Ep. 48 The Stern Truth: If Not Now, When?

We’re coming up to the beginning of a new year. I often hear “I will when” around this time of the year. 

Oh, but you’re waiting for the economy to get better, holding on until the new year, or hoping the timing will be better when the kids are grown. There’s so many excuses to not do it. The question I have to ask you is, “If not now, when?” 

The “I’ll do this later” mindset quickly turns into procrastination. That’s exactly when we lose the opportunities that are present to us.

Look back on 2025. Were you in your comfort zone the whole time? We get so comfortable with just being comfortable. We don’t grow. We’ve stopped remembering why we do it. Or maybe it’s not important to us anymore. 

Our competitors aren’t slowing down. They still have their marketing. They’re not stopping their lead gen. If we pause and don’t keep that momentum going, our competitors will lap us (and no one wants that!). 

The Kickstart Lab 2026 can help you get out of your comfort zone. This is a 90-day block where we review what’s worked, what didn’t, and why, and clarify what we want for 2026.

Success leaves clues. Follow them so you can achieve what you want to achieve in 2026. We kick off December 1st, so grab your spot here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/2026-kickstart 

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I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] All right, my friends, we are just a few days away from the beginning of our 2026 Kickstart Growth Lab. This is going to be an amazing six weeks of us together with a small cohort who are going to meet weekly and, really, not only review 2025, but build a plan, an actual plan, that we can actually achieve for 2026.

[00:00:25] We're going to build it together. We're going to build a 90 day roadmap so that you kick off the year and you have a plan of action. We're going to get clarity on your vision for your business, for your future, and we're going to set actionable steps and systems and delegations, and so much more information is in the show notes if you're interested in joining us.

[00:00:47] It's very low cost. It's only $299. It's actually worth at least 10 times that. But I've intentionally brought the price down on this for you. So grab your spot if it's not too late. If it's not filled up, go to the link in the show notes or reach out to me, marshall marshall stern.net. In any case, grab a pad of paper and enjoy this episode as I think it's going to make you think differently.

[00:01:13] Enjoy.

[00:01:19] Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do it all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows. I've been there and I get it.

[00:01:40] This podcast is here to change that. Every week I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugar coat it. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:02:01] This is the Stern Truth. 

[00:02:06] Alright, welcome back everyone to another episode of the Stern Truth Business Unfiltered. My friends, not sure if you heard our last week's episode, but I'm going to talk about something to continue this conversation. We're coming up to the beginning of a new year, which means the end of this year, end of 2025.

[00:02:24] Now, I hear all too often from my clients, I will when. Now, we did an episode about this a long time ago, early on, a long time ago, early on in the Stern Truth Podcast. Okay? But if you're waiting, if you're waiting. For the economy to get better, if you're waiting for a new year, if you're waiting for the kids to be grown up, if you're waiting for this and you're waiting for that, why?

[00:02:49] My question is, if not now, when, because history has shown when we have that mindset, we will do later, we will do this later, you know what happens, later becomes never. We procrastinate to the point where it's no longer important, or we lose the opportunity that was right in front of us. 

[00:03:11] So I want you as you go through the rest of this year, and into 2026, I want you to think about what it is you truly want, and I want you to do one thing, if not one thing, and ask yourself this. Are you stepping outside of your comfort zone? Looking back in 2025 and into 2026, I want you to think about becoming comfortable, being uncomfortable. 

[00:03:36] Way too many times, we are comfortable. We fall into the habit of being comfortable, just being comfortable, and we don't grow. That's why I'm launching 2026 Kickstart Growth Lab, which begins just in a few days on December the first. If you're listening to this and you're interested, the information is in the show notes you can click on and there's still time to apply for this, but if you've missed that and you want to reach out and just have a conversation, that's fine as well.

