He was doing $1.7M a year on Amazon wholesale. Then a counterfeit complaint got his account suspended for 180 days. Instead of folding, he pivoted to live selling on Whatnot and did $350K in under 10 months.Kip Roland (https://x.com/kip_roland) is one of the early movers in live selling on Whatnot and TikTok live auctions. He built nearly 37,000 followers, runs 3-5 hour live shows 6 days a week selling liquidation clothing at $1 starting bids, and is already top 15 in live generated revenue on TikTok after just two weeks on the platform. Today we're breaking down what live selling actually looks like as a business, how the economics compare to Amazon FBA, and whether this is something Amazon sellers should be paying attention to.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Meet Kip Roland: From Amazon Wholesale to Live Selling02:14 - The Origin Story: Flipping Sneakers to Product Manager to Full-Time Seller09:45 - The Amazon Suspension That Changed Everything14:11 - "It Was Like Being Fired" (With a Newborn at Home)19:11 - What Is Whatnot and Why Should Amazon Sellers Care?24:16 - First Shows Were Brutal: Building an Audience From Zero27:07 - Selling 60 Items Per Hour: The Proof of Concept Moment29:01 - The Psychology of Live Auctions (Sacrificial Lambs and FOMO)33:01 - Why He Switched From Kitchen Appliances to Women's Clothing40:29 - How the First 10 Minutes of a Live Show Actually Works44:49 - Dollar Auctions: How Often Do You Sell at a Loss?53:34 - Closing in on 40K Followers: How Whatnot Helps Sellers Grow59:01 - TikTok Live Auctions: "This Is Whatnot Circa 2023"01:06:00 - Why Live Selling Projections Are in the Trillions01:11:38 - The Business Behind the Camera: Organization and Hiring01:16:42 - "Liquidation Ruins Retail Forever" (Sourcing for Whatnot)01:26:06 - Whatnot Academy: Sourcing, Selling, and Scaling Live01:30:56 - Lightning Round: Would You Still Be on Whatnot Without the Suspension?GO DEEPER WITH OAC+Want the full Keepa Academy training used by 7 and 8-figure sellers? It's included with OAC+, our private community of 200+ Amazon sellers.OAC+ includes:- Full Keepa Academy course- Sourcing courses and SOPs- Amazon to Amazon flip leads- Live coaching and Q&A- Suspension supportJoin OAC+: https://www.oachallenge.com/plusOA CHALLENGE LIVE - MARCH 2026Join us for our next live cohort where we build your Amazon business together over 14 days.Learn more: https://www.oachallenge.comCONNECT WITH USTwitter: https://www.x.com/cleartheshelfWebsite: https://www.cleartheshelf.comTwitter: https://www.x.com/ChrisRacicWebsite: https://www.oaleads247.com

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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