The Ecommerce Influence Podcast
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Hello, my friends and long-time listeners. I have a new podcast. It’s called THE ADVENTURE CAPITALIST. If you liked Ecommerce Influence, you’re going to love my new show. Every Thursday, my co-host Cody Shirk and I, cover the latest stories in business, investing, and geopolitics that slide under the radar. Our goal is to tell stories that inspire you to think and invest differently in a rapidly changing world. Sometimes we bring investors, entrepreneurs, and other adventurers to join us. I cannot promise that your life will instantly change if you start listening to THE ADVENTURE CAPITALIST. But I can guarantee that you will find it always interesting, always useful, and you’ll go to sleep knowing you’ve got an edge. I’m going to go ahead and play one of the episodes and then you can decide if you want to listen in. Listen to The Adventure Capitalist on Spotify, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureCapitalistMedia, or Apple Podcasts.
Drew Sanocki is one of my favorite people to talk to. He's been a longtime friend and possesses a wealth of wisdom. Drew has successfully built and exited a company, turned around two other nine-figure retailers and is currently overseeing the growth of PostPilot, which recently achieved 8-figures in annual recurring revenue (ARR). What distinguishes Drew in my mind is his unwavering commitment to his family and his well-being. He has a wonderful family and leads an inspirational life. In this episode, we gain valuable insights into his mindset and philosophy on building both a fulfilling life and a successful business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ LINKS: __ __
THE RETURN EPISODE IS HERE! I'm back! After an unexpected 10-month break, this is the long-awaited return episode. The truth is, letting the podcast go dormant was never my intention. I had been planning to launch a new episode for months. However, even with the best intentions, it never happened. So what happened? A lot of unexpected things changed in my life. I believe there are times for learning and times for sharing. I have been in a heavy learning phase over the last year. Now is the time for sharing. All is revealed in this all-new episode. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
THE BEST OF 2022 AND HOW TO START PLANNING FOR 2023. Listen to this episode with a notepad or your phone ready to take voice memos. Jot down a few ideas to bring into your 2023 roadmap and plans. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
THE BIG WINS, WHAT DIDN’T WORK, AND WHAT TO DO NEXT. AUSTIN AND LILY RECAP BFCM 2022. As you’re reflecting on your own campaign you can compare how you did and maybe jot down some things to consider for next year too. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO LILY STARTED A NEW ROLE AS CMO AT AN EARLY-STAGE ECOMM BRAND. AND IT’S BEEN A CRAZY FIRST 60 DAYS AS CMO - SHE STEPPED IN AT THE BEGINNING OF Q4. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
IF YOU’RE A MARKETER WHO DREADS FINANCIAL PLANNING THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU. LEARN HOW TO BUILD A PLAN THAT SUPPORTS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGIES (INSTEAD OF HINDERING THEM) SO YOUR BUSINESS CAN GROW WITH FEWER BUMPS. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
PARENTING AND BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR, AUSTIN SHARE’S WHAT LIFE’S BEEN LIKE IN HIS NEW ROLE AS FIRST-TIME DAD. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
HOW TO USE VIDEO TO VASTLY INCREASE CONVERSION WITH LIVE SHOPPING. EDUCATE CUSTOMERS, BUILD LOYALTY AND HAVE FUN! WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
OUR FRAMEWORK TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS EFFORTLESSLY AND A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE EFFORTLESS GROWTH OPERATING SYSTEM WE'VE BUILT TO HELP CLIENTS DO THIS. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
THIS IS A BRAND THAT DIDN’T START WITH THE EXPECTATION OF SELLING ONLINE. MCCULLOUGH HAS A HUMAN-FIRST PERSPECTIVE AND THERE’S A LOT TO LEARN FROM HIM ON CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP. A conversation about connection and the human experience, two things that are just as important (if not more important) to building and growing your brand as your marketing strategy. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES ECOMMERCE BUSINESSES FACE IS LOW PROFIT TO TURN THIS AROUND YOU NEED TO TURN ONE PURCHASE INTO TWO (INTO THREE AND SO FORTH!) Today we’re going to talk about how to drive repeat customers so that you can be more profitable and have more cash to fuel back into your business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
