In partnership with
Let’s break the spell.
Every boutique owner is told the same thing this week:
“Black Friday is everything.”
“If you don’t have a massive sale, you’ll lose customers.”
“This weekend will make or break your entire year.”
Let me say this clearly:
Black Friday is a trap.
A distraction.
A pressure cooker that keeps small business owners broke.
And it works because it’s built on fear — not strategy.
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Now let me show you the part of the story no one ever tells:
1. Black Friday Was Never Created for You
Black Friday is engineered by corporations, for corporations.
It was designed for:
• companies sitting on billions in unsold inventory
• brands with 70% margins
• corporations who can afford to “go negative”
• marketing departments with 40 people
• warehouses the size of football fields
So why — WHY — are small business owners acting like they should play the same game?
You aren’t Target.
You aren’t Walmart.
You aren’t Amazon.
You’re not meant to discount yourself into the ground to match their noise.
2. Your Customer Isn’t Choosing You Based on 40% Off
Do you know what a discount communicates?
“I am the same as everyone else.”
The strongest boutiques in America win because:
• they create community
• they tell a story
• they solve a specific problem
• they know their customer on a human level
• they make people feel something
People don’t need you to be cheaper.
People need you to be clearer.
Cheaper is forgettable.
Clear is unforgettable.
3. What If Black Friday Is Actually Hurting You?
Here’s the real pattern break:
Black Friday trains your audience to wait for discounts.
It crushes your margins.
It weakens the perceived value of your products.
And it teaches buyers:
“Don’t buy now — she’ll run a sale soon.”
You’re not just losing money this weekend.
You’re losing momentum for months.
What if the thing you think will help you
is actually the thing stalling you?
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4. There’s a Difference Between “Selling” and “Submitting to Chaos”
This weekend turns a lot of business owners into creatures of panic.
Rushing.
Scrambling.
Comparing.
Discounting.
People-pleasing.
Copying the big brands.
Doing anything to “keep up.”
But here’s the truth:
Panic is not a strategy.
And chaos is not a business plan.
If your sales strategy depends on:
❌ competing with Amazon
❌ matching big-box discounts
❌ assuming customers only buy when your products are on sale
❌ posting 14 times a day out of fear
…that’s not entrepreneurship.
That’s survival mode dressed up as marketing.
You deserve more than that.
5. You Don’t Need a Sales Weekend — You Need a Standard
This weekend, big box stores want you to believe:
“This is your chance.
This is the moment.
This is the only time customers will shop.”
But the most successful boutique owners aren’t successful because of a weekend.
They’re successful because of a standard:
→ They show up consistently.
→ They value their time.
→ They know their offer.
→ They know their customer.
→ They price with intention.
→ They don’t chase trends — they lead them.
You don’t need Black Friday to win.
You need to stand for something.
And here’s my unpopular opinion:
Small businesses who ignore Black Friday and focus on connection win more often than those who slash prices “to fit in.”
6. What Actually Moves Sales This Weekend
People don’t buy because of “20% off.”
They buy because they feel understood.
Here’s what actually matters:
• Sell your best sellers (people need help choosing, not help calculating)
• Talk like a human, not a corporation
• Share the meaning behind what you sell
• Make buying easy
• Remind people why YOU are different
• Show up with confidence, not desperation (this is key)
This weekend is not about discounts.
It’s about leadership.
If you show up with authority?
Your customers feel safe buying now — not waiting for the next code.
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Final Word
I know everyone else is screaming about codes and doorbusters and urgency.
But you’re not everyone else.
You’re building something real that will support your family and your dreams.
Something with a heartbeat.
Something that doesn’t need a holiday to legitimize it.
You don’t need a massive sale to prove you’re a business owner.
You need clarity, courage, connection and consistency.
Take a different path this weekend.
The one most boutiques are too scared to take.
Lead. Don’t react.
You’ve got this — and I’ve got you.
Carina ❤️
Want me to help you create a business that doesn’t rely on holiday chaos or discounts? Apply here
Let’s build a business that works all year — not just one weekend.
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