This season on Step by Step, we are asking what does “seamless” mean to my eCommerce business and how do I demystify that in a way that helps me select the right solutions and softwares that make a seamless experience come to life? Joining us on the podcast in this episode is Rebecca Hall, Director of Digital Solutions Consulting at Blue Acorn ICI, and Doug Hatcher, her counterpart on the sales side of the business, a solutions consultant. And they're going to answer this question, "What does fu...
May 31, 2023•54 min
This season on Step by Step, we are asking what does “seamless” mean to my eCommerce business and how do I demystify that in a way that helps me select the right solutions and softwares that make a seamless experience come to life? In this episode, we are talking to Keith Menezes, who's the Director of Commercialization at Walmart, the world's largest retailer. We're going to talk about how we master omnichannel integration and provide for a seamless experience not just for customers, but also f...
May 30, 2023•40 min
This season on Step by Step, we are asking what does “seamless” mean to my eCommerce business and how do I demystify that in a way that helps me select the right solutions and softwares that make a seamless experience come to life? To start this season off, we welcome the CEO of Whisker, Jacob Zuppke, to share about his incredible amount of experience in building a technology company that today is omnichannel, selling in retailers, selling via an app, and making your life a better place by makin...
May 29, 2023•47 min
Mockup Culture is everywhere these days. We have seen things from Wes Anderson Star Wars to Gucci Spring lookbooks created in MidJourney, the possibilities are truly endless. Join Phillip and Brian as they explore the notion that we now live in a time where any dream can be transformed into reality, no matter how bizarre or outlandish. They explore how prominent brands like Telfar are embracing the concept, utilizing gamified pricing strategies to captivate consumers. As they dissect these pheno...
May 26, 2023•48 min•Ep. 305
What does it take to build a brand that stands out as a Hero? How does the Hero’s story inspire us and bring about positive impact in the world around us? Listen now as Ju Rhyu shares with Phillip some of her Hero’s journey in building Hero Cosmetics! Standout Success {00:02:47} Ju knew that acne care is an emotional and sensitive area of the market, and she wanted the name of the product and of the brand to be positive and connect emotionally with consumers who needed the solution the product w...
May 24, 2023•15 min
Any business comes with risks, and there are many legal issues around advertising that can become major if a brand doesn’t have arms around what those are and how to avoid them. From differing terms of agreement to the variety of laws per state, there is a good deal to navigate, and it takes an expert to wade through. How do you realistically have a thriving enterprise or a business with these kinds of encumbrances? Listen now to our conversation with Robert Freund and his take on this changing ...
May 19, 2023•55 min•Ep. 304
Joy Howard's Early Majority is defying conventional eCommerce norms by building in public with their community. In this episode, learn about Joy's ethos for redefining brands with a “punk rock ethos,” the challenges of creating a unique online experience, and how Early Majority’s mission to redefine the good life is resonating with customers seeking a more meaningful, eco-conscious lifestyle. Listen now! Street to Summit: Culture is What Makes Brands {00:05:12} Why do so many outdoor brands make...
May 12, 2023•46 min•Ep. 303
How do you find out what your customers are afraid of and what they already want? What has it been like for Aaron to go from being the long form guy at previous companies to now creating short form content? How does our personal story fit into the larger narrative and why is that powerful to consider? Listen in now to the discussion with Aaron Orendorff and hear this and more! The Story Within The Story {00:06:31} Good writing that is a mix of good content, emotion, storytelling, and enough of t...
May 05, 2023•55 min•Ep. 302
The guys sit down and hear from Kiri Masters about her newest report, Fit For Purpose: 23 Next-gen DSP Metrics That Measure What Matter, and the incredible insights found within. As always, Kiri provides interesting ways to look at important metrics like only she can. Listen in now and hear more! The Gorilla in the Room {00:05:13} Kiri found that her clients needed to take a step back and understand what was happening at each stage of the buyer journey based on a better set of metrics that, as h...
