The Optimization Toolbox with Jenna Redfield

The Optimization Toolbox by Jenna Redfield is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The online business world is shifting faster than most entrepreneurs realize. In my latest podcast episode, I sat down with Cathy Olson—co-founder of Funnel Gorgeous and FG Funnels—to talk about what’s really happening in 2026. Full transparency: I’ve been learning from Cathy and her business partner Julie for years. In 2021, I became sales funnel certified through their program, FG Society, and their teachings completely transformed how I think about offers, messaging, and strategy. So this conversation was both an honor and a bit surreal—getting to interview someone who’s taught me so much. Cathy has been in the trenches for over 15 years, teaching design, copy, and marketing strategy. She’s a total expert in this space and has built a multi-million dollar business helping entrepreneurs create profitable funnels and courses. And she’s not sugarcoating what’s ahead. If you’ve been feeling like the ground is shifting under your feet, you’re not alone. Here’s what we covered—and what you need to know to stay relevant. BEFORE I FORGET Join my next FREE Notion AI Workshop on Goal Setting on January 22 at 12pm CST AI Isn’t the Enemy. Resistance Is. One of the first things Cathy said that caught me off guard: “Why are we so scared about AI doing our job? Isn’t that kind of a good thing?” Most of us panic when we think about AI replacing what we do. But Cathy flipped the script. If AI can handle the tedious, repetitive parts of your work—editing, drafting, research—doesn’t that free you up to do the higher-level thinking that actually moves the needle? The shift happening right now isn’t about AI replacing you. It’s about AI replacing the parts of your job you probably don’t want to do anyway. The question is: Are you ready to move up the ladder? Moving “Up the Ladder” to Stay Relevant Cathy introduced a concept I haven’t stopped thinking about: the hierarchy of your skill. Let’s say you’re a video editor. At the bottom, you have the actual editing work. In the middle, you have the creative direction and storytelling. At the top, you have strategy—knowing why a video should exist, what the goal is, and how it fits into the bigger picture. AI can already handle the bottom. Soon, it’ll handle the middle. Your job is to get to the top. The same goes for designers, copywriters, coaches, and consultants. If you’re offering mediocre design or mediocre copy, AI can do that now. But if you’re the one making the decisions—the one who understands human psychology, brand strategy, and what will actually resonate—you’re irreplaceable. Think of AI like a VA or production assistant. You wouldn’t give them full creative control. You’d give them tasks and review the output. That’s the relationship you need with AI. The Trust Recession is Real Here’s a wild moment from the conversation: Cathy told me that during a live webinar for FG Funnels, people in the chat were asking, “Is this live? Are you real?” That’s where we are now. People can’t tell what’s real anymore. With AI-generated avatars, deepfakes, and synthetic voices, trust is eroding fast. Cathy called it a trust recession, and I think she’s spot on. That’s why faceless marketing is not going to last. People need to see you, hear you, and connect with you as a human. If you’ve been hiding behind stock images and templated captions, 2026 is the year to show up. This is also why I’m such a big advocate for consistent on-camera work. When you practice being on camera every week, you get better at speaking, presenting, and connecting. And when you need to go live, speak on stage, or show up in a sales call, you’re ready. Courses Are Evolving (and GPTs Are Taking Over) Cathy and I talked a lot about how courses are changing. People don’t just want information anymore. They want interaction. Static PDFs and pre-recorded videos aren’t cutting it. Students want to ask questions, get customized feedback, and apply what they’re learning to their specific situation. That’s where GPTs come in. Custom GPTs allow you to package your knowledge in a way that’s interactive and personalized. Instead of selling a course, you can create a trained AI assistant that answers questions based on your framework, your voice, and your expertise. Cathy’s team is building GPTs for their Metrics Muse subscription, and they’ve embedded AI into their course platform so students can ask questions about each module as they go. This is where education is headed. If you’re still thinking about courses the old way, you’re already behind. Clarity Over Everything One of the biggest shifts Cathy emphasized: You need to be known for ONE thing. I know, I know. If you’re a multi-passionate entrepreneur like me (and Cathy), this hurts to hear. But it’s true. People can’t remember 20 things you do. They can barely remember one. When I go to a networking event now, I don’t list everything I offer. I pick one thing I want them to walk away remembering. That’s it. Cathy said the same thing: Clarity of messaging is going to be critical in 2026. If people can’t explain what you do in one sentence, they can’t refer you. And referrals are everything right now. This ties directly into my Repeat Method framework—showing up consistently with the same message so people actually remember you. Outlasting is the Name of the Game Here’s the tough love part of the conversation: 2026 is a correction. Since 2020, a flood of new entrepreneurs entered the online space. Money was flowing, courses were selling, and it felt easy. But now? The market is stabilizing. A lot of people Cathy knew as entrepreneurs are back at regular jobs. If your revenue has stayed flat or dipped slightly, you’re not failing. You’re normal. The businesses that will thrive are the ones that outlast. The ones that stay agile, keep learning, and don’t hold onto strategies that stopped working two years ago. Cathy said something I’ll never forget: “Stable income is the new growth.” If you’re still here, still showing up, still making it work—you’re winning. AI and Health (a Personal Aside) One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when we talked about using AI for health. I’ve been on a three-year journey trying to figure out some health issues, and Notion AI literally helped me connect the dots. I uploaded all my blood tests into Notion, asked it to summarize patterns across years of data, and had a major breakthrough. Cathy shared a similar story—AI helped her identify a rare benign tumor before her doctors did. She uploaded her MRI results, and it broke down the medical jargon into plain language. This is the kind of stuff that makes AI genuinely useful. Not replacing humans, but helping us see things we couldn’t see on our own. What to Do Next If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this: Don’t stick your head in the sand. AI is here. The market is shifting. Trust is eroding. Courses are evolving. But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It means you need to adapt. * Move up the ladder in your skillset * Show up as a human (on camera, in writing, in person) * Get clear on the ONE thing you want to be known for * Make your content interactive and personalized * Focus on outlasting, not just growing If you do those things, you’re not just surviving 2026. You’re setting yourself up to thrive. Want to go deeper? 📘 Check out my Notion Foundations Course to build ADHD-friendly systems that actually work 💡 Book a THREAD Clarity Call if you need 1:1 help cutting through the noise Connect with Cathy: 📍 Funnel Gorgeous (courses on offers, copy, and design) 📍 FG Funnels (all-in-one software for funnels, email, and community) 📍 Instagram: @funnelgorgeous Get full access to The Optimization Toolbox by Jenna Redfield at jennaredfield.substack.com/subscribe