Welcome to Episode 6 of The Rooted Business Podcast! In this episode, Rachel and Jess discuss the ins and outs of Black Friday promotions and share questions to consider to decide if a Black Friday promotion is the right fit for your business. They dive into the importance of considering discounting strategies, energy levels, and competition when deciding whether to participate in this annual sales event. Tune in for insightful tips, personal experiences, and alternative approaches to long-term success.

Episode Highlights:

- Understanding the impact of discounting: Rachel and Jess emphasize the importance of not discounting your time and training customers to shop only during promotions. They discuss the potential pitfalls of conditioning customers to wait for discounts and share examples from their own experiences.

- Evaluating your energy and capacity: The hosts encourage listeners to assess their energy levels and available resources before committing to a Black Friday promotion. They stress the need to avoid burnout and the negative effects of competing with larger businesses with extensive marketing budgets.

- Competing strategically: Rachel and Jess discuss the reality of competing with big retailers during Black Friday and urge listeners to pick their battles wisely. They highlight the significance of understanding your ideal client's behaviors and preferences during this time to make informed decisions.

- Exploring alternatives: Instead of participating in Black Friday, the hosts suggest focusing on planning for the next quarter, analyzing market insights, and prioritizing non-promotional activities. They emphasize the importance of making decisions based on your own business data and insights rather than succumbing to external pressures.

- Staying grounded and centered: Rachel and Jess remind listeners to stay true to their business goals and values and not to feel pressured by the shoulds of Black Friday promotions. They provide a permission slip to opt-out if it aligns better with their business vision and long-term success.

Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions about participating in Black Friday promotions for your business.

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Rooted Business Podcast! Don't forget to subscribe to catch all the valuable insights and advice from Rachel and Jess.

Note: The show notes are a condensed summary of Episode 6 of The Rooted Business Podcast. The actual podcast episode would contain more in-depth discussions, anecdotes, and examples from Rachel and Jess.

All right.

2

Happy Friday.

3

How's it going, Rachel?

4

I saw

5

that you just put your new

creation out into the world.

6

So first off, so proud,

but how does it feel?

7

Rachel: yeah, it's like that.

8

It's a weird alignment of, and I'm

trying to like, have, Jess in my brain

9

thinking about focus on capacity and

set realistic goals, and I'm trying

10

to maintain that side of this launch.

11

But ultimately I literally hate

Launching, and I don't know if anyone

12

will recall from the conversation in

the capacity episode where I was talking

13

about there's a decision to move the

business forward or a decision to take

14

on more retainer clients, and I had a

choice to make and I made a non-choice.

15

And so here I am with a ton of

retainer clients and two that

16

are actively launching This

week and here I am launching a

17

program and zero energy to do it.

18

So I'm like, why do I not

listen to my own advice?

19

Track 1: I know.

20

I think it's interesting because,

I've never really done a real launch

21

for myself, but I've been behind the

scenes of really, of other launches.

22

So I'm sure that energy and what

you have to put out and balancing.

23

'cause most of the time my

clients are balancing their

24

one-on-one clients as well.

25

So like trying to figure

that out and navigate it.

26

But you make a choice.

27

You made a choice.

28

'cause we said you get to, you did decide

I'm just gonna go through and I know

29

it's gonna be hard and I'm gonna be over

capacity, or maybe working more than what

30

you wanted to at first, the program is

out there and I think that's the hardest

31

step is just to get it out there because

then you can collect all the fun data.

32

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah, exactly.

33

Track 1: Actually doing it and,

learn from it and launch and grow.

34

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

35

And I think one of the topics we're

gonna talk about today is the competition

36

side of things, which is we're diving

into the RA reality of Black Friday.

37

And to bring that into what

I'm currently experiencing,

38

a very large Online business.

39

Who

40

Track 1: I actually know who you're

talking about because I saw her program

41

and I was like, oh, this is kind what,

Rachel, when I looked at your program and

42

looked at what her program is, what is.

