17: What Happens When a Community Believes? Inside Albany's First SoBro First Friday

What happens when a simple idea grows into something bigger than you ever imagined?

In Episode 17 of Small Business, Big Life: Inside Fort Orange General Store, we're taking you behind the scenes of the inaugural SoBro First Friday Block Party—a night that proved the future of Downtown Albany is being built one conversation, one collaboration, and one community gathering at a time.

After weeks of planning, dreaming, and wondering whether anyone would actually show up, the answer became clear:

Albany showed up.

This episode captures the excitement, nerves, surprises, and overwhelming gratitude surrounding the very first SoBro First Friday event. From live music and local vendors to packed sidewalks, new friendships, and unforgettable customer interactions, we're sharing what it felt like to watch a community vision come to life in real time.

In this episode, we discuss:

•  The story behind launching the first-ever SoBro First Friday Block Party 
•  Building a stronger small business community in Downtown Albany 
•  The power of collaboration between local businesses 
•  Why authentic community experiences matter more than ever 
•  The challenges and rewards of organizing grassroots events 
•  How local support continues to shape the future of Fort Orange General Store 

We also highlight some of the incredible people who made the evening so special, including:

•  Rich from Common Roots Brewing Company 
•  Musician Carolyn Shapiro and her unforgettable live performance 
•  Erin and Alex from Pink Girl Cookie and their incredible custom SoBro cookies 
•  Angela from Third Eye Concepts and 518 Prime Shots 
•  Teresa Campbell and the growing conversation around Albany's future 
•  Jamie, one of Maisie's biggest fans, and the many supporters who continue to spread the word about Fort Orange General Store and SoBro 

Throughout the night, something became increasingly clear: people are looking for connection.

They're looking for places where they can gather, support local businesses, meet their neighbors, discover new ideas, and feel part of something meaningful.

For us, SoBro has never been just about a business district. It's about creating a sense of belonging and helping showcase the incredible people, businesses, artists, musicians, makers, and entrepreneurs who call Albany home.

This episode is a celebration of everyone who came out, every business that participated, and every person who continues to believe in the future of Albany.

Whether you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, community builder, Albany resident, or someone who loves stories about people coming together to create positive change, this episode is filled with inspiration, gratitude, and a reminder that great things happen when communities invest in one another.

Because at the end of the day, without community, we don't have anything.

Keywords:  small business podcast, Albany NY, Downtown Albany, SoBro Albany, South Broadway Albany, First Friday Albany, Albany events, entrepreneurship podcast, community building, local business collaboration, Fort Orange General Store, shop local Albany, Capital Region New York, small business owner, Albany small business, community revitalization, local events Albany, Common Roots Brewing, live music Albany, local business podcast, downtown revitalization, grassroots community movement 

 If you believe in supporting local businesses, building stronger communities, and creating meaningful connections, please follow, rate, and share the podcast with someone who loves seeing good things happen in Albany and beyond. 

Transcript

Joe 0:06

Hello and welcome to Small Business, Big Life, Inside Fort Orange General Store, where entrepreneurship meets marriage, kids, and controlled chaos. I'm Joe Slichko, and with me, as always, is my wife, business partner, and the owner of Fort Orange General Store, Erica Cubello.

Erica 0:30

Hey everyone. Hope your week's going great so far.

Joe 0:33

We had quite the great weekend now, didn't we, Erica?

Erica 0:37

Well, yes, we did, Joe. It was fabulous.

Joe 0:41

And in this episode, we are going to talk about the inaugural Sobro First Friday.

Erica 0:49

That's right. Our Sobro Block Party down at Fort Orange General Store. And all of the businesses that took part, and all of our amazing customers and listeners and followers that just lit up our evening that night.

Joe 1:08

But Erica, first, we have to remind our amazing listeners to please like or subscribe if they haven't already. And more importantly, please share your favorite episode with one of your dearest friends.

