Podcasts about Walmart

A Dozen Provocative Predictions for Retail's Future, Plus 5 "Wild Card" Prognostications! In the first of two episodes, Steve lays out his first six predictions for retail in 2025.But first, we start with a look at the latest retail news from the past couple of weeks, including an early result on Holiday consumer spending, the formation of Catalyst Brands consisting of SPARC's Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, Nautica, Eddie Bauer and Brooks Brothers brands, as well as JCPenney.   We look back briefly on the career of Dave Kimbell as he steps down at Ulta and, Kecia Steelman gets elevated to the President & CEO role, and Costco shows courage on DEI.Our Interview with Dave Kimbell About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Andrew Morgans is the founder of Marknology. A full service marketplace agency that since it was founded in 2014 has worked with over 400+ brands, and consists of 35 team members. He has scaled dozens of brands on Amazon to 7 and 8 figures, and has spoken as a thought leader in the ecommerce space all around the world. He currently has equity or ownership in 9 brands on Amazon, manages and operates a warehouse and 3PL in Kansas City, and still loves getting his hands dirty fixing or improving brands small and large alike.  Highlight Bullets> Here's a glimpse of what you would learn…. E-commerce strategies focusing on Amazon and TikTok Shop.Importance of creative marketing in a competitive landscape.Challenges brands face in the current economic environment.Significance of content creation and storytelling for brand differentiation.Role of influencer marketing and collaboration with local creators.Strategies for optimizing Amazon listings and utilizing A+ content.Testing new sales channels and adapting strategies for growth.Leveraging TikTok Shop for direct-to-consumer relationships and data collection.Emphasis on continuous innovation and willingness to embrace change.Importance of evaluating brand narratives and unique selling propositions.In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley engages with Andrew Morgans, founder of Marknology, to discuss advanced e-commerce strategies for scaling businesses on Amazon and TikTok Shop. Andrew emphasizes the importance of creative marketing and storytelling to differentiate brands in a competitive landscape. He shares actionable insights on content creation, leveraging influencer partnerships, and optimizing brand presence. The conversation highlights the necessity for brands to adapt and innovate, focusing on unique narratives and premium content to drive sales and build customer loyalty. This episode is a must-listen for business owners aiming to scale to eight figures and beyond.Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:Action Item #1: Enhance Storytelling with Creative Marketing: Develop a compelling brand story that differentiates your product from competitors. Utilize premium A+ content on Amazon and incorporate user-generated content (UGC) to build trust and connect with customers.Action Item #2: Leverage TikTok Shop: Use TikTok Shop strategically by creating engaging content and running ads behind high-performing videos. Gather valuable customer data through the platform for future marketing campaigns, improving your overall reach and ROI.Action Item #3: Optimize and Diversify Sales Channels: Continuously optimize your Amazon listings by focusing on hero products and storytelling. Additionally, explore new platforms like Walmart and Chewy to diversify your sales channels and stay ahead of market trends.Resources mentioned in this episode:TikTok ShopRumble.comYouTubeShopifyAmazonChewy.comWalmartAmazon Premium A+ ContentPostmatesUber EatsDoorDashBeautiful.aiThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk on AmazonTribe by Sebastian Junger on AmazonMarknologyBallsyJesse J. Wroblewski on LinkedInJohn Derkits on LinkedInSpecial Mention(s):Adam “Heist” Runquist on LinkedInKevin King on LinkedInMichael E. Gerber on LinkedInRelated Episode(s):“Cracking the Amazon Code: Learn From Adam Heist's Brand Scaling Secrets” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast“Kevin King's Wicked-Smart Tips for Building an Audience of Raving Fans” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast“Unlocking Entrepreneurial Greatness | Insider Secrets With E-myth Author Michael Gerber” on the eComm Breakthrough PodcastEpisode SponsorThis episode is brought to you by eComm Breakthrough Consulting where I help seven-figure e-commerce owners grow to eight figures. I started my business in 2015 and grew it to an eight-figu...

In today's episode of The Banking & Payments Show podcast, we talk about who the BaaS compliance crackdown will hit the most, why Walmart and Amazon will pilot pay-by-bank at checkout in 2025, and how consumer privacy will change under a second Trump administration. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development, Rob Rubin, and Principal Analysts Tiffani Montez and David Morris.   Follow us on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/ For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com For more information visit:  https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/ Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com  For a transcript of this episode click here:  https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-banking-payments-show-banking-payments-trends-2025   © 2025 EMARKETER  

Welcome to The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast, brought to you by Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services, and Jordan Ripley, Director of Retail Operations. Joining us today is none other than Chris Perry of firstmovr — a frequent guest and the industry's go-to “CPG whisperer.” Chris is here to introduce The ENDCAPS, his innovative new industry award that debuted just a few months ago. We'll explore key insights from the recently announced grocery category winners and get a sneak peek at what's ahead as other categories and brands compete for ENDCAP supremacy this year. Don't miss this exciting conversation—tune in now!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Chris discuss: Importance of a detailed rubric for shopper-centric content. Consistency, storytelling, and clarity in visual content to engage shoppers. Digital shelves require ongoing updates and feedback-driven enhancements. Targeting content appropriately, maintaining relevance, and engaging storytelling. Emphasis on mobile-friendly content length and visibility. Creative mobile hero images maximizing product appeal. Comparison of platform restrictions, with Amazon being more restrictive than Target and Walmart. Avoiding overlays that obscure important content through regular audits. End Cap Awards Introduction to the End Cap awards for excellence in digital merchandising. Methodology and objective assessment by industry judges. Focus on U.S. markets initially, with potential international expansion. Shopper centricity, mobile optimization, and sales growth incrementality as key factors. Future improvements include accessibility, ADA compliance, and retailer-specific tailoring. Complexity of ROI, focusing on leading metrics and actions instead of just lagging metrics. Examples of inclusive marketing approaches like razor brands attracting new and maintaining existing customers. Enhancing PDPs with User-Generated Content to boost customer confidence. Legal considerations and innovative uses of influencer content and statistical endorsements. Storytelling and Incrementality: Effective PDPs answering essential consumer questions and utilizing cross-selling strategies. Highlighting marketing occasions such as Super Bowl or back-to-school for sales driving.  

Discover the secret to turning your Amazon venture into a thriving business. We tackle the pressing question: How can U.S. sellers distinguish themselves from robust international competition in 2025? Join us for insights into capitalizing on the changing e-commerce landscape, where customer loyalty and integrity set you apart, and dive into the implications of political shifts and the expanding influence of platforms like TikTok and Walmart.In our latest episode of Brand Fortress HQ's Tactics Tuesday, we unravel the complexities of optimizing Amazon listings amid evolving trends. Learn the art of crafting product titles that appeal to both human shoppers and AI-driven algorithms, maximizing your visibility with Amazon's Rufus tool. Ethical review practices and a strong post-purchase process are essential as these elements increasingly influence product rankings and customer engagement. The landscape is shifting, and with Amazon promoting Rufus for search, strategic adaptability is your key to staying ahead.Later, we shift to the boundless opportunities beyond Amazon, with TikTok and Walmart emerging as formidable players in the e-commerce arena. Explore the potential of TikTok's viral impact coupled with its lower fees, and uncover the strategies for engaging with content creators to boost brand visibility. We emphasize an enduring truth: Success is rooted in steadfast brand principles, prioritizing customer care, and delivering unmatched value. Join us to prepare for an e-commerce future where adaptability and integrity lead the charge.

Mike McCarthy's tenure with the Cowboys has come to an end. The two sides have reached the decision to move on. After a disappointing 7-10 season that came down to a referendum on the job done by McCarthy and his staff and the approach Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, took in building this team, the club now begins its search for the 10th head coach in franchise history. The Cowboys compiled a 49-35 record in McCarthy's five seasons. In other news, the Texas Legislature convenes for its 89th regular session at noon today, kicking off 140 days of wrangling over the business of the state; also, a second suspect was arrested Saturday in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred two months ago near a Walmart in Frisco. On the evening of Nov. 13, officers responded to a call reporting gunshots near the Walmart located on the northeast corner of Eldorado Parkway and FM 423. 24-year-old Jada Mansfield, of Dallas, was arrested in connection with the shooting; And Morton's - The Steakhouse closed in Dallas at the end of the year. The legendary restaurant with nearly 40 years of history opened originally in Dallas' West End in 1987 and moved 24 years later to Uptown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Woody and Wilcox Show: Young people cannot change a light bulb and are GOTDITs; Football player caught reading a book on the sideline; Starbucks to stop their open-door policy; Wal-Mart updates its logo; The Village People will perform at the inauguration; Grocery store rewards program helps woman catch her husband cheating; Weird things people have done when they were sick; Teacher accused of holding student upside down; And more!

Join us, as we dive into the horrific murder of Melody Hoffman - a 20-year-old woman at the center of a deadly love triangle.  You'll hear how a mother's desperate attempt to protect her vulnerable daughter through constant digital surveillance couldn't prevent an unthinkable tragedy and how a late-night trip to Walmart to purchase machetes set in motion a chain of events that would end in murder. How to connect: Website Instagram Facebook Twitter Please check out our sponsors and help support the podcast: Acorns - Head to acorns.com/madness or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today! Quince - Upgrade your wardrobe with pieces made to last with Quince. Go to Quince.com/madness for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Zocdoc - Go to zocdoc.com/MADNESS and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today. Many are available within 24 hours. Nutrafol - Right now, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off any order! Enjoy free shipping when you subscribe. Go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code MADNESSGIFT Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/madness Lumen - If you want to take the next step in improving your health, go to lumen.me/MADNESS to get 15% off your Lumen. Levity - Use code MADNESS at joinlevity.com to get your first order for $175. Usually $225. Offer available for new customers only MasterClass - MasterClass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to masterclass.com/MADNESS for the current offer. Sono Bello - Save big during Sono Bello's Family & Friends holiday savings event! Schedule your free consultation at sonobello.com/madness Research & Writing: Ryan Deininger Editing: Aiden Wolf Sources: LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 1 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 2 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 3 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 4 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 5 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 6 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 7 LIVE: Body Dumped Murder Trial – IA v. McKinley Louisma – Day 8 The Gazette Wed, Feb 21, 2024 The Gazette Fri, Feb 23, 2024 The Gazette Fri, Feb 23, 2024 The Gazette Fri, Feb 23, 2024 The Gazette Sat, Feb 24, 2024 The Gazette Wed, Feb 28, 2024 The Gazette Wed, Feb 28, 2024 The Gazette Fri, Mar 08, 2024 The Gazette Fri, Mar 08, 2024 The Gazette Fri, Apr 26, 2024 The Gazette Sat, Oct 12, 2024 Obituary Prosecutor: Multiple agencies worked together to bring swift arrests in fatal assault The Gazette Online - maybe more here Criminal Complaint KCRG-TV9 The Gazette - Vigil KCRG.com

