Hi!
My name is Aaron. I'm the fractional CFO at Tonic.
I'm also Jen's husband of nearly 18 years.
And finally, after years of working on the financials, I got tapped to write a marketing email.
They told me I could write whatever I wanted.
(They may soon regret that.)
What Jen's Really Like
The internet does very few people justice, but here's the truth:
Jen is even more warm, generous, creative, talented, and more magnetic in person than anything you'd see online.
Not only does she run TONIC with a creative genius beyond anyone I've ever met, she also homeschools our kids (and other people's kids), cooks incredible meals, volunteers at our church, texts 345857 people a day, makes friends wherever she goes, hangs out with me, and looks hot doing it.
The most common thing people ask me is, "How does she do it all?"
And man alive, I'm still trying to figure that out after almost 18 years of marriage.
(I think the secret is needing a lot less sleep than the average human.)
I'm a high-capacity person myself, but compared to her, I'm practically decorative—unless we're talking investing, mountain biking, snowboarding, construction, cleaning up after said meals, putting the lid on the toothpaste, or closing kitchen cabinet doors.
At those things? Jen needs to come to MY masterclass.
(I invite her regularly. She declines.)
Launch Week From the Other Side
Most of the time, I don't mind sharing her with the not-small job of running Tonic.
CEO, Head of Product, Creative Director, Marketing Director, Lead Designer, Email Manager... her list of job titles doesn't really end.
And don't get me wrong, she has a very talented, hard-working, loyal and gracious team supporting her and the Tonic community incredibly well... but a small team with enormous vision and execution is no small lift.
So, launch week (read: launch month) is tough. For both of us.
The hours are long, the stress levels are high, and the tech woes are many.
I know it's bad when I ask "So how much is left?" after a 15 hour day and Jen... changes the subject.
And while I love helping people, the problem is, apart from volunteering to order takeout — always a big win!— I can do very little to actually help.
What I can do is recognize the result.
And somehow, every single time Jen emerges from her design cave, I'm impressed. Not loyal-biased-husband impressed. Ruthless-impossible-to-please-critic impressed.
(Poor Jen. No one's ever accused me of being a big teddy bear.)
I have strong opinions. I know good design when I see it.
And the genius, blood, sweat, tears, and untold hours we could have spent relaxing that go into Tonic products? Epic proportions.
I assume since you're here reading this, you already know the results are next level. If you didn't yet, you're about to.
Because I've seen every TONIC product EVER RELEASED over the past 13+ years in business, I can say that I am 100% an expert in the best products Jen's ever made.
So before the sale ends tomorrow, here are my #tonichusband approved power rankings.
My Top 6 Tonic Products
(Unsolicited, but you're getting them anyway.)
1. The most impressive website I have ever seen on the internet. I want to start a company just so I can use it for my own brand. The ways people have customized it are genuinely unreal. I tell Jen how good it is basically once a week.
2. The new kid. Brand new. Fresh and vibrant with a punch that stands out beyond anything else out there. The instant I saw it, I told Jen, "This is going to be a bestseller." Unsurprisingly, I was correct.
3. This epic site.The level of detail and sophistication continues to wow me—a full year after launch. Not every brand needs this kind of classy, high-end vibe. But if yours does, you know.
4. This canva template. Jen used this to quickly put together an unreal magazine for our Longview House Airbnb. Literally every guest raves about it. It's so cool I'm having it printed for the coffee table.
5. These social media templates. I didn't see them finished until last week and when I did, I told Jen I was going to have to update my top-ever list. They're so punchy and eye catching but I can easily picture them customized for so many kinds of brands.
6. This brand template I'll be honest—I asked Jen more than once exactly how it's supposed to be used. But once I understood the use case? Blown away.
I'd love to hear your favorites—as would Jen, no doubt.
Thanks for being the best customers to Tonic and the best friends to Jen.
Click here to save 20% and buy all the things before the sale ends tomorrow.
Seriously. Jen needs a vacation.
Best,
— Aaron Olmstead
