Ecommerce Conversations
Episodes
TikTok Marketing Is Hard Work
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Magin founded Viral Edits, a video agency, roughly two years ago. He creates original and repurposed videos for brands and influencers, focusing ...
'I Like Starting Things,' Says Serial Entrepreneur
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having arrived from Estonia 14 years ago, Peep Laja has launched three companies: CXL for e-learning, Speero for conversion consulting, and Wynter for...
MarketerHire Exec on Freelancers, Content, SEO
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tracey Wallace is a longtime B2B exec and content marketer, having worked at BigCommerce and now, MarketerHire, a marketplace for freelancers. She add...
Subscriptions, Books Drive Man Flow Yoga
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2012, Dean Pohlman was a collegiate lacrosse player who had taken up yoga. It so improved his on-field performance he began teaching the workouts t...
'Modern Wisdom' Is a Media Sensation
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Williamson is a modern-day polymath with a fitting podcast. It's called "Modern Wisdom." Launched in 2018, it's experienced ...
Barbell Logic Rides Shift to Online Fitness
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has upended the fitness industry. Having no access to public gyms, millions of folks turned to at-home workouts. According to Matt Reynol...
The Right Answer to 'What Do You Do?'
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Clay Hebert once attended a conference in San Diego. He sat next to a fellow who inquired about his work. "What do you do?" the fellow asked...
The Beauty of Bootstrapping a Business
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is different than most. I'm interviewing no one. Instead, I'm addressing a singular topic: bootstrapping, the concept of launch...
Subscriptions Power Disco Past iOS 14.5, Amazon
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The year 2021 has been a doozy for Ben Smith. In March, he celebrated an investment round for Disco, his direct-to-consumer skincare company. In April...
eCommerceFuel Founder on Work-Life Balance, Priorities
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Youderian is the founder and CEO of eCommerceFuel, a leading online community of established store owners. He oversees a diverse team and manag...
21 Years In, 2BigFeet Charts Opportunities, Growth
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where can you find a size 24 men's shoe? At 2BigFeet.com. Brandon Eley co-launched the business in 2000, before Google AdWords and long before Fa...
Gas Station Coffee Spurs Golden Ratio Founder
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Solving a personal hardship may be the most common motivator for starting a business. Clark Nowlin's hardship was acidity in coffee. It wrecked h...
Amid Facebook Ad Turmoil, Supply.co Retrenches
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Coddou is a direct-to-consumer pioneer, having launched Supply.co in 2015. The company designs, manufactures, and sells premium shaving produc...
PPE Provider Thrives on Influencers (and Hollywood)
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Roman Zrazhevskiy's company, Mira Safety, sells protective gas masks. It launched in 2018, targeting consumers, medical providers, law enforcemen...
Lessons from Bankruptcy Drive Ecom Agency Founder
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Durham knows the downside of entrepreneurship. He founded an ecommerce company in 2015 and quickly grew revenue. Then it went out of business. Fa...
Should DTC Brands Sell to Mass Merchandisers?
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Beardbrand's products are in all 2,000 Target stores. Lindsey Reinders, my business partner, drove that project in 2018. Selling goods to mass me...
Software Exec Shifts to Bicycle Components, and Thrives
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brian De Groodt launched Dispatch Custom Cycling Components in 2018 after a long career in enterprise software. The company sells bicycle headset caps...
Hyve Founder: Bacteria Is Helpful for Home Cleaning
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shreya Patel is a biologist and healthcare administrator who seeks to change how folks clean their home. Products that kill bacteria do more harm than...
Apparel Merchant Is the 'Godfather of Memewear'
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ardon Lukas launched Shirtwascash in 2014, having spent several years in corporate finance. He sells t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, sweatshirts, you name ...
'Intrepreneurship' Has Rewards, Says Company Founder
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bryan DeLuca has a name for folks who build brands within large corporations. He calls them "intrepreneurs." He should know. Having co-found...
