Episode at a glance: Taylor and Kelly of Moxie Creative pull back the curtain on how goal setting works inside a growing creative agency. They talk about why goals differ from resolutions, choosing a word of the year, putting team goals over individual pressure, and handling deadlines and setbacks. The most useful takeaway: January 1 is not your only fresh start, so begin when it actually makes sense for your business.
Listen to Episode 048 of Behind the Brand
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Episode chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Rethinking January 1 Goals
- 00:44 Meet the Hosts and Setting the Tone
- 01:31 Resolutions vs Intentional Goal Setting
- 02:06 Choosing a Word of the Year
- 02:58 Efficiency, Systems, and Saving Brain Space
- 04:07 Wellness, Life Balance, and Leadership
- 06:33 Why Fresh Starts Don’t Have to Be January
- 08:12 How Moxie Sets Business Goals
- 09:24 Financial Goals and Learning What Works
- 11:02 Reach Goals, Realistic Goals, and Progress
- 11:56 Adapting to Change and Pivoting After Loss
- 13:13 Team Goals, Feedback, and Systems
- 15:10 Workflow Adjustments and Supporting the Team
- 18:53 Writing Goals Down and Revisiting Them
- 19:35 Making Goal Setting Fun and Sustainable
- 27:23 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
New Year’s resolutions get a bad rap, and honestly, they’ve earned it. They’re often rushed, unrealistic, and fueled by external pressure rather than real intention. By February, many of them are already collecting dust. But goal setting? That’s a completely different story.
In this episode of Behind the Brand, Taylor and Kelly pull back the curtain on how goal setting actually works inside a growing creative agency and why tying your business goals exclusively to January 1 can do more harm than good. Their approach is refreshingly honest, deeply human, and incredibly practical for small business owners, solopreneurs, and team leaders who want growth without burnout.
Here’s why your goals don’t need a calendar reset to matter and how to build momentum on your own timeline.
Why is January 1 a hard time to start business goals?
There’s something seductive about January 1. It feels clean. Symbolic. Like a magical reset button. But in reality, it’s often one of the hardest times of the year to start anything new, especially in business.
You’re coming off the holidays. Energy is low. Work is ramping back up. In many industries, winter is already a high-stress season. For creative agencies like Moxie, January is anything but slow. Expecting massive change or perfect habits right out of the gate can set you up to feel behind before you even start.
Taylor and Kelly talk openly about this pressure. The truth is, growth doesn’t happen because the calendar flips. It happens because you decide to be intentional and then take consistent action when it actually makes sense.
How are goals different from New Year's resolutions?
One of the biggest mindset shifts in the conversation is separating goals from resolutions.
Resolutions are often vague and outcome-focused. “Be healthier.” “Grow revenue.” “Get more organized.” Goals, on the other hand, are rooted in awareness and action. They evolve as you do.
At Moxie, goal setting looks less like a rigid checklist and more like a roadmap. Some goals are big and long-term. Others are small, personal, or seasonal. And many of them don’t start in January at all.
Instead of forcing change at the “right” time, they focus on what’s realistic right now.
What are Taylor and Kelly's words of the year?
Rather than traditional resolutions, Taylor shares her preference for choosing a word of the year. One word that acts as a filter for decisions, priorities, and habits.
Her word this year is efficiency. Not in a hustle-for-hustle’s-sake way, but in a way that protects energy, reduces unnecessary brain space, and creates better systems both at work and at home.
Kelly chooses wellness. Not just physical health, but mental, emotional, and even financial wellness. It’s a reminder that success at work doesn’t mean much if you’re constantly running on empty.
For business owners, this approach can be incredibly grounding. A single word can guide everything from how you schedule your week to how you scope client work. It’s flexible, personal, and far less likely to turn into another abandoned resolution.
Fresh Starts Happen All Year Long
One of the most important takeaways from the episode is this: January 1 is not the only fresh start you get.
Mondays count. New quarters count. Finishing a big project counts. Even a random moment of clarity on a Wednesday afternoon counts.
