THE EMAIL GROWTH SHOW EPISODE 159
You know we love to dive into real-life strategies and results here, and today, I’ve got something a little extra special for you. We’re going behind the scenes of my 2023 Black Friday numbers – yep, I’m spilling all the tea – what worked, what didn’t, and what you can learn from my experience.
This isn’t just about sales numbers; it’s about how you can take those lessons and create your own success story this Black Friday. So whether you’re planning to make some extra cash, grow your email list, or nurture your existing audience, you’re going to get a ton of ideas today.
Click play to listen to the episode in full below:
Looking Back On My 2023 Black Friday
Let’s kick things off by taking a look at what I did last year.
Now, I’ll be honest – I went in with a mix of excitement and a little bit of overwhelm. I had a few different offers, including one low-ticket offer (under $100) and a handful of mid-ticket offers ($100 – $500). Variety is key, right? But what I learned is that sometimes you don’t need so many options.
In fact, a simpler approach might have been better.
Here’s what I offered last Black Friday:
- REIGNITE 5-Day Voxer Intensive at $111.
- 50% off the annual pass for The Spotlight Club, now priced at $114.
- Pitch Like a Pro: Podcast Guesting Edition at $297.
- Design Your Dream Offer Suite Workshop Series at $147.
- Money Moves Dashboard for $47.
I want to break down each offer so you can see what worked, what didn’t, and what you might want to try in your own business.
First up: The REIGNITE Voxer Intensive. This was a 5-day Voxer intensive designed to help women reflect, plan, and strategise their way into the new year. I priced it at $111 – full price is $333, and I sold two spots. The price point was accessible, but more importantly, the offer resonated with women who wanted accountability and clarity to end the year on a high note and feel prepared going into the new year. I LOVE this offer. It was between Christmas & New Year which felt really fun to me – and honestly, is something I’m thinking about bringing back this year.
The biggest takeaway from this offer for Black Friday though was that people were drawn to the one-on-one connection. So, my loves, if you have a service or coaching-based business, offering personalised support like this can be incredibly powerful.
Next, offing an annual pass for my membership at 50% off was a no-brainer for people who had been following me for a while. I had already proven the value of the membership, and the Black Friday discount gave them that extra nudge to commit for a full year.
Next, we have the Pitch Like a Pro: Podcast Guesting Edition at $297. This didn’t sell at all during Black Friday. And here’s the thing – looking back, I know why. I hadn’t primed my audience for it. Podcast guesting is something I hadn’t been talking about consistently enough in the months leading up to Black Friday, so when I suddenly dropped a $297 offer, it didn’t resonate.
The takeaway with this one is: consistency matters. If you want to sell something big on Black Friday, start talking about it now. Don’t wait until the week of Black Friday to introduce your audience to your offer. Warm them up. Give them behind-the-scenes looks, share your passion for what you’re creating, and build anticipation so that when Black Friday arrives, they’re ready to jump on it. Or if you don’t have time to warm them up now, make sure it aligns with the conversations you’ve already been having with your audience.
But here’s the thing with this offer – even though it was a total flop for Black Friday, when I relaunched it later in 2024, I sold three spots at full price, which was $497! So what was the difference? Timing and preparation. For Black Friday, I hadn’t been talking about podcast guesting in the months leading up to the sale. My audience wasn’t primed for it, so it fell flat. But when I reintroduced the offer a few months later, after consistently sharing content around podcasting, the sales came in.
Don’t expect a sale to magically happen if you haven’t been talking about the offer beforehand. If you’ve been building up a certain type of content make sure your offer aligns with what your audience is already interested in. Timing and messaging are everything.
The Design Your Dream Offer Workshop series sold two spots, which I was happy with. It was an offer I hadn’t created yet but I had other clients asking for, so I knew later in 2024 when I wanted to launch it, I would be able to sell more spots quite easily – which happened early in the year.
Finally, the Money Moves Dashboard, I sold one at $47. This was a lower-ticket item that answered a specific need – what actions to focus on in your business to start making more money & moving the needle every single day. It didn’t blow the roof off, but I’m proud of how it filled a gap for someone in my audience. Lower-priced offers can be a great way to capture the attention of people who aren’t ready for your bigger-ticket programs but still want to engage with you & the work you do.
