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Black Friday and Cyber Monday can bring in more sales, but are those sales actually making your small business more profitable? 💰 In this episode of Making With Purpose, John and Marc from MakerFlo break down smarter Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) strategies for makers, crafters, and small business owners who want to increase holiday sales without sacrificing profit margins. Because a successful Black Friday isn't just about offering the biggest discount. It's about increasing average order value, creating irresistible offers, managing inventory, and turning first-time holiday shoppers into loyal, repeat customers. Whether you sell personalized gifts, laser-engraved products, sublimation items, or handmade goods, this episode will help you build a more profitable holiday sales strategy. In this episode, you'll learn: Why bigger Black Friday discounts don't always mean bigger profits How to protect your profit margins during holiday promotions Ways to increase Average Order Value (AOV) without lowering prices How to create profitable product bundles and holiday gift sets Why gift-with-purchase offers can outperform traditional discounts Strategies for moving slow-selling inventory How to turn Black Friday shoppers into repeat customers When to start marketing your Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers How to use VIP access, email marketing, and social media to build anticipation Which metrics to track to measure your BFCM success 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Maker BFCM Worksheet Ready to put these strategies into action? Download the free Maker BFCM Worksheet and follow along as John and Marc help you create a Black Friday and Cyber Monday game plan for your business. The worksheet will help you: Calculate profit margins before and after discounts Set Average Order Value goals Plan bundles and gift-with-purchase promotions Create an inventory clearance strategy Develop repeat-customer incentives Organize your holiday marketing Measure your results with a BFCM scorecard 📋 Get the free Maker BFCM Worksheet: by sending a DM on IG or facebook of just these 4 letters "BFCM" type it out and hit send! Protect Profit. Increase Order Value. Build What Comes Next. Making With Purpose is a podcast from MakerFlo, hosted by John and Marc, helping makers and small business owners build stronger, smarter, and more profitable businesses. Whether you're preparing for your first Black Friday or looking to improve your holiday sales strategy, this episode will help you focus on what matters most: building a business that grows beyond one big shopping weekend. Learn more about MakerFlo: https://makerflo.com

Getting a customer to buy once is great. Getting them to come back is how you build a stronger, more profitable business. In this episode of Making with Purpose, John & Marc break down customer retention for makers and small business owners—how to turn a first-time buyer into a repeat customer, build long-term relationships, and increase the lifetime value of every customer you earn. Because customer retention isn’t about convincing someone to buy again. It’s about creating an experience they actually want to come back to. In this episode, John & Marc cover: 🤝 Building relationships instead of one-time transactions⭐ Creating a customer experience people remember📦 How packaging, communication, product quality, and support affect retention💰 Understanding Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)🔁 Tracking repeat purchases and customer behavior📈 Why lifetime value can matter more than one individual sale💬 Staying connected with customers after checkout🎓 Using education, community, and helpful content to stay top of mind🎁 Creating natural reasons for customers to return❤️ Turning happy customers into loyal customers—and eventually brand advocates They also break down how branding, marketing, sales, and retention work together: Branding gets you remembered.Marketing gets you discovered.Sales gets you purchased.Retention makes you unforgettable. One of the biggest takeaways from the episode: The first purchase proves someone trusts you. The second purchase proves they believe in you. Whether you sell personalized products online, at craft shows, through social media, or directly to businesses, this episode will help you look beyond the first transaction and start thinking about how to build customers for the long term. 📝 Maker Retention Worksheet: Use the worksheet alongside this episode to evaluate your customer experience, calculate key retention metrics, identify opportunities for improvement, and build your own 30-day customer retention action plan. 🎧 Making with Purpose with John & Marc — presented by MakerFlo. I actually like this version better for Spotify/Apple than simply copying the YouTube description. It keeps your important search terms—customer retention, small business, makers, repeat customers, customer lifetime value, customer experience—but reads like a podcast description rather than a YouTube post. For the episode title, I’d pair it with something like: Customer Retention: How to Turn First-Time Buyers Into Loyal Customers That gives Spotify/Apple a very clear idea of what the episode is about before someone even opens the description.

Most people think sales is about convincing someone to buy.We don't.In this episode of Making with Purpose, John and Marc share why the best salespeople don't rely on pressure, scripts, or gimmicks—they build trust, solve problems, and create relationships that naturally lead to sales.Whether you sell at craft fairs, online, through social media, or to local businesses, this episode will help you rethink the way you approach sales.In this episode, we discuss:🤝 Why relationships outperform sales tactics💡 How to communicate value instead of competing on price💰 Why customers buy from people they trust🛍️ Selling at craft fairs, online, and face-to-face🎯 Turning first-time buyers into loyal customers🧠 The mindset shifts that make selling feel natural📈 Practical strategies you can start using immediatelyIf you've ever said, "I'm not a salesperson," this episode is for you.Stop trying to convince people to buy—and start becoming someone they want to buy from.Listen now and discover how changing the way you think about sales can change the way you grow your business.#MakingWithPurpose #MakerFlo #SmallBusiness #Sales #Entrepreneur #CraftBusiness #Marketing #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience #MakersGonnaMake