Welcome back to Slightly Spiritual! Cindy and Ali sit down for a solo episode where we explore the collective energy and what you may be feeling right now in your own life. We also discuss Paige + Craig, Spencer Pratt + Heidi Montag, advertising on IG, Cindy gives more insights into the 9 year and the Walmart "firkin." Ali and Cindy also provide you with a cheap, actionable list of healthy habits you can easily adapt into your own life- from tips about grounding to tips about detoxing heavy metals with herbs- we are here to help you stay healthy! If you love Slightly Spiritual and want to help us expand our community, please leave us a quick review on ITunes or Spotify! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slig…od/id1542525641 Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/slightlyspiritualpod/ Follow Cindy on Instagram: www.instagram.com/revealingsoul/ Follow Ali on Instagram: www.instagram.com/alitmoresco/

Dr. Rebecca Homkes is a global high-growth strategy expert, lecturer at London Business School, and faculty member at Duke Corporate Education. With a background in economics from LSE, Rebecca advises leadership teams across industries, helping them execute breakthrough growth strategies that navigate uncertainty and deliver transformative results.(00:00) - Dr. Rebecca Homkes (01:51) - Meet Rebecca Homkes: High Growth Strategy Expert (04:52) - Understanding Breakthrough Growth (06:08) - Embracing Uncertainty as a Growth Opportunity (11:58) - Learning Velocity: The Key to Thriving (19:02) - AI and Value Creation in 2025 (23:08) - Proactive Survival Strategies (25:15) - Building a Strong Foundation for Growth (25:56) - Tracking Progress with Data Systems (26:58) - Survive Layer: Beyond the Basics (27:42) - Understanding the Reset Phase (28:22) - Reset Questions and Frameworks (31:30) - (33:19) - Setting Goals and Priorities (39:19) - Thrive: The Fun Part of Growth (43:53) - Conclusion and Farewell Connect with 2X eCommerce:Website: 2X eCommerce Website → https://2xecommerce.com/podcast/Instagram: 2X eCommerce Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/2xecommerce/Twitter: 2X eCommerce Twitter → https://twitter.com/2XeCommerceYouTube: 2X eCommerce YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@2XeCommerce/Get a Copy of Kunle's BookElevate your e-commerce game with Kunle Campbell's book, "E-Commerce Growth Strategy: A Brand-Driven Approach to Attract Shoppers, Build Community and Retain Customers." Discover practical strategies and insights to boost your e-commerce growth.Buy on Amazon → https://amzn.to/3ybY6WSBuy on Walmart → https://bit.ly/3swOuDeBuy on Kogan Page → https://bit.ly/44DylLnBuy on Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3Pgd4B4Buy on WHSmith → https://bit.ly/4bfr9r3Sponsors:This episode is proudly brought to you by:1️⃣ REVIEWS.io↳ Drive Sales & Reduce Marketing Spending with REVIEWS.ioREVIEWS.io offers an affordable, all-in-one platform for collecting and displaying customer reviews. It's easy for you to set up and simple for your customers to leave reviews, helping you boost both trust and conversions from anyone discovering your brand on Google.With REVIEWS.io, you can increase your Google conversions by up to 26%, improve click-through rates, and lower your ad costs—all with a platform built for busy eCommerce operators like you.To find out more, head over to Reviews.ioGet 10% off your first year—use the could ‘2x' when you sign up or click here.New customers only. Terms and conditions apply.

This week on Wisdom from the Wardrobe, we're flipping the script and passing the mic to the next generation! Stacy's son, Charlie, joins the squad for a fashionable follow-up to a convo we started a few episodes ago. First up, we unpack the TikTok bag buzz—Walmart's sold-out dupe of the iconic Hermes Birkin. Would you carry it, or is it a faux pas for your wardrobe lineup? Then, we tackle a modern wardrobe philosophy: Charlie's hot take on designer fashion and styling and why every item in his closet deserves to be on the starting roster. Where, and how he shops for, his must have items that make his wardrobe a true curation of authentic style is music to the team's ears. Tune in for a dose of wit, style, and generational fashion wisdom.

This podcast episode focuses on the importance of setting an example in our faith and daily lives, drawing inspiration from 1 Timothy 4:12. The hosts share their personal experiences and reflections on how anyone, regardless of age or background, can embody the teachings of Christ and be a positive influence on others. They discuss the challenges faced during the holiday season, the significance of New Year's resolutions, and the concept of having a word for the year to guide one's journey. Through engaging anecdotes, including experiences at Walmart and personal milestones, they emphasize the need for small, consistent steps in faith to create meaningful change. The episode encourages listeners to reflect on their own journeys and consider how they can be better representatives of their faith in everyday situations.Takeaways: The new year brings opportunities for personal growth and setting positive examples for others. Being an example of faith often means taking small, consistent steps towards improvement. Trusting God in uncertain times leads to unexpected blessings and direction in life. Your identity in Christ should define how you interact with the world around you. Setting realistic goals and being open to change can lead to significant transformation. Engaging in conversations about faith can be an example to those around you. Companies mentioned in this episode: Patreon Trust God, bro

Send us a textIn this episode of Imperfect Heroes: Insights into Parenting, DJ Stutz sits down with Diane Dempster, co-founder of Impact Parents, to discuss the challenges and joys of raising what she calls “Spicy Kids.”  Diane shares her expertise on distinguishing between behaviors that are "naughty" and those rooted in neurological or developmental differences, emphasizing the importance of understanding executive function delays. Together, they explore how meeting children where they are, fostering intrinsic motivation, and encouraging self-awareness can transform parenting. DJ shares personal stories from her journey raising a neurodiverse child and fostering, offering relatable insights for parents navigating similar paths. Diane highlights the need for parents to manage their own emotions and practice self-awareness to better support their children. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to Imperfect Heroes so you never miss an episode!Time Stamps2:00 – DJ and Diane discuss how they define a complex kid and the unique challenges of parenting children with diverse needs.12:12 – They explore the "I do, we do, you do" approach, offering practical steps to help children develop independence in tasks.17:26 – DJ and Diane talk about the importance of understanding what motivates your child and how different children respond to different incentives.27:18 – They share insights on how “typical” behaviors in children can sometimes be misunderstood as problematic, emphasizing the need for perspective and empathy.Connect with Us!DJ Stutz -Podcast: https://www.imperfectheroespodcast.com/Coaching and Resources Website:https://www.imperfectheroes.net/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheImperfectHeroesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/imperfect_heroes/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOpphCRklDJiFXdS76U0LSQRumble: https://rumble.com/v449rkoDJ Stutz Calendar Link: https://bookme.name/ImperfectheroespodcastONE ON ONE COACHING Link: https://www.littleheartsacademyusa.com/courses/one-on-one-coaching-bundleFind DJ's Book “Roman is Bigger” on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.Contact Diane DempsterEmail: diane@impactparents.com Website: https://impactparents.com/ Podcast: https://impactparents.com/podcast/Twitter/X: https://x.com/ImpactParents Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactparents/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpactParent/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ImpactParentsLinkedIn: Support the showSupport the show.If you like what you hear, we would appreciate your support. Every little bit helps.https://www.buzzsprout.com/1779847/support

Many Christians around the West are perplexed by the times they are living in. Things at work, at school, on their streets – they're just not the same as what they grew up with. Spiritually things are downgraded. The same holds true for the culture in general, which is now hostile to the Christian faith and biblical morals. So much of this is new and alien. Many Christians have no clue how they should respond. What can they do themselves? And what can they say or do to help their kids? Frustration is growing, along with anxiety, fear and anger. How can Christians prepare to stand – and help the Church stand – in days of darkness? How can believers brace themselves for trials, and maybe even open persecution, in the days ahead. To help answer these questions, Andy Coleman shares five tips that ordinary Christians can use today to strengthen themselves spiritually for pressures tomorrow. These five tips borrow from his experiences working with persecuted Christians in some of the most difficult countries on earth. In those lands, the persecution climate is mature, but in many way similar to the milder but growing pressures in the West. These insights are drawn from a new book authored by Andy Coleman, which is scheduled to be published in May, 2025. In Days of Darkness: A Manual for Ordinary Christians Facing Unusual Times is a book focused on helping believers prepare themselves, their families and their churches for tougher times. You can pre-order copies of In Days of Darkness: A Manual for Ordinary Christians Facing Unusual Times at Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target or wherever you find your favorite books. While the book will not officially launch until May 6, 2025, you can also order advance copies today. Andy will personally sign them for you, your friends or your loved ones. These can be found at https://indaysofdarkness.com/. If you found this episode helpful, please give us a positive rating and review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also share this episode with a friend so they too can be blessed by its insights. To learn more about resources mentioned in this episode, see the following. In Days of Darkness: A Manual for Ordinary Christians Facing Unusual Times (Book). Pre-order at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target or wherever you find your favorite books. In Days of Darkness: A Manual for Ordinary Christians Facing Unusual Times (Book) – Signed Advance Reader Copies available here. Christian Emergency Alliance (Website) Christian Emergency Alliance (Twitter / X) Christian Emergency Alliance (Facebook) Christian Emergency Alliance (Instagram) The Christian Emergency Podcast is a production of the Christian Emergency Alliance. Soli Deo Gloria

Mariah Parsons, Host of Retention Chronicles and Head of Marketing at Malomo, hosts Jordi Vermeeri, VP of Revenue at Channel Engine. They discuss customer retention strategies in e-commerce and how online sellers should navigate online marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. Jordi explains the shift from traditional ERP systems to marketplace integration, highlighting the importance of both first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) selling models. He notes that 60% of e-commerce sales occur on third-party marketplaces, emphasizing the necessity for brands to be present on platforms like Amazon and Walmart. Jordi also discusses strategies for optimizing listings, such as virtual bundling and repricing, and the challenges of customer retention on marketplaces. He advises brands to focus on profitability, operational efficiency, and leveraging data to improve customer engagement and retention. Podcast Website: RetentionChroniclesPodcast.com Sponsor Website: GoMalomo.com Episode Timestamps: 4:37 Channel Engine Overview and Marketplace Integration Jordi explains Channel Engine's role as a marketplace integration and management platform. He lists the various marketplaces Channel Engine connects brands and resellers to, including Amazon, Walmart, and Macy's. Jordi highlights the services Channel Engine offers, such as product listing, optimization, pricing, inventory management, and promotions. Mariah and Jordi discuss the complexity of marketplaces and the importance of understanding each platform's unique requirements. 7:38 Niche Marketplaces and Sustainability Platforms Mariah inquires about niche marketplaces and specific platforms for minority-owned businesses. Jordi explains the concept of niche marketplaces and provides examples like eBay's automotive section and Premium Shop Outlet. They discuss sustainability platforms like Back Market and Re-Buy, which specialize in refurbished consumer electronics and apparel. Jordi emphasizes the trend of sustainability and the importance of platforms that revive products. 24:07 Hybrid Selling Models and Profitability Mariah asks about hybrid selling models and the balance between first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) strategies. Jordi explains the difference between 1P (vendor model) and 3P (seller of record) and the importance of marketplaces in e-commerce. He shares statistics on the global share of marketplaces and the necessity of being present on marketplaces. Jordi discusses the challenges and benefits of both 1P and 3P models, including profitability, brand image, and operational complexities. 24:22 Strategies for Marketplace Success Jordi outlines the factors to consider when deciding between 1P and 3P models, including profit margins, brand image, and operational capabilities. He explains the importance of setting the base price correctly and the role of repricers in winning the Buy Box on Amazon. Jordi introduces the concept of virtual bundling to increase average order value and decrease cost per order. He emphasizes the importance of accurate data and insights for making informed decisions and improving profitability. 34:57 Customer Retention and Marketplaces Mariah asks about strategies for customer retention in the context of marketplaces. Jordi discusses the challenges of obtaining customer data from marketplaces and the limitations on email marketing. He suggests strategies like including flyers in packages and using data lakes to understand customer profiles. Jordi highlights the potential of retention tactics within marketplaces, such as subscriptions and email follow-ups. 39:35 Expansion and Growth Strategies Mariah inquires about the best practices for launching a multi-channel approach or expanding into new marketplaces. Jordi advises starting with growth goals and identifying potential profitability in different platforms. He mentions the importance of testing and learning, and the need to balance research with action.