43

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

44

And when I tell you I nearly scrapped

the whole program just 'cause I

45

was like, one, I don't wanna come

out looking like a copycat, but

46

I've been working on this for.

47

Six plus weeks now, and I don't

like actively follow her stuff,

48

so I couldn't have known that was

something that she was leading towards.

49

But it's a very similar program.

50

Obviously she has the authority, she

has the reach, and I'm sitting here

51

in total imposter syndrome being like,

Who am I to launch a program like this?

52

But I know it's like my bread and

butter, and I know that it's like what?

53

Like when I tell you the content

for this just flowed out of me,

54

that gave me the nudge

to move forward with it.

55

But all the freaking feels are

happening right now, and I'm just, ugh.

56

Oh.

57

Track 1: That's so crazy because I had

actually gotten out of this person's world

58

that we're, that I'm pretty sure who's

launching the same thing you're launching

59

and some reason I got sucked back into it

and I've been actually attending all of

60

her lead up content for the, because she

did some, fly on the wall, watch me build.

61

I would be very interesting to

know her human design because

62

she's doing what I think.

63

Every manifestor should do is like

she's taking you behind the scenes of

64

her actually building out the program

but selling it to you at the same

65

time with one I think is so much like

there has to be so much intentionality

66

about like in planning behind that.

67

Obviously she's probably got a pretty.

68

Large team around that, but I just

find the way that she was launching

69

it, so interesting and so thought out,

but also no, like the vibe that you

70

are bringing and the vibe that she

is bringing is completely different.

71

And like your vibe attracts

your tribe kind of thing.

72

There's still gonna be people

that are attracted to you.

73

And I think that you can I think,

obviously this person, I don't

74

wanna say copy her, but take what

take some inspiration, from her.

75

And I think you'll be able to, not.

76

Take inspiration from her.

77

There's some things that like

positioning wise that I think,

78

oh, like this is really smart.

79

This I even said that, I'm like, oh,

Rachel, like when I was reading through

80

your page, I'm, oh, Rachel should

kind position it like this because.

81

Yeah, that would like,

make it click for me.

82

I'm totally signing up for Rachel's

thing and what basically this program

83

is that we're like dancing around

is Rachel is gonna help you create

84

this sales funnel that will, bring

new leads into your Business on

85

autopilot in a very intentional way.

86

So I think if you're someone like me

who's finally, and I came out with my

87

new offers yesterday nail down your

offer that you want to sell, and now

88

it's how do I get people into kind of

like my, sales funnel, sales process?

89

Rachel's program is gonna help you,

one, build the funnel that would

90

need to nurture them, but then it's

also what are the other social

91

media, like avenues and stuff?

92

Like how do you get.

93

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

94

Track 1: And then also newsletter

strategy, which is something that , it's

95

so funny because I didn't have a

newsletter right now that I say I send

96

it out every Tuesday and it, I was

looking at my email software yesterday

97

and I'm like, I have sent out an email

once a month, consist once a month.

98

But I'm like, I say that I do it

every, I'm on one, but it's because I'm

99

starting and I'm not listening to my own

advice of starting that like planning.

100

I think it was because

I like hadn't knee down.

101

What offer that I was selling and

now now that I know oh, this is

102

what I'm gonna focus on selling.

103

I need to sell I like wanted to make a

hundred K this year, which I know is like

104

an arbitrary goal, but I was like doing

my little mass scribbles this morning.

105

If I key make and retainer

clients and I, how many of these

106

new offers do I need to sell?

107

I need to sell 4.5 and then I'll hit my.

108

Goal of reaching a hundred K

this year, which will be exciting

109

because that's the first time I'll

ever make a hundred K in my entire

110

life in one year, because that has

111

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: my gosh.

112

It's possible.

113

Track 1: Yeah.

114

I'm definitely joining Rachel's program.

115

One too though, is it's gonna be

like, I know because I don't say

116

because you a smaller creator.

117

I know I'm gonna get all the

attention and I know Rachel is

118

not gonna let me walk away without

something fully built out and working.

