Summary In this episode, Russell talks with Erik Huberman, CEO and founder of Hawk Media, about the current state of marketing and the role of AI in the industry. Erik shares his background in e-commerce and how he built Hawk Media into a successful marketing agency. He emphasizes the importance of delivering on promises and executing marketing strategies effectively. Erik also discusses the work-life harmony he has created by incorporating his personal interests and experiences into his busines...
Apr 18, 2024•42 min•Ep. 31
Summary Jane and Boris from The Goodfor Company discuss their passion for water filtration and the importance of clean water. They share their journey from the plumbing industry to e-commerce and their unique approach to educating customers about water treatment. They also talk about the challenges and benefits of working as a couple in business and their goals for the future. The Goodfor Company aims to build a national brand and expand into franchising. They emphasize the importance of surroun...
Apr 02, 2024•35 min•Ep. 30
Summary In this conversation, Jake shares his experience of acquiring a smoke bomb business called Shutterbombs. He discusses his background in marketing and how he transitioned into entrepreneurship. Jake also talks about the challenges of shipping hazmat products and the due diligence process involved in acquiring a business. Additionally, he shares advice for aspiring business buyers and highlights the importance of self-motivation and continuous learning. The conversation concludes with a di...
Mar 26, 2024•41 min•Ep. 29
Summary In this episode, Alex Vailas, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at Dyper, shares insights on how Dyper stands out in a competitive market dominated by big brands. She discusses the importance of storytelling and how Dyper focuses on the future of children and the planet. Alex also talks about their innovative marketing strategies, including their Dyper card and re-diaper programs. She emphasizes the need for brands to think outside the box and challenge the status quo to make a re...
Mar 19, 2024•39 min•Ep. 28
Summary In this episode, Russell and Emerson chat with Irene Scharmack, CEO of Quick Box Fulfillment, about the changes in the fulfillment industry since COVID-19. Irene discusses the challenges faced during the pandemic, including labor shortages and carrier capacity issues. She also highlights the opportunities in the warehouse space and the benefits of zone skipping. Irene emphasizes the importance of choosing the right warehouse management system and building trust and transparency with clie...
Feb 27, 2024•31 min•Ep. 27
Summary In this episode, Will Haire, co-founder of BellaVix, shares his expertise on becoming profitable on Amazon using PPC and DSP advertising strategies. He explains the difference between PPC (pay per click) and DSP (demand side platform) advertising and how they can be used to target different stages of the customer journey. Will also discusses the importance of mitigating cannibalization when selling on Amazon and provides tips for brands looking to scale their advertising efforts. He emph...
Feb 12, 2024•35 min•Ep. 26
Summary In this episode, Russell and Emerson discuss the future of UPS and its focus on returns. They start by sharing their spicy takes on UPS and its reputation. They then dive into the volume of Amazon returns at UPS and the impact of the Teamsters Union strike. They also analyze UPS's stock performance and earnings, including the layoffs and cost pressures the company is facing. The conversation shifts to UPS's acquisition of Happy Returns and the potential it holds for the company. They exp...
Feb 06, 2024•26 min•Ep. 25
Summary In this episode, Russell and Emerson interview Josh Taylor from Shipware, a cost reduction company specializing in shipping. They discuss the complexity of shipping rates, when brands should consider breaking off from 3PL rates, negotiating 3PL contracts, balancing shipping costs, the impact of the UPS strike and USPS, expectations for 2024, and low-hanging fruit practices during GRI season. In this conversation, Josh Taylor discusses various aspects of the supply chain and the shipping ...
Jan 22, 2024•42 min•Ep. 24
Summary Joe Spisak, CEO of fulfill.com, discusses the world of 3PLs (third-party logistics) and the challenges and benefits of working with them. He shares his own experience starting a 3PL company and the importance of branding and differentiation in the industry. Joe explains when brands should consider transitioning to a 3PL and the factors to consider when choosing the right partner. He also emphasizes the importance of transparency and communication in maintaining a successful brand-3PL rel...
Jan 15, 2024•32 min•Ep. 23
Summary In this episode, Russell and Emerson discuss the transition from discount brands to premium brands in the ecommerce industry. They explore the concept of discount brands and premium brands, and the factors that determine whether a brand can go premium. They also discuss the knee-jerk reaction of offering discounts to increase sales and the challenges of transitioning to a premium brand. The episode concludes with a formula for going from discount to premium and the importance of providin...
