Podcasts about amazing seller

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I want to talk about something that we all experience and it's something that could hold us back. It could also play with our minds because we have these voices in our head that keep going over what we're mainly focusing on. Life sometimes gets in the way, and we have to deal with these things. These life interruptions can pull us off of what we're supposed to be focusing on.We feel like we're just stuck because we don't want to move forward until we take care of this problem. It was scary when I pivoted from the Amazing Seller to Niche Properties.I was doing that pivot. That was a big deal because I knew that if I stayed on the Amazon train, I was still selling e-commerce stuff and, you know, products and all that stuff.So I was teaching it. I started to get out of that, and I got more into this space that I'm at now, which is this niche property.I will elaborate more in this episode. Watch this episode below or listen to it above.Enjoy, and let's CRUSH YOUR WEEK! 

Scott Voelker may be a new grandparent but has the energy of a teenager. This year marks his 19th year being self-employed, and although he is slowing down to focus more on family, his workload at Brand Creators is still more than most will tackle in a lifetime.  Running the Rock Your Brand Podcast is his primary focus with nearly 900 episodes and 16 million podcast downloads, but that's just the start.  Last year Scott checked a few things off his to-do list: Wrote the book Take Action Effect. Ran a high-level mastermind (10 people at $25,000 to join). Completed a $200k home renovation for an Airbnb rental. Managed his podcast 175k-350k monthly downloads. Created online courses for Brand Creators. Hosted a live event with over 250 people in attendance. (pre-Covid) Completed a handful of exciting case studies.  Sold a business which all together netted just at 7 figures.  Listen in to hear what Scott has learned and where he will be focusing his time in the future.

I had a special announcement that I didn’t want to wait to make, so I’m posting an unplanned episode of the podcast. I wanted to let you all in on a change that I’ve decided to make. I am closing down my private Facebook group for the Amazing Seller podcast. I started it over five years ago, about six months after starting the podcast. Over the last few years, it’s grown to over 58,000 members, and with it attracted a lot of spammers who don’t belong there. So, I’ve made the decision to close the group. For now, it’ll be archived so you can still search for resources within the group, but moving forward will no longer be any activity within this group moving forward.   What’s Next for Rock Your Brand?   I’ve decided to create a new private group focused on building your brand and a place to qualify to become a member of Brand Creators down the line if you’re interested in that. Brand Creators is our paid group of members that I work with daily to help grow their brands. I wanted to create a new group where I can post my podcast episodes and do my coffee talks live. My focus is to have the new group filled with the right members, so there will be a smaller number of members.   How To Apply For Our New Facebook Group   You’ll need to complete a brief 2-minute application to become apart of the new group. We will require that you have a profile picture and have an established presence on Facebook. We will not allow anyone jumping into our new group for self-serving purposes. We’ll be posting things here that you can’t always get on the podcast, so it’ll definitely be worth it if you’re a good fit. To submit an application, head over to Brandcreatrs.com/ryb if you want to submit an application to become apart of the group.   Providing You With a Better Experience   I will continue to record and post three podcasts a week. I’ll also be hosting my coffee talks on Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 10 am eastern time. If you want to become apart of our Take Action Crew, submit an application, and we’ll host those within our the Rock Your Brand Facebook group moving forward. The goal is to provide you with a better experience. We’re also using this as an application process of sorts for those who want to become members of Brand Creators in the future.   I wanted to take the time to hop on and be completely open and honest with you about the reasoning behind closing the Amazing Seller Facebook group. If you want to be apart of the new Rock Your Brand private Facebook group, fill out the short 2-minute application. I would love to have you and look forward to seeing you on the inside.

It’s HERE - the exciting news that I’ve been waiting to share with my TAS followers for some time has finally arrived! I am thrilled to announce the launch of my newly re-branded podcast, The Rock Your Brand Podcast!  While it’s sad to say goodbye to The Amazing Seller, the truth is, the change is for the better. When you think about the change in your life, you can either face good change or negative change. This change is nothing but positive for me and the crew associated with TAS. We’ll still deliver the interviews and insights you’ve come to know and love over the years but now they’ll be more aimed at brand building specifically.  On this episode, you’ll hear as I explain what led to the podcast re-branding, why I’m so excited about the future, and so much more. I’m so glad you are along for the ride as we usher in this new season with The Rock Your Brand Podcast!  Why Change?  I know that The Amazing Seller Podcast has been a mainstay for many of you over the years and I’m so glad that you’ve been along for the ride. It has been an absolute joy and honor to help hundreds and even thousands of men and women over the years, step out on their own and start something brand new.  For years I’ve challenged people to embrace change and to boldly step into a new chapter - now I’ve got a chance to follow my own advice. I’m not running away from change, I’m embracing it and I hope you’ll do the same!  Pushing through resistance  Every time you set out to do things differently or to start a new direction, you are going to encounter resistance. Sometimes resistance comes in the form of external resistance and sometimes it shows up as internal resistance. How have you dealt with resistance in the past? I felt a ton of resistance as I considered and then embraced the idea of re-branding The Amazing Seller Podcast but I knew that I had to push through the resistance to see positive change. Learn more about the story from TAS to The Rock Your Brand Podcast by listening to this episode!  Come along for the ride!  Why not start something brand new instead of “Re-branding” the TAS podcast? Good question! I decided to re-brand the podcast because I don’t want to leave anyone behind. If you’ve been coming to TAS for years or if this is your first episode - I want everyone to come along for the ride. Also - if you’ve been paying close attention, you know that TAS has been changing the focus over the last year or so to emphasize branding. More helpful branding tips and tons of exciting and insightful interviews are just around the corner - stay tuned for more!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE ROCK YOUR BRAND PODCAST [0:03] My introduction to this episode of the podcast! [4:00] Why rebrand the podcast?  [6:45] How the podcast has been changing for the last 18-24 months.  [9:45] Why the name needed to change.  [14:00] Pushing through resistance.  [16:00] The Rock Your Brand Podcast.  [20:30] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com

Don’t you hate it when you get those annoying emails that practically SCREAM their products at you? When was the last time you were happy to get a telemarketing phone call? Let’s face it, the “Salesy” approach is the worst! What if there was a way to communicate with your target audience without turning them off? You’ve come to the right place!  It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller! On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he teases some exciting news for TAS and as he gives a detailed walkthrough of a successful email he recently sent out to his brand. Make sure you have pen and paper handy for this episode - you don’t want to miss it!  How to make a solid connection with people  At the heart of Scott’s effective email marketing approach is a desire to really connect with people on a personal level. You don’t need to be formal with your email messages - in fact - its best to keep your emails lighthearted and fun! Using friendly banter and lingo that your target audience gets is also a critical aspect to making that personal connection. To learn more about Scott’s approach and how to get your followers to let their guard down, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Keep it simple  Let’s face it, the reason why most marketing fails is that the marketer doesn’t take the time to really get to know their audience. Generic and complicated emails are what drive people away - why do so many businesses continue with this outdated approach? Making a connection with people takes effort - but not much! According to Scott, the best thing you can do when writing your marketing emails is to keep your message simple. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott breaks down exactly what sellers like you need to write to keep your followers engaged!  New Changes Coming!  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott loves to change things up from time to time. Each time Scott rolls out a new change - it’s always a good one that helps sellers like you take your business to the next level of growth. Comming as soon as Monday, May 11th, Scott will be announcing some pretty big changes for The Amazing Seller podcast. Are you excited? It’s going to be an episode that you don’t want to miss!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:30] BIG CHANGES COMING!  [4:00] An email marketing approach that works.  [7:15] Scott shares an email that he sent out to his brand.  [10:30] Keep it simple - an effective email isn’t as hard as you think.  [16:00] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.theamazingseller.com/coffee

Is it time to re-think your business strategy? Are you doing enough to reach out to and connect with your target audience? What is holding your business back from reaching its full potential? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he sits down with Dave Manley from MMA Bobblehead for an update on his brand and key lessons he has learned over the last year. This is your chance to learn from a seller just like you - make sure to have pen and paper handly - you don’t want to miss a minute of this powerful episode!  Pulling back the curtain  Do your followers know what you are working on right now? Have you invited your followers into your brand on a deeper level? While every brand doesn’t lend itself to a “Behind the scenes” look, for those that do - pay attention to what Dave has done! By inviting his followers to participate in the crafting, producing, and launching of each new MMA Bobblehead, Dave has created a loyal following. To hear more about how Dave keeps his followers plugged in, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Make them feel special  Have you ever been part of a VIP group or a special club? Remember in high school when everyone wanted to be part of the “In” crowd? What if there was a way to get that sort of effect when it comes to creating excitement for your brand? According to Dave, the best way to create loyal fans is by inviting them to be part of an exclusive insider’s group. After creating the VIP Cage Fight Club, Dave saw his customer engagement skyrocket - more to the point, Dave says that he genuinely enjoys the group he created. What would an exclusive group in your brand look like? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear more from Dave and Scott!  Lead with providing value  Have you ever been in a scenario or a relationship where someone continuously asked you for something without offering anything in return? Let’s face it, no one likes to be taken advantage of – but it can feel that way when someone asks something of you without providing value in return. Don’t let that happen to you and your business! Scott and Dave encourage sellers like you to get into the habit of delivering value way before you ever make an ask of your customers. To hear more from Scott about this critical topic, make sure to tune in to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Take Action!  Listening to Dave and Scott can really get you fired up and ready to take action! So what are you going to do? Are you ready to make some serious headway with your brand or will you go back to the same old routine? The truth is, if you want something you’ve never had, you need to do something you’ve never done before! Remember, you aren’t alone - Scott has created some helpful resources that sellers like you can utilize to take your business to the next level of growth.  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:00] Dave Manley joins the podcast to give an update about his business.  [7:15] Pulling back the curtain.  [12:30] Why it pays to be a super-fan.  [20:00] Dave explains how everything changed after his coaching call with Scott.  [26:30] Brand building is the way to future-proof your business.  [29:30] Providing value before you make the ask.  [43:00] How Dave launched a new product during the COVID-19 crisis.  [49:00] What Dave is excited about regarding the future of his business.  [54:00] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The 5-Minute Pitch TAS 704 & TAS 705 www.theamazingseller.com/coffee www.brandcreators.com www.takeactioneffect.com

Don’t you hate it when you can’t figure out which way to approach a critical aspect of your business? What do you usually do to solve the issue? Do you gather advice from respected sources? If so, this episode is for you! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott and Chris as they share their insights on building an email list. The guys go through three tactics that sellers like you can use to build an email list and grow a following for your brand. Have pen and paper ready - you don’t want to miss a minute of this powerful episode!  Email list building works! If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you get behind the idea of building an email list. Too often sellers spend too much of their time and energy focusing on channels they can’t control - email list building is different. By focusing on and relentlessly growing your email list, you will have direct access to your target market. To learn more about using email marketing as effectively as possible, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Contest giveaways  Have you tried using contest giveaways to build your email list and your brand’s following? What are you waiting for? Sure there will be some people who will sign up just to get the free thing you are providing but if you play your cards right - you’ll get the right people. It all comes down to what you are giving away - you can limit who signs up by niching down what prize you give away. To hear how Scott and Chris run their contest giveaways, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Checklist and worksheet giveaway  While a contest giveaway sounds good, you might not have the funds to get an attractive prize that will get people to sign up. What should you do if you want to get the right people to sign up but you don’t have a ton of resources? According to Scott and Chris, the answer to consider putting together a free resource like an ebook, checklist, or worksheet. If you provide something valuable, people will respond by giving your their email list - it really works! Learn more about using an asset like an ebook to attracting the right people by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:45] Why email marketing is so powerful.  [7:15] Yes, email list building is effective!  [9:00] Contest giveaways.  [20:00] Why it’s a good idea to study your competition.  [21:45] Scott recaps all three tactics.  [23:30] Need help getting started?  [27:00] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.listbuildclass.com

What is the state of the ecommerce industry right now? Is it possible to launch a successful ecommerce business in 2020 or has the ship sailed? If you are wondering what it takes to start a brand or a new aspect of your business in 2020, you’ve come to the right place! It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he introduces an extended session of Coffee Talk where he discussed what he would do if he had to start over in 2020. You’ll want to pay close attention to this episode - Scott has some helpful tips that you don’t want to miss!  Attention is the new currency Over the years, Scott has been doing his best to convince sellers like you to start focusing on attracting the right attention as you build your ecommerce business. If you create the right content, you’ll bring in the right attention to your brand - then you can use that attention to build a following. What are you doing right now to improve the attention that your brand attracts? Learn more about reaching your target market by listening to this informative episode of The Amazing Seller!  Become known as a giver!  Don’t you hate it when you feel like someone is trying really hard to sell you something? Getting “Sold” something makes you feel like a giant target for salespeople to hit. How do people feel when you try to sell them something from your brand? Are you giving them enough value before you make your ask? Years ago, Scott learned the critical value of focusing on providing value to people multiple times before you ask them to buy something. To hear more helpful tips like this one from Scott, make sure to tune in to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Video works wonders  What is your strategy when it comes to leveraging videos to expand your brand? When was the last time your ecommerce brand posted a video on any of your channels? If you aren’t using videos right now to reach others and spread your message - you are missing out on a powerful tool! Go ahead and scan your Facebook newsfeed or your Twitter feed, what do you see? Videos! Make sure your brand doesn’t get left behind as others embrace the use of video marketing - listen to this epsode of The Amazing Seller to learn more!  Don’t let fear hold you back!  Let’s face it, a lot of people want to fire their boss and work for themselves but too many people are afraid to step out and trying something on their own. You’ve already decided that you are ready to step out and do something you’ve never done before. Don’t let fear come creeping back in and scare you away from taking action. To learn more about confronting your fear and stepping out on your own, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:45] What Scott is up to these days.  [7:45] How Scott would start an ecommerce business from scratch.  [11:45] Why grabbing your target market’s attention is so important.  [14:45] Provide value!  [20:30] Every time you start a new brand, act like you are starting from scratch.  [29:00] Planting seeds in your market.  [34:00] Create content consistently.  [35:30] Leverage videos to expand your reach.  [43:00] Getting over your fear of being the face of your brand.  [47:30] How to launch a book for your brand.  [51:30] Why Scott loves talking about reaching new audiences.  [57:30] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/coffee Social Media Examiner www.brandcreators.com www.takeactioneffect.com

