Mission meats is just a few years old, but it’s gobbling up market share in the red-hot meat snack category. Peter Awad is a long time eCommerce pro. He started selling auto parts on eBay in 2000. Now he and his co-founder Nick have built a meat snack store with a mission. They’re using profits from eCommerce to help fight deforestation, educate children in Africa, and support homeless women and children. But they don’t just have big hearts, they have some serious marketing chops too. In this ep...
Sep 23, 2020•51 min
CPAs that suddenly double overnight. Skyrocketing CPMs. Winning ads that suddenly turn into losers. Data changes that impact how ads are being run now. The list of potential issues, potholes, loopholes, and blackholes for online advertising goes on and on. So what’s an eComm store owner or media buyer to do? Call in Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw from Smart Marketer. These are two of my favorite people to interview and today I have them both with me for the same episode. And it’s a doozy. Here’...
Sep 16, 2020•51 min
This year’s online holiday shopping season will be one for the record books. Most people say they’ll shop more online or exclusively online this year. And online shopping will also start earlier this year, indicated by Google study results where 69% of holiday shoppers say they will shop earlier this year to avoid items being out of stock. To dominate the Cyber 5 this year you need to: Get the most from your remarketing efforts, Cover any gaps you have in your search and shopping efforts, Run co...
Sep 02, 2020•1 hr 22 min
Amazon Advertising has exploded in recent years. In fact, Amazon is now the 3rd largest online advertising platform behind only Facebook and Google. Pretty impressive for a company who’s a retailer first, cloud computing 2nd, and online advertising 3rd. In this episode, I wanted to bring on the sharpest mind in Amazon Advertising that I know - OMG’s very own Chris Tyler. I brought him on so we could deep dive into the two hottest trends in Amazon Advertising right now - Sponsored Brand Video (fo...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr
Is something broken in your business? Not reaching your growth goals like you’d hoped? Then you likely have a systems or delegation problem. My guest today is Trent Dyrsmid. Trent is the host of the Bright Ideas podcast as well as the founder of an Amazon reseller business that just ranked #254 on the Inc. 5000 list. He is also the co-founder of Flowster.app a premier workflow management tool for eCommerce businesses. He knows a thing or two about systems, delegation, and growth. He’s now fully ...
Aug 19, 2020•51 min
Michael Jamin knows a thing or two about telling a good story. He’s written for popular sitcoms like King of the Hill, Rules of Engagement, Tacoma FD, and Beavis & Butthead to name a few. More importantly, for our purposes, he’s also the Co-Founder of Twirly Girl - an eComm brand that features some truly magical storytelling ads. I wanted to have Michael on the show so we could learn some of his secrets….and because I knew it would be a ton of FUN. He delivered. Here’s a quick look at what w...
Aug 05, 2020•47 min
Almost every eCommerce company I talk to is investing heavily into Facebook and Google Ads. Probably less than 30% are actively investing in Affiliate marketing. I first met my guest, Greg Powell, while we were both providing consulting services for another agency. I instantly could tell that he knew his stuff. Now he’s running an extremely successful Affiliate Marketing agency - Tactical Marketing based in Joplin MO. Fringe benefits of an affiliate marketing program including free PR and new au...
Jul 29, 2020•50 min
The online buying journey is a complex process. It rarely looks exactly the same for different shoppers. BUT, there are distinct stages that most shoppers pass through in their unique journey. Video can be your secret weapon along each stage of the journey - compelling customers, educating customers, and delighting customers. Ben Amos lives in Australia’s Sunshine Coast and is a master at creating video content that shapes buying behavior. In this episode, we talk about how video can impact thes...
Jul 22, 2020•44 min
Everyone knows that word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. The problem? How do you facilitate, encourage, and track it without being weird? Enter Nick Stagge and Wooly. In this episode, we discuss two important topics - building Ambassador Programs and putting digital rails around word of mouth advertising. Nick has worked with some awesome brands including Skull Candy, Purple Mattress, and more. Here’s a quick look at what we cover in this episode: Salomon shoes got 22.6 million...
Jul 08, 2020•42 min
Online shopping has shifted dramatically since the start of the pandemic. Some experts believe we’ve seen 5+ years of eCommerce growth condensed into just a few months. Attitudes towards quantities ordered, shipping rates and times, and pricing have ALL shifted from the norm. I wanted to have Jon MacDonald come back on the show (see his first appearance on the podcast for Episode 60 to talk about what’s working right now in terms of Conversion Rate Optimization. We cover some truly fascinating s...
