Happy 2026 my dear Charisma Cultivators!

I hope the first half of January has been good to you. I hope you’re still keeping up with your new year resolutions and working towards your goals.

Was there something that has stood out to you so far?

For me, I just returned from a long trip to the beautiful island of Tasmania. It was my first time outside of Asia, and the new environment allowed me the time and space to reflect and plan.

I’ve been sharing some lessons from my experience on LinkedIn. Here’s a recent post if you missed it!​

I thought it’ll be fun to start the first charisma newsletter of the year with some predictions. Not for the hype, but to genuinely set some expectations of this year. Who knows what will happen when we circle back at the end of 2026 and look at these again.

Bring on the predictions!

Let’s first address the elephant in the room.

1. Trust is the new currency

The online creator space is changing.

Whereas in the past the internet made it relatively simple to set up a social media page or email list and start creating, now it’s much more difficult to stand out.

The internet has amplified exposure, and AI has commoditised information.

It’s not enough to just promise a transformation anymore (and of course deliver it), creators need to nurture trust too. And like it or not, I do believe that trust comes first.

Here’s the general progression that every creator needs to grow through:

Tell > Teach > Transform > Trust

Speaking of AI…

2. The age of AI is inevitable

There’s no denying it, we entered a new era in human history. AI will continue to get better. The baseline for competency will continue to increase as this happens. Taste will become the distinguishing factor in discerning value.

Think about it, AI tools make proofreaders obsolete. It used to be that certain grammatical errors show that a piece of content was generated by AI. Now, it’s getting more difficult to tell.

It’s scary, I know. I am a writer myself.

But I stand by the opinion that great writing has heart. And heart-centred writing still requires a human writer.

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not rejecting AI. In fact, I’m all for using AI as a tool. For me, I use AI as a brainstorming buddy and an editing partner. The words themselves are written by me.

And because AI has gotten pretty competent at crafting words…

3. Stories might get easier to write, BUT

A challenge still remains. The story needs telling.

The best storytellers will still be the communicators with everyday charisma. The person who puts the emotions into the sounds, who vocalises the dreams, and paints the pictures verbally.

A story narrated by an AI-generated voice is just that, a narration. It lacks the depth needed to bring the story to life. The gestures, the intakes of breath, the accidental crack in the voice.

Elements that can only be injected by a living, breathing human being. Someone with their own lived experiences, their own joys and sorrows, their own hopes and dreams.

Obviously,

I believe that human connection will still be as crucial as ever.

Even as more people treat AI as a conversation companion and friend. Ultimately, people want to deal with people. And that is irreplaceable and wonderful.

On hindsight, these “predictions” seem more like observations and lessons now. Anyway, I hope you still enjoyed the read.

As always, just reach out if you have any questions, comments, or thoughts at all. I always want to hear from you.

Until the next one!

Your partner in charisma,
Mich