Scott Voelker is the founder and host of The Amazing Seller, a top-ranked podcast that helps everyday people start and grow online e-commerce businesses. I met Scott about a year ago at the Puerto Rico masterminds and we talked for hours about life and business. He’s in a different internet marketing space than I am, but what he talked about piqued my interest. I’ve thought about diversifying my income streams in the past, and now more than ever us entrepreneurs need to be considering these things. So, in this episode, Scott explains how to diversify and future proof our businesses. He talks about:   1. The cornerstone that is your email list 2. Evergreen assets and the importance of getting traffic 3. Monetizing our chosen database 4. Starting other brands to diversify your revenue 5. The difference between personal brands and e-commerce 6. How uncomfortable moments show us who we really are and what we really want   Resources: The Amazing Seller podcast The Take Action Effect: Proven Steps to Build a Future-Proof Business & Create Your Ultimate Freedom   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikekimtv   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com 

If you rely on or base much of your business model on Amazon’s Affiliate program, chances are you have a lot of questions! How will Amazon’s recent change impact your business? What are your options going forward? Here to cover these questions and a lot more are Scott and Chris! On this episode, the guys will cover the recent change with Amazon’s Affiliate program, how sellers like you should respond, key advice for future-proofing your business, and so much more. Make sure to have pen and paper ready - you don’t want to miss a minute of this episode!  What are you waiting for? Diversify!  The last thing you want your business to resemble is a Jenga tower - if the wrong piece gets removed - it all comes crashing down! How do you ensure that your ecommerce business doesn’t look like a failed game of Jenga with shelved block laying all over the floor? The answer is to future-proof your business by diversifying. For years, Scott has been a huge proponent of expanding your brand and keeping it independent from any singular channel. To learn what it takes to diversify your brand going forward - make sure to listen to this episode!  Turning change into opportunity  Let’s face it, most people hate change. Even if you don’t like it, keeping things the way they are is predictable! If you want to get anywhere in life or business, you’ve got to be willing to embrace change - good or bad. What if there was a way to shift your mindset to see change as an opportunity? In the past, Scott saw change as a challenge and even an adversary but he soon learned to look at it a little differently. What is your relationship like when it comes to change? Are you ready to make a plan or do you need some helpful advice? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn more about this topic from Scott and Chris!  Tools designed for you  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about equipping and encouraging sellers like you. While Scott can’t sit down for a coaching call for every TAS follower - he has created resources to help you learn the best path forward for brand building. Especially during these challenging times of isolation and uncertainty - it’s helpful to hear from a voice of clarity and expertise. You can learn more about the tools that Scott and his team have developed by listening to this episode and by visiting the links located in the resources section.  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:00] Why Chris is the “Brains” behind TAS.  [4:30] Scott and Chris go over the recent change with Amazon’s Associate program.  [8:20] Make sure to diversify your brand!  [14:20] Looking at change as an opportunity.  [17:00] What sellers should do about their Amazon Associate account.  [22:10] Scott and Chris share their thoughts on how to move forward.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com

What would it mean for your business if you could become known as the “Go-to person” in your niche market? Is there a way to pivot the direction of your business and make a more practical approach? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he sits down with his guest, Michael Stelzner.  Michael is the founder of Social Media Examiner, author of the books “Launch” and “Writing White Papers”, and the man behind Social Media Marketing World–the industry’s largest conference. He’s also the host of the Social Media Marketing podcast and founder of the Social Media Marketing Society. In his conversation with Scott, Michael brings his seasoned and knowledgeable approach to branding and content creation. If you are ready to really dig into how to create a thriving and successful business - don’t miss a minute of this powerful episode!  From “I have to,” to “I want to.”  Let’s face it, building a business from the ground up is not for the faint of heart! So much of building your business revolves around tasks that you have to complete or you’ll never get anywhere. At some point, you need to make the shift from doing what you “Have to do” to what you “Want to do.” Where are you in your journey? Are you still in the “Have to” phase? What will it take for you to get to the “I want to” phase? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear more from Scott and Michael as they discuss this important topic!  Content is KING If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you understand that content is key to a successful ecommerce business in 2020. Don’t just take Scott’s word for it! Michael has his own success story with creating content that connectes with people.  On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott and Michael as they explain why content is king, how niche markets work, why you should model your business off this method, and so much more. Don’t just hope your ecommerce business with succeed, learn from helpful examples that actually worked! You’ll need pen and paper for this fascinating episode – don’t miss it!  Telling your story with your brand.  What is the story with your ecommerce brand? Are you giving people a reason to connect with you over your competitors? If you aren’t taking a storytelling approach with your brand you could be missing out on a huge opportunity! Too often Scott hears sellers say things like “I don’t have a story to tell.” That’s not true!  Your journey and your approach will connect with people, just give it a chance. What do you have to lose? If you want to build a following that will sustain an ecommerce business, then give Scott and Michael’s method a chance to succeed. Learn more about building a business that connected with people and sustains that connection by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:50] Scott welcomes his guest, Michael Stelzner.  [3:15] Michael opens up about his career and how he got started in ecommerce.  [9:00] What happened with Michael’s project, “The Journey?”  [16:00] From “I have to,” to “I want to.”  [18:40] Michael talks about his validation process.  [25:00] The key to everything is content marketing.  [31:30] Scott and Michael examine Pat Flynn’s SwitchPod.  [35:30] Telling your story with your brand.  [39:40] The value of authenticity.  [41:30] How to connect with Michael.  [46:20] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Michael Stelzner’s website  Social Media Marketing Podcast  5 Minute Pitch Gary V Buy SwitchPod Here

If your brand won’t support a physical product then you are in big trouble, right? Not so fast! Years ago, the rule of thumb in the ecommerce world was to find a niche market and create products that market would buy - that’s still a good recipe, just not the only one for success.  It’s time for another informative and engaging session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller! On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he explains how sellers like you can create a thriving business through digital products, affiliate programs, and more. You’ll want to pay close attention to this episode - have pen and paper handy!  Make sure to diversity!  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you expand your brand. One of the best ways to expand your brand is to set it up for success from the start. As you build your brand - consider how you can connect with others in the market and even leverage those relationships to expand your brand. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry - Scott has you covered! Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott give key advice that can help you take your ecommerce brand to the next level of growth.  Three helpful tips from Scott Can you really build a successful ecommerce brand without Private Label Products? Long-time TAS followers know that Scott has been a huge proponent of private label products in the past and that’s not changing. Scott is simply advising sellers to think broader about how they can use their brand to make a profit. On this episode, Scott covered three helpful questions to ask yourself as you validate your target market.  Is the market buying products on Amazon or online?  Are there digital products being sold?  Are there ads being served to your market?  To hear how sellers like you can really drill down and focus on your target market without relying exclusively on a private label product - make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:45] Answering a question from a TAS follower like you.  [4:15] Affiliate programs and adding more revenue to your business.  [7:30] Stop focusing on physical products exclusively - diversify!  [10:20] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.theamazingseller.com/ask ClickBank

Are you tired of stressing out about the lack of traffic to your website? Are you looking for new and innovative ways to engage your target audience? If you are ready to put in the work - you’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he discusses his three steps to finding keywords to rank your website quickly. Don’t leave something as important as website traffic up to guesswork - take advantage of Scott’s tried and tested approach. Make sure you have pen and paper ready for this episode - you are going to need it!  Is website traffic really worth all the effort?  As you build your ecommerce business, you’ve likely heard of the need to attract and direct website traffic. What does it look like to attract the right type of traffic? How much traffic is enough? To cut through all the complexity surrounding website traffic, Scott has compiled the results of several brands that he has started over the years. Going through this data, Scott will help sellers like you see the value of getting qualified and quality traffic coming to your website. Learn more about this critical topic from Scott by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  How is your email list?  What is the status of your email list? Has it been a while since you’ve contacted them? Has your list gone cold? Are you struggling to build an email list in the right place? Don’t worry, you are not alone! Scott has been focusing a lot of time and energy into easy to use resources that will help you build an email list. Make sure to check out the resources section at the end of this post to learn more about building a robust email list! Creating content  Did you know that one of the best ways to attract traffic to your ecommerce brand and to your home base is by creating sharable content? It’s true! What type of sharable content could you develop that would make your brand stand out from the competition? Would your fans respond better to a YouTube video or an ebook? Try turning that question on your brand’s followers and see what they have to say! There are so many ways to break away from the rest of the pack and help your brand shine – you just need to do the hard work to find out what would work best. Listen to this valuable episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott gives some tips and insights that you can use to help your brand succeed!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:00] Why drive targeted traffic to your website?  [4:40] What is a “Home base?”  [7:00] Creating content buckets.  [9:00] Answer common questions!  [12:30] Drilling down with keyword research.  [18:00] Just get started - the growth will come.  [21:00] Writing an appealing and effective post.  [25:00] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.answerthepublic.com Uber Suggest

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks that you need to tackle this week? How do you avoid feeling overwhelmed and actually get your tasks done? If you are sick of seeing your dreams go unrealized year after year - this is the episode for you! On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he shares his hard-earned advice and insights on what it takes to cut through all of the noise and focus on what really matters. You’ll need pen and paper ready for this powerful episode - don’t miss it!  Dump your thoughts on paper    One of the best ways that Scott has found to get all of the noise and distractions cleared out is by dumping all of his thoughts out on paper. While it may sound like a simple exercise, the truth is - it works! What do you have to lose by trying? It doesn’t take much, just grab some paper and a pen and sit down with your thoughts. Soon, things will start to fill up your paper - important things and unimportant things. Worry about sorting it all out later - at first, you just want to focus on getting the thoughts from your mind to the paper. Have you tried this exercise before? How did it go for you?  Make a plan and stick to it   Let’s face it, there are a ton of people out there who are trying to start something from scratch - what makes you think you’ll succeed? While there are a ton of people out there with drive, very few budding leaders have a plan. If you don’t have a plan yet, what are you waiting for? No one is going to sit you down and hand you a blueprint for success - you’ve got to figure it out for yourself! To hear how Scott put his plans in place and succeeded over time, make sure to tune in to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Identify your priorities    If you had to list out the top priorities for the week, could you? What about your top priorities for the day? While it may sound silly - try listing out your top priorities at the top of a page each day and watch what happens. There is something about the simple act of writing down what you plan to do and what you need to get done that simplifies everything. Kick complexity and chaos to the curb and learn what it takes to embrace a thoughtful and diligent approach. Listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn more helpful tips and insights from Scott!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER   [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:45] Do you feel distracted? You aren’t alone!  [3:15] The value of getting your thoughts out on paper.  [7:00] What are your big three?  [12:00] The challenge of working for yourself.  [14:00] Be intentional with your time.  [18:00] Never start your day answering emails.  [20:00] Closing thoughts from Scott.    RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE   www.theamazingseller.com/coffee  www.theamazingseller.com/ask 

What if there was a way for you to make money without sourcing a product for your brand just yet? Does that sound too good to be true? It’s not! By using programs like Amazon’s Affiliate Marketing program, sellers like you can leverage your email list and home base to publish content about other products. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he explains how to use Amazon’s affiliate marketing program to your advantage. This is a helpful episode - you don’t want to miss a minute!  Don’t overcomplicate it! If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you see the value in creating content for your niche market. Have you started creating content yet? What are you waiting for? It may sound intimidating and scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Just start creating content like product reviews, or comparisons, or helpful tips for others in your niche. What do you have to lose? Sure, your first videos or blog posts won’t be completely polished and professional, but that’s OK. There is always room to grow and improve, but you’ve got to put yourself out there! Tune into this informative of The Amazing Seller to learn more about this crucial topic from Scott!  Building an email list If you had a sure-fire way to communicate with your customer base, roll out new promotions to spike your sales, and test new product ideas, would you jump on board? Of course, you would! So how’s your email list strategy working out? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and makes the case for leveraging a well thought out email list plan to build your business. While it’s not always perfect and there can be issues along the way, building an email list has proven time and time again to be one of the best ways to connect with your customers and drive sales. Hear more on this topic from Scott by listening to this episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:00] What are the best practices for affiliate marketing?  [5:15] Comparing products.  [9:00] How to make money using the Amazon Associate program.  [11:15] Making the most of your social media channels.  [12:15] Scott recaps his best practices for affiliate marketing and Amazon.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com

Scott Voelker produces an Amazon FBA Podcast — and for many of you, that statement was total jibberish. That’s because Scott has discovered that driving deep into a niche topic enables him to attract a very niche and passionate audience. So, just so you have some context… The FBA part of what I said stands for “Fulfilled by Amazon,” it’s a way of selling products you create or source and have Amazon ship them, handle customer service, handle the processing - everything. It’s an AMAZING possibility for those who want to build their own product-based business. But it’s NOT easy, as Scott explains. You’ll hear his story, learn about how he learned online marketing and creative digital product creation, retail arbitrage, Amazon FBA, and serving others to help them succeed. You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you... Are willing to take action to move forward… no matter where you’re starting from [0:52]  Love stories of people who’ve paid their dues to reach success [4:36] Wonder if you can succeed without a college degree [10:48] Are in a situation that feels hopeless or “dead end” [15:35] Have always wanted to start and run your own business [17:30] Are curious about selling Private Label products [30:40] Want to learn how to make your own luck and build an audience [37:10] Would like to know the benefits of creating your own  podcast [41:20] Are interested in discovering what you have to offer an audience [43:20] GET NOTIFICATIONS OF NEW EPISODES OF... Podcastification (this show) Scott’s podcast: The Amazing Seller 5 Minute Pitch (Scott’s podcast partnership project) CONNECT WITH: Carey and the Podcast Fast Track Team: https://PodcastFastTrack.com  Scott: https://TheAmazingSeller.com  Read the FULL show notes, including resources mentioned on this episode at https://PodcastFastTrack.com/133 Music used in this episode: "Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Rock Your World" from https://Audionautix.com (Jason Shaw)