Send us a textIt's 2025 and everyone is getting sued, Canada hates the environment, and Can I deliver on foot? Ep 231Episode Links:Grubhub to pay $25 million for misleading customers, restaurants, drivers  https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/18/24324111/alphabet-wing-doordash-drone-deliveries-dallas-fort-worth?_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ZAbudpgGRQWhhhJOoI2Q90GaHXl9gJ01Z-e97X9XIaMcsN_8SEZTrm2m5b6GfUnj7XfeBuQzfyuZQqUEVxRnGp5d6wA&_hsmi=339295362 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYgR78AE  Warehouse floods striking workershttps://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonFlexDrivers/s/XEw6lyXece Guy throws packages ber Drivers | josh johnson luigi | TikTok White Uber drivers  CFPB sues Walmart, Branch Messenger for forcing drivers to use costly deposit accounts - UPI.com https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYGF9F6h Girls vs guys uber driver https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYpYKraw  Dog chases driverSupport the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Do you want to pee in something fancy when you can't find a bathroom? Use the code: THEGIGECONOMYPODCAST for 10% off A mobile vending machine for your car! Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast Community Facebook Group The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on t...

La Cina ha registrato esportazioni record nel 2024, riportano oggi i media ufficiali del Paese. "L'ammontare delle esportazioni ha superato per la prima volta 25.000 miliardi di yuan (3.300 miliardi di euro) con un aumento del 7,1% rispetto all'anno precedente", ha annunciato l'emittente CCTV dopo una conferenza stampa del Consiglio di Stato, il principale organo esecutivo cinese. In crescita anche il surplus che nel 2024 ha fatto segnare un nuovo record: in rialzo infatti del 21% a 992,16 miliardi di dollari grazie all'impennata dell'export, mentre imprese e famiglie hanno speso con cautela e frenato l'import (+1,1% a 2.590 miliardi). Abbiamo approfondito il tema con Giuliano Noci, - Professore ordinario in Ingegneria Economico-Gestionale, insegna Strategia & Marketing presso il Politecnico di Milano. Dal 2011 è Prorettore del Polo territoriale cinese dell'Ateneo milanese.Una settimana all'insediamento di Trump, come sta cambiando il vento?Mentre i tradizionali e storici alleati degli Usa si chiedono quali saranno i rapporti futuri alla luce delle esternazioni recenti di Donald Trump, dall'altra parte dell'Atlantico si assiste all'inchino (neppure troppo metaforico) davanti alla nuova amministrazione da parte di big dell'economia come Meta, Amazon, Walmart, Ford, pronti ad abbandonare le politiche interne di inclusione e diversity per adeguarsi al nuovo corso. Del resto, la metamorfosi coinvolge anche la finanza, come dimostra anche la recente svolta di BlackRock nei confronti delle strategie sul clima. La società di investimento con sede a New York, dopo altre società di Wall Street, ha lasciato la Net Zero asset managers initiative, l organizzazione internazionale che riunisce i principali gestori di fondi impegnati nella lotta alla crisi climatica. L'unico che sembra resiste re è Tim Cook con la sua Apple che ha deciso di mantenere i propri piani sull'inclusività. Di questo abbiamo discusso con Alessandro Plateroti, direttore di NewsMondo.itCaos ferrovie, l'Italia in tiltNel fine settimana caos treni nel Nord Italia, con migliaia di viaggiatori bloccati, ritardi superiori alle due ore (in qualche caso anche oltre le tre ore) e ripercussioni sull'intera rete. Epicentro della crisi, la stazione di Milano Centrale, un nodo nevralgico del trasporto ferroviario nazionale, dove sabato mattina la circolazione è stata prima rallentata (ore 7,10) e poi sospesa a partire dalle 7,50 per problemi alla linea elettrica. Colpiti i treni dell'alta velocità, gli intercity e i regionali. Almeno una ventina i convogli coinvolti da deviazioni di percorso o cancellazioni. Questo weekend un pantografo difettoso a Milano, a inizio Ottobre scorso il famoso chiodo a Roma e domani un nuovo inconveniente tecnico chissà dove, ma è solo questione di tempo e la débâcle del trasporto ferroviario, con ritardi a catena e cancellazioni a seconda della gravità e del nodo interessato, è destinata a ripetersi lungo il 2025 a causa di una linea sovraffollata e vetusta. Sul tema è intervenuto Ugo Arrigo, professore associato presso l'Università Bicocca di Milano.

En el Rodcast de esta semana Rodrigo Pacheco platica con Ignacio Caride, presidente y CEO de Walmart de México y Centroamérica. Durante la conversación, Caride ofrece una visión profunda sobre el futuro del retail en la región, los retos y oportunidades que enfrenta Walmart, así como las estrategias que la compañía está implementando para mantenerse a la vanguardia en el mercado. Rodrigo Pacheco, con su estilo dinámico y profesional, guía la entrevista de manera fluida, abordando temas como la transformación digital en el sector minorista, la sostenibilidad, la adaptación a las nuevas necesidades de los consumidores y la innovación en los modelos de negocio. Caride también comparte detalles sobre la visión corporativa de Walmart en relación con la inclusión, el crecimiento económico y su compromiso con la comunidad. Este podcast es una oportunidad para escuchar de primera mano las reflexiones de uno de los líderes más importantes en el sector comercial de América Latina y entender cómo Walmart está redefiniendo el futuro del comercio en la región.

In a perfect world, your body is ready, your baby is fully mature, and you spontaneously go into labor on your due date. In reality, nearly one in four expecting mothers undergo a procedure to induce labor. The key is knowing when an induction may be medically necessary and when it may be better to wait it out. Explore the many reasons a care provider may suggest an induction, from medical considerations to practical concerns. Learn your options, the various methods used to initiate labor, how each approach works, the potential risks and benefits, and why timing matters. This episode examines the evidence on all of your options, including stripping and sweeping membranes, misoprostol (Cytotec), dinoprostone (Cervidil & Prepidil), synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin), using a laminaria or balloon catheter, and breaking your water.      Thank you to our sponsors   The VTech V-Hush Pro Baby Sleep Soother has every feature you could possibly want to transform any room into a sleep sanctuary. Create ideal sleep patterns and environments for your baby so your whole family gets better and longer sleep. The V-Hush Pro has built-in sleep programs and sleep tips from WeeSleep experts, over 200 pre-programmed stories, classical music, lullabies, and natural sounds. You can even record and upload your own voice, songs, or stories using the subscription-free app. The VTech V-Hush Pro Baby Sleep Soother is available at Walmart and Amazon.   The FamilyAlbum app: Keep family in the loop + get 11 free photo prints delivered each month CLICK HERE. FamilyAlbum is a free app that gives parents a private and easy way to share photos and videos of their little ones with family. With FamilyAlbum, you'll get an easy interface to use with the whole family, unlimited photo storage, automatic organization by month with child's age, no third-party ads, and 11 photo prints every month--all for free! Click here to download the app   Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE AG1 travel packs with your first purchase. That's a $48 value for FREE! Just one daily scoop provides whole-body benefits like gut, immune, and stress support. AG1 sources bioavailable ingredients that actually work with your body. Plus, their formula has all non-GMO ingredients and contains no added sugar. With AG1, I know I am filling any nutrient gaps and supporting my gut for healthy digestion. (As a friendly reminder, pregnant or nursing women should seek professional medical advice before taking this or any other dietary supplement.)     Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.     Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to access the entire back catalog, listen to all episodes ad-free, get a copy of the Your Birth Plan Book, and more.     Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.     For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.

At this point, I rarely went anywhere other than back and forth to Children's Hospital every other day.  I was no longer working, I was unable to attend church, and even my trips to Walmart were rare.  As Hannah's motor skills and vision began to decline, Brad began to accompany us more and more often on our trips to Little Rock to assist with transporting her.Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode of the While We're Waiting podcast in this year-long series in which I share our family's experiences as our teenage daughter Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009.  My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

Introduction: I was in Walmart the other day and if you've been in the store recently to look at the Christmas Clearance sales, you have probably noticed that they have already moved out the Christmas items to make way for Valentine's Day stuff and they are setting up their spring displays. My wife has…

Donald Chew discusses the evolution of corporate finance, emphasizing the shift from old-fashioned corporate finance, which focused on steady earnings growth, to modern corporate finance, which aims for high returns on capital. He highlights the decline of conglomerates in the 1970s and the rise of private equity. Despite criticism, Chew argues that modern corporate finance has been a success story, citing the doubling of U.S. public company market capitalization in the 1980s and the significant correlation of R&D and selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) expenses with corporate value. He also addresses the financial crisis, arguing it was due to mispriced mortgages and government policies, not market inefficiencies.  Donald Chew is the founding editor of the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, and joins show host Gene Tunny to discuss his latest book, The Making of Modern Corporate Finance, published by Columbia University Press.If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for Gene, please email him at contact@economicsexplored.com.About this episode's guest: Donald ChewDon Chew is the founding editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance (JACF), a publication he started almost 30 years ago. He has published over ten books on corporate finance, including The New Corporate Finance: Where Theory Meets Practice and The Revolution in Corporate Finance (with Joel Stern), which are both widely used in business schools throughout the United States and Europe. Don has both a Ph.D. in English and an MBA in finance from the University of Rochester.Timestamps for EP270Introduction (0:00)The Decline of Conglomerates and the Rise of Modern Corporate Finance (5:58)The Role of Private Equity and Corporate Governance (14:25)The Impact of Modern Corporate Finance on Corporate Value (15:03)The Future of Corporate Finance and Productivity Measurement (16:37)The Role of Corporate Finance in Economic Growth (19:27)The Critique of Modern Corporate Finance and Corporate Social Responsibility (27:26)The Financial Crisis and the Role of Government Policy (35:40)The Future of Corporate Finance and the Role of Private Equity (43:21)TakeawaysModern Corporate Finance Principles: The shift from prioritizing steady earnings growth to maximizing long-term firm value has reshaped corporate strategies globally.The Importance of R&D: Increases in R&D and SG&A spending are now critical indicators of corporate value and long-term success, according to Don Chew.Private Equity's Role: Private equity has transformed underperforming companies, streamlining operations and reallocating capital for growth.The Evolution of Corporate Governance: Shareholder activism has replaced hostile takeovers as the primary tool for enforcing corporate accountability.ESG and Value Creation: Enlightened value maximization is the idea that corporations can address societal concerns while enhancing long-term profitability.Links relevant to the conversationDon Chew's new book The Making of Modern Corporate Finance:https://www.amazon.com.au/Making-Modern-Corporate-Finance-History/dp/0231211104Econometric study of benefits to consumers of Wal-Mart:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jae.994Lumo Coffee promotion10% of Lumo Coffee's Seriously Healthy Organic Coffee.Website: https://www.lumocoffee.com/10EXPLOREDPromo code: 10EXPLORED Full transcripts are available a few days after the episode is first published at www.economicsexplored.com.

