity to other people who I know are at those levels. And it has made it much easier to believe that I can be there too because they're not super more special than I am. The Forward event really helped with that.

And I met some of the most thoughtful people I've met all year. I had breakthroughs about how I show up—both physically (how I dress) and digitally (how I present myself online). I didn't go because it was "strategic." I went because my word said: Wisdom. And wisdom showed up.

Test #5: Alex Hormozi´s Coaching Cohort

In the last three months, I joined Alex Hormozi's coaching program. And Andre, the way I'm writing this newsletter right now? Changed. The way I think about marketing? Changed. The way I'm using AI to accelerate my work? Completely different.

I didn't know that would happen when I joined. I just knew: If Alex has already built what I'm trying to build, I should probably pay attention. And that attention paid off.

The Other Theses I Didn't Know I Was Testing

When I look back at 2025, I realize I was running multiple experiments at once.

"Every idea is a bad idea until it's been tested in the marketplace." I tested this when I started my mobile detailing business. Then again when I launched this newsletter. Then again when I published Just Start. And I'm testing it right now with "The Clean Car Cult"—the new newsletter I just launched for my detailing business. (I love that name. It's so dumb, but it makes me so happy.)

Each time, the pattern was the same: I had an idea. I didn't know if it would work. So I tested it. Not in my head. In the real world. And every time I tested, I learned something I couldn't have learned any other way.

"People over everything." This one ran quietly in the background all year. The Arena wasn't just about communication. It was about finding my people. Brand Builders wasn't just about strategy. It was about being in a room with people who were building something meaningful. The Forward event wasn't just about learning. It was about being around people who think bigger than I do.

Every major decision I made this year had people at the center. Because I knew: The right people don't just make the journey more fun. They make the destination possible.

"Free time? Value Creation." What does that mean? It means use the skills, time, money, connections energy to build things for others. With no expectations of return. Using this idea was how I ended up writing for a youtube channel, and how my marketing agency was started. I would just make stuff for people because I wanted to. Then they wanted to work with me.

"My story matters." This is the one I didn't see coming. All the things I've been learning from all these different places has changed how I see myself and how I see others. It's allowed me to very quickly see what's valuable in what other people are doing and how to frame it in such a way to create a massive amount of interest and value from other people. Because the way that things are seen can make a big difference in the value that's ascribed to it.

I think about Van Gogh. His paintings were often put up in brothels and bars. He had an advisor who said, "Hey, you got to put these in galleries because they're not going to be valued in this space." Understanding the things you have done and the value they bring to your life and to the people around you, and then making sure those things are put in a space where they can be valued accurately, is really important.

That's been something else I learned over the course of this year. My story matters. And when I understand my story, I can help others understand theirs.

What This Made Possible

Here's what happened when I started believing my story mattered: I worked with a professional speaker for 8 months. A musician, multiple financial planners on helping their branding. I connected an executive from a Fortune 500 company with a consultant who's helping build some pretty cool things that I can't talk about currently.

Since then, I've also worked with published authors and helped friends who are in the process of writing books. I've been able to share my process with them, and they've found it incredibly valuable.

All of this became possible because I invested in learning first. My marketing and agency work funded me learning all these things. Those two clients at the beginning of the year who funded the Arena? That was just the start. Every skill I gained, I could immediately turn around and use to help others.

The Pattern I Didn't See Coming

Here's what I realized looking back over 2025: Every major win this year came from a moment when I chose growth over safety. Every time I invested in wisdom (whether that was a coach, a community, a consultant, or a conference) I walked away more capable than I arrived.

But here's the thing that surprised me most: The ROI wasn't always immediate. But it was always compounding.

The Arena didn't pay off in January. It has paid off in the relationships and the way I think about speaking much differently. I bring a much stronger version of Daniel into every moment that I do speak, both in real life and on social media. The book consultant didn't just help me write faster. He helped me believe I could create something meaningful in a short window, and that knowledge has helped multiple people since. Brand Builders Group didn't just teach me about personal branding. It gave me a framework I could use to help others.

Alex's cohort didn't just teach me marketing. It rewired how I think about leverage and systems. The Forward event didn't just introduce me to new people. It gave me the courage to be disliked. To not be a personal bland. But to be willing to stand out for who I actually am. And every time I tested an idea in the marketplace (the detailing business, the newsletter, the book, The Clean Car Cult) I learned something I couldn't have learned by just thinking about it.

What Worked. What Didn't.

As I look back on 2025, I'm asking myself two questions:

1. What worked? And how do I do more of it? Investing in wisdom worked. So how do I double down on that in 2026? Testing ideas in the marketplace worked. So what new experiments do I need to run? Putting people first worked. So who do I need to be around more in 2026? Believing my story matters worked. So how do I share it more boldly? Using my free time for value creation worked. So how do I create even more for the people around me?

2. What didn't work? And why? There were things I said yes to this year that didn't move the needle. Commitments that drained energy without creating growth. Relationships that took more than they gave. So the question becomes: How do I do less of those things in 2026?

This is the work of reflection. Not just celebrating the wins, but honestly evaluating what got you there. And what held you back.

Your Assignment This Week

Before January 1st, I want you to do one thing: Look back and ask yourself: Was there a thesis for this year? (or multiple?)

Maybe you didn't call it that at the beginning of the year. Maybe you just had a word. Or a feeling. Or a loose intention. But when you look back at your major decisions (the ones that mattered) was there a thread? Was there something guiding you, even if you didn't name it? Write it down.

Then ask yourself: What worked? How do I do more of that? What didn't work? Why? How do I do less of that?

This isn't about beating yourself up. It's about learning from the year you just lived. Because the best thesis for 2026 isn't something you invent out of thin air. It's something you discover by honestly looking at what worked in 2025.

That's it. One action. Reflect. Write it down. Let that shape what you believe is possible in 2026.

But here's the thing, Andre: Once you've identified what worked and what didn't, you need to do something about it. Because knowing what to keep and what to cut means nothing if you don't actually make the cut.

Next week, we're going to talk about the practical reset. How to clear and cut what's not serving you anymore. Both the physical clutter and the mental noise that's keeping you from building what matters in 2026.

Well, that's all for now.

—Daniel

P.S. If this made you think about your own year, forward it to someone who's trying to figure out what's next. They might need the nudge.

P.P.S. The emotion I want you to feel? Inspired. Not just motivated. Inspired. Because 2026 could be the year everything changes—if you pick the right thesis and test it ruthlessly.