  What would it mean for your business if you were able to increase your current website traffic by 235%? Does that sound too good to be true? It’s not! While these numbers aren’t easy to achieve, they aren’t impossible. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he gives an update on a case study he has been conducting. Sharing his unique approach, Scott wants more sellers like you equipped to go out there and succeed. Make sure to have pen and paper ready for this powerful episode - you don’t want to miss it!  Traffic is KEY If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you make the shift to attracting traffic with content creation. Will all the work to attract traffic really pay off? Is it even possible for new sellers to bring in such a huge following to sustain a brand? If you are ready to put in the time, Scott has the roadmap that will help you get your business in the best position for long-term success. Pay close attention as you listen to this engaging episode of The Amazing Seller! Scott’s tried and tested approach While results may vary - Scott is convinced that the approach he has developed will show upward movement for sellers like you. Scott doesn’t just develop his plans and processes in a vacuum, he puts it to the test before he brings it to his TAS audience. Here is Scott tested approach that increased website traffic by 235% in 30 days.  Know your market Create content.  Use Pinterest.  Build an email list.  Start monetizing after you hit 10k - don’t do it too early.  Stay the course.  To hear Scott break down his approach step by step, make sure you take the time to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller - you’ll be glad you did!  Be patient! Let’s face it, waiting for something to grow over time is not easy! The old saying rings true, “A watched pot never boils.” The more you build up anticipation and unrealistic hope for your business to shatter expectations, the more you will be disappointed. Remember, building a thriving ecommerce business is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t worry, your business will get there - you can’t expect success overnight! Learn more about the need for patience and much more by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:45] Attracting the right traffic.  [7:45] Creating content trees.  [11:45] Content buckers.  [14:00] Scott talks about using Pinterest to plan out your content.  [18:00] Be patient - growth takes time!  [19:30] Scott recaps his approach.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.brandcreatorsbook.com

How has the COVID-19 situation impacted your business? Has it derailed your plans for 2020 and put your business in a state of chaos? What if there was a way to plan and prepare your business to endure this situation and come out the other end thriving? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he welcomes his guest, Jeff to sit down and discuss how sellers like you can prepare your business for this difficult time we are in. You’ll want to have pen and paper close by for this powerful episode!  Everything is up in the air  Let’s face it, everyone is scared and no one knows how this COVID situation will all shake out in the end. Why not face your fears and assess the situation? Just because someone grabbed the snowglobe of life and turned it upside down - it doesn’t mean that you can’t hunker down and figure out your next step. If you feel like you are out of control - you are in good company! While we don’t have the power to change the situation, we can change our approach. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn how Scott is preparing to endure this challenging time, you don’t want to miss it.  Put plans in place!  While you have all of this extra time at home or just freed up time due to limited public outings, why not put this time to work for your business? Take this opportunity to study your competition and do some deep dives into what makes your target market tick. Where do you need to get started today? To get some detailed plans to help you succeed, listen to Scott and Jeff’s seasoned advice on this detailed episode of The Amazing Seller!  Don’t let fear win!  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is dedicated to helping sellers like you succeed in the ecommerce industry. Over the years, Scott has built a reputation on his ability to cut through all the complexity out there and deliver clear advice that actually works. Scott won’t sell you on some get quick rich scheme and he won’t have guests that do that either! Rather than play on your fears and worries about this anxious time - Scott wants to give you tools that will help you. Use this time to put fear in its place - it’s time for you to get back in the driver’s seat. Learn more about tackling fear and moving forward with a plan for success by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller featuring Scott and his guest, Jeff!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [4:00] Jeff joins Scott on the podcast.  [5:45] How is the COVID-19 virus impacting the marketplace?  [7:15] Jeff explains how he got started in the ecommerce industry.  [15:30] Why you need a third-party warehouse connection.  [20:00] Is it a good idea to do Fulfilled by Merchant?  [23:00] What should you do if you are dependent on China for supplies?  [27:00] Should you still launch a product right now?  [30:00] Raising your product prices.  [35:00] Why it’s a good idea to diversify your brand.  [37:45] How to connect with Jeff and his services.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE http://www.theamazingseller.com/turnkey

How is your ecommerce business coming along? Are you right in the middle of building your business or are you just getting started? Wherever you are in your journey - you’ve come to the right place! It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller! On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he addresses a common question from TAS followers like you - can I start a business with ZERO money down? Scott’s short answer is, yes! Tune into this episode to hear more about getting starting and making the most of your ecommerce business - you don’t want to miss it!  Yes, you can get started with nothing  Too often business leaders get so fixated on the idea of coming out of the gate swinging with a fully developed brand. Even though you don’t have everything figured out with a game plan for the next 12 months - it doesn’t mean you can’t take action and get the ball rolling today. Why not start identifying your target market? Why not start creating content that your market can engage with? It doesn’t cost you any money to start writing blog posts and creating videos! To hear how Scott would start an ecommerce business with no money down today, make sure to listen to this informative episode of The Amazing Seller!  Do your research! Did you know that one of the best ways to start an ecommerce business is by studying the marketplace? It’s true! Too much talk has been dedicated to people who seem to make something out of nothing - but that’s not how most businesses start! If you take the time to do your research and understand what the market wants and what it will react favorably toward - that’s a recipe for success. Learn more about doing your own research to put your business in the best position for success by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Build an email list and keep it warm  Do you have an email list started for your brand yet? What are you waiting for? Time and time again, Scott has found that building an email list and keeping list subscribers engaged is one of the most important things you can do for your small business. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to have a line of communication with people who want to support your business and see you succeed? Learn from Scott’s expert perspective as an email list builder and so much more by tuning into this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:00] Can you start an online business with no money?  [4:45] Manage your expectations! [6:15] Choose the right market.  [8:15] Content will bring your money.  [10:15] Build an email list!  [13:00] Commit and stay consistent.  [16:00] Scott recaps how sellers like you can get started.  [17:45] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.theamazingseller.com/807 www.buildlistclass.com

Are you seeing the type of results that you had expected with your ecommerce business? What is going to do to set your brand apart from everyone else in the marketplace? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he takes his seasoned perspective and examines how a niche website gets over 470,00 visitors each month. Scott also explains how sellers like you can leverage traffic and content to bring in a profit for your business. Have pen and paper ready - you don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode!  Have you validated your market?  Do you ever feel like you are spinning your wheels when it comes to getting ahead in your particular corner of the market? What are you doing to make yourself stand out from all the other leaders vying for your audience’s attention? One of the primary reasons many ecommerce sellers run into early challenges with their brand is due to an inadequate validation process. Don’t let what happens to so many ecommerce sellers happen to you! Follow Scott’s vital advice by listing to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Content that connects When was the last time you read a really compelling piece of content on the internet? Try taking a minute and breaking down what made that content stand out in your mind. Did it answer a question you found yourself asking? Did it touch on a topic you are especially interested in? If you want to make your brand stand out in the minds of people in your market - do the hard work of making content that they’ll find helpful and relevant. Discover more helpful tips about content creation and so much more by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Do your research! Let’s face it, most sellers don’t have time to scope out and do a deep dive on all their competitors. Knowing and understanding how just one or two of your top competitors operate would be valuable information to have. Scott has a great way of taking a look at how businesses have operated over several years of operation. Why not take some time and look a little bit closer at your competition? You can hear more about taking a trip through the Wayback Machine and so much more by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller.  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:00] Brand Creator’s Academy.  [4:20] Validating a target market according to Scott.  [11:00] Leveraging old content.  [14:30] Making the most of your social media posts.  [17:45] Do you have digital products that will support your brand?  [19:30] Taking a look back.  [23:00] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com Wayback Machine - Internet Archive

Are you ready to take on the weekend and do the work necessary to help your ecommerce business grow? What are your top priorities as you build your business? If you want some solid advice from an experienced source, you’ve come to the right place! It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he explains how sellers like you can build a thriving ecommerce business based on niche markets that include hobbies and other sectors of the market. Have pen and paper ready, you are going to need it for this informative episode! Is brand building just for hobbies?  While building a brand around a hobby might be an easy and low hanging fruit option for many sellers there are those who want to build a brand that is not based on hobbies. Is that even possible? Yes! You don’t have to build your ecommerce business around hobbies - it’s just a helpful starting point. If you can leverage something you know and love to grow a business, why not give it a try? Some people want to keep work and personal life separate, that’s fine - there are still plenty of opportunities in the marketplace. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn more about this topic from Scott - you don’t want to miss it!  Helpful examples from non-hobby niches  If you are wondering how to build an ecommerce business in a non-hobby niche, Scott’s got you covered! Taking on a question from one of his Brand Creator Academy attendees, Scott compiled a list of four examples from leaders who successfully built their business on non-hobbies.  In-ground pool repair and help.  Health and wellness - not a hobby but something many people care about!  Providing digital products to help people prep for tests, licenses, and exams.  Bulletproof coffee and bio-hacking.  To hear Scott expand on how each of these non-hobby niches has helped leaders build successful and thriving businesses, make sure to listen to this engaging episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [5:00] Validating your target market.  [12:30] Why you need to know what your market is looking for.  [14:30] Creating digital products for your market.  [16:45] Expanding your brand and serving your niche market.  [19:40] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/ask www.brandcreators.com

Is your ecommerce brand bringing in enough traffic to keep your business running? Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to boost traffic and your sales without spending thousands of dollars? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he goes over the results of a recent case study from a seller like you. If you are ready to put in the work required to see actual change occur in your business, you’ve come to the right place! Have pen and paper ready - you are going to need it! What does it look like to build out your brand?  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you build out your brand. What does it look like to build out your brand in 2020? According to Scott, it all comes down to driving traffic to your home base or website - from there, Scott suggests investing time and energy into growing assets like your YouTube channel. To hear Scott expand on what it looks like you build your brand in 2020 and so much more, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! What are you waiting for - build an email list!  What is the status of your email list? Has it been a while since you’ve contacted them? Has your list gone cold? Are you struggling to build an email list in the right place? Don’t worry, you are not alone! Scott has been focusing a lot of time and energy into easy to use resources that will help you build an email list. Make sure to check out the resources section at the end of this post to learn more about building a robust email list! Steps you can take  Would you like to know exactly what it takes to increase product sales by 73% and add 9,366 email subscribers for your brand? Reviewing some data from a TAS follower, Scott was able to identify these areas that will help sellers like you succeed in 2020 and beyond.  Know your market and what they want.  Present a lead magnet with a landing page for your followers to enter.  Use Facebook Ads. Give them more ways to enter.  Follow up with your contest participants and give them a discount or some other value.  Where do you need to start today? What are you waiting for? Put a date on your tasks and make them happen! To learn more about accomplishing your goals and so much more, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:30] What does it look like to “Build out your brand?”  [4:30] The advantage that building an email list gives you.  [6:45] Scott sets the scene and explains the backstory of the case study.  [8:30] Lead magnets and giveaways.  [12:00] Encouraging your fans to share your content.  [13:45] Scott recaps the steps you can take for similar results.  [15:30] Is it really worth it? [19:30] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.theamazingseller.com/boost

Could your brand use a simple and reproducible strategy to bring people to your website at the drop of a hat? If you want a method that you can imitate in order to find similar success, you’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he shares a few examples of how he has attracted traffic, maintained his email list of over 35k, what it takes to bring people in, and so much more. Have pen and paper ready, you don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating episode!  Build your home base!  Have you built your home base for your brand yet? What are you waiting for? Too many sellers who want to get ahead and give their business the best chance to succeed, fail to build a home base to direct their followers too. When you first get started, your home base doesn’t need to be extravagant and perfect, just make it simple and easy to use! To learn more about leveraging your home base to your full advantage, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Tools made for you If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you succeed. Where else can you go to get a solid option that you can trust? Staying true to his mission, Scott has put together several resources to help ecomerce sellers get their brand started and standing on a solid foundation. What are you waiting for? Check out just a small sampling of the helpful resources that Scott has to offer by checking out the resources section at the end of this post.  Scott’s special tip  When you send out an email to your follower, are you making sure to follow up with the folks who didn’t read your first email? Why not circle back and try sending the same message but with a different subject line just to those who didn’t open the first email? When someone doesn’t respond to what you are doing, try saying it a different way! To hear more about this tip and the email that Scott wrote that got over 500 people to visit his site, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:15] Tools made for sellers like you.  [5:00] Why you need a home base.  [6:30] Scott shares how one of his brands built an email list of 35k.  [9:30] Writing an email that sends over 500 people to your site.  [14:20] Re-targeting unopened emails.  [16:20] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.listbuildclass.com

How are you holding up during this wild time we find ourselves in with the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19)? Are you largely unaffected or are you in a more hard-hit area of the country? Taking a rare pause from his usual Friday Ask Scott Sessions, Scott decided to take some time to explain how sellers like you can make the most of this time. Believe it or not, there are things you could be doing right now to set your business apart from all the rest. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn more!  Making the most out of a bad situation Are you naturally more of an optimist or a pessimist? To put it plainly, are you a glass half full or glass half empty type of a person? Whichever comes naturally to you, if you want to make the most of a bad situation, you need to look for the positive. Looking for the positive doesn’t mean ignoring the facts and pretending you live in a different reality - it’s not letting those facts keep you down in the dumps. To learn more about making the most out of a bad situation, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller - you don’t want to miss it!  7 ways to grow and maintain during tough times  Let’s face it, sometimes there are moments in life when you just need a good checklist. To help clear through all of the noise and confusion out there, Scott decided to put together a helpful list of things you can do right now to put your business in a position to succeed.  Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, make sure you and your family are safe.  Focus on what you can control. Don’t worry about what you can’t control.  Build online assets. Work on your home base or digital products.  Build an email list. Don’t let your list grow cold! Connect with your market. Shot some videos or host a Facebook Live.  Don’t stop sending offers to your email list. Deliver value and a soft offer.  Identify problem areas in your life and business.  What are you going to work on to get your business through this crisis? Do you have a list you’ve already started on? Make sure to stay connected to the TAS community as Scott continues to offer helpful resources like this list!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:40] How to be proactive in a bad situation.  [3:00] Think of this as a wake-up call!  [6:50] Don’t panic.  [9:00] Build online assets.  [13:00] Staying connected to your followers.  [18:00] Don’t stop sending offers.  [20:30] Identify problem areas in your life and business.  [23:00] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.takeactioneffect.com/the-book www.theamazingseller.com/convertkit www.listbuildclass.com

