Restaurant industry veteran George McKerrow shares his remarkable journey from founding Longhorn Steakhouse in 1981 to building it into a national chain before selling to Darden Restaurants in 2007. Starting with just one location in an old adult bookstore that served only 14 lunches on opening day, McKerrow emphasizes treating each restaurant as an individual small business focused on genuine hospitality, flexibility, and community connection.

Currently CEO of Ted's Montana Grill, which he co-founded with Ted Turner in 2002, McKerrow discusses their mission to save the American bison while pioneering restaurant sustainability. Ted's was among the first to eliminate plastic and styrofoam, with McKerrow helping reintroduce paper straws to the industry in 2001. The restaurant cooks everything fresh from scratch and maintains only 1% food waste. McKerrow shares insights on restaurant culture, the "Gumby philosophy" of flexibility, avoiding "pigeon management," and how the industry has adapted through COVID-19 and current economic challenges.

This episode of Passionately Curious features Dana Farber, CEO and founder of Moonstone Marketing. With extensive experience as a CMO and brand strategist, Dana shares her marketing philosophy centered on holistic, mindful approaches. She discusses her journey from editorial writing to PR to franchising, emphasizing the importance of marketing calendars for strategic planning rather than reactionary holiday-based posting. Dana advocates for "retention as the new acquisition," urging businesses to deeply understand their first members before scaling. She explains her "New Moon, Half Moon, Full Moon" service model and highlights the psychology of consumer behavior in today's uncertain economy, noting it now takes 35-40 brand touchpoints to make a sale versus 7-10 in previous decades. The episode concludes with Dana encouraging businesses to nurture leads thoughtfully through emotional connections rather than discounts, and an Upswell marketing tip about using email lists to create Facebook lookalike audiences.

In this episode of "Passionately Curious," hosts Annie and Eric interview Brad Parker, founder and CEO of FormPiper, an affiliate of Upswell Marketing. Brad shares how he created FormPiper to solve financing problems he experienced as a retailer by developing a platform that allows customers to complete just one application to access multiple lending options. He explains how the system creates a "perfect lender lineup" that can dramatically increase approval rates from 30% to nearly 100% when combined with in-house financing options. Brad discusses his background as a serial entrepreneur, his "Drive Success Today" business coaching philosophy, and his charitable initiative to donate one million chess boards and books. Throughout the conversation, Brad emphasizes the importance of tracking data, avoiding projecting your own financial preferences onto customers, and maintaining focus on what you can control within your business regardless of economic conditions.

In this episode of Passionately Curious from Upswell Marketing, the hosts speak with Aaron Stokes, a successful entrepreneur in the automotive industry. Aaron shares his remarkable journey from humble beginnings in a trailer park to building multiple auto repair businesses and becoming the founder of ShopFix Academy, now the largest coaching company in the industry. He candidly discusses his struggles, including being stolen from in 2012 which left him $5.5 million in debt, and how he rebuilt his life and businesses without filing bankruptcy. Aaron explains how ShopFix Academy works through four key components: peer groups (tribes), video courses, one-on-one coaching, and conferences. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes, continually evolving as a business owner, and finding ways to support fellow entrepreneurs through difficult times. The episode concludes with Aaron's perspective on current challenges facing the auto repair industry, including potential tariffs, and his advice for shop owners to remain confident despite economic uncertainty.

In this episode of Passionately Curious, hosts Matt and Eric discuss financial flexibility in uncertain economic times with Kevin Park, co-founder of EveryStreet, and Samantha Holt, sales operation manager for Apple Pie Capital. After a lighthearted opening about an innovative dog poop bag marketing tactic, the conversation shifts to the challenges small businesses face when seeking financing. Kevin shares how his parents' struggles during the 2008 financial crisis inspired EveryStreet's creation, while Sam discusses lessons from her own small business ownership experience. Both guests explain how their companies differ from traditional financing options by streamlining the application process and matching businesses with appropriate funding solutions. They emphasize the importance of securing financing before it's needed, especially during economic uncertainty, and discuss strategies for franchise owners looking to expand. The episode concludes with advice for small business owners on navigating potential economic downturns by understanding their financial position and exploring all available options.

