How Founders Can Use Vision Boards to Manifest Their Success

The idea that visualizing something helps bring it to life has long existed, but its popularity exploded after the pandemic. Google searches for “manifesting” increased by over 600 percent during the first few months of 2020. TikTok has only fueled the concept, and in 2024, the Cambridge Dictionary named “manifesting” its Word of the Year.

Why the surge?

In an interview with National Geographic, manifestation expert and author of Manifest, Roxie Nafousi, said, “I think that post-pandemic, and in a time of economic and political uncertainty, manifesting gives people a sense of hope and agency over their lives. I think that we are also in a time where people are so much more open to self-development and wellness.”

Traditionally, we associate manifestation with our personal lives, planning a European vacation, renovating the kitchen, or finally running that marathon. Vision boards are usually created in January to map out personal dreams.

But what if founders applied this same practice to their businesses?

Even Julia Pimsleur, founder of Million Dollar Women and serial entrepreneur, acknowledges that many people assume vision boards are “some law-of-attraction thing.” But she’s also quick to point out how powerful they can be. Check out her blog post “5 Easy Steps to Creating a Vision Board.”

“By putting visual representations of the things that light you up into one place, you can easily get the good energy that comes with looking at what you love and want more of,” Julia explains. “When you look at your vision board, imagine these things are already in your life and feel the great energy that brings you. This good energy will help you pursue and get those very things.”

Laurie Larkey and Stephanie Laue, Co-Founders of cMOSS Beauty, had each made their own personal vision boards, but did the exercise as business owners for the first time.

"While our personal vision boards naturally include our individual and family goals and aspirations, the cMOSS Beauty vision board is much more focused on the brand itself," Laurie said. "It is centered on our shared vision for the company’s growth, impact, and success, rather than our personal lives, allowing us to think collectively and long-term about where we want to take the cMOSS Beauty brand."

For entrepreneurs, vision boards aren’t about wishful thinking; they are tools for clarity, intention-setting, and strategic decision-making. Here are several ways founders can use them to manifest their success in any year.

• Start With a Goal Sheet. Before you start cutting images, get clear on what you want. Treat this as your “vision board outline.” The right prompts spark strategic thinking and help you choose images aligned with your goals. Camille Styles, founder of her namesake lifestyle brand and creator of the Casa Zuma Vision Board Kit, offers a helpful worksheet to guide your pre-work.

Future_Self_Visualization.pdf

Download PDF • 82KB

• Make It a Group Exercise. Vision boarding doesn’t have to be a solo activity. Invite fellow entrepreneurs for a vision board gathering. Brand messaging consultant Ashlee Sang created hers at a retreat, finding the collaborative environment helpful.

• Find Images that Speak. Laurie and Stephanie first aligned on priorities, goals, and hopes for 2026. Then, they allowed inspiring imagery to guide and shape our clearly set intentions. "I created the first draft with a more raw, artsy feel," Laurie said. "Stephanie added her polished, chic aesthetic, resulting in an elevated visual of cMOSS Beauty's 2026 brand ambitions."

  

  
  

• Go Digital. If analog crafts aren’t your thing, take a modern approach. Kelly Anne Parker, founder of Launch Grow Exit, created her vision board using Canva. Digital boards are easy to update as goals evolve, and you can print them once they’re final.

• Embrace the Arts-and-Crafts Approach. If you want the tactile version, Julia recommends:

  • Gather magazines with inspiring images.

  • Cut out words and visuals that resonate.

  • Set everything aside.

  • Choose “affirmation words” that capture how you want to feel when these goals come to life.

  • Revisit your cutouts and narrow down the ones that align with those feelings.

  • Glue everything to cardboard or paper.

  • Laminate and hang somewhere you can see it regularly.

• Use Vision Boards to Strengthen Team Culture. Vision boards can also be a powerful tool for team building and alignment. Ashlee notes that while the images are concrete, the real value comes from the conversations they spark.

“Vision boards open meaningful conversations about values,” she said. “Whether each teammate creates their own board, or you build one collectively, the real power is in comparing what people choose and uncovering where your culture aligns or diverges.”

This becomes a visual way to understand what your people care about, how they see the brand, and where you may need clearer communication or alignment.

Bottom Line: For founders heading into the New Year, a vision board isn’t a decorative project; it’s a business exercise. It helps you set goals, assess what’s feasible, and stay aligned with your brand’s core values throughout the year.

“If you make looking at your vision board a daily practice, you will start to feel unconscious shifts that make it easier to take risks, make bold choices, and pursue your dreams,” Julia said. “If you want new results, you’ll need to go all the way back to the beginning of the chain and change your thoughts. A great way to accelerate that process is to expose your conscious and unconscious mind to images of what you want.”

And that, at its core, is manifestation.