2: Hot Chocolate, Santa, and Controlled Chaos: Inside a Small Business Community Event

In this episode of Small Business, Big Life: Inside Fort Orange General Store, Joe Slichko and Erica Cubello break down what it really takes to pull off a major community retail event as small business owners—while juggling family life, exhaustion, and very big ideas.

The focus is Downtown Albany’s Hot Chocolate Stroll, a beloved annual event that brings hundreds of people into local businesses in a single afternoon. After their first year owning Fort Orange General Store, Joe and Erica realized that simply offering a shopping deal wasn’t enough. This year, they decided to fully participate—by making and serving 13 gallons of spicy hot chocolate and hosting a Santa meet-and-greet inside their store.

What sounds festive on paper required serious planning and problem-solving. The episode walks through the logistics of making hot chocolate in a home kitchen, transporting it safely, managing electrical load inside a historic retail space, and preparing staff for nonstop foot traffic. Joe shares what it was like to worry about breakers, timing, and execution, while Erica reflects on trusting the vision and leaning into the chaos.

The conversation also explores how the same day can feel completely different depending on your role. While Erica experienced the constant flow of customers and energy on the sales floor, Joe—dressed as Santa—found himself waiting backstage, anxious that no one would show up, before stepping into a role that brought unexpected insight.

One of the most surprising takeaways came from overhearing unfiltered customer feedback. Because visitors didn’t realize Santa was one of the owners, Joe was able to listen quietly as people talked openly about the store layout, product mix, decorations, and atmosphere—offering rare, real-time validation of months of creative and business decisions.

The episode also touches on the family impact of hosting back-to-back events, including live music the night before, coordinating childcare for four kids, and deciding when to include children in the business—and when it’s too much.

This episode is an honest look at experiential retail, community-driven marketing, and what happens when small business owners decide to go all in.

Keywords: small business podcast, community events, retail entrepreneurship, hot chocolate stroll, experiential retail, family business, brick and mortar retail, holiday events small business, Fort Orange General Store, Albany NY small bu