Jul 01, 2020•45 min
Learn how Tru Earth is disrupting the laundry detergent space by selling subscriptions and understanding the power of villains in marketing. My guest in this episode, Ryan McKenzie is a marketing and eComm wiz. He built his first online business in his 20s and after some extreme wins and some humbling losses, he found his eComm game. In this episode, we uncover some of Tru Earth’s keys to success including 3 types of offers that get shoppers to subscribe to auto-replenishment. How to structure p...
Jun 24, 2020•55 min
CrossNet Game began as a crazy idea dreamed up late at night by two brothers and their best friend. But ideas are a dime a dozen. Chris and his brother Greg and co-founder Mike turned their crazy idea into a wildly popular product and a rapidly growing company. So what is CrossNet? It’s 4-way volleyball. Put another way, if volleyball 4 square had a baby, it would be CrossNet. And it’s amazing. This is a phenomenal story about how to launch a product from total obscurity into a sensation. We tal...
Jun 17, 2020•38 min
Jeremy Horowitz helped create the marketing engine behind Lumee , the selfie phone cases made famous by the Kardashians. He now helps growing eCommerce brands create 6 figure + product launches. He also builds what he calls “replenishment engines” - a concept that was new to me but that I absolutely love. Interested in doing $100,000+ in sales in 24 hours on a new product launch? Want to know the secrets of building huge demand, selling out of products, and generating real urgency like Supreme, ...
Jun 04, 2020•46 min
You walk to your mailbox. Inside you find a hand-addressed envelope. It looks like it could be a thank you note of a birthday card. What are the odds you open it? 100%. I love direct mail. Especially now because mailboxes are nearly empty (compared to 15-20 years ago). In this episode I interview David Wachs, CEO of Handwrytten. We discuss creative and affordable ways eCommerce companies can use Direct Mail to build customer loyalty and increase sales. We also discuss how his technology allows f...
May 27, 2020•36 min
In early February before all live events were cancelled I presented at Social Media Marketing World 2020 in San Diego. My talk covered the latest tactics and strategies we’re using right now to scale on YouTube. This is the recording of my presentation at this paid event. Here’s a quick look at what I cover in this talk: Could YouTube be your next big thing? 2 Proven Ad formulas for cold traffic Ad formulas for warm traffic What is progressive audience testing and how to use it How to leverage Y...
May 20, 2020•47 min
I’m sure you’re aware of chat marketing. But if you’re like most marketers and Amazon sellers, it’s still an area of immense opportunity for you. Maybe it’s even still a bit of a mystery to you. Michelle Barnum Smith is the Queen of chat marketing for Amazon sellers. I had a chance to sit down with her and discuss some super powerful ways to grow your Amazon business with chat marketing that you probably haven’t thought of, including… The 3 types of messenger campaigns to run consistently Why pr...
May 13, 2020•42 min
Strengthening customer relationships. Building valuable assets. Improving and documenting SOPs. Growing email and remarketing lists. Watching every episode of the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls Documentary - The Last Dance. That’s just a few of the ways Ezra and Co are surviving and THRIVING in the current climate. Ezra is often the first person eCommerce entrepreneurs turn to when they need advice. This episode delivers some true and timely gems and words of wisdom. eCommerce will likely come out...
May 07, 2020•44 min
My guest today knows a thing or two about growing DTC eCommerce brands to 8 figures and beyond. His agency, Wavebreak, focuses on email, SMS and loyalty marketing for growing eCommerce brands. On today’s episode we talk about how email marketing has shifted in light of the pandemic and how it will likely continue to shift in the months and weeks ahead. Here’s a quick look at what we cover: How to go on offense without being offensive How to build community and goodwill now How to stay true to yo...
Apr 30, 2020•48 min
This is an episode a couple of years in the making. I’m a huge Ryan Daniel Moran fan. We had dinner together after an event for speakers at an event in LA a few years ago. Then we both got busy. Ryan came on the show to discuss some burning topics facing all entrepreneurs right now. Advice for an eCommerce company who’s struggling right now in the pandemic Advice for an e-commerce company who’s excelling right nowThe number 1 way to be instantly happier right now (and it leads to better business...