Kelly shares how she started focusing on her wellness goals well before the new year because that timing made sense for her life and workload. Taylor reflects on how business goals can reset at any point, especially when circumstances change.
Missed your Q1 targets? Q2 is a fresh start. Lost a long-term client? That’s not failure. It’s a pivot point.
Progress doesn’t require perfection. It requires permission to begin again.
How does Moxie Creative set business goals in real life?
Goal setting at Moxie doesn’t live in a perfectly formatted document that only comes out once a year. It’s ongoing, collaborative, and responsive.
Financial goals matter, but they’re not the only measure of success. Kelly starts with budgets and revenue targets because a healthy business needs strong numbers. But beyond that, the team looks at questions like:
- What didn’t work last year?
- Where did we feel stretched too thin?
- What systems need adjusting?
- What kind of work energized us the most?
Many of their “goals” are actually improvements to how they work together. Tweaking schedules. Adjusting scopes. Building better processes. None of that waits for January 1.
Team Goals Over Individual Pressure
Another standout theme is how goals are approached at the team level. Instead of rigid individual benchmarks, Moxie focuses on shared responsibility and open communication.
If someone is struggling, the question isn’t “Why aren’t you hitting your goal?” It’s “Do you need help?” Often the issue isn’t effort, but a system that needs reworking.
This mindset creates trust and accountability without fear. It also acknowledges something many leaders forget: most people already know what they want to do better. They just need the space and support to work toward it.
Do deadlines help or hurt your goals?
Deadlines are a double-edged sword. They can push you forward or shut you down completely.
Kelly talks about setting both reach goals and realistic goals, especially around personal milestones. Even if you don’t hit the stretch target, progress is still progress.
The same applies to business. Missing a deadline doesn’t erase the work you did to get closer. Sometimes, the deadline itself is the thing that needs adjusting.
Goals should stretch you, not break you.
Growth Is Not Linear and That’s Okay
One of the most reassuring messages in the episode is that setbacks don’t mean failure. Losing a client. Needing to pivot. Realizing a system isn’t working. These are normal parts of growth.
What matters is how you respond.
Taylor and Kelly talk about how challenges often energize them. They spark creativity. They force reflection. They open the door to better ways of working.
When you stop tying success to a single date or outcome, you give yourself room to grow sustainably.
Tune In and Get Inspired
If you’ve ever felt behind because your goals didn’t magically click into place on January 1, this episode is for you. Behind the Brand reminds us that meaningful growth doesn’t follow a calendar. It follows intention, honesty, and the willingness to keep going even when plans change.
Listen to the full episode to hear real, unfiltered conversations about goal setting, leadership, wellness, and building a business that works for your life, not the other way around. Around here, we don’t chase perfection. We build with purpose. And that’s the kind of moxie that lasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a word of the year, and how can it help a business owner?
Instead of resolutions, Taylor of Moxie Creative chooses a word of the year that acts as a filter for decisions, priorities, and habits. Her word is efficiency, while Kelly chose wellness, including mental, emotional, and financial wellness. A single word can guide everything from how you schedule your week to how you scope client work.
Do business goals have to start on January 1?
No. Taylor and Kelly of Moxie Creative say Mondays, new quarters, and finishing a big project all count as fresh starts. If you missed your Q1 targets, Q2 is a fresh start. Progress does not require perfection, it requires permission to begin again.
How should a leader respond when a team member is missing a goal?
At Moxie Creative, the question is not “Why aren’t you hitting your goal?” but “Do you need help?” Taylor and Kelly say the issue often is not effort, but a system that needs reworking. That approach creates trust and accountability without fear.
What questions does Moxie Creative ask when setting business goals?
Kelly starts with budgets and revenue targets, then the Moxie Creative team asks what did not work last year, where they felt stretched too thin, what systems need adjusting, and what kind of work energized them most. Many of their goals end up being improvements to how they work together, like tweaking schedules and building better processes.