119

And like I have that trust in

you where when I was looking at

120

this other program, I looked at

her program and I was like, Nope.

121

I'd rather work with Rachel

one-on-one to help me do this.

122

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: what

everybody's feedback has been is that I

123

one, the level of support in mine I think

it's her secondary tier of like upsell

124

Is.

125

Is the same that you're

getting in mind kind of thing.

126

Yeah, so definitely like more hands-on

and it's like more it's less about sales

127

in the sense because people's email lists

can do things beyond just generate sales.

128

It can help them like hack the algorithm.

129

So if your content creator and your reach

is low, like getting your content in front

130

of your people on the email side of things

can help you like bypass that stuff.

131

It could help you nurture like high ticket

leads and it's less about like passive

132

sales than it is about like intentionality

in the longevity of your business.

133

Like how much work do you actually

wanna do in creating content to

134

make lead generation easy when you

can reverse engineer Effortless,

135

like nurturing on another side.

136

So everybody keeps telling me that.

137

They're like, we hear you talk about

these things and we hear your vibe

138

and your energy, and like the way

that you are so passionate about it.

139

And the level of support is like

significantly more hands-on and like for

140

a no-brainer price is what I would think.

141

Track 1: Yeah, no, like it really is

what your like, one-on-one offer was at

142

this price point, but then you're also

actually helping us get it done too.

143

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

144

And that's the thing that's

like we literally have, yeah.

145

I have so many people where I'll do

this privately with them and I will

146

give them the strategy and the outlines

and because it's a one kind of call

147

situation, it's up to them to implement.

148

And that's The biggest

downfall is I know I need this.

149

I know I need to get it done,

and then, it doesn't happen.

150

So the accountability that's built

out into it is very intentional too.

151

That's no girl, we're getting it done.

152

Track 1: Yeah.

153

Yeah, I know because I've been like,

thinking, I've been telling, every

154

time we get off the call, I'm like,

I need to schedule a call with you,

155

Rachel, because I have like new alpha

that I need to build a funnel for.

156

And I've been dancing around

it because I know that too.

157

Like sometimes just getting

it done is the struggle.

158

But this accountability piece

really Game changer for.

159

Congrats.

160

I'm so excited.

161

I like, we're gonna have to pull

up this episode, I think, in our

162

schedule so that it can, you can . So

this can be out and all you people

163

can hear what we just talked about.

164

But I'm very excited

and slash proud of you.

165

And really excited to go into

next year with a kind of more

166

structured and grounded approach.

167

I'm still on that very like

energetics of business right now.

168

I'm even, you can tell today,

I'm sitting today because

169

I've been editing our podcast.

170

I'm like, why can't I finish?

171

Like complete thoughts?

172

Why am I on place?

173

I'm like, maybe I need to ground

my energy down a little bit.

174

I had read that, stand up when you

do your podcast because it makes your

175

voice sound brighter and more alive.

176

But it's I don't think I need

to be brighter and more alive.

177

I need to ground it down.

178

So I think that's a perfect segue

of this kind of business rules or

179

business things that were narratives

that we're told to follow and trying

180

it out and experimenting with it.

181

And the topic we're gonna be

talking about is Black Friday.

182

I haven't heard a lot of

like rumblings around it yet.

183

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208:

It's coming up.

184

I hear some messaging of being

like, we're priming Black Friday

185

offers, or Get your audience ready.

186

And I'm sitting there just rolling my

eyes because I'm like, okay, go ahead.

187

Track 1: Yeah, so like full disclosure,

when , I have a little p around Black

188

Friday because if you didn't know

this, I worked in the retail space for.

189

Basically since I could work, I got

my first job at the Gap when I was 16.

190

I left retail when I was, what, 35?

191

So I spent what, 20 years in retail

and I did 20 black Fridays in the mall.

192

And.

193

I think I even did it the

first year that I left.

194

Like I had officially quit Athleta, but

I was still there to get my discount.