What is your plan to grow your business and build a brand that will last? Do you find yourself struggling to find the funds to get things off of the ground? If so, you’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he shares five ways that sellers like you can bring in over $1,000 a month. Don’t worry, this isn’t some get rich quick scheme! Scott only brings you tools and tips that actually work - no gimmicks. What are you waiting for? Have pen and paper ready as you listen to this helpful episode - you don’t want to miss it!  Flip a product  One of the best ways for eager entrepreneurs to get started is by holding a garage sale. Yes, seriously! While it might sound crazy, the truth is, there could be a couple of hundred or even a couple of thousand dollars in unused items sitting in your basement or garage. Why not take a look at what you don’t need anymore and post it for sale on Ebay, what do you have to lose? To hear how this approach helped Scott get his business off of the ground, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Retail arbitrage  Have you ever heard of the term, retail arbitrage? It’s basically the strategy of finding items for sale or below retail value and then posting them online for a profit. You can do this in big ways or small ways - the best way to get started is by looking at the clearance section at your favorite retail store. While Scott doesn’t encourage this practice for a long term strategy, it can be helpful as you raise the funds to start your brand. Learn more from Scott about retail arbitrage and so much more by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Create a small digital product or charge people for your expertise  Did you know that someone out there will pay you money to create something or share your knowledge on a specific subject? It’s true! From Etsy and Ebay to Udemy - more and more platforms are popping up online that connect people to artists and experts. If you want to build up some extra cash while you start your business, why not consider selling a digital product or your expertise? If you aren’t sure what you might be able to offer, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott shares some helpful examples.  Monetize traffic you already have  Do you already own a blog or website? What about a YouTube channel, Instagram channel, or an email list? If your answer is yes, you have an asset you can leverage to make more money. While you likely won’t get rich off of turning on ads on your website or blog, you can certainly earn some extra income for your growing business. You don’t have to guess what this step in the process might look like, Scott has a whole strategy! Make sure to check out the link to brand creators located in the resources section at the end of this post.  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:30] Build your business with a side income.  [4:30] Flip a product.  [11:15] Try retail arbitrage.  [13:00] Create a small digital product to sell.  [16:45] Charge people for your expertise.  [20:30] Monetize traffic you already have.  [24:00] Scott recaps all five ways to make a side income.  [27:45] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com Fiverr Clickbank

Did you know that one of the best ways to avoid mistakes is to learn from the mistakes and failures of others? Don’t fall into the same avoidable traps that other small businesses have faced over the years! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he goes through nine reasons small online businesses fail. In his signature style, Scott also shares some helpful examples that sellers like you can relate to - have pen and paper ready, you don’t want to miss a minute of this informative episode  Freedom! Do you remember that scene from Braveheart with Mel Gibson? With his face painted in war color blue, the hero shouts the one-word rally cry, “Freedom!” While their battle was against a terrible and oppressive government - many feel that way about the traditional workplace today!  For many small business owners, that scene resonates because freedom is the main reason many go into business for themselves. How do you make sure your newly found freedom doesn’t become some money pit that you never recover from? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott shares his expert insights that will put you on the path to success.  9 Reasons Small Online Businesses Fail  Have you heard that saying, “Those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it?” Don’t fall for obvious mistakes that you can easily avoid by learning from others! If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is a naturally curious guy. Following his curiosity, Scott found some helpful information from Small Biz Trends featuring nine reasons small online businesses fail. Avoid these mistakes!  Failing to know your market.  Running out of cash to run the business.  Don’t hire someone just because - hire the right people!  Let the competition grow unchallenged and unnoticed.  Pricing and cost issues. Know your price point and margins.  Create a product that is not user friendly.  Create a product without a business model.  Practice poor marketing.  Low-quality customer service.  Is your business in danger of committing any of these deadly business mistakes? Which ones do you need to look out for? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear Scott expand on this list and so much more!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:30] Creating freedom and working for yourself.  [4:40] Scott shares a story about a couple who built a business and sold it.  [10:00] 9 Reasons small online businesses fail.  [16:15] Keep an eye on your competition!  [19:30] Don’t create a product dependent business!  [23:00] Scott recaps all 9 reasons small online businesses fail.  [25:30] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com

Are you fired up and ready to charge into the weekend with a sense of direction and purpose? What do you need to focus on in this phase of your business? If you are looking for help that will get you headed in the right direction - you’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he explains how to make the right ethical decisions, what it takes to stay in Amazon’s TOS when it comes to insert cards, and so much more. You’ll want to pay close attention to this powerful episode - don’t miss it!  What is your goal?  Wouldn’t it be great to have a ton of people on social media sharing pictures of your product? One of the best ways to get your product featured is by growing your brand’s following. If you want to build your brand while selling your product on Amazon, you also need to honor their Terms of Service (TOS). When you consider sending insert cards to your customers, you need to make sure you aren’t directing them away from Amazon and directly to your store. Amazon wants to see sellers provide value and assistance to the buyer - so deliver! To hear more about growing your brand’s following, make sure to listen to this episode.  Making the right choice  How do you judge between what’s right and what’s wrong and the good from the bad? Some people follow their faith, other’s are more focused on making the most of their life, whatever you believe, you need to have a moral center that will help you make difficult decisions. One helpful tool to get a gauge on what is the right choice to make is to ask yourself, “Does this pass the mom test?” Would the decision that you are going to make be ok with your mother? Let’s face it, we all want to make our mother’s proud - why not run your business the same way? To hear more helpful insights like this one from Scott, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:30] Question: Is it ok to ask buyers to post pictures of their product on social media via insert cards?  [9:10] How to make the most of an insert card.  [12:00] Closing thoughts.  LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/ask www.brandcreatorsbook.com

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had more traffic coming to your website than you know what to do with? It sounds like a great problem to have! While it might sound impossible, there is a way to boost your numbers and get more people connected to your brand. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he walks through his new brand, the traffic numbers they’ve been able to attract, what he plans to do with his increased traffic, and much more. Make sure to have pen and paper handy for this powerful episode - you don’t want to miss it!  A tried and tested approach  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is a passionate and fired up guy. What really fires Scott up more than anything else is sharing helpful tips and insights that empower sellers like you to succeed. Avoiding the shiny and sexy approach that many ecommerce gurus adopt, Scott would rather establish a relationship and help people in a more meaningful and intentional way. Don’t leave it all up to guesswork or take the advice from some random guy who shot a video in front of a Ferrari - tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear from Scott!  Scott’s five tips to increase traffic to your site  Scott doesn’t want to see sellers like you scrounge around the internet cobbling together an approach from five different experts. Why not take some time and adopt Scott’s method, what do you have to lose? Scott has seen real results and wants to share what he’s learned with serious and committed sellers like you.  Identify your market and figure out what content your m Post-question-based content.  Build an email list.  Send weekly emails.  Focus on writing more posts and then repeat all previous steps.  To get a full breakdown of Scott’s approach and so much more, make sure to listen to this episode of the Amazing Seller!  Be patient, play the long game! Did you know that by following Scott’s tried and tested approach, you could be rolling in the MILLIONS next year? NO! While Scott is quick to point out that anything is possible, the truth is, he is not out to sell you a get rich quick scheme. If you want to succeed in the ecommerce industry in 2020, you’ve got to be willing to put in the hard work and time needed to succeed. Are you ready to ditch the shortcuts and less than ethical business practices? If yes, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn more from Scott!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [4:15] The story behind Scott’s impressive results in his new brand.  [9:00] Scott reveals the numbers and traffic for his new brand.  [19:30] Scott’s five steps to increase traffic to your content site.  [22:15] Be patient, growth will come. Play the long game!  [26:00] Scott recaps his approach and offers some closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.theamazingseller.com/ask

What is the state of your ecommerce business? Are you excited about the possibilities or are you worried about your future? Scott is here to help you peel back all the complexity and get to the heart of what makes a business succeed. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott walks through a recent Mastershop he held with two business leaders at his new lake house. From obvious changes to ones that you might not have thought about before, you’ll want to have pen and paper handy for this powerful episode - don’t miss it!  Scott’s Five Takeaways  Did you know that one of the best ways to set your brand up for success is by learning from other business leaders who learned and adapted their approach along the way. You don’t have to make the same mistakes and face the same challenges that other sellers faced - learn how to set your ecommerce business up for success by listening to this engaging episode with Scott. After spending time with ecommerce sellers like you, Scott had several takeaways that he belives will help business leaders like you.  Big numbers don’t mean big success.  Keep your businesses separate!  Have clean financial books.  Focus on diversifying revenue and product streams.  Get a patent.  Where are you on your journey? What do you need to start working on today? Hear Scott expand on each of these takeaways and so much more helpful information by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Focus on the basics!  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is a fan of simple and easy. Too many business leaders get caught up in the weeds and fail to seek through all the challenges to focus on what really matters. Don’t let overwhelm and worry rob you of your success and joy as you build your ecommerce business. Find out how Scott was able to keep his eye on the prize and make his dreams a reality by listeing to this inspiring episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:15] Why Scott loves helping sellers unlock the growth of their brand.  [9:00] Diversification makes your brand more profitable.  [11:50] Make sure you have clean financial books.  [15:00] Get a patent for your product!  [16:30] Focus on the basics.  [18:00] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.brandcreators.com

How are your plans for the weekend shaping up? Are you ready to get some much-needed rest from the workweek or are you utilizing the weekend to get your business off of the ground? Wherever you are on your journey so far, it’s always helpful to get an outside perspective. It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he shares some tips and examples from Facebook marketing success stories. Make sure to have pen and paper ready, you’ll need it for this informative episode!  An example you can use to drive traffic! If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott likes to break things down so everyone who listens to him can understand the information. Drawing from his success engaging with new communities on social media, Scott wanted to share a helpful example that sellers like you can follow to drive traffic on your social media channel.  Have your target audience create content for you! Ask them.  Engage with your audience - ask them questions, reply to their comments!  Drive people from your email list to your Facebook Page.  Spotlight your community - they want to be recognized.  Are you ready to see how your social media community will respond? What steps are you going to take to start engaging with your target audience? To hear Scott expand on this example and so much more, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Build on what works Never one to take success for granted, Scott wants sellers like you to consider throwing some fuel into the fire even when it’s roaring hot. If something is giving you good results, keep directing resources to there! Putting the pedal to the metal, Scott has a great way to build on the success of his social media engagement effort.  Do the same effort, once a month.  Choose the top three pictures from your post and repost them.  Have your community vote for the winner and then give away a free item. Announce the winner on your Facebook Page.  Rinse and repeat.  One of the best things about connecting with a robust community like TAS is the wonderful assets and tools that are readily available. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear more from Scott as he goes into further detail about engaging with your followers on social media!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [2:40] Channels will change, that’s ok.  [7:00] Scott’s Facebook engagement tip.  [10:00] To get more reach you need more engagement.  [11:30] A helpful social media engagement example.  [15:20] Scott’s five-step Facebook marketing strategy.  [18:30] Recapping the episode and closing thoughts. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.theamazingseller.com/ask

Are you concerned about the ecommerce industry and what the future might hold for sellers like you? If you aren’t sure where you should focus your business efforts going forward, you’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he takes time to walk through the good and the bad of selling on Amazon in 2020. If you are considering making any changes to your business, make sure to take time and listen to this informative episode of The Amazing Seller!  Make sure to diversify your brand!  How would you respond if you woke up one morning to find that your Amazon account was closed down? Would you be devastated or would you quickly spring to action and start putting your plan B into effect? For too many ecommerce sellers, failure is just one bad email from Amazon away. What if there was a way to future-proof your business and set yourself up for long-term growth? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear more about how sellers like you can chart the best course for success! Why it’s a good idea to sell on Amazon  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you cut through all the complexity and find out how to make money selling products online. In 2020, is it still a good idea to sell products on Amazon? Is it profitable? According to Scott, the answer is, it depends :)  There are a ton of helpful advantages that you get just by using a massive platform like Amazon. From converting shoppers to buyers, streamlining the buying experience, and obsessing about the customer there are several ways Amazon makes life easier for sellers. To hear Scott expand on this topic and more, make sure to listen to this powerful episode of The Amazing Seller! The challenges of selling on Amazon  Why take your product somewhere else instead of doubling down and tightening the margins to stay competitive on a massive ecommerce platform like Amazon? Is it even possible to sell products successfully while avoiding Amazon? If you are worried about putting all of your eggs in the Amazon basket, this is the episode for you!  While it can make life so much easier selling on Amazon, the truth is, you are only really doing Amazon the favor. What incentive does Amazon have for helping sellers like you succeed? If you want to succeed, you have to do it on your own! Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security just because your product is selling well on Amazon. To learn more about protecting your business, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:00] How secure is your business? Scott shares several examples [11:45] The good news about Amazon.  [16:00] The bad news about selling on Amazon.  [26:00] Scott recaps the good and bad of selling on Amazon in 2020.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com

This is it - episode #800!!  Through all the ups and downs, you’ve journeyed with Scott to (or you just joined us for) another milestone in the life of The Amazing Seller! To mark this special occasion, Scott is taking a moment to take a look back at the journey so far. On this episode, you’ll hear Scott as he explains how he went from the Amazon guy to brand building coach, speaker, and author!  It’s worth it after all of the hard work it takes to reach a milestone to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what the plan is going forward. Pay close attention, you don’t want to miss a minute of this powerful and celebratory episode!  KISS Have you heard of that old saying, KISS? It stands for Keep It Simple Stupid.  While that saying doesn’t’ sound very nice, it does cut to the heart of what Scott is trying to do with the TAS brand. For too long, Scott saw sellers like you get really excited about the prospect of becoming their own bosses and starting their own businesses only to have their hopes dashed when they saw how complicated it would be. Following his passion to help average people like him, Scott started TAS to take people on a journey as he started a brand selling products on Amazon. Before long, TAS took off and has since produced workshops, meetups, live events, and so much more. Unfortunately, with growth complexity often comes around to tag along.  Getting down to what really matters TAS soon went through a growth phase, offering solution after solution by meeting the needs of the growing seller community. While Scott loved helping sellers improve their businesses with the podcast and other tools, what he really enjoyed was getting to know people and helping them up close. While he never thought he would ever host a conference, Scott did just that in 2019 with the Brand Accelerator Live event. Scratching this itch also involved writing a book, “The Take Action Effect” and launching a new program to help brand creators.  Five helpful tips from Scott As you can tell, Scott’s been on quite the journey over the years. Keeping with the spirit of The Amazing Seller and all the wonderful tools he’s developed over the years, Scott also wanted to give you five helpful tips he learned that will help you succeed.  Figure out your “Why” - what is it that keeps you motivated in life and business?  Be open to adapt and change. Don’t be afraid to make a pivot! Don’t compare yourself to others!  The core principles of building a business don’t change.  Keep things simple and always remember you “Why!” There you have it! After all of these years and all these 800 episodes of value Scott wanted to take a good look back in the rearview mirror. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon and neither should you! There are a ton of more helpful episodes and resources just around the corner. Learn more about Scott’s journey over the years by listening to this inspiring episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [5:00] Celebrating a milestone and making an impact. [12:00] Getting known as the “Amazon guy.”  [16:00] Monetizing the brand and shifting toward branding building.  [25:10] Creating Brand Accelerator Live.  [28:15] Simplifying the TAS Brand.  [31:30] Revisiting the “Why.”  [33:40] Scott shares five helpful lessons he has learned over the years.  [38:30] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.takeactioneffect.com www.theamazingseller.com/js www.brandcreators.com

