Welcome to the first Hosts of Influence newsletter of the year and honestly, the start of a new chapter for me.

Every January, there’s pressure to come in loud with big announcements, massive promises, overnight transformations and goals that seem a little too audacious.

This year I’m choosing something different for myself and my two businesses.

This year is about slow and steady growth, creating real momentum for each platform I work with, and building things that last without burning out, abandoning myself, or pretending the work is effortless.

So instead of a “perfect” kickoff, I want to start with something much more honest:

Counting wins.

Not to brag, but to ground myself in momentum, and to show you what progress actually looks like when you’re building a brand in real time.

Welcome to the first Hosts of Influence newsletter of the year and honestly, the start of a new chapter for me.

Every January, there’s pressure to come in loud with big announcements, massive promises, overnight transformations and goals that seem a little too audacious.

This year I’m choosing something different for myself and my two businesses.

This year is about slow and steady growth, creating real momentum for each platform I work with, and building things that last without burning out, abandoning myself, or pretending the work is effortless.

So instead of a “perfect” kickoff, I want to start with something much more honest:

Counting wins.

Not to brag, but to ground myself in momentum, and to show you what progress actually looks like when you’re building a brand in real time.

A Tool That’s Been in My Workflow for 3.5 Years (and Why It Matters)

Before I share my wins and secret sauce I just need to hype up one of my favorite tools that has saved me WAY more time than I can admit. It helps me close out mental tabs every time when it comes to creating, posting and sharing original content online.

I get asked constantly about how I maintain brand consistency while creating so much content, especially across multiple brands in my business.

The honest answer is that I have been using Adobe Express

I’ve been using it for over three and a half years, and it’s become a core part of how I work. What’s changed recently is how much easier it’s become to scale.

I rely on:

• Brand Kits to keep fonts, colors, and visuals consistent

• Templates so I’m never starting from scratch

• Pulling quotes from transcripts into Acrobat and dropping the quotes directly into my on-brand designs

• Content scheduling so creation doesn’t live only in my head

It allows me to focus on thinking, storytelling, and strategy, not stuck in the nitty gritty of WHAT to create.

I’ll be sharing a deeper article soon on how organically using tools you already love is one of the most effective ways to build long-term brand partnerships. And many of you know this, but Adobe Express is a perfect example of that for me as a Global Ambassador. It’s not an add-on, it’s part of my actual workflow every single day.

(#AdobeExpressAmbassadors #Ad)
If you’re curious, you can explore it at adobe.com/express./

Week 1 Wins that will compound for the rest of the year.

Here’s what the first week of the year looked like behind the scenes:

I spoke with Forbes, Business Insider, and Digiday for upcoming stories that will roll out later this year; all conversations rooted in creator economy shifts, long-term brand building, and what sustainability actually looks like for creators and marketers.

I went on two podcasts, not to promote a product, but to talk honestly about building a career across platforms, managing health while growing a business, and why influence without intention doesn’t scale.

I’m actively building and experimenting across three brand ecosystems:

• @itsgigirobinson — my personal brand and thought leadership

• @zekeandtrixie — proof that storytelling, joy, and community matter

• @hostsofinfluence™ — launching February 1 as a dedicated home for creator education, etiquette, and growth

I also hired three new team members, which feels equal parts exciting and grounding. Don’t be fooled, it took 2.5 months to find the best people for my business needs out of 200+ applicants. It made me reflect on the entire process, and how frustrating it can feel when you know you need help to scale, but you are still a lean business looking for someone completely aligned. Talent can sometimes simply JUST be looking for a job. It can feel nearly impossible to get people to see your vision, and to find people who compliment the way you think without vetting, without sharing your specific pain points and without asking the right questions.

BUT, if you do ask the right questions, share specific vision and ask the right questions, everything can (yes I am about to be cheesy), fall into place so seamlessly. Scaling isn’t about doing more yourself, it’s about building support systems that allow your ideas to breathe, and adding people to your team is fundamental to understand.

Landed a long term, repeat partnership client for the next two quarters, and expanded reach as an Adobe Express and Acrobat Ambassador.

None of this happened overnight and that’s kind of the point. I have been building Its Gigi for 5+ years, and Hosts of Influence for 2+ years. I have hired and fired team members. Signed to talent management and left (multiple times). And at the end of the day, I know what I have learned has tremendously changed my outlook on the creator economy.

Which is why I suspect that you are here too… to learn from the mistakes instead of staying stuck in a cycle of what other people tell you success should be.

How I’m Building My Brand(s)… with No Gatekeeping.

I get asked this question all the time: “How are you doing all of this without burning out?”

Here’s the unsexy answer that most people don’t like to hear. And it actually is simple. It involves specific operational systems and consistency, personally and professionally.

Each week, I focus on a few core pillars:

• PR conversations and brand deal follow-ups

• One to two podcast or speaking opportunities IRL or Virtual

• Content creation across platforms (not everywhere all at once, but intentionally and consistently showing up pulling in tens of thousands of impressions daily)

• Team check-ins and delegation (every day)

• Documenting ideas, quotes, and lessons as they happen (on google sheets, in chatgpt, in my notes app and if you are anything like me a saved folder on IG that you always forget to go back into)

That’s it. I have simply found that repeatable actions stack over time which compounds into what looks like “overnight success”. I don’t have a 47-step founder’s morning routine (yet), although I may add more things into my routine soon…

Introducing the HOI Creator Hotline™ ☎️

One of my goals this year is to make this newsletter more than a broadcast.

I want it to be a conversation.

So here’s what I’m opening up:

Send me your questions.
Leave me voice notes.
Reply to this email.
Ask the things creators and marketers actually want to know.

Think of this as your Creator Hotline™ where I answer real questions about growth, brand deals, storytelling, boundaries, tools, and building a sustainable career. I will not hold back, hold judgment or empty answers. Everything will always be honest af!

Looking Ahead in Q1

February 1 marks the official launch of Hosts of Influence™ as a full platform and this newsletter is its foundation.

If you’re reading this, you’re early. And I’m really glad you’re here.

This year isn’t about rushing to be everywhere all at once, and believe me I spent years of my business trying to do that. It’s exhausting and usually burns me out; it makes me less focused on my mission to serve others, and more focused on perception of the business. 2026 is about being rooted, intentional, and aligned and letting my business growth respond to the clarity I give it.

If this resonated, forward it to a creator or marketer who’s building thoughtfully.

And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to Hosts of Influence. This is where the deeper stories, systems, and lessons will live moving forward.

Slow & Steady…let’s get it!

Xo,
— Gigi