Erica 1:23

Yes. Please, please, please keep liking, sharing, and listening to our little podcast because it really makes a giant difference in the grand scheme of it all.

Joe 1:35

And we know it's happening because we got a comment on a previous episode, one of the earlier ones, where we focused on the power of no.

Erica 1:47

That's right, Joe. Yes, we did. And this comment comes to us from at Business Banking and Beyond. They write, No helps us to clearly define our passions and priorities. It forces us to question how much we truly desire something and whether we are willing to fight for it. This introspection often leads to a deeper commitment and a clearer path forward. In essence, the word no transforms into a powerful motivator, pushing us beyond our comfort zones and into realms of success we might never have imagined. So, to more knows and more actions. Lovely insights, they write.

Joe 2:37

Wow, that's amazing.

Erica 2:39

Yeah, did you get all that?

Joe 2:41

I did get all that. And thank you so much for taking the time to share those thoughts and put those thoughts together in such a beautiful way that really summed up that episode.

Erica 2:53

Yeah, that was very well written. And I'm looking at it right now, and it's like three, maybe four sentences that really just powerhouse thoughts that summarized our episode and really beautifully written. So thank you very much for taking the time to summarize what we were trying to convey because you did that beautifully.

Joe 3:20

And what a testament and inspiration to entrepreneurs out there to know that it doesn't matter what the outside world is saying or thinking. Be one step ahead, be ahead of the curve, be the risk taker, and jump in both feet, do your thing, and don't apologize for it. I love it.

Erica 3:43

Thank you very much for that. And our next comment comes from Christina S, who commented on our last episode. She wrote, Oh my god, with so many G's. She's so sweet and love her name too. This is for Maisie. Save a trucker hat for me when they come in. Keep up the great work. Albany needs this. Thank you, Christina. That is so kind of you to say.

Joe 4:13

It is so kind of you to say, and I agree, Maisie is an amazing name, as we talked about before. Probably the best name ever. And whoever thought of that is obviously a genius. So thank you for pointing that out and just reaffirming that. But also, we asked our listeners to reach out and tell us what kind of merch they wanted. Yes, they did. This is one example where someone reached out with a great idea of a trucker hat. We are 100% getting Sobro trucker hats.

Erica 4:43

That's right. That's gonna be the coolest thing. I love it. Um, and we also got some asks at First Friday by some of our super fans for the very first iteration of Sobro t-shirts, right, Joe?

Joe 5:01

That is correct. Why don't we pause, going a little unconventional here, Erica, our super fandom moment and incorporate it into the story of the first Sobro First Friday and let it flow organically, and we will shout out the new superfans and old super fans as we tell the story.

Erica 5:25

The first Sobro First Friday, love it. That's what it was. And yes, I think that's a very appropriate way to introduce our super fans from this week because it was a very organic and natural way, and it just wouldn't be right to just have a section today.

Joe 5:41

So why don't we start with early Friday morning?

Erica 5:45

All right.

Joe 5:46

How'd that go, Erica?

Erica 5:48

Well, it actually started out really well because we had our Sobro district business meeting. So every Friday I meet with the other businesses in Sobro on our block, and we kind of do a rundown of our plans and what we want to happen and what's going good and what we want to see in the future. And, you know, we were all really amped up for our first Sobro First Friday block party because each of us was participating with a different guest, music, lineup, whatever it was. And we had a lot of excitement to share that morning, which kind of got me more amped up, I think. I was texting Joe mid-morning about how I was literally shaking trying to tie my little butterflies with fishing wire because I was decorating for the summer season, like our new windows and you know, displays in the store, because that's part of what I think brings a lot of joy to our customers as well as us. We like to see our store looking beautiful and decorated, and why not have it as like a brand new theme for our big lunch of our sobro first Friday?

Joe 7:07

And I know that there was a lot on you specifically to get ready and with a big event like this, and I think back to past events we've done and past events I've done, you know, in my other professional life. It's the whole if you build it, they will come mentality. Yes. But until they come, it's like panic stricken, nerve-wracking. Yeah.