Where is your ecommerce business headed? Are you going in the right direction and achieving all of the goals you had set? Do you need a little push in the right direction? Don’t worry! Scott is here to help answer questions from sellers like you - it’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he explains why traffic is the new currency, how to use a helpful ninja tip, as he answers a question from a TAS follower like you, and much more. You’ll want to pay close attention to this helpful episode!  Send traffic to Amazon or no?  As you build your brand and watch the traffic take off, you might be tempted to consider redirecting any external traffic back to your website, but is that a good idea? According to Scott, the answer is, it depends :)  If you want to make your life a little easier, it is a good idea to have Amazon fulfill your orders. At the end of the day, it all depends on your goal. Do you want to pay a little extra to have Amazon take care of fulfillment or do you want to squeeze every last bit of profit so you can increase your margins? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear Scott expand on this critical topic and so much more!  Work smarter, not harder! If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you find ways to work in a more efficient manner. Yes, you will need to hustle and work hard to make your goals a reality but you don’t need to always work harder sometimes it is best to look for the smarter way forward.  The TAS community along with all of the resources have been created for sellers like you to go further with the tools you need to succeed. If you are ready to take your ecommerce business to the next level of growth, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott shares more tips and insights you can use!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:50] Traffic is the new currency.  [3:20] Should I stop sending traffic to Amazon for sales? [5:30] Scott’s ninja tip.  [9:00] Work smarter, not harder!  [12:40] Closing thoughts. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/ask www.brandcreatorsbook.com JoeLister

What would it mean for your business if you could free up your mental capacity to focus on what really matters in the life of your business? Does it sound too good to be true? It’s not! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he sits down with Chris to discuss the topic of business growth. In their conversation, the guys explain how they’ve learned to chunk down their priorities, identify their primary motivations and goals, helpful tips they’ve learned along the way, and so much more. If you are ready to take your business to the next level of growth, this is the episode for you!  Diversity your brand! If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you future-proof your business. One of the best ways you can future-proof your business is by diversifying your brand’s assets. Think about it this way, if the platform your business uses like Amazon or Walmart shuts you out tomorrow - would your business be able to survive? Scott stresses the value of planning for the worst-case scenario by building up your assets like email lists and social media channels. To learn more about diversifying your brand and so much more, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Don’t get stuck comparing Did you know that one of the worst habits you can fall into as a business leader is comparing yourself to others? It’s true! Too often leaders like you look to their peers, not for motivation but competition. What good will it do your business to keep up with the trends in other industries? If you want to be successful, focus on what your niche market needs and your brand will be in good shape. Remember, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, so make sure you are watering your side. To learn more about avoiding the comparison trap and other helpful tips, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Scott’s challenge As Scott is fond of saying, it’s time to, “Take Action!” Don’t let this be just another episode where you listen to Scott and Chris’ helpful insights but you don’t put anything into action. Let this one be the one where things change and you make a step in the right direction! To help you get started, Scott has a challenge for TAS followers like you.  This week, take an hour with pen and paper handy and mentally walk through your business. What is working well? What needs attention? What do you need to change? Once you’ve sorted through what works and what doesn’t in your business, ask yourself this question, “If I had a magic wand that could make one problem disappear, what would it be?”  Once you’ve answered your question, you’ve found your primary target to address! Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott expands on this helpful exercise and so much more, you don’t want to miss it!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:30] Chris joins Scott on this episode.  [5:30] The danger of putting all of your eggs in one basket.  [9:15] Don’t compare yourself to everyone else!  [13:00] Write out your “Why” and set your goals.  [20:00] Setting yourself up for long-term success.  [24:00] Scott’s challenge.  [25:45] Closing thoughts from Scott and Chris.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com

Are you ready to get your ecommerce brand up and running? Do you find yourself going back and forth between several different approaches to building your brand? Scott and Chris are here to help sellers like you cut through all the complexity and get to the heart of what really matters - building a successful business! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott and Chris as they go over several methods you can use to create content and reach your target market. The guys aren’t just making this stuff up - they’ve put their money where their mouth is! Have pen and paper ready, you don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode!  The expert How do you take your passion for rock climbing or bass fishing and leverage that knowledge to build a brand? Is there a way to convey and use the knowledge you’ve accumulated over the years to grow a following? According to Scott and Chris, the expert method is an excellent way to build an ecommerce business. By utilizing the specialized knowledge you’ve gathered from your personal or professional life, you can position yourself as a subject matter expert. The expert method isn’t a permission slip to be a jerk - you can be knowledgeable and humble! Learn more about this effective method by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  The novices’ journey Are you completely new to coin collecting? What about dieting? One powerful way to connect with your target audience is by inviting them along for the ride as you dive deep into a niche that you are new to. Let’s face it, no one likes feeling like they are out of their element - imagine that someone came alongside you and admitted that they don’t’ know what they are doing either but that they’d like to figure it out with you. By making that subtle shift toward solidarity you can gain your follower’s trust and bring them along for the ride. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott and Chris expand on this method and so much more!  The reporter Are you a naturally inquisitive person? There are some people out there who get so hooked on an idea or a concept that they will continue to pull that thread until they are satisfied. If this sounds like you, the reporter method might be the best fit for you! As a “reporter” you get to play the role of answering questions and discovering the niche market possibilities while bringing your audience along for the ride. Scott has developed a hybrid approach with TAS that leans heavily on the reporter method. To hear Scott explain how this approach has been successful with TAS, make sure to listen to this helpful episode!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [1:20] How to create content if you are a subject matter expert.  [5:00] The novices’ journey - invite them along!  [10:20] The reporter’s method.  [14:00] Scott and Chris recap all three methods.  [17:30] Closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.brandcreators.com

Are you knocking down obstacles and achieving your goals for your ecommerce business? What do you need to do to put your business in the best position for success? If you need a push to get some momentum, you’ve come to the right place! It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he digs deep into the question of how to stay motivated when things are going as you had hoped. This is a critical episode that you’ll want to bookmark, don’t miss it!  Isn’t it all about luck?  How do you grow a business from the ground up? What is it that makes some businesses succeed and thrive while others fizzle out and go under? Does it all come down to the luck of the draw, or is there something you can do to succeed? According to Scott, you have to say in the game and follow the right advice! Sure you are going to mess up and fail, but it doesn’t have to knock you out - get back up and try again. To hear more about what it takes to persevere and come out the other side, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Staying motivated  Have you ever trained to do something extremely difficult? Maybe for you, it was a marathon a big sports event, a performance or an exam. How did you feel after it was over? Did you prepare enough to succeed, or did you crash and burn? If you want to keep yourself locked in and headed in the right direction, Scott has some helpful tips.  Identify the result you are looking for.  Create smaller wins you can achieve.  Stay focused and consistent.  Have realistic expectations. Don’t dream too high here - make it achievable.  Continue to take action every single day!  What tips that Scott shared do you need to start practising? How will you make this year a year of results in your life and business? Scott doesn’t want sellers like you stuck out there all alone - he put much of his hard-won wisdom into the form of resources. You can check out all of the TAS resources at the end of this post in the resources section. If you are ready to put in the time and effort required to succeed, listen to this helpful episode of The Amazing Seller to get started! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:00] Isn’t success all about luck?  [9:45] You’ve got to be committed!  [16:45] Scott shares 5 ways to stay motivated.  [21:30] TAS resources you can use and closing thoughts.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/ask www.brandcreators.com www.theamazingseller.com/793 www.brandcreatorsbook.com

Do you think your ecommerce business would have a better chance at success if you could get more people to read and engage with your emails? Imagine what it would be like to have thousands of people reading about your brand on a weekly basis! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he shares helpful tips he has learned regarding email marketing, how to keep your followers engaged, what it takes to grow your email list, and so much more. If you are ready to but in the time and effort to grow your email list, this is the episode for you!  Make sure the right people are on your list!  Wouldn’t it be nice to send a message to thousands of people with just the click of a button? Sure it would but they’ve got to the right people! What good would it do to send a bunch of emails about surfing to people who live in the mid-west? Don’t fall for cheap tricks like buying an email list - just take the time to build one with people who will be interested in your brand. From giveaway contests to engaging in the community you want to market to - earing your way in is a lot better than buying your way in. Hear more about this critical topic by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  Scott’s 5 Email Marketing Tips  While you could figure out the best email list building strategy by trial and error, why not learn from someone who’s made a few mistakes and learned along the way? As he built his ecommerce business over the years, Scott has stumbled upon learned some valuable tips when it comes to building an email list.  Warm-up your email list by sending goodwill emails.  Create a great subject line that draws people in. Send your emails consistently. Set a schedule and stick to it!  Use text-based emails. Don’t try to use all the bells and whistles. Send an email to the people who didn’t open your initial email. Follow up is key! Have you tried any of Scott’s tips before? Which ones do you need to start implementing in your ecommerce business today? Make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott expands on each of these tips and so much more!  Bonus tips!  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about resourcing ecommerce sellers like you. From live events and books to ebooks and other resources, Scott wants to pass on the helpful tips and lessons he has learned over the years. In addition to his five email marketing tips, Scott also wants to share some bonus tips.  Send an email in the beginning with no links or asking them to reply.  Use the “P.S” in your email to offer products or links.  Limit your call to action to one or two max.  Keep your messages short and to the point.  Make sure you have solid web servers!  These tips are just a peek at the ton of insights and lessons you’ll learn if you keep taking Scott’s advice. What are you waiting for? Check out some additional resources that Scott has for sellers like you located in the resources section at the end of this post!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [4:15] How did you build your email list? Don’t buy one!  [9:20] Warming up your email list - start sending goodwill emails.  [14:00] Craft a great subject line.  [18:00] Send your emails consistently.  [20:20] Use text-based emails.  [24:00] Send an email to the people who didn’t open your initial email.  [29:30] Scott’s five bonus tips. [31:40] How to use the “P.S”  [33:50] Why good web servers are critical.  [36:40] Resources you can use. [38:20] Scott recaps all five tips.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.theamazingseller.com/793 www.theamazingseller.com/convertkit