Greenbelly Founder Leaves Accounting, Thrives with Backpacking Meals
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Cage founded Greenbelly, a maker of high-nutrition meal bars for backpackers, after having left his accounting job and traveling the world. That...
Entrepreneur Loses $6 Million, Bounces Back
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shakil Prasla recently made a big mistake. An astute ecommerce operator and owner, Prasla purchased in late 2020 Covid-related protective gloves at ro...
Keyword Sleuthing Propels Niche Publisher
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Content marketing can be difficult. But not for Kyle Boureston. He's an editor and publisher. His company, Boureston Media, runs seven content si...
Hustle Exec: Ecommerce Firms Should Acquire Content Providers
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Ryan joined The Hustle in August 2016, four months after its launch. He was a part-time employee responsible for generating advertising revenue. ...
Happiness, not Profit, Drives Grasshopper Founder
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Having sold Grasshopper, the virtual phone service, for $175 million in 2015, David Hauser assessed his priorities. Grasshopper was his third launch a...
Entrepreneur's Eczema Inspires New Skincare Company
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Felipe Correa is a pro at product development, custom manufacturing, and logistics. He also knows much about skin lotions, as he had eczema when young...
Vitaman.com Seeks Real Men for Hair, Skin Care
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On his website, Antonio Centeno lists the businesses he owns. They include Real Men Real Style, a blog and a YouTube channel with millions of readers ...
Girlfriend's Eyelashes Spur DTC Entrepreneur
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What prompts an entrepreneur to enter the eyelash industry? For Jason Wong, it was watching his girlfriend apply makeup. Just 23, Wong is a Los Angele...
Berlin Brands’ Exec on Ecommerce Acquisitions, Technology, More
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Berlin Brands Group started on eBay 15 years ago. It is now a global ecommerce powerhouse, with over $300 million in annual revenue across a dozen or ...
Form Nutrition Finds Opportunity in a Crowded Market
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a more competitive consumer market than nutritional supplements? I asked that question to Damian Soong, the co-founder of Form Nutrition, a m...
BOOM! Founder: Spend 30% of Revenue on Ads
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ezra Firestone launched his first ecommerce business in 2007. It sold wigs. He's owned multiple brands since. BOOM!, which sells cosmetics, he co...
Drupal Commerce Founder on Collaborative Code, Software Freedom, More
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The viability of open-source ecommerce platforms may seem limited given the rise of SaaS providers. Not so, says Ryan Szrama. He's the founder of...
Chord.co Founders: Future of DTC Platforms Is Headless
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Davis and Bryan Mahoney foresaw in 2018 an avalanche of direct-to-consumer companies that served smaller, niche audiences. Chord, a DTC-first ec...
The Magic of Fringe Sport? Improving Lives
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Keller launched Fringe Sport in 2010 to help folks assemble home-based gyms. He also wanted to make a lot of money. "I was very financially...
Quality and Craft Drive Chisos Boots Founder
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The idea for Chisos boots started with back pain. Will Roman, the founder, owner, and lifetime cowboy-boot wearer, injured his back in a motorcycle ac...
Personal-care Founder: No More Petrochemicals
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I've interviewed entrepreneurs for this podcast who developed organic consumer-care goods. But none did it before Eric Malka. He and his wife, My...
Home Gym Provider Overcomes Supply Disruptions, Thrives
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine selling home gym equipment online at the onset of the pandemic. Athletic clubs were closed. Consumers were stuck in their houses. According to...
Online Onion Seller Rises from Domain-name Auction
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most entrepreneurs start with a business idea and then secure the domain name. Peter Askew does the opposite. He purchases domain names and then build...
3PL Founder: 'I'm in the Exceptions Management Business'
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jay Sauceda launched his ecommerce fulfillment company, Sauceda Industries, in 2013 in Austin, Texas. He says packing and shipping products is easy. W...
Lessons from Vine Influencers Elevate Feat Clothing
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Having co-founded Feat Socks in 2015, Taylor Offer hired Aly Raisman, the gymnast, to design and promote a custom sock. It generated $500,000 in reven...