195

'cause their discount was pretty sweet.

196

I did another one and I think last year

was the first time that I hadn't, I

197

was off on Black Friday and my daughter

wanted to go to the mall because she's

198

we never get to go Black Friday shopping.

199

Let's go Black Friday.

200

So I'm gonna bring a view from from

a co from working in Black Friday,

201

like boots on the ground, like what

we saw, what we learned, like the

202

different stages that Black Friday went.

203

And then I've also had clients that

have done launches for Black Friday.

204

And then Rachel's gonna bring her like

marketing side of things too, which

205

she said something in our last episode.

206

I was like, you need to

make her real about that.

207

And was.

208

It was like, do you have the

energy or something like that to

209

compete, like helping a client

try to decide if this is for them.

210

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

211

Yeah that's always, I always approach it

from an energetic perspective because.

212

There's three things that I

talk about with my clients.

213

I'm like, one, do you even want to

discount anything that you have?

214

Is that something that is even a desire

or do we just feel like we're doing

215

it because it needs to be enticing for

this big like national promotion day?

216

And then two is What is

the energy that you have?

217

As we approach the year or the

end of the year, a lot of people

218

start to be like, I'm burned out.

219

I'm drained, or I'm ready for the

holidays, and they don't really have

220

this kind of like last push in them.

221

And I say, honor that because.

222

Ultimately what you are doing is competing

with the big box retailers and those

223

retailers, like what you had said, like

in your experience, the amount of effort

224

that goes into one store's, promotions,

and not even to mention the online space.

225

On top of that, you are literally

competing with that and it's Let the big

226

guys have their day, whatever be strategic

in when you want to push this out.

227

Don't just do things because people

on the internet tell you to do things.

228

That's my biggest mantra

for the year is like,

229

why

230

Track 1: Okay, so we're one of.

231

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Oh, so

discount energy and then competition.

232

So do you wanna discount?

233

Do you have the energy?

234

And why do you wanna be battling

these competition people?

235

Track 1: Yeah.

236

So I think let's dig into discounting

and what that look like, what

237

that looks like and what I've seen

that it can do to your business.

238

So from like this, like retail

perspective or I guess what you want

239

to watch to avoid, I feel like with

discounting is you don't wanna be

240

trained one if you're doing one-on-one.

241

My first thought about this is if

you're doing one-on-one services,

242

do not discount your time.

243

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

244

Track 1: discount it.

245

I think, maybe a way around this, if you

want to do something, if you ultimately

246

go through these three questions,

there's a bonus or something that you

247

can add on, but I think discounting your

time, it's not even gonna be worth it.

248

But also it's like you do not wanna

train your customers to only work.

249

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208:

for a promotion.

250

Track 1: Wait for promotion.

251

And I will say this from I feel like

this is like public knowledge, but like

252

you don't wanna be a Banana Republic.

253

Like I worked for Gaping for

years and Banana Republic went

254

through some really hard times.

255

I feel like they're making

a comeback now because.

256

It was this like higher end retail

store, but to drive sales and compete

257

against like fast fashion companies

like Forever 21 and that sort of thing.

258

When I think the early two thousands,

like they started offering discounts

259

for like their higher end merchandise

260

and then their customers only started

shopping when there's a discount.

261

So there's like stores that you walk

into Where we, the other day, it's

262

like Hobby Lobby where everything's

40% off and like now they just

263

like market like, it's like what?

264

This is not worth $50, but it's oh it's

50% off so it's only like 25, not 50

265

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

266

Track 1: It's like the cus they've

trained their customers to only shop when

267

there's a discount and you do not wanna

do that with your customers as well.

268

So I guess I wanna, from your perspective,

like I bonus are like offering discount.

269

You used in your client strategies that's.

270

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah,

so for past, like Black Friday,

271

Campaigns, there's always two roles.

272

One, don't ever introduce a new

offering during Black Friday.

273

And then two, don't discount

something that's like.

274

What people wouldn't, would

consider like an active offer.