One year ago we listed a business that created a massive amount of activity, garnering ten offers, many above asking price. As part of our incredible exit series, today we welcome a seller who has had some time to reflect on all the things he did right in his sale and share what he has been up to since. Paul Anderson started his career as an accountant, taking the safe path and spending ten years in corporate America. An increasing lack of passion led him to start to build his own lifeboat. He avidly studied Amazon FBA and learned by following experts in the e-commerce space. Although his first launch failed he carried on, honing his awareness of product opportunities out there and eventually he hit it big. Today Paul delves into the building of the business, the pillars of his success, and the components of his path to becoming an exitpreneur. Episode Highlights: Paul's first product's failure to launch and what he learned. How he sourced the second product and what happened in the last quarter of 2016. Funding subsequent stock and the challenges of inventory planning. How Paul stands on all four pillars of a successfully built business as well as that invisible fifth pillar. The scheduling and nitty gritty of the sale process. How the final buyer was chosen and the deciding factors for Paul. Why the highest bidder does not always win. The toughest challenges of running the business. Why Paul decided to sell. What he has been doing since the sale. Tips for building a successful content website. Transcription: Mark: So almost one year ago to the date of the recording of this episode of the podcast I was on a car ride with Joe; you Joe from where was it? It was from Dallas down to Houston and then Houston back up to Dallas. We were meeting with a good friend of ours that lived in Houston and while we were in that car ride you had launched a new listing that went absolutely berserk. And I've referenced this; I think we've actually talked about this on the podcast a few times, I've referenced this deal because it was one of these outlier deals that seem to check every single box and the result was just a massive amount of requests for phone calls and I believe 10 offers within a very short amount of time. And it's been a year since that launched and obviously, the deal closed which we're super happy about but now you finally get to have the seller on the podcast talking about all the things that he did right. Joe: Yeah it's a great time because it's a year out so he gets to look back. And over the years of doing this podcast the people listening have heard us talk about the four pillars; risk, growth, transferability, and documentation and someone might go yeah ok whatever, the reality is that they matter. Paul Anderson sold his business; 10 offers, he checked off every one of these pillars and the six little subtitles under each pillar and then the fifth one which I know Mark there's no fifth pillar, but the fifth one is the man or person or entrepreneur behind the business. Paul being a former CPA turned entrepreneur who outsourced his bookkeeping to a bookkeeper is just a super likable guy, stay at home dad, buttoned up in so many different ways. The end result is I had to clear his schedule; he basically had three conference calls with highly qualified buyers for five days in a row. He was exhausted from it because each one was… Joe: So you had 15 conference calls then. Paul: 15 conference calls. Joe: And I remember again we were in the car going back up to Dallas and you were on the phone pretty much constantly telling people okay let me see if I can arrange a time for you. So there was a lot more requests for conference calls on this deal. Paul: A lot more requests and we say we had 10 offers but finally a few people dropped out because they just didn't want to compete because they knew what it is going to be. And the funny thing is people get concerned about that and we always say right up front look don't get caught up in the hype of multiple offers, don't go beyond your comfort level, offer-wise. We want you to make an offer that works for you and hopefully will work for the seller as well because we want it to go all the way from letter of intent through to due diligence and that's exactly what we wound up with. And oddly enough Paul did not choose as we always say they don't necessarily choose the highest price. He didn't do that. He picked the offer that was best for him and I think it was somewhere $150,000 lower than the highest price. So we talked about a little bit of that process, what makes a good seller, a good buyer, and then we talked about what he's doing today which is really interesting as well so hopefully, everybody will enjoy this podcast. Joe: Absolutely. Paul: Let's go to it. Joe: Hey folks. Joe Valley here from the Quiet Light Podcast and today I have an Incredible Exits client on the phone with me. It's Paul Anderson. We sold Paul's business I think; when was it, Paul? Paul: March of last year, so a little under a year ago. Joe: Spring of 2019; so a little under a year ago. So we're going to talk about Paul's exit. We're going to talk about what Paul went through when he built the business, sold the business after he sold the business, and what he's doing now so we're going to get the full picture. Paul welcome to the Quiet Light Podcast. Paul: Thanks Joe, good to be here. Good to talk to you. Joe: So for the folks listening why don't you give a little bit of background on your professional pedigree and your entrepreneurial journey? Paul: Yeah, sure. So I actually studied accounting and followed that path. I was kind of one of those people that never really knew what I wanted to do. Like some people I think they're just like hey I want to be a TV news reporter or a journalist, I never really had that strong thing tapped me on the shoulder that said this is what you should do so I took a pretty safe practical path. I went into accounting and got my CPA. I spent about 10 years working in corporate America doing accounting and finance jobs and didn't really ever feel like that passion and eventually it started to kind of wear me down. I got to the point where I had to think of something else to do and try to build my own little lifeboat to escape from that because something inside me just didn't feel right anymore doing that. So that's kind of what led into starting a business. So that's in 2016. Somewhere; I don't even remember where I started to hear about Amazon FBA and I kind of consumed everything I could about it like podcasts, there's this guy Manny Coats inaudible[00:06:09.6] Helium10, he had a great podcast back then, Amazing Seller; there's all sorts of good stuff online about the model and that's kind of how it started and I started really small. We can get into it from there but that was kind of the first step, learning about it and seeing like oh I think I could do this. Joe: So you learned about it from podcasts; you didn't pay for a course or anything like that, you were absorbing free information from experts in the space. Paul: I never bought a single course it was all podcasts, Facebook groups, Reddit forums, and I was just… Joe: I love it. Paul: Yeah I can tell you about the first launch which was a total fail but that was like my training course like the very first launch because I learned. Joe: Failure is a great lesson. How much money did you pull together to launch the business and were you working at that point in the CPA business? Paul: Yeah I was still working. It was 2016, I put $5,000 in to do; most of it was an inventory buy so I was on Alibaba like at night trying to find my suppliers talking with China and I put in probably about 5,000 bucks to start on my first product. Joe: Okay. And you just mentioned Helium10; did you use Helium10 to help you find that first product? Paul: Yes. So it's funny like almost all the products I launched I've kind of like encountered in the real world somewhere and the product that turned out to be my big business was I kind of got onto it from a discussion with my parents. We're just having a casual discussion like you would have many times a day and they mentioned this particular thing and I would always in my iPhone put down; anything that seemed interesting I would just like log it in there and then I come back to it. So I had a list of 20 to 30 things going and I went back and started doing some research. I actually was using Jungle Scout back then and I switched over to Helium10 for everything now. Joe: Oh they're both great products; both of them. Manny and Greg have both been on the podcast; great guys. Paul: Yeah, for sure. So I kind of punched it in there and said like oh this looks like; the numbers look good and that's kind of how it started but it really was that conversation being like; I think if there's a lesson there it's being aware, we have so many kinds of filters and blinders on like if you really put yourself in the headspace of looking for opportunities you'd be surprised how many little things you read online or you hear about through friends like this is really popular; there's just all sorts of those little things that pop up that could turn out to be big businesses. Joe: So pay attention to your surroundings; the stuff that you use every day, emerging products in categories and niches and try to pay attention to and think is there an opportunity? Did you use any tools to see if a lot of people were selling in that particular category and that particular product? Paul: I mean Jungle Scout helps with that but mainly you can just go on and kind of assess like if page one everyone's got a thousand reviews and they're really well-known brands or something that's probably going to be a tough place to break into. Joe: Tough barrier; okay. So tell us about your first test, it was an epic fail? Paul: Yeah, so I was really pumped and thought like here it is, this is going to be like my ticket out of full-time work and it's going to be amazing and it was actually an accessory. Have you ever heard of pour-over coffee? Joe: Yeah. Paul: So that was kind of just bubbling up, seeming like oh this is really a trending product… Joe: Too much work; I never bought it because… Paul: Too much work, yeah, but there's a lot of people that are really into the craft obviously a coffee one and having some artisan experience. So I sourced these little wooden coffee stands that's basically used to make pour-over coffee. And it was kind of a cool thing but it turns out products made out of wood can crack and can break and have issues and I was not an expert at sourcing at that point in time so the long story short a lot of the products ended up cracking and breaking. And then once you start getting all these one-star reviews and returns; like my garage was full all around with carts of returned inventory and there wasn't that much demand I think. At the start, I was thinking oh you really got a niche down into this little tiny space and own that and there just wasn't quite enough demand in that space either. So I kind of learned to be a little smarter on sourcing and just to look for ways that things can go wrong inaudible[00:10:31.6] thing that's just so niche that like even if you execute and everything is great like you're going to be selling a couple of units a day. Joe: So how much money did you test and lose on that first product launch? Paul: So that was about 5,000 bucks in and I didn't take to bad a bee but I think I lost about a thousand dollars on it which isn't bad. Joe: Oh that's not bad. Paul: Yeah. Joe: Not enough to make you go away and say okay this didn't work I'm done; I'm going to go back to the corporate world. You got a taste for it and you said okay I just picked the wrong product. Paul: Exactly. And I mean I was still in the corporate world and like 5,000 bucks it's not like a lot of money at the time so it wasn't like I was; I'm like yeah whatever it doesn't matter. At that point, the stakes felt real and high. Joe: Yeah. Paul: Because it definitely was like I can see the power here on Amazon it's just like finding the right thing to really get this thing spinning. Joe: Okay. So you learned a lesson; you only lost 20% of your money but you get an excellent education from it better than any course you could have ever purchased. You went out there tried it, failed, learned, and didn't lose so much that you couldn't do it again. So you came up with another product niche and decided to go at it again? Paul: Exactly yes. So then I was actually going over to; are you familiar with the Canton Fair which is the big supplier…? Joe: Yeah. Paul: So I had a trip booked to go over there and kind of in-between going there… Joe: Just out of curiosity did you book it with a group or was it just you? Paul: Just me and my wife went over. Joe: Oh okay, because I was just talking to Athena from China Magic and they have a group of folks that go on a regular basis for those that are terrified to go alone. So you and your wife chose to book a flight to China and go to the Canton Fair alone. Paul: I loved it. It was really, really full out and I'm eager to go over there. Joe: Okay. Paul: I actually ended up finding my supplier on Alibaba before I went so I can't really say that the trip necessarily paid off in terms of like… Joe: Did you connect with him in person when you got to the Canton Fair? Paul: No because it was still too early and he was pretty far away from the Canton Fair. I think it helped me really see kind of like the culture of China and doing business with China and I think just a little savvier about how things work. So it was a great education for that and just like a lot of fun to check it out; I mean the place is just massive, like multiple football fields. Anything you want to ever source it would be out there so it was a super interesting spot. But anyway back to your second question so yes I stumbled upon this other product and started kind of the wheels turning in 2016 to source it. I got it on I think in the fall of 2016 and I remember that Q4 for Amazon or e-commerce is like the prime time and I remember just refreshing that seller app that Black Friday, Cyber Monday, like all through up until Christmas and it was just mind-blowing the sales that were coming in off this new product. Joe: What was it like your first day that you got a sale, how many sales did you have all together; do you remember? Paul: Oh I mean it started slow. The first thing was probably just two or three units. I mean it's really; it was in such a momentum game like when you have no momentum it's hard to keep momentum and then once you get this momentum going and the wheels start spinning it can blow your mind like the amount of sales that… Joe: And that actually blew our mind within the first month or in that first quarter like what did you wind up with on the biggest day within a couple of months of launching it in the Q4 of ‘16? Paul: I don't want to say maybe like $8,000 of sales there. Joe: Oh, wow. Paul: Something big like and then when you look at the profits from that it's like wow I made more money like on this one day than; and I had a pretty decent corporate job, I'm like this is crazy like the potential. So the hooks kind of got in me right there and then '16 was kind of just getting off the ground and then the next year is when the ball really started to roll. Joe: When you started to get revenue in the fourth quarter of 2016 and sales started to come in you had euphoria with the fact that you were getting that kind of revenue and making more money in one day than you made perhaps in a month in the corporate world but did you also have the fear of oh my God I'm going to run out of inventory? Paul: I did. Joe: Okay. Paul: Yeah, inventory is like not something glamorous to talk about and you don't really hear about it that much in podcasts or anything else but it's like running a physical products company doing an Amazon business like the inventory planning is so difficult because your sales can change on a dime. inaudible[00:15:20.7] your supplier 30 days early to make something and another 30 days to put them on a ship to get it over here. So you've got these difficult variables to manage that can leave you stocked out or even a little bit too much stuck so that's always a tough thing to manage. Joe: Awesome. I don't think I've ever met an Amazon seller or an e-commerce business person that's been growing rapidly that's not run out of inventory at one point or another. All right, so you started with $5,000, did a test, failed, how long between the first failed test and the second product that took off; how many months was it? Paul: That was about three months I think. Joe: Okay, and all the time you kept your day job which is fantastic. So you've got some revenue, you've got some money in the account that's transferred to your business account, at what point did you order more inventory with and did you just use that money or did you sit down and talk as a family and say okay this is a winner we need to take a home equity line of credit; how did you fund the rest of the inventory purchases? Paul: It was all really funded with profits. Joe: It was? Okay. Paul: Yeah, it was. Joe: And you didn't have to take any money out for living expenses because you had your day job so that's perfect. Paul: Yeah. If I wouldn't have my day job it would have made it much more difficult but luckily I had some steady income coming in on the day job and then I was able to just take the profits and reinvest them back in and just go from there. Joe: Fast forwarding you had an amazing 2017, an amazing 2018; strong year over year growth, like huge year over year growth. For those listening, Paul's business was listed again spring of 2019 and it's those perfect situation folks where we talk about the four pillars of a sellable business and that invisible fifth one which is the person behind the business and that's Paul. We have a 30-month-old Amazon business with an incredible brand that's growing rapidly year over year. The financials we're set up impeccably. Paul is a CPA but he did something incredible which was what? You outsourced the books to an e-commerce bookkeeper; brilliant by the way. So those of you that are out there saying oh I can do this I'm not going to pay a few hundred bucks to a bookkeeper we've got a CPA here that chose to outsource to an e-commerce bookkeeper because he can do better things than bookkeeping with his time like grow a multi-million dollar Amazon brand which is exactly what you did. Your business checks so many boxes. It was SBA eligible. You were the owner behind the business. You built trust. People believed in you. During the recorded video interview, you're the first person; and I keep asking people to do it now, you're the first person that ever sat in front of the camera, reached down picked up the product and demonstrated the product. You showed the new packaging that you had just done. It was beautiful and the end result was an overwhelming request to buy the business, conference calls where you had to clear your schedule for a week. I said Paul cancel everything, right? We had to clear it and we ended up with I think three calls with qualified buyers every day for five days. We wound up with 10 total offers. I think we were at; the top one was something like $150,000 over asking price. Paul: Yeah, I think that's right. Yeah. Joe: Yeah, and we say this all the time that it's not always the offer that comes in with the highest number, it's the right fit more than anything else. We had; of the 10 offers, I think we had maybe six that were SBA and four that were cash. You ended up choosing a cash buyer and not just because it was a cash buyer but also the person behind the business. We did video interviews between the buyer and seller. How much did that matter and how much of a difference did that make for you? Paul: The interviews mattered a ton. I mean that was the deciding factor because when I went into the process I just thought like well it's pretty simple, right? You take the highest number and the highest bidder wins but as you get into it and talk to different people it's like a huge diverse set of backgrounds that people are coming through Quiet Light looking to buy, right? Joe: Right. Paul: And some people I felt like wow I could just hand this to them and they could run with it immediately and do like as good or better a job with this than I ever could. And others are like hey I really like this person and their heart is in the right place but I feel like the transition might take a little bit longer and then what if somewhere they dropped the ball and things get sideways like I don't want that somehow to come back to me. I don't know if that's a rational way to think about it but if there was a lot of comfort like feeling this guy or these guys I feel like really got it, they get it, they know what to do, they will hit the ground running from day one so to me that mattered a whole lot. Joe: Yeah. And I think given the fact that we're in this remote world where your buyers and sellers are all over the world literally sometimes doing a video conference call for that initial call breaks the ice. You're not reading the client interview anymore, you're not just talking to somebody on the phone; you can see the whites of their eyes and anybody that wants to see Paul we're recording this both on Zoom with video and audio and it will be up on the YouTube page as well. He does not look like a buttoned-up CPA today and I was making fun of him when we first got on the call. You've always looked like that but today you know what you're a successful exitpreneur. You got the sweatshirt on, a little stubble, working from home; I love it. All right so I want to you ask a couple of things just for the audience purposes. Number one back to running the business what was the toughest challenge in running the business? Let's start with that. Go ahead. Paul: Yeah. I'd say even at the start this isn't even a tactical thing but the hardest thing was just getting the momentum going. Starting an Amazon business is not like hey I'm trying to create an electric car and beat Elon Musk but even me like I had a lot of doubts at the start like is this is going to work, am I going to lose all my money? All of these doubts kind of creep into your head so I remember really kind of struggling to pull the trigger in a way thinking like I just don't know is this supposed to be my pathway? So I think that was really hard to overcome and you just kind of keep going one foot in front of the other and once you get a little momentum it just like brings all this energy and life into you that you just feel so energized to just keep improving and add products and make your products better and make the packaging better. Getting that first momentum can feel elusive and challenging so I think that was like a big thing at the start. Joe: And you failed and then you stuck with it and then you succeeded. Paul: Yeah. And I was kind of at an inflection point like should I keep going or is this just not meant to be and then you know. Joe: This may be a dumb question but are you glad you kept going? Paul: I'm very glad. It changed my life that I kept going. I mean I'd still be sitting at a desk in corporate America right now I hadn't kept going and like we've got a three-year-old son at home like the physical time we will spend with him and then mentally my head is so much like the stress is away from me. So I was always stressed working in corporate America so it's been the biggest blessing ever to go out and do this. It's changed my whole family's life. Joe: Okay. So let me ask the question that all buyers ask, why did you sell the business? Paul: Yeah, it was a tough decision to sell because I was having so much fun running it. And I think the honest answer is the value of the business became such that it really could provide a lot of security for our family. And it felt like if I was 23 and single and didn't have kids I'll like alright instead of going for this I might have just keep on going and try to sell it for three times this or five times this or just keep going. But knowing Amazon can be volatile and like I had all my eggs in that basket so it just felt like the responsible thing is to take some chips off the table and let go of the business but it was really hard. Joe: The responsible thing; I like that, the responsible thing. Your CPA background is coming out now. That's good. Paul: Yeah. Joe: All right so what was the toughest part about going through the sales process and selling the business; what was the hardest part there? Paul: Picking a buyer was really tough. Joe: It's a good problem. That's a good problem to have. Paul: I mean just even knowing how to approach it and you really helped a ton Joe in that process. When it's your first time through and you already have kind of these emotions like you built this thing and now it's worth something that people want it, it's a weird feeling and like how to value it and how to find the right fit and thinking about SBA versus cash; there's just a lot of things that are spinning through your head at that time so I think just getting a clear head and trying to identify what the right fit was the toughest part. Joe: Okay. I think you again exception rather than really had 10 offers, I think maybe one or two might have come in slightly under asking price but the vast majority was above. I think 2019 the average offers that we had on any single listening was two and a half so you are five times that amount which is pretty exceptional. That goes to the brand that you built. It goes to the way that you set the business up with its own entity. You didn't come and go books. You're a CPA but you hired a professional bookkeeper. You instilled so much confidence in buyers. They clearly came out of the woodworks to buy your business. All right, the toughest part was choosing the buyer; that's amazing. It's not what I would've guessed you would have said. Sometimes it's due diligence but with you, it was choosing a buyer. All right so now there's life after the sale, you were in the corporate world working 40, 50 hours a week or sometimes more in tax season and then you're an entrepreneur working from home spending time with your son now what are you doing? You've sold the business nine months ago, what are you doing with your time? Paul: Yeah so it's been nice to have a little; in life usually you're just like chasing after the next thing and I've had just the time to step back and think really what I want to do and what I want my life to look like so it's been like a real luxury. So I'm going into; I'm building a website, it's called WealthFam.com. Joe: Fam like family? Okay. Paul: Yup like family. It's brand new but basically it sort of like combines my background and what I like to do. So it's all about building wealth; becoming financially independent, starting and running online businesses. Basically, it's how to be smarter with your money and use the money to help kind of enable the life that you want to live whether it's being with your kids or going on trips or whatever else. So it's a content site which is a super interesting thing. I thought a lot about going back and doing another Amazon business but I just didn't feel the same spark for like starting it and it takes a lot of energy and mental fortitude to take something from A to Z and you've got to really want it kind of every step of the way. So this just kind of really energized me and there's been some great stories like Ramon's story; you featured Ramon. It like blew my mind the… Joe: His content site, yeah. Paul: And that happened in the content space so that was really exciting to me. And on top of that I just like doing this stuff so it feels like the right sort of fit. Joe: So what kind of subjects are you going to cover on Wealth Fam? Paul: So it's broken down a couple of categories like making money, saving money, investing money, financial independence, and then some stuff like how money intersects with having a kid and being married or buying a house. So I'm trying to make it like a modern personal finance site that people in their teens, 20s, 30s, can find well like at least from my experience like education society; like our schools and in general, there's not a lot of like real training about… Joe: There's none of it. There's none of it, yeah. Paul: And there's even a lesson mode like starting an online business and like the potential kind of betting on yourself. Joe: It seems like a great idea because you're taking your educational experience along with your entrepreneurial experience and marrying them together with a content site which is great. I love content sites. We work with SaaS, content, and FBA and content is just fantastic. Scott Voelker is really, really focused on helping people go beyond FBA and build content sites and some of them have great success and its driving more traffic back to FBA and getting their business products sold. For those that aren't familiar with content site monetization, how do you plan to monetize the site? Paul: So there's a couple of traditional ways that people will do it. So, first of all, you have to have traffic. I mean if I have traffic inaudible[00:28:43.3] selling eyeballs like it's tough to; getting traffic is really hard and you're playing like this SEO game and it takes a long time to rank in Google. Then there's a couple of primary ways, the first is affiliate links like you could be selling a course or selling something on Amazon or selling; the Amazon FBA thing is a really interesting thing for Amazon sellers to marry their inaudible[00:29:04.9] business with content. I love that idea. I think that's really smart. There's brand sponsorships, other partnerships; but it's like advertising and affiliate income are kind of the two main plays for monetizing. Joe: I got you, okay. All right how's life at home; what do you do with your time? I mean you've you don't have a job. You're starting a content site which might take a little bit of your time. You've got a baby. Paul: It takes a lot of time. Joe: It takes a lot; the startup phase is always the hardest, isn't it? Paul: Inaudible[00:29:38.4] the thing I underestimated about content is that like writing is really hard. Joe: Yeah. Paul: I think oh I can write something about Amazon, that's easy, I know this. It takes a lot of time to really do a good job at clarifying your thoughts but overall I'm just trying to optimize my life for happiness and contentment and I get that right now being with my son and my wife. So I spend a lot of time with my family. We do a lot of cool stuff together. And I'm really liking; I do some Amazon consulting because I'm still at the Amazon blog and I like to be involved in it so I'm doing some of that for some local companies which I love doing.   Joe: Good. Paul: And then this content thing really is exciting and fun and I'm going to see where it can go and… Joe: So you didn't make enough on the sale of your business to never work again but enough to give you a pretty long runway and you're enjoying your expertise in the Amazon space and doing some consulting while you're building up another content or a content business? Paul: Yeah that's a fair way to… Joe: Does that sum it up? Paul: Yeah and I'd like to go up those kind of shift too, right? I'm not sure how in-tune you are with the financial independence world, all the people that want to retire early and be financially… Joe: Oh yeah, fire. Paul: So like if your burn rate or you can live on 40 grand a year once you stacked up a million bucks, in theory, you can quote-unquote retire. Joe: Sure. Paul: But as you think about education and college and healthcare and all these other things that number maybe gets a little bit… Joe: It gets blown out of the water. I have an 18-year-old and we're 14 days away from knowing what he's getting into which is schools and I'm rooting for the in-state schools; I'm not going to lie to you, I'm rooting for the in-state. Paul: Hey, I went to an in-state school and… Joe: Look at how it turned out; pretty damn good. Paul: Yeah. Joe: All right cool. Well, listen Paul I always tell the story about you and your brand and the fact that that fifth pillar makes a huge difference. It's the person behind the business that builds a great business with the next owner in mind. You kind of did that, I don't know if you did it intentionally or not but you said I'm going to build a great business. I want to put it all in a package that's going to help the new owner of the business do amazing things with it. And Matt the new owner of the business as you know is doing amazing things with it. And it pays off when you think about others exactly what you did that paid off for you, it paid off for your family, and now hopefully through Wealth Fam, it's going to pay off for a lot of other visitors to your website as well so people can start young and start smart and get on the right path financially. So listen man thanks for your time. I appreciate the business that you've built because it allows me to tell a story of how the person behind the business makes a tremendous difference so thank you and I appreciate you coming on the podcast today. Paul: You got it. Anytime. Thanks a lot, Joe. Links and Resources: Paul's Website Jungle Scout Helium 10