Most makers think marketing is about selling—but that's exactly where many businesses get stuck. In this episode of Making With Purpose, John and Marc break down what marketing really is, why so many entrepreneurs struggle to generate consistent sales, and the framework successful brands use to build awareness, earn trust, and create demand before customers are ready to buy. Whether you're selling on Etsy, Shopify, at craft fairs, or through social media, this episode will help you rethink your marketing strategy and focus on the activities that actually grow your business. ✅ The difference between branding, marketing, and sales✅ The #1 marketing mistake small businesses make✅ The four pillars of modern marketing in 2026✅ What to post on social media (and why it works)✅ How consistency builds visibility, trust, and long-term sales Marketing isn't about getting everyone's attention.It's about consistently earning the attention of the right people. 📲 Follow John & Marc:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/

Direct Message us on MakerFlo’s Instagram or Facebook the word “Branding” to get the worksheet! Most makers build a product before they build a brand, and that's where things go wrong.In this episode of Making With Purpose, John and Marc break down what branding actually means for makers, why it matters more than most people think, and how to build a brand that people remember, trust, and come back to. If you've ever wondered why some businesses stand out and others don't, this is the episode that answers that question.Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -[makerflo.com](http://makerflo.com/)Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

Fresh off the Shop Talk e-commerce conference, John and Marc break down everything makers need to know about AI in 2026. The episode covers practical AI applications for inventory forecasting, product design, marketing copy, and customer service, while drawing a clear line between where AI helps and where it can hurt your brand. They also discuss agentic commerce, AI image and video ethics, environmental impact, and the future of AI regulation Timestamps: 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:48 Welcome and Episode Overview 00:03:49 AI Is Evolving Fast: Get on the Boat 00:06:53 AI for Inventory Forecasting: Predaco 00:10:21 AI for Product Launch Organization 00:13:23 Shop Talk Conference: What We Learned 00:14:19 What Is Agentic Commerce? 00:17:32 Buying Directly Through ChatGPT 00:21:42 What Makers Must Do to Be Found by AI 00:25:05 Website SEO vs. AEO and GEO Optimization 00:28:16 Using AI for Product Design and Ideation 00:37:03 AI for Marketing Copy and Ad Scripts 00:44:47 What AI Should Never Replace in Your Business 00:49:28 AI Images and Video: What's Real vs. Fake 00:55:42 Authenticity vs. AI: Where to Draw the Line 01:00:00 Environmental Impact and AI Regulation 01:05:53 MakerFlo's Mela AI Customer Service Agent 01:10:24 Outro Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc continue with Brit Shane to tackle one of the most common misconceptions in social media: that going viral is the goal. Brit breaks down why consistency beats virality, how micro-influencers outperform large accounts in conversions, and why reposting winning content is a legitimate and effective strategy for product businesses. Timestamps00:00:00 Trailer00:00:15 Consistency vs. Virality: The Core Question00:01:46 Making a Million With Only 3,300 Followers00:02:22 Why Micro-Influencers Convert Better00:02:42 Virality vs. Consistency: The Gym Analogy00:03:55 Reward Consistency, Not Outcome00:04:22 Going Viral Pulls You Off Brand00:05:10 Allow Yourself to Be Bad at First00:06:05 Post First, Analyze Later00:06:24 Reposting Winning Content as a Strategy00:07:28 Outro Follow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - Brit ShaneInstagram - Britni Shane (@brit_shane) • Instagram photos and videosTiktok - TikTok - Make Your Day Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc continue their conversation with Brit Shane, covering practical content ideas for makers just starting out on social media. The discussion moves into sales funnels, first-party data, affiliate marketing margins, and why getting customers off third-party platforms and onto your own website is critical for long-term business growth. Timestamps:00:00:00 Trailer00:00:16 What Content to Post When Starting Out00:04:13 Show Your Manufacturing and Assembly Process00:07:07 Everything Is Content: Just Start Filming00:10:09 How to Convert Viewers Into Buyers00:13:38 Platform Fees and Protecting Your Margins00:18:26 Building a Long-Term Funnel and Email Strategy00:20:08 OutroFollow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - https://www.britshane.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brit_shane/?hl=enTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofbritConnect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -http://makerflo.com/)Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with Brit Shane, a social media expert with over a decade of experience across Instagram, TikTok, and beyond. The conversation covers platform strategy, content creation, personal branding, paid promotion, content batching, and the tools Brit uses to manage multiple brands. This episode is a practical guide for small business owners looking to turn social media into a real sales channel. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:19 Guest Introduction: Who Is Brit Shane? 00:03:00 How Social Media Algorithms Have Changed 00:05:10 Instagram vs. TikTok: Branding vs. Conversion 00:08:40 Social Media as a Discovery Engine 00:15:00 Should You Show Your Face on Camera? 00:29:10 Platform Strategy: Where to Start 00:31:40 Optimizing Your Profile and Bio 00:36:00 Pay to Play: When and How to Run Ads 00:43:30 Which Platform to Start With First 00:46:45 Content Batching and Posting Cadence 00:48:00 The Five Content Pillars Framework 00:50:00 Tools: CapCut, Descript, and Repurpose.io 00:58:25 Outro Follow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - Brit ShaneInstagram - Britni Shane (@brit_shane) • Instagram photos and videosTiktok - TikTok - Make Your Day Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with Coach Tom Dougherty from ActionCoach to cover Step 6 of the business mastery framework: Freedom. The conversation explores what financial and personal freedom means for a business owner, why your "why" changes over time, and the different exit and growth paths available once a business reaches this stage. The episode closes with Coach Tom sharing where viewers can connect with him and get support. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer00:00:19 What Is Step 6: Freedom?00:01:45 Passive Income, Franchising, and Selling00:03:00 Defining Your "Why" as a Business Owner00:06:05 Freedom, Philanthropy, and Giving Back00:07:19 Replacing Yourself: The System Creator00:09:15 Where to Find Coach Tom00:10:00 Outro Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with Coach Tom from ActionCoach to break down Step 5 of the business mastery framework: Synergy. The conversation covers what it means to truly step back from your business, how to know when you've reached that level, and why vacation is the real test of whether your systems are working. Practical examples are shared from their own business and from client success stories. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer00:00:16 What Is Step 5: Synergy?00:03:00 Do You Have Synergy If You Still Work In the Business?00:04:45 Vacation as the Barometer for Synergy00:07:30 Synergy Is a Process, Not a Destination00:09:10 Definition of a Successful Business00:10:25 OutroFollow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc sit down with business coach Tom Dougherty to break down two critical stages of business growth: systems and team. Tom explains how documenting processes, leveraging tools like Loom and Google Docs, and building the right team culture can free business owners from being the bottleneck in their own company. The conversation includes real examples from MakerFlo's growth journey, from trade show checklists to hiring decisions and workplace culture. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer00:00:21 Intro00:02:00 Systems Create Leverage00:03:45 Getting Systems Out of Your Head00:05:30 Loom and QR Codes for SOPs00:08:30 The Camcorder Method00:11:00 Systems for Infrequent Tasks00:13:30 System Ownership and Cross-Training00:15:30 When to Hire00:19:30 Hire Slow, Fire Fast00:22:30 Defining Your Ideal Candidate00:25:00 Valuing Your Time00:29:30 The Attorney Referral Story00:33:00 Building Team Culture00:37:30 Outro Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

