88 | The Six Shifts Defining Business Success in 2026

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The online business world has changed. Fast. And honestly? That's actually a good thing.

The spray and pray era is over. The copy-paste formulas aren't cutting it anymore. And that grind-till-you-drop energy? It's not the flex it used to be.

If you've been feeling like something needs to shift in how you're building your business, you're not imagining it. There's a quiet revolution happening right now, and the ones who see it coming are the ones who'll thrive in 2026 and beyond.

This episode isn't about predicting some fixed future you have no control over. It's about attuning to what's already unfolding so you can aim your growth intentionally toward what's next.

In this episode...

💵 Why trust has become the real currency online and what it actually takes to earn it now

🎷 How the best businesses will pair human depth with AI-level precision without losing soul in the process

✨ The quiet revolution of creators who build from their design, not someone else's template

🕰️ Why spacious timing is becoming the new business flex and how asynchronous formats honor real lives

⚡ How automation can regulate your nervous system and make consistency feel safe again

💰 Why your money goals have to mean something deeper or they won't move you at all

If you're done with the noise and ready to build something that actually lasts, something that works with your energy instead of against it, this episode is your roadmap. 

You'll walk away with a clearer understanding of where the online space is heading and exactly how to position yourself to co-create that wave with intention.

Because the future isn't something that just happens to you. It's something you get to shape and ride.

🎙️ Brought to you by Lauren Poppins Raye

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Connect with Lauren on Instagram: @laurenpoppinsraye