275

Like you had said, like

one-on-one calls or thing that

276

actually take like your energy.

277

So things that are passive or maybe

you're doing some type of retiring a

278

program, something along those ends.

279

Like of course, like maybe then it's

the right time, but I still think

280

like it deserves its own Spot outside

of the Black Friday, like shadows.

281

And so those are definitely, like my two

rules is never, ever introduce new ones

282

new offerings and then always try to do

as much passive as possible and never

283

try to discount your own active time.

284

Because like you said, it is so

hard to reverse the be trained

285

behavior of waiting for a discount.

286

Like for your clients to be

like waiting for that discount

287

because it's it's ingrained.

288

That's why promotions and samples and

freebies and things like that are so like,

289

good that people like approach them more

because like it's that law of reciprocity.

290

But I just don't, I don't think, I

don't wanna believe in discounting

291

one-on-ones and like active time.

292

Track 1: Yeah, for sure.

293

I think another like kind of good idea

is like you can like bundle if you do

294

have products like bundling together so

that they're like in like a shared value

295

where they're like, not discounting,

but my clients have seen success

296

when it's bundling things together.

297

And that sort of thing.

298

I did have a client introduce a new

offer, but this was something . It was,

299

a masterclass that she had done before.

300

And it did really, it did well.

301

But we don't even have anything to

compare against because that's the only

302

time she's ever launched that offer.

303

So we don't know, if we could have, if we

would've done it at a later time, but she

304

also just had to think about where your

customer and Is at that time like your

305

ideal customer, are they, if they're a mom

and they're spending, their kids are outta

306

school, they've just done Thanksgiving,

, they're gonna be distracted and they're

307

not gonna be online as much, or they're

gonna be at the, is your ideal customer

308

someone that Black Friday shops because

they're not gonna be hearing you.

309

So I think it's just so much and.

310

We don't really believe in cookie cutters

and it's all about deciding what's right

311

for your business, but like thinking

about who your ideal client is, what

312

they're gonna be doing at that time,

would this even be appealing for them?

313

I know for we're working in a

retail space for Black Friday, in

314

particularly the people that are

shopping in the mall on Black Friday,

315

they're not Christmas shopping yet.

316

They are self shopping.

317

So like the Christmas shopping

doesn't really begin until maybe

318

like the second week of December,

but most of the people that we would

319

see on Black Friday are shopping for

themselves, are looking for a deal.

320

They're doing that thing that there's

very few of them, maybe like the kind of

321

like boomer generation that are actually

Christmas shopping, but most of like

322

millennials and like the Gen Zs of az.

323

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: decisions.

324

Ears

325

Track 1: They are self shopping for.

326

So I think it's just all about thinking

about, your ideal customer and what

327

they're gonna be and, is this offer

gonna be appealing to them at that time.

328

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

329

Yeah, totally.

330

I completely agree.

331

It's awareness into your ideal client and

acknowledging are they I always tell my

332

list or I tell my email subscribers this.

333

I'm like, You'll never catch me emailing

you on a weekend because I know my ideal

334

client is not sitting there reading

through business emails on a weekend.

335

No.

336

So always understand the actual

behaviors of your ideal client

337

because that's gonna help you make

this decision more solidified to be

338

like do they have budget for this?

339

Or even if your product is

something a little bit more

340

like emotional or like Serious.

341

Is this what they wanna spend

their money on right now?

342

Or do they wanna buy something

fun and light or whatever?

343

So just like really being honest about

that is key to making this decision as

344

informed as possible to skip Black Friday.

345

Track 1: Yep, for sure.

346

I definitely agree.

347

Alright, so energy, availability,

and like we said I'll tell you from

348

a, perspective, we start planning.

349

Corporate probably starts planning

Black Friday, like the day after,

350

black Friday, the year prior.

351

But in the stores, we would

act actively start like our

352

ramp up in planning in August.

353

So like from August to November, we are.

