EP78: 2026 goals, real numbers, and the lessons 2025 taught us

In this episode of the ASOM Pod, hosts Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer, formally Founder of Sendlane), John Roman (CEO of BattlBox), Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella), and Bryan MacDonald (Director of eCommerce at Oma’s Pride) crack open the real recap of 2025 and get painfully honest about how they’re leveling up for 2026.This one’s not polished. It’s wins, misses, hard lessons, and the kind of goals you only set after getting absolutely humbled by running real businesses in real markets.Here’s what they dig into:Setting aggressive but actually achievable revenue and EBITDA targets (no delusion, just focus)Building stable teams and strong leadership without slowing momentumMoving toward sales-led organizations and using AI as a real service, not just a buzzword for decksLaunching and scaling new businesses with $1M+ ARR potentialPrioritizing health, family, and delegation without blowing up growthThey also get candid about why business success is wildly unpredictable, why delegation stops being optional as you scale, and why protecting family time eventually becomes a strategic decision, not just a personal one._____Big shoutout to our sponsor who makes this podcast possible!Omnisend — With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences via email and sms with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/Subscribe at https://asompod.com__00:00 Teaser Trailer04:08 Reflecting on Last Year's Goals05:05 Bryan's Business and Personal Goals27:06 John's Business and Personal Goals39:46 The Unpredictable Nature of Business Success40:49 John's Steady Leadership41:18 Amer's Business Goals for the Year41:39 Building a Sales-Led Organization45:11 Personal Goals and Reflections49:16 Goals for 202659:39 Jimmy's Reflections and Future Plans01:09:11 Closing Thoughts and Reflections___Follow us on:X: https://x.com/TheAsomPodLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theasompodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theasompodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theasompod/Contact us at [email protected] for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information!#asompod #businesspodcast #businessinsider #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #ecommercepodcast #ecommerce #ecommercebusiness #ecom #dtc #dtcpodcast #ecommercetips