The purpose of the show is to transform your business and life with education and inspiration. I introduce busy business leaders to trends in business, technology, and marketing to highlight people you should know.First ParagraphAre you tired of throwing money at ads and tactics that don't deliver sustainable results? Do you struggle to connect with your ideal buyers and build a loyal following? Today's guest, Rai Cornell, is here to challenge your assumptions about marketing and show you a better way. As the CEO and Strategic Marketing Consultant of Cornell Content Marketing, Rai has helped numerous B2B businesses become thought leaders by creating long-term demand-generation strategies that attract pre-qualified, emotionally engaged buyers.Second ParagraphRai brings a unique combination of skills to the table, having transitioned from a career in mental health to marketing. With over a decade of experience as a freelance writer and psychologist, she has developed a psychology-driven approach to marketing that sets her apart. Her "ELITE Method" framework has helped businesses deeply understand their ideal buyer's psychology, build lasting demand-generation systems, and transform their brand reputation for long-term success. With her expertise, you'll learn how to create a long-term, demand-generation J-curve with minimal spend, and why relying on ads for sustainable growth is a recipe for disaster.EpisodeDuring this episode, we'll do a deep dive into the changes and hot topics of psychological marketing including the biggest challenges and growth. I will leverage the expertise of my guest and how to navigate the unique dynamics of the field. CTABy the end of this episode, you will be better equipped to know what to do, & I encourage you to contact my guest, Rai Cornell, CEO of Cornell Content Marketing.The Doctor offers a complimentary strategy session at TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me.https://swellai.com/?via=mick-the-doctor-of-digitalOn Track Ian Hunterhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1789523044?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_WOLGDN9AD6UWV1H4EG8OBurning America: In the Best Interest of the Children?Mick, The Doctor of Digital, Smith mick.smith@wsiworld.comBurning America: In the Best Interest of the Children?https://burning-america.comAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/G-Mick-Smith/e/B0B59X5R79Also at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and TargetLeave a message for The Doctor of Digital:https://podinbox.com/thedoctorofdigitalpodcastInstagram: burningamericacommunityPatreon burningamericacommunity:https://www.patreon.com/SmithConsultingWSITheDoctorofDigitalPodcastListen, subscribe, share, and positively review The Aftermath:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aftermath-the-epidemic-of-divorce-custody-and-healing/id1647001828Substack:https://micksmith.substack.com/Commercials Voice Talent ||https://www.spreaker.com/user/7768747/track-1-commercialsNarratives Voice Talenthttps://www.spreaker.com/user/7768747/track-2-narrativesDo you want a free competitive analysis for your business?https://marketing.wsiworld.com/free-competitive-analysis?utm_campaign=Mick_Smith_Podcast&utm_source=SpreakerMake an Appointment:https://www.picktime.com/TheDoctorOfDigitalBe sure to subscribe, like, & review The Doctor of Digital™ PodcastSign up for the Doctor Up Your Life courseFacebook || Instagram || Twitter || LinkedIn || YouTubeConnect on LI! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-doctor-of-digital-gmick-smith-phd--1279468/support.

The weekend episodes of our podcast contain important announcements as well as a great introduction to the community for anyone who is new to our community.   Show note LINKS: SilentJim.com/bookacall - Schedule a FREE, customized and insightful consultation with my team or me (Jim) to discuss your e-commerce goals and options.   SilentJim.com/thesystem - The complete Amazon reseller and Walmart workflow software that minimized the staff required to run your Amazon reselling business and helps the owner (you) become a hands free business owner! The System automates Amazon reselling.   TheProvenConference.com - Our May 2025 event - plan to join 100s of listeners to this show in Orlando May 29-31st, 2025!   SilentJim.com/keepa - The service we use to help interpret all of the selling data. Keepa is discussed in depth on episode 369 at https://silentjim.com/podcast   ProvenDiscontinuedSourcing.com - Sign up for notification of launch (NOTE: JimCockrumCoaching.com students get this class free! ProvenAmazonCourse students get a huge discount)   My Silent Team Facebook group. 100% FREE! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mysilentteam - Join 78,000 + Facebook members from around the world who are using the internet creatively every day to launch and grow multiple income streams through our exciting PROVEN strategies! There's no support community like this one anywhere else in the world!   ProvenAmazonCourse.com - The comprehensive course that contains ALL our Amazon training modules, recorded events and a steady stream of latest cutting edge training including of course the most popular starting point, the REPLENS selling model. The PAC is updated for life!   SilentSalesMachine.com - Text the word “free” to 507-800-0090 to get a free copy of Jim's latest book in audio about building multiple income streams online (US only) or visit https://silentjim.com/free

Hermès iconic $14,000 Birkin bag is being imitated at Walmart for $78 and it's now SOLD OUT!KAMUGO Genuine Leather Handbag for Women, available on Walmart's website, is gaining attention on social media for its striking resemblance to Hermès coveted Birkin bags, which come with a huge price tag.  The bag, which is now being referred to as the “Walmart Birkin Bag is being seen as a budget-friendly alternative to the Hermès Birkin To subscribe to The Pete McMurray Show Podcast just click here

He's been described as the best connected man in the business world. Allan Leighton's the arch-moderniser who's led some of the UK's most well-known companies. His career started at Mars Confectionery in the mid-70s, working his way up through the business over nearly two decades. But, it was in the 90s that Allan Leighton really made his name.He moved to Asda in 1992, becoming Chief Executive four years later. There he was credited with a successful turnaround of the supermarket and oversaw its acquisition by Wal-Mart in 1999.By the 2000s, Allan Leighton had left Asda to 'go plural', as he put it, and went on to take prominent positions in companies including Royal Mail, Co-Op, Dyson and lastminute.com. But late last year, the supermarket chain came calling again.Mark Coles has been talking to his friends and peers to understand where Allan Leighton came from and what's in store for him at Asda.Production TeamProducers: Nathan Gower and Sally Abrahams Editor: Ben Mundy Sound: James Beard Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Jack YoungCredits: Marketing Academy: Rene Carayol interviews Allan Leighton Mars Maltesters, TV advert 1970s Walmart Rollback TV advert 1998 Asda Rollback TV advert

Hello Bravo Bosses! (Audio only) Today I'm here to give you the following mini recaps for the one year anniversary of I Take Bravo Very Seriously!: RHOBH Season 14, Episode 6 RHOSLC Season 5, Episode 15 Southern Charm Season 10, Episode 5 Southern Hospitality Season 3, Episode 2 FYI Monday's Pop Culture Pulse Check will be out on Tuesday instead of Monday next week! If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a 5-star review!  You can purchase my merch here!  Subscribe to Hurrdat Entertainment's YouTube Channel for full length video episodes!  Follow me on Tik Tok for True Crime in a Bite Sized Rhyme: @thebravoinvestigator  Follow me on Instagram: @itakebravoveryseriously @thebravoinvestigator  Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Itakebravoveryseriously  Email me your questions or suggestions: Brunchandbravo@gmail.com  RESOURCES FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE LA WILDFIRES: https://lafd.org/news/palisades-fire-0 PARTNERSHIP:  Fungies - Find these gummies in the Vitamin section at Walmart or shop on their website eatfungies.com. Use code: DANA for 20% off!  This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or the Hurrdat Media YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walmart's $80 Birkin bag dupe has set the internet ablaze. some people feel like the bag democratizes fashion and levels the playing field for aspiring luxury consumers. others feel like dupe culture, especially of the Hermes variety, is harmful to the fashion industry and to design at large. lots of valid points were made on both sides but the real question is......what does the $80 Wirkin represent and who is it for? let's discuss. -- Read the Glamour Mag article here Join us over on ⁠YouTube⁠ Join us over on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠Insta⁠ (@thoughtfulthreadspod) Join us over on ⁠Substack⁠ Support this small creative platform ⁠here

