Episode 17: New Format, Marketing Challenges, and Lessons from Black Friday

The Minding Your Business Podcast is officially back with a new look and format, after several months of live streaming and refining the video podcast format. We review Spotify Wrapped statistics, revealing our audience demographics, favorite episodes, and listening habits. The audience is predominantly between 35 and 44 years old, with a surprising interest in Celtic punk music and audiobooks on business and politics. We discuss our respective businesses. Aaron shares updates on his YouTube channel, counseling center work, and life coaching endeavors, including an office remodel. CJ discusses Roast Of The Week’s Black Friday ad and the decision to shift away from farmers markets to focus on marketing in 2025. We discuss the challenges of relying so heavily on farmers markets for income and the importance of diversifying revenue streams. We highlight the results of the Black Friday promotion, which involved creating and promoting a gift certificate offer on social media, and the importance of interrupting the user’s scrolling pattern to capture their attention. We also cover the impact of targeted advertising on TikTok. Different marketing strategies for the coffee company are discussed, one using humor and the other focusing on the product’s quality. CJ emphasizes the importance of storytelling and building a foundation before investing in advertising. Aaron shares a personal experience of discovering the superior taste of high-quality coffee, highlighting the challenge of communicating the value proposition to potential customers. Our projects are constantly evolving and require flexibility and adaptation, and we’re excited to share the journey with transparency and listener feedback.