How do brands like Bullet Proof grow from a little known startup to become a massive leader in the ecommerce industry? What is your plan to grow your brand and build a reputation for yourself? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he examines the Bullet Proof method of brand building and expansion. As Scott walks through the Bullet Proof method, pay close attention - he’s got several tools and resources that you’ll want to follow up on as you develop your strategy. Make sure you have pen and paper ready, you are going to need it for this engaging episode!  Learning from good examples As you plan your strategy for building an ecommerce business, where do you look for inspiration? Are you just making it up as you go or are you looking to other leaders who have pioneered the way forward? While Scott is as experienced and successful as most ecommerce leaders, he is also a constant learner. Harnessing his desire to learn more, Scott has compiled a helpful review of how BulletProof has built its brand over the years. Don’t just take Scott’s word for it when it comes to brand building strategies - learn more on this informative episode!  Telling a story with your brand When was the last time you really found yourself connecting with a brand? Let’s face it, brands are not usually personal and engaging but that narrative is quickly changing within the ecommerce industry. People connect with people, not brands. If you want to get people connected and invested in your brand, you need to give them a story. If you don’t have a story to tell with your brand, it might be a good idea to take a step back and rethink your approach. Learn more about the value of telling a compelling story with your brand by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  How to generate massive website traffic If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about breaking complex topics down into easy to follow processes. Here is a simple breakdown of the Bullet Proof approach that Scott has observed.  Research your target market on Google and YouTube.  Create three content buckets.  Do light keyword research and chose the type of content you’ll create.  Post content consistently. Commit to the process. Start choosing more competitive keywords and use the content tree method.  Where are you in your ecommerce journey? Which step do you need to pay attention to this week? Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear Scott expand on each of these steps and a lot more!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:30] What drew Scott to Bulletproof Coffee.  [8:00] How to create the right content for your brand.  [11:00] Bringing people into your brand.  [12:30] Validate your market!  [14:45] Don’t overcomplicate the validation process.  [17:15] Create three buckets of content.  [19:50] How are you going to deliver your content? [23:00] Be consistent.  [24:45] What is a content cluster?  [26:50] Scott recaps the best way to attract traffic.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.Bulletproof.com Uber Suggest www.brandcreators.com www.brandcreatorsbook.com

Is your ecommerce business firing on all cylinders? Have you been hard at work all week or are you creating time to work on your business over the weekend? If you are looking for helpful tips and insights that will fuel your rise to the top - you’ve come to the right place! It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he goes over his approach to getting the most out of your workday. Don’t just let your day, week, and month happen to you, put a plan together! Have pen and paper ready for this informative episode - you don’t want to miss it.  Focus on what will move the needle  Do you have a clearly defined idea of what needs to happen in your business to take it to the next level of growth? Too often business leaders like you have all the best intentions but they get sidetracked with all the things they could be doing and they fail to focus on what they need to be doing. If you haven’t already, take the time to identify key steps you need to take to move the needle on your ecommerce brand building journey. Once you’ve figured out what you need to do, the rest of the process will make a lot more sense. Learn more from Scott about this critical topic by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  How to get more out of your business  Over the years, Scott has collected a ton of helpful tips and lessons from fellow ecommerce leaders and business owners. Always seeking to up his game, Scott decided to implement some of the best ideas he has learned over the years and the results can speak for themselves. Now, Scott wants to share some of the hard-fought lessons he has gathered over the years and share it with you!  Take an hour and identify the top priories in your business. What are the obvious next steps? Chunk it down! Create a weekly task list and choose only three tasks - don’t cheat! You can make a brain dump off to the side.  Schedule your time. If it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t get done!  Are you using a version of Scott’s helpful tips? Do you have your own productivity tips to add? Make sure to chime in and join the conversation!  Bonus tip! Don’t go just yet, Scott has a critical bonus tip that you don’t want to skip!  While social media is a great tool and a wonderful way to connect with people you don’t see all the time, it can also destroy your productivity. Don’t let the algorithms keep sucking your time and productivity away from you! If you want to stay connected on social media for personal or professional reasons, that’s fine but you need to schedule it and stick to it.  Stop looking on social media randomly, your business will thank you for it!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:40] Focus on what will move the needle.  [5:30] How do I get more done on my business? [10:00] Identify the top priorities in your business.  [12:15] Create a weekly task list.  [14:20] What does your schedule look like? Plan it out!  [18:20] Scott’s bonus tip.  [20:45] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/ask www.brandcreatorsbook.com

What will it take for your ecommerce brand to reach and connect with new followers on social media sites like Facebook? Is there a tried and tested approach that sellers can use to increase engagement on their social media channels? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he gives an update on Facebook fan pages, explains how to warm up a cold Facebook fan page, what it takes to use your Facebook fan page in an effective manner, and so much more. You’ll want to pay close attention to this informative episode - don’t miss it!  Don’t forget about the tools in your toolbox! Let’s face it, life isn’t always neat and simple - especially when you are a small business owner! What do ecommerce sellers like you need to do to stay ahead of the competition? Make sure you use every tool in your toolbox! Too often Scott encounters ecommerce sellers who have built an email list or gained a following on their Facebook fan page only to let those contacts grow cold. Don’t keep your fans wondering when you are going to show up. Commit to showing up on a regular basis and delivering value and watch what happens! Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller to learn more about this critical topic from Scott!  Warming up your Facebook Page Has it been a while since you last posted on your Facebook fan page for your ecommerce brand? What should you post to reconnect and get people to engage with your brand? After hearing from sellers like you, Scott has come up with some helpful tips to get your followers to engage with your brand on Facebook.  Ask a question.  Invite people who comment to “Like” your page.  Share links or articles that are relevant to your brand.  Learn even more helpful tips and insights like this from Scott by listening to this powerful episode of The Amazing Seller! Facebook Page Strategy  Is there a Facebook page strategy out there that actually works? How can sellers like you not only reach but engage their followers on Facebook? According to Scott, the strategy he uses delivers real results - but it will require some hard work!  Create a Facebook Fan Page.  Create a daily schedule and post one new thing each day.  Engage with your followers - like comments and replies!  Send a link to your Facebook post to your email list.  Rinse and repeat steps 1 - 4!  Do you want to go even further with this Facebook page strategy that Scott has laid out? Scott’s got you covered! Make sure to check out the resources section at the end of this post to learn more about engaging your followers and expanding your brand!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [3:00] What is going on with Facebook Fan Pages?  [10:15] How to warm up your fan page.  [17:15] A strategy you can use to engage your fan page.  [23:00] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.listbuildclass.com