Drop Party Thrives with Turnkey Product Design, Testing
19 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Marco Marandiz is a musician turned software engineer turned product designer. He's worked for Capital One, HomeAway, and a failed startup. But i...
Show-stopper Wedding Rings Drive Manly Bands
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Johnathan Ruggiero and his wife Michelle founded Manly Bands, a direct-to-consumer online men's wedding-ring company, in 2016. To compete, their...
Hollywood Actor, Director Finds Success on Amazon
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Judson Morgan is a Los Angeles-based actor and director. He owns an agency that creates films and other visual content. He's also a successful ec...
Tomlinson's Feed: Fresh and Relevant after 75 Years
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Knecht is the fourth-generation owner-operator of Tomlinson's Feed, a family-owned retail business with 16 brick-and-mortar locations in Cen...
DTC Seller of Apple Watch Bands Soars from College Project
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Braxton Manley was a sophomore at Texas Tech University in 2017 when he attended a workshop on entrepreneurship. The purpose was to conceive a product...
Ridge Wallet Hits $50 Million with Influencer Marketing
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ridge wallets launched via a Kickstarter campaign in 2014. Sean Frank is the company's chief operating officer. Ultra-thin, metal-clad, with RFI...
Lessons from a Friendly Bet: Beardbrand vs. Supply.co
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Coddou's company, Supply.co, sells razors and shaving accessories. My company, Beardbrand, sells beard products. He wants men to shave. I...
DecksDirect, a Pure Retailer, Thrives
29 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Industry pundits might say the future of retail is brands, manufacturers, and marketplaces. But don't tell that to Blair Budlong. His company, De...
Dr. Squatch Scales to $100 Million with Natural Soaps for Men
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Squatch, Jack Haldrup's company, sells its own natural soaps and other grooming products for men. Revenue in 2020 was roughly $100 million, h...
Elements Brands Founder on Moving from Doer to Manager
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The required skills to launch a business are typically much different from managing it for the long term. Bill D'Alessandro has done both. He lau...
Entrepreneur's Hair Products Empower Black Women
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2012 Vivian Kaye was a successful wedding decorator. But she had a problem. The climate in Toronto, Canada, was brutal on her hair. Kaye's sol...
Entrepreneur's Page-builder Tools Attract Outside Equity, 100 Employees
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Finbarr Taylor moved to the U.S. with a goal. "I moved from Scotland to Silicon Valley nine years ago with the express intent of starting a tech ...
Gym Owner Shifts to Online Weight Training (and Thrives)
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps no industry has been more disrupted by the internet than education. Online training is booming — from 1-hour courses to college degrees. Tak...
Agency CEO: Adopt an 'Abundance Mentality'
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Online selling is increasingly competitive, forcing merchants to selfish and shortsighted decisions. That's according to Corey Blake, CEO of MWI,...
Kuru, a DTC Shoe Brand, Solves a Pain
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Selling shoes online is notoriously competitive. Zappos, Amazon, big-box retailers, shoe brands — all are vying for a share of the consumer footwear...
Beardbrand's Technology Stack: Platforms, Apps, Services
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An ecommerce company is a collection of platforms, apps, and service providers. That's certainly the case with Beardbrand, the company I launched...
ABF Creative, a Podcast Network, Is 'More Than a Business'
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The mission of Anthony Frasier's company, ABF Creative, is to broadcast voices and stories from the African American community. He launched the c...
Turn Off Your Phone, Says Agency Founder
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most entrepreneurs in 2020 are uber connected: phone, text, email, Slack — you name it. But to Arri Bagah, the founder of Conversmart, an ecommerce ...
CopySmiths Founder on Content Marketing by the Numbers
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kat McKinnon's agency, CopySmiths, produces hundreds of blog posts per month for, mainly, ecommerce clients. She's developed a formula of so...
