Welcome back to the Small Business Summary: This is a HUGE week. I’m counting down the minutes to this Thursday afternoon. I’m hosting the first event of #SBOC25 presented by Horicon Bank - “Don’t Grill it Alone" - it’s a BBQ for ticket holders to meet up and make their first connections with other attendees. It’s only for ticket holders…get yours before Thursday! Details below…

In this week’s episode:

• Marketing Automation: Exactly what should I automate and how?

• Email Anxiety: Simple strategies to deal with unread email

• Keynote Clip of the Week (Alumni Edition): #SBOC23 Keynote Marcus Lemonis has a new show coming out this week

• SBOC Awards Nominations Close Friday: The #SBOC25 Awards presented by Enji are CLOSING ON FRIDAY - Get your Nomination In!

The Secret to 1B Social Media Views

What does it take to go viral? What does it take to get noticed, to spark engagement, to stop the scroll?

These questions haunt marketers, creators, and small business owners alike. We spend hours tweaking headlines, testing hashtags, and filming content that never quite hits.

But sometimes, the golden rule of humanity shows up and reminds us what really matters.

On April 1, someone posted a tweet.

As of this morning, it has 1 billion views.

Let that sink in.

Depending on who you ask, there are only 300 to 500 million Twitter users total. That means this tweet has been seen multiple times by everyone on the platform. That sounds almost impossible, but here we are.

So what’s the secret?

After the tweet was posted it was flooded with responses from users sharing interesting tidbits about their life and experiences. The responses ranged from tragic to hilarious and everyone seemed to have a story.

I could try to do a deep dive into viral trends or visual style. The answer is much simpler.

This tweet conquered the world because people only care about themselves.

Read that again.

People only care about themselves.

When we create content, we often start from the wrong place.

What do I have to say? What do I want to share?

But your audience is only asking one question: What’s in it for me?

If you want them to learn, how will it help them?
If you want to share an insight, how will it change their day?
If you want to talk about your business, show how your business improves their life.

We’ve seen this in real life, too. Ask someone about themselves, and they’ll talk for hours. Say their name, and they light up. Being seen and heard is a basic human desire.

Yet when it’s time to post online, we forget. We default to “Look at me” when we should be saying, “Here’s something that might help you.”

So here’s the reminder. If you make content that’s only about you, it ends up in the junk pile of forgettable posts. But if you pause and ask, “Why would they care?”, your message has a chance to connect.

Why do I write this newsletter?

Because I want you to know that someone is cheering you on. Someone is reminding you that you can do this. Someone is giving you practical ideas to keep your business moving forward. That’s the point of The Summary.

This week, make your content about the person reading it. Always connect to what’s in it for them.

And who knows. Maybe your next post hits 1 billion views.

Tweet of the Week

Speaking Gig:

Why Productivity is Killing Your Business

The only way to make your business dream come true is to focus on the crucial tasks that move the needle and quit as many of the meaningless ones as possible. Would it shock you to know that your ability to GSD is probably the thing that is tripping you up? I’m working on a BRAND NEW talk that I will debut on July 25 (9am-3pm CT) and you can attend for FREE!

The Choose Your Business Adventure Summit presented by the Time Machine Agency will help you discover how to avoid the “quicksand of overwhelm” so you can focus on what matters.

My piece is an exploration into your workload, choices and burnout.

You’ll learn:

• Why your effectiveness might actually be limiting your growth

• How to evaluate your time and make intentional choices that create more space

• How to redirect your actions to break through business plateaus and drive real progress

Also on the agenda are talks from my good friends Brad Herda, Jennifer Frye and Talmar Anderson.

It’s easy and free to attend…see you on July 25!

Conference Keynote Clip of the Week
(Alumni Edition)

At #SBOC23, I invited Marcus Lemonis to be our keynote interview. During the appearance he crushed question after question from our small business owners with a mix of humor, empathy, and PASSION for helping them win. It was really something to see. This Friday, all of America will get to see how he does it with his new show The Fixer.

“The Fixer” debuts Friday Night on Fox

I’m sharing this because one of the best parts of #SBOC25 will be when you learn from someone that you’re not familiar with, yet. Perhaps it will be Jamar Jones, Dana Cox, or Jason Johnson? Or, it could be this year’s keynote interview Sahil Bloom. This year’s talent is top notch and their guidance will lead you to build your RECORD YEAR.

BUILD YOUR RECORD YEAR AT #SBOC25
Presented by Horicon Bank
September 16-19, 2025
Brookfield, WI

See the full lineup and get your ticket here: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/25conference

A HUGE thank you to our major sponsors: Horicon Bank, Money Masters, Athena Legal Solutions, Magnolia Tax, and Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative

NOMINATIONS END ON FRIDAY
GET YOUR ENTRY IN NOW
Behind the Scenes of #SBOC25:
SBOC Awards presented by Enji
Call for Nominations!

The second annual SBOC Awards are now open for nominations. That means it’s your chance to nominate yourself or someone in your professional network for one of five categories, including Small Business Owner of the Year. All nominees will be invited to join us at the SBOC Conference on September 18 to see the results, and five winners will be announced live on stage.

Here’s the link to enter or nominate someone. It only takes a few minutes, and yes, nominating yourself is absolutely allowed.

It’s completely free to enter. You don’t need to be a member of the SBOC. You can even nominate a friend with one click.

Take five minutes to put in your name or someone else’s. You never know, you might be walking across that stage, shaking hands, receiving a trophy, and finally getting the recognition you’ve earned.

Good luck. We’re cheering for you.

And, thank you to our Awards sponsor Enji! Enji is marketing software for small business that BUILDS your marketing plan and then consistently executes so you can stop worrying about leads. This AI powered software is dead simple - check it out now: https://www.enji.co

Last but not least - Join us for a pop-up Meat & Greet for #SBOC25

As exciting as the Awards and Pre-Con are I just can’t wait until early August to get everyone together. So, I’m hosting a “Meat Up” for registered conference guests on July 17 in West Allis. If you get your ticket by then, you’ll enjoy be able to connect with other conference attendees, win some prizes and feast on kick butt BBQ...all for free!

It’s dead simple to get your invitation, just order your conference ticket now!

Thanks for checking out this week’s Small Business Summary newsletter.
Now…GO SELL SOMETHING!

-Pat