And the Beat Goes On.Based on a post by FinalStand, in 13 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. Tuesday night, in the asphalt-covered rear loading area of the Wal-Mart there was a Redneck throw down. Buck Tooney was wasting no time in cementing his leadership position over the White portion of our High School. His job was made more difficult by Darius' ruthless efficiency in allowing no other organizations, no matter how informal, to challenge his dominion. That translated over to Buck having to bust more heads to bring the 'rednecks' all in line.If that worked out, the city-Whites would be next. The problem for everyone else was the High School had been a succession of autocratic tyrannies for so long, it was difficult for the students to successfully even balkanize, much less unify. Everyone assumed another 'Darius' would eventually arise to restore a brutal school order; as long as 'he' was Black.That meant Buck needed a Black figurehead to parade in front of the 'establishment' to get things done. So far, no such person existed. Rashaan not only had the mistaken impression he could resist Buck, he was the Chief of Police's son; so not a prime candidate to be a figurehead for a criminal like Buck. Therefore he had to get Rashaan out of the way; figuratively speaking.Another problem for Buck was the school already had an existing Black criminal element. Darius had not been a part of it, but like so many other aspects of school society, when he told the leaders of the school subcultures to do something, or not to do something, he expected compliance. If not; pain would definitely follow. These characters weren't going to easily knuckle under to Buck Tooney though. After all, he'd been Darius' brother's 'boy', not the other way around.If anyone seriously thought Buck had returned to High School to be the Black Man's Bitch (again), they were clearly high, brain damaged, and/or delusional. I wouldn't have put money on who could have taken who in a Buck vs. Darius brawl; except Darius wouldn't have been lured into that kind of fight.Absent Darius, the school's Black community only had two confederates with sufficient intellect and charisma to lead the forces on that side of the racial divide. Sadly for the disciples of the Almighty BBC, both were women. Not only was Taliyah's mom the Mayor, she herself was co-Captain of one of the establishment's most recognized bodies; the Cheer Squad.The other was Jewel 'C. S.' Lafontanté. She was more infamous than famous, intelligent, un-aligned with any club, or activity, which awarded accolades, yet was overly endowed with a host of natural abilities as well as learned skills and talents. And, unlike Taliyah,; absent Darius; she felt the top spot was hers for the taking from the get go.Step one had been to sit at the feet of her mother and father, taking their counsel on the principles of asymmetric warfare, transforming weaknesses into strengths and how to locate, isolate and exploit the weaknesses of her enemies. Step two was accomplished Tuesday night when she and the rest of the Zulu Princess Posse jettisoned their boyfriends. From here on out, the ladies would be taking whatever cock they wanted. The times; they were a-changing.I had two more imminent problems with my life. The first was Riley Pasternak, Mayor Malik's aide and a woman I'd put my cock into; without my Mother's permission. By the way she kept licking absolutely everything off her fingertips at dinner Tuesday night while staring at me, I was sure she was expecting another performance.Before I could worry about how to finally put the brakes on my out of control sex drive, we had a caller at the gate; for me. It was Randi Leigh Upshaw. That was more than a tad unexpected. I'd stuck my cock in her, so I felt obliged to provide hospitality now that she came calling, but promised myself 'no sex'. We met on the porch.‘Hey, Vlad,' Randi Leigh appeared distracted and a bit distraught and couldn't meet my gaze.‘Hello, Randi Leigh. Care to sit down?' I motioned toward the porch swing.‘Sure,' she walked that way. It wasn't all that cold, she was in a team jacket, yet she still felt the need to wrap herself in her arms.‘What's going on?' I said once we'd taken our seats and swung back and forth twice.‘I; do you like Brandy?' she turned on me, putting a both her hands on my right forearm.‘Yes, I do,' I nodded. ‘Very much.'‘I can make you happier than she can,' bubbled forth from her lips.'What gives you that idea', seemed inappropriate so; ‘I thought you were happy with Rashaan,' was my second, and apparently equally bad, choice. Her look said it all: Rashaan wasn't getting the job done in a fundamental way.‘He's nothing like you,' she purred with the understated passion of an addict needing fix; me being the drug.‘Vlad, what is going on out here?' Mom called out. With Mom's propensity to sneak up on things like a Martian and listen in on conversations, this had to be a clue about something more. We both hopped out of the swing.‘This is Randi Leigh Upshaw. She's a; ah friend of Brandy and on the Cheer Squad. She's dating Rashaan Quinterre now.'‘Nice to meet you,' Mom was full with the feigned politeness, ‘Randi Leigh. I need a moment of Vlad's time, then I'll give him back.'She pulled me aside and back down the walk around porch until we were out of earshot then;‘Care to explain?'So I did; everything from the encounter in the Parking Lot to the Music Room banter, her going off in an epileptic seizure and ending with her here; now. Mom put her hand to her chin as she lowered her head slightly. Her far-off look dictated she wanted a few moments to think things through.‘With some girls; it goes straight to the brain like some allergic reaction,' she related. ‘In 1898, one of your ancestors was felled by a delirium and was cared for in a cat house in Dawson City. Three 'Ladies of the Evening' quickly fell to fighting over him and concluding with two fighting a duel with pistols in the middle of Front Street to decide who got 'their man'. Clearly some ladies can go a bit nuts over what your family has in your nut sack.'‘That's totally nu; crazy and unfair to poor Randi Leigh,' I frowned. I kicked at the planks on the porch for good measure.‘Didn't you just tell me she is gladly whoring herself out for Rashaan Quinterre? Do you think she's doing that for love?'‘What about Brandy? I don't want to cheat on her; any more than I've already cheated on her,' I muttered. Man, I sounded pathetic!‘Here's what you do,' my Mother stroked my cheek. ‘You tell Randi Leigh she had better become Brandy's #2 friend from here on out, or you won't have anything to do with her. You aren't going to cheat on Brandy, but Brandy might see a way to share you from time to time if she behaves. No more Big Black Cock for her though.'‘Okay,' I felt partially relieved. Now that I had a moment alone, I added, ‘What about Riley?'‘I got her.'‘You?'‘Yes. Me and your Da are going to take her to bed for some pulse-pounding, three-way action,' she grinned like an orca about to devour a baby seal.I had no idea Dad was so; kinky.‘Once I get your Da going, he's quite the animal,' Mom enlightened me. ‘I'll get me and Riley going in the bedroom. When he walks in, he'll protest; like he always does; then he'll come around and; ‘‘Enough, Mom,' I raised my hands. ‘Enough.'She laughed. I retreated to the semi-sanity of Randi Leigh who was waiting on me expectantly.‘Here are the rules,' I began ticking off my points, finger by finger.‘I'm Brandy's boyfriend. If you want to spend time with me you had better become Brandy's #2 best friend.'‘You don't sleep around with anyone else besides me and my brothers without clearing it with us first.'‘You don't pick fights with anyone unless you 'okay' it with myself, or my brothers first.'‘You break the rules three times and we never even talk with you; ever again.'That would have been the point I at which would have expected her to scoff at me at least, possibly slap me, or at least cry as a form of manipulation. Randi Leigh simply nodded. I walked her off the porch to her vehicle. We hugged, but didn't kiss. Afterwards I called Brandy and gave her the basics of what had gone down without explaining the toxic stew which lay behind it.I avoided my family the rest of the night; choosing to go to bed early instead. As I lay reclined on my back, staring out the tall window into the clear, highland night sky, I felt sick to my stomach. Slowly a revelation came to me. What my family had was definitely a curse, not a blessing because it was wed to a sense of conscience and responsibility.I had often thought about why Mom sought out Dad as the 'One' for her, but until that night, never really considered why he had chosen her to be his 'One'. Looking back, I realized it wouldn't have made sense until that point because I didn't have enough pieces of Mom's puzzle. I had the belief Dad sensed the intense pain within Mom's soul and nothing short of the grave, or what he had within him, could soothe her.By Mom's own admission, she was a Wild Child. She would have never settled down. Never had us kids. Never felt the love of a family if Dad hadn't decided to share his genetic curse with her. He'd loved her enough to become her lodestone; the center of her life and to take on all the pain such a position entailed.Everything I knew about my Dad suggested Mom was the Last type of woman he would have wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Dad liked his life calm, quiet and orderly. Mom was the polar opposite of those desires; impulsive, loud and chaotic. I didn't doubt his love for her in the slightest, yet my Father had sacrificed his dreams of tranquility to save my Mother.Why wasn't Mom furious with him over enslaving her to his cock; his magic sperm? She probably had been, once she figured out the family secret; for a short while. Then she realized the import his love had, saw the course her life was taking her down and what she obviously meant to him. But Mom being Mom; she still made him pay with her explosively eccentric behavior and her bizarre tutelage of his boys.And Dad had accepted it all as the price necessary to save my Mother's life; and that was that. Dad could have had any woman he wanted. Any Samsonov man could have. Why weren't we a clan of billionaires then? Why didn't we have oriental-style harems and dozens of mistresses on the side?Because we saw what we possessed as a curse; which we sometimes shared with truly crazy people to give them a real world focus for their lives so they wouldn't finally be consumed by their peculiar forms of madness. My hypothesis certainly fit what I knew about my kinfolk. I took that uneasy psychic compromise with me to my dreams.Wednesday.Wednesday morning, the storm clouds began to gather. The big news was Jewel Lafontanté had dumped Thomas 'Shaka' Sneed, Student