The Smartest Amazon Seller

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Episode 315 - Driving Sales with TikTok Affiliates and Euka Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

Scott invites Jeremy, founder and CEO of Euka.ai, to tell us how TikTok Shop is transforming e-commerce growth.
Jeremy shares how brands are leveraging micro-creators and affiliates to generate viral content, scale sales, and even create a halo effect that boosts demand on Amazon. Together, they unpack why TikTok has become a key driver for brands looking to go from zero to $100M in record time.

Scott and Jeremy also discuss how Euka’s AI-powered platform helps brands automate creator outreach, re-engagement, and incentive programs to keep affiliates producing high-performing content.

Episode Notes:

00:18 - Jeremy Yaoxin Ding Introduction

02:35 - The TikTok Affiliate Model Explained

05:40 - Yuka’s Tools for Brand Success

06:47 - Activating and Incentivizing Creators

09:38 - Category Suitability and Limitations

11:15 - The Evolving TikTok Shop Landscape

12:49 - Managing Creator Saturation

15:58 - TikTok Shop’s Halo Effect on Amazon Sales

18:05 - LTV-to-CAC Metric

19:44 - Performance Marketing and Incrementality

20:51 - Where Social Commerce Is Going

23:07 - Practical Steps for TikTok Shop Newcomers

How to Reach Jeremy:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yaoxin-ding-6bb60554

Website: https://www.euka.ai/about

Email: jeremy@euka.ai

Scott’s Links:

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Episode 314 - Automato AI’s Belal El-Harazin on Scaling Amazon Listings with AI, Brand Voice, and Smart Keyword Strategy Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Scott welcomes Belal El-Harazin, founder of Automato AI, to discuss how AI is transforming Amazon content creation, keyword strategy, and catalog management.  
Belal shares Automato AI’s mission to help sellers scale with automated content refreshes, brand voice integration, and powerful keyword discovery. Also highlighting fun.com’s AI-generated listings outperforming human copy.  
The conversation covers the shift from manual listing updates to autonomous optimization, Amazon’s evolving search from keyword-driven to intent-based, and best practices for updating listings without losing relevance.  
Belal also explains how Automato AI serves as an “operating system” for large catalogs, complete with analytics, segmentation, and price monitoring.

Episode Notes:

00:38 - Belal El-Harazin Introduction
01:55 - Automato AI’s mission
03:06 - The Evolution of Amazon Content Creation
04:59 - Founding Story and Company Background
06:26 - Agency vs SaaS
08:50 - Analysis of Amazon Search Today
10:53 - The Power of Brand Voice in Amazon Content
12:24 - Intent vs Keyword Search
13:58 - Best Practices for Updating Amazon Listings
16:50 - Keyword Rotation and Relevance
19:17 - Discovering the Right Keywords
21:57 - Catalog Management for Scale
24:50 - Adoption and Getting Started with Automato AI

How to Reach Belal:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/belharazin
Website: maverickdigital.com | automatoai.com

Episode 313 - CPG Brands, Trends, and Product-Market Fit with Nik Hall Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Scott is joined by CPG expert Nik Hall to discuss what truly drives success for consumer packaged goods brands on Amazon.
Drawing from his experience building and exiting a gummy vitamin company, Nik shares hard-earned insights on category trends, why most failures come from chasing hype too late, and how overlooked niches often present the best opportunities.
Get real-world lessons from both failed launches and breakout brands, highlighting the importance of strategy, timing, and execution.
Scott and Nik also explore how to validate product-market fit through blind taste tests, review mining, and competitor analysis. Nik emphasizes that in the world of consumables, taste still reigns supreme. No amount of marketing can save a mediocre product.
They discuss how tools like SmartScout can guide smarter decisions around product development and launch timing, offering a clear roadmap for new sellers aiming to succeed in today’s competitive CPG landscape.

Episode Notes:

00:15 - Nik Hall Introduction

01:20 - Nik’s Background

01:57 - Success vs. Failure in CPG on Amazon

03:31 - Chasing Trends: Opportunities and Pitfalls

05: 10 - Multi-Trend Positioning

08:30 - Taste and Longevity: What Really Drives LTV

08:52 - Product Development: Testing and Sensory Analysis

11:07 - Navigating Manufacturing and Co-Packing Challenges

14:50 - Real-World Failure

18:17 - Product-Market Fit in CPG

19:03- Customer Conversations and Amazon Research

20:53 - Choosing a Launch Path

21:24 - The Realities of Retail

22:14 - The Permissionless Nature of Amazon and D2C

23:10 - Startup Resource Requirements

23:40 - Founders’ Stories

25:05 - Best Resources for New CPG Entrepreneurs

27:25 - Networking, Mentorship, and Building Real Relationships

29:08 - Content Marketing and Honest Advice

29:30 - Helping Select Brands and Giving Back

How to Reach Nik:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nikhall

Website: vitafive.com

Scott’s Links:

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Episode 312 - Recovering Lost Revenue Through Smarter Returns Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

Scott and Alan Weiss, CEO of AVX Returns and a former 8-figure reseller, unpack the real cost and hidden opportunity behind Amazon returns. They explore why return management is often overlooked, how AVX turns chaos into cash, and what resellers can do to stop leaving money on the table.