So, my biggest lesson from last year was that timing is everything. Don’t wait until the last minute to promote your Black Friday sale. Start now. In fact, right after you finish this episode, go & poll your audience to see what they are most interested in – or if you know what you want to do, create a content plan. Start dropping hints in your emails, tease what’s coming, and get your audience excited.
By the time Black Friday rolls around, they’ll be ready to buy because you’ve already primed them.
How Do You Come Up With Your Black Friday Plan?
So, let’s switch gears and talk about you. What can you do this Black Friday? Whether you’re planning to grow your email list, nurture your audience, or sell, there’s a path for you, and the good news is – you have options.
You don’t have to feel pressured to run a big sales campaign just because everyone else is doing it. There’s actually a lot of flexibility in how you approach Black Friday, and I want to give you a few ideas to consider that go beyond just selling.
1. Grow Your Email List
Instead of going all in on a massive sale, you can use Black Friday as an opportunity to grow your email list. This can be incredibly valuable, especially if you’ve been focusing on relationship-based marketing, like I often talk about. Think about it: more people are online during Black Friday weekend, looking for deals, yes, but also for great resources, tools, and content. You can leverage this heightened engagement to attract new leads – people who might not be ready to buy yet but are interested enough to sign up for something free or low-cost you’re offering.
Last year, I ran a Black Friday Workshop as part of my lead-up to Black Friday, and it sold 55 spots. You can create similar momentum by offering something of high value for free. Here’s an idea: a Buy Nothing Black Friday campaign. It’s an unexpected twist, and instead of asking for money, you could offer a free, exclusive resource to people who sign up for your email list. It could be a mini-course, a guide, or a workshop replay – anything that would position you as the go-to expert in your field, and grow your email list at the same time.
2. Nurture Your Email List
If you’re more focused on nurturing your existing audience – perhaps you’ve just launched something recently, or you feel like they need a bit more nurturing before they’ll be ready to buy – Black Friday is a fantastic opportunity to double down on nurturing that list. Instead of promoting a paid product, for example, what if instead of asking them to buy, you gave them a free bonus module from an upcoming course or sent them a link to download one of your paid products for free?
It’s an unexpected gesture that builds goodwill and makes your audience feel appreciated. These kinds of nurturing activities build trust and set the stage for future sales.
3. Selling To Your Email List
Of course, Black Friday is also the perfect time to make sales if that’s your goal. My most successful offers were low-cost, high-value options. If you’re not sure what to sell, consider bundling some of your existing products together at a discounted price. You can position it as a limited-time offer, which creates urgency and gets people off the fence.
Or, if you have a higher-ticket service, like coaching or consulting, offer a VIP Day or a Voxer Intensive at a reduced rate. The key here is to have a clear transformation that people can expect from working with you. Make sure the offer solves a specific problem your audience has been facing, and watch the sales roll in.
Oh, and let’s not forget about affiliate marketing! This can be a great way to make money on Black Friday without creating something new or having to manage a big launch. I’ve actually just created an affiliate Black Friday email template for the members inside my membership to use, and it was a big hit. Here’s the thing – if you’re already an affiliate for tools or software that you love and believe in, Black Friday can be the perfect time to promote those offers!
You can share deals on software, courses, or products you’re already an affiliate for and give your audience the opportunity to save money on things they likely need or want. The best part? It doesn’t require much effort on your part because these are products you’re already using and recommending, and the companies are doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to the discount or promotion.
For example, you could create a roundup email with links to your favourite tools and platforms – products you genuinely believe will help your audience. Not only are you helping them by sharing these great deals, but you’re also generating affiliate income as they take action on your recommendations. Win-win, right?
So, whether you decide to sell, grow, or nurture, there’s no right or wrong approach to Black Friday.
The key is to choose what feels good for you and what aligns with your goals and where your audience is at right now. You don’t have to jump into the frenzy of sales if it doesn’t suit your business. Instead, think strategically about how you can use this moment to benefit your long-term goals, whether that’s growing your list, strengthening your relationship with your audience, or making a few extra dollars through affiliate marketing.
Can Black Friday Actually Feel Good?
Now, I want to leave you with some final thoughts on how to create a Black Friday plan that actually feels good for you.