Jan 08, 2024•33 min•Ep. 22
Summary In this episode, Russell and Emerson discuss their experiences and observations from Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They talk about their discounting strategies, the effectiveness of plain text emails, and the importance of targeted follow-ups. They also discuss marketing tactics and the winner of Black Friday. They conclude by highlighting Shopify's success and the peak sales time during the weekend. Takeaways Discounting strategies should be carefully planned to avoid customer dissatis...
Jan 02, 2024•23 min•Ep. 21
Summary In this episode, Russell and Emerson discuss the differences between Shopify and WooCommerce as e-commerce platforms. They start by recapping Black Friday and the success of Shopify during the holiday season. They then dive into the pros and cons of both platforms, highlighting Shopify's ease of use, dedicated support, and seamless integrations, while noting WooCommerce's flexibility and lower costs. Ultimately, they recommend Shopify for e-commerce businesses due to its user-friendly in...
Dec 07, 2023•25 min•Ep. 20
Did you know that 1 in 20 orders fail delivery on the first attempt?! Or that at least 2-3% of orders aren't delivered on time, no matter which carrier? This means a significant portion of your customers are going to have shipping issues or questions! Today we are talking about how to handle those issues and give your customer the best experience possible! Here are some of the things we discuss: Have a great help desk process Have an easy to use branded tracking page Use a shipping method that h...
Nov 27, 2023•15 min•Ep. 19
Emerson dives into 5 ways you can reduce your customer service emails and even drops a little nugget that we'll call the McShipping Secret. Focusing on a tool in each category you can reduce your CX tickets by up to 50% or more! Address Validation - Address Validator Plus Post purchase order editing - Orderify FAQ or Knowledge base Section - Gorgias or Helpscout Automating Returns and Exchanges process - CREW by Corso Shipping protection/insurance - Green Shipping Protection by Corso Tracking pa...
Nov 22, 2023•29 min•Ep. 18
We're big fans of Shopify here and after a recent consulting call that Russell had we decided to make a list of our top five marketing apps for Shopify. We're going to give you our list of 5 apps, but in reality this is more of a list of 5 categories of marketing apps. You don't have to use the ones we recommend, but something that gets the job done will go a long way with your marketing. Email Marketing - Klaviyo or Sendlane SMS Marketing - Postscript Upsells - Rebuy Onsite Popups (list growth)...
Nov 17, 2023•19 min•Ep. 17
There are infinite ways to create holiday and Black Friday Cyber Monday sales. In this episode Russell shares everything he's learned from a decade of running BFCM sales. Top points include breaking the sales period into 3, leading with your biggest offer, how many times you should be emailing on specific days during the holiday sale rush, and so much more! If you have something to add to this conversation, let us know on LinkedIn: Russell Steed Emerson Hammer...
Nov 13, 2023•27 min•Ep. 16
You may have your sales for the holidays all planned out, but are your operations all buttoned up and ready to roll? Emerson shares his 4 part checklist for preparing your ecommerce operations for the holiday order rush! Preparing your carriers Getting your warehouse ready Updating your published policies Working with tech partners to make sure everything goes smoothly You can download the entire checklist here. We'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn! Russell Steed Emerson Hammer...
Nov 09, 2023•23 min•Ep. 15
This is just a quick episode letting you know that after a little bit of a break, we are going to be rebranding the podcast to highlight our new and improved focus of helping ecommerce professionals just like you.
Nov 07, 2023•4 min•Ep. 14
After dropping out of high school in 11th grade, and moving to Israel for 7 years, Judah found himself hustling to make ends meet. He was a natural born hustler, finding used items and selling them on Amazon. Judah takes us through his Entrepreneurial journey of how he founded and scaled a booming baby products brand called Jool Baby. Judah now sells dozens of baby products on his own webiste, Amazon, and in retail stores such as Walmart and Target. His story is motivation and a great case-study...
Nov 04, 2023•54 min•Ep. 13
There comes a time in every direct to consumer brand's lifetime where they are spending on Facebook ads, Google Ads, Display ads, and feel somewhat tapped out on those channels. Even though the barrier to entry on digital PPC is so low and highly scalable, diversifying a advertising strategy is the best way to scale and future-proof a rapidly growing business. Direct mail is making a comeback in the advertising space and it is proving to be even more effective than most digitally native brands o...