Apr 28, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Currently, over 77% of our eCommerce clients are either still UP in sales even during this time of extreme uncertainty or are the same (plus or minus 1-2%). Yes, some are hurting - but for most eCommerce businesses you CAN do something about sluggish sales right now. We’ve learned a lot in recent weeks on what messages resonate with prospects and what falls flat. In this episode (taken from a recent highly-popular webinar) Chris Brewer, Co-Founder of OMG Commerce and I dive into these important ...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Supply chain, lock down, store closures, falling ad costs, rising costs of sanitation…just a few of the areas impacting retail and e-commerce right now. In my interview with Eamon Kelly of Edgewater Research, we talk about the following hot topics to recent data points. How ad costs are impacted on Amazon, Facebook and Google during the crisis What categories are seeing spikes vs. dips in sales…there are a few surprising areas here plus some opportunities for companies to pivot. What major retai...
Apr 15, 2020•35 min
Original Grain has an origin story that’s as cool as it’s products…and as cool as it’s founders. In this interview, we tackle some critically important topics for all DTC brands. We discuss building a product that has an authentic story that resonates. We look at the Original Grain approach to sourcing and designing that next winning product. We hear the Original Grain example of launching successful kickstarter campaigns, and we talk about marketing during a crisis and much more. Brother’s Ryan...
Apr 08, 2020•52 min
Economic Crisis - time to panic or time to press ahead? While challenging and painful, there are huge opportunities right now. Some of the world’s most successful companies grew leaps and bounds during recessions (Toyota, Kellogs and many others). On this show investor, mentor and brilliant marketer and entrepreneur Roland Frasier and I talk about what you need to do to survive and thrive right now. From getting your head right, to ensuring financial stability to how to market your product - rig...
Apr 02, 2020•53 min
Liz Germain is a YouTube Marketing legend. We met when I was speaking at an event for eCommerce brands at the YouTube LA Offices. Between her own fitness channel and her client’s channels, she’s helped rack up over 100 million organic video views on YouTube. Wow. In this interview, we deep dive into how she does it. From the content, she creates to the research that inspires it. We also discuss where you should start and how to take your YouTube channel to the next level. Here’s what we cover Li...
Mar 31, 2020•44 min
We’ve all had the following experience. We’re on a quest for a specific product hoping if will fulfill a very specific need. So we visit a product page on Amazon or another eCommerce site hoping that this might be the product we’ve been eagerly searching for….But, to our disappointment the product page doesn’t clearly tell us if the product will meet our need or not. So we don’t buy. Uh-oh. Pop quiz. What can increase customer engagement, improve conversion rates by 2-10x, and drive substantial ...
Mar 25, 2020•35 min
Quick - what’s the best, most effective viral video ad you’ve seen? Poo-Pourri? Purple Mattress? Maybe Squatty Potty? Chatbooks? Each of those videos (plus dozens more) were created by my guest today and his team at Harmon Brothers. And not only where these videos viral hits…they SOLD stuff. Funny. Memorable. And persuasive to the tunes of hundreds of millions in sales. That's hard to accomplish. In this episode, we dig into some of the tips, tactics and secrets behind the Harmon Brother’s unriv...
Mar 18, 2020•36 min
The thought of going International with your eComm business is both exciting and scary. It also seems like a HUGE undertaking. New tax codes, laws, and confusing acronyms to deal with like VAT and GST. Plus we still have the dated mindset that says we only expand internationally once we’ve maximized what we can get here in the good ole U S of A. Kevin Sanderson will challenge your thinking and bust some myths to help you go international much sooner than you possibly thought…maybe right now. Her...
Mar 11, 2020•33 min
Transparency. Sustainability. Social responsibility. More than just buzz words these are now expectations that consumers have of the brands they buy from. In this episode, we dive into what it means to be a mission-driven eCommerce brand. We share lots of powerful examples like Everlane, All Birds and more. My friend Ezra Firestone’s company Smart Marketer has the perfect slogan - Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit. Now you can do the right thing by fighting hunger, helping orphans, cleaning...
Feb 27, 2020•47 min
There are over 150 million Alexa devices in use today. Google has sold upwards of 50 million of its Google Home devices. While most devices are used primarily to listen to music or play games or control appliances like lights and heat and air…voice commerce is on the rise too. In this episode, I interview Anmol Oberoi the Founder and CEO of Emitrr - a voice-first SaaS Platform. We dive into voice commerce use-cases that are making an impact now. We also talk about where voice commerce is likely ...
Feb 19, 2020•40 min
Shopify apps are great. Someone else spends hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, developing functionality that you can use for just $30 per month. Apps on Shopify are so easy to install and so seemingly harmless that many store owners install dozens and dozens of apps - many of which they uninstall or never use. This approach can have serious unintended consequences. In this episode we dive into a smarter approach to apps that can help any Shopify store owner. Here’s a look at what w...
Feb 06, 2020•43 min
