It’s a funky time to be making a living in the digital world. I will say this: I’m grateful to have over 20 years in creative – with AI introducing ever more noise, the need for experienced judgment in choosing which ideas to bring to life is clearly critical (as evidenced by all the AI-generated sludge overwhelming our feeds). That said, AI is an incredible tool for getting things done faster, provided you have the ability to make efficient decisions.

When you’re a founder – or responsible for getting things done – there are a lot of decisions to weed through and inputs to filter. While AI can give some tailored advice, you still have the responsibility to bring things into being and apply budgets to them.

It changes the stakes, right?

That’s why, when it’s time to bring in creative resources, it matters who they are and how they work. AI can’t (yet) deliver truly great, on-brand, consistent creative. The human touch still matters – you can feel it, your customers and clients can feel it.

So, that brings us to our Word of the Year for 2026: STEWARD. We see our role as stewarding your vision, your goals, your resources, and the work entrusted to our care. That’s what you hire us for. That’s the work we love doing – with our hands AND our hearts.

(For those not familiar, a Word of the Year can weave through many dimensions of the year, hones awareness, and focuses efforts. It’s not a slogan.)

We’re certainly living in a moment of intensified abundance. Tools are faster and more accessible than ever. AI is powerful. Options are endless. Websites, decks, copy, and systems can all be generated in minutes. And yet… this abundance hasn’t made decisions easier. What I’ve seen over and over is entrepreneurs and organizations overwhelmed by outputs and losing sight of what’s core to their growth story:

→ What should be protected as they grow

→ What needs to be simplified or removed

→ What story they’re really telling

→ What tools are actually helping (simplifying)

In the kind of environment we’re in, speed without discernment creates drift.

And drift, as you know, is expensive.

Here are some practical ways I plan for STEWARD to thoughtfully show up at True Story this year, as we grow and help you grow:

• We’ll clarify direction before we jump into design
  
• We’ll build websites as primary, load-bearing assets (not decoration)
  
• We’ll articulate what decisions a project enables, and what risks it helps avoid
  
• We’ll close loops instead of leaving you with “options”
  
• We’ll have a point of view, even if it means we have to process for a minute

What you’ll get from us isn’t just a better website. When we move with STEWARD in mind, it means fewer revisions, clearer decisions, stronger alignment, and work that ages well even as platforms and tools keep us on our toes.

Yes, we’ll use AI to help us get there. But we’ll be deliberate about how we do it and we’ll bring our expertise to filter its outputs from overwhelm to actionable.

In a year when AI will make more possible than ever before, we’re clinging to the belief that clarity, judgment, and responsibility will matter more than ever. And that’s a beautiful thing, because it means the world is still human and needs humans to keep it that way.

If you need a brand STEWARD in 2026, we’d be honored to help flesh out your story so you can make your mark on the world with confidence.

Let’s grow this year. We’re in it with you.