Erica 7:31

Like you don't know what's gonna happen.

Joe 7:33

What if no one shows up?

Erica 7:34

Well, and then I think it made it more nerve-wracking because no one was showing up as usual on our Fridays. Um, so I'm sitting there trying to get the decorations tied and fluffed up and then get ready to get on the ladder and hang them from the ceilings on the windows. And it's just the oddest day because our normal lunch crowd was not showing up. And I'm like, oh my god, what did I do wrong? Do people hate me because I went on the news now? Did I look like a jerk in some way advertising for this too much this week? So then around four o'clock, Rich from Common Roots comes in with all of his tables and signs and beverages, and he starts setting up, and you know, we're still kind of like, all right, what's happening? Nobody's like quite here yet. And then Caroline comes in uh to start setting up her music set, and you know, we're all just kind of talking, and things are feeling a little bit better because they're here and it's going to get started. And then we start getting a few people rolling in.

Joe 8:52

Then the floodgates open, and it was great. Our 12-year-old was there with us, he was helping out, and we were on dog walking duty at the same time. We started to pass that off back and forth, but we actually didn't need to walk the dog so much because they were kind of the stars of the show, aside, of course, from our amazing collaborators that you just mentioned.

Erica 9:18

They did. So, one of our new super fans that we want to introduce to the show, her name is Jamie, and she is one of Maisie's biggest fans.

Joe 9:32

Maisie's biggest fan, hands down.

Erica 9:35

Maisie's biggest fan, hands down. Say that 10 times fast. So she not only brought herself, but her son, who's so stinking cute and so sweet. Um, and Jamie has also brought in, I don't know, I don't even know how many people, a number of people that she just advertises our store and Maisie and Rue to come down on lunch. And she's just amazing. She is the best. And I'm so happy that she came and hung out with us that night. Maisie and Rue got so much attention from everybody, it was fabulous.

Joe 10:15

So Erica has been telling me about Jamie all week and all the amazing things she's doing and how she loves Maisie and she's there playing with Maisie, and it's awesome. And she's bringing more people down to see the store and everything, everything that Erica just said. So I'm there with Maisie, and she comes over, and I've never met her before, and she just kneels right down and she's like, Maisie, my girl. And she starts patting her, talking to her before she even, you know, acknowledges that I'm alive. And then she kind of looks up and she says, Oh, hi, I'm Jamie. And I said, I assumed as much.

Erica 10:53

Yes. She's got such a friendly and outgoing personality. I met Jamie probably three weeks ago now on a lunch break of hers. She stopped in with two of her other co-workers and she bought one of the black-on-black F-word script hats that Joe said would never sell and was super stupid. Anyways, Jamie bought one and a couple of other things. She brings it back to the office and shows all her coworkers, and she's like, Look at this, this is the coolest hat. The next day, one of her coworkers shows up at 10 o'clock on the dot and is like, I need one of those hats. And she sold us out. Jamie is the best. We love you so much, and I'm so happy that we have built a little relationship at the store. So thank you so much for being one of our biggest super fans.

Joe 11:56

And right about that same time, we had another very special guest enter with what looked like two ginormous pizza boxes, but we all know they were not pizza boxes. And I was actually behind the counter at this moment, and I looked up and I went, Cookies!

Erica 12:19

How did you know they were cookies and not pizza?

Joe 12:22

I just had the divine inspiration come over me. I locked eyes and it was like boom. That's it. Here we are.

Erica 12:30

Yeah.

Joe 12:31

Cookies are here.

Erica 12:34

That's incredible. Our second big super fan of the week shout out goes to Erin from Pink Girl Cookie, who is absolutely fabulous in every single way. Erin from Pink Girl Cookie, we love you. And I have to say that because Erin from Metroland also came in that night. And I was talking to Erin from Metroland when Erin from Pink Girl Cookie came in. So I missed the whole cookie arrival. I was outside brainstorming with Erin about our next big First Friday in Sobro. And then I come back in and I see these gorgeous, like outstanding, awe-struck cookies, right, Joe?

