Podcasts about ecommerce

Rob Cromer is the CEO and Co-founder of Aisle³, an Amazon-first marketplace agency that helps founder-led, mission-driven brands scale across platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Under his leadership, Aisle³ has been recognized by Adweek as one of the fastest-growing agencies and has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list, supporting notable brands such as Nama, Caraway, and Ripple Foods. Known for championing founder mindset, intentional gifting, and agile operations, he is committed to building profitable companies that value relationships, creative storytelling, and sustainable long-term growth. In this episode… Founder-led brands often struggle to cut through the noise on massive marketplaces, where competition is fierce, and software tools alone aren't enough to guarantee success. Many agencies promise growth but deliver generic solutions that don't truly move the needle. How can these brands rise above the clutter and turn into household names? Rob Cromer, an expert in e-commerce marketing, explains how founder-led brands can overcome marketplace challenges by taking a human-centered, agile approach. Rob emphasizes building deep partnerships with brands through transparency, intentional communication, and continuous improvement. He shares actionable strategies to maintain consistent growth, prepare strategically for high-traffic sales events, weigh the pros and cons of FBA versus FBM, and use thoughtful gifting to make products stand out. Rob also highlights the importance of long-term relationships, profitability, and a dedicated full-time team in driving sustainable success. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Rob Cromer, Co-founder and CEO of Aisle³, to explore how founder-led brands can dominate marketplaces. Rob shares insights on inventory management, product assortment, and Black Friday/Cyber Monday prep, along with the impact of thoughtful gifting to help brands stand out.

Are you an ecommerce seller new to Pinterest marketing? This episode covers everything you need to launch your e-commerce brand on the platform: account setup, creating high-converting Pins and videos, Pinterest SEO, and the daily strategy that drives qualified traffic in 30-60 days.With almost 600 million users and 80% actively searching for products to buy, Pinterest is a goldmine for online stores. Learn how to tap into it without spending a fortune on adsIntro - Call to Action: Ready to make Q1 2026 your breakout quarter? Let Pinterest be your growth engine. From building a high-performing account from the ground up to creating scroll-stopping images that drive clicks and saves, to running ads that deliver 5x return on ad spend—we've got the Pinterest expertise to match your goals. Visit simplepinmedia.com/services to schedule your free consultation and discover which Pinterest strategy will unlock your 2026 success.Podcast on Pinterest boardsPinterest Assistant Latest shopping features in 2025Pinterest Trends—-------Here are some helpful links from the podcast:

Black Friday naysayers have been predicting its demise for years, but Adyen's Holly Worst has data proving the shopping holiday is far from dead—it's gone global. From Denmark's 6.1X surge to America's mobile wallet awakening, this year's numbers tell a story of transformation, not decline. The real shift? How we pay, when we shop, and why contactless finally caught on in the US.The Retail Super Bowl Delivered, AgainKey takeaways:Black Friday generated $43B globally with 837M transactions across Adyen's platformUS contactless payments jumped 23% YOY and mobile wallet usage doubled to 30%Denmark saw a 6.1X increase in transaction volume on Black Friday, and Spain 4.5X—Black Friday is officially a global phenomenonPeak shopping hit at 1 pm in-store and noon online (digestion first, deals second)46% of US consumers abandon checkout without their preferred payment methodAssociated Links:Check out Adyen's BFCM data hereSee our full recap of BFCM resultsCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you want to squeeze more revenue out of your existing traffic, this week's podcast episode is a must-listen. We're diving deep into one of the most misunderstood, yet most profitable, parts of ecommerce growth: conversion rate optimization. CRO expert Jasper De Munyk joins Greg to break down the fundamentals of Shopify CRO, including what a healthy optimization process actually looks like and why it's far more than "changing button colors." If you're wondering where to even begin, we cover what to tackle first when doing CRO, plus the stage of growth when investing in CRO makes the biggest impact. We explore the biggest CRO mistakes and misconceptions that cause businesses to waste time, chase vanity metrics, or ignore easy wins hiding in plain sight. We also dig into the future, discussing how AI is reshaping CRO, from rapid data analysis to automated testing, and where human judgment still plays an essential role.  If you're serious about growing your ecommerce business sustainably, without simply spending more on ads, this episode will be your new playbook. Topics Discussed in this episode: The fundamentals of eCommerce CRO (05:59) Common CRO mistakes and misconceptions (11:21) What to tackle first when doing CRO (14:31) What stage of growth should you be at when investing in CRO? (20:03) How AI is changing CRO (28:26) Exploring the mechanical side of CRO (33:56) How to turn customer data into actionable insights (39:18) How to make CRO a routine part of your business (42:17) How often businesses should revisit their CRO (46:14) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Golden Web Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to unlock rapid growth through conversation rate optimization!  

The latest edition of the retail industry's leading podcast features an in-depth conversation with Jason Buechel, CEO of Whole Foods Market and Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, who shares Amazon's rapidly expanding grocery ambitions. Already surpassing $100 billion in gross sales, Amazon is leaning into grocery as a strategic category driven by frequency, loyalty, Prime stickiness, and the potential to unite all household purchasing into a seamless digital and physical ecosystem.Buechel explains how Amazon is transforming grocery shopping—a category in which consumers currently visit four to five retailers a month—into a single, unified experience. With more than 1,000 same-day grocery delivery locations today scaling to 2,300 cities, store-level innovations such as Whole Foods Daily Shop formats, and the integration of perishables directly into Amazon baskets alongside electronics or apparel, the company is erasing long-standing channel barriers. He also outlines the “one grocery” operational vision: unified supply chains, technology stacks, and customer journeys across banners, while preserving the brand trust and standards that Whole Foods customers demand.The episode opens with co-hosts Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc breaking down early holiday results. This year's hottest retail storyline, however, may be the sudden emergence of agentic AI. Tools such as Amazon's Rufus and ChatGPT are now influencing search and conversion decisions, helping fuel what the hosts dub “the most agentic Christmas yet.” With traffic gains from AI agents multiplying, the shift from traditional search to intelligent assistants is poised to accelerate dramatically in 2026.The discussion then turns to Kohl's, and the decision to name interim CEO Michael Bender to the permanent position. The hosts frame this as symptomatic of a deeper issue: a retailer with declining relevance in a shrinking total addressable market.On the heels of new quarterly earnings reports they also spotlight the theme of “profitless prosperity”—brands reporting modest sales improvements but sliding EBITDA as tariffs, promotions, and supply chain pressures erode margin—the overarching message: top-line growth is not victory unless gross profit dollars follow.The episode concludes with the remarkable rise of Google's AI game, and Sears inexplicably still operating a handful of stores (though likely not for much longer). SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Just because BFCM is over doesn't mean the holiday shopping season is. In fact, over HALF of holiday shoppers still have gifts to buy. So if you're already winding down your promos and marketing... pump the brakes, my friend. There is STILL time to make more money this season—and this episode is your game plan. I'm walking you through 5 powerful strategies to capture those last-minute buyers and keep the revenue rolling in well past Christmas. Whether you're running solo or have a full team, there are ideas in here you can implement TODAY to bring in more sales. Think specialized email campaigns, cross-sells, gift card promos, and tapping into your local market. We're getting scrappy and strategic to finish Q4 strong. Listen in and get the motivation and tactics you need to keep showing up and selling. There's still so much potential left in this season.   What We'll Cover: The one thing you MUST do, even if you ignore everything else How to increase AOV without discounting Smart email strategies to drive repeat buys How to attract last-minute shoppers Creative ways to promote gift cards What to do AFTER Christmas to keep making sales   _______   Holiday Podcast Episodes & Resources http://ecommercebadassery.com/holidaypodcast   _______ Full Episode Show Notes http://ecommercebadassery.com/355   _______   Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______   Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I'd be forever grateful if you'd rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it's also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you want to hear.    Review Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-badassery/id1507457683  

Send us a textReputation travels faster than personal branding when the right people vouch for you. That idea sits at the core of our conversation with Evolve Commerce Club founder Carlos Monteiro, who traces a path from helping Danish companies enter Brazil to building an invite-only network of senior leaders across 48 markets. We dig into how perspective, generosity, and consistent follow-through transform one-off intros into compounding trust—and why that matters most for executives navigating career transitions.We unpack the early stumbles and the breakthrough: focusing on seasoned professionals who once represented a company but now need to represent themselves. Carlos explains how Evolve's paid club delivers tangible value with curated matchmaking, private expert sessions, and monthly off-the-record circles designed for honest asks, not pitches. As member outcomes grew, companies began commissioning targeted dinners and private workshops, giving the community a clear monetization path without sacrificing signal quality.We also get practical about tools and tactics. Despite doubts in parts of Europe, WhatsApp won because it's where people already are, driving daily engagement with minimal friction. Looking ahead, Evolve is investing in an AI agent to summarize profiles, automate thoughtful check-ins, and surface timely connections as careers evolve—augmenting human judgment rather than replacing it. Along the way, members are self-organizing meetups from Lisbon to Dubai, proving the culture is strong enough to scale.If you're a senior leader in transition or a connector at heart, you'll find a playbook for building trust-first networks: vet carefully, reward generosity, meet members where they are, and let results speak louder than branding. Subscribe, share this with a colleague who's rethinking their network strategy, and leave a review to tell us what part of the conversation you want us to go deeper on next.This episode was recorded in the official podcast booth at Web Summit (Lisbon) on November 12, 2025. Check the video footage, read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/from-reputation-to-results-how-a-global-invite-only-commerce-club-scales-trust/..........................................................................

If you want to squeeze more revenue out of your existing traffic, this week's podcast episode is a must-listen. We're diving deep into one of the most misunderstood, yet most profitable, parts of ecommerce growth: conversion rate optimization. CRO expert Jasper De Munyk joins Greg to break down the fundamentals of Shopify CRO, including what a healthy optimization process actually looks like and why it's far more than "changing button colors." If you're wondering where to even begin, we cover what to tackle first when doing CRO, plus the stage of growth when investing in CRO makes the biggest impact. We explore the biggest CRO mistakes and misconceptions that cause businesses to waste time, chase vanity metrics, or ignore easy wins hiding in plain sight. We also dig into the future, discussing how AI is reshaping CRO, from rapid data analysis to automated testing, and where human judgment still plays an essential role.  If you're serious about growing your ecommerce business sustainably, without simply spending more on ads, this episode will be your new playbook. Topics Discussed in this episode: The fundamentals of eCommerce CRO (05:59) Common CRO mistakes and misconceptions (11:21) What to tackle first when doing CRO (14:31) What stage of growth should you be at when investing in CRO? (20:03) How AI is changing CRO (28:26) Exploring the mechanical side of CRO (33:56) How to turn customer data into actionable insights (39:18) How to make CRO a routine part of your business (42:17) How often businesses should revisit their CRO (46:14) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Golden Web Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to unlock rapid growth through conversation rate optimization!  

Jessica Pellow breaks down the strategic shift required to enter new markets, the criticality of an ego-free leadership team, and the personal philosophy that forced her to step into the high-stakes world of P&L management to accelerate her career.