Manual Texts Recover 21 Percent of Abandoned Carts, Says LiveRecover Founder
23 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dennis Hegstad believes the best way to recover abandoned carts is via text messages. But his messages are not automated or bot-driven. Hegstad's...
‘Gated’ Product Launch Leads to $250,000 in 1-day Sales
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan West launched Little & Lively, a direct-to-consumer children's apparel company, with his wife, Carmen, six years ago in Canada. The bu...
Native Deodorant Founder on Scaling to $100 Million in 2 Years
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Despite reaching a whopping $100 million in revenue in just two years, Moiz Ali, the founder of Native deodorant, says the initial version was less th...
Real Men Wear Makeup, Says DTC Co-founder
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jon Shanahan wants men to wear makeup. He's a co-founder of Stryx, a direct-to-consumer manufacturer of concealer and tinted moisturizer for male...
'My Wife Quit' Founder on SMS Marketing, SaaS Platforms, osCommerce
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2007 Steve Chou's wife, Jennifer, wanted to spend more time with their growing family. So she quit her job. Fast forward to 2020, and Bumblebe...
A Passion for Cosmetics Leads to $1 Million in First-year Sales
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The YouTube-to-ecommerce business model may be the best way to build an audience of customers. It worked for Lisa and Paul Jauregui. Lisa’s passion ...
Success in Europe Requires ‘People on the Ground,’ Says Danish Entrepreneur
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
American businesspeople tend to view Europe as a single market with like-minded consumers and cultures. But Rasmus Cort knows better. His company, Sor...
Quality Control Drives Ugmonk.com to In-house Fulfillment
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
By 2017, nine years after launching his t-shirt company, Ugmonk, Jeff Sheldon had expanded into posters and workspace products. Gather, Ugmonk's ...
Supply.co Founder: Day of Reckoning Is Coming for DTC Brands
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Coddou launched Supply.co with his wife, Jennifer, back in 2015. The company, which sells razors and shaving supplies, is bootstrapped — no ...
A 'Love for Making' Propels Schmidt’s Naturals to Worldwide Sales
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The progression for most direct-to-consumer entrepreneurs is to conceive a product idea and then locate a manufacturer to produce it. But Jaime Schmid...
Banned by Google Ads, SpyGuy.com Ponders Alternative Channels
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ecommerce entrepreneurs understand the need for multiple revenue channels. Relying exclusively on, say, Facebook or Amazon or Google can lead to dis...
2PM Founder: Successful Entrepreneurs Are Polymaths
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Having founded and sold multiple ecommerce companies, and having worked for numerous ecommerce startups, Web Smith believes broad economic trends dete...
1 Million Email Subscribers ‘Fricking Hard,' Says TheHustle.co Founder
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I asked Sam Parr, the founder of The Hustle, an email newsletter with curated business and technology news, how he has grown his list to over 1 millio...
‘Build Businesses for the Cash Flow,' Says Repeat Entrepreneur
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Entrepreneurs tend to become emotionally entwined with their businesses. "It's my baby," an entrepreneur might say when describing his ...
Alpha Male Succeeds with Haircare, Skincare, Sunglasses
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron Marino says he hates to read. He's bad at grammar and writing, he claims. But he's really good at making videos. "I had a fitness...
Entrepreneur Sells the Most Competitive Product on Amazon, and Thrives
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the most competitive product on Amazon? Smartphone cases. What does Matt Atschul's company, Smartish, sell? Smartphone cases. And it ...
Shopify’s App Store Is Good and Bad, Says ‘Unofficial’ Expert
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kurt Elster's "The Unofficial Shopify Podcast" has been downloaded more than 1 million times. His agency, Ethercycle, helps Shopify mer...
Don't Advertise to Existing Customers, Says Serial Ecommerce Entrepreneur
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Holiday runs three successful ecommerce businesses and a thriving, ecommerce-focused ad agency. He's developed definitive views on acquiri...
