Behind the Scenes of Hosting the Black Friday Summit 2025: A Full Launch Debrief

Introduction: Our Honest Launch Debrief

If you’ve been curious about what it really takes to plan and host a summit, this post is for you. Today I’m sharing a launch debrief of the Black Friday Summit 2025, a 3-day virtual event I co-hosted with my friends Bekah Read and Mara Kucirek.

We’re breaking down the behind-the-scenes of our summit: the signups, the sales, the surprises life threw at us, and the lessons we’ll carry into future launches. Think of this as your all-access peek into what worked, what didn’t, and why we’d absolutely do it again.

🎥Want to watch the YouTube Version Of This Launch Debrief? 

🎙️Want to listen to the podcast version of this launch debrief?

📖Would you rather read the blog? 

How the Black Friday Summit Came to Life

The idea was sparked back in February 2025 when Bekah, Mara, and I gathered in Arizona for a mini mastermind. We realized that so many small business owners leave Black Friday planning to the very last minute.

Our vision: create a free 3-day online event that would:

• Share pre-recorded talks from other entrepreneurs who have run Black Friday sales (we wanted them to share the honest truth about what is working and what is NOT working with Black Friday)

• Cover strategies, tools, and lessons learned from past Black Friday launches

• Help solo business owners realize they can run a successful sale without a huge audience

By August 2025, the summit went live, and honestly? The response blew us away!

The Numbers: A Transparent Look at Our Results

Here’s how the summit performed:

• Signups: 758 new people joined our email lists (all organic marketing)

• All-Access Pass Buyers: 137 purchased at $27–$37

• Conversion Rate: 18% of attendees

• Revenue: $4,000+

For a first-time summit with no paid ads, these results exceeded our expectations and validated the effort we put in.

What Worked Well

1. The All-Access Pass + Private Podcast

Instead of offering just video replays, we added a private podcast feed using Hello Audio. For busy entrepreneurs (and us as moms with toddlers), the podcast format was a lifesaver. Attendees loved being able to listen while multitasking.

2. Transparency with Attendees

We were upfront in our emails: signing up meant joining all three of our lists (plus our sponsor’s). Instead of pushback, we received appreciation for our honesty, and we received a great deal of positive feedback from our subscribers. 

3. Strong Email Marketing Strategy

Mara led our summit emails with a mix of reminders and daily session roundups. Our average open rate was 58%, and attendees actually told us they wanted more reminders, not fewer.

4. Sponsorship with Ellen Yin

Ellen Yin of Cubicle to CEO® sponsored our summit.  That sponsorship covered expenses and removed the financial stress of hosting. Additionally, partnering with someone we admire was a massive source of encouragement. 

5. Collaboration and Teamwork

We divided responsibilities by our strengths: planning and logistics (me), design (Bekah), and speaker and email communication (Mara). When life threw curveballs, teamwork kept things on track.

What Didn’t Work (and What We’d Improve)

1. Timing of Speaker Pitches

We began outreach in March, which worked for some, but others said they needed more notice. Next time, we’d pitch speakers in January to get onto their calendars early.

2. Limited Sponsorships

Ellen’s sponsorship was incredible, but we realized too late that we could have pitched additional sponsors or created tiered sponsorship levels to cover even more costs.

3. Simplified Black Friday Planning Kit Timing

We introduced our paid product, the Simplified Black Friday Planning Kit, at the very end of the summit. While we had buyers, we agreed that offering it in a follow-up webinar (like we did in 2024) would have created better results.

4. Lack of Cart Urgency

The All-Access Pass sold well, but we didn’t add many urgency triggers (like limited-time bonuses). For future launches, we’d tighten the sales window to increase conversions.

The Reality of Launching Through Real Life

This debrief wouldn’t be complete without sharing the personal challenges behind the scenes:

• Mara was pregnant, dealing with severe morning sickness, and moving into a new home.

• Bekah’s husband accepted a new job, which led to a cross-country move with their two toddlers.

• I (Dolly) faced a serious health scare in August and had to step back from the summit week execution.

Each of us had moments where life could have derailed the summit. Instead, collaboration and trust carried us through. This reinforced one of the biggest lessons of all: don’t launch alone if you don’t have to.

💡 Key Takeaways from This Launch Debrief

• You don’t need paid ads to grow—organic marketing works. Is it slower? Yes, but since we are a small business and don’t have a giant marketing team with a substantial marketing budget, organic was the way to go. 

• Accessibility matters. A private podcast added immense value for attendees. Another way we made things accessible was by ensuring that all transcriptions were available for each presentation and that worksheets were also provided. We wanted to ensure that we cater to a variety of learning styles. 

• Transparency builds trust. Honest communication kept unsubscribe rates low. We maintained close communication with our community and kept them informed about the progress along the way. Additionally, we began discussing this event in May (when it was scheduled for August), resulting in numerous promotional communications. 

• Collaboration saves launches. None of us could have pulled this off solo.

• Always take time for a debrief—it ensures every launch gets stronger.

Final Reflections

Looking back, the Black Friday Summit 2025 was one of the highlights of my business year. It brought in over 700 new people to our worlds, generated revenue, and gave us invaluable lessons for the future.

This debrief isn’t just about numbers—it’s about showing you the real side of launching: the wins, the struggles, and the growth that comes from both.

And yes—we’re already dreaming about a 2026 Black Friday Summit, and we hope you will get on the waitlist for NEXT year’s summit! 

Resources Mentioned in This Debrief

• All-Access Pass of The Black Friday Virtual Summit (still available by purchasing here)

• Simplified Black Friday Planning Kit (you can get it HERE, and it’s the perfect next step to watch after the summit presentations) 

• Hello Audio (for private podcast feeds)

• Cubicle to CEO® – Ellen Yin

• Rebekah Read Creative

• Mara Kucirek

Meet Your Favorite Launch Planner for Small Biz Owners & Marketing Strategist for Family Photographers (Dolly DeLong Education)

Hi! I’m Dolly DeLong—a Nashville-based family photographer turned systems + marketing educator and Fractional CMO for family photographers and solo business owners.  After years of juggling motherhood, running a thriving family photography business, and helping other creatives behind the scenes with their launches and marketing, I realized something: the backend matters just as much as your booking calendar.

Now, I serve two kinds of faith-driven creatives:

• Family photographers who want to stop ghosting their audience and finally stay consistent with Instagram + email marketing.

• Solo business owners who have a digital offer they want to launch—but feel completely overwhelmed by the pre-launch phase

Through my weekly podcast, YouTube channel, and blog, I offer strategic (but doable) content on systems, workflows, launch planning, and consistent marketing rhythms that won’t burn you out.

I’m here to help you stop duct-taping your backend together and instead build systems that support your life and values—whether you’re marketing mini sessions or launching a course.

When I’m not strategizing a launch calendar or batch recording content during nap time, you can find me photographing families in and around Nashville, watching reruns of Survivor, eating something sweet, or walking with a podcast in my ears. (Yes, I’m that girl.)

Are you Ready to finally market with intention and launch with clarity?
Let’s get started—because you don’t have to do this alone.

👉 Work with me to plan out your launch
👉 If you are a family photographer needing marketing help click here