Good morning! Welcome to the first edition of the Middle Tech Newsletter.

In a world where you have near-infinite options for newsletters to subscribe to, we want to set the tone early for ours by telling you exactly what you can expect.

Middle Tech has recently launched The Spotlight Series - a renewed interview series where we highlight entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem supporters that are building our startup ecosystem. The series will be very similar to the interviews we've done over the past 4 years - but with more of an emphasis on getting updates from entrepreneurs we've had on in the past. The goal is to show our audience how the ecosystem is evolving and share founders' learnings from building their companies over the years.

You can expect to receive this email every other week on Wednesday morning. Let’s dive in!

In the Spotlight: Full Court Social

In the latest episode of the Middle Tech Spotlight series, we sat down with TJ Barnett, the founder of Full Court Social, a full-service social media agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. Full Court Social creates, curates, and manages content for a variety of brands, leveraging TJ's experiences from working with the NBA, NFL, and Middle Tech.

TJ shared how Full Court Social evolved from a freelance endeavor into a full-fledged business, with a team of contractors helping to manage the content creation and social media strategies for multiple brands. His agency has seen significant growth, with some notable successes such as growing the following of Lex Exotics from zero to about 60,000 followers across channels in just three months.

We also dive into the challenges of managing personal and professional social media consumption and the mental health implications of running a business.

Over the next few years, Tj envisions Full Court Social expanding into different niches, scaling sales, and building out processes for different styles of brands.

Key Takeaways

1. Leveraging Experience - TJ's experiences from working with the NBA, NFL, and Middle Tech have been instrumental in shaping Full Court Social's approach to content creation and social media management, while also providing the credibility needed to land large clients.

2. Transitioning from Freelancer to Business Owner - The shift from being a freelancer to managing a team of contractors was a significant milestone for Full Court Social. This transition allowed the agency to scale quicker, handle more brands, and grow their operations.

3. The Power of Social Media - Full Court Social's success with brands like Lex Exotics underscores the power of effective social media strategies. By understanding and leveraging trends, Full Court was able to significantly grow the brand's following quickly.

For more information about Full Court Social, you can reach out to TJ Barnett at [email protected] or visit their website at www.fullcourtsocial.com.

ICYMI

Some of our favorite segments from recent Middle Tech episodes:

• AppHarvest Running Out of Money: What Happens Next?

• AI Creates Images from MRI Readings

• Kentucky Invests $117 Million into Small Businesses

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