We've all heard the phrase “work on it, not in it” in relation to business—otherwise known as “the owner’s trap.” But what if I could make the case for why there actually is a time and a place to get back to working in the trenches, talking to your customers, and diving right into the nitty-gritty of your business? In this mini solo episode, I share the top reasons why you should consider periodically diving back into the details of your business, including how you can get some really valuable f...
Jul 29, 2022•34 min
So how are entrepreneurs doing lately? Dr. Sherry Walling joins the show for the second time around to give some insight into the state of entrepreneurship today, including whether entrepreneurs are re-evaluating their lives and businesses as the world emerges from the pandemic. As a Clinical Psychologist that specializes in helping entrepreneurs with their mental health, and the founder of the ZenFounder.com podcast, she has a unique finger on the pulse of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur i...
Jul 22, 2022•42 min
It’s been a wild few years in eCommerce, so I was super excited to sit down and go over the results of our fourth-ever eCommerce Trends Report for 2022. The results were eye-opening, and there were some pretty interesting takeaways about what is working in eCommerce, what’s not working, what trends are emerging, and what the general lay of the eCommerce land looks like. In this episode, I’m going over four of the most surprising takeaways, including the best model when it comes to having a stron...
Jul 15, 2022•40 min
A lot has happened in the last 24 months when it comes to shipping and logistics due to the pandemic, and you might be wondering what the immediate future holds. Here to give us his take is Dhruv Saxena, Co-Founder and CEO of ShipBob.com, one of the largest global 3PL providers that is trusted by over 7,000 brands and fulfills orders all around the world. We’re deep-diving into all things logistics, warehousing, and international shipping as Dhruv shares his perspective on the status of internat...
Jul 08, 2022•45 min
There’s no doubt that one of the areas that COVID impacted the most was in the way we work, and specifically, in how the pandemic pushed remote work into the mainstream. Dan Andrews is the Co-Founder of Tropical MBA and Dynamite Jobs, and he’s been beating the remote work drum for over a decade. He joins the show today to talk all things remote work, including whether it’s here to stay. Listen in as we dive into how the narrative of remote work has changed over the past few years, what the optim...
Jul 01, 2022•45 min
What does the future of eCommerce look like? Fan Bi is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of TheHedgeHogCompany.com, an eCommerce holding company that acquires and grows brands, and he has a really unique perspective on some of the trends happening in the eCommerce marketplace today—which is what we’re geeking out on in this episode. Listen in to find out whether the M&A party is coming to an end, what Fan is seeing in his portfolio when it comes to eCommerce, and why it might be another rough year...
Jun 24, 2022•47 min
Launching in the turbulent time that was February 2020, Leah McHenry, Founder & CEO of Mythologie Candles, has successfully grown her business to over $6 million in sales in just 24 months. Today Leah joins the show to describe her “secret sauce” to successful marketing—including her advice for anyone just starting their business from the ground up—and how she uses influencers to not only cut down on marketing costs, but also create more content for the brand. Listen in as she shares how the...
Jun 17, 2022•50 min
One of the core values of the eCommerceFuel community is reciprocity: members giving as much as they are taking. With that, we ask that all new members share a case study with the community, and new member Sarah Douglass, Founder of WiseOwlOutfitters.com, recently shared one of the best case studies on buying and selling a business. It was super detailed, really thoughtful, and offered a ton of insight—so of course, I had to have her on the show to share it. Listen in as Sarah shares the backsto...
Jun 10, 2022•56 min
How does your investment portfolio look these days? I’ve been doing some investing over the past couple of years, running a very small investment syndicate that has taught me a ton, and I’m excited to have someone on the show who has been doing similar things. Andrew Gluck is the Founder of Irrvrnt.com, an investment fund that invests in DTC operations companies and emerging eCommerce tech (among other things), and we’re going to be geeking out on all things investing—and so much more. Tune in a...
Jun 03, 2022•58 min
If you are running events in the eCommerce space, you know what a lonely world it can be. Today, I’m excited to be joined by Nick Shackelford, Co-Founder of GeekOut Events, which puts on high-intentional no-fluff events all over the world. In this episode, we’re talking event planning, but we’re also talking about so much more related to eCommerce, including marketing, branding, and even copywriting. Listen in as we dive into the reasons behind why Nick (or anyone, really) puts on events (hint: ...