BUILD A BETTER BRAND BY STAYING FOCUSED AND PAYING ATTENTION TO THE OPPORTUNITIES, AND ELIMINATE SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME. THE TRUTH IS MORE DOES NOT EQUAL BETTER. Max Rast is the founder of Klar https://www.getklar.com/, a data tracking and reporting software. Max built this software after his experience as a CMO at a fast-growing food and beverage DTC. He was obsessed with spreadsheets and trying to build a clear picture, without getting bogged down in all the tiny details of attribution and the millions of data points available to eComm marketers. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
A FRAMEWORK TO GET CLEAR ON YOUR ACQUISITION STRATEGY AND DRIVE PREDICTABLE REVENUE SO YOU CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS. Predictable revenue is one of the pillars of the 7 Figure Founder program with Austin. A lot of early-stage eComm owners look to what they see other brands do but the truth is if you double down on just one channel you’ll be able to stabilize your business and hit 7 figures. This is how we think about this “one channel” strategy and some of the ways we help clients implement this. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
HOW ECOMMERCE BRANDS CAN PROVIDE A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT MIMICS THE BEST PARTS OF IN-STORE SHOPPING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN RETAIL AND DTC. Building relationships is easier in person, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t delight customers with a personalized shopping experience in your online store. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
HOW TO BUILD A BRAND-FOCUSED WEBSITE THAT WILL INCREASE CONVERSION WITH BRAND FIRST CRO. Brand building and storytelling are hot topics in eComm right now. Between the changes in privacy making it harder to scale by simply running well-targeted ads to consumers expecting more transparency - being able to relate to the people who land on your site is more important than ever. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
HOW DO YOU MANAGE AND MOTIVATE A TEAM? TODAY WE’RE GOING TO SHARE STRATEGIES FOR SMALL TEAMS. If you have a mix of in-house employees and a few contractors or if you’re going to be making your first hires soon this episode will help you lay the foundation to have success as you grow your team. If you’ve already built a team and you’re looking for fresh ways to motivate and manage there’s some insight for you here too. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
HOW DO YOU GROW A DTC BRAND IN TODAY’S CLIMATE? HERE ARE SOME OF THE CUSTOMER ACQUISITION STRATEGIES BEING USED BY A TOP BRAND GROWTH MANAGER RIGHT NOW. Michael Grasewicz started at Taylor Stitch and has played an integral role in the fast growth stage of several DTC brands. This is what he’s learned along the way. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
WHAT STARTED WITH AN IDEA TO HEAL HER OWN HEALTH ISSUES BECAME A CONVERSATION WITH OTHER WOMEN AND TURNED INTO A BIG EXPERIMENT THAT LEAD TO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. This episode is about how Monica Grohne, the founder of Marea, went about scaling a DTC business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
* IN THIS GREATEST HITS EPISODE, PERFECT KETO'S CO-FOUNDER, DR. ANTHONY GUSTIN, TALKS ABOUT HOW PERFECT KETO STARTED OFF AS A SIDE PROJECT AND THEN EXPERIENCED MASSIVE GROWTH -- MAKING $100MM IN JUST 19 MONTHS. Dr. Anthony Gustin cofounded Perfect Keto https://perfectketo.com/ as a side project in November of 2016. He had one goal in mind: making keto easy. Within 4 hours of launching, the company made $20,000 and took off like a rocketship since. Little did he know, the creation of Perfect Keto was at the rise of one of the largest diet crazes of the past 50 years. Anthony joins us to talk about Perfect Keto's growth, his business beliefs, and why he thinks going into retail is the last resort. We also discuss his experience of burnout and how entrepreneurs can best avoid it. Enjoy! EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS __ __ LINKS AND RESOURCES: __ __