L'assurance affinitaire, on croit la connaître. Pourtant, elle vit une transformation silencieuse qui touche au cœur de la relation client : l'usage.Dans un monde où les produits sont plus techniques, plus coûteux, plus utilisés et où seconde main, location et durabilité redessinent les pratiques, les consommateurs ne recherchent plus seulement un achat. Ils veulent une continuité. Une tranquillité. Une simplicité.Alors, comment accompagne-t-on un client au-delà de l'acte d'achat ?Pourquoi l'assurance produit devient-elle un levier de fidélisation autant qu'un service d'usage ?Et qu'est-ce qui distingue une bonne assurance d'un produit qui restera incompris ou inutile ?Pour répondre à ces questions, j'ai réuni deux acteurs qui travaillent au cœur de cette transformation :Mirelys Reyes, directrice générale d'In Confidence Insurance chez Oney,et Guillaume Trouvé, leader de Decathlon Insurance.Ensemble, nous explorons :– les mutations profondes de la consommation et des parcours d'achat,– le renversement de l'assurance affinitaire, désormais pensée du point de vue du consommateur,– l'importance de la réparabilité et de la continuité d'usage,– la transparence comme fondement de la confiance,– et les facteurs clés de succès : une connaissance fine du retail, une compréhension précise des usages, et une co-construction exigeante.Un échange dense, concret, sans langue de bois, qui montre pourquoi l'assurance produit, bien conçue, est devenue un vrai service client et un puissant moteur de fidélisation.Bonne écoute, toujours sans coupure !Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Dans ce nouvel épisode d'Insight, nous recevons Lucas Duquenne, Directeur de la stratégie chez Camden. Nous revenons avec lui sur la manière dont Camden, agence créative indépendante et internationale présente à Lyon, Paris, Montréal, Toronto et Hong Kong, accompagne ses clients pour réconcilier performance et vision. Entre storytelling, cohérence de marque et stratégie globale, il nous explique pourquoi une marque forte est le meilleur levier de rentabilité durable. Comment convaincre les annonceurs d'investir dans la valeur immatérielle de leur marque à une époque où tout doit aller vite ? Quels indicateurs suivre pour mesurer la puissance d'un branding bien travaillé ? Pourquoi certaines marques parviennent à créer un lien émotionnel si fort qu'elles deviennent des love brands ? Et surtout, comment trouver le bon équilibre entre activation court terme et capital marque long terme ? Il nous répond ! Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Black Friday isn't a day anymore. It's a month-long pressure cooker – and it's forcing retailers to rethink everything from promotions to product pages.Correction note: In the episode I mention a jumper with 7% wool – the actual composition was 8% wool.Why Black Friday has morphed into “Black Month” – and what that constant promo pressure does to margins, teams and customer expectationsHow John Lewis is investing £800m to turn “stuffy department store” into experiential destination, complete with VIP member lounges that feel more like British Airways than traditional retailThe power of personal styling: a live story from a first-ever styling session at Aubin, and why curated outfits create genuine “dopamine dressing” moments for time-poor professionalsWhat luxury players like Joseph really want from tech and AI: tools that free staff to serve customers, not replace themHow AI is fast becoming your second customer – from ChatGPT's personal shopping and gift guides to the need for product pages that go beyond specs and capture story, emotion and use-caseWhy the next generation won't “Google it”, they'll ChatGPT it – and what that means for search, content and retail strategyIf you work in retail, ecommerce, CX, merchandising or digital, you're already living these tensions: discount pressure, demand for experience, and the rise of AI-driven discovery.This episode gives you a sharp, 13‑minute snapshot of where those trends are heading – and how brands like John Lewis, Aubin, Joseph, Tumi and M&S are shaping the next chapter.

Recorded live at MAPIC 2025 in Cannes, this episode features a rare deep-dive with Ian Sandford, President of Eurofund Group, one of Europe's most influential retail property operators. With more than €2B in assets across Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the UK, Eurofund sits at the centre of the sector's biggest shifts.--------*Welcome to the official  channel of THE RETAIL PODCAST, the leading community for global retail leaders, innovators, and changemakers.*If you are struggling to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry, looking for insights from major conferences like NRF, Shoptalk, and EuroCIS, or aiming to connect your digital funnels to physical events with measurable ROI, this channel is designed for you.➡️ Hosted by Alex Rezvan and joined by some of the most respected voices in the sector, The Retail Podcast brings sharp, actionable insights from industry veterans with backgrounds at Microsoft and Verizon, where projects worth over $1.5 billion were directed. Our mission is to help retailers and businesses that sell to retailers anticipate change, embrace technology, and unlock new growth opportunities.Here you will discover exclusive interviews with executives and innovators, coverage of global retail conferences, analysis of technology and AI trends, in-depth explorations of fashion, grocery, luxury, and eCommerce, and thought leadership that keeps your strategy relevant all year long. As part of the RetailNews.AI ecosystem, this channel does more than report the news—it shapes the conversation on the future of retail.*Subscribe now and activate notifications so you never miss the strategies, stories, and signals defining tomorrow's retail.*--------

Le marketing conversationnel transforme la manière dont les marques interagissent avec leurs clients : plus humain, plus réactif, plus personnalisé… et surtout beaucoup plus rentable. Dans cet extrait du 17ᵉ épisode de Loyoly Talks, Guillaume Escolier, CEO et cofondateur de WAX, explique comment passer d'un marketing transactionnel à un marketing conversationnel réellement performant et partage des résultats concrets issus de marques comme 900 care. Il revient sur : - la définition du marketing conversationnel ; - pourquoi WhatsApp devient un levier stratégique du CRM ; - comment exploiter la donnée conversationnelle pour mieux convertir ; - des cas d'usage ultra performants (upsell post-achat, gestion d'abonnement, reminder de prélèvement…) ; - comment éviter l'oversollicitation tout en augmentant la pertinence de ses messages ; - le coût réel du “non-investissement” pour les marques qui tardent à se lancer. Un extrait clair, actionnable et essentiel pour comprendre comment activer efficacement WhatsApp et réussir sa transition vers un marketing conversationnel moderne et rentable. _______________________________________ Au programme : Marketing conversationnel Les résultats de 900 careWhatsApp, levier stratégique ?Ne pas sur-solliciter ses clientsLe coût du “non-investissement”_______________________________________ L'invité du jourSuivez Guillaume sur LinkedIn._______________________________________ LoyolySuivez Loyoly sur LinkedIn & Instagram.Abonnez-nous à notre newsletter Customer Loop. _______________________________________ Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Episodio totalmente random, aprovechando las fechas en las que estamos y en la que la introducción no será como la que estás acostumbrado a ver y a escuchar en este programa. Recientemente colaboré en la creación de un evento sobre Inteligencia Artificial aplicada al Ecommerce, con casos reales y ejemplos de referentes y admirados colegas del sector que tuvieron a bien compartir su conocimiento con los allí presentes. Yo además de conducir el evento como presentador, tuve la oportunidad de pronunciar la primera charla sobre cómo la IA está cambiando nuestra vida y la de los ecommerce. Y es la que te traigo en este episodio y que puedes escuchar aquí donde hablo de:- Cómo está afectando a nivel de puestos de trabajo la implementación de la IA.- Cuál es el uso de la IA que se está dando en los ecommerce.- Cómo está usando la IA en Amazon para facturar más a sus clientes.- Como está consiguiendo aumentar un 40% de facturación por recomendaciones.- La era de los agentes y el nuevo paradigma de compra online de los próximos años.Y otros datos que solo podrás escuchar en este episodio, el 446 de Ecosistema Ecommerce.https://pychon.com/https://ecosistemaecommerce.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierlopezrod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ecosistema-Ecommerce/61550625909016/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ecosistemaecommTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ecosistemaecommerceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecosistemaecommerce/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE2zroaDzTVZRwNOh5Ma9cg

Nazrite do sveta e-shopového financovania bez pozlátka. Od toho, prečo banky nezaujme ani najkrajší oblek, až po to, ako si mnohé firmy samy podkopávajú bonitu skrytými tržbami a slabou maržou. Priblíži nový fintech model splácania podľa denných tržieb, prudké zmeny v buy now pay later regulácii aj to, prečo si zákazníci kupujú drahší bicykel, keď ho môžu splácať po častiach. Viac informácií nám poskytla Monika Beseda, Partnerships Development Manager v Tatra banke

I'm so excited to share this week's episode with you. I joined my friend Carly on her podcast, Care Less with Carly, and wanted to share our conversation here. We talk about the moment I realized my “perfect on paper” finance career wasn't right for me, and how I navigated the messy, scary transition into entrepreneurship. We also get into my relationship with burnout and perfectionism, how Behind Her Empire truly began, and the early steps that eventually led to building my business beeya. If you've ever felt torn between stability and a deeper calling, this episode is for you. That uncomfortable feeling is often the sign that something bigger is ahead. I hope it reminds you that you don't need every step figured out to begin, and that trusting yourself can be the most powerful choice. I hope you enjoy this one! In this episode, we'll talk about:* Discovering Yasmin's early career path and what drew her into finance. [02:15]* Feeling out of place in the corporate world and the moment she knew banking wasn't for her. [05:51]* Signs of burnout and the pressure to constantly prove herself. [06:44]* Transitioning out of finance and exploring new paths in tech and startups. [08:19]* Why learning from others became Yasmin's source of clarity and inspiration. [10:10]* Launching Behind Her Empire during the pandemic. [10:33]* Yasmin's support pillars early on. [15:09]* Facing the fear of judgment and posting publicly for the first time. [16:00]* Why most people aren't actually paying attention and why that's freeing. [18:41]* Strengthening the muscle of not caring what others think. [22:05]* How building the podcast helped Yasmin develop boundaries and confidence. [22:33]* Traits shared by the world's most accomplished women. [23:27]* Learning to enjoy the journey rather than chase the destination. [25:16]* Starting beeya: Yasmin's health struggles and how her business idea was born. [27:31]* Honoring wellness: why sleep, food, and movement matter. [31:51]* Advice for listeners stuck between a safe career and their creative calling. [33:23]* What Yasmin is dreaming about next and what she hopes to inspire in others. [34:19]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya's seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Carly:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlylynn/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carelesswithcarly/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The traditional linear shopping journey has collapsed. Commerce now happens everywhere, and consumers are navigating this omnimodal reality with unprecedented fluidity.Phillip Jackson and Lindsay Trinkle sit down with Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at CI&T, to unpack findings from her Retail Tech Reality Check research. Together, they dissect how different platforms serve distinct purposes in the buyer's journey, why "omnichannel" is more relevant than ever, and what happens when everything becomes shoppable but commerce itself becomes invisible.In this episode, we explore how the expanded digital ecosystem is fundamentally reprogramming how consumers engage with content, community, and commerce. With 74% of US consumers now using AI tools in their path to purchase, brands can no longer control the narrative—instead, they must embed themselves intentionally into customer-led conversations across multiple contexts.Commerce Is Invisible; Context Isn'tKey takeaways:Each social platform serves a distinct purpose: Facebook for purchasing, YouTube for discovery, Reddit for research. Context matters more than channel ubiquity.The invisible transaction wins: TikTok succeeds because it's entertainment-first. The less commerce feels like commerce, the more consumers buy.Attribution is broken: Traditional linear models can't capture circular, contextual journeys. Focus on conversion, repeat purchase, and brand awareness—the only metrics you can trust.Search remains unsolved: Basic functionality like filtering furniture by dimensions is still missing. Data quality and search methodology are foundational competitive advantages.Micro-influencers drive outsized impact: 45 passionate referrals matter more than 45,000 followers. The persona of the referrer (picky, experimental, passionate) outweighs reach.AI will reshape holiday 2025: Gifting anxiety makes AI particularly valuable. Consumers use it to avoid looking stupid and navigate uncertain return processes.In-Show Mentions:Melissa Minkow - Global Director of Retail Strategy and Insights, CI&TCI&T Retail Tech Reality Check ResearchNew Modes ResearchAssociated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jennifer is the Director of DTC, Martech, and Digital Compliance at OLLY, a Unilever-owned vitamin/supplement brand, and a seasoned eCommerce veteran based in the Bay Area. She specializes in building digital marketing programs, profitable eCommerce stores, and seamless customer experiences. Her expertise includes advanced Martech ecosystems, customer data platforms (CDPs), marketing automation, and ensuring compliance with global privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Jennifer's skills span web development, UX/UI design, inventory management, logistics, and omni-channel retailing. In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Intro[00:39] Sponsor: Taboola[01:58] Solving customer needs with simplicity[04:05] Sponsor: Next Insurance[05:19] Leveraging cross-brand learnings for growth[08:37] Using D2C as a customer learning engine[12:00] Callouts[12:11] Evaluating tools that streamline operations[13:37] Reviving traditional marketing with modern tech[16:52] Sponsor: Electric Eye & Freight Fright[20:01] Testing unconventional marketing strategies[21:19] Balancing responsibility with limited control[24:58] Focusing on product value over flashy designResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeOlly Vitamins and Supplements olly.com/Follow Jennifer Peters linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peters-3bbb6220Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectTurn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honestIf you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Con su aguda visión, Elías nos guía a través de las modificaciones en las regulaciones de importación, destacando la eliminación de la sección 321, una medida que ha generado incertidumbre entre las plataformas de comercio electrónico como Amazon y Walmart. Analizamos cómo estos cambios, iniciados durante la administración Trump, están marcando la pauta en el comercio internacional, y compartimos estrategias efectivas para enfrentar estas fluctuaciones y asegurar que los costos de exportación se mantengan optimizados, especialmente en momentos de alta demanda. Además, exploramos las tácticas que las empresas pueden adoptar para reducir los costos arancelarios dentro de la industria manufacturera en México. Acompañados por Elías, debatimos cómo el aprovechamiento de materias primas y fabricantes locales puede ser una ventaja competitiva para clasificar productos como hechos en México y, así, superar obstáculos arancelarios. También ponemos el foco en los desafíos logísticos que enfrentan marketplaces como Amazon, con cuellos de botella y retrasos que complican la eficiencia operativa. Con la proximidad del 2026, subrayamos la importancia de una planificación meticulosa que garantice no solo la eficiencia, sino también la rentabilidad en el comercio electrónico. En el episodio #188 de Serious Sellers Podcast en Español, platicamos de: 00:00 - Impacto De Aranceles en Logística eCommerce 17:39 - Estrategias Para Reducir Costos De Aranceles

Hol dir noch mehr wertvolle Insights mit unseren kostenlosen Ressourcen: 8-Figure Checkliste: www.ecomhouse.com/checkliste ECOM SECRETS Buch: www.ecombuch.de ECOM INSIDER Newsletter: www.ecomhouse.com/newsletter Kostenloser Strategie Call: www.ecomhouse.com/skalierungs-call Wenn du Fragen an Daniel Bidmon hast oder möchtest, dass er und sein Team dir bei der Skalierung deines Onlineshops helfen, dann vereinbare jetzt dein kostenloses Strategiegespräch: www.ecomhouse.com Daniel Bidmon und sein Team aus 35 A-Level Mitarbeitern und exklusiver Meta Business Partner auf höchstem Level, hat seine Agentur ECOM HOUSE GmbH über 1 Milliarde Euro E-Commerce-Umsatz für ihre Kunden generiert. In seinem Nr.1 E-Commerce Podcast in der DACH-Region zeigt er dir, wie du dein Marketing so optimierst, dass du profitabel auf 7 und 8-stellige Umsätze skalierst – mit bewährten Meta Ads-Strategien, präziser Kundenansprache und weiteren Erfolgsgeheimnissen.

"Send me a text"In this episode, I break down the exact framework I've used to help e-commerce growth for supplement brands scale past $100M in revenue while staying profitable. You'll discover why 72% of your revenue comes from just 20% of your customers, how to calculate true Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) the right way, and the four pillars of LTV optimization that actually work in the supplement industry.This isn't about lowering your customer acquisition costs. It's about acquiring better customers and turning them into lifelong advocates.If you're tired of short-term wins that fade away, this episode will change how you think about growth forever.What You'll Learn:Why most supplement brands calculate LTV completely wrong (and how to fix it)The four unique levers supplement brands can pull to increase customer valueHow to build a trust system that overcomes supplement skepticismThe 90-Day Success System that prevents 60% customer loss after first purchaseReal benchmarks: what LTV:CAC ratios you should actually be hittingA step-by-step action plan you can implement starting todayIf you're interested in working with me and my team to improve your supplement business. You can learn more at my website https://creativethirst.com Click here to grab your copy of the Health Supplement Ad Swipe Guide. Discover what really works in funnel marketing Need help increasing sales on your own? Click here Stuck at $1 - $5M in revenue? Click Here Case Study on how Creative Thirst added over $200,000 for one supplement brand

What happens when months of experiments, mistakes, and unexpected wins all pile up at once? In this solo episode, I'm sharing an honest behind-the-scenes look at what I've been building, breaking, automating, and learning across ECF and my own personal workflow. Listen in as I talk through replacing (and not replacing) a key team member, how AI is reshaping assistant work, and what went wrong with a recent developer hire. I also share the story behind a new branded video project and explain why hardware security keys are becoming essential for anyone running a digital business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3XLfw69 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups?  Subscribe via email.

It's a Black Friday special! Phillip and Brian explore how capitalism commercializes everything it touches, as exemplified beautifully by community-driven Buy Nothing groups facing trademark enforcement and Walmart's WhoKnewVille campaign, which misses the point of Dr. Seuss entirely. They examine Mariah Carey's evolution from background music to Sephora partner, the disturbing rise of skincare for toddlers, and why new media's infinitesimally short news cycles are reshaping how we consume culture itself.PLUS: Get Plus! Use code BLACKFRIDAY for a year of Future Commerce Plus at our lowest rate ever. Black Friday Isn't Dying, and Neither Is Kris Jenner! Key takeaways:Buy Nothing chooses to wage its trademark battle during the SNAP benefits pause.As long as digital channels and Kris Jenner continue to thrive, Black Friday will never die.Mariah Carey's “It's Time” video is sponsored by Sephora. Finally!The new media ecosystem demands we live in the immediacy of the moment. Media cycle half-lives grow shorter by the day.“Mel Gibson was for Boomers what Johnny Depp was for Gen X, and I get the same feeling about Timothee Chalamet for this generation.” –– Brian Lange“Any gift you give or receive is actually a flaming fireball in the sky of your identity.” –– Brian Lange“Let he who is without screen time cast the first stone.” –– Phillip Jackson“Buy Nothing groups disintermediate the knife fight.” –– Phillip Jackson, Craigslist knife fight survivorAssociated Links:Get a year of Future Commerce Plus for $50 with code BLACKFRIDAYCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us a textIn this October Masterclass, Noah Wickham and Kevin Sanderson from My Amazon Guy dives deep into Amazon selling strategies, offering expert insights into improving Amazon SEO, PPC optimization, listing optimization, and effective marketing tactics for 2025. Learn how to boost your Amazon business, implement powerful Amazon FBA strategies, and optimize your product listings with Amazon A+ Content. Whether you're a beginner or experienced seller, Steven explains how to enhance your Amazon ranking and manage PPC campaigns efficiently.Watch this session to discover advanced Amazon advertising strategies, including retargeting, Google Shopping, and email marketing tactics for sales growth. This video also breaks down key methods to ensure your Amazon product images and alt text are perfectly optimized to boost your visibility and click-through rate (CTR). Plus, get tips on using User Generated Content (UGC) and influencer marketing to elevate your brand presence on Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.#AmazonFBA #AmazonPPC #AmazonSEO #MyAmazonGuy #amazonsellingtips ------------------------------------------------Want free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Q4 Selling Playbook: https://bit.ly/46Wqkm3 2025 Ecommerce Holiday Playbook: https://bit.ly/4hbygov Amazon PPC Guide 2025: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYX Ecommerce Holiday Playbook: https://bit.ly/4hbygovAmazon Crisis Kit: https://bit.ly/4maWHn0Amazon SEO Toolkit: https://bit.ly/457zjSl00:00 – Start of webinar01:15 – Why you should build your own store (avoiding Amazon dependency)04:30 – Importance of owning customer data07:00 – The cost of selling on Amazon: Fees and margins10:00 – Why Q4 is a great time to launch a direct-to-consumer brand12:30 – How to build a strategy that works for both Amazon and direct-to-consumer15:00 – Creative refresh for your brand and listings18:00 – The importance of UGC (user-generated content) in advertising21:00 – Effective paid media framework: Top, middle, and bottom funnel strategies24:00 – Using Amazon's AMC to gain a head start in direct-to-consumer advertising28:00 – Email and SMS marketing strategies32:00 – Website optimization for conversion35:00 – Best practices for listing optimization38:00 – Using SEO and copywriting for better product listings42:00 – Brand story and A+ content for building trust and conversions46:00 – Technical performance: Site speed and reducing friction50:00 – Inventory management and fulfillment strategies54:00 – Tracking attribution setup and tools57:00 – Retention strategies: Customer lifetime value and remarketing60:00 – Providing a customer experience that beats Amazon63:00 – January reset: Post-Q4 strategy and remarketing67:00 – Q&A session1:15:00 – Listing optimization Q&A1:28:00 – Review of a listing: Analysis and optimization tips1:35:00 – Final Q&A on listing and optimization questions-------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show

Laurent Kretz reçoit Julien Azzi, Head of Digital du Ritz Paris, cette maison qui fait rêver le monde entier depuis 1898. Pendant plus d'un siècle, le Ritz a posé les standards de l'hospitalité. Mais comment une institution de cette ampleur aborde-t-elle aujourd'hui un virage digital accéléré ? Julien raconte comment le Ritz, bien que reconnu mondialement, reste une PME qui joue dans la cour des grands : entre les attentes du marché, les clients exigeants et les offres multiples à coordonner, il dévoile les défis qu'ils ont rencontrés : rattraper 10 à 15 ans de digitalisation en quelques années seulement. Au programme00:00:00 - Introduction00:06:20 - Le Ritz comme institution et référence mondiale du luxe00:14:20 - Une grande marque avec une organisation de PME00:21:15 - Le virage digital00:36:07 - Multiplication des outils métiers dans l'hôtellerie00:36:30 - Refonte complète : UX unifiée et structure headless00:44:03 - Innovation : la homepage immersive “24h au Ritz”00:49:40 - CRM : structuration et unification des données01:09:13 - What's next : enjeux du Ritz pour 2026Et quelques dernières infos à vous partager :Suivez Le Panier sur Instagram @lepanier.podcast !Inscrivez- vous à la newsletter sur lepanier.io pour cartonner en e-comm !Écoutez les épisodes sur Apple Podcasts, Spotify ou encore Podcast AddictHébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In the latest episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Liza Amlani, Chief Merchant and Principal of Retail Strategy Group, who returns to the podcast to share timely insights from her new book, "The Material Life: Process Innovation for Retailers and Brands" Recognized globally as a retail thought leader, Amlani brings her two decades of merchandising expertise to a provocative argument: the retail industry has been obsessed with what products it sells, while neglecting how those products are made—a blind spot costing brands both time and money.Amlani illustrates how process innovation begins long before a product hits the shelf. Traditional apparel development starts with a design concept, hunting for materials to match. Her materials-first model flips that dynamic, accelerating time to market, reducing over-development, and eliminating redundant fabric, trim, and colour decisions. She cites examples where retailers were creating thousands of unnecessary material variations—like zippers—without realizing the margin erosion and operational chaos this creates.Throughout the conversation, Amlani explains how silos between merchants, sourcing, materials, design, and marketing teams create a “butterfly effect” where one late-stage decision can unravel deadlines, sample production, and vendor negotiations. Breaking those silos strengthens governance, reduces waste, and aligns teams around measurable outcomes including her Material Adoption Rate (MAR) framework—an accountability tool that tracks how many material developments actually make it into assortments.The episode also explores the rising influence of AI in fabric research and digital product creation, the impact of sourcing regulations emerging in North America and Europe, and how leading brands like lululemon are quietly reshaping their operating models through materials-led go-to-market roles. Amlani argues that brands embracing transparency, vendor partnership, and digital material workflows will unlock significant margin upside at a time when inflation, tariffs, supply chain friction, and fast-fashion disruptors are redefining consumer expectations.Finally, the discussion turns to the road ahead. As retailers prepare for 2026, Amlani urges leaders to rethink the fabric of product creation itself, invest in consumer-centric assortments, and treat materials not as an afterthought but as a strategic asset. For retailers, merchants, product developers, and sourcing teams eager to future-proof their business, this episode is a masterclass in modern merchandising excellence. The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Whether you're a solopreneur or you've got a large team and millions of dollars in revenue, this simple process can help you plan for 2026 in just a few hours. Get ready for your best year in business yet, with clarity and intention. LINKS FREE Resource: Plan Your 2026 With Clarity and Intention (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gfFSgVgexN8bq1gekgc9oHdRnJsWGA6RMp0876NotcQ/edit?tab=t.0) Ryan Deiss on Scoreboards (https://x.com/ryandeiss/status/1991923587347825150?s=20) Get 2 months of Perspective AI FREE with promo code TMBA (https://getperspective.ai/tmba) Share your thoughts about the podcast (https://getperspective.ai/interview/tmba-feedback) [takes 2 minutes] Connect with 6-, 7- & 8-figure founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dcbkk) Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) 22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources) CHAPTERS (00:00:14) A Reliable Framework for Annual Planning (00:02:13) How to Set the Right Kind of Goal and Plan for the Year (00:08:15) System #1 to Reach Your Goal: Budget (00:13:03) System #2 to Reach Your Goal: Scoreboard (00:18:19) System #3 to Reach Your Goal: Scorecards (00:21:13) System #4 to Reach Your Goal: Cadence (00:24:18) What to Stop Doing & What to Do More Of In 2026 (00:27:59) The Importance of Personal Reflections Before a New Year CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: Growth vs. Optimization — 90% of Growth Comes from 10% of Activities? (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/growth-vs-optimization) “3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/3-million-death-zone) Health Advice That Goes Against Everything You Know ft. Jay Feldman (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/health-advice-against-everything-you-know)

✅ Scaling eCommerce Brands is one of the biggest challenges founders face once they've reached that early traction stage, and in this episode, CPA-turned-eCommerce operator Abir Syed breaks down how entrepreneurs can overcome plateaus, maintain margins, and scale beyond the limits of their own time, energy, and operational bottlenecks. Whether you're struggling with advertising metrics, cash flow forecasting, inventory management, delegation, or 8-figure operations, this conversation delivers clear, experience-backed answers that match exactly what people search for when trying to grow an eCommerce brand effectively.Founders looking for help with scaling eCommerce brands typically ask questions like:• “Why am I stuck at 6 or 7 figures?”• “How do I keep margins healthy when ad costs rise?”• “When should I hire? When should I replace myself?”• “What data actually matters for profitable scaling?”Abir Syed's background—starting in accounting, running an 8-figure eCommerce brand hands-on, moving into advertising, and now running a 70-person eCommerce accounting & CFO firm—makes him uniquely qualified to answer these exact questions. His expertise sits at the intersection of financial clarity, eCommerce operations, and performance marketing, giving founders a blueprint for sustainable growth rooted in real data instead of guesswork.This episode is tailored to the search intent of entrepreneurs who want solutions to:✔ inconsistent cash flow✔ poor understanding of true acquisition costs✔ weak operational systems✔ margin erosion✔ lack of clarity in revenue, profitability, and scaling strategyYou'll learn how Abir identifies bottlenecks, how he advises brands on omnichannel expansion, how to manage the “unglamorous” operational side of scaling, and how founders can break past the mindset barriers that keep them from hitting 8-figure growth. If you're actively researching how to scale your eCommerce business, optimize profitability, and build processes that don't depend on you—this episode gives you the frameworks, insights, and wisdom to take the next leap.⏱️ Timestamps (14:46 Total)00:00 – Intro00:24 – Abir Syed's background & journey01:10 – Running an eCommerce brand end-to-end02:00 – Why founders need better financial data03:00 – Scaling past $3M–$5M revenue04:00 – Why most founders get stuck at 7 figures05:00 – How to keep eCommerce margins healthy06:00 – Accounting → advertising: Abir's shift07:00 – What investors look for in eCommerce brands08:00 – The unglamorous truth of scaling past 8 figures09:10 – Founder trust issues & bottlenecks10:20 – The right level of customer acquisition12:00 – Entrepreneurship & career advice13:30 – Where to follow Abir Syed14:46 – Outro

In this episode, the host interviews Josh Gibson, founder of Sojourn Group Consulting, about strategies for growing e-commerce sales on marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. Josh shares expert tips on protecting profit margins, optimizing product listings, leveraging Amazon's NARF program for international expansion, and efficiently managing inventory shipments. He discusses the benefits and challenges of expanding to Walmart and other platforms, emphasizes the importance of strong team communication, and recommends trusted industry resources. The episode concludes with actionable takeaways for maximizing sales and diversifying channels for long-term growth.Chapters:Introduction to Josh Gibson and Sojourn Group Consulting (00:00:00)Overview of Josh's background, company focus, and personal life.Protecting Margins on Amazon: Categories, Weights, and Inbound Shipments (00:01:15)Importance of tracking product categories, weights, dimensions, and optimizing inbound shipments to protect margins.Challenges of Managing Amazon Shipments and Auditing (00:02:19)Issues with Amazon's inventory reconciliation and the need for ongoing auditing to avoid losses.Prioritizing Marketplace Expansion and Expected Sales Lift (00:03:10)Discussion on which marketplaces to expand to first and typical sales lift percentages.Expanding with Amazon NARF (North America Remote Fulfillment) (00:03:50)How NARF enables easy expansion to Canada and Mexico, and the expected 7% sales lift.Considering Deeper International Expansion (00:04:53)When to consider establishing a physical presence in Canada or Mexico for further growth.Selling on Walmart Marketplace: Opportunities and Challenges (00:04:53)Walmart's marketplace growth, operational challenges, and the shift to Walmart Fulfilled Services.Walmart Advertising and Early-Stage Advantages (00:05:49)Opportunities in Walmart's less competitive ad platform and strategies for early success.Walmart Sales Lift and Rural Market Penetration (00:06:56)Typical 5–10% sales lift on Walmart, with strong performance in rural and Midwest areas.Three Actionable Takeaways for Marketplace Sellers (00:08:49)Maximize success on your primary channel.Fully optimize listings, especially for mobile.Expand to new marketplaces after optimizing the first.Optimizing Amazon Listings for Mobile and Conversion (00:09:48)Detailed tips for optimizing titles, images, videos, and A+ content for better conversion.Expanding to Additional Marketplaces Beyond Amazon and Walmart (00:10:54)Consider Target, eBay, Newegg, Etsy, and Wayfair for incremental revenue after maximizing Amazon and Walmart.Most Influential Book Recommendation (00:12:31)Gary Vee's books and content for building a brand and leveraging social media.Favorite Productivity Tool or Resource (00:15:00)Slack for team communication and the importance of a fast, reliable computer.Most Admired E-commerce Influencers (00:16:14)Recommendations to follow Steven Pope, Bradley from Helium 10, and Kevin King for free, valuable content.Closing Remarks and Appreciation (00:17:26)Harry thanks Josh for sharing actionable insights and expertise.Links and Mentions:Tools and Websites  Sojourn Group Consulting Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) NARF (North American Remote Fulfillment) Walmart Connect Helium 10 Influential People  Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) on LinkedInSteven Pope from My Amazon Guy on LinkedIn Bradley Sutton from Helium 10 on LinkedIn  Kevin King on LinkedIn Events  Sell and Scale Summit Productivity Tool:SlackTranscript:Josh Hadley 00:00:00  Today I'm super excited to introduce you to Josh Gibson. over the past 20 years, Josh has been leading sojourn Group consulting, a company with a strong e-commerce focus. Sojourn Group consulting specializes in marketplace sales, and has evolved from being a third party seller into an agency that helps other sellers grow their marketplace presence without having to hire a full team. Their years of experience and team make their bolt on solution very simple for many companies. Outside of work, he is happily married for 15 years and is the father of four children ages eight, six, four and two. That makes him very busy at this stage in his life. He says there's little time for anything except work and family. So welcome to the podcast, Josh.Josh Gibson 00:00:45  Thank you. Thanks for having me.Josh Hadley 00:00:46  Well, with how busy you are with a young and growing family and the business, we're excited to have you share some of your time with us. So thanks again for joining us. What else is there that you know? You're saying that Amazon eats your margin for business lunch and dinner or for breakfast? Lunch and dinner, right? So what else is there that you know, people should be paying attention to? And Amazon specifically for now that, you know, there could be a lot of, you know, marginally going out the business.Josh Gibson 00:01:15  Yeah. I mean, it's important to to track your weights and your gyms and your categories of what products you're selling in because there's some products. Say you're selling a printer. A printer should be in an 8% category, but sometimes they'll slide into a 15% category. So you're losing that that amount of money. You don't see it unless you're tracking tracking it. Or they could dim it out wrong. Say something. They as they went through their Cuba scan, it dimmed out incorrectly. So being able to go in and update and fix those dimensions and then do do file backs on those. also trying to find better, more efficient ways to do inbound shipments. and so there's, there's tools out there that we use that can take like right now we're running a full truckload, for $400, inbound FBA, where that same truckload going, another the route could be 3 to $4000. So it's the more time you do this. And the nice thing about our team is we can sit in a bullpen and go, okay, what are you guys learning? What'd you find out? and trying to take our collective knowledge, plus being able to go to, like, this, scale and sell summit and meet other people that know more things and aggregate this information to become more valuable.Josh Gibson 00:02:19  which, to your point is, if you're an owner operator trying to do this yourself, it becomes complicated because you don't have the resources and the ability to to learn all these things. Yeah. But to your point, it's it's the weight in gems. It is the categories. It is inbound shipments. I'm blanking on a few others, but it's really managing that protection of your bottom line. that's important. And it's also like specifically with inbound shipments is the annoying part is you can get that FBI ID cleared, they can say fully received. And we've seen with some clients ten, 12 months later, they say, actually we're five short. And if you're not going back and reordering those, even though you thought you did a good job auditing it. You can los...

