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 momentum
• Moving toward sales-led organizations and using AI as a real service, not just a buzzword for decks
• Launching and scaling new businesses with $1M+ ARR potential
• Prioritizing health, family, and delegation without blowing up growth

They 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 Trailer

04:08 Reflecting on Last Year's Goals

05:05 Bryan's Business and Personal Goals

27:06 John's Business and Personal Goals

39:46 The Unpredictable Nature of Business Success

40:49 John's Steady Leadership

41:18 Amer's Business Goals for the Year

41:39 Building a Sales-Led Organization

45:11 Personal Goals and Reflections

49:16 Goals for 2026

59:39 Jimmy's Reflections and Future Plans

01:09:11 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

___

Follow us on:

X: https://x.com/TheAsomPod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theasompod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theasompod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theasompod/

Contact us at hello@asompod.com for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information!

#asompod #businesspodcast #businessinsider #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #ecommercepodcast #ecommerce #ecommercebusiness #ecom #dtc #dtcpodcast #ecommercetips