May 27, 2022•58 min
Kurt Elster is the man behind Ethercycle.com, a Shopify agency that specializes exclusively—and very successfully—in helping Shopify store owners generate massive revenue growth. Not only does he put out some really amazing websites on Shopify, but he also hosts The Unofficial Shopify Podcast and has a bunch of really cool apps that we talk about in this episode. Listen in as we dive into all things Shopify, including what store owners need to stop asking for on their sites, the one thing that K...
May 20, 2022•56 min
Most eCommerce owners struggle with hiring, let alone trying to hire when they’re scaling at a rapid pace. Roc Pilon is a successful entrepreneur in business, real estate, and the fitness industry. He has a really interesting story coming from a trailer in Boise, Idaho dealing with the effects of the 2008 recession and going all in with $5,000 and an idea to innovate better powerlifting gear. Listen in as we dive into how Roc managed to successfully hire 30 people over the span of two years usin...
May 13, 2022•1 hr
How do you invest in innovation to stay relevant in the marketplace without starving the products that are the bread and butter of your business? Joel Heath is the co-founder of FluidStance.com and he joins me to talk all about innovation - how to think about it in a way that can keep your business relevant without sacrificing what made it successful to begin with. Tune in as we explore Joel’s experience with innovating to the point of alienation and the lessons he learned through that process, ...
May 06, 2022•47 min
Adam Craft is the founder of ElevatedCraft.com, a mixology and drink product brand that is focused on designing bar tools that improve the home bar experience. He has built a pretty cool business and community on Facebook, and in this episode, we’re diving into the role that community has played in growing the brand and exploring where Adam intends to take his community in the future. Tune in as we geek out about the strategy that comes into play with growing and maintaining a really great commu...
Apr 29, 2022•51 min
You know him as the founder of SmartMarketer.com and the co-founder and CEO of BOOM!, but Ezra Firestone recently added another brand to his portfolio: oVertone Haircare. In this episode, we talk about how he took an established but struggling brand and turned it around in only 90 days. Listen in as we discuss the details of Ezra’s oVertone takeover and optimization, which included massive cost-cutting, team re-structuring, and overhauling the marketing strategy to really focus on upsells and gr...
Apr 22, 2022•48 min
Many of us have been in the position where we have an interesting opportunity in front of us to purchase another eCommerce business - maybe it has a complementary product line or it would make a good strategic addition to your existing business - and we’re on the fence about whether we should actually pull the trigger. In this solo episode, I’m sharing the top things you should consider before committing the time, effort, and money that it takes to follow through on such a huge decision, all bas...
Apr 15, 2022•14 min
We were thrilled to hold eCommerceFuel Live at Chesapeake Bay, a place rich in history and great food. This year was especially unique, as it was the first large live event we have held since the beginning of the pandemic, and coming back together as a community was very rewarding. In this episode, we will be reviewing everything that happened during eCF Live. To help us discuss this is Bill D’Alessandro, CEO of Elements Brands. Listen in as Bill and I share how this year’s event was different f...
Apr 08, 2022•53 min
Are you wondering where to put your money this year when it comes to paid traffic? Jesse Pujji is the founder of Gateway X, a holding company that invests in DTC brands, and the co-founder of Ampush, a growth marketing company that connects the right consumers with the right brands, and he knows his stuff when it comes to the growth space and running a business. In this episode, we get right into why Facebook might not be the devil that it is often made out to be, why TikTok might actually be th...
Apr 01, 2022•59 min
Charles Burdett is the founder of PipDecks.com, a suite of card decks that helps people do anything from brainstorming creative workshop ideas and telling better stories to designing more innovative products. It's an amazing case study on how to sell the value and the transformation as opposed to the physical product, and I’m super excited to sit down with Charles today to talk about how he scaled to a 7-figure card deck business. Tune in as we dive into the unintentional birth of PipDecks.com, ...
Mar 25, 2022•42 min
There’s running a business, and then there’s running a business when you have small kids, which is a totally different ballgame—and one that I’m talking about today with my good friend, Bill D’Alessandro. Bill is right in the thick of it with this two-year-old and five-month-old, and we’re going to be keeping it real and dishing about the struggles of trying to balance parenthood and entrepreneurship. Listen in as we give our honest thoughts on what it’s like trying to run a business while raisi...