Many of us tend to feel pressure around Black Friday – we think we have to offer something or make a sale. But the truth is, your Black Friday doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. You can create a campaign that feels aligned with your values and serves your audience in a meaningful way.
If the thought of offering a discount makes you feel uneasy, try focusing on something else, like a value-driven campaign. For example, you could offer a pay-what-you-can option for one of your products or services. It allows your audience to access something valuable without making price a barrier, and it can generate goodwill for future sales. Or, you could offer a limited-time bonus, like an extra coaching call or a VIP upgrade for those who buy during Black Friday weekend.
The most important thing is to create a plan that makes sense for you – not just one that follows the crowd. Do you want to use this time to grow your email list? Sell more products? Or deepen your connection with your audience? Once you know your goal, you can design a campaign around it that feels both authentic and impactful.
So, let’s recap what you can do this Black Friday:
- Warm up your audience now. Start talking about your offer, building anticipation, and showing how it can solve a real problem they have.
- Decide on your focus. Are you growing your list, nurturing your audience, or selling? Choose your primary goal, and let that guide your campaign.
- Create value-driven offers. Whether you’re offering discounts, exclusive bonuses, or a free resource, make sure it aligns with what your audience truly needs.
- Keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself—or your audience—with too many options. One or two well-thought-out offers are often more effective than a handful of mediocre ones.
- Plan your promotion timeline. Don’t wait until the last minute to start promoting your Black Friday campaign. Warm up your audience and get them excited well in advance.”
I hope this episode gave you some ideas and inspiration to start planning your Black Friday campaign. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you’re offering a discount, giving away something for free, or focusing on relationship-building, the key is to make it your own. Keep it aligned with your values, and most importantly, make sure it feels good to you.
And don’t be afraid to experiment! Some of the best results come from trying new things and learning along the way. Even if one of your offers doesn’t land the way you expected, it’s all part of the process. Reflect, adjust, and keep moving forward.
If you have any follow-up questions about planning your Black Friday campaign, feel free to reach out to me through email – hello@kyliekelly.com, or better yet, hop into The Email Growth Club. All my members currently have access to a special training I did called The Black Friday Bootcamp – you can tune into that right away!
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Full Transcript:
Kylie Kelly [00:00:00]:
This can be a great way to make money on Black Friday without creating something new or having to manage a big launch. Are you a female business owner frustrated with battling the algorithm and looking for for growth strategies that don’t involve awkwardly pointing or dancing online or throwing cash at paid ads? Welcome to The Email Growth Show. I’m your host, Kylie Kelly, visibility and email marketing strategist. I grew my email list from 0 to almost 10,000 subscribers in less than 2 years, and the same is possible for you too. In less than 2 years and the same is possible for you too. Are you ready to build your email list and start making more money in your online business? Let’s head into today’s episode. Hi there. Welcome back to The Email Growth Show.
Kylie Kelly [00:00:46]:
If you’ve been following along, you know I love to dive into real life strategies and results here. And today, I’ve got something a little extra special for you. We’re going behind the scenes of my 2023 Black Friday numbers. Yep. I’m spilling all the tea. What worked, what didn’t, and what you can learn from my experience. Now this episode isn’t just about sales numbers. It’s about how you can take those lessons and create your own success story for this Black Friday.
Kylie Kelly [00:01:15]:
So whether you’re planning to make some extra cash, grow your email list, or nurture your existing audience. Because yes, you can do all 3 of those things on Black Friday. You’re going to get a ton of ideas today. So grab a hot cup of coffee, a pen and paper, and let’s dive in. 1st, let’s kick things off by taking a look at what I did last year. Now, I’ll be honest. I went in with a mix of excitement and a little bit of overwhelm. It was really the 1st Black Friday that I’d ever participated in.
Kylie Kelly [00:01:46]:
And I had a few different offers, including one low ticket offer and a handful of mid ticket offers to play with. I thought variety is key. Right? But what I learned is that sometimes you don’t need so many options. In fact, a simpler approach might have been better. On top of these 5 different offers, I decided to play with how I was going to do Black Friday. I wanted to drop a different offer each day over 5 days to create some hype, some momentum, some excitement. I thought it was a great idea. So, I went about creating all the sales pages, creating all the emails, and I got to day 3 and I hated it.
