#086: Celebrating Anti-Prime Day with Jessie McNaughton

July is slow. Every store owner knows it. So when Jesse McNaughton, co-founder of Lift Bridge Yarns in Fairport, New York, decided to run a four-day Anti-Prime Days campaign instead of just waiting for things to pick up, she wasn't sure what would happen. She ended up with a 286% increase in sales. Jesse opened Lift Bridge Yarns four months before the pandemic, with a six-month-old baby at home and a community of customers who followed her from a previous shop. She and her co-founder Dawn built the business from the ground up, community first, sales second, and that foundation is exactly what made Anti-Prime Days work so well. In this episode, Cathy sits down with Jesse to break down every detail: what deals she ran, why the humor worked, how her team took it and ran with it, and what she'd do differently. Jesse also shares what it actually looks like to build a shop that people call their "happy place", and why that kind of community doesn't just feel good, it pays. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What the Anti-Prime Days strategy is, why it works, and how a yarn shop in upstate New York used it to turn their slowest month into one of their best The specific deals Jesse ran, percentage off accessories, BOGO 70% off, and a $15 bounce back coupon with no minimum, and what each one actually cost her (spoiler: less than you'd think) Why the humor in their marketing, yes, including the "Jeff Bezos sucks, but we don't" email header worked because it was genuinely on brand How a team with essentially zero marketing budget drove results with a $50 Facebook boost and an email schedule Key Takeaways: [04:37] Why July was the perfect month for a promo push, and how Jesse structured four days of different deals to keep customers coming back [06:02] The $15 bounce back coupon with no minimum purchase, and why fewer restrictions on offers almost always works in your favor [07:15] The real math behind Buy One, Get One 70% Off, Jesse's average discount came out to 27%, not the 70% it sounds like [13:48] Why community-first isn't just a feel-good philosophy, it's what makes campaigns like this actually land Your Millie Moment: Pick one slow week on your calendar, it doesn't have to be July, and plan your own version of Anti-Prime Days. You don't need a big budget. You need four days, a few well-thought-out deals, and the willingness to be a little bit bold about it. Jesse did it with $50 in boosted posts and an email list. She followed the plan, ran the deals, and ended up with a 286% sales lift. The plan works. You just have to do it. Resources & Links: Connect with Jesse and the Lift Bridge Yarns community: liftbridgeyarns.com | @liftbridgeyarns on Instagram | email her at [email protected] | nyfibertrail.com  Your Store Days: Learn how to turn Amazon Prime Days into your own store event. Some retailers have seen sales jump 176%! Get the full strategy, email templates, and press release guide. Ready to free up cash and finally build wealth from your store? Apply for your free Gameplan Call, where we’ll identify your growth opportunities and map out the most profitable next steps to elevate your visibility, attract the right customers, and scale with confidence. Want a behind-the-scenes look at how our top clients grow profit without burning out? Our free training, Beyond Busy: 3 Shifts to Reclaim Your Time and Boost Store Income, walks you through the exact method we use in our Profit Club, focusing on your role as CEO, CIO, and CFO to grow a business that’s both profitable and sustainable. Follow us on social media for more updates! Facebook / Instagram  💚 Remember: Your community is not a marketing tactic. It never was. The people who walk through your doors, tell you it's their happy place, and show up for every event you run, they are the business. Take care of them, give them something to rally behind, and the sales will follow every single time.