Better Fathers, Husbands, Leaders Drive ‘Order of Man’ Founder
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In March 2015 Ryan Michler owned a successful financial planning company. His clients were medical professionals. He earned a comfortable living. &quo...
Side Project for Amazon Sellers Attracts 250,000 Customers, 150 Employees
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Five years ago Greg Mercer was traveling the world, making a living by purchasing white-label goods from China and selling them on Amazon. "I rea...
‘High Quality, Low Volume’ Drives GouletPens.com to 35 Employees, 4,500 SKUs
19 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Conventional ecommerce wisdom is that merchants should sell across multiple channels, manufacture or control their products, and scale. Don't tel...
TaxJar CEO on Managing a Remote, 160-employee Team
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The global coronavirus pandemic is forcing many companies to adjust to a remote, home-based workforce. TaxJar, a sales-tax management platform, has be...
Iraq War Veteran Fails, then Succeeds, with Men's Underwear Brand
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2008 Robert Patton was coming off his second deployment in Iraq with the U.S. Army. “I was going to do 20 years in the Army,” he said, “But I...
Canada-based Entrepreneur Scales to 15 Websites, 30 Remote Employees
23 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ronnie Teja immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 2008. He was 22. Fast-forward to 2020 and he owns and operates a thriving ecommerce company that sells...
Miva CEO on Thriving in an Amazon-dominant Market
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The rise of Amazon has prompted some observers to suggest independent ecommerce merchants are threatened. Rick Wilson, CEO of Miva, the ecommerce plat...
Thrift Books CEO on $150 Million of Annual Used Book Sales
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who has purchased used books on Amazon likely encountered Thrift Books. It launched in 2003 as a pure-play Amazon seller. It's now the lar...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 19: Just Do It
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is the final episode in my "Building an Ecommerce Business" series. I've hosted 18 amazing guests who have provided much insight...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 18: Selling the Company
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Launching and then growing an ecommerce business can be both exciting and stressful. Many entrepreneurs hope to someday sell their companies. For this...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 17: Growing a Community
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An engaged, passionate community around an ecommerce business can drive referrals, loyalty, and repeat sales. But developing and growing that communit...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 16: Custom Manufacturing
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Selling manufactured goods directly to consumers, with no retail middlemen, has exploded on the internet. An entrepreneur with an idea for an original...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 15: Content Essentials
05 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Content marketing for ecommerce businesses is much more than a sales pitch. Done well, it connects with prospective customers and tells the story of...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 14: Using Kickstarter
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A successful campaign on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform, can help validate a business and a product. Catherine Lavery, the founder of BestSel...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 13: Raising Money
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Launching an ecommerce business takes perseverance, passion, and, typically, money. Raising that money can be time-consuming and frustrating. For this...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 12: Acquiring Companies
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Shakil Prasla is co-founder of Pro Click Ventures, a holding company that owns and operates 12 ecommerce businesses. He speaks with host Eric Bandholz...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 11: Selling on Amazon
28 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A fundamental decision for many ecommerce entrepreneurs is whether to sell on Amazon. The potential is high but the competition is increasing tough. F...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 10: Apparel Sales, Manufacturing
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Selling apparel online is notoriously competitive. The margins are thin, typically. Inventory management can be complicated with hundreds of SKUs for ...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 9: YouTube Strategy
28 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Many ecommerce businesses spend large amounts of money generating video content that few consumers watch. But with the right mindset and strategy, vie...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 8: Customer Service
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Startups and seasoned merchants alike can run into hiccups with managing customer service. Is it better to do it in-house or to outsource? Should you ...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 7: Shipping Processes
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A merchant who sells physical products has to figure out how to efficiently get those items into the hands of customers. It can become complicated as ...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 6: Hiring Process
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Without the right people, a new ecommerce business would almost certainly fail. Refining the hiring process can help find the perfect candidate. For t...
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 5: Paid Acquisition
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Knowing where to advertise can be daunting to new and experienced ecommerce entrepreneurs alike. There are many options, and it's often unclear w...