IN THIS GREATEST HITS EPISODE, WE REVISIT A CONVERSATION ABOUT BUILDING A LARGE, SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WITH CLOSE TO $40 MILLION IN REVENUE WITHOUT USING ANY PAID SOCIAL. Our guest, Nate Lipton of GrowersHouse, shows us how it can be done. And, in addition to not using paid ads, he’s been able to get his customer acquisition costs to zero. Nate shares the different approach to marketing that has helped him build several incredibly successful companies in the cannabis and hemp industries. He talks about exactly how you can use YouTube to establish yourself as a trusted brand and drive ad-free sales. If you’re looking for some refreshing ideas for how you can drive more revenue, this is a great episode to jog your imagination about what’s possible. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: __ __ LINKS AND RESOURCES: __ __
IN THIS GREATEST HITS EPISODE, WE'RE REVISITING A CONVERSATION TRAEGER GRILLSWITH'S DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITION WHO TALKS ABOUT HOW HOLISTIC MARKETING CAN UNIFY YOUR BRAND ACROSS ALL MARKETING CHANNELS AND MAKE IT STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION. * Jesse Semchuck joins us to share how a holistic growth strategy has contributed to Traeger's success. He outlines the makeup of his marketing team, how internal teams and third-party agencies interact, and how a holistic growth approach can create more synergy across all marketing initiatives and the organization. Tune in and find out if holistic marketing is something you should use in your business. Enjoy! EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS __ __ LINKS AND RESOURCES: __ __
* IN THIS GREATEST HITS EPISODE WE'RE REVISITING A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN WARRILLOW ABOUT HARVESTING THE VALUE OF YOUR COMPANY AND BUILDING TO SELL. John Warrillow https://builttosell.com/ is the founder of The Value Builder System, a Top 10 Forbes Ranked Podcast host, and author of Built to Sell, a best-selling book that’s helped over 50,000 businesses build more valuable companies. Throughout his career, he's founded and exited four companies and now dedicates his time to helping entrepreneurs sell their own for higher multiples. Listen now for John’s most valuable advice on the secret to a successful exit, key pillars for being built to sell, how to create more value in your business, and the biggest mistakes he sees entrepreneurs make when trying to do this on their own. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: __ __ LINKS AND RESOURCES: __ __
TODAY WE HAVE A SECRET WEAPON FOR YOU THAT WILL HELP YOU WRITE COPY THAT CONVERTS, REACH YOUR BEST AUDIENCE, AND BUILD BRAND FANS FOR LIFE. If you’ve googled “better conversion copy” or “how to find my niche” recently this episode is for you. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
QUICK WIN: HOW TO ALIGN LIFE AND WORK WITH THE PATH THAT YOU WANT TO BE ON THROUGH REGULAR CHECK-INS AND PERSONAL REFLECTION.
A FAMILY BUTCHERY STARTED IN 1920’S LA BECAME A BEEF JERKY DYNASTY WHEN THEY STARTED SELLING ONLINE. HERE’S THE STORY OF THEIR JOURNEY FROM BRICK AND MORTAR TO ECOMM. Brian Bianchetti’s founder story is unique. He started working with us to help transition his 4th generation family brand to an online DTC store. This is his story of how they found success and grew to hit 7 figures. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
AUSTIN AND LILY REVISIT THEIR 2022 ECOMM WINS AND LEARNINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND SHARE WHAT SHOULD REMAIN IN FOCUS AND WHAT SHOULD BE TOP OF MIND FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR. 2022 has been been a wild ride thus far for everyone, and BGE is no exception. Austin welcomed his first child, BGE has restructured and added a new program, and there are a ton of moving parts in DTC, the economy, and the world already this year. Austin & Lily revisit their February predictions and share their updated opportunities & challenges for the remainder of 2022. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
QUICK WIN: A LESSON FROM THE BIG BRANDS - YOU GROW FASTER AND SMARTER WHEN YOU HAVE FOCUSED SIMPLICITY. KEY TAKEAWAYS: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
WHAT REALLY IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SITE SPEED AND CONVERSION RATE? HOW IMPORTANT IS UX WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING A FAST ECOMM SITE? Learn how to run a fast site and where to focus on optimizing your user experience from a UX expert. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
THE BEST PRACTICES FOR EMAIL TO HELP YOU PREP YOUR EMAIL LIST AND COLLECT CUSTOMER INFO TO DRIVE MORE SALES AND MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY CAMPAIGNS EASIER. Whether you plan to run holiday campaigns or not this year this episode will help you improve your email marketing with some quick tips and long-term strategies you can start using today. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: __ __ RESOURCES: __ __