Joe 13:23

I was freaking out when I saw them. So last episode, we talked about how she found us on Instagram, said that she was gonna come down. We said, Oh my god, we're gonna have these custom cookies. That's so cool. Not knowing what that really meant.

Erica 13:37

Right.

Joe 13:38

You know? And then she opened one of the boxes and I got goosebumps, which I think was the theme of the night. Oh, yeah. And I was like, oh my God, these are as legit as you can even imagine. They were beautiful, gorgeous. That's like uh, you know, any professional cookie establishment, it's right there.

Erica 14:00

I honestly think they're better than anything I've ever seen.

Joe 14:04

You said that many times.

Erica 14:05

Yeah, it was impeccable work. She made us a box of our own cookies, so sweet. And so she picked one of every design, and I don't know how many designs there were. There had to be at least six or why do you? Ah, I got I got stuck. Maybe eight or nine.

Joe 14:28

There you go.

Erica 14:30

Different designs. She had Sobro, Shop Local, Support Small, 518 Albany, Ford Orange General Store, like our logo on it. So she took one of each of the designs that she made and put them in a separate box just for Joe and I. Plus, this amazing nipper cookie, a hot pink background. It we're gonna get this one dipped in resin. We're not eating this one.

Joe 14:59

No, it's a work of art.

Erica 15:01

They really are. Like, she's so freaking talented. So if you've never had Pink Girl Cookie, you need to look her up right now. Go buy some, order some. You will not be disappointed. Best cookie that you will ever taste. They are incredible and beautiful, incredibly tastefully beautiful.

Joe 15:24

And she dropped off dozens of them.

Erica 15:27

It was just, I don't know if I have the words.

Joe 15:30

It was overwhelming. Like, yeah. What amazing support and out of the kindness of her heart.

Erica 15:37

I know. Right. Like that had a first A cost a lot of money for her to just do this for us. Two all of that time and effort she put into that just to bring down to the store to like give to us. Like I there are no words for that kindness and thoughtfulness. So I was talking to Erin for a while about her business and what she does for a living, and her and her husband are partners in this business, Erin and Alex, and they both work for the state. And Erin says that she gets up at 2 o'clock most mornings just to do her baking. Like, how? I had a hard time waking up at 4 30 to be on the news last weekend. Like I recovered for like three days. How do you I could never wake up at 2 in the morning and do that? And I said, What time do you go to bed? And she's like, Well, like seven or seven or eight o'clock at night. Like, well, that makes sense. But um, you know, we both shared the sentiment that we enjoy being up early because it's very peaceful and this and that. But two o'clock in the morning is a little too early for me.

Joe 16:50

Yeah, our new routine of a two o'clock bathroom break for little May. Maisie Maisie. Enough for me.

Erica 16:59

Yeah, but anyways, uh, these cookies were absolutely incredible, and we cannot thank Erin and Alex enough for their generosity and like literally making our night. That was just fabulous.

Joe 17:16

It really was. Works of art. Can't say enough good things about it.

Erica 17:19

Yeah, and please check out our Instagram page because uh Erin also invited me to be a collaborator on her post and she showed one of each of the cookie designs she made. Like she literally copied our exact designs on her cookies, they were incredible.

Joe 17:36

Absolutely beautiful. And then we had another guest come in and kind of impromptu conversation happened. And who was that, Erica?

Erica 17:50

So I met at Third Eye Concepts, Angela, and she was just a pleasure. She also hosts the 518 Prime Shots on Instagram. So she is a photographer as well, and another person that enjoys the wee hours of the night and gets up and walks around Albany and finds her inspiration in the evening time when everything's dark and quiet. And I share that sentiment as well. It is beautiful to be out at night. She was just such a lovely lady and had the kindest words, like overwhelmingly kindest words to say to us. And it was a pleasure meeting Angela.