John and Marc of Makerflo sit down with their long-time business coach, Coach Tom Doughtery, to walk through ActionCoach's six-step framework for scaling a business. The conversation covers mastery, marketing, goal-setting, financial management, and low-cost strategies for growing a maker-based business. Coach Tom draws on his own experience founding and exiting a paintball manufacturing company and launching Canada Goose in the US market.Timestamps - 00:00:00 Trailer00:01:03 Intro00:01:48 How John and Marc Found a Business Coach00:03:54 Coach Tom's Background and ActionCoach00:06:41 Coach Tom's Paintball Business Story00:21:55 Overview of the Six Steps Framework00:28:36 Step 1 – The Four Areas of Mastery00:44:51 Step 2 – Marketing and USP01:04:45 The Magic Five Ways Profit Formula01:07:54 Customer Lifetime Value and Retention01:10:23 Outro**Follow Coach Tom**Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

In the final part of the Making with Purpose podcast, Hosts John and Marc explore with Dr. K how environments shape execution in business and personal life, including physical, digital, social, and time aspects. They discuss setting up surroundings for success, the impact of surrounding oneself with higher-level peers, and building positive team cultures to reduce turnover. The conversation emphasizes treating people well as good business practice and concludes with ways to connect with Dr. K. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:01:00 Intro 00:02:00 Environment influences execution 00:04:00 Average of five people 00:06:00 Physical environment setup 00:08:00 Digital environment management 00:10:00 Social environment importance 00:12:00 Time environment strategies 00:14:00 Networking with peers 00:16:00 Team culture building 00:18:00 Reducing employee turnover 00:20:00 Treating people well 00:22:00 Connecting with Dr. K 00:24:00 Outro Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

In Part 3 of the Making with Purpose podcast, John and Marc discuss with Dr. K why personal energy levels predict business success more reliably than time or money. They explore detecting burnout through language and body cues, strategies to maximize energizing tasks while minimizing draining ones, and recommendations like the book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. The conversation highlights team dynamics for energy management, the role of purpose and impact in sustaining motivation, and leading with authenticity to foster high energy. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:20 Intro 00:00:21 Energy as leading indicator 00:00:46 Energy vs time/money 00:01:16 Burnout detection on calls 00:01:31 Approaching burnout example 00:02:00 Optimizing personal energy 00:14:41 Purpose as energy fuel 00:14:48 Identifying draining activities 00:15:01 Gradual habit building 00:15:25 Epiphanies and realizations 00:15:35 High energy, high impact 00:15:43 Outro Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives