Podcasts about SKU

Nationwide Whole Foods distribution. A seven-figure DTC engine. A five-person team. In this episode, Ashley Nickelsen, the founder and CEO of nutrition bar and chocolate brand B.T.R. Nation, breaks down the systems behind her brand's growth, from using DTC zip-code data to unlock retail expansion, to building a creative-first Meta ads strategy that drives real revenue (not just impressions).  She shares why velocity is her North Star metric, how she thinks about omnichannel as a flywheel – not separate businesses – how she evaluates when syndicated data is worth the cost, and why she chose to self-warehouse to maintain margin and operational control.  Ashley also unpacks her approach to pricing across channels, portfolio expansion beyond a single hero SKU, and constant creative testing in one of grocery's most competitive categories.  Show notes: 0:20: Ashley Nickelsen, Founder & CEO, B.T.R. Nation – Ashley talks about her deep ties to New York City and a life largely spent on the road for work. She also shares her path into CPG from a master's in higher education and then into the supplement world and applied lessons from her experience to B.T.R., Ashley's discusses evolution as a spokesperson and her belief that brands need a consistent "face," explains B.T.R.'s origin story and how losing both parents to rare cancers before age 30 shaped her mission and her decision to avoid natural flavors. She describes how trust and community grew "organically" through direct customer engagement and helps generate retail discovery and online reorders across channels. She also details how B.T.R. approaches growth with constant iteration while keeping affordability and velocity in mind, and shares practical learnings on Meta advertising and how to pair digital attribution with retail data stories to win new accounts. Brands in this episode: B.T.R. Nation, Spindrift, Mid-Day Squares, Graza, Simple Mills, Siete, Perfect Bar, Lily's, Unreal, Heinz, Crumbl

If you've ever wondered why selling on Amazon feels harder than it should, you're not alone.In this episode, I unpack why selling on Amazon can feel so complicated, even when you're capable and experienced. From navigating Amazon Seller Central to dealing with inconsistent updates, suppressed listings and unclear responses from Seller Support, the platform often creates unnecessary complexity.But it is not just a systems issue.It is the mental load of not knowing whether something is normal.The second guessing when a change works on one SKU but not another.The time lost searching Google or watching tutorials that may not apply to your situation.Selling on Amazon becomes heavier when you are trying to figure it all out alone.In this episode, I also talk about what actually helps. Faster answers. Ongoing guidance. Being able to sense check decisions. Learning from other Amazon sellers who are navigating the same challenges.I share more about the Amazon Sellers Support and Connect call I held recently, and my new-and-improved membership, Amazon Made Easy.Amazon Made Easy is for product based business owners who are already selling on Amazon, or actively preparing to launch, and want practical, ongoing support without paying for full account management. It's designed to help you take action, grow your account, get support when you need it and feel more confident in your decisions, without carrying the weight of it on your own.Because while we can't change how Amazon is built, we can change how supported you feel while building your business on it. Episode Chapters:00:00 Welcome, and why selling on Amazon feels harder than it should01:20 Seller Central, outdated systems and lack of clear training02:45 The isolation of selling on Amazon alone04:10 Inconsistencies, suppressed listings and second guessing yourself05:50 Where most sellers look for help, Google, YouTube and Seller Support07:10 Why quick answers and ongoing support make such a difference08:30 The power of community and learning from other Amazon sellers09:50 Introducing Amazon Sellers Support and Connect10:40 Amazon Made Easy, what's changing and why12:00 Who the membership is for, and who it is not for13:20 Final thoughts, selling on Amazon does not have to feel this hardLET'S CONNECTEpisode 338: Why selling on Amazon feels overwhelming (even when you're doing things ‘right'): https://vickiweinberg.com/membership/Join Amazon Made Easy: https://vickiweinberg.com/membership/ Follow me on YouTubeFind me on InstagramWork with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To LifeIf you enjoy this podcast, and you'd like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/supportMentioned in this episode:Hosted by CaptivateIf you've been inspired to start a podcast in 2024 then I recommend my podcast host, Captivate. They were my top pick when I started 4 years ago because of how easy it was for a complete novice to get started. I've stuck with them because it's still simple, they keep adding great new features (like the ability to share ads like these!) and it's been so reliable. When you're ready to start your own podcast, use the link for a free 7 day trial: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=vickiweinberg&tap_a=53455-ceb3a2Support this podcast for the price of a coffeeif you loved this episode please consider sending me a one-off tip. It helps me to keep bringing this podcast to you, for free. If you'd like to support this podcast, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Your SKU System Doesn't Have to Be Complicated Your SKU system does NOT need to be complicated...but it does need to be consistent. If you're an apparel brand owner setting up your Shopify backend, preparing for a 3PL, or scaling beyond self-fulfillment, this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast breaks down exactly how to structure your SKU numbers the right way from day one. In this short, tactical episode, Rachel simplifies SKU creation for clothing brands and explains why overengineering your numbering system can hurt your reports, your inventory accuracy, and your ability to scale. Whether you're fulfilling from your home office or preparing to work with a warehouse, this episode will help you avoid messy backend data and inventory confusion as your brand grows. Click here to get your FREE Smart SKU Generator: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/smart Sign up for the FREE Shopify Workshop here: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/shopify-workshop Sign up for the Secrets Behind Billion Dollar Apparel Brands Masterclass here: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/secrets Join The Board here: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com Key Moments: 00:00 SKUs Don't Need to Be Complicated 00:26 What a SKU Is & Why It Matters for Inventory 01:10 The 3 Must-Have Parts of a SKU 01:50 Do You Really Need SKUs/Barcodes If You Fulfill Yourself? 04:01 Why Warehouses/3PLs Require Scannable SKUs (Avoid Inventory Chaos) 04:59 Introducing 'The Board' Membership 06:19 Shopify Backend: Standardize SKUs to Keep Reports Clean 07:22 Free Smart SKU Generator + How to Use It 11:09 Wrap-Up: SKU vs UPC/Barcode + Next Steps   Watch The Business of Apparel Podcast: Wholesale 101: https://youtu.be/lpezH1YwCyE Use AI in Your Apparel Brand: https://youtu.be/Dn9tjPNmfaw  Grow A 7-Figure Apparel Business: https://youtu.be/rpQYDyo5Rao We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode! Purchase the Business of Apparel Online Course: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/course ABOUT RACHEL: Rachel Erickson—Fractional COO, Apparel Industry Consultant, and founder of Unmarked Street and The Business of Apparel. With 20+ years in technical design and product development leadership, I've sat at the executive table of a $25M apparel line and helped scale it to $60M in one year. After decades working inside major fashion companies, I learned the truth behind billion-dollar brands, and it's not about chasing trends or pumping out endless products. It's about building clean processes, tightly edited assortments, and obsessively focused customer targeting. I help founders and CEOs of performance apparel brands: ✅ Build lean, profitable product lines ✅ Streamline operations for growth ✅ Replace overwhelm with executive clarity ✅ Create garments that fit bodies in motion   Whether you're just hitting $1M in revenue or trying to break through the $10M ceiling, my team joins you as an embedded operations and product partner—running fittings, line plans, tech packs, and vendor communications so you can get back to leading.   To connect with Rachel, you can join her LinkedIn community here: LinkedIn. To visit her website, go to: www.unmarkedstreet.com.   

Hi all, I'm Marty and welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career.  Today we're talking about one of the more important roles on the shipping side of things, and oddly, it’s hardly ever brought up. I find myself discussing it today only because a listener wrote in that they had applied for the position and was told they would need at least 1 year of equipment experience for the position. We're talking about the Short Chaser.  If you've never worked in a high-volume grocery, retail, produce, or foodservice DC, this position may not even be on your radar. But if you have, well, you know why I mentioned it's a very important role. When a trailer is staged, sealed, and about to be dispatched or leave the yard, yet the paperwork says we're missing a case of product, there is only one person standing between our success and customer dissatisfaction. The Short Chaser.  Today we're going to break down why the position exists, how the WMS helps drive it, some of the different types of equipment used to accomplish the task, the pressure and safety considerations, and why it's actually one of the best career-building roles in outbound operations. But then, as we've learned, in my humble opinion anyway, is that every position in the light industrial fields are great career building opportunities.   So why is the short chaser needed or why is it such an important role? Well, in large distribution centers, outbound selection is built on speed and engineered productivity standards. The Order Selectors are measured by things like cases per hour (CPH), lines per hour, and maybe pallets per hour. And then you'll have their Direct vs. indirect time metrics and travel time efficiency. In these environments, we cannot afford for selectors to stop and wait when a pick slot is empty.  So here's what happens. A selector travels down the aisle. They scan the location. The slot is empty. The Replenishment hasn't been dropped yet or the inventory count is off for one reason or another. Instead of waiting, which would destroy productivity metrics and delay the batch, the selector marks the item short in their RF unit and continues moving. The Warehouse Management System (WMS) logs that short against the load. Multiply that by 40 to 60 selectors across a shift. It adds up quick! Now you have a short list or another batch created.  Once the replenishment has been made, the WMS recognizes that inventory is now available. It then creates what most operations call a short batch. This batch includes load number, trailer number, stop number, SKU or item number, quantity shorted, slot location, and required completion time or dispatch time. The Short Chaser logs into their RF device and sees a prioritized list, usually sorted by the dispatch time. So, this role is a little bit selection, and a little bit loading, but really 100% recovery. The order selectors are pulling throughout the shift, the short chaser is of course running behind the original batch, gathering any missed or shorted cases. That means the Short Chaser operates closest to dispatch time. And in distribution, the dispatch time is sacred. If a trailer misses its dispatch window drivers lose hours, customer delivery windows are affected, route sequencing breaks down, we're outside the WMS perimeters, think of it as manual mode, and of course overtime increases and service levels can drop. So the Short Chaser works under what I like to call controlled urgency. Not chaos or panic. But controlled urgency!  Now Depending on the facility, the Short Chaser may use several types of powered industrial equipment. In the produce or specialty world we may be using the single electric rider pallet jack. Ideal for quickly grabbing partial pallets or a few cases and delivering them directly to dock or staging area for the loaders or even running the product out to the yard and adding them to the trailer. Fast, agile, and highly maneuverable. When multiple shorts are tied to the same trailer or dispatch times, the double rider jack allows movement of two pallets at once, reducing travel time and improving efficiency. We may even use the sit-down forklift, it could be used when handling full pallets, or delivering larger quantities of freight directly to trailers staged in the yard. Of course, the short chaser role requires certification and strong equipment handling skills. There is no room for unsafe operation, especially with urgency involved.  I mentioned the yard, maybe I should explain what I meant. In many large operations, once trailers are loaded, they are pulled from dock doors and staged in the yard awaiting dispatch or the driver arriving. The Short Chaser's job can expand beyond the building. They may need to identify the correct trailer in the yard, verify trailer number and route number, confirm the stop sequence, properly load secure the product, ensure the load stability and communicate back to dispatch that the load is complete and ready to go.  Sounds simple right? Think about this though. Delivering a short to the wrong trailer is worse than not delivering it at all. Because now you've created two shortages. Again, in our environment, accuracy is critical. Let's paint a real-world scenario. It's 45 minutes before dispatch. Three trailers are staged. The short batch drops with 22 SKUs, across 3 routes, with 3 different dispatch times. What does a great Short Chaser do? They prioritize by dispatch time, our warehouse route complexity or the possible different pick path we'll be taking, the items difficulty, or things like stack ability and weight. We can't stack a 50 case on top of eggs, and then of course the yard location. They communicate early. They don't wait until 5 minutes before dispatch to say, “I can't find this item.” They involve replenishment or inventory control immediately.  Here's where, I feel, the role becomes powerful for career growth. A strong Short Chaser begins to recognize patterns. They see certain SKUs consistently being shorted, replenishments that seem to always take longer to be made, slotting inefficiencies, Mis-picks during selection and cycle count issues. They begin to understand the system says one thing, but the slot sometimes says another. This is how future inventory control specialists are born. This is how future supervisors learn to ask things like why are we shorting this item three times a week? I guess I'm saying the short chaser sees things and we should speak up and communicate. It'll only help us in our careers.     Ok, I've used the word urgency several times, but it cannot override our discipline. A few of the common risks in this role include speeding through the aisles, cutting through the cross aisles, yard traffic, blind corner visibility issues and fatigue late in shift when people are tired. The expectation must be clear. You cannot rush safety.   When Short Chasers perform well, our success shows with improved on-time dispatch, higher fill rates, reduced customer claims, and reduced driver wait time. Operations managers know a strong short chasing process protects revenue, because incomplete deliveries damage our customer relationships.  And our modern WMS platforms are becoming more advanced too. We now see real-time replenishment triggers, automated alerts for low slots, dynamic slotting has really helped the order selector, Voice-directed picking systems and even AI forecasting.  All these improvements reduce shorts, but they will never eliminate them entirely. Physical inventory and system inventory will never be perfect. There will always be human error, inventory discrepancies, slotting adjustments and late replenishments.   Here's why I believe this is one of the strongest development roles in outbound operations. The Short Chaser learns WMS navigation and logic, Dispatch prioritization, Yard operations and why trailers are staged where they are, Cross-department communication, Inventory issues, and how to balance productivity. This naturally transitions into dock Lead or outbound Lead roles. Dispatch Coordinator, Inventory Control assignments and even Supervisor positions.  The best ones share some of these common traits. We'll be calm under pressure, detail-oriented, and be a strong communicator, confident and skilled on the equipment, system literate and safety disciplined.   So if you're listening today and you're working in sanitation, selection, loading, or general warehouse operations and you want to understand the bigger picture, pay attention to the Short Chaser role.  When that trailer door closes and the seal goes on and the route leaves complete and accurate, that's not luck. That's execution. And the Short Chaser is often the last line of defense before that door shuts.  Well, there's a bit on another great light industrial position! I hope you all join us again next week, and that each of you sends over a topic you'd like to hear a bit about. We love getting mail each week! Until then, remember to put safety first in all that you do and to never get on or touch a machine or piece of powered industrial equipment you've not been trained on and certified to operate. Yall be safe out there.  

Join Kaya Cast host Tommy Truong for a deep dive with Ryan Hunter of Spherex Labs. From Colorado to multi-state expansion, Ryan shares the playbook behind a disciplined, retailer-focused cannabis brand. Learn how Spherex wins at the shelf through authentic budtender relationships, in-store merchandising, and a full-stack marketing program that travels with retailers across markets. Discover why they keep a lean SKU set, how they iterate products—from rosin cartridges to a sleep gummy—tied to a relentless focus on quality hardware and reliable manufacturing. See how field marketing cadence, retailer partnerships, and data-driven programs drive sell-through and reduce over-assortment risk in a cash-constrained industry. The conversation also covers leadership, overcoming imposter syndrome, meditation and personal development, and how their consulting work intersects with cannabis entrepreneurship. If you're a dispensary or brand looking to scale sustainably—without chasing every trend—this episode offers actionable GTM and partnership insights you can apply right away. Find out more about Spherex Labs at:https://www.wearespherex.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhunter/linkedin.com/company/6614091/ 00:00 Net Promoter Score (NPS) Explained + Why It Matters00:51 Podcast Intro + Meet Ryan (Background & How He Entered Cannabis)03:02 What Drove Spherex's Growth: Team, Discipline, and Relationships04:27 Marketing Personas & The Budtender-First Strategy06:44 Retail Partnerships, Road Game, and Scaling to New Markets10:55 Customer Journey Thinking: Community, Experimentation, and Iteration12:39 Sales + Marketing Shaping Product: Tight SKU Strategy & Quality Control15:04 Why Launch a Rosin Sleep Gummy: Market Insight + Smart Rollout21:57 Budtender Education Playbook + Measuring Impact with NPS26:23 What Sets Spherex Apart in a Commoditized Vape Cartridge Market27:24 Flavor Formulation + Hardware Quality: The Product Fundamentals28:22 Winning Budtenders: The Real Decision-Makers in Dispensaries31:35 Staying Top-of-Mind: Store Visit Cadence & Relationship Building32:14 The Over-Assortment Problem: Sell-Through, Payment Terms & Industry AR33:36 A Costco-Style Dispensary Model? Curating Fewer Brands for Better Turns34:13 Anti-Gravity Consulting: From Go-To-Market Strategy to Coaching & Psychedelics36:28 Imposter Syndrome & Unworthiness: What Shows Up in Coaching38:24 Psychedelic Facilitation (Cannabis): Softening Ego & Reworking Identity40:12 Meditation as the Antidote: Losing Anxiety, Not Your Edge48:56 Attention in a Dopamine World: Mindfulness, ADHD, and Social Media Boundaries51:13 Savoring & Presence: Relearning Joy in Everyday Moments52:56 Where to Find Ryan + Podcast Wrap-Upcannabis retail strategy, cannabis brand expansion, multi-state cannabis brand, Colorado cannabis market, cannabis merchandising strategy, dispensary shelf strategy, cannabis sell-through optimization, cannabis retail partnerships, budtender relationships, budtender engagement strategy, dispensary product merchandising, cannabis go-to-market strategy, cannabis GTM playbook, cannabis SKU optimization, lean SKU strategy cannabis, cannabis product assortment planning, dispensary inventory strategy, cannabis manufacturing reliability, cannabis hardware quality, rosin vape cartridges, cannabis rosin carts, cannabis sleep gummies, infused sleep gummies cannabis, cannabis product innovation, cannabis brand scaling, cannabis retailer marketing programs, dispensary field marketing, cannabis field marketing cadence, cannabis brand consulting, cannabis entrepreneurship, cannabis leadership development, cannabis founder mindset, cannabis business growth strategy, cannabis retail expansion strategy, cannabis brand partnerships, dispensary sales enablement, cannabis retail analytics, cannabis data-driven retail, cannabis merchandising analytics, dispensary sell-through metrics, cannabis inventory turnover, cannabis retail operations strategy, cannabis retailer loyalty programs, cannabis brand positioning, cannabis product quality strategy, cannabis packaging strategy, cannabis compliance manufacturing, cannabis supply chain reliability, cannabis distribution strategy, dispensary category management, cannabis category optimization, cannabis retail marketing strategy, dispensary marketing partnerships, cannabis consulting services, cannabis operator insights, cannabis podcast insights, Kaya Cast podcast, cannabis industry leadership, cannabis personal development, cannabis founder meditation, cannabis imposter syndrome leadership #kayacast #cannabis #tips #dispensaries #business #podcast

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupKareem Raslan (co-founder of BrainGain) breaks down how a “25 dumbbells in a garage” COVID side-hustle turned into a home gym brand with 100,000+ customers across 30 countries. We talk heavy-product logistics, why “just run Meta” isn't the whole story, and what it really takes to expand across Europe without margin leakage.For DTC operators selling high-AOV, physical products who want to expand beyond one market without getting crushed by fulfillment and localization.In this episode, we cover:Why BrainGain skipped dropshipping and went product-in-hand from day oneThe Europe expansion reality: VAT, language, regulations, and market-by-market nuanceWhy Germany can be the “logical” move… and still the hardest operationallyTheir channel strategy today: ~50% Amazon / ~50% Shopify, with Google doing the heavy liftingHow YouTube affiliates drive trust for high-consideration purchasesWho this is for:Founders and marketers selling heavy, high-AOV products (fitness, home goods, equipment) who need a real playbook for scaling across regions.What to steal:Build SKU-by-SKU unit economics so you know your true ceiling CAC (by market + channel)Use YouTube affiliates for “proof” when the purchase isn't impulsiveAudit 3PL invoices line-by-line (surcharges hide everywhere)Timestamps0:00 BrainGain's growth from garage sales to 100,000 customers2:00 How BrainGain started during COVID with Facebook Marketplace sales5:00 Post-lockdown demand, competing in “big and heavy” products7:00 Switching to Shopify and Amazon, building the brand online14:40 Expanding across Europe: VAT, regulations, and localization realities22:00 Channel mix breakdown: Amazon vs Shopify, Google vs Meta24:00 Why BrainGain is saying no to TikTok influencers and leaning into YouTube affiliates27:30 Picking the right 3PL in Europe and avoiding hidden surcharges31:00 Fulfillment cost levers: packaging thresholds, pallet rules, invoice audits34:10 SKU-level unit economics audit and setting a real CAC ceiling37:20 Pricing strategy: Shopify vs Amazon and controlling channel mix39:30 What US expansion could look like for heavy, bulky productsSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

You Can't Scale a Mess: Fix Your Shopify Backend & Unlock Profitable Growth for Your Apparel Brand If your Shopify backend is messy, your growth will be too. In this episode of The Business of Apparel Podcast, Rachel breaks down why clean backend data is the hidden key to scaling your apparel brand. If your reports are unreadable, your SKUs are inconsistent, and your product names are all over the place, you're making growth decisions blind. Rachel shares real brand audit stories, including one where 20 products turned into 100 report lines because of inconsistent naming, and explains how messy data can quietly cost you revenue, time, and clarity. You'll learn how to clean up your Shopify backend, standardize your SKU system, and finally pull reports you can actually use to make strategic, profitable decisions. If you're serious about scaling, this is where you start. Sign up for the FREE Shopify Workshop here: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/shopify-workshop Sign up for the Secrets Behind Billion Dollar Apparel Brands Masterclass here: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/secrets Join The Board here: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com Key moments: 00:00 Scaling Your Apparel Brand 00:28 Understanding Your Shopify Store 02:14 Masterclass and Workshop Announcements 02:50 Importance of Clean Data 06:21 Client Success Stories and Data Cleanup 11:24 Free Resources and Tools for Your Brand 16:33 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Shopify Workshop   Watch more of The Business of Apparel Podcast episodes: Wholesale 101: https://youtu.be/lpezH1YwCyE Use AI in Your Apparel Brand: https://youtu.be/Dn9tjPNmfaw  Grow A 7-Figure Apparel Business: https://youtu.be/rpQYDyo5Rao We can't wait to hear what you think of this episode! Purchase the Business of Apparel Online Course: https://www.thebusinessofapparel.com/course ABOUT RACHEL: Rachel Erickson—Fractional COO, Apparel Industry Consultant, and founder of Unmarked Street and The Business of Apparel. With 20+ years in technical design and product development leadership, I've sat at the executive table of a $25M apparel line and helped scale it to $60M in one year.   After decades working inside major fashion companies, I learned the truth behind billion-dollar brands, and it's not about chasing trends or pumping out endless products. It's about building clean processes, tightly edited assortments, and obsessively focused customer targeting.   I help founders and CEOs of performance apparel brands: ✅ Build lean, profitable product lines ✅ Streamline operations for growth ✅ Replace overwhelm with executive clarity ✅ Create garments that fit bodies in motion   Whether you're just hitting $1M in revenue or trying to break through the $10M ceiling, my team joins you as an embedded operations and product partner—running fittings, line plans, tech packs, and vendor communications so you can get back to leading.   To connect with Rachel, you can join her LinkedIn community here: LinkedIn. To visit her website, go to: www.unmarkedstreet.com.   

Welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I'm Marty, and today we're talking about a piece of equipment that almost everyone in our industry recognizes, but not everyone fully understands it. If you're a long time listener you'll remember I spent about 6 years operating it on the 2nd shift, in the outbound operations within the food service distribution arena. We're going to talk about the cherry picker today. Now its proper name, or if your ordering one from the manufacturer, it'll be referred to as an order picker. This machine helped shape the modern warehouse, the newer e-commerce departments, and really, distribution as a whole. It's increased productivity, allowed us to build higher racking, with many more selection slots, helping reduce the buildings footprint, reducing the cost of real-estate needed. But it's also one of the most unforgiving pieces of equipment to operate. So today, I want to really walk through where the order picker came from, why it exists, what it's good at, where and what it struggles with, how it's used, and most importantly, the dangers, limitations, and responsibility that come with it. This isn't just about the equipment. And I know I harp on it, but it's about our mindset, maturity, and our career. And you ought to know, I'm going to take this opportunity to again stating that you should never get on or even touch a piece of equipment or machine that you have not been trained and certified to be on. Now that all that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the cherry picker! Believe it or not, the cherry picker didn't start in a warehouse. Its earliest versions were used in agriculture, specifically for harvesting fruit. Farmers needed a way to lift workers safely into trees so they could hand-pick produce without ladders or unsafe climbing. The concept was simple, instead of bringing the fruit down, bring the worker up. As warehousing evolved, especially in the mid-20th century, that same idea became essential indoors. Warehouses started growing up instead of out. Land became expensive. Inventory counts increased. SKU or item counts exploded. Full pallets weren't always the answer anymore. Traditional forklifts could move pallets just fine, but they couldn't safely lift people to pick individual cases. And that's where the order picker was born. By combining a powered industrial truck with an elevated operator platform, warehouses could store product higher, pick individual cases efficiently, reduce walking and ladder use, and dramatically increase picking productivity. Over time, these machines were refined with better controls, safety systems, harness requirements, and more stable designs. What we ended up with is one of the most productive, and demanding machines in the building. The defining feature of an order picker is simple but powerful, the operator rises or goes up in the air, up to the higher pick slots with the platform and forks, with a pallet usually. And that changed everything. Instead of pulling pallets down to floor level or relying on ladders and mezzanines, the operator works directly at the pick face or pick slot. Here's why that matters. First, vertical access. Order pickers allow warehouses to fully utilize high-bay racking. Space that would otherwise be wasted becomes valuable inventory real estate. Second, case-level picking. This machine is built for piece and case selection, not full pallet movement. That makes it ideal for retail, grocery, and e-commerce operations where accuracy matters as much as or more than speed. Third, productivity and accuracy. A trained operator following a clean pick path can maintain a strong cases-per-hour average while reducing errors, with less walking, less searching for the product, less backtracking. And fourth, when used properly, reduced physical strain. The machine does the lifting, not the operator. No constant ladder climbing. No unsafe stretching to reach the product. And no carrying cases long distances. But, and this is a biggie, all of those benefits only exist when the equipment is used correctly and the warehouse is layed out and slotted properly. It needs to be said that order pickers are a specialized piece of equipment. They are not one-size-fits-all machines. They perform best in the high-bay warehouses, and narrow-aisle configurations. They require clean, dry, flat floors, and facilities with defined pick paths and in operations with high SKU and item counts. They are common in retail distribution centers, grocery warehouses and those large e-commerce fulfillment operations. They are not ideal for outdoor use, on uneven or damaged flooring, and up front in our dock areas or congested pedestrian zones and walkways. If your facility isn't designed for elevated picking, an order picker becomes more risk than reward. Now we get to the part that separates training from experience. The order picker is one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the warehouse if misused. The biggest risk is obvious, falls from height. That's why harnesses and are not optional and why lanyards must be properly anchored and why gates must be closed before elevation. A fall from an order picker is rarely a minor incident. It's usually life-altering or worse. Another major risk is stability. Order pickers are designed to lift vertically, not travel or turn at height. Sudden movements, improper positioning, or failure to fully lower before traveling can and will create serious tip-over hazards. Then there are the pinch points and struck-by hazards. Operators work inches from steel racking, the beams, and product. One moment of distraction can result in crushed fingers, head injuries, or worse. And I want to point out, one of the most common unsafe behaviors, and that is overreaching. Instead of repositioning the truck, operators may stretch just a little farther. That's when our balance can be or is lost, and that's when falls happen. Your machine will always win that fight. A professional order picker operator follows a rhythm and the rules. It starts with his or her pre-shift inspection. Brakes, tires, controls, mast, chains, horn, lights, harness, and lanyard. This isent just more paperwork or a law, it's self-preservation! Mounting the platform means three points of contact. Harness on. Lanyard secured and the gate closed and latched. Traveling means forks down, eyes up, horn used when needed, and awareness of surroundings. When elevating, the operator is square to the rack, lifts smoothly, and keeps their body inside the platform. No leaning and no shortcuts. After the pick is completed, the platform comes all the way down before travel every time. That consistency, following the procedure is what prevents injuries. Lets see, what else, uh, let’s talk about some of the controls. Theres several different models but most order pickers share common controls, forward and reverse travel, lift and lower, steering controls, a horn, an emergency stop, a deadman switch, and a battery indicator, and a pallet clamp or pallet grab vice. A trained operator doesn't just know what each control does. They know to use them. It's important to understand that training is not optional. Operating an order picker is not a right, and it's a lot of responsibility. Of course that proper training includes classroom instruction, demonstration of the controls and handling, a hands-on evaluation, a review of the site-specific hazards and the observation and certification. Our powered industrial truck training or PIT training. And here's another opportunity for me to state to never, ever, get on or touch a piece of equipment or machine that you've not been trained or certified to be on or operate! And remember that authorization can be removed if unsafe behavior is observed or we don't act and operate it responsibly, and that's not punishment, that's our own fault and for our own good and the good of others. Because the goal isn't speed. The goal is going home. Here's the bigger takeaway. The order picker rewards discipline, patience, awareness and respect for process and position. By the way, those same traits are what make great leads, supervisors, and managers. People who master this equipment often become the people others trust because they understand the consequences. The cherry picker teaches you that rushing doesn't save time. Shortcuts don't make you efficient and safety isn't a rule, it's a responsibility. I loved my time on the cherry picker, it is one of the most powerful tools in the warehouse and one of the most dangerous when disrespected. The difference in those two statements isn't the machine. It's the operator. I always love talking about the many different pieces of equipment and the machines we use in our industry. If you have any positions or tools used in the light industry world, shoot us an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com or post a comment on our Facebook page using @whseops, or hit us up on Instagram at waocpodcast and I'll do my best to find us an answer! Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and thanks for spending your time with us, and I'd appreciate it if you'd share the show with a friend or two! Remember to respect our equipment, to be safe at all we do, and that we have others depending on us and waiting for us to return home each day! Y'all be safe out there!

In this episode, we break down what really belongs in COGS, how to read gross margin correctly, and how to dig deeper to uncover hidden margin leaks. If you want stronger cash flow, smarter pricing, and better decisions, this episode will help you master the numbers that matter most.

A 10‑day wait for a refrigerator became the spark for a smarter last mile. We sit down with OneRail CEO Bill Catania to unpack how a racing mindset—frugality, failure tolerance, and relentless iteration—translated into a platform that helps retailers move from static delivery workflows to real‑time orchestration at scale. Bill shares the throughline across three startups: aggregate fragmented supply, connect it cleanly to demand, and let data science make the hard choices in milliseconds.You'll hear how RaceFan aggregated 650 local tracks to unlock national sponsorships, why MDOT's 200‑millisecond cloud coupon switch won over skeptical retailers (and how Bill timed the sale), and the moment OneRail shifted from gig moving to an enterprise platform. We break down OneRail's three‑layer model—software first, an aggregated carrier network across sedans to flatbeds, and a human exception team—and how the company takes on risk under its authority to deliver accountability most intermediaries avoid.AI is not a bolt‑on here. Bill explains how courier “credit scores,” market‑level performance, and dynamic assignment replaced manual dispatch, enabling one person to triage roughly 4,000 orders instead of 80. We explore exceptions in furniture and cold chain, SKU‑level loss analysis, and how pushing intelligence upstream into order management can reshape cost to serve before a truck even moves. Along the way, Bill shares the “yes if” leadership mantra that keeps doors open while aligning risk and reward—fuel for winning enterprise trust and recognition like Lowe's Innovation Partner of the Year.If you care about last mile logistics, enterprise retail, or building resilient platforms, this conversation is a blueprint: aggregate wisely, decide precisely, own outcomes, and scale through partnerships. Subscribe, share with a teammate who obsesses over SLAs, and leave a review with your biggest “yes if” moment—we'll feature the best on a future show.Follow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.Thanks to our sponsors:Stuut Technologies: Your AI coworker that collects your cash automatically.https://www.stuut.ai/Cloneops.ai: Not just AI. Industry-born AI.https://www.cloneops.ai/Rapido Solutions Group: Nearshore solutions for logistics companies.https://www.gorapido.com/GenLogs: Freight Intelligence on every carrier, shipper, and asset via a nationwide sensor networkhttps://www.genlogs.io/

Send a textMulti-packing is an effective way to significantly increase sales and revenue on Amazon. This strategy helps you better manage Amazon fees and improve overall profitability. Learn how to implement multi-packing to grow your business and enhance your selling on Amazon presence.Multi-pack strategy on Amazon can increase sales volume, improve keyword ranking, and raise overall conversion rate. Adding a lower priced three-pack alongside a five-pack listing can increase SKU-level ranking and long-term sales growth. This approach challenges zero sum thinking and shows how multi-pack offers can improve Amazon profit and organic visibility over time.If your listings are stuck and you want a real growth plan built around your numbers, schedule a strategy session and get a direct action roadmap for your Amazon account: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxu#AmazonFBA #AmazonSeller #AmazonSales #EcommerceGrowth #AmazonListingOptimization--------------------------------------------------------------------------Want free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Amazon Proft Margin Defense 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q042trRH0Amazon PPC Guide 2026 is here!: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXAmazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTAmazon Seller Strategy Report 2026: https://bit.ly/3YN1RME2026 Ecommerce Website & SEO Readiness Checklist: https://hubs.ly/Q040Jg0M0Amazon Crisis Kit: https://bit.ly/4maWHn0Timestamps:00:00 – Why Multi-Packs Are Underrated on Amazon00:30 – Three-Pack vs Five-Pack Profit Breakdown01:05 – Does Lower Price Hurt Your Main Offer?01:34 – Example: 500 Five-Packs vs 1,000 Three-Packs01:58 – How More Sales Improve Ranking and Conversion02:29 – Why the Five-Pack Can Grow After Launch03:04 – Breaking the Zero Sum Mindset in Amazon Sales________________________________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: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

In this episode of Clothing Coulture, hosts Bret Schnitker and Emily Lane break down why fashion brands must rethink their economic strategies for 2026 as growth slows and costs rise. Instead of chasing volume and expansion, they argue the new winning playbook is margin protection, operational efficiency, and resilience. They explore how consumer behavior is shifting toward fewer purchases, higher quality, and stronger alignment with brand values, pushing companies to rethink pricing, storytelling, and product strategy. The conversation covers practical ways to improve profitability without cutting quality, including smarter assortment planning, tighter SKU counts, supplier negotiation, and better demand forecasting to reduce overproduction and markdowns. The episode also highlights the rise of seasonless collections, modular design, and smaller, more frequent drops as strategies that reduce inventory risk while keeping customers engaged. Bret and Emily close with a reminder that long-term success in 2026 will come from building systems, empowering mid-level teams, and staying focused on adaptability instead of growth for growth's sake.

Ever launched a beautiful product only to watch payments derail the experience? We sat with Viktoria Soltesz - founder of PSP Angels and the Soltesz Institute - to map the hidden decisions that make or break money movement. From onboarding demands and documentation to routing choices and settlement timelines, Viktoria shows how banking and payment flows now shape product, compliance, data, and brand trust. The takeaway is bold and practical: treat payments as strategy, not plumbing.We dig into messy, real-world stories: a global group juggling multiple entities, providers, and file formats; a luxury e-commerce brand whose purple checkout clashed with a green identity and crushed conversions; and a marketplace shut down over a single high-risk SKU. Viktoria explains why “cheapest fees” can cost the most when integration pain, risk appetite, and provider incentives are ignored. She also exposes conflicts in referral-driven deals and makes the case for an ethical, merchant-first approach that starts with a comprehensive payments health check.The conversation builds toward a clear solution: appoint a Chief Payments Officer. This role owns the end-to-end flow, negotiates with a holistic lens, and adapts strategy to each market - whether that means leveraging UPI in India, adopting open banking in the US, or planning redundancies that protect authorization rates and cash flow. We also scan the horizon: instant payments in the EU, QR adoption beyond Asia, and the rise of agentic commerce where AI discovers, orders, and pays. With new rails come new risks - refunds, disputes, and fraud models must be redesigned for machine-initiated purchases.If you care about lower fees, fewer shutoffs, stronger UX, and faster global expansion, this is your playbook. Learn more about PSP Angels here and The Soltesz Institute here. Viktoria has also written two books both available on Amazon and here.Moving Money How Banks Think The CPayO - The Chief Payment Officer The Role Which Doesn't Exist (But Should!)

In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin Lawton chats with Naveen Chandra, Director of Distribution at EssilorLuxottica. Chandra oversees strategy across labor planning, slotting, and real-time operational control for a complex, high-SKU distribution network. EssilorLuxottica is best known for eyewear brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, but its footprint spans eyewear, wearables, retail, and vertically integrated supply chains. The conversation explores how the company approaches automation, forecasting, and slotting while keeping human workers central to warehouse design. Rather than chasing lights-out operations, Chandra emphasizes resilience, safety, and reducing cognitive load for human-centered warehouse automation.Learn more about Sonaria here. Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Support the show

Sarah Lee went from cold-emailing 700 journalists by hand and sleeping two hours a night to building Glow Recipe into a nine-figure global skincare brand inside Sephora. And she did it without raising venture capital. In this interview, the co-founder of Glow Recipe breaks down how a $50,000 bootstrapped Korean beauty curation site turned into one of the most recognisable modern skincare brands in the world — including how they broke even in just three months, why they walked away from millions to stay in control, and the exact moment they knew it was time to build their own products. From getting on Shark Tank in year one to launching their first SKU with nothing but a white jar and an iPad mockup, this episode is a masterclass in brand building, retail strategy, and founder-led execution. What you'll learn in this interview: • How Glow Recipe broke even in just 3 months with a $50K bootstrap • Why Sarah and Christine personally cold-emailed 700+ press contacts • The real economics of starting as a curated marketplace vs owning the brand • How they validated product demand before manufacturing anything • What it took to pitch Sephora with no finished product • Why Glow Recipe walked away from millions in potential funding • Lessons from Shark Tank — and what didn't make it on TV • How Korean beauty education became their unfair advantage • The biggest mistakes founders make when launching beauty products • How Glow Recipe scaled from curation to a nine-figure product brand By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to validate demand early, build leverage without capital, and turn brand education into long-term defensibility — even in one of the most competitive categories in ecommerce. If you're building a product brand, thinking about retail expansion, or deciding whether to raise capital or stay bootstrapped, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about control, growth, and timing. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH SARAH LEE Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/sarah_glow/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleenewyork/ Website→ https://www.glowrecipe.com/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Brian Phillips, Director of Product Marketing at HP, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, on opening day of ISE to discuss HP's latest collaboration announcements and the strategy unifying its product portfolio around AI-enabled hybrid work. Phillips explained that HP's collaboration roadmap is centered on enabling effective communication across a wide range of work environments—from home offices and hoteling desks to meeting rooms, training spaces, and immersive collaboration settings. Rather than deploying AI for its own sake, HP is embedding machine learning and cloud-based intelligence into collaboration solutions to tangibly improve meeting quality, clarity, and engagement. “We're putting AI into action in collaboration in a way that makes meetings more effective and more lifelike,” Phillips said, emphasizing HP's focus on real-world value. A key highlight at ISE was the introduction of next-generation HP Poly Mission headsets, designed to support hybrid and high-noise environments with advanced AI noise reduction. Phillips noted that the new headsets can isolate a speaker's voice even in challenging settings such as cafés or open offices, while maintaining strong privacy protections. “AI is being used to deliver better experiences, but we're not tracking conversations or personally identifiable information,” he said. The new lineup also reflects HP's effort to streamline its headset portfolio, reducing SKU complexity and making it easier for resellers to quote and recommend the right solution for each user. On the meeting room side, HP unveiled advancements in Poly VideoOS 5, the collaboration operating system that powers HP Poly video devices. The update brings support for Android 13, extended certification with partners such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, and lays the foundation for long-term investment protection with support planned through 2032. New capabilities include multi-camera experiences that dynamically frame participants from multiple angles, ensuring everyone in the room is clearly seen and heard. Phillips also highlighted HP Dimension with Google Beam, a hyper-realistic 3D collaboration solution designed to deliver an “across-the-table” experience for remote participants. The system combines spatial video and audio to create an immersive, lifelike presence suited for executive meetings, negotiations, and high-impact conversations. Live demonstrations were available at ISE, with broader availability planned later this year through HP and Google experience centers. More information about HP's collaboration portfolio and hybrid work innovations is available at https://www.hp.com/us-en/home.html.

In this episode, we explore how to fix messy product data and creative assets that slow down your brand. Lynn Herman, APM Marketing Manager at Canto, explains how a digital asset management system acts as a single source of truth for your business. She shares why organizing content around your products—rather than random folders—helps you launch faster on Shopify and other marketplaces. You will also learn how to maintain a consistent brand image and stop losing sales due to data errors.Topics discussed in this episode:   What a DAM system does for your content. Why you should organize assets by product SKU. How spreadsheets lead to manual data errors. How to create a launch once publish everywhere flow. What prevents friction in the approval process. How to push assets directly to Shopify stores. Why inconsistent images damage customer trust. What signs show you need a better asset system. How AI search finds specific brand images fast. Why centralizing data stops operational chaos. Links & Resources Website: https://www.canto.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canto/Shopify Integration: https://www.canto.com/integrations/shopify/X/Twitter: https://x.com/cantoGet access to more free resources by visiting the show notes at https://tinyurl.com/4n838wvz______________________________________________________ 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/

Dan Brownsher is the Founder, Executive Chairman, and CSO at Channel Key, a full-service channel management marketplace agency. A recognized national thought leader in marketplace retail strategy and emerging eCommerce trends, Dan is a trusted commentator on Amazon and marketplace technologies and is frequently quoted by outlets such as Bloomberg, Forbes, Reuters, MSN.com, and the LA Times. He also co-founded Trend Nation, a top-200 global Amazon private label developer and seller that surpassed $1 billion in merchandise sales and achieved a private equity exit. In this episode… As digital commerce scales across marketplaces and AI-driven experiences, brands aren't deciding if they should sell online — they're deciding which channels to prioritize, which products belong on each, and how to operate at scale. From Amazon and Walmart to TikTok Shop and emerging agent-led buying journeys, the number of viable paths to purchase is expanding fast. How can brands pursue growth without wasting margin, media spend, or internal resources? According to national eCommerce thought leader Dan Brownsher, this shift is driven by consumer trust in digital commerce and expanding shopping habits across marketplaces. He advises brands to evaluate channels based on SKU-level profitability, fulfillment constraints, and measurable incrementality rather than solely omnichannel expansion. Dan also recommends narrowing assortment by channel, actively shifting media spend to where returns are provable, and using AI to accelerate analysis and execution — not replace judgment. In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Dan Brownsher, Founder, Executive Chairman, and CSO at Channel Key, about the future of omnichannel commerce. Dan discusses why consumers are driving marketplace expansion, how brands should manage assortment and media across channels, and what agentic commerce and AI-powered discovery mean for search, trust, and buying behavior.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you feeding your data into AI and assuming the insights it gives you are accurate? What if those confident-sounding answers are quietly steering you in the wrong direction? More agency owners are turning to AI to analyze and interpret performance data, and for good reason. Used correctly, it can save massive amounts of time and move teams beyond using AI to crank out blog posts, ads, or emails faster. But when it comes to attribution, performance analysis, and real decision-making, AI has a dangerous flaw: it's often wrong with absolute confidence. Today's featured guest understands where most agencies go wrong with AI-driven data analysis. He'll break down why large language models frequently misinterpret marketing data, how flawed inputs and assumptions lead to misleading insights, and what it actually takes to get reliable answers from AI without burning budget or making bad strategic calls. Scott Desgrosseilliers is the founder and CEO of Wicked Reports, a marketing attribution platform built specifically for e-commerce brands doing between $5M and $50M in annual revenue. Scott has spent years deep in attribution, analytics, and now AI, figuring out how to separate real signal from noise in an ecosystem where every platform claims the win. He'll talk about how most platforms may be misleading you and the framework he uses to bring sanity back to attribution for serious e-commerce brands. In this episode, we'll discuss: Why AI is sounds smart but gets marketing attribution wrong. Injecting intention into AI. The Five Forces framework to improve your AI data. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Why AI Sounds Smart But Gets Marketing Attribution Wrong One of the biggest myths around AI is that it's inherently "smart." Scott shared that it took eight months for Wicked Reports to release their AI analyst, not because the tech wasn't powerful, but because it was too confident while being wrong. AI models are designed to sound affirmative. Ask them a bad question, and they'll still give you a polished answer. If you ask ChatGPT if you should jump off a bridge, it'll say, "Yes, that's a great idea," unless you explicitly train it to be critical. That's a massive problem when you're dealing with revenue attribution and ad spend decisions. Another major issue is that AI lacks native understanding of time, which is foundational to attribution. Clicks, impressions, tags, and conversions happen in sequence over days or weeks. Without heavy rules, coaching, and sanity checks layered in, AI can't naturally interpret cause and effect. Left alone, it simply fills in gaps, and those hallucinations can cost you real money. Why Intention and Metrics Matter More Than the AI Tool The first thing Scott's team had to "inject" into the AI was intention. Not all campaigns exist to do the same job. Prospecting, retargeting, direct response, and existing customer campaigns each have different goals and therefore require different scoreboards. If you don't tell the AI what the intention is for each row of data, it will make assumptions. And those assumptions are usually wrong. The "North Star" metrics and leading indicators change depending on what you're trying to accomplish. A prospecting campaign shouldn't be judged the same way as an abandoned cart flow. The second big issue is AI's obsession with ROAS. ROAS is easy to latch onto because it gets rewarded with "thumbs up" feedback, but it's often misleading. If two-thirds of your reported revenue comes from repeat customers via email or SMS, AI might tell you your ads are crushing it when they're not. Simply separating new customers from repeat customers already puts you ahead of 95% of advertisers. The Five Forces Framework for Making Better Attribution Decisions To solve these problems, Scott introduced his Five Forces Framework, (intention, expectation, action, outcome, and optimization) a methodology most agencies simply aren't using. The first force is Intention, which defines both the scoreboard and the timeframe. New customer acquisition might need a 30–90 day window to show results, while an abandoned cart campaign can be evaluated in seven days. Without this context, teams panic too early and kill campaigns that haven't had time to work. The second force is Expectation, which is all about alignment. Brand owners often look at Shopify, GA4, Meta, Google, Klaviyo, and SMS dashboards—all showing different numbers. Without agreeing on a single version of truth, clients freak out and shut down top-of-funnel campaigns after five days because the data "doesn't look good yet." Setting expectations isn't a one-time conversation; it has to be reinforced constantly. Reducing Drama: Use "Scale, Chill, and Kill" to Guide Ad Spend The third force is Action, which includes launching the campaign but only after defining clear boundaries. Scott recommends setting "Scale, Chill, and Kill" zones before you spend a dollar. For example, if your acceptable new customer acquisition cost is $50–$70, that's your Chill zone. Below $50? Scale it. Above $70? Kill it. These predefined rules remove emotion, reduce second-guessing, and dramatically lower what Scott calls "psychic stress" inside agencies and brands. Once campaigns run, the fourth force—Outcome—is simply measuring performance against those zones. Did it scale, chill, or die? Optimization Is More Than Creative Tweaks Most agencies obsess over creative, constantly swapping headlines, images, and copy. For Scott, optimization should be more structured. At his agency, they use a decision log to rank potential actions by impact, focusing on whether the problem is the offer, the creative, the traffic, or the budget. But Scott added a fourth optimization factor most teams miss: signaling. If you don't send the right signals back to ad platforms, your optimization efforts don't matter. Meta, in particular, is very good at claiming credit for conversions it didn't truly drive and if it sees quick conversions, it will chase more of those, even if they're just repeat customers. Training Ad Platforms to Optimize for What Actually Matters To fix this, Scott recommends creating separate events in Meta's Events Manager for new customer purchases versus repeat purchases. That way, ad sets can optimize specifically for the outcome you want. If you're closing existing customers through email or SMS, you don't want Meta learning from those conversions. But when a new customer buys, Meta gets a clean signal and starts finding more people like them. Scott noted that when creative and offer are solid, sharpening signals alone can dramatically reduce acquisition costs within a month. You can even go deeper by signaling based on SKU types, allowing platforms to optimize toward higher-quality or more strategic purchases—not just any conversion they can grab credit for. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

He quit Amazon, then launched One TikTok Shop SKU to 7-figures. Our guest breaks down content systems, creator outreach, FBT, cash flow, and scaling his product into the US.

If you focus on what you can do, what you cannot do will diminish in size. As THG CEO Matthew Moulding recently stated, “we can't control commodities or currencies.” After more than a decade of marketplace stability, MyProtein faced a “Great Shutdown” era spike in whey input costs and the Japanese Yen collapse (impacting its second largest market). And these two external factors almost entirely wiped-out profitability delivered by MyProtein in 2019 (which would be the last annual results prior to THG IPO'ing in September 2020). But THG must stay focused on what it can control like continuing to diversify territories, sales channels, and product category mix to reflect the record global consumer demand for protein…along with making deliberate trading decisions to protect margins and retain market share while whey commodity prices remain elevated. THG (aka the company formerly known as The Hut Group) recently updated the public markets by releasing its 2025 Q4 trading statement. I'll be utilizing that financial information, along with notes I took listening to the earnings conference call, and any relevant publicly disclosed information to obviously update you on the recent performance of THG Nutrition division, which includes the world's largest online sports nutrition brand MyProtein, but also utilize everything as the contextual backdrop for my expanded strategic commentary around global sports nutrition market dynamics and trends. Additionally, for those unfamiliar with the up-to-date THG portfolio configuration…due to the THG Ingenuity demerger action occurring at the end of 2024, it now would be described as a global, cash generative, health and wellness consumer brands group. During the fourth quarter of 2025, THG Nutrition revenue was approximately $211 million, which increased 8.5% YoY. Also, THG Nutrition reported generating full-year 2025 revenue of approximately $816 million, which increased 6.2% YoY. THG Nutrition delivered its fourth consecutive quarter of revenue growth, driven by average selling prices recovering to pre-rebrand levels. Moreover, momentum was said to be broad-based across categories outside of the core protein range, especially in activewear and creatine. But I'll dive into several strategic decisions impacting MyProtein including its global digital sales channel strategy, offline retail expansion efforts, product licensing strategy, and let's just say A LOT is riding on the success of the MyProtein global rebrand that started its initial staggered market rollout two years ago. Myprotein maintained its leading position (holding a 25% share of the UK online sports nutrition market). THG Nutrition still mainly deploys a global digital-first commerce strategy, with around 80% of its total revenue in the full-year of 2025 coming from direct-to-consumer, online marketplaces, and social commerce…but MyProtein has continued to invest in offline retail partnerships where it places a limited (or exclusive) SKU range as part of a bigger demand generation strategy. Nonetheless, this ambitious level of offline retail expansion globally will undoubtedly help drive a more diversified retail mix over the next few years.

In this episode, Emma and Jason O'Toole (Head of Connected Commerce at Hanesbrands) dive into the evolving world of commerce strategy. They cover everything from building commerce-focused organizational structures to the unique challenges of selling apparel online. You'll hear how Hanesbrands approaches SKU complexity, 3P competition, and brand protection, plus how they're building connected commerce teams to meet the demands of today's omnichannel landscape. Jason also shares his perspective on the agency of the future, and why adaptability matters more than ever.

提到日本旅行，药妆店几乎是所有人必去的“景点”之一；而在英国，药房却更多是一个功能明确的存在。本期「东观西望」两位主播从一个再日常不过的消费场景出发，对照日本与英国截然不同的药妆店形态，拆解背后的历史脉络、制度设计与消费心理。从中世纪修道院与药剂师协会，到 NHS 体系下的医药分离，英国的药房为何始终未发展成“药妆集合体”？日本的药妆店又是如何在战后，从社区药局一路演变为兼具美妆、保健、食品与旅游属性的零售奇观？节目中还聊到日本药妆店密集的 SKU、斜放的镜子、无背景音乐的叫卖设计，以及“限定”“地方款”背后的心理机制。当药房被赋予不同的社会角色，它自然就长成了完全不同的样子。希望可以通过英日药妆店的对比聊天，让你不仅能了解零售形态的不同，也能体会关于制度、生活方式与文化价值的不同。【本节目由Withinlink碚曦投资协作体出品】【主播】李倩玲 Bessie Lee广告营销行业资深从业者，商业观察者蒋美兰前数字营销公司「费芮互动」创始人、前电通集团合伙人，现定居日本的零售科技观察者【本期内容提要】[00:20]英国药房的“迷信传统”[03:50]日本药妆店的空间与声音设计[05:04]药妆店里那个斜斜的镜子你发现了吗？[06:30]英国药房发展是从修道院到药剂师协会再到如今的与NHS系统配合 [11:36]日本药妆店是欧聪战后社区药局发展至连锁化和品类大扩张[15:50]日本药妆店为何SKU爆炸？[18:23]英日药妆店的药剂师存在很大的角色差别[23:10]为什么英国人不逛药妆店[25:30]英日药妆消费习惯大不同[27:45]化妆是否是一种社会礼仪？[33:30]英国百年药妆老店的特色[38:40]你在日本/英国买过最难忘的药妆是什么？【后期制作】Jean【收听方式】推荐您使用Apple Podcast、小宇宙APP、喜马拉雅FM、网易云音乐、QQ音乐、荔枝播客、Spotify或任意泛用型播客客户端订阅收听「贝望录」。【互动方式】微博：@贝望录微信公众号：贝望录+商务合作：beiwanglu@withinlink.com

#746 If you're still thinking about Amazon FBA as a keyword game, this episode will completely change how you see selling online! In this episode hosted by Kirsten Tyrrel, Neil Twa returns to break down what “omnichannel” really looks like — and why you shouldn't rush into TikTok Shop, Shopify, Walmart, or retail until your Amazon business is truly incubated and profitable. He shares a three-stage framework (discover, build, optimize) and explains how today's winning sellers think less like “keyword hackers” and more like data scientists — feeding Amazon's AI the right listing data so the engine can match your product to customer intent. Neil also demos how his team uses customer-need driven product research to build SKU pipelines inside proven “nodes,” avoid the low-price commodity trap, and identify higher-margin opportunities — then pairs it all with the capital strategy required to scale without running out of inventory! What we discuss with Neil: + Amazon as an incubation engine + Omnichannel timing matters + Discover, build, optimize framework + Customer need over keywords + AI-driven listing data + SKU depth before scale + IDQ scores and algorithms + High-margin node selection + TikTok halo effect + Capital strategy for scaling Thank you, Neil! Check out Voltage Digital Marketing at VoltageDM.com. Check out Greenlight Caiman Data at CaimanData.com. Use code MillionairesU to get a free copy of Almost Automated Income With FBA — limited to the first 10 people! Follow Neil on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter. To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/training⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live from NRF 2026 at Vusion's booth, Todd Garner, Chief Product Officer at Sam's Club, joins Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton to share how Scan & Go has become a defining pillar of the Sam's Club member experience and what's coming next as agentic AI reshapes shopping. With Scan & Go now approaching 40% member adoption and nearing its 10-year anniversary, Sam's Club is using its limited SKU, membership-based model to reduce friction, shorten the distance between intent and purchase, and unlock new personalized, agent-driven experiences. Todd explains why mobile-first shopping, curated assortments, and AI-powered insights give Sam's Club a unique advantage and how all of it ladders back to engagement, renewal, and loyalty. Key Topics covered: -Scan & Go nearing 40% adoption and what's driving member usage -Why membership engagement and renewal matter more than individual feature metrics -How Scan & Go fits into a broader frictionless shopping ecosystem -Why limited SKUs make agentic shopping more powerful, not less -Using mobile-first experiences to shorten intent-to-purchase -The role of AI in merchandising, discovery, and personalized insights -How Sam's Club thinks about product, associate tools, and member experience together -What Todd is most excited to deliver next as Scan & Go approaches its 10-year milestone -Stay tuned to Omni Talk Retail for continued coverage from NRF 2026, and stop by Vusion booth #4921 to say hello. #NRF2026 #SamsClub #ScanAndGo #RetailAI #AgenticAI #MembershipRetail #RetailTechnology #OmniTalk #RetailInnovation

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live from NRF 2026 in the Vusion podcast studio, Mark Propes from Vusion and Art Miller from Qualcomm reveal how their partnership is enabling "detect and connect" capabilities that transform physical retail into personalized experiences, and why retailers still testing need to operationalize now before the gap becomes permanent. From edge computing that processes 4K video locally instead of streaming to the cloud, to closed-loop attribution tracking customer intent in real-time physical space, Mark and Art break down the multimodal signal taxonomy (RFID, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, vision) powering connected stores. They share insights on why scanning barcodes continuously creates data-poor environments, how agentic AI creates new doorways into physical stores, and the precision needed for sub-30 minute delivery promises. If you've wondered what detect and connect actually means beyond buzzwords, this conversation delivers the technical foundation and business applications.

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAlbert Chow built Silk & Snow in the shadow of the DTC mattress wars—but instead of racing to burn VC cash, he played the long game. Today, Silk & Snow has grown into a full home brand with 10 retail stores, a thriving Canadian customer base, and a strong U.S. expansion roadmap.For DTC founders scaling from $5M to $50M...Why they skipped the mattress arms race and leaned into vertical integrationHow bundling less (and planting trees instead) saved $1.3MWhat they learned scaling from 1 to 10 retail stores in a yearThe metrics they track now that ROAS is irrelevantWhy launching a sofa was more about customer affinity than furnitureWho this is for: Operators scaling past one SKU or one channel—and looking for a sustainable path to growth.What to steal:Bundling with purpose (optional tree planting vs. free stuff)Bottom-up brand building: low-funnel mastery firstHow to use DTC data to drive brick-and-mortar strategyTimestamps00:00 Organic growth and surviving the DTC mattress crash02:00 Entering the crowded mattress market in 201704:00 Why Silk and Snow became a full home brand06:00 Factory-first supply chain and Canadian manufacturing08:00 Launching with Kickstarter and early traction10:00 The 2019 DTC apocalypse and sustainable growth12:00 Expanding beyond mattresses into sleep accessories14:00 Functional vs aspirational buying in home goods16:00 Becoming a multi-channel retailer18:00 Using customer data to choose store locations20:00 Canada vs US growth strategy22:00 Building brand from the bottom of the funnel24:00 Replacing bundles with tree planting26:00 Performance marketing roots and early Google28:00 Shifting into awareness and brand media30:00 Why ROAS isn't the real growth signal32:00 Retail partnerships and staying DTC34:00 Black Friday for big-ticket home products36:00 Fulfillment, returns, and sustainability38:00 Repeat customers and long-term LTV40:00 Sleep Country acquisition and retail scale42:00 Vancouver store and physical retail strategyHashtags#DTC #EcommercePodcast #SilkAndSnow #AlbertChow #DTCBrands #HomeGoods #MattressIndustry #BrandBuilding #RetailStrategy #DirectToConsumer #EcommerceGrowth #StartupPodcast #FounderStory #CanadianBrands #PerformanceMarketing #Omnichannel #RetailExpansion #DTCpodcast Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Nala was built by two founders with no fashion background who invested $200,000 before making a single sale and went on to sell over 400,000 pieces in just two years. In this interview, Chloe and Phil Derwent break down how they identified a gap in the intimates market, validated demand with fewer than 300 survey responses, and scaled an Australian lingerie brand into a cult favourite with a 70% repeat purchase rate and a national retail partnership with David Jones. What you'll learn in this interview: • How Nala validated product-market fit with just 250 survey responses • Why they invested $200K upfront before making their first sale • The guerrilla marketing stunt that went viral across Australia • How spending 30% of revenue on marketing drove hypergrowth • Why a 70% repeat purchase rate changed their ad strategy • How to manage extreme SKU complexity in apparel ecommerce • The real challenges of selling bras online at scale • How Nala overturned TikTok bans and platform restrictions • What founders get wrong about inclusivity and product design • How Nala secured a national retail partnership with David Jones By the end of this episode, you'll understand what it actually takes to launch, fund, and scale a product-based ecommerce business in a competitive category, and how to make bold decisions without losing control of cash, culture, or customers. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NALA Website → https://wearnala.com/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wear_nala/ Chloe's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/gochlo_pilates/ Phillip's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-de-winter-9b480631/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Wholesale isn't dead—it's just evolving. In this episode, we unpack what's actually working in handbags right now with Nancy Forman of Accessory Think Tank, from how specialty boutiques, focused DTC, and selective dropship can coexist, to the design details that truly move product. We dig into handles and straps that define comfort and versatility, intentional embellishment and personalization, smart material choices, and a disciplined approach to color. On the business side, we clarify when dropship helps (and when it hurts), why hometown boutiques still drive discovery and cash flow, and how to protect pricing while avoiding SKU bloat. If you want to design bags people reach for daily—and build a channel mix that scales without burning cash—this episode delivers a clear, usable blueprint.✨ 3 Takeaways: • Wholesale still works—when paired with disciplined DTC and selective dropship • Design lives in the details: handles, straps, and personalization drive usability and desire • Test before you scale—materials, colors, and SKUs should earn their expansionIf this sharpened your strategy, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a designer who's navigating channel mix decisions right now.

"Send me a text"To learn more about the group coaching click here: https://creativethirst.com/group/ You've got your supplement manufacturer lined up, your ingredients sourced, your packaging designed. You think you're ready to launch. But you're building on quicksand.Most supplement founders obsess over the wrong things pre-launch. They focus on COGs, fulfillment partners, SKU count, and pricing strategy while completely ignoring the one thing that actually determines success: supplement buying psychology.In this episode, you'll discover why supplements don't sell like other products, what the "dual-mind problem" is and why it changes everything about how you market, and the four forces (Desire, Hope, Trust, and Belief) that drive every supplement purchase.If you're pre-launch or early stage and your conversion rates are terrible despite having a great product, this episode reveals the foundation you're missing. Because you're not in the supplement business. You're in the supplement buying psychology business.To learn more about the group coaching click here: https://creativethirst.com/group/ If 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

Send us a textWondering why your Amazon ads aren't showing or why your product image disappeared? This video explains what really happens when you change your bid and how it affects impressions. If your main image says “not available” or you're dealing with packaging issues from multiple suppliers under one SKU, here's what to check before it turns into a bigger problem.Learn how Amazon handles bid adjustments, what to do when your main image fails to show, and how different packaging from multiple suppliers can confuse the FBA system. From troubleshooting a broken listing to understanding how bid changes impact your ad visibility, this walkthrough is built for active Amazon sellers running PPC and FBA in 2026 and beyond.Need help troubleshooting Amazon listing or PPC issues? Work with the team at My Amazon Guy: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxu#AmazonPPC #AmazonSellerHelp #FBAProblems #AmazonListingIssues #MyAmazonGuy --------------------------------------------------------------------------Want free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Amazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTQ4 Selling Playbook: https://bit.ly/46Wqkm32025 Ecommerce Holiday Playbook: https://bit.ly/4hbygovAmazon PPC Guide 2025: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXAmazon Crisis Kit: https://bit.ly/4maWHn0TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Does Bid Affect Ad Rank or Impressions?00:22 - Bid Changes Explained Like Driving01:00 - Fixing “Image Not Available” in Inventory01:48 - How to Tell If Your Listing Is Down02:25 - What to Do If Amazon Image Fails02:38 - Two Suppliers, One SKU: Packaging Conflicts03:30 - What Amazon Actually Cares About in Packaging________________________________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: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

This year's AWS re:Inforce conference was larger and fueled by greater agentic capabilities. Part of the 451 Research team that was at the conference, Henry Baltazar, Scott Crawford, William Fellows and Melanie Posey, join host Eric Hanselman to explore the announcements and progress that's been made in expanding agentic capabilities and much more. As an incumbent infrastructure provider, AWS is looking to the top of the infrastructure stack to secure their advantage. A suite of developer tools, including the Kiro IDE, are looking to make the creation and operation of agents simpler. There was progress in FinOps, with greater cost transparency and support for partner opportunities in helping customers manage their cloud spend.   There was also a more enthusiastic embrace of multicloud environments, with the introduction of AWS Interconnect, a service that provides easy and scalable interconnection with other cloud providers, with Google being the first and Microsoft Azure said to be in the works. 451 Research's Voice of the Enterprise (VotE) data shows dramatic increases in data migration volumes, making interconnection performance more critical. With the holidays in full swing, how many Mariah Carey song title references can you spot in this episode?   More S&P Global Content: Next in Tech episode 236: Data Migration Next in Tech episode 222:  FinOps AI for security: Agentic AI will be a focus for security operations in 2025   For S&P Global subscribers: 2026 Trends in Applied Infrastructure & DevOps Data Insight: SKU removals run out of steam — hyperscale SKU changes for November 2025 AWS' agentic strategy comes into focus with AgentCore platform and pre-built agents Cloud spending expansion on tap for 2026 despite bleak macroeconomic outlook – Highlights from VotE…   Credits: Host/Author: Eric Hanselman  Guests: Henry Baltazar, Scott Crawford, William Fellows, Melanie Posey Producer/Editor: Feranmi Adeoshun Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Kyra Smith

Johannis Hatt, Gründer von ProductsUp, spricht über die Evolution des richtigen Pricings. Er teilt, warum sie von SKU-basiertem zu Tier-basiertem Pricing wechselten, wie sie durch Overage Pricing natürliche Upsell-Opportunitäten schufen und warum Value-Based Pricing der Schlüssel zum Erfolg ist. Was du lernst: Die Evolution von Pricing-Modellen Wie du Value-Based Pricing implementierst Warum Overage Pricing Sinn macht Den richtigen Mix aus Struktur und Flexibilität ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://stan.store/fabiantausch   Johannis Hatt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannishatt/?originalSubdomain=de  Productsup: https://www.productsup.com/de/  Florian Dostert: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-dostert/  Syntinels: www.syntinels.com  Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, host Malcolm Harris breaks down the biggest stories shaping freight as we head toward the end of 2025. Malcolm covers major industry headlines including the pending Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern rail merger, long-term investment at the Port of New York and New Jersey, consolidation in auto transport logistics, and a high-profile cargo theft case that underscores ongoing risk across the supply chain. The show features an in-depth conversation with Valentina Jordan, CEO and co-founder of Nauta, and Rafa Santiago, COO and co-founder, as they unveil Nauta's AI-powered inventory optimization engine. They explain how SKU-level visibility, harmonized data, and agentic AI workflows are helping shippers reduce stockouts, improve fill rates, and create more predictable freight flows that benefit truckers, 3PLs, and brokers alike. The discussion explores real-world customer wins, faster time to value, and how better inventory planning leads to smoother routes, consistent loads, and stronger revenue across the network. Later in the episode, Malcolm is joined in studio by Virind Gujral, CEO and founder of EV Bots. Virind shares his journey from fleet operations to building autonomous robotic solutions for EV fleet charging. He explains how EV Bots is tackling one of the biggest barriers to electric fleet adoption by eliminating driver downtime, optimizing charging costs, and automating vehicle inspections and maintenance checks. The conversation dives into Chattanooga's growing innovation ecosystem, pilot deployments, and what the future holds for electric fleets and logistics automation. Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, host Malcolm Harris breaks down the biggest stories shaping freight as we head toward the end of 2025. Malcolm covers major industry headlines including the pending Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern rail merger, long-term investment at the Port of New York and New Jersey, consolidation in auto transport logistics, and a high-profile cargo theft case that underscores ongoing risk across the supply chain. The show features an in-depth conversation with Valentina Jordan, CEO and co-founder of Nauta, and Rafa Santiago, COO and co-founder, as they unveil Nauta's AI-powered inventory optimization engine. They explain how SKU-level visibility, harmonized data, and agentic AI workflows are helping shippers reduce stockouts, improve fill rates, and create more predictable freight flows that benefit truckers, 3PLs, and brokers alike. The discussion explores real-world customer wins, faster time to value, and how better inventory planning leads to smoother routes, consistent loads, and stronger revenue across the network. Later in the episode, Malcolm is joined in studio by Virind Gujral, CEO and founder of EV Bots. Virind shares his journey from fleet operations to building autonomous robotic solutions for EV fleet charging. He explains how EV Bots is tackling one of the biggest barriers to electric fleet adoption by eliminating driver downtime, optimizing charging costs, and automating vehicle inspections and maintenance checks. The conversation dives into Chattanooga's growing innovation ecosystem, pilot deployments, and what the future holds for electric fleets and logistics automation. Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Une Femme Wines didn't scale the way most wine brands do — and that's exactly why its story matters.What began as the house wine at Jen Pelka's two Champagne bars — The Riddler in San Francisco and New York — has scaled into a national brand selling more than 300,000 cases annually, with wines poured everywhere from Delta Airlines to Marriott, Kimpton, stadiums, cruise lines, and even space.In this episode, Jen breaks down how Une Femme unlocked scale by saying yes to the right opportunities — and then rebuilding the business to support them.The turning point came when a chance meeting led to a Delta Airlines trial that required Une Femme to ramp from 1,500 cases over two years to 6,000 cases in three months, a feat that seemed impossible at the time. But they persevered and that single partnership didn't just change volume — it reshaped the company's format strategy, pushing the brand into cans for sustainability, operational efficiency, and national reach.From there, Une Femme scaled differently than most wine brands: Prioritizing national accounts and high-velocity venues over slow regional rollouts, and focusing relentlessly on freshness, tight SKUs, and operational reliability.

In episode #337 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben breaks down why software revenue categorization is a foundational requirement for strong finance, accounting, and SaaS metrics. He explains the core revenue types every SaaS, AI, or software company should separate on their P&L—and why commingling revenue creates downstream issues in MRR tracking, retention metrics, forecasting, and company valuation. Ben walks through the major recurring and non-recurring revenue categories, then shows how clean revenue segmentation enables accurate MRR schedules, retention analysis, cash flow forecasting, and smoother due diligence with investors and acquirers. What You'll Learn The core revenue categories every SaaS or AI company should clearly define The difference between subscription, usage, overage, services, managed services, and hardware revenue Why overages must be separated at both the SKU and general ledger level How revenue categorization feeds directly into MRR schedules and waterfalls Why recurring and variable revenue must be forecasted differently How clean revenue data improves retention metrics and go-to-market efficiency analysis Why investors and acquirers expect revenue clarity during fundraising and due diligence Why It Matters Accurate MRR and ARR tracking depends on clearly defined revenue streams Retention metrics (GRR and NRR) break when revenue types are mixed together Revenue forecasting and financial modeling require different assumptions by revenue type Cash flow forecasting becomes unreliable without segmented recurring revenue data Company valuation is directly impacted by the perceived quality of recurring revenue Investors and acquirers expect detailed revenue schedules during fundraising and due diligence Strong financial systems and accounting discipline reduce friction in audits and exits Resources Mentioned Ben's SaaS revenue hierarchy framework: https://www.thesaascfo.com/the-saas-revenue-hierarchy-why-defining-your-revenue-streams-matter/ SaaS Metrics course at The SaaS Academy: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation

Meta's new Andromeda retrieval engine demands REAL creative diversity. Get Tier 11's Creative Diversification Package and access Media Buying + Data Suite for FREE:https://tiereleven.com/cd Is Meta forcing all your ad spend into one product, regardless of what you actually want to scale? What if the very thing limiting your business isn't your ads or your offer but the algorithm you've been unintentionally training?In this ad lab session, John Moran breaks down how we rebuilt a campaign architecture using a Meta version of the “feeder strategy” and unlocked the ability to steer Andromeda rather than be steamrolled by it. We share how we took a business stuck with 80% of its conversions tied to a single SKU and created a system that grows multiple products profitably, on demand.If you've ever wrestled with product concentration, SKU imbalance, or runaway algorithm bias, this episode is your roadmap out. We cover the data, the levers, the mistakes, and the surprising benefits we didn't see coming. In This Episode:- Applying Google's feeder strategy to Andromeda- Case study: Training Meta to sell more products- CTR and CPC change after restructure- All clicks versus link clicks- The story-first creative advantage- Real results from testing the feeder strategy- Risk, scaling, and product diversification- How the strategy impacts company valuation- Final insights and episode wrap-upMentioned in the Episode:Previous Episode on Google's Feeder Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xndq5dyX5sU Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Podcast Channel:Follow and listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-traffic/id1022441491 Follow and listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/59lhtIWHw1XXsRmT5HBAuK Subscribe and watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@perpetual_traffic?sub_confirmation=1We Appreciate Your Support!Visit our website: https://perpetualtraffic.com/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/perpetualtraf Connect with John Moran:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmorangads Connect with Ralph Burns: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphburns Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ralphhburns/ Hire Tier11 -

Glean started as a Kleiner Perkins incubation and is now a $7B, $200m ARR Enterprise AI leader. Now KP has tapped its own podcaster to lead it's next big swing. From building go-to-market the hard way in startups (and scaling Palo Alto Networks' public cloud business) to joining Kleiner Perkins to help technical founders turn product edge into repeatable revenue, Joubin Mirzadegan has spent the last decade obsessing over one thing: distribution and how ideas actually spread, sell, and compound. That obsession took him from launching the CRO-only podcast Grit (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRiWZFltuYPF8A6UGm74K2q29UwU-Kk9k) as a hiring wedge, to working alongside breakout companies like Glean and Windsurf, to now incubating Roadrunner which is an AI-native rethink of CPQ and quoting workflows as pricing models collapse from “seats” into consumption, bundles, renewals, and SKU sprawl. We sat down with Joubin to dig into the real mechanics of making conversations feel human (rolling early, never sending questions, temperature + lighting hacks), what Windsurf got right about “Google-class product and Salesforce-class distribution,” how to hire early sales leaders without getting fooled by shiny logos, why CPQ is quietly breaking the back of modern revenue teams, and his thesis for his new company and KP incubation Roadrunner (https://www.roadrunner.ai/): rebuild the data model from the ground up, co-develop with the hairiest design partners, and eventually use LLMs to recommend deal structures the way the best reps do without the Slack-channel chaos of deal desk. We discuss: How to make guests instantly comfortable: rolling early, no “are you ready?”, temperature, lighting, and room dynamics Why Joubin refuses to send questions in advance (and when you might have to anyway) The origin of the CRO-only podcast: using media as a hiring wedge and relationship engine The “commit to 100 episodes” mindset: why most shows die before they find their voice Founder vs exec interviews: why CEOs can speak more freely (and what it unlocks in conversation) What Glean taught him about enterprise AI: permissions, trust, and overcoming “category is dead” skepticism Design partners as the real unlock: why early believers matter and how co-development actually works Windsurf's breakout: what it means to be serious about “Google-class product + Salesforce-class distribution” Why technical founders struggle with GTM and how KP built a team around sales, customer access, and demand gen Hiring early sales leaders: anti-patterns (logos), what to screen for (motivation), and why stage-fit is everything The CPQ problem & Roadrunner's thesis: rebuilding CPQ/quoting from the data model up for modern complexity How “rules + SKUs + approvals” create a brittle graph and what it takes to model it without tipping over The two-year window: incumbents rebuilding slowly vs startups out-sprinting with AI-native architecture Where AI actually helps: quote generation, policy enforcement, approval routing, and deal recommendation loops — Joubin X: https://x.com/Joubinmir LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/ Where to find Latent Space X: https://x.com/latentspacepod Substack: https://www.latent.space/ Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and the Zuck Interview Experience 00:03:26 The Genesis of the Grit Podcast: Hiring CROs Through Content 00:13:20 Podcast Philosophy: Creating Authentic Conversations 00:15:44 Working with Arvind at Glean: The Enterprise Search Breakthrough 00:26:20 Windsurf's Sales Machine: Google-Class Product Meets Salesforce-Class Distribution 00:30:28 Hiring Sales Leaders: Anti-Patterns and First Principles 00:39:02 The CPQ Problem: Why Salesforce and Legacy Tools Are Breaking 00:43:40 Introducing Roadrunner: Solving Enterprise Pricing with AI 00:49:19 Building Roadrunner: Team, Design Partners, and Data Model Challenges 00:59:35 High Performance Philosophy: Working Out Every Day and Reducing Friction 01:06:28 Defining Grit: Passion Plus Perseverance

Glean started as a Kleiner Perkins incubation and is now a $7B, $200m ARR Enterprise AI leader. Now KP has tapped its own podcaster to lead it's next big swing.From building go-to-market the hard way in startups (and scaling Palo Alto Networks' public cloud business) to joining Kleiner Perkins to help technical founders turn product edge into repeatable revenue, Joubin Mirzadegan has spent the last decade obsessing over one thing: distribution and how ideas actually spread, sell, and compound. That obsession took him from launching the CRO-only podcast Grit (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRiWZFltuYPF8A6UGm74K2q29UwU-Kk9k) as a hiring wedge, to working alongside breakout companies like Glean and Windsurf, to now incubating Roadrunner which is an AI-native rethink of CPQ and quoting workflows as pricing models collapse from “seats” into consumption, bundles, renewals, and SKU sprawl.We sat down with Joubin to dig into the real mechanics of making conversations feel human (rolling early, never sending questions, temperature + lighting hacks), what Windsurf got right about “Google-class product and Salesforce-class distribution,” how to hire early sales leaders without getting fooled by shiny logos, why CPQ is quietly breaking the back of modern revenue teams, and his thesis for his new company and KP incubation Roadrunner (https://www.roadrunner.ai/): rebuild the data model from the ground up, co-develop with the hairiest design partners, and eventually use LLMs to recommend deal structures the way the best reps do without the Slack-channel chaos of deal desk.We discuss:* How to make guests instantly comfortable: rolling early, no “are you ready?”, temperature, lighting, and room dynamics* Why Joubin refuses to send questions in advance (and when you might have to anyway)* The origin of the CRO-only podcast: using media as a hiring wedge and relationship engine* The “commit to 100 episodes” mindset: why most shows die before they find their voice* Founder vs exec interviews: why CEOs can speak more freely (and what it unlocks in conversation)* What Glean taught him about enterprise AI: permissions, trust, and overcoming “category is dead” skepticism* Design partners as the real unlock: why early believers matter and how co-development actually works* Windsurf's breakout: what it means to be serious about “Google-class product + Salesforce-class distribution”* Why technical founders struggle with GTM and how KP built a team around sales, customer access, and demand gen* Hiring early sales leaders: anti-patterns (logos), what to screen for (motivation), and why stage-fit is everything* The CPQ problem & Roadrunner's thesis: rebuilding CPQ/quoting from the data model up for modern complexity* How “rules + SKUs + approvals” create a brittle graph and what it takes to model it without tipping over* The two-year window: incumbents rebuilding slowly vs startups out-sprinting with AI-native architecture* Where AI actually helps: quote generation, policy enforcement, approval routing, and deal recommendation loops—Joubin* X: https://x.com/Joubinmir* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/Where to find Latent Space* X: https://x.com/latentspacepodFull Video EpisodeTimestamps00:00:00 Introduction and the Zuck Interview Experience00:03:26 The Genesis of the Grit Podcast: Hiring CROs Through Content00:13:20 Podcast Philosophy: Creating Authentic Conversations00:15:44 Working with Arvind at Glean: The Enterprise Search Breakthrough00:26:20 Windsurf's Sales Machine: Google-Class Product Meets Salesforce-Class Distribution00:30:28 Hiring Sales Leaders: Anti-Patterns and First Principles00:39:02 The CPQ Problem: Why Salesforce and Legacy Tools Are Breaking00:43:40 Introducing Roadrunner: Solving Enterprise Pricing with AI00:49:19 Building Roadrunner: Team, Design Partners, and Data Model Challenges00:59:35 High Performance Philosophy: Working Out Every Day and Reducing Friction01:06:28 Defining Grit: Passion Plus Perseverance Get full access to Latent.Space at www.latent.space/subscribe

There's milk everywhere: more milk in the U.S., Europe and New Zealand than a year ago, soft Class IV, and Class III futures that could slip into the $13s once you plug in today's spot cheese and whey. With a long milk wave crashing over the dairy industry, will farmers start culling cows and leaving stalls empty? Inside the episode, the team churns through: Why strong balance sheets, paid-down debt and high cow values could delay a production pullback How lower feed costs shift the breakeven – but can't fully offset falling milk checks Why Western and cheese-focused regions like the Pacific Northwest, California and Idaho may struggle first How WPC 80, WPI and clear whey proteins have become the lone bulls – and why capacity constraints limit the industry's response Why there are limits to what customers can pay for whey, and where substitution is already happening It's a barn full of bears on butter, cheese and fluid milk, but the protein complex is still flexing. The question is how long that can last? Tune in to The Milk Check episode 88: One bull in a barn full of bears to hear how our traders are navigating a market that's bearish on volume but still bullish on protein. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check Ted Jacoby III: Welcome, everybody, to The Milk Check. It is December 5th. We’re gonna talk about markets today. And rather than boring you and having the same conversation we had three weeks ago, everything is still bearish. There’s milk everywhere. There’s milk all over the U.S. There’s milk all over Europe. There’s milk all over New Zealand. There’s a whole bunch more milk this year than last year. Things are long. It’s very likely things are gonna get longer before they get shorter. Today we have some of our usual suspects. My brother Gus has joined us today. We’ve got Josh White, we’ve got Joe Maixner, we’ve got Diego Carvallo. And, of course, myself. Looking forward to a great conversation. So, rather than discussing how bearish we can be on these markets, my question, and I’m gonna start by throwing this question at my brother, Gus, is Gus, how long do you think it’s gonna take for dairy farmers to start culling cows and for this milk [00:01:00] production to slow down? Gus Jacoby: I feel like milk price and farm economics are completely contingent on that and how bad those farm economics get with respect to the milk price. Class III is still relatively high. Obviously, Class IV is pretty poor right now. The way I see it, dairymen, at this moment in time, still have fairly strong balance sheets. So, the recent low prices haven’t affected ’em all that much. So, I don’t expect their behavior with respect to culling and whatnot to change. But I think in five, six months from now, assuming that the milk price is at or lower, and quite frankly, I think Class III probably does need to get a bit lower, you’ll start to see some of that behavior change. If I had to guess, either as early as early summer, but as late as maybe mid-fall, if farm economics don’t change, we’ll start to see dairymen begin to leave stalls open. I mean, they’re gonna cull a cow, collect that beef revenue that they can grab, and not necessarily buy the expensive heifer. Ted Jacoby III: You’re thinking it’s gonna take about six months for dairy farmers [00:02:00] to get to the point where they feel like they need to increase the amount of cows they’re selling in order to meet their cashflow needs? Gus Jacoby: That’s my best guess. And again, that can be either expedited or slowed down depending on where the milk price goes. Ted Jacoby III: Corn prices have really come down this year. Do you think the lower feed prices have lowered where that break even point is, or how low we need to go in milk price in order to really send those signals in a strong way? Gus Jacoby: Certainly, feed prices being lower are gonna be helpful to the farm economic model. This becomes a milk price discussion. If the cheese price continues to have that downward pressure and gets low enough, those feed prices won’t be low enough. It’s always related to their inputs. And certainly, cheap feed helps their cause to extend growth in the milk production model. Ted Jacoby III: Right now, on December 5th, the Class III prices for the first quarter are right around, let’s call it $15.50, but if you use today’s cheese price on the spot market at the CME in today’s whey price, you’re probably looking at something closer to $14, 14 and a quarter. [00:03:00] Is that low enough or do we need to go lower? Gus Jacoby: It’s low enough. But not low to expedite anything. Maybe that takes us into the late summer, and remember, it depends on where we’re talking here in the country. Milk production costs are different depending on where you exist in the country. And also payouts are a lot different in a lot of places, depending on where you exist in the country. So, some regions might struggle sooner than later. Ted Jacoby III: Which regions do you think are gonna struggle first? Gus Jacoby: The West, Pacific Northwest, I think California, areas like Idaho that are strongly cheese based. If you’re paying on a Class III price and it stabilizes, which I don’t anticipate here, then perhaps some of those regions might hold on longer. My guess is predicated on the forecast of Class III going a bit lower. Ted Jacoby III: I guess I’d have to agree with that ’cause I don’t think $14 a hundredweight is enough. Because we’re still in front of Christmas, and I think the market’s probably gonna get worse before it gets better. My hunch is we’re gonna see $13 milk this year. We’re gonna see it in Class IV, and we may be already [00:04:00] seeing it in Class IV as soon as December. I think we’re gonna see a 13 handle in Class III, probably most of the first quarter. Gus Jacoby: If you’ve got a Class III at 13, and Class IV holds as low as it is, which I would expect certainly in the first half of the year, and then you have your standard freight and other deducts in those milk checks, dairymen are now getting to an area that is very adverse. Ted Jacoby III: Even though we’re talking about really low prices, I think there’s a lot of dairy farmers out there that are in a pretty healthy place. Gus Jacoby: I would agree. Ted Jacoby III: They’re healthy in two ways. One, I think that many of them have been able to take the last two years and really pay down their debt. And so, they’re in a really good spot financially, just on the balance sheet alone. But the second thing is those cows, they’re worth twice what they were worth three years ago. And so, not only have they paid down their debt, but if they need to borrow more, they’ve got more collateral to borrow against because those cows are usually the collateral for the banks when the banks lend dairy farmers money. It’s [00:05:00] usually the cows and the land. My hunch is that this may go on longer than we expect because of how healthy dairy farmers are financially today. Not saying they’ll be healthy in four or five months, but they’re healthy today. And because of how much bankers are probably willing to lend them based on those balance sheets. Gus Jacoby: I agree that the balance sheets are strong at the moment, even after a couple tough months. But I would also add, that that can change fairly quickly if the milk price gets low enough. And it’s certainly a ratio of farm economics over a certain period of time and milk price. If it gets low enough and makes those farm economics adverse enough, it can expedite the issue, which is a plausible scenario right now. Ted Jacoby III: Mm-hmm. I would agree with that. I think the hardest thing, especially when you have a falling market like we do right now, is to try and figure out exactly where the bottom is. About a month ago, the bottom was about a $1.40. Well, guess what? Cheese price is already below a $1.40 Now, we’re hearing it’s gonna be [00:06:00] somewhere in the $1.20s. What I’m scared is we’re gonna get to the $1.20s, and somebody’s gonna start talking about maybe we need to go into the teens. I don’t know if we’re gonna go that low, but we’re definitely in that scenario right now, where you have a market that’s falling and nobody has a really good feel for where that bottom is. Gus Jacoby: I agree. Cheese and butter right now, their outlook over the next six to eight months does not look good. Ted Jacoby III: Yeah. You mentioned butter. Joe, I’ll ask you: we’re below a $1.50 in butter. Butter feels like maybe it’s caught a temporary floor. Is this a temporary floor or could we stabilize here for the next six months? Joe Maixner: I think we’ve hit a temporary floor, but I don’t think it’s the lowest we’ll see over the next 90 days. I think that cream seems to be in balance, even after Thanksgiving, and I think it’s kept a nice spot in the market where people are willing to buy, those that hadn’t already put contracts on for next year are seeing the 2026 numbers and they’re looking at that against their budgets and blocking volume up for next year. A [00:07:00] lot of first half volume’s already been booked. We’re just seeing more activity. We’ve hit that level of support. Ted Jacoby III: Joe, you mentioned cream. Gus, I’m gonna go back to you. We had some really ugly cream multiples the first half of last year. Have we increased churn capacity, and do we expect those multiples to be just as bad this year or have we increased churn capacity enough so that maybe they won’t quite get so bad? Gus Jacoby: We have increased churn capacity, certainly. I don’t know if it’s enough. Some dairymen around the country are feeding their rations a bit different and getting a little bit less butterfat out of the milk. I don’t think that’s enough, yet, to make too much change. I will anticipate having some very low multiples through the holidays and the spring flush. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. Diego, I’m gonna switch gears and come to you. We just talked about U.S. milk production. Gus thinks it’ll take about six months to turn. I hate to be really pessimistic, but my gut, and I just can’t shake this gut, is it’s gonna take longer than usual this time around. And we may see it go well past nine months before we see a real turn. [00:08:00] We may see the number get better simply because we’re measuring against strength, but that doesn’t mean we actually see a change in trend. What about Europe and some of the other milking regions in the world, is it gonna take that long us to see some changes in milk production in those regions? Diego Carvallo: If you just go to the fundamentals and you analyze that the European farmer usually has a smaller scale, and that means that their costs tend to be a little bit on the higher end. They do not have access to capital as there is in the U.S. There’s more restrictions when it comes to environmental, and overall I would say they have more headwinds than the U.S. So, if you add to all of those headwinds, the price headwind, the reaction on milk production to lower prices should be faster than in the U.S. The same applies to South America. But we’ve talked a lot about Chinese production, we know that in that country, there are way more things to take into account. Ted Jacoby III: [00:09:00] So, we’ve been talking a lot about the supply side today. We’re just overwhelming supply on the butter side; we’re overwhelming demand to a lesser extent, but still on the cheese side. Josh, protein still tends to be the shining star. But are we getting to a point where we’re starting to get some pushback on protein prices? And is that going to continue to be the lone bull in an overall bearish dairy market, or do we need to be concerned there too? Josh White: I don’t think we’re getting pushback at the prices quite yet. Does that mean I think that these prices are palatable over the long term? I’m unsure. But what we are seeing right now is lack of availability and no quick ability by the European market or the U.S. market to scale production to meet the demand, which means that ultimately, the demand for WPC 80 and WPI and then some of the more value-added proteins, particularly in the whey complex, like the clear WPIs, the acidified products and others, the demand is outpacing our ability to supply it. What that’s [00:10:00] doing is forcing utilization segments or customers that can’t compete in terms of price for that available supply to look to alternatives. We’re starting to see more and more of that. As a commodity trader, we expect that to happen quicker than it does. So, already in early 2025, we were looking towards MPCs, casein-related products and others to pick up some of that demand because they’re much lower value. And I don’t think that the average customer in the market that’s using whey proteins fully recognize the functional differences between whey proteins and milk proteins. And they certainly don’t realize that milk protein concentrate has whey protein in it. Generally speaking, the average consumer doesn’t know the difference in these products. That’s not a fault of theirs. Particularly going into CPG applications and further processing, this is an ingredient. An ingredient that has a lot of label recognition and popularity right now for all the reasons we’ve talked about in prior podcasts: GLP-1 driven demand, [00:11:00] health and wellness movements globally, a lot of other reasons. Is that an early indication that enough time has now passed that the relative value of whey protein above the competing, but still quite valuable proteins in the dairy complex, are gonna result in substitution both substitution within the dairy category to whey protein to milk protein concentrates to micellar casein to WPC 70, also known as WPPC, whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC) ProCream. There’s a lot of different names for these products. That’s likely to happen. But it also, unfortunately, might result in a lot of categories pushing to non-dairy proteins. There’s a lot of information out there, things put on by ADPI and others talking about the protein power of dairy and how digestible it is. How high quality it is for your conversion rate, why it’s such a popular thing. But if you can’t get supply, you’re forced to look to alternatives. And so, we’re starting to see some of that [00:12:00] happen. So, a couple things that I’ve heard anecdotally in the market over the past few weeks in particular, but it’s been happening over the last few months are: get us samples of milk protein concentrate. One of our customers is suspending a certain SKU on the shelf because they can’t get the supply. This price simply won’t work for our application. So, we won’t buy this product at above this price. So, we are triggering some thresholds. And triggering thresholds is gonna have some type of balancing result in the industry. Whether that’s enough to support the milk protein side of the equation, I don’t know. We have a limit to the ability to respond to this demand. You have to order equipment, you have to get the bank lending, you’ve gotta get the design. It takes a long time to increase capacity. That’s all gonna come into play and impact this market and the balance of this market in 2026. Now, if you’re asking me, is my gut that we hold these high prices or even higher prices without some reversal in the price [00:13:00] action for whey proteins in 2026? I’m not ready to say that it’s just here or higher in 26, but is it here or higher in the first quarter? Absolutely. Is it here higher in the second quarter, probably. Is it here or higher after that? I become a little bit skeptical. And to be clear, that’s not because the demand isn’t there right now. The demand feels like it’s there. I just don’t know how the market balances it out without pushing the price just too high in the short term for the market to digest it and pass it through. I also think that when you’re talking about the dairymen and you’re talking about the cheese makers, there is two different classes here. There is the class of those that make whey proteins and the class of those that do not. That has a material impact on profitability throughout the supply chain. Additionally, we’ve got a lot of milk in the U.S. We’ve got a lot of milk in the world right now, and the milk in the Northern hemisphere altogether is only gonna increase from here through the first half of [00:14:00] the year. That milk is gonna need to be processed. The incremental milk production will result in incremental whey protein availability, which means that those whey solids from cheese processors they have to find a market. If you can’t make the valuable product of WPC 80 and WPI, you have to explore the other alternatives, which are simply not experiencing the robust demand of those two categories. Sweet whey powder, whey protein concentrate 34% (WPC 34) and some of these other products, they have a limit to what people are willing to pay. History tells us, at least for sweet whey powder, we’re testing those limits. Ted Jacoby III: For sweet whey powder, we are, the question is, is this happening for whey protein? And that’s a harder one to answer. Josh White: Absolutely. Ted Jacoby III: I did some back of the envelope math. As a country, we produce 8% to 9% more milk in May on a daily basis than we do in November. If half of that milk goes into cheese, we’ll produce 8% more cheese and 8% perhaps more whey protein. The solids change, too. So, maybe it’s not a full [00:15:00] 8%, but is 8% enough to tip the scale on whey protein demand? And I don’t know, given the demand complex for whey, I think for cheese it’s gonna feel very burdensome. I think for butter, it would probably feel pretty burdensome. The butter market we’re kind of used to it because of the way the demand curve looks, but I just don’t know when it comes to whey, if that’s enough to put some pressure on this market and bring those prices down. Josh White: Well, it depends on what you’re talking about because you could argue that the WPC and WPI facilities are bringing in outside whey solids. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. As their own milk and their own whey generation increases seasonally, that’s gonna push whey solids back to somebody else. So, all 8% in your hypothesis there, I doubt contributes to an 8% increase in whey protein production. Because the available capacity isn’t there? Josh White: Correct. Now, is there production efficiencies that are still gonna be gained? Are there those out there that are expanding a bit [00:16:00] that we’re unaware of? Are there orders for new equipment in the system that might be closer to realization than we think? All possible. And we can’t ignore Europe. I don’t feel like I can adequately represent what the expansion model looks like in Europe right now for whey proteins. What I can say is that at least for the U.S. and Europe, our internal demand is currently absorbing a greater percentage of our production than ever before, and that’s leaving the rest of the world that was buying product from those two markets, having to search for that protein elsewhere. Ted Jacoby III: Mm-hmm. Josh White: And, this is being a bit over generic, but the rest of the world likely will be more willing to substitute than the U.S. or the European consumer to other products. Ted Jacoby III: I would agree with that. Everybody in our office is just leaning really bearish, just about everybody we talk to seems to be leaning really bearish. Josh White: Outside of Black Swan events: major trade disruptions, major production impacts that we can’t predict. If you’ve [00:17:00] been in the dairy industry long enough, you know to never bet against the dairymen and their ability to make milk. But it’s gotta be on the radar that the competitive dollars for those animals I don’t think has ever been as lucrative as it is right now. And those animals that they’re currently milking are older then typically they want them to be. So, if we shift this cycle quickly enough and violently enough, and that’s price, at what moment do we get surprised at what that residual response is? How many pent up animals find their way to slaughter? How quickly that could happen. And I think generally speaking, most of us would bet that the calf inside the dairy cow right now is worth enough to wait. And so, we’ve gotta get through the first half of the Northern Hemisphere season before we see much of an animal response. Ted Jacoby III: I think that’s a fair comment. Dairy farmers, especially the big financially astute ones, there’s a math equation. It’s like, this is my revenue [00:18:00] from milk. This is my maybe revenue from biofuels or wherever else. They have revenue streams from a cow that’s giving milk every day. This is the cost to maintain that cow. The variable cost feed, for example, being the big one. Well, when you’re getting $20, a hundredweight from your milk versus $13, a hundredweight for your milk. That equation has changed quite a bit, whereas the exit price, what you’re gonna get if you sell the cow hasn’t changed at all, which means your math equation, the exit possibility has definitely gone up. It’s more profitable to sell this cow than it used to be. Josh White: History tells us that the exits of the older dairymen and the smaller dairies doesn’t really change based on economic conditions, it’s relatively stable. Maybe there’s some risk that we have some pent up exits and some risk that it’s never been a better time to retire. Mm-hmm. And you get some smaller dairies that decide to exit. That doesn’t move the needle. Ted Jacoby III: I would suspect. You’re right. We’ll see. Josh White: One [00:19:00] quick remark that’s important is the outlook on demand. It seems like the market is very, very bearish because supply is outpacing demand globally and it’s in every major milk shed. But demand by import regions has been pretty good. Mm-hmm. They’ve been buying year over year, more dairy products. At the same time, I don’t believe there’s any region in the world that’s currently sitting on cumbersome overall dairy stocks, whether that’s from the import regions or the production regions. Everyone seems to be quite aware that you gotta stay in front of this. I don’t know how to interpret that. On one hand, you could say that based on some of the economic outlooks, globally, we shouldn’t be expecting things to get better. We should be expecting them to get at best the same or possibly even worse. On the other side of that equation is import dairy consumption and demand is growing and continues to grow, so it might be a painful period, but the long-term [00:20:00] outlook remains pretty good, and we just overreacted to some of the demand signals that we have. Credit to the dairymen in the world, being able to respond to signals that we needed more fat, not even a year ago. That whey protein demand’s good. I mean, the market has responded, but overall we’re not talking about an oversupply situation because demand’s bad. If you go granularly, like U.S. cheese consumption, doesn’t look real great right now. The outlook for overall economic health, I’m not an expert in that area, but I’m not seeing a lot of people talking about a rosy 12 to 24 months there. So, yeah, I think generally speaking, it’s easy to be bearish, but maybe that’s one thing to pay attention. Ted Jacoby III: You mentioned demand. I happened to be involved in a conversation yesterday with an equities trader and his comment about stock valuations, equities, valuations, which was really a demand comment, was, I’m just waiting to see what Christmas sales do. I think there’s a lot of people out there right now that are trying to get a feel for what’s [00:21:00] the long-term demand or the 2026 demand perspective, and I think a lot of them are gonna judge what it really is based on how this holiday season plays out. All right guys. Hey, thanks for a great conversation. I apologize to all the dairy farmers out there that I couldn’t give you any better news, but hang in there that good news will come eventually. That’s right.

In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with Irv Blumkin, Chairman of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), and Ryan Blumkin, Executive Vice President, to unpack nearly 90 years of retail innovation, from Mrs. B's pawn-shop beginnings to multi-acre campuses in Omaha, Kansas City, Dallas, and soon Austin. They explore what it's like to partner with Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, build massive destination developments, and still obsess over every single SKU and customer interaction. From dynamic pricing and AI-enabled operations to a mind-blowing learning trip through China's retail and technology ecosystem, Irv and Ryan share how NFM is using data, automation, and emerging tech to deepen their moat, without ever losing sight of values, culture, and long-term thinking. They also talk careers in retail tech, why young “outside-the-box” thinkers matter, and the role of lifelong learning in leading through disruption. Listen to learn:Why Warren Buffett bought Nebraska Furniture Mart on a handshake, and what Irv has learned from decades of dinners and deal-making with himWhy strong values and culture matter more than ever in this tech-driven marketplaceHow NFM uses massive-store footprints, destination partners like Scheels, and even hotel/convention centers to turn shopping into an experienceHow dynamic pricing, digital shelf tags, and nightly web crawls of 70,000+ SKUs keep NFM competitive with Amazon, Costco, Wayfair, and othersWhat Irv and Ryan saw in China's tech companies and how those lessons are shaping NFM's future3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. Timeless values can scale into a $2 billion business. Mrs. B's simple principles (sell at a great price, tell the truth, and pay your bills) still anchor NFM's strategy, even as the company builds 1.8 million-square-foot campuses and expands into new markets like Austin. Irv connects those values directly to long-term growth, customer trust, and the family's partnership with Berkshire Hathaway. 2. Technology is now core infrastructure, not an add-on. NFM's nightly web crawling, digital price tags, and dynamic pricing systems automatically position them as the best value against online competitors, while complex distribution networks and emerging AI tools optimize inventory and logistics. Ryan frames this as building a “moat” with data, automation, and relentless operational excellence, not just more advertising. 3. Lifelong learning is mandatory for modern leadership. Irv has invested in executive education for decades, and both he and Ryan describe their China trip as “eye opening” in terms of speed, scrappiness, AI adoption, and asset-light business models. They're already translating those lessons into new e-commerce strategies, warehouse automation concepts, and AI-enabled process improvements back at NFM. Resources in this Episode:Learn more about Nebraska Furniture MartOther resources mentioned:Six Days in China: The Speed, Scale and Innovation Outpacing the U.S. - Podcast episode with Todd WanekMORE LINKS & RESOURCES ON THE EPISODE PAGE: https://techWe want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

Episode: 403 Hosts: Andy Shiles — LinkedIn. & Lalo Solorzano — LinkedIn. (linkedin.com) Guest(s): Hal Berman — LinkedIn. (linkedin.com) Published: November/December 2025 Length: ~44 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center

Danilo Zatta is the author of The Pricing Model Revolution, The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing, and the new book Revenue Growth Management. He is recognized as one of LinkedIn's Top 5 Pricing Thought Leaders and brings decades of consulting experience from Accenture, Simon-Kucher, and BCG. His work is anchored in one simple insight: pricing is the "sunny side" of consulting. He shares real examples of companies that increased profit by cutting ineffective promotions and by detecting thousands of spare-part pricing outliers with AI. This episode explores pricing leadership, the CEO's role, the difference between pricing truth and framework preference, and why democratized pricing knowledge makes talent the true competitive advantage.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Learn how AI spots hidden pricing outliers across hundreds of thousands of SKUs and turns them into instant profit. Discover why FMCG companies burn cash on promotions and how smart RGM frameworks finally fix it. Understand the real "truth" behind pricing frameworks and why people, not methodology, drive pricing success.   "Start the AI pricing journey—not by boiling the ocean—but by finding a use case that works, proves value, and then expand it." – Danilo Zatta   Topics Covered: 01:27 - How Dan Got Into Pricing. His shift from cost-cutting to pricing and why he calls it the "sunny side" of consulting. 06:57 - Freedom in Consulting Choices. Comparing Accenture, Simon-Kucher, and BCG—and why team chemistry matters most. 09:11 - Revenue Growth Management. How FMCG brands optimize trade terms, promos, and price architecture for profit. 11:55 - FMCG as B2B. Why FMCG selling to retailers is a pure B2B relationship with limited price control. 17:22 - Implicit Collusion in Airlines. How industries use public price signaling to influence competitor behavior. 19:13 - AI in Spare Parts Pricing. How AI identified major pricing outliers and delivered over €1M in quick wins. 24:42 - Why AI Beats Excel. AI's advantage in scale, complexity, and instant alerts across massive SKU sets. 27:15 - Starting Your AI Pricing Journey. Begin with one use case, prove it works, then expand—no perfect data needed.   Key Takeaways: "Pricing used to be specialized knowledge. Today it's democratized—so what differentiates you is the team, not the tools." – Danilo Zatta "If you're the market leader, you must act first. Smaller players can't reduce promotions until you do." – Danilo Zatta "Pricing is never boring because every industry has its own logic, levers, and constraints." – Danilo Zatta   Books by Danilo Zatta: The Pricing Model Revolution: https://www.amazon.it/Pricing-revolution-pricing-cambier%C3%A0-comprare/dp/8836010547/ The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing: https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Highly-Effective-Pricing-Management/dp/1394195761 Revenue Growth Management: https://www.amazon.it/Revenue-Management-Manufacturing-Application-Industry/dp/3319807595/   Connect with Danilo Zatta: Website: https://www.danilozatta.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilo-zatta  Books: https://www.danilozatta.com/books/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

In this episode of Retention Chronicles, host Mariah Parsons sits down with Taylor Walker, co-founder of Spritzal Cookie Company, to unpack the 11-year journey of scaling a family recipe into a fast-growing clean-label cookie brand. Taylor shares how Spritzle evolved from rainy Saturday farmer's markets to mass retail distribution, the pivotal decisions behind SKU reduction, packaging revamps, and transitioning from cottage production to manufacturing partners.They dive into customer acquisition strategies that actually work for small, non-VC-backed CPG brands—founder-led storytelling, community-driven sampling, TikTok and Instagram consistency, and the power of organic word of mouth. Taylor also breaks down what customer retention looks like in consumables today, from thoughtful email cadence to in-store surprise-and-delight tactics.Whether you're building a CPG brand or fascinated by modern consumer behavior, this episode is packed with must-hear insights on scaling thoughtfully, staying scrappy, and keeping authenticity at the center of growth.

What happens when your entire business is built around one hero product—and it suddenly blows up after a surprise shout-out from Joe Rogan? In this episode, Paul Jackson, co-founder of Animalhouse Fitness and inventor of MonkeyFeet, joins me to share the wild ride of bootstrapping a viral fitness brand. Listen in as Paul breaks down the design and evolution of MonkeyFeet, the unexpected surge that followed Joe Rogan's mention, and the operational challenges of growing a one-SKU fitness brand. He also shares the realities of navigating tough market conditions, evaluating Amazon strategically, and pushing forward with new product innovation. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3McgDcp 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.

Your product line might be the reason customers are confused and not buying. In this episode, I walk you through why having scattered categories and “a little bit of everything” is quietly killing your sales, and what to do instead. In this episode, I'll tell you how one student went from scraping by to consistent $15K-$35K months by focusing on a few core SKU's. Listen in for the questions I ask in EVERY product audit, how to define what you want to be known for, and create a tight, profitable product line. Plus, we'll talk about how to position your best sellers across Etsy, markets, and more. Get ready to simplify your shop and watch your sales grow.In This Episode, You'll Learn:00:00 Why customers bounce when your categories are scattered.05:00 Ways to apply retail display logic to your homepage, emails, bundles, and social channels.08:15 Self-audit questions to see if your brand reads like a gift shop or a specialist.13:15 How to use sales data from the last 6–12 months to identify best sellers.17:45 Where sells best, website vs. Etsy vs. markets?19:30 Can a 90-year-old tell what you sell in three seconds?23:00 Your next steps to go from scattered to stand out in the next 90 days.Resources + LinksGet customized coaching for your business - join the 60 minute qualification call!Get business tips sent right to your inbox - join the newsletter!Watch on YouTubeFollowJacqueline on IG: @theproductbosstheproductboss.com

What if the biggest opportunity in your industry is something no one else recognizes? In this episode, Eric Tecosky, the founder of pioneering cocktail ingredient brand Dirty Sue, unpacks how a simple gap behind the bar became a first-to-market product, a profitable niche, and a lesson in disciplined focus.  From navigating skeptical buyers to scaling a single SKU for 20 years, ET breaks down the strategy, timing, and execution behind building a sustainable, category-creating brand. Show notes: 0:25: Eric "ET" Tecosky, Founder & CEO, Dirty Sue –  ET talks about the origin of his Instagram handle before he reveals how the idea for Dirty Sue emerged from a bartending pain point: running out of olive brine during a rush. He explains his vision for a brand of premium olive brine but was stymied early on because bars still operated in a pre-premium cocktail era. He shares his path to grassroots sampling and convincing bartenders and managers of the operational efficiencies of a bottled product. ET discusses Dirty Sue's gradual expansion across the West Coast and how he tapped into a growing home-cocktail market. He emphasizes a disciplined focus strategy and notes that he has taken only one round of investment at the company's founding. Brands in this episode: Dirty Sue, Jack Daniel's

What if blockbuster weight-loss drugs and a broken food system are two sides of the same story? We sit down with Dr. David Harlan—physician, researcher, and former NIH diabetes branch chief—to trace the unlikely path from the “incretin effect” to GLP-1 therapies that are transforming care for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Along the way, we ask harder questions about incentives, access, and why lifestyle still matters even when the medicine is powerful.Dr. Harlan breaks down how GLP-1 receptor agonists amplify insulin release, quiet cravings, and drive meaningful weight loss—often alongside better blood pressure, improved A1C, and fewer heart events. He explains the Gila monster connection, why weekly injections replaced multiple daily shots, and what the latest safety data actually shows. We get candid about what happens when people stop these drugs, why genetics complicate the “just try harder” narrative, and how brain chemistry shapes appetite, compulsion, and energy.Then we zoom out to the policy level: the rise of food deserts, cheap ultra-processed calories, and the paradox of publicly funding both the problem and the fix. We explore practical steps that work in the real world—SKU-controlled health savings accounts, everyday movement campaigns, healthier default options in public spaces, and community gardens and sidewalks that make active living normal again. The throughline is simple and human: use the science to help people now, and rebuild the environment so fewer need the medicine later.If you care about diabetes, obesity, prevention, or the economics shaping our plates and prescriptions, this conversation offers clarity and a path forward. Support the show by subscribing, sharing with a friend, and leaving a review with the one insight you'll apply this week.Support the showEngage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!

Matthew Bertram brings Rob Neumann on to map how private LLMs, PIM/DAM, and AI-driven search turn messy B2B catalogs into findable, persuasive product experiences that convert. We push leaders to move now on the LLM land grab, unify entities, and align teams to become AI first.• unifying brand, author, and entity signals for clarity• why every business needs an e-commerce path• findability before conversion and product page SEO• persona-based descriptions with private LLMs• PIM/DAM as the enrichment layer above ERP• AI search for exact matches and smart substitutes• channel-aware inventory and safety stock reduction• SKU and vendor normalization for white label margin• CAD, specs, and E‑E‑A‑T for trust and rankings• email fatigue, SMS prompts, and postcard nudges• urgency of the LLM land grab and authority hardeningGuest Contact Information: Website: robneumann.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robertneumannMore from EWR and Matthew:Leave us a review wherever you listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon PodcastFree SEO Consultation: www.ewrdigital.com/discovery-callWith over 5 million downloads, The Best SEO Podcast has been the go-to show for digital marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs wanting real-world strategies to grow online. Now, host Matthew Bertram — creator of LLM Visibility™ and the LLM Visibility Stack™, and Lead Strategist at EWR Digital — takes the conversation beyond traditional SEO into the AI era of discoverability. Each week, Matthew dives into the tactics, frameworks, and insights that matter most in a world where search engines, large language models, and answer engines are reshaping how people find, trust, and choose businesses. From SEO and AI-driven marketing to executive-level growth strategy, you'll hear expert interviews, deep-dive discussions, and actionable strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve. Find more episodes here: youtube.com/@BestSEOPodcastbestseopodcast.combestseopodcast.buzzsprout.comFollow us on:Facebook: @bestseopodcastInstagram: @thebestseopodcastTiktok: @bestseopodcastLinkedIn: @bestseopodcastConnect With Matthew Bertram: Website: www.matthewbertram.comInstagram: @matt_bertram_liveLinkedIn: @mattbertramlivePowered by: ewrdigital.comSupport the show