Episode Notes:

01:22 - Alan Weiss Introduction

02:23 - Alan’s Background and the start of AVX Returns

03:40 - The Reseller Landscape and the Sellers United Conference

04:33 - The Real Costs and Challenges of Handling Returns

07:35 - AVX Returns’ Unique Approach to Reseller Returns

10:30 - Return Categories and Recovery Realities

11:37 - Reimbursement Opportunities

13:06 - The Psychology and Business Wisdom of Returns Management

15:16 - Operational Best Practices for Sellers

How to Reach Alan:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alan-weiss-1b6a4431

Website: avxreturns.com

Email: info@avxreturns.com

Scott’s Links:

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Episode 311 - How Leverage Can Make or Break Your Business Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Scott gets into the real-world financial decisions Amazon sellers face, especially when it comes to leveraging debt. He shares firsthand experience navigating inventory demands, Q4 cash crunches, and the lure of fast growth, while also examining the dangers of borrowing, from overvaluing inventory to the addictive cycle of continual loans.

Hear case studies, cautionary tales, and reflections on what separates sellers who survive from those who flame out. Whether you’re debating your first credit line or considering a private label acquisition, this episode offers grounded insight—and a compelling argument for building debt-free, sustainable Amazon businesses.

Episode Notes:

00:09 - Iconic Companies That Haven’t Taken Loans

01:12 - The Need for Cash in Amazon Selling

02:04 - Navigating Financial Leverage

02:26 - Types of Financial Leverage Used

06:32 - The Downside of Leverage

12:10 - A Case Study: Private Label Acquisition During Leverage

13:52 - Survival and Demise of Major Amazon Sellers

16:12 - The Case for Debt-Free Growth

18:21 - Amazon Accelerate

Scott’s Links:

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Episode 310 - Prime Day Changes, Sellers United News & Behind-the-Scenes Updates Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Scott returns from Prosper to share some personal updates and Amazon insights.
Prime Day is expanding to four days this year — a move that makes sense as Amazon tries to give shoppers and sellers more time to take advantage of the buzz.
Scott also talks about the return of Sellers United this October near New York City, a conference built for resellers of all sizes.
Plus, he gives a casual rundown of what’s new at SmartScout. From tools that help track where your products get mentioned online to ways of better understanding pricing trends. It’s a laid-back, behind-the-scenes update with a bit of everything for Amazon sellers.

Episode Notes:

00:15 - New developments and Upcoming Announcements

01:14 - Amazon Prime Day – Strategy and Insights

02:30 - Sellers United Conference Announcement

05:57 - New Tools: Traffic Links

09:43 - Pricing Intelligence

14:40 - Content Marketing and Brand Awareness

Scott’s Links:

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Episode 309 - Building Better Tools for Amazon Sellers with Andrew Smith of Swapt Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

Kicking off with a surprising connection through pickleball that led to discovering shared passions in e-commerce innovation, Scott sits with Andrew Smith, founder of Swapt and former Klaviyo engineer, about building smarter tools for Amazon sellers.

Andrew shares his journey from working at IBM and Oracle to witnessing rapid growth at Klaviyo, which shaped his understanding of what marketplace sellers truly need.

They dive into how Swapt is helping Amazon-native brands drive customer engagement and reviews through one-time use QR codes, while staying fully compliant with Amazon’s strict policies.

With a successful case study generating $100K in sales and 500 reviews in three months, this episode is packed with insights for CPG, beauty, and supplement brands looking to boost performance and build direct customer relationships without risking their margins.

Episode Notes:

00:19 - Andrew Smith Introduction

01:52 - Andrew’s Background

02:23 - Scaling at Klaviyo and E-commerce Ecosystem Insights

05:39 - Data, Email Marketing, and the Amazon Challenge

08:59 - The Impact of Recent E-commerce Headwinds

09:52 - The Genesis and Evolution of Swapt

13:16 - Discovering the Amazon Brand Opportunity

19:57 - Technical Innovations and Results

20:38 - Navigating Amazon Compliance and Risk

25:00 - Who Should Use Swapt?

27:05 - Getting Started with Swapt

How to Reach Andrew:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrewsm1th

Website: https://swqr.link/

Scott’s Links:

Instagram: @smartestseller

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up