Mar 18, 2022•54 min
Michael Epstein, my good friend and partner in crime, has served as the CMO for multiple eCommerce brands and has a ton of great experience in the online marketing space. I got to know him over the course of an intense 6-month period, watching him conceptualize and build a brand, and I thought it would be fun to have him come on the show and talk about his eCommerce adventures. Listen in as we unpack so much in this episode, including Michael’s insights into the eCommerce market as it stands tod...
Mar 11, 2022•53 min
I had the opportunity to sit down with Paul DeJoe, Co-Founder and COO of MUD:WTR, a coffee alternative that came to be in an almost unintentional way. He’s a really interesting, fun, and smart guy and we talked about a lot, including podcasting, content creation, and how MUD:WTR is trying to convince people to give up their morning coffee—which is certainly no small feat. Tune in to hear the incredible story behind MUD:WTR, from how they got started to where they are now—and how they made it all...
Mar 04, 2022•45 min
The real magic of the eCommerceFuel community happens when we get together in person, and we had the opportunity to do that late last month in Los Angeles. If you missed it, you’re in luck because today I’m flying solo and giving you the big takeaways and a recap of what I learned during the incredibly cool L.A. Regional Event. Listen in as I share some of the biggest lessons I learned during the event from other ECF members, including what is working in terms of client acquisitions for many, as...
Feb 25, 2022•24 min
You can’t build anything interesting without some level of sacrifice, but if you’re an entrepreneur that is years into the hustle and you still can’t seem to get freedom from your business regularly, there’s a problem. Dale Majors, founder of VentureAnyway.com, joins me today to talk about something that so many of us struggle with: our businesses becoming all-consuming while our personal and family lives slowly disappear. Listen in as Dale shares how to scale your business without becoming a sl...
Feb 18, 2022•51 min
Cost of goods sold: love it or hate it, it’s a big deal in the eCommerce world. To wrap up our three-part series on accounting and finances, we’re diving into all things COGS: the value of it, the implications it can have on your business, and how to figure it out without losing your mind. Joining me today are Jamie McDonald, CEO of A2X Accounting, Scott Scharf of CatchingClouds.net and previous eCommerceFuel financial expert, and Brittany Brown, founder of LedgerGurus.com, who also specializes ...
Feb 11, 2022•42 min
Today I am joined by Tyler Jefcoat, the CEO of Seller Accountant, an accounting firm that specializes in accounting and bookkeeping for online sellers. Tyler has a ton of experience in the eCommerce field, and today we’re diving deep into due diligence and how you can get your business ready for sale from a financial and accountant standpoint. Take a listen as Tyler walks us through some of the things that have completely killed deals on the table, how to build trust with potential buyers (and m...
Feb 04, 2022•48 min
I’m flying solo and kicking off the first of a series of episodes talking all about everyone’s favorite topics: finances, accounting, and bookkeeping in the eCommerce world. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love this episode as we geek out about numbers—and if the word “bookkeeping” makes you want to cry, I promise this episode will leave you with some tangible tips and insights into how to make it work for you. Listen in as I share eight rules to keep you profitable in your business (and sane...
Jan 28, 2022•24 min
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that it’s been a rough year for eCommerce. After the debacle that was the Apple and Facebook divorce, you are definitely not alone if you found the ax being taken to your ad account ROI. Joining me today are Austin Harrison and Grant Margerum, founders of Northbeam.io, the new standard for eCommerce intelligence and attribution. Listen in as we talk all about data, tracking, and what the heck happened between Apple and Facebook. You...
Jan 21, 2022•33 min
Spencer Jan is the co-founder of Solo Stove, along with his brother, Jeff, and they have a phenomenal story of bootstrapping their way to a $2-billion valuation in only 8 years. Within the last 24 months alone, they’ve had two private equity deals and three major 8-figure acquisitions! Spencer joins me today to talk all about that and so much more. Listen in as he shares Solo Stove’s journey from being a side hustle to a highly profitable and valuable company. You'll hear why they obsessed over ...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Ramon van Meer is the owner of AlphaPaw.com, an entrepreneur, and a self-described bootstrap founder of numerous businesses. He has a really cool story of immigrating from the Netherlands 12 years ago and pivoting to the internet marketing space, where he has self-financed his ventures and built some really amazing communities. We dive into so much in this episode, including how Ramon has been so successful doing something that very few have done in the eCommerce space: buying and selling websit...
Jan 07, 2022•50 min