Kylie Kelly [00:02:28]:
I pulled the plug and said, this does not feel good. I don’t wanna do this anymore. So I literally emailed my list on day 3 and said, you know what? We’re not playing this game. Here is the main Black Friday page. You’ll find all 5 offers there. Have fun with it. And you know what? Giving myself permission to change the rules, to actually change my mind halfway through a promotion like this, felt so good for me. And I got so many emails from my list loving the fact that I let myself do that.
Kylie Kelly [00:02:57]:
Right? That I didn’t white knuckle it through. That I actually allowed myself to change my mind. So again, when you’re thinking how you want to run your Black Friday sale, the simpler approach is normally the best. So here are the 5 offers that I had for Black Friday. I had a reignite 5 day Voxer intensive. I had 50% off the annual pass for my membership. I had Pitch Like A Pro podcast guesting edition. I had a Design Your Dream Offer Sweet Workshop Series.
Kylie Kelly [00:03:29]:
And I had a digital product called The Money Moves Dashboard. Now, I want to break each offer down so you can see what worked, what didn’t, and what you might like to try in your own business. So first up, let’s talk about the Reignite Voxer Intensive. So this was a 5 day Voxer intensive designed to help women reflect, plan, and strategise their way into the new year. I priced it at $111. The full price was 3.33 and I sold 2 spots. The price point was accessible, but more importantly, the offer resonated with women who wanted accountability and clarity to end the year on a high note and to prepare going into the New Year. You guys, I fucking love this offer.
Kylie Kelly [00:04:12]:
It was between Christmas and New Year, which felt really fun for me. And, honestly, it’s something that I’m thinking about bringing back this year. The biggest takeaway from this offer for Black Friday though, was that people were drawn to the 1 on 1 connection. So, my loves, if you have a service or a coaching based business, offering personalised support like this can be incredibly powerful. Although selling 2 spots wasn’t a huge amount, I was actually really happy that it was a super intimate container. And I got to spend this time with these women at a price point that felt really good for me as well. The next offer was an annual pass for my membership at 50% off. Now, this is a no brainer for people that have been following me for a while.
Kylie Kelly [00:04:52]:
I had already proven the value of the membership and the Black Friday discount gave them the extra nudge to commit for a full year. I sold 6 spots of this offer and the 50% off, the total price was $114 The next offer there was the Pitch Like A Pro Podcast Guesting Edition. And I priced that at 2.97. It hurts me to say, but this did not sell at all during Black Friday. And here’s the thing. Looking back, I know why. I hadn’t primed my audience for it. Podcast guesting is something I hadn’t been talking about consistently enough in the months leading up to Black Friday.
Kylie Kelly [00:05:26]:
So when I suddenly dropped a 2.97 offer, it just didn’t resonate. The takeaway with this one is consistency matters. If you wanna sell something big on Black Friday, start talking about it now. Don’t wait until the week of Black Friday to introduce your audience to your offer. Warm them up. Give them some behind the scenes looks. Share your passion for what you’ve created and build anticipation so that when Black Friday arrives, they’re ready to jump on in. Or if you don’t have time to warm them up now, make sure it aligns with the conversations you’ve already been having with your audience.
Kylie Kelly [00:06:01]:
Here’s the thing with this offer that I want to share with you as well though. Even though it was a total flop for Black Friday, when I relaunched it later in 2024, I sold 3 spots at full price, which was 4.97. So what’s the difference? Timing and preparation. For Black Friday, I hadn’t been talking about podcast guesting in the months leading up to the sale. My audience weren’t primed for it, so it completely fell flat. But when I reintroduced the offer a few months later after consistently sharing content around podcasting, the sales then came in. So my loves, don’t expect a sale to magically happen if you haven’t been talking about the offer beforehand. If you’ve been building up a certain type of content, make sure your offer aligns with what your audience is already interested in.
Kylie Kelly [00:06:46]:
Timing and messaging is everything. Now, the 4th offer there, the Design Your Dream Offer Workshop Series sold 2 spots, which I was happy with. It was an offer I hadn’t created yet. I was pre selling it. But I had other clients already asking for it. So I knew later in 2024, when I did want to launch it, I’d be able to sell more spots quite easily, which did happen early in the year. And then the last one there was the Money Moves dashboard, a digital product. And I sold 1 at $47 This is a lower ticket item that answered a specific need.