Apr 20, 2022•42 min•Ep. 12
Wyatt Moss is an ex-Google employee. From his time working at Google he learned what worked and what didn't when it came to advertising on Google. Fast forward a few years and now Wyatt personally manages the strategy and execution of millions of dollars in monthly ad-spend. Wyatt uses his insider knowledge and decade of experience to optimize digital advertising spend for his clients. We dive into utilizing google ads in your business, when it makes sense, when it doesn't. We also chat about wh...
Mar 23, 2022•50 min•Ep. 11
Jeff Oxford is a specialist in eCommerce search engine optimization. He walks us through the newest as well as the time tested techniques in SEO. Obviously he does this all day everyday and would love to have more clients to work with, but Jeff also drops some truth bombs on how a small startup business can start getting SEO traction without breaking the bank on hiring an agency. We talk with Jeff about a few key things that any brand can implement in order to start ranking well for their desire...
Mar 17, 2022•47 min•Ep. 10
With all the supply chain issues we've experienced over the past 2 years with no end in sight, many brands are looking to alternatives to manufacturing in Asia. The obvious answer for manufacturing in North America is Mexico. Jorge Arana is an experienced Mexican businessman who has started and operated many different businesses within Mexico and the US. He takes us through different options that brands have when looking to move manufacturing or just second sourcing in Mexico. There are even ind...
Mar 08, 2022•51 min•Ep. 9
Hunter Stutz, from Pitted Labs, talks to us today about the ins and outs of walmart.com. Pitted labs started out as an amazon agency and has expanded into multiple different channels including a fulfillment center and VC firm. One of their most unique expertise is on taking brands who sell on Amazon and expanding their reach to Walmart.com Hunter dives into how Walmart.com compares to Amazon, why a brand would want to sell on Walmart.com, how to be successful on Walmart.com, and what expectation...
Mar 02, 2022•44 min•Ep. 8
Gabe is a master at driving traffic through many paid advertising channels such as Facebook ads, Google ads, influencer marketing and more. Most of his experience has been in driving sales for direct to consumer eCommerce brands. He recently moved into the fintech Saas world, where he is able to take the principles of marketing a physical into a service based software business. Gabe walks us through how he builds his frameworks, or funnels, and how building a strong foundation of touch points wi...
Feb 22, 2022•37 min•Ep. 7
Amazon is a beast, but it's becoming even more important to sell your product on their platform. In this episode we discuss what it takes to sell on Amazon, why you should or shouldn't sell on Amazon, and who you should hire to help you do it. Josh is the founder of a top tier Amazon consulting agency and shares all of his expertise on how to approach Amazon as an existing brand or as a new product. Just like it's become necessary to have a social media presence (if you're not on facebook or ins...
Feb 09, 2022•52 min•Ep. 6
As your product goes from idea to international best-seller you'll go through various growth stages. Working with a third party logistics (3PL) company can really help you go from a basement operation to a full-fledged business. However, working with a 3PL comes with its own issues and isn't right for every brand, in this episode we get into all those details. You'll hear how Braden first took the plunge into the 3PL world and how him and his partners have turned their 3PL into a thriving busine...
Feb 03, 2022•32 min•Ep. 5
It's no secret that return rates just come with operating a product based eCommerce business, but how much time and effort do you put into making sure your return policy is a great marketing tool? 67% of customers check the return policy before purchasing and 92% will buy from you again if the returns process is easy. It's time to use the power of returns to increase your sales and promote customer loyalty. In this episode we will get into how to craft a solid return policy, why you should make ...
Jan 14, 2022•34 min•Ep. 4
From Target to Home Depot, Eric Child has over 16 years of experience in creating products and selling them direct to consumer and through big box retailers . In this interview we dive into when it makes sense to take a product into retail, how to work with the big dogs, mono-branded vs. big box, is the retail industry dying, and so much more!
Jan 04, 2022•43 min•Ep. 3
SMS marketing is a relatively new marketing channel and many brands have yet to jump in. In this episode we will talk through where SMS marketing is currently at, where it's going, and how you can start taking advantage of it's amazing benefits today! SMS Benchmarks Platforms we talked about today: Postscript Emotive Attentive Klaviyo Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment below!...
Dec 13, 2021•36 min•Ep. 2