Apr 28, 2023•47 min•Ep. 301
The way that we buy is changing dramatically. Folks make less concerted purchases of a higher order value based on this really brief calculus of what kind of a product it is, where you are in your need for that product. Over the past seven years of doing this show, we’ve seen how much attention has been fractured. Parasocial relationships are entertainment mixed in with social media mixed in with commerce. Listen in now as Phillip and Brian discuss these ideas and more! Entertaining Relationship...
Apr 21, 2023•58 min•Ep. 300
What do you do when there is an area in public affairs with either fast change or major conflict happening? You send in the sophisticated research team Mark Drapeau leads and find out what is going on and why. Listen in now to our conversation with Mark as he shares insights from years of research and also more about their newest report called Maximum Impact: How Digital Ads Level the Playing Field for U.S. Small Businesses! Data, Digital, and Disruption {00:05:45} “We want people to be armed wi...
Apr 14, 2023•53 min•Ep. 299
Is it possible to find a gap in the market and find your own creative ways to authentically fill it? What are some ways to leverage social media interaction in ways that really build loyal, longterm relationships with your customers? Listen in to hear Adam Simone share the journey Leaf Shave has been on and where they’re headed next! “And then Doja Cat Shaved Her Eyebrows” {00:05:18} When two engineers get together and are grumpy about a hole in the market, you get a pretty cool little piece of ...
Apr 07, 2023•44 min•Ep. 298
What role do reviews have in building a business and how can they aid in building community? What is the value of print versus in-person events and the typical stream of digital content? Listen in to hear what Natalie Sportelli as she tells us about the future of commerce. “The Trustworthiness of Tone” {00:07:42} “What really sets us apart is creating a Yelp equivalent of trusting other people's experiences with brands to help inform your own.” - Natalie {00:12:46} There is really interesting ps...
Mar 31, 2023•38 min•Ep. 297
Today we cover the absence of a modern media format war and the reemergence of convergence devices. PLUS: What is the key to building a better future for your brand? According to Peter Karpas, CEO at Bold Commerce, it's the "customer trifecta": great products, quality customer flow, and thoughtful customer journeys. Listen now! The Commerce Quilt {00:03:28} The digital natives are becoming the analog curious, and it’s now a sustainable business model to sell analog formats to a new audience {00:...
Mar 24, 2023•52 min•Ep. 296
As we sit in the middle of conference and expo season, we chat with Alicia Esposito about what she is excited about in retail right now and why, while also discussing the need for humans and community even with the advancement of AI technology. Plus, a special announcement about RICE X Future Commerce June 2023! Listen now for all of this and more! We Still Need Humans {00:05:50} There are two key areas that Alicia is most excited about in retail right now: retail media and also the store become...
Mar 17, 2023•52 min•Ep. 295
How can we both challenge the idea of best practices while also not throwing the idea completely away? Why do we need guardrails and how do those serve the customer best? What are some shifts in culture that can lead to better outcomes in the supply chain and in the commerce ecosystem as a whole around fast and cheap manufacturing and distribution? Listen now to hear this and more! “Best Practices” can’t be a function of stasis {00:05:24} Jesse offers a challenge to our take on best practices sa...
Mar 14, 2023•55 min•Ep. 294
With so many tech options, understanding how brands can use technology in a way that humanizes the customer experience while not being afraid of “getting behind the curve” can be a delicate balance. How do you use it to grow and develop and be more knowledgeable in your space and serve your customers well both in-store and online? Road Runner Sports is a brand that is serious about navigating this balance. Listen now to hear Sean Peterson share how their in-store experience is paving the way for...
Mar 10, 2023•28 min•Ep. 293
From COVID trends to worldwide annual forecasting across various industries, Ci En Lee and team have been compiling and curating helpful content and sharing with the world. Listen now and be reminded of how one brilliant idea can lead to others and build community across cultures. Who Reports on the Trends Reports Reports? {00:03:23} What started with a desire to collect and share COVID trends for companies led to what is now an annual trends report {00:5:43} The sharing culture is very importan...
Mar 03, 2023•27 min•Ep. 292
What about NRF and Manifest conferences prompted Kris Gösser to assert that a lot of the hardships in retail are behind us? What positive changes is he seeing in operations and logistics that will be a force for more of the right kinds of changes? And what can we learn from generational business models to futureproof in a technology-heavy, technology-centric industry? Listen now and join the discussion! People Are Back {00:09:43} It’s interesting to note the differences between NRF and other sma...
