Industry
What it is actually like running marketing for a coffee shop in 2026
Three platforms, four staff, an oven that breaks every Thursday, and somehow I am also expected to be a content creator.
Coffee shop owner, Providence7 min readApr 4, 2026
Stories
Real stories from small business owners
Long-form, first-person notes from the people actually running the shops. What they tried, what flopped, what worked, and what they wish someone had told them on day one.
Industry
The true cost of acquiring a restaurant customer. I tracked everything for a year.
I expected the number to be high. It was much higher than I thought, and the math made me rethink the whole business.
Restaurant owner, Charleston7 min readMar 12, 2026
Industry
Why most small business marketing courses are useless
I have bought eleven of them. I want to talk honestly about what they teach, what they do not, and the one I would actually recommend.
Boutique owner, Atlanta6 min readJan 30, 2026
Industry
The quiet truth about influencer marketing for small budgets
After working with 27 creators across two years, here is what nobody in the influencer marketing industry wants to admit.
Apparel brand co-founder, Brooklyn7 min readFeb 26, 2026
Industry
How I built a customer list of 2,000 people with a clipboard
No CRM. No popup. No 'spin to win'. Just a clipboard, a pen, and a question I asked every day for two years.
Bookstore owner, Burlington6 min readMar 8, 2026