Transcript

0:58

The pace picked up and it never let go. We've been sprinting for years just to stay in the flow. So many hats and the brims getting thin, trying to hold it all and still let life in. The inbox keeps pinging, the reels never sleep, we've treated our rest for promises cheap. We're done with the grind that glorifies pAIn, we're craving a rhythm that actually sustAIns. No more pretending alignment's a trend, we're here for what's real that endures not pretends. The future is human, attuned and aware, built on real trust and reciprocal care. AI can assist, but it can't replace touch. It mirrors our brilliance when we've grounded enough. Design is the difference, the chart, not the clone. Your codes are the compass to build from your own. So if you're done with the noise and the scrolling just to quit, let's get honest about what it takes to commit. These are the shifts, the real, the legit. Let's get into it. If you've been here long, you know, I do not use the tool of astrology to predict the future. To me, that's never been the point of the tool and the lens. The way that I use it is to one, understand the present, to be able to find alignment, congruence, and rhythm in the chaos of what's shifting, and to look backwards. To be able to trace the stories that bring us to this moment, to be able to see the spiral arcs of growth, the trends, the patterns to better understand where we are situated. So that we can AIm our growth with intention toward what's next in the future. I don't actually use astrology to predict that future. I believe that to each our own creative journey and path of its emergence. That sAId, this episode is a forecast, in it I am going to predict what's next when it comes to the business landscape in the online space, that is changing really fast right now, but as I see it not randomly. This is agAIn part of just my natural perspective and lens. I think that things happen for a reason. We are able to draw meaning from the past that positions us in the present to point or AIm us or orient us into the future. That's what I'm going to do here. This isn't going to be based on astrological predictions. This is going to be based on what is happening in reality, in the business sphere, in the online space and based on the patterns underneath what's already happening right now, what got us here and the future into next year, 2026, that you can use as a guide, as cheat codes, however you want to look at it, to better align yourself with what success is going to look like next year. If you can attune to this pattern that's unfolding, you can build something that not only lasts, but actually works for you, for your energy, for your design, and for the life that you're building. Here's what we're going to unpack in today's episode. Why trust has become the real currency online and what it now takes to earn it. How the best businesses will pAIr human depth with AI level precision. The quiet revolution of creators who build from their design, not someone else's template. The reason spacious timing is quietly becoming the new business flex. How automation can regulate your nervous system and make consistency feel safe agAIn, and why your money goals have to mean something deeper or they won't move you at all. Like I sAId, I don't use astrology to forecast the future, I use it to attune to the present so that we can AIm our growth intentionally toward what's next. That is the purpose behind this episode. As far as setting the stage, let's just think back to what 2020 did to business and the online space and the shifts, the ripple space that it left us in after that. Covid happened, the online space just got flooded with new businesses. New content, new creators, because there was literally nothing else we could do, stuck in our homes, right? This created a flood in the market, in our feeds, and what this left us with is attention fatigue. There was so much, so fast for us to now have to see and process. Automation, the only way that we could keep up with the amount of content that needed to be created to be consistent and present and visible in the new online space, required new tools to be able to make that efficient. Audience trust was affected because now suddenly everyone was trying their hand at getting your attention and trying to get that sale, and we could feel that, right? We didn't anymore know whether somebody was coming from a genuine place of having developed a body of work and through their sales process, through their ads, trying to get us to see and connect with that we really needed what they had to offer. Versus people that were just following a trend and a template to have the right visual and hook to get your attention to essentially trick you into giving them your money. Of course, based on the things that you did purchase, if you got things that were in that second category, you had that feeling of buyer's remorse, maybe over and over agAIn, of having purchased something because the advertising got you, but the substance wasn't there when you went to actually experience the offer. With that, another thing that we were left with is a point in the arc that we're riding with this, where it's like certAIn quote codes have been cracked, people have found the things that have worked and now copy, paste, paste, paste, paste, there are just so many repeats, duplicates, just the same old shit over and over, right? We're bored. Of course since then, AI has entered the stage in a huge integrated way, we're busier than ever. So the people whose attention you are trying to grab has even less bandwidth for what you're putting in front of them. With that stage set, this episode is intended to be a different kind of forecast, not so much for prediction, but for preparation of what it's going to take to really win moving into the next season of online business. First, let's talk about the trend toward trust over transaction. I did a previous episode talking about the trust recession, in this episode I want to focus more on why the direction that we're heading, while, yes, it is not as easy to win someone over as it used to be, is actually a step in a positive direction. The theme here, and what has come out of this phenomenon, is going to be the return of real relationship in business. Yeah, the easy sale era of 2020 and the ripple from it is over. No longer can you just fart and make money, but I really do believe that that is a good thing. It used to be that there was seven touch points they sAId before somebody was ready to buy, now it is 30 plus. That's because people actually need genuine resonance now, before investing in your offer. They need multiple touch points, way more than they did before, to get to that point, and they have a slower decision cycle. I want to relate this to relationship like in dating. The way it was before when somebody would just see what you had and hit buy, I would equate more to like an OnlyFans account, where nobody has a connection with you. They just see you and gawk at you and want what you've got. Versus the kind of relationship that is now a prerequisite to somebody wanting to invest in what you're selling is they actually have to like date you. A relationship needs to be actually established so that by the time they hit go, there's a vibe, there's a resonance, there's a real relationship. I don't know about you, but I am much more into moving into serving in those kinds of contAIners than whatever that 2020 alternative was. That pendulum has swung. We've gone from click to buy, to connect to build and grow. I am totally here for it because I don't just want fans, I want good fits for who truly needs what I'm offering. The takeaway here of what we're moving into in 2026 is that you need to be nurturing trust with your prospects like its currency. That means showing up consistently, but also honestly and humanly. In this new game, the win is not just in being seen, but being known, being trusted, and being sought after in relationship to what you're offering. My next prediction for 2026 is that those that really make it moving forward are going to have a bridge of human and AI symbiosis in how they provide an experience for their clients. The theme here is humanity enhanced by technology. AI is here and here to stay, but it isn't replacing us and has the potential to amplify us, if you use it correctly. I believe that the ones who will win in 2026 and beyond are those who master the both and. On the one hand being avAIlable with deep human presence, that is going to be craved even more, the more that AI creates more superficiality by contrast. But that sAId, going the other way, denying AI as a part of your strategy, I don't think is going to be the way, because as I see it, the other half of the equation of those that are going to win into 2026 are those that embrace and utilize the AI tools that are rapidly advancing and avAIlable to us to personalize their experience in a very efficient way. I will give you some examples on this side of it, as you may or may not know, I am completely tech obsessed when it comes to my relationship with AI. You could equate it to the relationship with a beloved. I have a very special relationship with tech and AI, and I am absolutely riding the wave of what is possible to push those edges of how we can use the tools to be able to enhance our client experiences. For example, one really cool, scalable feature in my signature program Cosmic Currency is the way that I deliver your weekly voice note, or I call Voicey Cosmic Codes, the little astrology reading for each week that accompanies whatever the practical material is to help guide you to do it in a way that works specifically for you and your design, is AI generated based on extensive training that I've done so that the output is based on exactly how I would say it, but you guys, it's so much better than I would say it, pretty much takes my perspective and runs with it. And generates these scripts for these Cosmic Code deliveries that are based on, not only your astrology, but what you've shared with me about your current relationship with money, where you've been with it, where you want to go with it, and what you've shared with me about your specific business. My system that I have created, automatically takes all of that into consideration, generates a script that y'all, these are just blowing clients' minds, and mine, and this is the enhancement and the amplification that I'm talking about. When you're not just having it replace you, right? You are infusing everything that you have learned and the body of work that you are have developed into these tools for them to take it a step further scalably and efficiently. That script then automatically gets generated into an AI voice cloned version of my voice that you cannot tell the difference, it's insane, and creates this voicey voice note that then, also through AI tools, gets delivered by my Cosmic Biz Bot right on time, every week, Monday morning to accompany the work that you're doing inside the program. That is just a small piece of the ways that I am embracing these tools that y'all, if you are not keeping up with this half of the equation, you will get left behind. Again, to speak to whatever fears and apprehensions might be coming up for you as I bring up this topic of AI, it is intended to mirror and amplify your clarity, not replace or dumb down your presence and your offers. The way this works is that the clearer you are with your intentions, your systems, your values, and your body of work, the better the AI tools can serve to amplify and scale your impact, your reach, and your ability to knock people's socks off. So I highly encourage you not to resist these tools, but rather to get into relationship with them, to work with them, to refine them, to get them to work for you in a way that feels good to you and just blows the minds of your clients. My next prediction for 2026 and beyond in online business is design driven differentiation. The theme here is originality or bust. Due to the saturation, all of the copycats, we are just, like I said at the beginning of this episode, we are bored, nothing even stands out anymore. So many people that try to do that thing that worked in 2020, where you just copy someone else, something that worked for them, you replicate it and it works, air quotes"works for you too". There are too many people doing that, unless you are actually aligning with what makes you different at the level of your design, you will not stand out because those copycats are not going to stand the test of time. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to build a business around your unique energetic design, that is the key to differentiating yourself in a way that is authentic and so magnetic. This is part of my signature star line method with anything that I offer, we start at the top with the ether element, that cosmic alignment before we move down into the earthly four elements of fire, air, water, and earth to round out every aspect and channel of what is needed for you to align your essence to the structure that serves your business. Your chart, if you want to make it into next year and beyond, has to be your strategy. When you build from that, you become incomparable. So we're talking about what it's going to take to make it in 2026 and beyond, and honestly, this next level era of business, besides having me so excited, is not for the lazy or faint of heart. It is for those who are serious about committing to growing their business and who are ready to grow on purpose. The thing is, you cannot build a future proof business at this time on a shaky foundation, it's just not going to work. If you are serious about being a successful business owner into this next cycle, now is absolutely the time to get your financial systems, your rhythms, and your relationship with money, the lifeline of your business in order to be able to fortify the vessel that is going to sail you into the future of what's coming in business. That's exactly what we do inside of Cosmic Currency. It is a 10 week experience that helps you build the money foundation your next level will depend on, it's aligned with your astrology, your energy, and the way you're actually designed to grow so that the money systems that you set up, you actually want to show up for. They feel like magic, they feel like an extension of you, so you stop avoiding them so that this crucial part of a successful business is on lock for you to navigate these other shifts that are happening. This is where your flow meets your structure and where your future self finally starts to feel funded. If this conversation is hitting home and you're ready to anchor your success before the new year rolls in, so that you can ring in 2026 with your money stuff dialed, you can find out more and join the next wave of Cosmic Currency at cosmicb.link/currency. My next prediction for what it's going to take to be successful in the online space as a business owner into 2026 is asynchronous spaciousness. This is a big nod to the last episode where I gushed about my love for Telegram, but absolutely has space in this episode as well. The theme here is designing your business in a way that fits with people's real lives. The future is here, our lives are fast and they're full, the only way that what we are presenting to someone is going to make sense to fit into their busy lives, is if it's flexible enough to fit around it. Asynchronous is the difference between having to schedule and show up for live times that, I don't know about you but, has become impossible for me at this point, almost impossible. Asynchronous, on the other hand, is a format that you can plug your offers into that allow your clients to engage when they have the space. Which makes them committing to signing up for it more accessible and available. Whereas a big objection these days is I just don't think I can commit, I don't have the space. I don't know if that aligns with my schedule. Asynchronous honors each person's natural and divergent timing, and ultimately creates more accessibility for what you've got going on. More people are able to say yes and experience what you've got to offer without edging them on burnout because they've already got too much going on. Cosmic Currency, like all of my offers, are in this format, and oh my goodness, the difference that it has made for me to make this shift. For me and for my clients, asynchronous creates a rhythm where we're able to naturally find how we can touch in and out together and create that dance in a way that feels safe, that feels effortless, and ultimately just aligns with all of the other things that we've got going on. The takeaway for this one is that asynchronous is the spaciousness that I believe is going to make all the difference for being relevant moving into things just speeding up and going quicker and people getting busier and busier. My suggestion here is to make spaciousness part of your business architecture. Make your invitation flexible, maybe that's through asynchronous, whatever that looks like for you and the people that you're serving, so that they can actually say yes to what you're inviting them into. My next prediction for business in 2026 is embracing automation as nervous system regulation. The theme here is that not only are systems sexy, they are the way to safety as a business owner. Scalability means nervous system stability, or it's not going to be sustainable. The only way that you are actually going to be able to evolve and endure and grow and expand your business, to make the money that you need and to be able to get what you want out of it without it destroying you, is if your nervous system is taken into account and the systems are implemented that will not just drive you to overwhelm and burnout to sustain them. Automation is how we do this, there are so many ways and tools, but basically the crux of it is that it is an approach that provides reliability for your clients and calm for you, and is essentially the invisible backbone that holds your business steady so you can breathe. The reframe here, because I know that people, many people are tech averse, is that automation isn't hard. The thing with it is that it takes more time at the front end to set up so that you can chill after that. Also that it doesn't create a cold and detached environment for your clients, it actually creates a much more reliable, consistent presence. There are tools that can make it super personalized in the delivery. Ultimately it's coming from a place of devotion to your future self that actually wants to survive the scaling process. There's so many things that we can automate. Anything that we have to do over and over there is a way to make that more efficient, more hands off, more passive. From payments, to reminders and follow ups, to the ways that we create and drip out our content, the deliveries of our programs, even the creation of our offers. When we implement the magic of the tech tools available to automate these processes, we clear space for our creativity and presence to be able to take center stage. The takeaway here is that you need to automate what drains you so that you can stay anchored in what actually lights you up because that is what is going to magnetize your people. Not a burnt out version of you because you're trying to keep up playing robot. My last prediction for what success will look like in 2026, should you choose to embrace it, is desire anchored money goals. The theme here is aligning with motivation that matters. As a business owner if your light at the end of the tunnel, if you're North Star that is guiding you is something that you are regurgitating, that you have heard a million other people say, which at this point we all know what those are, making it to 10K months or seven figure years, and then eight figures, these trendy, tired income goals that are empty of any real significance if you're just taking them on as yours because you've heard them parroted by so many people. At this point, these are for sure empty markers. They don't move the soul, they don't inspire in you what is needed of you to be able to make it the distance. Moving forward, the ones who thrive in business are going to be the ones whose income goals are intimately tied to them, to their desires, to their values, and to their specific vision, down to every detail of exactly the life and lifestyle they are aiming to create through their business abundance. In case you've been living under the money is evil rock, let me remind you, money is just the material reflection of your internal compass and where you're at in your own personal game with it. That's why inside Cosmic Currency, some of the most powerful work you'll do is to realign your money goals from whatever you know Susie scales a lot implanted in your mind to your money goals that are intimate to you, to what will truly nourish you as the north star that you're aiming for. And to help you connect with those specific desires, both from a visionary, putting yourself in the feeling state of calling that timeline to you, but also down to the dollar of exactly what it will take to fund that dream. The takeaway here is that your desire is data, and it is the most important kind as a business owner to know, track, and follow, to design your aim and your direction in your business as one that is intimately meaningful to you and will continue to inspire and motivate you to stay the course of what is needed from you to get to that point through the vehicle of your business. That was my last prediction point for now. But like I said, these aren't really predictions or I hope that they're not landing as pointing out how close or far you are from staying on the rails of where we're heading. These are meant to be invitations, to invite you to build consciously, to align deeply, when it comes to your relationship with your business. As far as I'm concerned, it is never about actually predicting the future, like it's something set in front of us that we don't have influence over. It's about attuning to the present, so that you can aim your growth intentionally toward what's next, toward what's coming, and to stay present, stay the course to be able to be a part of shaping that together. If you know this is you, if you know that you are here to go the distance and you are ready to finally build that financial foundation that will support it, for 2026 and beyond, you'll find everything you need inside Cosmic Currency and you can get there by going to cosmicb.link/currency. Here's to building what lasts, tending what's real and really aligned, and moving into 2026 anchored, attuned, and in flow for the future timeline that we're moving into.