In this episode, Jason Robinson and Chelsea Adler crack open a topic every small business dreams about but almost no one really plans for: what happens when other people start telling your story. Between a New York–level deli sandwich, a dangerously good Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit Tea, and a whole lot of laughter, they rewind through the surreal moments when TimberTote jumped from the workshop into the spotlight—local news segments, front-page headlines, podcasts, and pitch competitions.

What starts as, “Remember that time we were on TV and basically blacked out?” turns into a surprisingly honest look at visibility, vulnerability, and what it feels like when your idea suddenly becomes news. Along the way, they share the wins, the weirdness, and the very human chaos that happens behind the scenes when you’re still just two friends trying to build something cool together.

Jason and Chelsea spend a big chunk of this episode unpacking the wild ride of earned media—those magical moments when you don’t pay for exposure, but still end up on screens, feeds, and front pages. From local TV news in Phoenix to landing on the front page of the Arizona Daily Star, they relive the shock of seeing Timber Tote become the “main character” in stories other people were telling. It’s part humble brag, part therapy session about how surreal it is to go from making products in a shop to explaining them into a camera.

They talk through how these opportunities actually happen in real life: a random message on LinkedIn, a quick coffee with someone at Local First, a connection through Startup Tucson, or an interviewer who was “just doing a story about small businesses” and decided Timber Tote needed to be in it. None of it was part of some polished PR strategy; it was showing up, being themselves, and saying yes when someone asked, “Can we feature you?”

You’ll hear how things like Idea Funding, Moonshot pitch events, and the Echoes of Innovation podcast didn’t just give them a stage—they gave Timber Tote credibility. When a newspaper puts you on the front page or a community platform decides your story is worth sharing, it hits differently than a paid ad. Jason and Chelsea lean into that difference: earned media as social proof, as community validation, and as one of the most powerful (and underestimated) tools in a scrappy entrepreneur’s marketing toolbox.

If there’s a through-line to every wild story in this episode, it’s this: they said yes before they felt ready. Jason talks about getting that call from the Arizona Daily Star, casual at first—“Hey, can we do an interview?”—only to discover there would also be a photographer, a full write-up, and, eventually, top-of-the-fold placement. That’s not a small “yes.” That’s a “guess we’re going to Circle K in pajamas to buy every copy of the paper” yes.

Chelsea and Jason walk through TV segments where they barely remember what they said, pitch competitions where they stood under harsh lights hoping their brains didn’t short-circuit, and events where they had to explain Timber Tote to strangers over and over until the story felt tattooed on their tongues. None of it sounds glamorous in the moment—it sounds sweaty, nerve-wracking, and deeply human. But each yes led to another opportunity, another connection, another layer of momentum.

They don’t sugarcoat the anxiety, either. Saying yes means accepting you might stumble over your words, get misquoted, or see your own face at an angle you’d rather never see again. But it also means being open to experiences you can’t script: the surprise honor, the unexpected shout-out, the customer who walks into the shop saying, “Hey, I saw you on the news.” This episode becomes a love letter to imperfect action—choosing visibility over comfort, again and again, and trusting that the messy version of you is still good enough to tell the story.

Instead of pretending they’ve achieved some pristine “work–life balance,” Jason and Chelsea are honest: what they actually live is work–life integration. They talk about “work family” and how many hours are spent side-by-side—building Timber Tote, recording the podcast, showing up at events, and still somehow having energy left to tease each other on mic. Their sponsor, Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit Tea, fits right into that ecosystem: a fellow local, family-rooted brand built from a signature drink and a whole lot of hustle.

Chelsea shares memories of growing up in a family business, where the line between “at work” and “at home” was blurry in the best and weirdest ways. Jason talks about parenting—raising kids who are starting to date, trying to be a thoughtful, present dad while also building something that might one day inspire them. These aren’t side notes; they’re core to the story. The press, the products, the events—none of it exists in a vacuum. It’s woven around bedtimes, birthdays, and conversations about how they want their kids to see the world.

Throughout the episode, you can feel how much joy they get from building Timber Tote together. Late-night writing sessions, hours in the workshop, recording “Zero Days Since” itself—these are technically work tasks, but they’re also how they recharge, connect, and make sense of everything that’s happening. Instead of chasing a mythical balance, they’re trying to build a life where the things that pay the bills are also the things that light them up. That’s messy. It’s demanding. But when you hear them laughing their way through stories of press, parenting, and product launches, it’s clear it’s also deeply rewarding.

By the end of “Zero Days Since… We Were in the Press,” you’re not just hearing about media hits and milestone moments—you’re listening to two real people processing what it means to be seen. It’s the rush of recognition, the fear of messing up on camera, the pride of showing your kids a front-page article with your business on it, and the grounding reminder that tomorrow you still have orders to fill and life to live.

Jason and Chelsea aren’t sharing these stories to flex; they’re sharing them to pull back the curtain. Earned media, saying yes before you’re ready, and blending work with real life aren’t theory for them—they’re the lived reality of building Timber Tote in public. If you’re a maker, a founder, a creative, or just someone trying to do something a little bit brave, this episode is for you.

If this resonates with you, we’d love to hear your moment. What’s your “Zero Days Since…” story? Maybe it’s the day you finally launched, the time you got unexpected recognition, or the moment everything went hilariously off the rails.

Head over to ZeroDaysSince.com to learn more about the show, catch this episode, and submit your own “Zero Days Since…” story. You never know—your next brave, messy, wonderful moment might be the one we talk about next.