Joe 18:36

It was really nice to watch. I was kind of to the side, and she was waiting, it appeared, to talk to you. And when it was the right time, I think you were talking to a customer, she kind of went up and introduced herself. And then she used words like an inspiration.

Erica 18:58

It feels so weird to hear that.

Joe 19:00

And such a pleasure to meet you and so inspired by everything that you're doing for Albany and downtown. It was the second time we both got goosebumps.

Erica 19:12

Yes.

Joe 19:13

And you gave her a big hug because I think like what do you say to that?

Erica 19:18

Because it was just so nice. I've never had those kind of words given to me before, and I I didn't know how to reciprocate that kindness, so I just gave her a hug.

Joe 19:34

It was so sweet. And then at the end of that conversation, which we're totally not doing justice, she asked for a sobro t-shirt.

Erica 19:43

Yes, she did. So, Angela, thank you. You are getting the very first customer sobro t-shirt. Custom made just for you. We sized it out for her, and I'm gonna be creating that for her this week. And we thank you very much for coming down, supporting our night, meeting you. It was such a pleasure. Thank you so much for being there.

Joe 20:14

And please know, like, we have a packed house, music playing, rich popping cans for everybody. Two dogs running around like crazy, and there's Erica designing a brand new shirt. It was so cool to watch in action, it was a lot of fun.

Erica 20:38

Yeah, it it was every part of that night was just so special, and I'm trying to just keep every little interaction that I had with everybody so sacred because it I don't know if that will ever happen again. And it was so special for me. So thank you to every single person that drove down, interacted, came out, supported. You didn't even need to buy anything, just walking through our doors and being a part of that scene meant so much to us. So thank you.

Joe 21:15

And I think we have one more super fan, new super fan to shout out.

Erica 21:20

One more new super fan, yes. And that shout out goes to Teresa Campbell from Instagram, and we loved meeting you that night. Teresa was so sweet. She was talking to Rich in the beginning and you know, hanging out, and then after I talked to a couple of people, she came over and we started talking. Oh no, this is what she said. It was so sweet. I loved this. I was at the register, she comes up and introduces herself and she's like, Would you mind helping me pick out some stuff for a kid? Because I just don't know stuff. And this and that. And I'm like, sure, I'd love to. So we walk around to the front and I show her some stuff. And we end up getting one of the pink nipper hoodies for her. And then the conversation kept going. And she um let me know that we'd been talking on Instagram. And I was like, oh my God, yeah, you're Teresa Campbell. Like, love everything we've been talking about and her ideas about when she was in Casanovia for the different district and how like our sobro district and how the businesses can work together and this and that. So Teresa was such a pleasure to get to speak with you in person as well as online. And I hope to see you again soon and continue our conversations about how to build up Albany.

Joe 22:46

Yes, I got to hang out with her just a little bit too and just talk and you know chit-chat. And we're talking about, you know, the dogs and talking about kids. And, you know, she shared that story with me too, that she was, you know, looking for something and needed a little help with sizing. And it was it was just fun, like so warm and you know, caring and natural. It was, you know, a great conversation. She's a great person. So thank you, Teresa, for coming down. We really appreciate it.

Erica 23:13

Yeah, thank you. And she drove all the way from Schenectady just to come and support Albany. And how amazing is that to have people coming out from other places into our store and wanting to be a part of the community that we're building.

Joe 23:28

That's awesome. That's awesome. So let's transition now and shout out all our existing super fans that made their way down as well.

Erica 23:39

Yes. Thank you, Jenna and Bailey, for always coming down and supporting our First Friday events and our Stuart. We love you very much. And it wouldn't be the same if you didn't show up.

Joe 23:52

Yes, it's always great seeing you two come, and you always come, and we very much appreciate that. Even when you sass us about things that are on the shelf that you think are just in the back room, that's fine too. We have a great time with you. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I even showed them some of our brand new stickers that weren't even on the floor yet.

Erica 24:10

Right.