[00:04:05] But here's the thing. What we're going to do in the Growth Lab, I want you to think about doing for yourself. If you've missed that date, block the 90 days, the first 90 days of 2026. And we're going to talk about this in future episodes as well. And as I go through the Growth Lab with our cohort, I'm going to be bringing to you some information from those sessions, some learnings from those sessions so that you get a frontline on it.

[00:04:32] But I'd love for you to actually be in the group so you don't miss anything. But what I want you to do is review. This is what we're going to do in the Growth Lab, okay? We're going to review what has worked for us in the past, especially this past year, 2025, what has worked and why we're going to look at what hasn't worked and why.

[00:04:51] We're going to then clarify what we really, really, truly want to create in 2026 based on a future vision. We're going to really get clear on why we do what we do and what we want to create down the road. And a plan for 2026 and, the more specifically, a 90-day roadmap with actionable steps, strategies in between, but actionable steps.

[00:05:16] We're going to build that out. We're going to work on the mindsets that keep us blocked and away from achieving what we want to achieve. And these are all things you can do if you're not in, even if you're not in the Growth Lab program. These are things you can do on your own or reach out if you want some support from me.

[00:05:34] We're going to learn how to stop doing everything ourselves. We're going to learn about the power of building a team and how to build a team strategically, intentionally, profitably. And we're going to create accountability and momentum. So that March comes along and we haven't stopped. April comes along, we haven't stopped.

[00:05:53] We're not going to wait. And that's the whole point of this episode is if not now, when don't wait. Don't wait. Don't wait for the new year. Start now. Start planning and planting the seeds. Now start looking at what hasn't worked and what has worked. Success leaves clues. The opposite is also true. If you haven't achieved something, why haven’t you achieved it?

[00:06:21] Together, we can do this. You can do this, but don't wait. Start planting and planning now and don't wait for another year because I've seen this way too many times. I've, I've been in business for, I've said so many times, but more than 35 years, and I can tell you so many times I've started out in the business, the new year.

[00:06:42] 20, you know, January 1st, whatever the year is, guns are blazing. Have a plan. It's like, it's like the New Year's resolution. It's like, I'm going to get in shape. So you go to the – get a new, new runners or sneakers and a new outfit, a new gym bag, and you're all excited. It's shiny object, right? It's all beautiful.

[00:06:59] You're all excited. You've got the gym membership and you're going to, this is the year you're going to do it. And you start to go, and we know it happens by the third week. It happens in business too. It happens in business because we've stopped, we've stopped managing, we've stopped remembering why we're doing it and or it's not important enough to us.

[00:07:20] The why isn't important, so we're going to work on all of that. But here's the thing. Throughout the year, and this is what I'm going to help you avoid throughout the year, things come up in our personal lives in our business, lives, the economy, in the world, what have you. We need to learn how to block out noise.

[00:07:37] We need to learn how to stay focused, how to be good to ourselves, how to have those down times, how to slow down and recharge our batteries. But the time is now. The time is now because why wait? Why wait and miss an opportunity? Why wait and let someone else who is starting now get a headstart? And that's what happens too many times in economies that for a lot of people are down, they back off their marketing and while they back off their marketing, they back off pushing.

[00:08:10] They back off doing lead generation business development. Their competitor isn't, and their competitor starts to lap them. When things turn around it, everything does eventually turn around. They're left in the dust. We don't want that. So ask yourself if not now, when my friends, if not now, when again, if you want to join us in the Growth Lab, link is in the show notes.

[00:08:34] If it's already started and it's too late, no problem. I've got you. Just reach out to me, let's have a conversation and see where we can go from there. Have an amazing week and let's plan. Plan to do this now. Plan to step outside of our comfort zone. And plan to become comfortable being uncomfortable because that is where you will grow and your business will grow.

[00:08:59] We'll see you next week in another episode of the Stern Truth, Business Unfiltered.

[00:09:06] Thank you so much for tuning in to the Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share and leave us a review. Also, if you'd like to be a guest in an upcoming episode or join us in one of our Moment Accountability Group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net.

[00:09:26] That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.