You don't need a new you. You need a better you.
2026 is already three weeks old. Everyone started posting. And I’ve been sitting here for days asking myself a very uncomfortable question:
What the hell do I write about now?
We’re two years into this newsletter. Over a million views. Thousands of subscribers. A growing group of people who actually read, reply, disagree, and think.
And suddenly, the easy options are obvious: Repackage something from six months ago or slightly reword it. Or just maybe post it again and then: Let the algorithm do its thing
Because yes, let’s be honest: LinkedIn loves recycled content. And the unspoken assumption is that attention spans are short and memories even shorter. Goldfish logic.
But I never wanted this newsletter to be that. So I didn’t want to write what works. I wanted to write what feels honest.
And then I saw something on Instagram.
Winning vs Living
It said something along the lines of:
For decades, success meant productivity, status, accumulation. Work more. Sleep less. Consume to prove your worth. But that model is breaking down.
And my first reaction was: Here we go again. Another motivational quote.
But it stuck with me.
Because the older I get and the longer I work with revenue managers, founders, GMs, leaders, the more I realise:
Revenue management is not just about optimising numbers. It’s about optimising how we want to live.
2026 doesn’t need a new you
Everyone loves the phrase new year, new you
. Yeah, the polite version: I don’t buy it.
2026 doesn’t need a new you. It needs a better-aligned you. Not winning vs losing. Not hustling vs quitting. Not ambition vs balance. But clarity.
Revenue management teaches this brutally well:
You don’t win by maximising everything. You win by choosing what matters and protecting it.
You don’t chase demand everywhere. You decide which demand is worth your time.
You don’t react to every signal. You learn which ones to ignore.
Funny thing is: Revenue Management applies just as much to life.
The silent shift we’re all in
I see it everywhere: People questioning what “success” actually means. Leaders burning out not from work, but from noise. Smart professionals realising optimisation without direction is pointless. And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Working harder doesn’t mean living better. Optimising everything often means enjoying nothing.
Revenue management already knows this.
It’s the discipline of trade-offs. Of saying no. Of accepting constraints. Of understanding that time - not money! - is the only thing you can’t buy more of.
So what am I actually writing about this year?
Not hacks. Not trends. Not recycled wisdom.
But the intersection of:
- Revenue Management
- Decisions
- Behaviour
- Learning
- And how all of that quietly shapes the life you end up living
Because in the end, revenue management is just applied life strategy with better spreadsheets.
And if we’re honest: most of us aren’t trying to win anymore. We’re trying to build something sustainable. Something that makes sense. Something we don’t want to escape from.
That feels like a good place to start 2026.
Hope you join me on the journey.
Love,
Fabi
Bit about me: I’m Fabian Bartnick aka. Fabi – The Commercial Growth Leader. I’ve built and exited hospitality tech companies, trained thousands of leaders worldwide in sales, marketing and revenue management, and helped businesses in multiple industries align their commercial teams for measurable growth. TL;DR: I make people better and companies more money.
If you’re ready to align your sales, marketing, and data into one unstoppable growth engine, connect with me on LinkedIn.