Feb 24, 2023•49 min•Ep. 291
Revisit with us this incredibly deep discussion from December 2016 with Brian Roemmele about how voice interaction (and other tech) will revolutionize most everything and how at the end of the day, we have to fight to keep the humanity into the equation. Learn, develop, grow, change, and also strive to understand the people around you and behind all of this technology. Listen now to hear more! Time For More {00:08:27} The guys discuss with Roemmele how many buttons in the world, crosswalks, elev...
Feb 17, 2023•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 290
Lots of thoughts and feelings and experiences after NRF this year. Alicia Esposito sat down and interviewed our very own Phillip Jackson, along with Adam Blair, to debrief The Big Show and discuss what’s coming and what needs to be happening next in the world of commerce and why it’s a good time to be excited about it. Listen in now to hear it all, including intriguing metaphors and talk of noodles! Close The Loop 0:04:15 - Lots of positive excitement was abuzz at NRF, even with the pain of Q4 i...
Feb 17, 2023•52 min•Ep. 289
Ian Leslie returns to Industry West as the new Chief Marketing Officer after an eighteen-month sabbatical. During this time, he gained experience in the SaaS world, working with Bolt and #Paid. Previously, Ian had raised concerns about Shopify in favor of Magento, but in his absence, Industry West has made the switch…Do his concerns still stand? Can Shopify really do it all, or is its “one-stop shop” reputation embellished? Are we seeing a return to print due to inbox anxiety? Should the 5 day w...
Feb 10, 2023•56 min•Ep. 288
We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business. We talk with Miguel Facusse, the founder of Jack Archer. Miguel touches on how to build a business with your exit plan in mind and the importance of storytelling in finding produ...
Feb 03, 2023•49 min
We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business. In this episode of Step by Step, Phillip and Brian talk to Manny Estrada, the founder of Wearva, about the role of solid fundamentals in scaling a business. Manny emphasizes the ...
Feb 02, 2023•39 min
We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business. We talk with Jonathan Paquin, the founder of Nine Months Sober, about his experience in selling his business, and how he was able to keep it lean throughout the process. He expla...
Feb 01, 2023•39 min
We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business. We talk with Brendan Brosnan and Chris Heckman, co-founders of Yogaste about their experience co-founding Yogaste and how their shared passion and ability to communicate well led...
Jan 31, 2023•43 min
We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business. In this episode, we welcome Jeremy Wood, Co-Founder of OpenStore to discuss OpenStore’s approach to negotiating and buying businesses and what entrepreneurs need to know when thi...
Jan 30, 2023•41 min
Is the current shift to more machines reminiscent of the eCommerce movement, where ease of use and fewer middlemen were promised but where actually more middlemen are created? What is ChatGPT leading to already, how will that continue to influence the future, and what did Norbert Wiener say back in 1964 that was chillingly accurate? There is a lot to discuss, so listen now! Say That, But Shorter “Layoffs are refocusing where the priorities are in one part of the business to futureproof itself fo...
Jan 27, 2023•44 min•Ep. 287
Even in the aftermath of difficulties within the retail and commerce world, there is a relentless positivity and excitement shared among those living and working in it. This was evident at The NRF Big Show this year. Have a listen as Phillip and Brian share more about their perspective on this and what this could mean for the very near future! Aggressive Optimism The NRF Big Show was great, and everyone was enthusiastic about being there, back at the Big Show like old times Walmart Technologies ...
Jan 20, 2023•53 min•Ep. 286
Some Bold Predictions Who are The Biggest Retail Winners of 2022? What about The Biggest Retail Losers of 2022? Are these surprises? Who will it be for 2023? “If there is digital business to be won, Walmart can win it and they'll win it away from Amazon.” - Phillip “The call to work back in the office again is going to spur a set of entrepreneurs from big and small brands alike,” leading to growth in the maker economy The Biggest DTC Winner prediction for 2022 was so so right and was basically a...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 285