Body President. Certain notorious Redneck troublemakers were either absent, or had shown up bruised and battered from last night's rumble with Buck's crew.That wasn't the only bruising going on. Rashaan had gone from one cheerleader to none, to two, to none once more; inside a week. The damage to both his ego and prestige was immense. Into the void stepped a rather brutal individual named Porter Walmsley, the Football Squad's Defensive Team Captain. While he was big, bad and Black, Taliyah and Brandy insisted his thick sausage was also very short; a definite deal-breaker when it came to BBC Mastery.Not to be outdone, Alonzo Hollingsworth, son of the richest (Black) man in Kingston made a play for Taliyah at lunch. He was long on talking solidarity while showing no solidarity with any of the other social 'front-runners'. Taliyah told him she'd 'think about it' in a blatant attempt to rile Mikhail. It didn't, which only soured her mood more.At practice, the Assistant Athletic Director (aka Coach Weasel, aka Coach George Wilcox), named Deon Manley Team Captain. He was (surprise, surprise) Black, in my position (Point Guard) and on record as performing sexual favors for the coach (letting the coach suck his cock).After practice, I got a message; via Brandy; that Jed Lee Earl wanted to talk with me and my brothers. She had to give me the 411. He was from one of Kingston's old White Rich families, led a clique of rich and 'almost rich' White kids and she thought he was gay. Most likely, with Buck on a rampage, he was looking for some 'muscle of his own,' she added with a giggle. I swatted her ass over that one.At least this time we avoided any name calling as we made our exit from school. Alexander was off to Ms. Blanchard's class. Mikhail took Kaja home on his KTM 690 Enduro R motorcycle without argument. I took Monique and Shaquille home (her house actually) with Vicky and Kaelyne tagging along. Brandy and Taliyah took Alondra and Noémie to their homes before the rendezvous at the Fonteneau mansion.The routine cycle resumed: homework, working out, showering, then a small amount of friend time before dinner. Unlike Tuesday, Mikhail was downright responsive to Taliyah; playful if not contrite. Taliyah countered by being friendly to Kaelyne and Vicky. I had my hands full with Brandy the entire time, so I was of no help.Vicky surprised us all by asking to learn a few wrestling and Sambo moves as we migrated to the backyard. I was 'nominated' to be her instructor. Things were complicated by her relative small size (5'2' / 157.5 cm) and mass (98 lbs. / 44.45 kg.). Figuring out all she really wanted to do was grab my cock, or nuts (both clothed) and pinch my nipples took all of thirty seconds.While tickling is not in your regularly accepted repertoire of wrestling moves, I had grown up with two brothers and plenty of young cousins. With my superior reach and strength, Vicky never stood a chance; so Kaelyne rushed in as well. When she proved unable to turn the tide (recall: I'm one of three; triplets), Brandy jumped me as well. This time I had the good sense to go down under their combined might, cry and beg for mercy.Thursday.With Brandy's acquiescence, if not outright permission, I gave Randi Leigh a blowjob opportunity before Home Room on Thursday. Mikhail was in the stall next to mine doing the exact same thing with Alondra. The difference was Alondra left with bounce in her stride and a smile on her face. Randi Leigh was fidgeting and uneasy.We missed Lunch Period, replacing it with a truncated orgy session which included Taliyah and Brandy plus Vantrice Kirby, Mia Ryker and Le 'Pearl' Yates. That left only Noémie Lucie Desdunes (in her case the middle name was a Creole thing) and Amber Lee Huffington, who were both in the B and T camp anyway. We could get them Saturday, or so the plotting went.The (Football) Coach and Principal decided since Friday was a 'home' game, we would have a 'memorial' service for Darius Pope; not that he had actually died, or anything; instead of the standard 'victory' party after the game. Apparently the Principal thought Brandy, as Darius' girlfriend, could help coordinate the function. Help as in work with the suddenly school-active Jewel Lafontanté.The other event was Hell Must Have Frozen Over and Satan had Klansmen shoveling coal like mad while he shivered in his igloo chateau; at least as far as the Kingston and Davis County social scene was concerned. The family of Gayle Fonteneau was invited to dinner at; the house of the Madam Mayor aka Dominique and Chinedu Malik.Her father had broken the hold the Fonteneau's had over the town which once bore their name; but now was Kingston, back in the late 1960's and early 70's, ushering an age of Black Supremacy into this burgh. It hadn't been an easy, or happy, transition either. Generations of Fonteneaus had treated the town as an extension of their own estate and hadn't welcomed the march of democratic progress.My Mom's rape, Uncle Theo's rampage of vengeance, and the resulting cover-up had severed the links between the Fonteneau Clan and the town of Kingston. That was the other, hidden, part of 'The Deal' which saw Uncle Theo going to a military school, not straight-out prison, for the punishment he'd visited on my mother's attackers.It could be argued Mom was now violating the 'corrupt' bargain between old Mayor Fox and Great Aunt Matilda. I also imagined neither ever thought their heirs would ever find 'common cause'. Both were now safely dead and if his daughter, Dominque, was bothered by this, she was doing the opposite of complaining.Had I realized how much Mom was sending Dominque's way, I would have been stunned. Had I realized how little of the Fonteneau fortune her support represented, I'd have cringed. The Fonteneau has been rife with eccentric, often wicked, geniuses for over two centuries.They'd invented and patented stuff, they swindled, robbed and stole from kinfolk, neighbors, towns, tribes, corporations and countries, and they invested that wealth with prescient ability. Unlike other famous American capitalists and industrialists, they hadn't felt obliged to build theater halls, university buildings, or jack-squat to remind the Rest Of The World how rich they'd become.No; they had miserly hoarded their wealth with one family member in each generation getting the lion's share along with the tacit understanding they took care of one another. That had equated to Great-Aunt Matilda being the inheritor in her generation, yet taking care of her sister's children as if they were her own.How much did 'we' have? Mom snorted and told me the Fonteneau never kept all their money in one place; in case something happened. Still, it wasn't like Uncle Cassius in that Indonesian prison didn't have his own 'resources' to keep him safe, or Uncle Theo kept evading prosecution based solely on his military training. Had either of those funds been traced back to our family, there could have been trouble; and those were just two examples of how Great-Aunt Matilda dispersed the family fortune.Anyway, I decided to bring Brandy along as my date/protective shielding. Mikhail laughingly suggested Alexander bring Ms. Blanchard. He suggested Vicky. I suggested Alondra. He scoffed. I suggested we'd need the distraction plus someone we could rely on to keep their mouth shut if something untoward happened (or, in Alondra's case, failed to understand the significance of).After 'dressing up', Mikhail and I had to double-back to school to pick up Brandy, Taliyah and Alondra for dinner. They, and about forty other students, had been shanghaied by Jewel into making the auditorium into a tribute to Darius Pope; odd since I imagined she despised the guy and rejoiced at his departure.‘Hey there,' Jewel greeted us as we entered the largely empty arena. ‘Vlad, is it? Mikhail?'Jewel was a tall (nearly 6 feet) woman with skin a soft shade of brown enhanced with coppery highlights. Currently her long, kinky black hair was worn braided with a mixture of beads and ribbons which 'clacked' when she moved. Her figure was dynamite, more a powerful Amazonian 'C' to Brandy's curvaceous 'D', but an ass just as scrumptious.Her lips were wide and her nose broad, but her most sensual quality, in my eyes, was her smoldering dark eyes; so dark they seemed totally devoid of an iris, yet keenly perceptive and subtly intelligent, surrounded by the longest, most natural-appearing eyelashes I'd ever witnessed.Today she was in a leather, electric blue mini-skirt, white knee socks and a long sleeved, skin-tight white shirt with the torso-sized images of a rampant phoenix and tiger facing one another on both front and back.‘Yes. Vladimir and Mikhail Samsonov, Ms. Lafontanté. A pleasure to meet you,' I stated since we'd never been formerly introduced. Likewise, I'd been raised a gentleman who waited for a lady to offer her hand to be shaken before a man shook it.She gave me an appraising, almost predatory, up-and-down gaze.‘Call me Jewel,' she extended me her hand.‘Vlad!' Brandy called out. Her someone must be trying to poach my Man sense must have gone off because I was definitely getting that sensation as her fingertips played across my fingers and palm before we shook hands. She had a confident, solid grip.‘Princess,' I was continuing to 'test drive' Brandy's pet name as I looked around Jewel.‘We are almost done,' Jewel shifted so as to interrupt my view (almost worked; but I was taller than she was).‘Let me help then,' I offered, even as I realized she hadn't let go of my hand yet.‘I'm planning on it,' she smirked, then released my hand and spun quickly around.‘Alright!' she addressed the room, the word accentuated with a sharp clap of her hands. ‘Let's finish getting those banners hung; Brandy?'Brandy was decidedly ignoring Jewel by throwing herself into my embrace and including an impressive, tongue-hungry lip-lock. 'Umm; tasty'. I kept her off the ground, so she decide to kick up both her legs until her heels almost touched her buttocks. When our mouths separated, she gave off a breathless giggle.‘Strawberry?' I questioned the flavor of her lip balm.‘Yes,' she grinned. With exaggerated slowness, Brandy turned to Jewel. ‘Almost done, Jefe?'‘So Jewel, I understand your regular cock wasn't getting the job done,' were the first words out of Mikhail's mouth; the Jackass! The assumption was he was referencing her dumping her last boyfriend; who was also here tonight.‘Mikhail!' Brandy gawked.‘Damn it, Mikhail,' I pivoted and glared at him.‘You auditioning for the job?' Jewel took a provocative pose. So much for the possibility of being offended. It was at times like this I didn't get women at all.‘I'm willing to put you in my rotation,' he bantered back courageously.‘What is mine, is mine. I don't share,' Jewel volleyed.‘You won't be the first Top Bitch I've had to deal with. Won't be the last,' he chuckled.