you’re booked. but not with work you actually want.
Jan 12, 2026
Brought to you by The Art Of Positioning Podcast
You open your 2026 job list.
Technically, it looks “good.”
You’re booked. Quotes are out. A few big ones “verbally confirmed.” The spreadsheet cells are not empty.
But when you scroll through it slowly, there’s that little sinking feeling.
Because mixed in with the good fits are:
The reno you already know will drag.
The “quick favour” that never ends up quick.
The contractor who always squeezes your margin at the last minute.
The tiny job clogging your calendar like hair in a drain.
On paper, you’re busy.
In your gut, you know too much of it is “keep the machine fed” work, not “this is what we’re built for” work.
And that’s the problem.
The cost of “we do that too”
Saying yes to most things made sense when you were scrappy.
You needed proof of concept. Any revenue was good revenue. You were still figuring out what you were actually good at.
Fast-forward to now.
You’ve got a team. Fixed overhead. A reputation. Solid projects under your belt.
Now every “yeah, we can do that” costs:
Margin: Wrong-fit work eats supervision, coordination, and contingency faster than it feeds your profit.
Capacity: Messy jobs block your schedule from taking on clean, right-fit ones when they show up.
Energy: Your team knows which projects they’re proud of and which ones they just survive.
Established builders and suppliers aren't short of work.
They’re short of the right work.
And that, my friend, isn't on “marketing.” That’s a positioning problem.
Your current story is still set to “we can probably do that” instead of “this is what we’re for now.”
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At $1.2M, everything stopped working.
Downer Brothers Landscaping, Inc. could add more crews, more equipment, and watch revenue grow. Until they couldn't. Profit tanked. Hours piled up. Same money.
Nicole Downer and the Downer brothers had to reposition the business several times to break through to their journey to $10M, and in this episode of The Art of Positioning Podcast Nicole shares the challenges and how they beat the odds to be the thriving landscaping business they are now:
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Where your positioning is messing with 2026
Inside the business, your 2026 goals sound like:
“More of those projects, less of the random stuff.”
“Fewer clients who nickel-and-dime everything.”
“Margins that actually match the risk and effort.”
Outside the business, your positioning is saying things like:
“Full-service construction.”
“From small jobs to large projects.”
“Residential, renovations, additions, light commercial.”
Suppliers:
“We’ve got everything for everyone.”
“From DIY to big contractors.”
If your front door says “everyone’s welcome,” your pipeline will reflect that. And so will your cash flow. And your calendar. And your general level of swearing at 4pm.
You’re not lying. You can do those jobs.
You’ve just never drawn a hard line around what you’re actually built for now.
A 2026 pipeline audit you can actually do, THIS WEEK.
Let’s make this useful.
No “visualise your ideal client” exercise. Just look at what’s already in front of you and tell the truth. 👇
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Badass Tip
Step 1: Grab 10 real 2026 opportunities
Open wherever your work lives:
Spreadsheet
CRM
Whiteboard
Folder called “2026 maybe???” (no judgement)
Take the next 10 jobs you’re:
Quoted on
In talks for
Or have “verbals” on
No polishing. No cherry-picking.
For each one, score three things out of 10:
Margin fit 1 = we always end up under-priced / squeezed on this type 10 = we know exactly how to price and protect this
System fit 1 = one-off weird, different area, new subs, new everything 10 = same area, same style, same suppliers, runs cleanly through the machine
Energy 1 = everyone quietly groans when they see this name/project 10 = the team actually wants to work on this
Go with your first instinct.
Total each job out of 30.
You’ll end up with:
A few in the 24–30 range
A clump in the 15–23 range
A couple under 15 that make you sigh
The number is not the point. The pattern is.
Step 2: Name the work that actually carries you
Look at the 24+ jobs.
Ask:
What type of client is this really? (industry, stage, attitude)
What type of project? (custom new build in X area, high-end exterior package, etc.)
Why does this run clean? (same council, same style, same suppliers, decision-maker actually decides)
What’s true about how they think and buy?
Now look at the under-18 jobs.
Ask:
Why did we say yes? (cash, favour, “we’ve done something like it before”)
What do these jobs always do to our calendar and margin?
What patterns show up? (location, scope, budget, channel they came from, certain personalities)
This is not about shame.
It’s about seeing what your current positioning is really attracting and allowing in.
Step 3: Tighten your positioning (without a rebrand)
You don’t need a new logo.
You need a clearer story that matches the work that scores 24–30.
Three pieces. One afternoon.
1. One line of what you’re for now
Not “we build quality custom homes.”
Riffing ideas:
“We build full custom homes in [region] with a tech edge for clients who want decisions locked in early.”
“We supply complete exterior packages for builders who care more about callbacks and warranty.”
It should make your 24–30 jobs go: “Yep. That’s us.”
And make your 10–15s feel a little less invited.
2. One quiet line of what you’re not for
You don’t have to plaster this on your homepage.
But it should live in your head, your proposals, and your first calls.
Things like:
“If you’re collecting ten quotes to find the cheapest, we’re not your people.”
“If you want to design as we go and change direction every week, we’re not your builder.”
It’s not arrogance. It’s a filter.
3. One visible tweak to your “front door”
Pick ONE this week:
Website “What we do”
First slide in your deck
Intro paragraph in proposals
Your LinkedIn/About
Replace the “we do it all” sentence with your sharper line from step 1.
You’re not locking yourself into a tiny box overnight.
You’re just making it harder for 2026 to fill up with work you already know you don’t want.
Why this matters more in 2026
In easier years, you can get away with being vague. Volume hides sins.
In 2026:
Costs are up
Margins are tighter
Good people are harder to replace
Lead times are longer
Being booked out with the wrong work hurts more than it used to.
Positioning isn’t just about how you look online.
It quietly decides:
Who enquires
What they expect
What you say yes to
And whether 2026 feels like “busy and drained” or “busy and worth it”
Your move: Before you worry about “getting more leads,” run the 10‑job audit.
If most of your 24–30s are the same type of project/client?
There’s your clue for how to talk about yourself this year.
If most of your list sits under 18?
You’ve just found where your positioning is lying to you.
Because 2026 is going to fill up either way.
Might as well be with work you actually want.
- B
When your team describes the business five different ways and your prospects can't tell you apart from the three other firms bidding. I help you own a position they understand and get behind.
