eComFuel Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Overcoming a Tough Youth to Grow VIPHaircare.com Nov 26, 2021

Show notes

Darnell Jackson is the Chief Operations Officer at VIPHaircare.com, a 100% black-owned luxury beauty brand that focuses on the growth and maintenance of strong, healthy hair. Darnell has a really interesting story, having grown up without access to a lot of resources and overcoming all of that to build a successful beauty brand with his wife.

Listen in as Darnell shares his journey as a young entrepreneur, how he pivoted from illicit pursuits to business pursuits, and what it's like bootstrapping your way to the top without a safety net to fall back on. We also discuss why his next focus is on growing a personal brand instead of a business, and how he and his wife are approaching influencer marketing to make that happen.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3x09aBU

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

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Building a $100M+ Brand without Investors or Credit Nov 19, 2021

Show notes

Sean Frank is the COO at Ridge Wallets, an everyday essentials brand that started on Kickstarter in 2013 and blew well past its goals in the first and second campaigns. Since then, they have bootstrapped their way to $100 million in sales without any investors or credit (until recently!).

In this episode, we're diving into how Ridge Wallets grew to the size they are today in an industry that is notorious for sucking up cash, as well as the unique influencer strategy that helps Sean get the most exposure for the brand with the least amount of work. Sean also shares the one key metric that he uses to dial in his headcount to keep the business lean without overloading his team, and we talk about why the next two years may be the hardest for those in the eCommerce game.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3qORDvg

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Marketing Opportunities in a Post iOS 14.5 World Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

A lot has changed over the last year when it comes to online marketing, with increased competition, changing dynamics, and major platform changes. If you feel like your head is spinning, you are definitely not alone. Steve Chou joins me today to dive into the current state of eCommerce, including what we're ignoring and where we're really doubling down in our marketing efforts.

Listen in as we talk about all the changes that have happened over the past few years that are informing strategy in Steve's business and in my own. You'll learn what we are doing to get the most bang for our buck, as well as why Steve is moving away from third-party platforms in favor of those that he has some measure of control over.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3BLKlKK

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Doubling Down on Culture to Sell 8-Figures of Frogs Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Usually when I invite a guest on the show, it's to learn all the trade secrets of what they do really well, but today's guest joins me because he's an incredible human being that also happens to be really good at running an eCommerce store. Meet Josh Willard, the founder of Josh's Frogs, an 8-figure business and the largest producer of captive-bred poison dart frogs in the United States—and possibly the world!

Listen in as we dive into Josh's interesting approach to building a values-based business, where he gets the most bang for his buck when it comes to marketing, and why he decided to only sell frogs that are raised in-house. We also talk about why Josh shares the company's financials with his team (including revenue, profit, and even his own salary) and the benefits and risks of opening the books in this way.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2ZHfRMq

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

An Inside Look at Chinese FBA Businesses Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

I could probably count on one hand the number of people who have landed on the website through a cold pitch email, but today's guest is one of those people. Jason Lee is the founder of TheFBAFlipper.com, and he joins me today to talk about the ins and outs of the Chinese FBA market.

Listen in as we dive into what the FBA market is like in China, who is typically building FBA businesses, and how these businesses differ from those found in the West. We also dive into some of the fraud tactics you'll find in the Chinese market and why Western merchants have a significant advantage over their Chinese counterparts despite government support for FBA businesses.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3FQbFKK

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

The Struggle To Hire Right Now Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

Have you asked yourself lately what the heck is going on with hiring? It's a great time to be an employee, but a rough time to be an employer, and unless you're a business of one, you have likely experienced the pain of finding the right people to join your team over the last year. In this episode, I'm joined by three wonderful ECF community members, Andy Hayes of PlumDeluxe.com, Meredith Erin from BoredwalkTshirts.com, and Mehtab Bhogal from KartaVentures.com, to discuss all things hiring.

Listen in as we talk about what has happened with the job market, including the trends Andy, Meredith, and Mehtab are each seeing in their respective markets around the country. You'll learn the factors that have played into the difficulty finding the right people to fill open roles, how they are trying to get people through the door, and what to expect for hiring as government benefits begin to expire. We also dive into some of the egregious things that job applicants have asked for in their job search.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3mtN1XM

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Managing a Warehouse-Based Business Remotely (Plus Mike Jackness Needs a Protégé) Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

How many of you have considered buying a business, swooping in to fix all the problems, and making a boatload of money from the experience? Sounds great, right? The fantasy is rarely the reality though when it comes to buying a business, and today Mike Jackness of EcomCrew joins me to talk about his transition into buying a business and managing it post-acquisition.

Listen in as we dive into what it was like for Mike to purchase a business and become a remote CEO, why he's looking for somebody to take over his role as CEO of the business, and what he's looking for in that rockstar replacement. You'll definitely want to listen to this episode if you're looking for a really amazing opportunity to work for an eCommerce company in a high-level capacity. And even if you're not looking for a new gig, hopefully you'll get a few insights into what it's like to buy and manage a business.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3FDVDUe

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

The Ocean Freight Nightmare Oct 08, 2021

Show notes

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 18 months, you are probably aware that container prices are stupidly high right now. Our ECF importing expert, David Bryant of eComCrew, joins me today to discuss what has caused these ridiculously high prices and what you can do to mitigate the pain.

Take a listen and get insight into how we got to where we are when it comes to global shipping, what the near-future holds for lead times and pricing, and what you can do now to help lessen the blow. There are some valuable lessons I learned from my conversation with David, so make you don't miss this episode—especially with holiday shopping just around the corner!

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3ipjdtW

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

When Suppliers Raise Your Prices Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

It's been a rough year for many of us. Shipping rates have gone through the roof, supplier prices are increasing, and margins are getting tighter. My good friend and regular guest Bill D'Alessandro joins me today to discuss one piece of the profitability puzzle: the sad world of supplier price increases.

We're diving into what's been going on in the world with supplier price increases, if the levels we're hearing about are in line with what the official numbers say, and whether or not you can expect even more price increases in the near future. We're also looking at different ways you can protect your business and your personal investments, and mitigate price increases without impacting your sales and profitability.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3kGMAcS

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

We're Doubling Down on Live Events Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

The real magic of the ECF community is when you get together in person. It's where stories are born, memories are made, and friendships are created. For the last 2 years, we have wanted to bring someone into the team who could focus on the magic of bringing people together, and I'm happy to announce that Audrey Smith, event planner extraordinaire, has joined the ECF team to up-level our post-pandemic live event game plan.

In this episode, we're diving into Audrey's background in event planning, what made her apply for ECF, and what her favorite planning has been so far. We're also talking about what is coming down the pipeline for ECF, including a sneak peek of the upcoming ECF Live, and what you can expect in the near future when it comes to regional events.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3lsOYmB

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

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