‘Am I 'your type'?'‘Babe, you are hitting on all cylinders; you're smart, fierce, built like a true athlete; plus you think you are better than me,' he leered.‘I'm AM better than you, Samsonov.'‘By all means,' he took two steps her way. ‘Prove it.'‘Mikhail, we are here to retrieve our dates and go to dinner with our parents,' I reminded him. ‘Speaking of which; where are Taliyah and Alondra?'‘Which one of you is dating Alondra?' Jewel scoffed. With the way she said 'Alondra' she might as well have said 'The Chihuahua'. I put Brandy down.‘Alexander,' Brandy simmered. ‘They bonded over having a soul; unlike some people.' Gosh, that was awful feisty of Brandy. ‘Vlad, they went to get some colored light filters for the spotlights. They should be back soon.'‘Hey now,' I patted Brandy's ass. ‘Needless hostility isn't getting the work done.' I used that hand on the ass to press her against my hard-on to remind her of our primal connection.Her eyes flashed up, she gave me a salacious look, two hip wiggles, and then sauntered off to complete whatever project she was assigned. I tagged along because I both liked that ass and decided keeping close to her was my best bet to stay safe. Jewel directed Mikhail to help with something else. When Taliyah returned with Alondra and Misty Dawn in tow (along with several boxes of something), she immediately alerted to his distraction.She gave him no warning of her approach. Unfortunately for her, growing up triplets left us all a bit hyper-situationally aware and always ready for some rough and tumble, so Mikhail clued into the impending threat right before Taliyah repeated her Charlie Horse from Hell. Instead, he caught her blow, pulling her in and pinning one of her arms behind her back.‘Care to explain that?' Mikhail mused; 'that' being the incoming pain.‘I saw you scoping her out,' Taliyah sizzled.‘Well-duh,' he snorted, ‘but I wasn't touching, or anything.'‘You'd better not be.'‘Don't you have some work to do?' Jewel intervened.‘Yeah; if this Neanderthal would unhand me; ‘‘You going to take another swing at me?'‘You going to give me a reason to remind you to behave?' Taliyah snapped.‘Most likely,' my triplet shrugged then let her go.‘Come on Alondra,' Taliyah called over to the cheerleader. They went off to stack up the proper colored light filters by the various spot lights. The actual work would be done by the custodial staff sometime tomorrow.Soon enough we finished all our assignments. Jewel's No. 1 minion; a short, Sepia-complexioned, sharp-looking young lady named Dana Owens; checked off each completed item on her tablet as the group leaders reported to Jewel. She ran a very tight, almost scarily-so, regime. Notable absent were the student-athletes.Notably present was Jewel's ex-boyfriend, Shaka Sneed. He was handsome enough, chestnut-hued, slight acne-scarring along his cheeks with lighting-bolts cut on each side of his more-on-top, closer-cropped-on-the-side/back curly hair. He was right as 6' and broad enough in the chest and narrow enough in the hip to suggest he worked out once, or twice, a week, but his attempt to physically intimidate Mikhail was woefully ill-considered.His shiny, black tennis shoes, dark-grey slacks and black t-shirt were all top quality and tight enough to suggest he was 'aroused', but he was playing out of his league when comparing himself to any of us. Clearly not every BBC stud was packing a 10' Passion Piston inside his boxers and with all the hot chicks Jewel had assembled, it would have been pretty discernable it he'd had one.‘I don't like the way you were talking to Jewel,' he approached my brother as we were exiting the school.With so many polite replies to choose from and a proper dinner to get to; ‘What are you going to do about it?' we turned and regarded him.‘I; ah; ‘ Shaka stammered. Open, obvious defiance wasn't what he expected, despite some of the clear signs we Samsonovs weren't playing by the established rules.‘Listen up, Shaky,' Mikhail feigned annoyance, ‘I've got a dinner to go to. If all you are going to do is spit at me, I'm going to get to it. I'll catch up with you at lunch tomorrow and we'll settle Jewel's perceptions of your penile inadequacies then.'‘It is Shaka,' he insisted angrily.‘Whatever,' Mikhail shrugged.‘I'm going to inform Principal Jean-Georges of your threats,' Shaka pledged.‘What threats?' Mikhail gave a lopsided grin.‘You threatened to fight me at lunch tomorrow,' he looked left then right. We had quite a gathering. Since none of them looked ready to fight, it wasn't a problem.‘My exact words,' my triplet sounded bored, ‘we'll settle Jewel's perceptions of your penile inadequacies. Not once did I mention the words 'fight', punishment, or violence of any kind, Shaky.'‘It is Shaka!' he growled.‘It is Thomas,' Jewel announced in an amused tone. She'd been locking up.‘Shaky's real name is Thomas?' Mikhail's gaze settled on Jewel. ‘Why the fuck did he pick a shitty nickname like Shaky when he had a perfectly good name like Thomas to go by?'‘It Is Shaka; you pinhead!' Shaka shouted.‘Shaka? What kind of lame name is that?' Mikhail mocked him.‘It is Zulu, you dumbass cracker,' he glared.‘Why didn't you pick a more relevant name; like; Vlad, help me out here?' Mikhail's countenance lost all its humor.‘Like Agaja, Askia, Ewuare, or Samori?' I supplied some viable alternatives.‘Yeah; them. You know; West African war leaders you might have some relation to as opposed to a South African butcher who is as likely related to you as I am to Christopher Columbus, you dumbass nigger.'Silence.A White Boy had called a Black Man a 'nigger' and not just the 'n-word'.‘What did you call me?' Shaka puffed himself up.‘Whatever was the appropriate abusive racial insulting counter to 'cracker', pencil-dick,' Mikhail huffed.‘Say it.'‘Shaky.'‘You little bitch,' he said in a low voice.‘I promised we'd revisit your penile inadequacies at lunch tomorrow, Shaky, not now. If you are not going to 'jump', I've got a dinner to go to.'‘Chicken-shit.'‘I really don't have the time to go down the long list of all the things Jewel called you as she kicked you out of bed, Shaky; ‘ and then Shaka shoved him.‘That'll do, Pig. That'll do,' Mikhail chortled. He was getting ready to fight. We really didn't have the time to clean up this mess; I had no doubt Mikhail would destroy Shaka in ten seconds flat. The problem was we'd have to stick around and deal with the fallout which was time we didn't have.‘Enough,' Jewel intervened both verbally and vocally. She had two of her ladies backing her up. I had a firm hand on Mikhail's shoulder as a reminder we had to be elsewhere. ‘Shaka, I thought better of you,' she looked at her ex. ‘He's playing you.'‘You've been playing with him,' Shaka countered.‘Even if I was; which I was not (she wasn't?), I'm not your property, or your woman,' she sneered. ‘You are pathetic. I dumped you because I know I can do better.'Ouch! That was harsh.‘No; you can't,' Taliyah spoke up aka demarcating Mikhail. ‘Not while I'm standing.'‘Damn you, Jewel,' Shaka grabbed his former girl by the arm. ‘I; ‘And then she laid into him. I was pretty sure it was elbow to the solar plexus, a stomp on the instep and then an arm grab into judo flip, but head-over-heels Shaka went. I say 'pretty sure' because it was dusk and Jewel move freaky-fast. Shaka had been completely flipped over onto his back in that final, fluid move.Even though Jewel still had a painful hold of his wrist, it was clear Shaka was out of the fight. Any sane combatant would have stopped at that point. Not Jewel. Up came her foot and down came that heel on his crotch. Shaka hissed like a punctured Zeppelin. Every single guy who witnessed the blow recoiled instinctively in sympathetic agony as well. Not to be outdone though;‘I guess Shaka Zulu is now just another Bushman Brother,' Mikhail quipped jokingly.‘You are useless,' Taliyah began to drag him away.‘How is any of this my fault?' Mikhail laughed. ‘I didn't lay a hand on him.'‘You opened your fool-mouth,' she groused. She was dragging him off though.‘Alright everyone!' Jewel announced. ‘Time to go home.'Quickly enough there were only nine of us left standing there; Jewel, her six posse members, me and Brandy. Alondra had retreated with Taliyah and Mikhail. Shaka was still on the ground, hands cupping his tenderized privates.‘Yes?' Jewel tilted her head as she examined me.‘I'm hanging around to make sure Shaka makes it to his car okay.'‘I'll see to it.'‘I'll wait.'‘I said I'll see to it,' she reiterated as her eyes narrowed.‘Vlad, let's go,' Brandy tugged on my dress jacket.‘I heard you the first time, Ms. Lafontanté. You are also the one who put him in his current incapacitated condition, so I am going to stick around until I know he can take care of himself.'‘Do you think you can take me?' she shifted into a fighting stance; all subtle-like.‘I don't know. It isn't about me thinking I can beat you up. It is about not leaving any person at the mercy of those who would do them harm,' I explained coolly.‘Really?' she blinked.‘Really.'‘And if I tell you to get lost, or else?'I heard a car trunk shut rather gently; it was the 'click' of the lock engaging. Then came the crunch of the loose gravel on asphalt as my brother returned. Jewel's eyes shifted passed me, to him then back to me.‘You were stalling for time?'‘Pretty much,' I relaxed minutely.‘Here you go,' Mikhail handed me a padded, rattan practice broadsword. He had another broadsword plus a targe, a 20' diameter shield of Scottish origin).‘It is still seven on two odds.' from Jewel.‘We'll fight,' Brandy stated defensively.‘You and I ~' Taliyah directly addressed Jewel.‘Means nothing,' Jewel snorted. I could virtually see her work out the fight in her mind, going over and then discarding the various possibilities and resulting outcomes. Too many left her and hers with too many welts and bruises (rattan swords really sting) without a completely positive outcome.‘You don't even like him,' she motioned to the still moaning Shaka.‘That never matters,' Mikhail shrugged. ‘The moment you stomped on Shaky's peanuts, I knew Vlad wouldn't leave him here; at your mercy; so here we are.'‘Vlad?' Jewel searched my eyes for answers.‘Right is right and wrong is wrong,' I responded. ‘There is just and unjust punishment. You had every right to throw Mr. Sneed to the ground.'‘The heel to the groin was excessive,' I could hear myself channeling my Father. ‘At that point, he became a victim too. As my Brother said, I couldn't leave him at your mercy uncertain of your intentions.'‘So you do think you can take me,' she grinned like a Moray eel.‘I was really unsure until my Brother put this practice sword in my hand and returned to my side,' I related. ‘Even now, I'm not 100% positive. I've never witnessed your style of marital arts and you are certainly very good. Tha

