Escape Plan Marketing

09/18/2025

We love the  businesses in downtown Gastonia (DTG). And yet every day I run into people who have no idea what’s going on there. If you haven’t been downtown in the past six months, you’ve gotta check it out. We have bars, restaurants, music, entertainment, and a thriving business community.

09/12/2025

We’re thrilled to partner with the Dream Center Academy Marketing Club this year! 🚀 These bright high school students will be learning real-world skills while managing social media and website content for a nonprofit program that’s making a difference right here in our community.

At Escape Plan Marketing, we believe in empowering the next generation of leaders, creators, and innovators—and we can’t wait to see what this talented group will accomplish.

Stay tuned… they’ve got some big ideas coming your way!

08/08/2025

🎥 Missed our Lunch & Learn with the Gaston Business Association? We’ve got you covered.

The full video of DIY Marketing on a Ramen Noodle Budget is now live on YouTube! 🍜

Angeliki from Moxie Manifest and I teamed up to share practical, budget-friendly marketing tips for small businesses that need results—not fluff.

✅ Build a website that actually works
✅ Reuse content like a pro
✅ Stop wasting money on bad ads
✅ Use AI tools (like my assistant Grace 🤖) to save time and brainpower

👉 Watch the full workshop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDnaVD9KMug

07/31/2025

🤔 Over the past few days, we’ve had several people contact us about unexpected charges showing up on their credit card statements under our name.

🔍 After some digging with Apple and Best Buy, we found the culprit: these charges are actually from Best Buy, usually for the renewal of an AppleCare protection plan (like for an Apple Watch or other device).

🧩 Somehow, our business name is being pulled from outdated records and incorrectly attached to these transactions—likely through Apple Pay or a mobile wallet.

💡 To clarify: we did not charge your card. We’re a marketing agency—we don’t sell electronics or protection plans.

📞 If you’re seeing one of these charges, we recommend reaching out to Best Buy directly to verify and correct it.

We’re working to get this issue fixed on our end. In the meantime, feel free to share this post with anyone who might be confused!

07/22/2025

Loved being a part of this first small business council luncheon learn. Can’t wait to team up with Angeliki from Moxie Manifest again.

🚀 Small Business Council Lunch & Learn: Marketing That Matters Recap!

Our latest Small Business Council workshop was packed with insight! Big thanks to Moxie Manifest and Escape Plan Marketing for helping attendees make sense of Instagram, Google Ads, website design—and how AI tools like ChatGPT are game-changers for small business marketing.

We love seeing Gaston County small businesses grow smarter! 💼👏

07/22/2025

🚀 New on the blog: DIY Marketing on a Ramen Noodle Budget
https://www.escapeplanmarketing.com/resources/diy-marketing-on-a-ramen-noodle-budget/

When you’re growing a small business, your marketing budget is somewhere between “free trial” and “spare change.”
This guide shares real strategies you can use right now—with smart tools, clear advice, and one caffeine-fueled AI assistant named Grace.
🍜 Budget-friendly
📱 Mobile-first
🤖 ChatGPT smart
💡 Actually useful

07/18/2025

What's coolest thing you use AI to do?

Unable to load descriptionOpenAI debuted ChatGPT Agent, a tool that can complete work on your behalf using its own “virtual computer” and is a continuation of its Operator and Deep Research tools.

07/15/2025

Genius.

06/04/2025

Do you think speed limit signs make any difference?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6LIYQRglnM

People don’t really drive based on what a sign tells them. So if signs don’t work, what does?

05/30/2025

😶 Ever find yourself in a conversation, then—poof—your brain just… stops?

You're not boring. You're just overthinking it.

This video breaks down practical tips to keep conversations flowing without forcing it. Topics include:
✅ Follow-up questions
✅ Conversation threading
✅ Recovery when your mind blanks
✅ How to end things gracefully

📚 Plus, the links in the video description are a goldmine of books and research.

💬 What’s something you do to keep conversations from stalling?

👉 Watch the full video:
https://youtu.be/La1ZffENdt8?si=ZMesu4aJJh0G5v7n

How to (Mostly) Never Run Out of Things To Say🤐 Ever find yourself going completely blank in the middle of a conversation? You're not alone, and you're defi...

05/19/2025

🛰️ Imagine going to Mars in just 30 days.
A new kind of space engine could make that real—and it’s not just faster. It’s smarter, lighter, and way more efficient.

It’s a good reminder:
🚫 Sometimes the answer isn’t to go faster.
✅ It’s to rethink the whole system.

💬 What’s something in your world that could use a complete redesign?

👇 Read more:
https://interestingengineering.com/space/fly-to-mars-in-a-month

Nuclear electric rockets could fly to Mars in as little as 45 days. Space firm SpaceNukes is developing the reactor to make this possible.

05/14/2025

⚪️ Gray backgrounds.
⚫️ Sans serif fonts.
🔲 Rounded buttons.

Minimalist design is everywhere—and somehow, nothing stands out anymore.

This video calls out what we’ve all been feeling: When everything is “clean,” everything is forgettable.
We’re trading personality for polish—and losing the soul of good design in the process.

💥 So here’s the question:
Is your brand standing out… or just playing it safe?

👇 Watch this and sound off in the comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4ldeKiSiXw&t=867s

What happens when we strip the personality out of everything from buildings to light posts?