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A few years ago, I was looking at our sales numbers after Thanksgiving week.
Record-breaking Black Friday. Solid Small Business Saturday. Strong Cyber Monday.
Then I got to Giving Tuesday.
We'd done what everyone does. Run our promotions all week, then throw up a Giving Tuesday offer at the end. Donate a percentage. Post about it. Check the box.
But when I looked at the actual numbers we were giving away, it was peanuts compared to what we'd made the days before.
Leftovers.
And something about that didn't sit right.
We fell in line without questioning it
Here's what happens: you start a business, and you look around to see what everyone else is doing.
Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.
The calendar is already set. The retail authorities decided it for you. So you fall in line.
We did it for years. Not because we didn't care, but because that's just what you did, right?
Run your promotions. Make your money. Then at the very end, when you're exhausted and the week is winding down, you give.
But here's the problem with that: we were giving from our leftovers, not from our best.
Firsts vs. leftovers
There's an old proverb about giving your firstsfruits, not your leftovers. Your best, not what's left.
And when we really slowed down to think about it, Giving Tuesday felt like leftovers. We'd already spent our energy. Already pushed hard for days. Already celebrated the wins.
Then, almost as an afterthought, we'd give.
It didn't feel genuine. And honestly, it felt a little gross.
So four years ago, we changed it. We started doing Giving Friday instead of Black Friday.
What Giving Friday looks like for us
Giving Friday means we give on our biggest shopping day, not our smallest.
Instead of waiting until Tuesday when we're tired and our audience is tapped out, we give on Friday when we're energized and sales are strong.
Does it cost us more on paper? Probably. Do we know for sure if it evens out in the long run? Not really.
But it aligns. And that matters.
Over the past four years, we've supported causes that are close to our hearts. Organizations that work with children with special needs (we have our son Ducky, who has special needs). Families in crisis. This year, we're supporting a food ministry run by a family we're close to, serving those facing food insecurity.
Our kids volunteer. They see the people we're serving. It's not abstract. It's not performative. It's real.
How to avoid making it cheesy
Here's the difference between genuine giving and performative giving: proximity.
When you're close to the cause, when you actually see the people you're impacting, it's not about the post. It's not about your brand looking good.
It's about actually helping.
For years, I participated in Giving Tuesday without any real accountability. I'd post about it, feel good for a second, get a bit of tax benefit, then move on. There was no relationship. No follow-through. Just a percentage off the top and a social media graphic.
That's the cheesy part. When it's more about your business than about the people.
You avoid that by being close to the cause. By choosing something that genuinely matters to you, not just something that sounds good.
You control your own calendar
Here's what I want you to hear: you don't have to do what Amazon does.
You don't have to follow the retail calendar just because that's how it's always been done.
You run your own business. You control your own calendar. You get to decide when and how you give.
Maybe Giving Friday doesn't work for you. Maybe you give quarterly. Maybe you build giving into your product margin from day one. Maybe you serve in a completely different way.
That's fine. The point isn't to copy what we're doing.
The point is to think about what's genuine to you. What causes are close to your heart? What impact could you make if you gave from your best instead of your leftovers?
Don't just fall in line because everyone else is doing Black Friday and Giving Tuesday.
Strike your own path. Give when it costs something. Make it real.
Here's what to do this week:
Think about a cause that's close to you. Not something that sounds good on social media. Something you actually care about.
Then ask yourself: how could I give from my firsts, not my leftovers?
Maybe it's pivoting a promotion. Maybe it's volunteering your time. Maybe it's just being more intentional about where your money goes.
You don't need permission. You don't need to wait for ‘Tuesday’.
You have control. Use it.
P.S. - If you’re interested, here are a few of the organizations we’ve supported over the years: Lighthouse of Tin Top Ministries, Annie Louise Foundation, Joseph Thomas Foundation.
Jordan Schmitt
