How to Fund Growth Without Burning Trust with Enon Avital

SPECIAL DOUBLE EPISODE - TWO HOURS OF FUN - TWO EPISODES IN ONE

Enon Avital joins Mark Brickey for a detailed, behind-the-scenes conversation about launching a Kickstarter the right way—without overpromising, overproducing, or eroding the trust of a devoted audience.

Fresh off a fully funded campaign celebrating ten years of Dapper Notes, Enon breaks down how he structured pricing tiers, capped quantities, and resisted the temptation to “swing for the fences.” He explains why modest goals, limited inventory, and realistic fulfillment matter more than headline numbers—and how many Kickstarter failures come from chasing profit instead of sustainability.

To support his kickstarer go here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/enon/dapper-notes-10th-anniversary-notebooks-and-workshops?ref=ctii7q

A major focus of the episode is Enon’s decision to introduce bookbinding workshops as a limited, high-touch offering. Together, Mark and Enon talk candidly about pricing creative expertise, the difference between teaching and content creation, and why workshops should be treated as experiences—not scalable products. They also wrestle with a hard truth: just because people ask for something doesn’t mean they’ll pay for it once real-world value is attached.

The conversation expands into marketing restraint, audience fatigue, and the dangers of becoming a brand that’s always asking for money. Using examples from the stationery world, Enon explains why he deliberately avoids aggressive promotion, how over-marketing can sour even the most loyal communities, and why long-term trust is the most valuable asset a small creative business has.

This episode is a masterclass in thoughtful growth—how to celebrate milestones, experiment responsibly, and build new revenue streams without losing the soul of the work.