Scott Desgrosseilliers is the founder and CEO of Wicked Reports, a leading first-party marketing attribution platform for high-growth eCommerce brands. With over a decade of experience analyzing billions in ad spend, Scott helps marketers cut through the noise to find what's really driving ROI. He's the creator of the 5 Forces System, a proven framework that turns messy marketing data into clear, confident decisions. Before Wicked Reports, Scott led and consulted on database and process management applications at Motorola, Quest Diagnostics, Breck Shampoo, Ovaltine, the Hong Kong 911 department, and Apartments.com. When not leading Wicked Reports, Scott can be found in Marblehead Massachusetts playing pickleball, meditating, or on the boat with the family. In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:00] Intro[02:37] Questioning attribution in marketing[06:44] The truth about “more is better” marketing [07:36] Choosing channels for first campaigns[09:34] Starting funnels with small spend[11:16] Debunking marketing ROI lies[14:24] Navigating attribution for customer journeys[16:51] Distinguishing case studies from reality[19:07] Exploring the Five Forces framework[27:24] Seeing emotional spending on paid ads[27:50] Recording client interaction for accountability [28:53] Highlighting effective AI campaign analysis [31:21] Streamlining insights for effective decisionsResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeMultitouch marketing attribution software www.wickedreports.com/Follow Scott Desgrosseilliers www.linkedin.com/in/scottd71/If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Oggi agli Stati generali della natalità il presidente dell'Istat Chelli ha confermato un nuovo crollo delle nascite: nei primi otto mesi del 2025 il calo è del 5,4% rispetto al 2024, segnalando un altro possibile record negativo. Il presidente Mattarella ha avvertito che il declino demografico inciderà sulla sostenibilità dei conti pubblici e sulla coesione tra le generazioni. A ciò si aggiungono i dati Ocse: nel 2025 l'età pensionistica media salirà fino ai 70 anni in Paesi come Italia, Danimarca ed Estonia, mentre la popolazione attiva italiana è destinata a ridursi di oltre il 35% nei prossimi quarant'anni. Per il segretario generale Cormann l'invecchiamento è una sfida strutturale che ridurrà le entrate pubbliche e aumenterà le spese, imponendo l'innalzamento dell'età effettiva di pensionamento e maggiori opportunità lavorative per i più anziani. Una ricetta che, però, la politica continua a eludere. Ne parliamo con Vincenzo Galasso, professore ordinario all'Università Bocconi, autore di "Gioventù smarrita".Spazio, nel nuovo budget Esa programmi per 22 miliardiLa ministeriale Esa di Brema ha approvato un budget da 22 miliardi, oltre il 30% in più rispetto al 2022, per rafforzare autonomia strategica, difesa e competitività del settore spaziale europeo. L'Italia parteciperà con oltre 3,5 miliardi, puntando a massimizzare ricadute industriali e influenza politica. Il nuovo piano dell'Esa privilegia osservazione della Terra, connettività sicura, navigazione avanzata e programmi "dual use", cruciali nel contesto geopolitico segnato dalla guerra in Ucraina e dalla competizione con USA, Cina e India. Roma chiede l'accelerazione della costellazione Iris2 ed evita sovrapposizioni sul programma Ers, mentre sui lanciatori insiste per più voli di Ariane 6 e Vega-C. L'Esa guarda già allo sviluppo di vettori riutilizzabili per competere con SpaceX. Il nuovo budget segna un tentativo di riposizionamento globale dell'Europa nello spazio, mentre l'Italia rafforza il proprio ruolo anche grazie alla presenza di un astronauta nazionale nella missione lunare Artemis. Interviene Emilio Cozzi - Autore di "Geopolitica dello spazio".Al via il Black Friday: previsti 5 miliardi di speseIl Black Friday genererà quest'anno 5 miliardi di spesa, +20% sul 2024 e +145% rispetto al 2018, trainato dalla volontà degli italiani di anticipare i regali di Natale sfruttando gli sconti. Secondo Confcommercio, una quota tra il 10% e il 15% degli acquisti è aggiuntiva e non sostitutiva, sostenendo anche le vendite di dicembre. Elettronica, moda, giocattoli e cura della persona restano i segmenti principali, mentre cresce il "very low cost" da piattaforme cinesi, che secondo Confesercenti movimenteranno 4,5 milioni di pacchi: da qui l'apprezzamento per l'imposta da 2 euro sui prodotti extra-UE. Online si spenderanno 2,2 miliardi: 34,9 milioni di italiani acquisteranno sul web, con un Black Friday che vale da solo il 4,8% dei pacchi annui. Il fenomeno è ormai maturo: consumatori più consapevoli, merchant più preparati, pianificazione anticipata e offerte sempre più personalizzate. Nel 2025 l'eCommerce italiano supererà i 62 miliardi, con servizi e prodotti in crescita rispettivamente del 9% e del 5%. Approfondiamo il tema con Valentina Pontiggia - Direttrice Osservatorio eCommerce B2C Netcomm Politecnico di Milano.Istat, fatturato industria settembre +2,1% mese, +3,4% annoA settembre il fatturato dell'industria cresce del 2,1% sul mese e del 3,4% sull'anno, con aumenti sia sul mercato interno sia su quello estero; i servizi segnano +1,8% congiunturale e +4,3% tendenziale. Bene commercio all'ingrosso e altri servizi, mentre nell'industria avanzano beni strumentali, intermedi e di consumo, con un calo solo nell'energia. Nel terzo trimestre la crescita è moderata ma diffusa, sia in valore sia in volume, e coinvolge anche i servizi. Su base annua gli aumenti più forti riguardano i beni strumentali e, nei servizi, informazione-comunicazione e attività professionali e tecniche. L'Istat sottolinea un quadro complessivamente positivo, con segnali di ripresa diffusi in entrambi i comparti. Parliamo con Fausto Bianchi - Presidente Piccola Industria.

Passend zur aktuellen Black Week werfen Alex und Karo einen kritischen Blick auf große Rabattaktionen wie den Black Friday. Sie diskutieren, warum diese Events häufig nicht mehr den gewünschten Umsatz bringen, sondern vor allem Margen unter Druck setzen und hohe Akquisitionskosten verursachen. Könnten Trade-In-Kampagnen 2026 zum Umsatztreiber der Black Week werden? Außerdem geht es um die Veränderungen im E-Commerce durch chinesische Plattformen wie Shein, SheGlam, Temu und TikTok Shop. Karo und Alex besprechen die abflachende Wachstumsprognose für 2026, die Verschiebung von Konsumtrends und Live-Shopping-Formate. Abschließend werfen sie einen Blick auf die neue Sourcing-Plattform Accio, die über ChatGPT-Anbindung an Alibaba.com schnelle Produktrecherche und Lieferantenkontakte ermöglicht. Das Gespräch im Überblick: (2:36) Ein kritischer Blick auf die Black Week (12:07) Konsumverhalten im Wandel (15:33) Chinas Einfluss auf den Markt (28:32) Die Zukunft der Handelsmodelle (30:29) Shein, Temu & TikTok Shop: Die Entwicklung chinesischer Plattformen (47:38) Accio als neue Sourcing-Plattform Podcast-Host – Karo Junker de Neui: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karojunker https://etribes.de/ Newsletter: https://www.kassenzone.de/newsletter/ Community: https://kassenzone.de/discord Disclaimer: https://www.kassenzone.de/disclaimer/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KassenzoneDe/ Blog: https://www.kassenzone.de/ Kassenzone” wird vermarktet von Podstars by OMR. Du möchtest in “Kassenzone” werben? Dann https://podstars.de/kontakt/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes_kassenzone

Many creators struggle with sales, finding it hard to turn audience interest into paying customers. They have great content but lack the right sales funnels, persuasion techniques, and closing strategies to convert prospects. In this second episode of the Creator's Playbook, presented by Teachable, Hala Taha breaks down how to confidently sell your course and scale your income through proven sales strategies. You'll hear from experts like Russell Brunson, Jason Fladlien, Kat Norton, and more on how to launch your course like a pro. In this episode, Hala will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Building Trust Through Value Selling (03:47) Optimizing Your Sales Funnel for Conversions (08:57) Sales Psychology: Guiding Buyers to “Yes” (10:46) Handling Objections with Confidence  (14:42) The Importance of Soft Closing When Selling (20:47) The Power of Webinars for Conversions (23:48) Creating Transformational Webinar Experiences Teachable is the leading platform empowering entrepreneurs, creators, and coaches to build lasting businesses through education. Whether you're launching your signature course, selling digital downloads, offering coaching, or creating a membership, Teachable provides multiple ways to turn your knowledge into a reliable and scalable income. Claim your 30-day free trial today at https://youngandprofiting.co/teachable Sponsored By: Teachable: Claim your 30-day free trial today at  https://youngandprofiting.co/teachable   Resources Mentioned: YAP E337 with Adam Schafer: youngandprofiting.co/MindPump  YAP E312 with Russell Brunson: youngandprofiting.co/SalesF  YAP E196 with Robert Cialdini: youngandprofiting.co/Persuasion YAP E229 with Jason Fladlien: youngandprofiting.co/Influence  YAP E345 with Shelby Haas-Sapp: youngandprofiting.co/Convert  YAP E316 with Kat Norton: youngandprofiting.co/Niche  Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals  Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new  Disclaimer: This episode is a paid partnership with Teachable. Sponsored content helps support our podcast and continue bringing valuable insights to our audience. Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Online Selling, Economics, E-commerce, Ecommerce, Prospecting, Inbound, Account Management, Business Growth, Scaling, Sales Podcast

Discover how a former science teacher from northern England became one of the most trusted names in global e-commerce tax consulting. In this episode of The Mike Litton Experience, Mike sits down with Reuben James Mattinson, founder of RJM Tax Exemption, ranked #1 on TrustPilot for U.S. tax-consulting reviews. Reuben shares his incredible journey—from growing up in the Lake District, becoming a physical therapist, pivoting into teaching, then launching a massively successful e-commerce tax consultancy that helps entrepreneurs boost margins by up to 30% simply through proper tax exemption. You'll learn: How to legally eliminate sales tax on inventory The mindset shifts required to scale an online business Why understanding AI-driven SEO is now the competitive advantage Real-world case studies of e-commerce sellers who turned 7% savings into massive profitability How human connection still wins in a tech-saturated world Reuben also shares insights on the future of e-commerce, the rapid rise of AI as a search engine, and how entrepreneurs can avoid being left behind. If you’re an entrepreneur, Amazon seller, dropshipper, TikTok Shop seller, or someone ready to start an online business—this episode could literally save you thousands. Book a free consultation with Reuben's team: RJMtaxexemption.com Subscribe to the channel to support the show and never miss insights from inspiring guests.Your subscription helps us grow and continue bringing powerful conversations like this one.