354

Hiring and we are resetting the stores and

we are training and we're, looking at our

355

forecast from last year and making sure

that we have the right amount of people.

356

So it's, there is so much

energy and so much pressure.

357

That these big corporations and money

that these big corporations put behind

358

this, and I'm sure , even like ad spend

probably is crazy and trying to even

359

get your, the amount of money you would

have to spend to get your ads to hit

360

during that time is probably crazy.

361

So I just think, from . . That's

the energy and the vigor that you're

362

like, , like intense, crazy training.

363

I like as, as much as I say I have

PTSD Ts I like, I love it because I

364

love like planning, like it was like

planning a giant launch every year and

365

like making sure, and like the day when

you get to see it, like finally like

366

orchestrate together was just, really

fun for me when you see it come to life.

367

But yeah, so I feel do you have that

amount, like exactly what you said,

368

do you have that amount of energy to

compete against that kind of thing.

369

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah, and I

think it goes back to our conversation of.

370

Capacity, but also acknowledging that when

these bigger businesses are telling you,

371

let me teach you my or not big businesses,

'cause I wanna make sure we're like

372

talking about Black Friday in a way that's

Online marketers and then retailers.

373

So when these online retailers are

like, steal my Black Friday promotion

374

plan and my, this one got me a hundred

thousand dollars that when you're buying

375

this, you're acknowledging like the big

retailers, they have a whole campaign

376

team, a bunch of project managers, they're

doing ad spend, market research, all of

377

these things to then reach that space of.

378

A hundred thousand dollars or

whatever from their like sale.

379

And so making sure that you're

not like feeling the FOMO of

380

everybody else is gonna do it.

381

And actually like honoring

this is a rest period for me.

382

And really respecting that part

of your like seasonal business

383

because it's so easy to get caught

up and be like, oh, I should.

384

Do this, and I don't know if we should

get caught up in the shoulds of business

385

instead of actually, and we should

actually acknowledge how does this feel?

386

Do I even want to do this instead of,

387

Track 1: It's remembering why

for me it's ing why I even

388

started this in the first place.

389

Like I, one of the main drivers

from starting my business was all.

390

There were points where Black Friday

started on Thanksgiving, like now,

391

black Friday and I would've to go in

on Thanksgiving and now Black Friday

392

starts like the beginning of November

and stuff like that, but it's like

393

I had missed so many, like my kids

are out that week of Black Friday.

394

Like I intentionally started this

business to be able to give them my

395

attention when they're out school.

396

So it's I know.

397

Sign up for that.

398

And when a client, , when a client

comes to me and is I wanna do a Black

399

Friday sale, I'm not gonna say no.

400

If that's what they wanna

do it, they wanna do it.

401

But there is a very intentional plan

about we're gonna have all of this wrapped

402

up before this week because during the

holiday we're not gonna have to do that.

403

And I've launched with

my clients, we finished.

404

Their launch plan and, everything was

set up and ready to go and, automated

405

to, go off and, we're just checking

in on it a little bit at a time.

406

And it's like they had the team to

support that everything was gonna get

407

finished and they weren't, Thanksgiving

night writing emails to go out, I guess

408

international audience, maybe it's

still, but still you're going up

409

against so much big energy that

day that's probably just a time to

410

block it off and don't worry about.

411

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: Yeah.

412

And I think it's real to acknowledge the

fact that If you do have a promotional

413

sale on Black Friday, and maybe let's say

you make 400, $500, if it's a low ticket,

414

like we can acknowledge that, like sure,

that's beautiful that you made that right?

415

it's hard and as a business owner

to turn away opportunities to make

416

money, but I think making sure

that you're not costing yourself.

417

Non-monetary, damages through like burnout

and wasted, your own personal hours.

418

'cause if you're calculating how

much time it takes you to build this

419

promotional campaign out and set it

up and launch it and like maybe have

420

your VA help, is it equal or less

than the $500 you might actually be.

421

Returning on that, like time, money.