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Amazon changes the game for retail advertising. TikTok Shop is opening in a surprisingly new country. eBay makes a move to join a popular social media network. These buzzing stories and more on this episode! ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's VP of Education and Strategy, Bradley Sutton. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10's newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level. Amazon aims to expand advertising business by letting retailers use its ad tools on their stores https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/09/amazon-to-expand-ad-unit-by-letting-retailers-use-ad-tools-on-stores.html Title Rule Clarifications https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/3c9f0b3c-4594-4efc-a05f-0f8d371fa466 How TikTok Shop is changing the way brands reach customers https://www.retaildive.com/news/how-tiktok-shop-is-changing-the-way-brands-reach-customers/736726/ EBay shares soar after Meta allows listings on Facebook Marketplace in U.S., Europe https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/08/ebay-shares-soar-as-meta-allows-listings-on-facebook-marketplace.html Conversion Path Reporting (beta) https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/ad-touchpoints-drive-sales-with-conversion-path-reporting/ TikTok expands e-commerce operation into Mexico amid potential US ban https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tiktok-expands-e-commerce-operation-093000468.html Switching gears, we explore the new features in Helium 10's Magnet and Cerebro keyword translations, designed to aid sellers operating in multilingual marketplaces. The training tip of the week highlights Helium 10's exclusive Amazon Recommended Rank feature in Cerebro, which evaluates how relevant Amazon considers specific keywords for your product, scoring them. This tool helps sellers identify potential ranking, indexing, or advertising issues, especially for new products, by analyzing the top 20 keywords and ensuring Amazon correctly understands your product's relevance. Listen in for these crucial updates and insights that will help you stay ahead in the competitive world of e-commerce. In this episode of the Weekly Buzz by Helium 10, Bradley covers: 00:54 - Amazon Retail Ad Service 02:27 - Title Rule Clarifications 06:46 - TikTok Shop Stats 08:50 - eBay x Facebook 10:02 - Amazon Conversion Path Reporting 11:07 - TikTok Shop Mexico 12:24 - Helium 10 New Feature Alerts 14:19 - Training Tip: Amazon Recommended Rank Transcript Bradley Sutton: Amazon changes the game for retail advertising. TikTok shop is opening in a surprising new country. eBay makes a move to join with a popular social media network. These stories and more on this week's Weekly Buzz. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show that is our Helium 10 Weekly Buzz. We give you a rundown of all the goings on in the Amazon, TikTok shop and e-commerce world. We give you training tips of the week and let you know what new features that Helium 10 has. That will give you serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Let's see what's buzzing All For serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Let's see what's buzzing All. Right, this is the first buzz of the new year, or second buzz of the new year, I should say. Let's go ahead and hop into it.   Bradley Sutton: The first thing we're going to talk about is an announcement they made at CES this week. The one who's reporting on it is actually CNBC, and the article is entitled Amazon aims to expand advertising business by letting retailers use its ad tools on their store. So some of the TLDR here is that Amazon is letting other retailers now use its own homegrown advertising tools to run sponsored ads on their own website. The service is designed to make it easier for other retailers to run targeted ad campaigns on their online stores. All right, so, as we know, ads has been big, you know, for Amazon over the years. We know that as Amazon sellers. But this is this is different. All right, so basically, like, let's say, I've got my own retail website, I can now use Amazon's advertising console to use the ad tech or the technology the advertising technology that Amazon has to run ads on my product pages on my website, on search, and this is going to help Amazon. You know like build it's like and how it can anticipate buyer behavior and things, but it's going to help. You know retailers as well, because you know, obviously, amazon's advertising system is very robust and you don't even have I believe you don't even have to be selling on amazon to take advantage of this service. So, uh, this is going to be interesting to watch as it rolls out and how this this changes the game for retailers. Perhaps you know, like, how many are going to adopt the amazon advertising um, as opposed to whatever they were using before. How many might start advertising more because of what's going on be definitely worth taking a look at.   Bradley Sutton: Now, last week we talked about the new title requirements and there was an Ask Me Anything in the Amazon forums a few days ago that kind of clarified some things and even some things that I was confused about. I'm not sure if I said it wrong last week, but like I probably read it right, but for sure I understood it wrong last week. But like I probably read it right, but for sure I understood it wrong. All right. The way I understood the title was that you can't duplicate words in the title. Did some of you guys get that too out of what their announcement was? But actually the fine print says you can't have more than two. All right, it's not, it's not. You can't have two or more, it's more than two. Little bit of dyslexia there, um. So basically that means if I have the word in the title you know, coffin shelf uh, for home decor, something, something coffin, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's okay. Last week, when I read this, I thought that wasn't okay, um, because I just must've switched the words when I was looking at it.   Bradley Sutton: But that's the first big thing that came from this AMA, but let's go ahead and open up some more of the questions and answers. There's some things that you guys might have had that I think are notable. Here is one question that I know a lot of us had. It said are the plural and singular versions of a word considered the same and count towards the maximum? And this seller said for example, if I had cake pan, loaf pan and muffin pans, is the word pans counted as the same as pan? And then that would make it three times, meaning that it's above two, meaning that that's against Amazon terms of service. And Jim from Amazon replied plural of the same word would be considered redundant. In the example you provided, pan and pans imply the same and thus it would be considered duplicate. All right, so there's the. I know people are asking about that. How are plurals considered? That's the answer, right there.   Bradley Sutton: Another question was from what impact will it have if we don't update? Changing the title like this could significantly affect our search traffic. And Jim says if the title is not updated, amazon will modify the product title to comply with a new policy, while retaining all relevant information. All right. So there you have it? It like you're not going to get your listing suppressed per se, but amazon's going to go in and change your title. Sounds like Another question by PTC Tim Do words that are part of the brand name count towards the count of reusing a word?   Bradley Sutton: For example, if the brand name is Muffin King, could they have a title such as Muffin King Beginner's Kit includes chocolate chip and banana nut muffin mixes and a 12 muffin pan. All right, so muffin is there three times in singular version. So you might think, oh, that can't be allowed. But Jim from Amazon says no, this will not be considered a policy violation, because the word or phrase is considered duplicate only when there are three or more instances in the same context. But muffin, the first instance is a brand name and the other two describe the product. So if you have a word that's part of your brand like maybe my brand was Manny's Coffin Shelves that first coffin doesn't count as the use of the word coffin in the title. That makes sense.   Bradley Sutton: Another person asked a question and says you know, there were some punctuation marks that were listed, like dollar sign, question mark, underscore, et cetera, and it says are these the only special characters allowed? What about dash colon, open parentheses, close parentheses, et cetera, and Jameson actually answered. He said hyphen, colon and regular brackets are allowed as they often have functional value. Uh, there actually were some other uh characters not allowed that Amazon didn't announce. And these are the tilde, you know, like the little ñ that goes over the N in Spanish when you say baño right. The greater than and less than symbols, those are not allowed. The semicolon is not allowed and the I don't know how you describe it, but it looks like a top of a house, the roof of a house. That symbol is not allowed. There were more different kind of like specifications and questions that people had that you might want to look at. So make sure to check the link in the comments to see some of the more the other clarifications on this new title policy.   Bradley Sutton: Next article we have here comes from Retail Dive and it's entitled how TikTok Shop is Changing the Way Brands Reach Customers. All right, so there's I brought this up because there's a lot of just interesting kind of like factoids here, and one of them it says 70% of TikTok users say they discover new brands and products on the platform 70%, that's crazy and 83% report TikTok playing a role in users' purchase decisions. I guarantee you we're not seeing that kind of stuff on Temu, right? The company also reports that three in four users are likely to buy something while using TikTok. Think about that, guys. How many users of TikTok are there? And three in four are likely to buy something. You might think, well, that's not something that you know. All marketplaces everybody should be buying something. But remember, TikTok is not a marketplace, TikTok is a social media. If you think three out of four people on Instagram are buying something, three out of four people on YouTube are buying something, it's like I don't know what the number is. It's probably like less than one in 10, one in 20. So this is like kind of an astronomical number.   Bradley Sutton: Now, why is TikTok so powerful? One reason is here. It says nearly three in five Gen Z consumers say they trust recommendations by local or micro influencers. Per a survey, over a quarter of US consumers who responded to the survey reported buying a gift directly based on an influencer's recommendations. That's kind of crazy and that's what drives, you know, TikTok shop sales is influencers and micro influencers. So, guys, if you're not selling on TikTok shop, you know, get out and do it. We have some, uh, some training on how to get started. We're going to have some more training. We're going to have, like, different tools that, uh, you guys might ask for that that would help you sell on TikTok shop. But, um, I was trying to. I'm starting to ramp up. I launched a couple more products on TikTok shop last night. I'm going to keep launching some products and let you guys know what I find, but I really think that TikTok shop is going to be one of the major marketplaces moving forward.   Bradley Sutton: Speaking of different marketplaces, let's switch gear and talk about a marketplace that I barely ever talk about but I actually personally sell on. That's eBay. All right, so this is articles from CNBC. It says eBay shares soar after. Meta allows listings on Facebook marketplace in US and Europe. All right. So in Germany, France and the US. What's going to happen is eBay listings are now going to be able to show up in Facebook marketplace. All right. So like that's going to give eBay listings a lot of visibility. So let's say I'm browsing on Facebook and I go to the Marketplace or maybe, who knows, maybe there'll be some way to put ads like in my Facebook feed. I'm going to be able to click on that product and then purchase it by signing in on eBay, I believe right there on the Facebook app still. So imagine being on Facebook, going to the Helium 10 members Facebook group, because you're getting all the good information there, and then you see an ad or something for an eBay product and while still on Facebook, you go ahead and purchase. I mean, if that's the way it's going to work, that's going to be, I think that might be a little bit successful for eBay. I'm definitely going to look into it for my eBay listings that I have. How many of you guys sell on eBay out there? Let me know in the comments below.   Bradley Sutton: Going back to the Amazon marketplace, last week, in case you missed it, there was a new conversion path reporting, a beta program that Amazon has. It kind of like reminds me of how AMC is set up, but now you're going to be able to see the ad touch points on a customer's 30-day path to conversion, starting with the purchases. All right, so this is available in sponsored ads and DSP. Make sure to check the link in the article below for more links on where you can find it, but like you'll be able to see oh, they saw the streaming TV, then they went to a sponsored display ad and then they went to a sponsored video ad. They saw a sponsored product ad. Now, this is good information, but there's definitely some things missing. Like you can't see the ACOS, like all right, great, I see that this kind of ad is what drove my sale, but my ACOS on that exact ad was like 400%. It's not exactly viable, right. So I mean, it's not perfect, but this is great, you know, step in the right direction as far as visibility goes with your advertising.   Bradley Sutton: Going back to TikTok, now guess what? TikTok is opening up a new marketplace and it's right here in North America. It is opening to Mexico. Per Yahoo Finance says TikTok expands e-commerce operation into Mexico and it says that they've already started inviting merchants to open stores on the platform ahead of the expected startup transactions in February. Now, who can sign up for Amazon or TikTok shop Mexico? Merchants with a locally registered entity are eligible to sign up. Now, that's interesting, because what's the requirement for USA? As we know, you could have a local entity being a US corporation, but if you're a foreigner with no US employees and nobody with a social security number, you can't sign up. But if this is to be taken at face value, you maybe can be a foreigner, but as long as you have a Mexican entity or business, it looks like you might be able to sign up on the platform and the first 90 days of activity for TikTok shop Mexico zero commission, zero commission fee in Mexico, or have a Mexican entity. Make sure to go ahead and consider starting up on the platform.   Bradley Sutton: All right, let's go into our new feature alerts now. This one is going to be for, I believe, all plans, Platinum and Diamond. It's been for elite for a while because it was actually elite members who first asked for this, but this is going to be in Magnet and Cerebro, um, at the start. It might be in other tools, but what sellers were looking for was a way to translate keywords. All right, like this could be, for, let's say, you're in the US marketplace and you see a whole bunch of Spanish keywords and you're just curious what it means. Well, what people were doing is that they would copy the keywords from Helium 10 and then put it to Google Translate or something like that.   Bradley Sutton: Or let's say you're doing keyword research in a marketplace that is not your native language, like maybe you're trying to make a listing for Amazon Japan. Of course, you can use Helium 10 Listing Builder to make a listing in Japanese, but you want to make sure you're feeding it the right keywords and you don't know what the keywords mean in Japanese. Well, this is what you can do. If you go into Listing Builder or into Cerebro, there will be a translate button right here, all right. So if you got the results in Magnet or Cerebro, just hit that and then you can go from, like English to Spanish, to German, to Chinese, et cetera, and you're going to have an option Like I'm going to pretend that maybe I'm somebody from China and I'm not. I don't speak English that well. Well, I'm going to go ahead and translate these English results into Chinese by default. It's actually going to show up right underneath the actual English keyword or whatever keyword or language you're looking at, but I can also change it where I can have it in a separate column, all right. So here now, all of a sudden, side by side, I've got the English keyword and the Chinese translation side by side. So this definitely helps English speaking people who are doing research in other languages or are curious what kind of meaning some of the keywords that are coming up in your own marketplace that are in different language, or if you speak a different language and you need just some quick translations, this is going to help. All right.   Bradley Sutton: Now let's talk about the training tip of the week, and this is actually. I'm still going to stay right here in Cerebro, actually, and I want to show you guys something again. Only Helium 10 has this, and what it is the Amazon recommended rank. So actually here in Cerebro, I've got my coffin shelf here Now. This is especially helpful if you ever start getting ranking issues like you start losing your rank, or if you maybe like lose indexing somehow, or maybe there's some keywords that you know you're relevant for in your index for, but you just can't get PPC impressions. This is especially helpful when you are first launching a product. As a matter of fact, you know, like this is what I've been teaching for the last two years, where if you launch a product, I say that you almost should always do a test listing first that you're not really going to sell, but just to check this metric and this is Amazon relevancy.   Bradley Sutton: Everybody always uses the term relevant and we can kind of insinuate hey, what is relevant for a product due to the keywords that are ranking for it. But until Helium 10 had this, you never knew what is really relevant to Amazon. What does Amazon think the product is? This Helium 10 is the only tool that's tying directly to Amazon to give you how relevant Amazon thinks a keyword is for your product and it's called Amazon recommended rank. It's listed from like a score of one to 900. The number one means it's the most relevant according to Amazon, et cetera.   Bradley Sutton: Now is the number one and number two and number three keywords always the top keywords for your product? No, but looking at the top 20, I always sort it in helium 10. And I look at the top 20 ones and it will tell me is Amazon confused about my product, especially if it's a brand new product, right? So let me just show you, for example, this is my coffin shelf here and if I go to this column of Amazon recommended rank and I hit it, it's going to sort it by the top ones and like look at this number one keyword that Amazon says I'm relevant for coffin shelf wall Manny's mysterious oddities coffin shelf coffin shelf small. So just by looking at these top you know 10 keywords, top 20 or so. Um, I can tell that. Hey, amazon pretty much knows what my product is. Now, something concerning is the actual keyword. Coffin shelf is the only the 28th keyword, so you know what that tells me. I might have some issues with advertising on my product. I might have to look at what's going on, but at the very least Amazon isn't very confused about my product.   Bradley Sutton: Now let me give you a contrast here. I went to the search results of coffin shelf and obviously my product is on page one. But here I scrolled all the way down to page four and then I saw just some random coffin shelf. Where did it? Here's a coffin shelf very similar to mine Pachyon floating shelves, coffin shape, shelf, wall mouth. This is a terrible title, but you see, their BSR is like 7 million. They are not selling any units at all of this, and they are right, even though this is one of the few coffin shelves. I mean, page two and three and four don't even have that many coffin shelves, because there's not even seven pages worth of coffin shelves.   Bradley Sutton: So you might be wondering why in the world is this product ranking so low? Well, outside of listing optimization, one of the reasons is the relevancy. Take a look when I run this product in Cerebro and I sort it by Amazon recommended rank. Let's go to that column right here. Look, do you remember what my mind was? Let's just look back here. Remember the top ones coffin wall shelf. Coffin shelf small spooky hanging coffin shelf Halloween decor indoor home. Look at the top keywords of what Amazon thinks is relevant for this poor. Selling coffin shelf. Floating shelf wall. Floating shelf. Selling coffin shelf. Floating shelf wall. Floating shelf. Wall shelves, room wall. Do you notice something? These are just generic keywords. So, for whatever reason, they must not have their listing optimized. Or maybe there's a category issue. But Amazon is not even picking up the word coffin in the top keywords that it is saying it's relevant for. So this product is probably never going to rank very well for coffin shelf. Nor are they going to be able to advertise if they wanted to.   Bradley Sutton: You can see right here with Helium 10, they're not advertising. But this just kind of like illustrates what can happen if you, if Amazon, gets confused about your product, you're going to have some issues. So make sure to check that out. All levels of Helium 10 can access that platinum diamond and above. Go into Cerebro. Run it on your own product, especially your brand new products. Or if you ever have trouble ranking or indexing and check sorted by the Amazon recommended rank, take a look at those top 20 keywords and see hey, does Amazon kind of like have a good idea about what your product is, or is it confused? And then you can take action from there. All right, guys, that's it for this week's Weekly Buzz. Hope you enjoyed these articles and also these new features and training tips. We'll see you next week to see what's buzzing.