The History  I started my shopify store around the 10th December 2023 after a viral video on TikTok on December 8th. So I integrated with Bookvault and stayed with POD shipping until February 2025. Since February 2025, I've been distributing and fulfilling all orders from my website in my own warehouse. These are the lessons I've learned from the last ten months of running my own website sales and distribution. And yes, I will talk numbers, but I'm making you wait till the end! Please note, I will talk about finances, systems and the occasional legal thing. Absolutely nothing I say is financial, legal or tax advice. You must seek advice from professionals in your own countries and tax territories. I recognise that this model is not for 99% of authors. It's a LOT of work. It's a lot of logistics, a lot of peopling, team building, paperwork and problem solving. This is as far removed from sitting behind a desk and writing 24/7 as you can get.  Do not listen to this with an open heart. Be skeptical, that will keep you on the right track for creating a business you love. But know that I do love this and I am framing these lessons learned from that perspective. Why Direct? I'd always had a transactional website for Sacha Black work but it barely did £20 a month. So I knew the work I was about to scramble to do for Ruby may be for nothing. But I didn't want to be beholden to TikTok the way I'd been beholdened to other sources of income and I knew if I'd gone viral once, I could do it again and that would lead to relying on TikTok. What do I mean why? Two reasons: why should you as an author have a direct store but also why should readers come to you? For you, you can earn more per sale. POD companies integrating with shopify automatically give you more as there are no hidden fees. But when you shift to print runs you more than half the cost of printing each book. Of course you also give yourself a host of other problems like fulfillment and overheads, but you gain a lot more product flexibility and potential meaning you have the opportunity to make bigger profit. BUT and this is a big but, you have to work out what you want your business to look like. That said, there are consequences. I usually write and publish 3 books a year and this year I've dropped to 2 published. Though I will have written a 3rd and a short story by the end of the year. But I wasn't able to get that third one published. Despite that, this is going to be my biggest year ever for income. It already beat last year in 7 months. Which goes to show that you don't have to be rapid releasing anymore to make good money. The fact I've not published three, is a direct consequence of the warehouse and also the increasing team size and the need to train staff. Thankfully due to the Kickstarter, some rights deals an big increase in direct sales of products and merch, I haven't seen a dip in income. Which goes to show that you don't have to be rapid releasing anymore to make good money. There are other benefits like reader loyalty because you're treating them better, you are able to provide higher quality books and with extra goodies and sign all the books for example. And that's really the heart of the mindset shift you need to have and how you should frame thinking about a direct store. Why should a reader bother coming to you when they can get next day shipping for free on Amazon? Can you answer that before you set up your store? For me this looks like three promises: Every book that leaves the warehouse is handsigned by me (I do this in batches and sign for 4-5 hours and get several thousand books signed in one go so it doesn't disturb writing time.) They get extra bonuses for ordering directly like stickers, bookmarks and character art. Last, if they preorder a book in any format I have for sale on the website, it will get shipped BEFORE the public release date. We aim for delivery a couple of weeks prior but it depends on print runs and me hitting deadlines. Things to consider before leaving POD direct and moving to self fulfillment: Where are you going to stock your books? Do you have local warehousing facilities or somewhere you own you can use? Stock requires more space than you think. Because it's not just books you need space for, it's packaging, and space for parcels before collection and space for a computer and printer etc. What is your cash flow like? Do you have the capital that you can risk losing to spend on investing in this? Thanks to great advice from one of my closest author pals, I didn't buy shipping containers for conversion to put on family land which was a circa 40k investment. Instead I rented a warehouse so that I was only risking the cost of one year's rent circa 9k and I'd also be able to up and leave and close everything down if it went wrong. What's your problem solving resiliency like? Solving problems, if it's not your bag, is relentlessly exhausting. Problems arise in all areas of this business, from shipping to label printing to packaging to import and export paperwork, to sourcing products, VAT, pricing, website, delivery issues. Etc. The list is long. Honestly? There's rarely a day without some kind of issue that needs resolving. How does that make you feel? Excited or horrified? Pay attention to those emotions. The only business you should be building is one that brings you joy. Last, is the reality that if you want to fulfill direct yourself you *will* need staff—if you want to continue to write that is. If you think about it, POD direct staff your website for you. They have teams packing the boxes, printing labels and shipping everything for you. So no matter which way you cut it, whether it's you organising staff or your printers, someone has to do the leg work. Mindset shifts eCommerce  Yes I'm an author, but running your own fulfillment from website sales means you also run an eCommerce business. And over and above that, I now run a physical product business because we have merchandise. Those combined make for a very, very different business structure and set of problems compared to the old school models of being an indie author. Traffic Direction First of all and most basic of all. I direct all traffic to my website without exception. My primary links on social media are my website. If people ask where they can buy my books, it's my website. If they say they can't then I'll direct them online to a more well known store.   Schedules are a bitch.  When you're writing in a solo business and uploading your books online, your schedule is essentially your own. When you then bring on a team, they are reliant on you delivering on time to make sure they can do their job. How does that make you feel? Knowing you *have* to deliver for someone else? For a long time I really hated being beholden to deadlines—probably a corporate spill over. But being responsible for a team and needing to deliver for them is very different. I adore my team, I love them and care about them and I *want* to deliver on time for them. This is a total re-framing for me. It's the right kind of pressure and responsibility attached to a deadline. Does that mean my creativity needs to show up on time? Sure, but I find this motivating because it's the right people around me. However, the first book post warehouse opening, we were all still learning and mistakes were made. I delivered one book late. That pushed everything and made a lot of the timelines difficult including getting the printed books delivered on time. For Architecti there were two main problems: a solid 20% of the order arrived damaged by rain. But we'd already sold almost all the initial print run so we couldn't spare 20% and thus didn't have enough stock to cover our preorders. So this caused a lot of anxiety. Under ordering stock is a terrifying prospect. As is over ordering because do you have enough space for it and what if you then don't sell it?  The second mistake was releasing a book without checking the diaries of the warehouse team who happened to be on holiday during the fulfillment process. Which in a bout of shit timing, my mum then got sick in the crucial week. Meaning I had to stop writing and fulfill 1000 preorders single handedly. It was grueling physically, mentally and emotionally doing it on my own. We're never having that cluster fuck again.  So we've produced a heat map style document with everyone's leave, delivery dates, deadlines for me, product ordering dates, prepping dates and fulfillment periods etc. This was an enormous lesson in logistics of both a warehouse and people. Exclusivity Kindle Unlimited works for a reason. It has books exclusive to Amazon, you literally cannot get them anywhere else. Meaning you're forced to get them there. If that worked for Amazon, you can bet you're arse it works for others.  So I stole the idea. I have four novellas /short stories that I publish exclusively on my website. Does that mean a huge risk for loss of visibility and potential sales? Absolutely. No rank, no visibility in the biggest algorithm machine in the world. But it is also one of the key sales tactics I've used to get readers over to me. And boy has it worked. I make sure it's content I know they'll want, I flash the extra books on my reels and videos and then the questions flood in — how do I get those books… Well I'll tell you…! Preorders Preorders are both a gift and a logistical nightmare. How to get them? We ran an enormous campaign for Architecti. Ending up with 1027 paperbacks, 323 hardbacks and 193 ebooks. For a total 1543 preorders on my website. Plus over 1000 ebooks on Amazon. So the total preorders were in excess of 2500 preorders. Firstly you have to ask why should readers preorder direct to you? As mentioned earlier we make three promises: Everything is signed They get extras and goodies including a Roe-Mantics popsocket, series sticker and bookmark and an art print. As well as a Ruby Roe reading tracking and reading order and some stickers. They get the books delivered early (ebook and physical) We promoted the shit out of these three facts and I do believe this is the reason we did so well. That, plus almost two years of pushing direct sales and building reader trust. I won't go into all the marketing we did as this is a podcast about the warehouse. But we pushed HARD. We made a couple of mistakes: We didn't order enough books. We ordered 1000 paperbacks and ended up having to do a second print run because we sold over 1000 and obviously knew we needed stock on hand for general sales — a good problem to have obviously. But if we had ordered a higher quantity from the start we would have had a better price per book and saved ourselves some money and increased profit. That's a tough lesson to learn as we're always having to balance cashflow. The second mistake was packaging. We pride ourselves on making sure the books arrive in pristine condition. The consequence of that is how long it takes to package. The primary damage a book can fall prey to is the rain, or being dropped. We were individually wrapping each book in foam or bubble wrap before putting them inside bookwraps with the goodies to ship. This took me almost two weeks to do for circa a thousand parcels. I spoke to my warehouse neighbour who is a book box subscription company and discovered that they ship 1000 parcels in a couple of days because they uses origami boxes with packing peanuts and a plastic exterior envelope bag for water protection. This results in them working at a significantly faster rate than us. And has led us to get boxes designed and we're in the process of ordering 10k boxes. Customer Communication Customer communication has been an absolute maelstrom. The more products we create, the more complex everything gets. Becca used to be primarily a scheduler for me. Now, she's moved to be a customer services manager. Major issues include: when they preorder a book and put a published book into the same order. This is a means we have to email them to let them know they have two options: either we refund and they order separately or they wait for both their books. This is a huge problem as there are a number of preorders live at any one time and thus a ton of customer communication needed. It has gotten better as we have educated our repeat customers, put messages and labels on the site. But it is an ever present problem. We have decided to commission a coder to write some code for shopify so that we can charge two lots of shipping and split ship. We've also had so many communications about the tariffs. This has been so difficult because we are not the ones charging but we are the first point of call. It is in large part due to the team being incredible that we got through this. Last, I still receive an email for every single order. So I do one additional thing. I make a point to keep an eye on when someone has ordered multiple times in short succession and then send them to the team to refund duplicate postage.  Protecting Writing Time This is so vital. And has been the hardest part of having a warehouse. I definitely feel like I lost 6 months of writing time. It's the reason I barely managed to get Architecti done, and the reason I didn't meet my primary goal of getting ahead of production this year. Staffing means interruptions. But more than that, having the discipline to put my phone on do not disturb or muting team chats while I write. Now that we're up to speed, refining processes and we have SOPs in place, I am finding it easier and easier to not go to the warehouse. We also stopped having the smaller deliveries sent to my house and instead they're going to my team's houses or direct to the warehouse. Regulations and Tariffs  With a physical product business there are so many more regulations and acronyms and pieces of law that you have to deal with. The level of bureaucracy is quite astonishing and has caused a number of headaches. These headaches are not the type of headaches that most authors would want to deal with. You have to choose the poison you want to drink and I genuinely recognise that 99% of authors would not want this headache. The other matter here is that the regulations have required a colossal amount of time spent on them. More time than we anticipated. Something new is always being thrown at us and usually things that we do not have knowledge on. So we're constantly in a state of adapting and learning. This is both wonderful and also a little gruelling.  As there's not many people doing this we don't have many options for checking we're on the right path, so having to trust ourselves that we've done the best we can with the knowledge we have. And also recognise that it's okay to not know everything. Logistics There's been a lot of logistic lessons learned too. Firstly, that shipping providers are a nightmare. They're massive organisations and that means corporate bureaucracy. Lots of being passed between departments and having to wait for responses. You're probably going to need additional app integrations some of which will cost. Just pay for the apps because it will make your life simpler. We have a DPD integration app that makes handling and managing preorders and labels considerably easier. Batch as much as you can: like signing books, preparing freebie packets, cutting foam and pre-building boxes. Batch packaging, in particular for preorders. For example, all the UK paperbacks then all the UK hardbacks etc. It's easier to do the same thing over and over and then task switch than it is to do it higgledy piggledy. Timelines  Understanding the timelines for launches has been quite the challenge. When you're a solo indie you are in charge of your own time. When you have a team, and other people do parts of the publishing process, you're no longer working on your own schedule. Combined with the fact that a huge percentage of my turnover comes from physical book sales. This means we have to do print runs. Instead of loading up to KDP or the POD services and knowing it will be live the next day or a few days later after a proof copy. Print runs take a couple of days to finalise the files (up to several months for international printers) and then 2-3 weeks to print and deliver to the warehouse for UK printers, and several weeks to months for international. We then have to unpack them and check the quality and then I have to sign them. I am pretty fast at signing now and choose to sign in long batches 4-5 hours at a time and usually manage 1-2000 books in that time. The other timelines that need to be considered are how long things take to pack. But I've already talked about that. But it is something that needs to be considered when planning preorder fulfillment. The more preorders we get, the more significant the time it takes, that or we need more people to help pack. The Money This is the bit everyone is interested. All costs are in GBP.  Set up costs for the warehouse were approximately £4-5000. This included the deposit, racking, furniture etc. In total, I've spent 100k on printing this year. However a significant portion of that was on the Kickstarter. So I don't count that in the costs for the warehouse. Those sit at £61,171. We are still holding a huge amount of stock in the warehouse so this spend should start to even out. In December 2023 I started the shop around 10th December, I made just shy of £1700 which I think was mostly due to the viral TikToks. In the month of May 2024 I broke £5000. November 2024 I broke 10k for the first time and in December 2024 I broke 15k. That was the month I knew I needed to take advantage of what I was building. I knew I wanted to do more for readers who were clearly willing to buy direct. In 2024, the website turned over £73.5k. I collected keys for the warehouse of January 31st. It took a couple of weeks to set the warehouse up and then we had print runs delivered around the 17th and started shipping on Feb 20th 2025. That was a £16k month, and the first time my Shopify sales beat my Amazon, only by a couple hundred pounds, but it still beat it. It wasn't lost on me that it was the first month I had taken control of distribution. April eclipsed Amazon at 29k and I've stayed between 15 and 29k a month since — Finally in November 2025, I surpassed 30k. As of 21st November we're standing at 222k for the year. I suspect we will end up with turnover somewhere between 230 and 250k for 2025.  Creating definitive turnover and net profit calculations are difficult. What I can tell you is that between the warehouse, staff for the warehouse, utilities and insurances I spend approximately 18-1900 a month (21-23k per year). Shipping varies between 500 and 1500 a week on average but on preorder weeks it can spike to 8k. The highest month for shipping was 11k. I suspect for the year it will be roughly 45-55k.  So for print costs, staffing, rent and shipping the total is approximately £133,971. I estimate 4-7k on other costs like packaging and freebies. So let's estimate £140k spend for £222k turnover. So I estimate approximately £82,000 in profit - to which I'll then have to pay tax. That's a 36% profit. Not as high as I'd like, but also it's year one and spend is always higher in year one because of set up. I expect that as we move into year two that will grow and my aim is to reach 45% but the ultimate goal will be 50% I'm not sure if this is possible but we will try. We have a lot of stock that we can sell without having to spend out anymore.  In terms of granular costs to give you an idea of profit on the detail level: The cost of each book is loosely £2.20 per paperback for which we charge £10.99 on average. We allow for £1 of that to cover packaging and freebies. Meaning £3.20 of costs. Though this doesn't include a % for warehouse overheads. I don't have any advertising costs. I have bought all customers in from my mailing list, TikTok and Instagram. On average my returning customer rate is 35%. However, in months where I set up a new product preorder, that rate shoots up. For November 2025 it's 56%. Similarly, my average conversion rate is 5.83% conversion rate. What's interesting is that in those early months my conversion rate was 3.18%. This month it's 8.53%. I think this increase is twofold. First, I have a high returning customer rate, this automatically increases the conversion rate as your customers want what you're providing. Second, I think my marketing has gotten better and better. We're providing more books, stories and products that my audience wants and we're also getting better at marketing to market. Cash Flow One of the best things I did was create multiple pots and accounts. For a long time I'd lived under the assumption you could only have one business bank account. That was bad advice from an accountant. I have since left them and now have an excellent accountant. I've also had lots of advice from a dear friend who knows far more about money and systems than me.  Cash flow can either sky rocket or cripple a business. And when you run a physical business the numbers you run with are so much higher that you can easily crush your company. One of my favourite tactics is to create mini pots and split money up. For every preorder we run I create a pot in my bank, like a mini bank and every week I put the amount earned for that preorder product into the pot. If the product requires a print run, I pay for it out of that pot. If we have to buy wholesale merch, I take it from that pot etc. I also set aside money for tax each month. I move both personal tax money and corporation tax money and set it aside in a high interest savings account. The biggest outflows for running a distribution warehouse are staffing, warehouse rent, shipping and print runs.  For Architecti specifically, we had to do two print runs because we under ordered books. Meaning I had to outflow huge amounts of money twice. The print runs totalled £11,630. Plus 11,000 in shipping fees for that month. If I didn't have the money set aside for this, it could easily have pushed me into debt. One of the main things I did to help prevent cashflow issues, is have dozens of pots inside my bank accounts.  Every week the team calculates the income for orders and shipping for each product we have on preorder (there are always usually 2 to 3) and then I transfer that money to individual pots. Meaning I save all the money from preorders right up until launch. I then take the money for the print runs from this pot and for the shipping. What's left is the profit which is taxable so I move the tax money into my tax pot and then keep the rest. This is the safest way I've found for managing cashflow and ensuring I don't spend money that needs to be saved for specific things. I also have an entirely separate account for my shopify. So all print runs are paid for out of the shopify account. All shipping payments go out of that account. All printing for freebies etc comes from that account. It becomes totally self managing and over time it increases. Then if I want to take out chunks of profit, I do and keep the account at 20k. This is the equivalent of the average monthly turnover for the shopify. So should cover all bills or worst case scenarios.  I also have a tax pot where I move money each month. My accountants have a report that generates each month and estimates my tax. I then place my tax in a high interest account and leave it to earn some money before I have to pay it. Next Steps Business infrastructure. I recently visited Author Nation – the Las Vegas conference that was once 20books. There are so many areas for growth and improvement and I realised that I have essentially brut forced my way to the position I'm in. Upsell app Integration with better email upsell marketing system Possibly advertising Branded packaging