Can you really create an ecommerce brand that makes money and can give you a good return on investment? How can sellers like you compete with some of the big names on the ecommerce marketplace? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he explains why content is king, how niche markets work, why you should model your business off of proof, and so much more. Don’t just hope your ecommerce business with succeed, learn from helpful examples that actually worked! You’ll need pen and paper for this fascinating episode - don’t miss it!  What is an Evergreen Empire?  If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott is passionate about helping sellers like you take a leap toward creating and expanding an ecommerce brand. Why focus on creating a brand when you could just focus on selling a product? Creating content doesn’t cost you anything but time! If you can figure out how to create content that a passionate following will keep coming back to - you’ve struck gold! Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott shares the story of an ecommerce brand that doubled down of a content creation strategy! Why niche markets work  Do niche markets really work? How do you find out what niche market to pursue? Too often people look at Scott’s brand-building approach and complain because they feel like it takes too long to turn a profit. While the brand-building process isn’t for the impatient - if you can endure a market validation process, you’ll find yourself on the pathway to success. To hear a rundown of several brands that are making the most content creation and niche marketing, listen to this engaging episode of The Amazing Seller!  Bank on what works!  Where are you on your ecommerce journey? Do have your approach figured out or are you still trying to find a strategy that works well for you? Don’t let yourself get sucked in by all the promises of easy money and hassle-free success - that’s not how it works! Anything worth having will come at a cost - make sure that your approach is following a method that works. If you are ready to put yourself and your business on a time tested and proven approach to ecommerce brand building, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [4:00] What is the “Evergreen Empire?”  [8:30] Why niche markets work.  [15:00] Model after proof!  [19:00] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreatorsbook.com Dotdash’s evergreen empire just got even more evergreen Dotdash Investopedia  The Spruce  TripSavvy  Brydie Brides Liquor.com UberSuggest Mediavine AdThrive

Are you fired up and ready to take your ecommerce business to the next level of growth? Do you feel like you need some expert advice to keep you headed in the right direction? You’ve come to the right place! It’s time for another session of Ask Scott here on The Amazing Seller. On this episode, you’ll hear from Scott as he shares his thought of the week, points out some helpful recent TAS episodes, gives an answer to a question from a TAS follower like you, and so much more. Have pen and paper ready, you don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode!  Job security Did you know that one of the best aspects of owning your own business is job security? It’s true! When you work for someone else, you never know when they might decide to terminate your position or close the business altogether. By taking steps to build a thriving ecommerce business, you are setting yourself up for long-term success. Too many people are at the mercy of their boss or supervisor - don’t let that be your story! Learn more about creating your own job security by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Will Google still rank my website?  Scott has been hearing a lot from ecommerce sellers like you who are worried about how Google’s recent change in how they’ll rank websites will play out. Are you worried about Google’s search results when it comes to your website? What are you doing to keep your brand competitive no matter what Amazon, Google, or YouTube change? If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott wants to help sellers like you diversify your brand. Make sure to check out some of the links located in the resources section to help you future-proof your business!  Helpful conversations Do you have someone in your life who you can turn to when things get tough? How do you navigate topics that you don’t have a lot of experience dealing with? Do you find a good book on the subject, turn to Google, or something else? For years it has been Scott’s hope to bring TAS followers helpful conversations not only on Fridays but every time you listen to TAS. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he points you to several recent episodes that are packed with helpful lessons in life and business - don’t miss it!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [4:00] Scott’s thought of the week - job security.  [13:00] Will Google still rank my website in 2020? [22:00] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.theamazingseller.com/789 www.theamazingseller.com/ask www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.theamazingseller.com/786

Do you feel like you’ve got your brand’s strategy figured out? Are you still trying to work out the best path for your business when it comes to finding your niche market and identifying keywords that will help you succeed? To help sellers like you cut through all the complexity, Scott has prepared a helpful resource called “The Brand Creator’s Playbook.” On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’ll hear from Scott as he walks through the playbook and points out some helpful examples that will prepare you as you launch your ecommerce business. You don’t want to miss a minute of this engaging episode!  The Brand Creator’s Playbook  What sets The Brand Creator’s Playbook apart from all the other resources on the marketplace? If you’ve been around the TAS community for very long, you know that Scott only invests in resources he believes in - The Brand Creator’s Playbook is a worthwhile investment! Here is a breakdown of what you’ll find in The Brand Creator’s Playbook.  Niche selection and market validation.  Creating the foundation for traffic.  Content planning and scheduling.  Posting content and optimizing for traffic.  Email List Building 101.  Monetizing your brand in the short-term and long-term.  Where are you in your journey? Are you ready to start putting your plans into action or are you considering making a pivot? Wherever you are, Scott is not only rooting for you, he’s got resources for you too. Make sure to check out the link to get your copy of The Brand Creator’s Playbook located in the resources section at the end of this post.  Scott busts a common ecommerce myth  What is the point in starting an ecommerce business? Seriously! Time and time again, Scott hears from potential ecommerce sellers who are ready to throw in the towel because they can’t find a good niche or they face too much competition. If you’ve ever had a thought like that, you aren’t alone! Scott and this podcast are living proof that niching down in your target market works! While it might not be easy at first, once you shift your mindset - niching down will get a lot easier. Tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott expands on this critical topic and so much more!  Creating sharable content  Did you know that one of the best ways to attract traffic to your ecommerce brand and to your home base is by creating sharable content? It’s true! What type of sharable content could you develop that would make your brand stand out from the competition? Would your fans respond better to a YouTube video or an ebook? Try turning that question on your brand’s followers and see what they have to say! There are so many ways to break away from the rest of the pack and help your brand shine - you just need to do the hard work to find out what would work best. Listen to this valuable episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott gives some tips and insights that you can use to help your brand succeed!  OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast! [5:20] Breaking down The Brand Creator's Playbook. [11:30] Why identifying your niche is critical.  [19:15] Creating shareable content can increase your traffic.  [23:45] Scott recaps The Brand Creator's Playbook.  [27:30] Closing thoughts from Scott.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.brandcreators.com www.brandcreatorsbook.com www.mywifequitherjob.com

Today we're joined by Scott Voelker of The Amazing Seller podcast. Scotty's not just a personal friend but a comrade-in-arms in a number of ecommerce projects, the most recent being season one of the 5 Minute Pitch along with Steve Chou and Greg Mercer. Scott and I have many similarities when it comes to our background and how we've grown our respective ecommerce businesses. So, after hearing his presentation on ecommerce business sustainability at this year's Sellers Summit, I got him on the show solo. Not everything works forever Ecommerce is a dynamic industry. It's constantly evolving according to the latest market trends and who's dominating it (big “bad” Amazon). Strategies that may have worked will lose their edge eventually. As Scott puts it, “Things that worked yesterday may not necessarily work today”. Innovation and a good understanding of the market are crucial for being successful long-term. Grab their attention “Attention is the new currency.” Speaking of marketplaces, what we've found that does work is capturing the market's attention. How do you that? By being genuine and bringing something valuable to the table. After you've identified a target market, you'll need to create a plan that grabs and sustains their attention. This usually involves putting out content in some form or another. But offering valuable content is only half of the picture. You also need to establish that trust with your audience. Do so by proving your expertise in the subject and your willingness to guide people who may not experts themselves, but are working towards getting on that level. Tune in to the full podcast episode for more insights on how you and your brand can navigate the changing tides of ecommerce and remain relevant in the years to come. And check out the resources section of this page for more information on an ecommerce event Scotty's putting together in September.   We have a book and we're giving it away for FREE. If you want a physical copy of our tried-and-tested Amazon launch strategy complete with examples and screenshots, get yours here. Want to get advice from Mike and have your business featured on the podcast?  Sign up for the EcomCrew Roadshow today! Join season two of the 5 MInute Pitch by filling out and submitting the application form. Finally, if you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling! Resources Brand Accelerator Live 2019 E187: How to Save on High-Quality Content for SEO – Under the Hood with Sebastien Taché

Early this year my buddies Steve Chou of My Wife Quit Her Job, Scott Voelker of The Amazing Seller, Greg Mercer of Jungle Scout and I came up with a new show called the 5 Minute Pitch. All four of us met up last week to film the semi-finals, and it's a little strange to say this, but it's probably the hardest I've worked the whole year. The schedule was so brutal that I wasn't able to touch my laptop for 3 whole days. Imagine that. The 5 Minute Pitch The 5 Minute Pitch is a Shark Tank style show where we have 32 contestants pitch us their businesses for 5 minutes, for a chance to win $50,000. Unlike Shark Tank, there's no strings attached, which means we don't take any equity from the company that wins. Over the next few weeks after the creation of the show, the four of us and a couple of guest judges got together on Skype while 32 companies pitched their business ideas to us. We narrowed the contestants down to 8 and had them fly to San Diego last week to present an extended pitch, in person, to all four of us plus one very special guest judge who we can't reveal yet (hint: his podcast is in iTunes' top 100 Business Podcasts). We will be airing the first batch of pitches early next year on iTunes and YouTube. The finals, which will determine the winner who will take the $50,000 prize, will be held in Miami, Florida during the Sellers Summit. Most Important Takeaway from the Semi Finals There is one thing that stood out to me during our filming last week (aside from the back pain from having to sit in the same position for too long) and that is there's one thing all successful businesses have. The ability to adapt to change. In business, you don't need to have everything figured out at the get go. You don't need to have everything planned. If you get too buried in planning, taking into account every possible scenario in your head, you might not get around to doing anything at all. Learn to take action, get early feedback, and use that feedback to steer your business in the right direction. Being nimble and learning how to ride the tide is the most important skill you need to learn to achieve business success. If you think about it, so many successful businesses--AirBnB, Lyft, Cisco--didn't have all their ducks in a row. And if you look at their history, they are not the same company as they were when they started. But they all have one thing in common: the ability to adapt to change. Even the 5 Minute Pitch didn't start out perfectly. We knew we wanted to do this but the details weren't clear to any of us when we started. But we went ahead and did it anyway, improvising and learning from our mistakes along the way. The result of it is a show that all four of us are excited and proud to present to you. EcomCrew Premium Opening One Last Time This Year We've recently been limiting the number of people we accommodate with EcomCrew Premium because we wanted to be able to attend to the needs of every single one of our members, and having too many people sign up prevents us from doing that. We have a trick up our sleeve for our next reopening on Black Friday, which will be the last time we will open registrations this year. Connect with us on Facebook to be among the first to get updates about our surprise for the reopening. Thanks for listening to this episode! Until the next one, happy selling.

If you're an entrepreneur who's been tinkering around with an awesome business idea but short on capital, we'd love to help. In this episode, I met up with three of my buddies in the industry, Greg Mercer from Jungle Scout, Steve Chou from My Wife Quit Her Job, and Scott Voelker from The Amazing Seller, to talk about our latest project called the 5 Minute Pitch. It's an opportunity for bootstrapped online businesses to pitch their best business idea to us as judges and win $50,000. Who are we looking for? We are on the lookout for an online business with great forward momentum. We want someone who can take a unique business idea and add the meat and bones to it. So, give us your business backstory, be transparent about your numbers, and spill all the details for your chosen venture.   Finally, act natural. “Let your personality shine through because at the end of the day we are investing in people. Oftentimes, businesses have to make pivots and go on to do different types of things. So we want to know that the founders that we're giving this money to as a gift are going to really exceed with it.”, says Greg. How can you join? Simply log on to www.5minutepitch.com or fill out the application form here. Please note we only accept 32 entries so time is of the essence. How do we pick a winner? The grand prize winner will be selected after a series of elimination rounds. We're starting with 32 contestants who will be giving us their 5-minute pitch on Skype. From that cluster, we'll be selecting 8 contestants to advance to the next round. These 8 contestants will again be narrowed down to 4. The lucky 4 will be flown to San Diego to present their pitch live to the four judges. From these, we'll then select the grand winner of a $50,000 cash gift.   What does the winner get? We're giving away a cash gift worth $50,000 to the lucky winner plus some mentoring time with each judge. We're launching this contest in the fall. Sign up for our email list to get the latest updates.   Other Useful Resources: MyEcomcrew Jungle Scout My Wife Quit Her Job The Amazing Seller   Thanks for listening to this episode! If you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

This episode of Freedom Fast Lane was recorded live at The Amazing Seller. Ryan talks about being an entrepreneur and going all in to build something bigger than himself. When Ryan was growing up, it never occurred to him that he should wait for someone else to decide when his life should change. After reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, he committed himself to doing whatever it would take to be financially free. When he read that 10% of people make 90% of the wealth, he simply decided he would get to be in that 10%. It is easier now than it has ever been to build a seven or eight figure business. The days of selling on Amazon by finding a product and throwing it online are over, and you have to think bigger than that. Start by building your brand. Create a controlled area for your audience so you can sell to them. Be willing to suck until you don't suck anymore. Listen to Ryan's presentation from The Amazing Seller for the simple roadmap to building an eight-figure business. Getting to one million is a simple formula. Getting from one million to ten million is easy if you do it right. While you're here, don't forget to grab your ticket for the Capitalism Conference in Austin Texas this December 7th-9th. If you're a physical product seller, an Amazon seller, an entrepreneur with a big vision, if you're building something with seven-figure potential, this event is for you. Some of the best advisors and keynote speakers will be there to support you. Get your ticket here before they sell out.

Scott Voelker is a serial entrepreneur. It all started worked for his father's construction company, which the two built to over a million dollars annually. From there, Scott made the leap into photography, because freedom and security meant so much to his family. Business was great, but it turned out to be another job. From there, he went into the online space where he built courses along with some selling on Ebay; he was beginning his journey into freedom. Scott learned about selling on Amazon, and saw it as the next best option to digital products; in the FBA model, Amazon handled most of the heavy lifting. His vision of freedom was booming much more real. His first year in business on Amazon is more than the average American would see in ten. From there, he started the Amazing Seller podcast, in an effort to reach out to higher level seller. However, it turned out to be so much more of a teaching experience, allowing Scott to touch so many lives. Check out his story...   Scott's Favorite Quote: "Take Action!"   Scott's Favorite Book:Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion   Links From Today's Show:theamazingseller.comtheamazingseller.com/workshopAmazon Selling Blueprint - How to Find and Launch Your First Private-Label Product on Amazon in 90 Days or Less