Joe 24:10

And we were laughing about those too. So it's just we love you guys.

Erica 24:14

I know. My sister Jenna is the best, although she can be, you know, set in her ways about things. But what I don't know, I came off from talking to people that were in the store. And I go and look in the back, and there she is in the back room, like picking apart our inventory. Like, why don't you have these out on the shelves? Blah blah blah blah blah. I'm like, they are they're in the front, they're right as you walk in the door.

Joe 24:39

And she went, Oh, then I'll buy one.

Erica 24:42

Yes, that's Jenna.

Joe 24:45

And that's why we love her.

Erica 24:47

Yes, there's no one like you, Jay.

Joe 24:51

And you also mentioned Erin Harkes already.

Erica 24:54

Yep. Erin Harkes came down. She was one of the first ones through the door to check out Carolyn's set, which was incredible, by the way.

Joe 25:04

Amazing. You even our 12-year-old was dancing.

Erica 25:07

Yeah, we we need Carolyn Shapiro back because the vibe she put out was so cool. Like that her uh banjo playing skills, incredible, her voice, beautiful, her songs like that she wrote, you know, she has her own songs, amazing. I think she has two records that are out, but then she also did a couple covers in the banjo. Uh, do you remember which one she played?

Joe 25:34

I remember it happening, and I remember going, wait a minute, I know this song because she like wove it into you know her set. She didn't make a big thing out of it. And it escapes me as we're sitting here right now, but it was beautiful. Yeah. And I was like, I know this song.

Erica 25:51

Oh my god, this is I feel like she did the cranberries at one point. I could be wrong, but it was it was just so well done. And so Erin came down to check out her set and see what was happening in Sobro. And uh, yes, Erin, I love seeing you, and we it's been too long. We already said that, and we need to see each other more because the ideas when we are together are just effing crazy.

Joe 26:21

Watch out, America.

Erica 26:23

Like we were standing outside, just kind of spiffin' with the dogs, because we'll get to that story in a minute and why we went outside. But um, I had Maisie on the leash. She has this bright yellow leash with her black fur, and Aaron's like, oh my God, she's a Metroland dog. She's got the Metroland colors. So we did a little photo shoot with her and Maisie. And then, like, her and I were just going back and forth about some ideas, and then all of a sudden, we're like, we have goosebumps from our head to our toes, and we show each other our arms, and they're like literally uh chicken skin, like all the way up on both of our arms. So big ideas are happening and are going to be put into action because when the two of us get together, they really happen. So be on the lookout for that.

Joe 27:16

All right. So I think we have two more stories to tell. I'm gonna tee up this first story because I love it. So because it was First Friday and because it was gorgeous outside, we opened the doors, prop them open so that you know the vibe can go street to store. And somebody commented about how good Rue is, the old lady that she is, and how you know the doors can be open. And they were actually asking the question, oh, does she leave and everything? And Erica. Is so well behaved, she wouldn't walk out for any reason without telling us, basically. You know, I'm paraphrasing here. And then, I don't know, not even 10 minutes later.

Erica 28:03

It was so embarrassing.

Joe 28:04

Somebody caught Rue's eye outside, and she stood up and very slowly meandered right outside to the sidewalk.

Erica 28:15

I would say it was more than a meander. She was on a mission, but it was slow. She saw this person standing out there, and it was like a traction. And she just got up and went straight out to that person. And I'm like, Rue, Rue. I'm in the middle of the conversation with Erin. I'm like, can we go follow her outside? Because this is really weird. She's never done this before. Literally, right after telling it was rich because we're talking about old dogs and blah blah blah. Yes. And how like getting a young dog with an old dog is really good for them, and how Rue's so great, and hoping to transfer some of those good qualities to Maisie, you know, and the time they have together. And I'm like, oh yeah, she's she's so cool and so chill. We can open the doors, she would never go outside without us. Ten minutes later, she's proving me a liar.

Joe 29:07

Nice job, Rue. Proud of you.