In this episode of Seceret to Scaling your Ecommerce Brand, Jordan West and Zohaib from Refundle break down exactly how brands can scale from 0 to 7 figures on TikTok Shop using creators, content strategy, CPM arbitrage, and whitelisting.We cover the real reasons TikTok Shop works, how to build creator communities, how to repurpose UGC across every platform, and why attribution is broken in 2025. You'll learn how to reach out to affiliates, how many samples you should send, how to increase GMV from live shopping, and the exact playbook top-performing brands are using right now.If you want to grow your TikTok Shop, lower CPMs, and scale organic + paid through creators, this episode gives you the full blueprint.===============================

In this episode, we dive into the silent profit killer known as friendly fraud and chargebacks. Simon Wijckmans, Founder and CEO of cside, shares how these false chargebacks risk your margins and payment accounts. He explains what friendly fraud is, why it's so hard to fight, and how client-side security intelligence, combined with new programs like Compelling Evidence V3, can drastically reduce fraudulent chargebacks and potentially save your business from losing its payment processor.Topics discussed in this episode:  What is friendly fraud.How bad actors use it for profit. Why payment issuers make it easy for customers to file chargebacks. The hidden costs of fighting chargebacks. What volume of chargebacks constitutes a high-risk vendor and jeopardizes a payment account. Why gathering intelligence from the browser is critical for security and fraud prevention.Links & Resources Website: https://cside.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wijckmans/X/Twitter: https://x.com/SimonWijckmansGet access to more free resources by visiting the show notes at https://tinyurl.com/td78au49______________________________________________________ LOVE THE SHOW? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS! Follow the podcast to get every bonus episode. Tap follow now and don't miss out! Rate & Review: Help others discover the show by rating the show on Apple Podcasts at https://tinyurl.com/ecb-apple-podcasts Join our Free Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com/ Support The Show On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EcommerceCoffeeBreak Partner with us: https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/partner-with-us/

This episode is a special crossover between the Practical AI podcast and The Changelog podcast. Chris was recently invited by longtime friends Jerod Santo and Adam Stacoviak, cohosts of The Changelog, to join them on the show. They discuss AI, drones, robotics, swarming technology, and the rise of high-performance edge computing with Rust.  Chris points out that open source software, small AI models, and affordable hardware are making home automation and local AI accessible to everyone. From automating household functions to experimenting with drones and single-board computers, Chris describes how hands-on maker projects are shaping a bright future for physical AI, on small budgets and right from the comfort of your own home.Featuring: Jerod Santo – LinkedInAdam Stacoviak – LinkedInChris Benson – Website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, GitHub, XSponsors: Miro – Get the right things done faster with Miro's Innovation Workspace. AI Sidekicks, instant insights, and rapid prototyping—transform weeks of work into days. No more scattered docs or endless meetings. Help your teams get great done at Miro.com.Shopify – The commerce platform trusted by millions. From idea to checkout, Shopify gives you everything you need to launch and scale your business—no matter your level of experience. Build beautiful storefronts, market with built-in AI tools, and tap into the platform powering 10% of all U.S. eCommerce. Start your one-dollar trial at shopify.com/practicalaiUpcoming Events: Register for upcoming webinars here!This week we have extended show notes below from Chris!Swarming & Fully Autonomous Multi-Agent UxV SystemsChris's Definition of Swarming (anchor link in show notes)Chris's definition of Swarming“Swarming occurs when numerous independent fully-autonomous multi-agentic platforms exhibit highly-coordinated locomotive and emergent behaviors with agency and self-governance in any domain (air, ground, sea, undersea, space), functioning as a single independent logical distributed decentralized decisioning entity for purposes of C3 (command, control, communications) with human operators on-the-loop, to implement actions that achieve strategic, tactical, or operational effects in the furtherance of a mission.”© 2025 Chris BensonConceptual FoundationsSwarm Robotics – WikipediaHigh-level overview of swarm robotics as decentralized robot collectives.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm_roboticsSwarm Robotic Platforms – WikipediaSurvey of hardware platforms used in swarm robotics research.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm_robotic_platformsSwarm Intelligence – WikipediaBroader algorithms and theory behind collective intelligence (beyond robots).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm_intelligenceAnt Robotics – WikipediaNature-inspired “ant-like” robotics as a special case of swarm robotics.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_roboticsOpen Research & Multi-Robot Resources (Stepping-Stones Toward True Swarms)Programming Multiple Robots with ROS 2 (online book)Free book on multi-robot systems, ROS 2, and the Robot Middleware Framework (RMF).https://osrf.github.io/ros2multirobotbookSimulation with ROS 2 & Gazebo (ROS 2 Humble tutorial)Official tutorial on connecting ROS 2 to Gazebo simulation.https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/Tutorials/Advanced/Simulators/Gazebo/Gazebo.htmlSpawning Multiple Robots in Gazebo with ROS 2Hands-on tutorial to launch N robots in Gazebo, each with its own namespace.https://www.theconstruct.ai/spawning-multiple-robots-in-gazebo-with-ros2ROS 2 Multi-Robot Simulation Best Practices (Discourse thread)Discussion of patterns for multi-robot systems (domains, namespaces, Nav2, etc.).https://discourse.openrobotics.org/t/multi-robot-simulation-best-practices/38987Getting Hands-On: Consumer Robotics, ROS 2 & GazeboROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2)Official ROS 2 Documentation – Humble (LTS)Main docs for ROS 2 Humble (recommended distro) with tutorials and APIs.https://docs.ros.org/en/humbleROS 2 Installation Guide (Humble)Step-by-step install on supported platforms.https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/Installation.html“From Zero to Robotics Hero: A Beginner's Guide to ROS 2” (article)Beginner-friendly overview with ideas for where to go next (MoveIt, Nav2, multi-robot, etc.).https://riyagoja.medium.com/from-zero-to-robotics-hero-a-beginners-guide-to-ros-2-90ac9c3b87baROS 2 Tutorial for Beginners (2025 guide)Up-to-date intro that walks you from install to simulating your first robot in 2025.https://www.timesofexplore.com/2025/10/ros2-tutorial-beginners-build-first-robot-2025.htmlGazebo SimulationGazebo Sim – Official SiteModern Gazebo (Ignition) simulator; models, worlds, and docs.https://gazebosim.orgGetting Started with Gazebo (Docs)Official “start here” guide for using Gazebo and Gazebo Fuel assets.https://gazebosim.org/docs/latest/getstartedClassic Gazebo Tutorials (still useful for fundamentals)https://classic.gazebosim.org/tutorialsmicro-ROS (ROS 2 on Microcontrollers)micro-ROS – ROS 2 for MicrocontrollersOfficial site for running ROS 2 on tiny embedded boards.https://micro.ros.orgmicro-ROS GitHub OrganizationRepositories, examples, and tutor...

Nicky Cutler is the B2B Marketing Manager at Goorin Bros., a premium hat and apparel company known for its cult-favorite line of trucker hats featuring embroidered animal patches. A seasoned marketer, Nicky led Goorin's to over $1 million in affiliate revenue in two years by building and scaling Goorin's ambassador and influencer programs. He previously worked across sales and retail leadership at Goorin and also launched his fashion brand earlier in his career. Blending brand building, community storytelling, and retail insight, he's become known for driving culture-first marketing strategies that resonate in the fashion world. In this episode… Many brands try to launch ambassador programs only to discover that discount-driven strategies attract the wrong participants, fail to generate new customers, and create tension among community members. With rising competition for attention and the growing need for authentic social proof, the challenge becomes clear — how do you build an ambassador engine that converts, sustains engagement, and avoids turning into a chaotic or unprofitable program? For Nicky Cutler, a specialist in B2B marketing and community-driven brand building, success lies in leaning into genuine customer enthusiasm rather than follower counts. Nicky shares how he initially tapped into an eager fan base, leveraged referral codes, and later recognized pitfalls such as repeat purchasers misusing discounts and ambassadors competing against one another. He outlines practical strategies for structuring guidelines, limiting code usage, and transitioning toward a reward-based system that motivates creators through exclusive products and achievable milestones. Nicky's approach prioritizes testing multiple program designs and focusing on authentic customers who truly represent the brand. In this episode of Minds of Ecommerce, Raphael Paulin-Daigle interviews Nicky Cutler, B2B Marketing Manager at Goorin Bros., about building a high-converting ambassador program through relatable content. Nicky discusses the power of fan-led recruiting, the risks of discount dependency, and why reward-based content systems uncover authentic creators. He also explores program design, community management, and strategies for long-term scalability.