In this episode of Passionately Curious, hosts Eric, Annie, and Matt discuss the results of Upswell Marketing's annual business sentiment survey. They explore how different industries performed in 2024, with auto repair and dental practices seeing strong growth while home services experienced declines. The conversation centers on the impact of tariffs, with 55% of surveyed business owners expressing concerns about supply chain costs. The hosts discuss strategies for navigating economic challenges, including the importance of maintaining marketing spend during downturns rather than cutting it as an "easy" cost-saving measure. Eric emphasizes that businesses should be planning six months ahead and considering supplier relationships. The survey reveals that 77% of business owners anticipate revenue growth in 2025, with many planning to pass increased costs to customers. The episode concludes with insights on effective marketing strategies, highlighting the 3X multiplier effect of combining digital and direct mail campaigns, and noting that 35% of businesses plan to increase digital marketing spending in 2025.

In this episode of Passionately Curious, hosts Matt and Annie interview Michele Morris, Head of US Marketing for Big Green Egg. Michele shares her career journey from social media analytics to brand marketing, discussing Big Green Egg's strategy to expand beyond traditional demographics with initiatives like "Women on Fire." She details their data collection improvements, educational content creation, and balance between dealer networks and digital marketing. Michele highlights the passionate fan community, including the annual Eggtoberfest event that draws 4,000 enthusiasts globally. The episode concludes with a quick segment on optimizing Google My Business profiles.

Thomas Andrews, partner at CDT Automotive, shares how he and his friend Mike Liles turned their passion for diesel trucks into a successful business. Starting with a Facebook community for truck enthusiasts in 2012, they built their brand while maintaining day jobs - Thomas in IT and Mike as a mechanic. The business evolved from a small three-bay shop to a 14,500 sq ft facility with 15 bays, expanding beyond diesel to service all vehicle types. After facing challenges during COVID and seeking help from ShopFix Academy, they transformed their approach to focus on customer experience, achieving $724,000 in sales with 560 cars in January 2025. They now plan to expand to additional locations in the Raleigh area.

Shane Quillin, founder of Sugar Shane's, shares how he transformed from an Amazon program manager to owning a thriving cookie business in Atlanta. Started during COVID from his apartment kitchen, Sugar Shane's now has three locations, a franchise, and 50 employees. Shane discusses his marketing strategies, including creative tactics like simulated online waiting rooms, event presence, and loyalty programs. He also shares insights on menu innovation and his careful approach to expansion. The episode concludes with a segment on first-party versus third-party marketing data.

With businesses stretching their marketing budgets across multiple channels, is TikTok worth the investment? In this episode, Matt Courtoy, Associate Director of Performance Media at Upswell Marketing, explains five key reasons why TikTok may not be the best platform for your ad dollars—and it has nothing to do with the app’s legal troubles.

Five Reasons to Avoid TikTok Advertising

1. TikTok’s Audience Skews Young

A majority of TikTok users are Gen Z, making it less effective for businesses targeting older demographics. If your audience is younger, it may be a fit, but for many businesses, it’s not ideal.

2. TikTok Requires Heavy Creative Output

Unlike other platforms where you can reuse assets, TikTok demands fresh, engaging, and trendy content at a rapid pace. While Meta campaigns may need three to four assets per month, TikTok can burn through two to three assets every few days—a challenge for brands without strong creative teams.

3. High Competition & Expensive Ads

With its massive popularity, brands are fiercely competing for user attention, often targeting the same audiences. To stand out, you either need exceptional creative, a large ad budget, or both.

4. Limited Targeting Options

Compared to platforms like Meta and Google, TikTok’s targeting features are less sophisticated, making it harder to refine your audience and ensure your ads reach the right people.

5. Low ROI for Many Businesses

While TikTok is great for brand awareness, it hasn’t proven itself as a strong platform for lead generation or high-converting campaigns. If your business relies on new prospects and direct ROI, TikTok may not be the best investment.

What’s Next for TikTok Advertising?

With uncertainty around TikTok’s future and advertisers cutting back, some businesses could find new opportunities to break through. However, for now, TikTok’s time as a top-tier ad platform may be running out.