Kylie Kelly [00:07:16]:
What actions to focus on in your business to start making more money and moving the needle every single day. It didn’t blow the roof off, but I’m proud of how it filled a gap for someone in my audience. Lower priced offers can be a great way to capture the attention of people who aren’t ready for your bigger ticket programs. Right? And still want to engage with you and the work that you do. So my biggest lesson from last year was that timing was everything. And to keep things simple. Don’t wait until the last minute to promote your Black Friday sale. Start talking about things now.
Kylie Kelly [00:07:49]:
In fact, right after you finish this episode, I want you to go and poll your audience and see what they’re most interested in. Or if you know what you wanna do already, start creating a content plan. Start dropping hints in your emails, tease what’s coming up, and get your audience excited. By the time Black Friday rolls around in November, they’ll be ready to buy because you’ve already primed them. It won’t be something that catches them off guard. So let’s switch gears and talk about you. What can you do this Black Friday? Whether you’re planning to grow your email list, nurture your audience, or sell, there’s a path for you. And the good news is you have options.
Kylie Kelly [00:08:28]:
You don’t have to feel pressure to run a big sales campaign just because everyone else is doing it. There’s actually a else is doing it. There’s actually a lot of flexibility in how you approach Black Friday. And I wanna give you a few ideas to consider that go beyond just selling. The first one being growing your list. So instead of going all in on a massive sale, you can use Black Friday as an opportunity to grow your email list. This can be incredibly valuable, especially if you’ve been focusing on relationship based marketing like I often talk about. Think about it.
Kylie Kelly [00:08:58]:
More people are online during Black Friday weekend looking for deals. Yes. But also looking for great resources, tools, and content. You can leverage this heightened engagement to attract new leads. People who might not be ready to buy yet, but are interested enough to sign up for something free or low cost that you’re offering. Last year, as an example, I ran a Black Friday workshop as part of my lead up to Black Friday and sold 55 spots. You can create a similar momentum by offering something high value for free. Here’s an idea.
Kylie Kelly [00:09:30]:
What about a buy nothing Black Friday campaign? It’s an unexpected twist. And instead of asking for money, you could offer a free exclusive resource to people who sign up to your email list. It could be a mini course, a guide, a workshop replay, anything that positions you as the go to expert in your niche and grows your email list at the same time. Number 2 is nurturing your email list. So if you’re focused on nurturing your existing audience, perhaps you’ve just launched something recently or you feel like they need a bit more nurturing before they’re ready to buy, Black Friday is a fantastic opportunity to double down on nurturing that list. Instead of promoting a paid product, for example, what if you gave them a free bonus module for an upcoming course or send them a link to download one of your paid products for free. It’s an unexpected gesture that builds goodwill and trust and makes your audience feel appreciated. These kinds of nurturing activities set the stage for future sales.
Kylie Kelly [00:10:28]:
And then, of course, Black Friday is also the perfect time to make sales if that’s your goal. My most successful offers, as you just heard, were low cost high value options. If you’re not sure what to sell, consider bundling some of your existing products together at a discounted rate. You could always position it as a limited time offer, which creates urgency and gets people off the fence. Or if you have a higher ticket service like coaching or consulting, you could offer them a VIP day or a Voxer intensive at a reduced rate. The key here is to have a clear transformation that people can expect from working with you. Just like normal. Right? Make sure the offer solves a specific problem your audience has been facing and then you can watch the sales roll in.
Kylie Kelly [00:11:10]:
And I need to mention as well in this. Don’t forget about affiliate marketing. If you’re like, Kylie, I don’t even want to put my offers out there. I don’t even know what I would do. You can always turn to affiliate marketing. So this can be a great way to make money on Black Friday without creating something new or having to manage a big launch. I’ve actually just created an affiliate Black Friday email template for the members inside my membership to use and it was a huge hit. Here’s the thing.