In this episode The Remarkable Retail Podcast's co-host Michael LeBlanc's guest is with Lauren Price, Senior Vice President, E-Commerce & Digital Marketing for COS North America discussing her impressive career trajectory and work positioning the H&M-owned brand for growth in a competitive, fast-moving fashion retail landscape.Lauren's career began in the early days of luxury e-commerce at Createthe Group, building first-generation online stores for high-end brands . Her path included consulting with Demandware and L2 (Scott Galloway's firm), leading to her first in-house brand role at J.Crew before joining COS—a globally recognized fashion brand known for exceptional quality, timeless style, and meticulous craftsmanship.At COS, Lauren oversees North American marketing and digital commerce, a key growth market. She explains how COS benefits from the resources of a global parent company while operating with the agility of a smaller regional business. This unique position allows for strategic experimentation while maintaining the brand's commitment to premium quality.A highlight from the conversation is COS's viral marketing moment: a $45 T-shirt compared on TikTok to a $15 Uniqlo tee, with the influencer praising COS's superior quality and construction. This sparked organic buzz and significant new customer acquisition, prompting Lauren's team to launch a targeted influencer gifting campaign. The lesson: seize authentic, organic momentum quickly and amplify it with campaigns that focus on authenticity, craftsmanship, and product education—especially to win over savvy Gen Z shoppers.Lauren also tackles the emerging challenge of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), advising brands to prepare product catalogs for AI-driven search while maintaining current SEO performance. She predicts AI search adoption will accelerate faster than previous digital shifts, urging retailers to run both short-term and long-term optimization in parallel.As the discussion turns to holiday planning, Lauren offers several pieces of practical, results-focused advice. About UsJennifer MarloHead of Content, CommerceNextJennifer Marlo drives industry-leading programming at CommerceNext, drawing on experience from Ascendant Network and iMedia Connection, where she spearheaded content strategies to inspire retail, brand and agency marketing leaders. Guided by the belief that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” Jennifer uses in-person and digital platforms to educate and foster industry collaboration. Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, top retail influencer, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we sit down with Gary Fan, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Business Bank, to unpack what real innovation looks like inside a modern community bank. With experience spanning fintech, global institutions, and community banking, Gary brings a rare perspective on how regional banks can move faster, differentiate smarter, and still stay grounded in sound risk management.Listeners will hear:Advice for launching new products without massive R&D teamsHow to build strong relationships with regulators early (and why it matters)Where AI and emerging tech actually fit into a bank's strategic roadmapWhat the next generation of bank leaders and customers will expectHow Royal Business Bank is positioning itself to compete through product design, niche markets, and cultural evolutionIf you've ever wondered how a bank can innovate without losing its identity—or how smaller institutions can compete in a fintech-driven world—this episode offers fresh, grounded, and actionable insight.About the guest:Gary Fan is the Chief Operating Officer of RBB, a publicly traded bank with over $4 billion in assets. As COO, Gary leads enterprise-wide growth initiatives, digital transformation, product and service innovation, and strategic M&A activity. He is also responsible for optimizing cross-functional operations and driving continuous business model evolution to stay ahead in a rapidly changing financial landscape.Previously, Gary served as President of Gateway Bank FSB in Oakland, CA, where he successfully led a full-scale turnaround, overseeing all retail and commercial banking units and restoring profitability. His leadership has consistently delivered measurable results across diverse financial institutions.Gary's career spans senior roles at global financial organizations, including CTBC Bank, where he served as Head of Strategy for North America and Head of Consumer Lending for its U.S. subsidiary. His expertise includes fintech integration, strategic partnerships, market expansion, long-range planning, and organizational restructuring.With P&L responsibility over multi-billion-dollar lending portfolios, Gary has led high-performing teams across Sales, Marketing, Retail and Commercial Banking, Operations, Credit Administration, Finance, IT & Security, HR, Legal, PMO, and Real Estate. His cross-industry experience includes Banking, Fintech, E-Commerce, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain & Logistics.Gary holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at The Wharton School.Helpful links:Read about Royal Business Bank.Learn about how AI integrates into Abrigo solutions: AI solutions for banks

SoulCycle has long been more than a workout—it's a cultural force built on rhythm, resilience, and the magnetic pull of community. Its in-studio experience remains singular, merging athletic intensity with emotional release in a way that keeps riders returning for the transformation as much as the training. Under CEO Evelyn Webster, SoulCycle has expanded both its digital and in-person touchpoints, making its signature energy accessible beyond the studio walls. Since 2020, she's honed the brand's mission to empower people to move through life with more purpose, clarity, and connection. Today, SoulCycle continues evolving while staying rooted in what made it iconic: a room, a bike, a beat, and an undeniable sense of belonging.In this episode, Evelyn also discusses:What truly makes SoulCycle “more than a workout”The unique emotional release riders feel and why it keeps them coming backHow apparel boosts fitness & authenticityUsing AI to power smarter, more personalized rider experiencesWhy culture is never static and how SoulCycle keeps evolving with intentionWe hope you enjoy this episode and gain valuable insights into Evenlyn's journey and the growth of SoulCycle. Don't forget to subscribe to the Glam & Grow podcast for more in-depth conversations with the most incredible brands, founders, and more.Be sure to check out SoulCycle at www.soul-cycle.com and on Instagram at @soulcycleRated #1 Best Beauty Business Podcast on FeedPostThis episode is brought to you by WavebreakLeading direct-to-consumer brands hire Wavebreak to turn email marketing into a top revenue driver.Most eCommerce brands don't email right... and it costs them. At Wavebreak, our eCommerce email marketing agency helps qualified brands recapture 7+ figures of lost revenue each year.From abandoned cart emails to Black Friday campaigns, our best-in-class team manage the entire process: strategy, design, copywriting, coding, and testing. All aimed at driving growth, profit, brand recognition, and most importantly, ROI.Curious if Wavebreak is right for you? Reach out at  Wavebreak.co

If you know exactly what problems your customers face before and after they buy from you, you could build offers that practically sell themselves.In this episode, Greg breaks down his simple but powerful "before and after" formula. It starts by understanding the before: the frustrations, questions, and roadblocks your customers face long before they make a purchase. Solve that, and you earn the sale. But once you've solved it, new problems appear, and that's your opportunity to build trust, add value, and guide customers deeper into your ecosystem. We also look at how to map the entire customer journey so you can clearly see each problem in sequence. When you know the full chain of needs, you can build a product lineup that supports your customers at every step. Finally, we explore vertical integration: how smart businesses automate this whole process by owning more steps in the value chain. If you want a simple, repeatable way to grow, this episode is for you. Topics Discussed in this episode: The before and after formula (What problems are your customers facing?) (01:52) Implementing the formula by mapping out the customer journey (05:44) Curating your product offering (07:28) Examples (10:47) eCommerce (10:47) SaaS (13:37) Marketing Agencies(16:55) Course Creators (21:16) Using vertical integrations to automate this problem-solving process (23:58) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to increase customer lifetime value, expand your offer stack, and build a business that people stick with!  

Steve and Michael open this week's episode with a deep dive into the retail news of the week, marked by sharp contrasts in performance across the retail landscape. Walmart continues to separate itself from the pack, delivering another standout quarter, as omni-channel rival Target delivers another challenging quarter. The news segment analyses strong results from the off-price sector as TJX and Ross Stores both post impressive sales gains. The turnaround at Gap Inc. shows encouraging signs  under CEO Richard Dickson despite continued weakness at Athleta. In home improvement, both Home Depot and Lowe's see essentially flat comps as rate-locked consumers and affordability issues continue to weigh on spending. Furniture and home categories face rising tariff exposure, with Williams-Sonoma projecting its blended tariff rate jumping from 6% to 35%—a margin headwind that underscores industry-wide challenges. All told, the week's earnings reveal a retail landscape where the biggest players capture more share while many others struggle to keep pace.Steve and Michael revisit their encore interview with Artemis Patrick, President & CEO of Sephora North America—one of the most inspiring and resonant conversations in the show's archive. Artemis shares her extraordinary personal journey from immigrating from Iran and growing up in foster care to becoming one of the most influential leaders in global beauty.She details Sephora's global reach (34 markets, 3,000 stores), 700+ North American freestanding locations, a huge presence at Kohl's, and 40M+ Beauty Insider members, while unpacking the brand's unique power in incubating indie brands, championing diverse founders, and uniting physical and digital experiences long before Omni became a buzzword. Artemis also previews two transformational initiatives: a next-generation e-commerce platform enabling deeper personalization and a five-year renovation of every Sephora store—the largest capital project in the brand's history.After the interview the hosts each share their choice for buzziest story of the week before concluding with what's on their radar screens for the weeks ahead. SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Save the Date! The Badassery Blitz is back on December 8th ⚡️ Tune in to hear more about the deals coming your way next month!  Get on the Email List https://ecommercebadassery.com/freestuff   Check Out the Course Pages AI Brand Brief: https://ecommercebadassery.com/brandbrief/ Content Badassery: https://ecommercebadassery.com/content-badassery Shopify Secrets: http://checkout.ecommercebadassery.com/shopify-secrets The Lounge Membership: https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership Email Badassery: https://ecommercebadassery.com/email-badassery   _______   Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______   Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I'd be forever grateful if you'd rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it's also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you want to hear.    Review Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-badassery/id1507457683  

For episode 639 of the BlockHash Podcast, host Brandon Zemp is joined by Joan Alavedra, CEO & Co-founder of Openfort.Openfort provides wallet infrastructure for web3 apps with logged-in users. They help teams give every user a non-custodial wallet, embedded directly in the product, without seed phrases or scary popups.⏳ Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction(0:52) Who is Joan Alavedra?(3:45) What is Openfort?(6:19) Pain-points in Web3 wallet infrastructure(11:56) Use-cases of Openfort(13:55) Future of Web3 wallet UX(17:00) Agentic AI & Ecommerce(19:42) Data protection in Web3 wallets(23:50) Openfort roadmap for 2026(26:16) Openfort website & socials 

Kevin Shtofman is the Global Head of Alliances and Corporate Development at Cherre, a real estate data platform powering over $3.3 trillion in AUM. With 20+ years of experience across real estate, finance, and consulting, Kevin leads global initiatives to integrate and contextualize data from systems, third parties, and JV partners, helping investors, operators, and asset managers make smarter decisions. At Cherre, he also oversees strategic partnerships, global expansion, and the innovation roadmap. Prior to joining Cherre, Kevin held leadership roles across the industry, including Chief Operating Officer at NavigatorCRE, and Global Real Estate Technology Strategy Lead at Deloitte, where he advised clients on emerging technologies like AI, automation, and blockchain. A recognized voice in real estate innovation, Kevin brings two decades of experience bridging data, operations, and technology across global real estate markets. Outside of work, Kevin is a golf enthusiast, occasional Ironman, and proud father of three daughters.(02:05) - Kevin's Background(05:19) - Challenges in Real Estate Data Management(06:52) - Cherre's Approach to Data Integration(13:48) - Evolution of Cherre's Platform(21:41) - Client Success Stories(24:58) - Future of Real Estate and AI(25:23) - Feature: Blueprint - The Future of Real Estate - Register for 2026: The Premier Event for Industry Executives, Real Estate & Construction Tech Startups and VC's, at The Venetian, Las Vegas on September 22nd-24th, 2026. As a friend of Tangent, you can save $300 on your All-Access pass(29:58) - Introducing Cherre AI Agent Marketplace(33:58) - AI Use Cases(40:06) - The Future of Real Estate Data(42:29) - Affordable Housing and Investment(47:37) - Collaboration Superpower: William Levitt (Wiki) & Larry Brown (Wiki)