Erica 29:11

She knows. She that dog is so smart and so stubborn. She knows everything.

Joe 29:16

Sounds familiar. All right. So the second story I want to tell, I had brought Maisie across the street out in front of the castle. She can do her business. And I was able to just take it all in, you know, from across the street. Yes. And we were out there for a little bit because she is also stubborn as well. And so it was taking a little while. But I was able to watch the foot traffic. And I was able to see Ophelia's. I was able to see our store. I was able to see Lock and Key. I could even see down to the Vandy. And it was just awesome to see the foot traffic and the people around bouncing from place to place and the vibe and people coming over, you know, walking on the grass as well, and just enjoying the sun. It was it was fun. It was alive. It was everything we keep talking about and saying it's going to be.

Erica 30:15

Right.

Joe 30:15

It was.

Erica 30:16

That's incredible. It really was quite a vibe down there on Friday night. It felt energetic. It felt rejuvenated. It felt like this is what we need. This is what Albany is looking for. This is what people are looking for to come together and find community and just hang out. Like even for like an hour, right? Just pop down, catch a real good vibe, have a good conversation, and then you're good. Like it doesn't need to be some blowout, hurdy rave, like crazy drinking fast. Just come on down, talk, have some good conversations, meet some cool people, and then be on with your night, you know? Like just support local people and businesses that are trying to bring something together.

Joe 31:07

Very well said. And it's just great to be able to share these experiences with everyone on this podcast and talk about it after the fact because I think we've said this before. It definitely helps us process and we come out after these, you know, shows that we do with a lot more ideas at the same time because of the conversations that we have. And so thank you for giving us the avenue to do that.

Erica 31:36

Yeah, it was very again. I know I say this all the time, like I just don't have the words, but again, I didn't. Joe and I both left Friday night, knowing that something bigger had just happened. And you know, we kind of talked about it that night when we went to bed, right before we fell asleep. Some of the highlights, like meeting Aaron and Angela and Teresa and Jamie, and all of the conversations, um, and how incredible it was that Rich from Common Roots came down and popped up and wanted to be a part of our community and the music from Caroline. But I don't think we had the words yet to put into how this has all transpired from like talking and thinking and building. And now this was the first first Friday that was very organic that like came from our podcast and our Instagram or Facebook posts, and like people really, really showed up bigger than we could have ever imagined possible. And it's just because of all of you that we are able to be doing what we're doing, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts because this is more than we could have ever expected. Thank you.

Joe 33:07

It's overwhelming, it really is, and I think that's you know, when you keep saying you don't have the words for it, that's what it is. It's overwhelming, and it takes us a while to process it and you know, uh actually put it to words and get the emotions in the right spot because it's just so much, so much.

Erica 33:28

It really is. Like I was getting little glimpses of it throughout the week where people were like, I saw you on the news, great job, love what you're doing. Little pieces here and there, but then like Friday night was just like everybody showed up, and it I was speechless. Like there was so much emotion that I didn't want to try to say anything because I felt like I couldn't put it into words properly to explain how incredible the entire night was from start to finish. You know, it was this anticipation all day long of like, oh my god, what's gonna happen? Are people really coming? Do people even care? And then it was like bam, everybody's there, everybody cares. People want to be down in this community because there are people and businesses that are really putting themselves out there and doing what is right for our city.

Joe 34:31

So thank you once again to you all. Thank you for all those who came out. Thank you to all of our business partners and our super fans. We can't do it alone. We would never want to do it alone, and we can't do it without you. So thank you.

Erica 34:45

Yes, thank you. Without community, we don't have anything.

Joe 34:49

And at this point, we have two snoring dogs. So I think that's our cue to wrap this whole thing up. What do you say, Erica?

Erica 34:58

Probably as much as I'd like to continue saying how amazing Friday night was, it's probably time to say goodbye.

Joe 35:05

So once again, thank you all for listening. And we look forward to sharing all of our stories again with you on Small Business Big Life: Inside Fort Orange General Store.