Kylie Kelly [00:11:36]:
If you’re already an affiliate for tools or software that you love and believe in, Black Friday can be the perfect time to promote those offers. You can share deals on software, courses, or products you’re already an affiliate for and give your audience the opportunity to save money on things they likely need or want. The best part? It doesn’t require much effort on your part because these products you’re already using and recommending and the companies are doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to the discount or promotion. For example, you could create a roundup email with links to your favourite tools and platforms, products you genuinely believe will help your audience. Not only are you helping them by sharing these great deals, but you’re also generating affiliate income as they take action on your recommendations. Win win. Right? So whether you decide to sell, grow, or nurture, there’s no right or wrong approach to Black Friday. The key is to choose what feels good for you and what aligns with your goals and where your audience is at right now.
Kylie Kelly [00:12:35]:
You don’t have to jump into the frenzy of sales if it doesn’t suit your business. Instead, think strategically about how you could use this moment to benefit your long term goals. Whether that’s growing your list, strengthening your relationships with your audience, or making a few extra dollars through affiliate marketing. Now, I wanna leave you with some final thoughts on how to create a Black Friday plan that actually feels good for you. Many of us, me included, tend to feel pressure around Black Friday. We think we have to offer something or make a sale. But the truth is your Black Friday doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. You can create a campaign that feels aligned with your values and serves your audience in a meaningful way.
Kylie Kelly [00:13:17]:
If the thought of offering a discount makes you feel uneasy, try focusing on something else like a value driven campaign. For example, you could offer a pay what you can option for one of your products or services. It allows your audience to access something valuable without making price a barrier. And it can generate goodwill for future sales. Or you could offer a limited time bonus like an extra coaching call or a VIP upgrade for those that buy during Black Friday weekend. The most important thing is to create a plan that makes sense for you. Not just one that follows the crowd, or one that’s based on what you see on your Instagram stories. Remember, most of that is bullshit anyway.
Kylie Kelly [00:13:54]:
Do you wanna use this time to grow your email list? To sell more products? To deepen your connection with your audience? Once you know your goal, you can design a campaign around it that feels both authentic and impactful. So let’s recap what you can do this Black Friday. 1st, decide on your focus. Do you wanna grow your list, nurture your audience, or sell? Choosing your primary goal and let that guide all the decisions that you make for Black Friday. Then start to warm up your audience now. Start talking about your offer, building anticipation, and showing how it can solve a real problem that they have. Number 3. Create value driven offers.
Kylie Kelly [00:14:34]:
Whether you’re offering discounts, exclusive bonuses, or a free resource, make sure it aligns with what your audience truly needs. My favourite, number 4, keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself like I did last year or your audience with too many options. 1 or 2 well thought out offers are way more effective than a handful of mediocre ones. And lastly, plan your promotion timeline. Don’t wait until the last minute to start promoting your Black Friday campaign. Warm up your audience, get them excited well in advance. Okay.
Kylie Kelly [00:15:07]:
My loves. I hope this episode gave you some ideas and inspiration to start planning your Black Friday. Remember, there’s no one size fits all approach. Whether you’re offering a discount, giving away something for free, or focusing on relationship building, the key is to make it your fucking own. Right? Keep it aligned with your values. And most importantly, make sure it feels good to you. And don’t be afraid to experiment. Some of the best results come from trying some new things and learning along the way.
Kylie Kelly [00:15:35]:
Even if one of your offers doesn’t land the way you expected, it’s all part of the process. Reflect, adjust, and keep moving forward. If you love this episode or have any follow-up questions about planning your Black Friday, feel free to reach out to me in email. You can find me at hello at kyliekelly.com. Or better yet, hop into the email Growth Club. All my members currently have access to a special training I did called the Black Friday Boot Camp. You can tune into that instantly after joining. The link, as always, is in the show notes.
Kylie Kelly [00:16:05]:
Thank you again for tuning in today. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend or leave a review. I’ll be back next week with more actionable strategies to help you grow your email list and your business. So don’t forget to subscribe. Until next time. Take care and happy planning for Black Friday. Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of The Email Growth Show. I hope you found valuable insights into the next steps you can take to grow your email list and boost your business without relying on social media or paid ads.
Kylie Kelly [00:16:35]:
If you enjoy this episode please take a moment to rate and review the show and share it with others. Your feedback helps me reach more female entrepreneurs just like you, who are ready to say goodbye to social media and leverage email marketing to grow their business and make a bigger impact. Thank you so much for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