422

So I think that's also like it's real

to be like, I made $500 last year,

423

but it's but how much energy and like

of your own time, like if you had

424

to bill your own hours to yourself,

would it actually be profitable?

425

I think is something to also acknowledge.

426

Track 1: Yeah, for sure.

427

Where that's where it comes back to

project planning and putting out your

428

time so that you know how much you're

actually spending on this, whether

429

it be your time or money on it.

430

Cool.

431

Alright.

432

And then our third point is competition,

which we already talked about a lot,

433

about the, different businesses.

434

Do you have anything else to competition?

435

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: I just think.

436

I like really wanna reiterate like there

is no need to be taking your baby business

437

and maybe your big business or whatever,

like however the energy feels in your

438

business and pitted against someone that.

439

Is like 10,000 employees

million dollar budgets.

440

Like to me, from an

intentionality standpoint I see

441

that and I go pick my battle.

442

That's not my battle I wanna be

fighting in, and I think it's

443

really important to acknowledge.

444

Just that, like the time and energy and

budgets that go into these big retail,

445

big online business campaigns is real

and it's no amount of FOMO or project

446

planning can like, make the energies.

447

Exchange worth it.

448

So I don't know.

449

That could sound very negative, and I'm

sure it might not be received by a lot

450

of people, but I think for the people

who would listen to our podcast and

451

to the people who are in our audience,

like it's almost like a permission slip.

452

Please do not feel pressured to do it.

453

And if you are looking to sit

back and be like, I don't want

454

to, this is your permission slip

to be like, you don't have to.

455

Track 1: Yeah, because I feel like

the pressure is about to get heated.

456

You're about to hear it from all

sorts of people about, I did this

457

launch, or you need to launch or

don't leave in money on the table.

458

And it's sometimes it's okay, remember

like what else are you leaving on

459

the table if you're gonna pick.

460

So make your decision and like just

be strong with it because there's

461

always gonna be another opportunity.

462

I don't wanna be like, just don't do it.

463

Okay.

464

So if someone decides this is not for

them, do you have any other, I guess

465

what are some ways, or Q four, we're

just shutting it down and we're like,

466

not com competing against anything?

467

Or is like there other promotional

campaign ideas that you,

468

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: So

469

Track 1: or.

470

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208:

there's so much as, there's so

471

much nuance in that question.

472

So I say alternatives to Black Friday.

473

Let's say do a Q one plan or have the

past three quarters look back and see.

474

Like actual, some like actual

data that's gonna make more money

475

for you in the upcoming year.

476

Traditionally, I see a lot of

businesses, especially like investments

477

in marketing and investments in non

fun things slow down significantly

478

in November and December.

479

So really not forcing yourself into.

480

The opportunity to have disappointment

if your promotion doesn't go well.

481

So I would say do some planning as

an alternative, 'cause that's gonna

482

make you more money in the next year.

483

Do some market insights.

484

See when your audience, what

are the seasons of purchasing in

485

your actual business and then.

486

I don't know what the last one

could be, but ultimately just

487

don't even stress about it.

488

Track 1: Yeah, I think it's, yeah, I

think it's look at your data, 'cause

489

I'll counter that being like last year

because I think I saw someone post about

490

this, it's don't do anything for q4.

491

Look at your data, look at your insight.

492

I looked at my data, I looked at my

insights, and I signed a client in

493

November, the client in December,

and a client in January, and they

494

were with me for a very long time.

495

So My data.

496

They're coming now.

497

They weren't ready to start getting

rolling until January, but they were

498

thinking about next year and they.

499

I also know what I did last year is

that in September I emailed all my

500

clients and asked them for referrals.

501

So it took about until November for

all those people to start rolling in.

502

So I think it's just about knowing,

knowing your audience and, checking

503

in with your own data and insights

and not letting outside influences

504

and arbitrary rules and narratives

that we hear in the stay strong,

505

stay grounded and stay centered.

506

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208:

Yes to all of that.

507

Track 1: All.

508

So I think we're.

509

rachel_1_09-15-2023_130208: We're.