Ecommercefuel: Build, Launch And Grow A 6 Figure Plus Ecommerce Business | Ecommerce Fuel

What do you get when you combine TikTok with DTC and eCommerce? You may just get Dulma Altan, the founder of Makelane.com, creator, and commentator on all things DTC and eCommerce on TikTok. Dulma has been on the up-and-up in the eCommerce space, and I’m excited to chat with her about so many different things, including Silicon Valley, capitalism, community, and more. Listen in as she shares what it was like moving from Mongolia to the U.S., the lessons she learned from her first business, and what it was like working at Google. We also dive into TikTok and discuss how the platform has evolved as we come out of the pandemic, as well as what the future of short-form video looks like. To make things even more interesting, we also discuss a little bit about capitalism, what it’s like building a really amazing community, and the biggest roadblock for many women in the eCommerce and DTC space. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3uR0EVr Interested in our Private Community

It is the most wonderful time of the year! Not only is it a time to get together with friends and family and enjoy each other’s company, but it’s also the time of year when Bill D’Alessandro and I look back on our predictions from a year ago, see where we were massively off, and make even more predictions for the coming year. So get comfortable, grab your holiday favorite drink, and get ready to see how egregious our predictions were from last year, and speculate with us on what 2023 will bring. We’ll be talking about where we think the markets will be headed, what we expect to see from the labor market and domestic sourcing, and what’s up with Shopify in the coming year. We also share our AI-related predictions for the new year and chat about some really cool tools that may just change how we all run and manage our businesses. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3FsNgMf Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear ab

Do you know where your best customers are coming from? Sara Livingston is the Head of Customer Solutions at Rockerbox.com, and she joins the show today to geek out about all things traffic. From trends to new channels, we’re getting into all of it today and answering the question: how do you determine where you should be spending your marketing budget? Get ready to dip into the weeds as Sara shares where the traffic trends currently sit when it comes to where brands are spending their ad money, how marketing spend is changing on different platforms, and how budgets differ between large and small brands. We also get into attribution and discuss how to think about it, how to test new channels, and how to find out where your best customers are coming from—and get them to spend more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3isEB4o Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups?  S

Dalia Rojas is the owner of Sixty61.com, an incredible brand and eCommerce store that carries custom sport bike parts and accessories. Dalia is also a newer member to the eCommerceFuel community, and she’s been an incredible member in the short time she’s been part of the community, so I wanted to get her on the podcast to learn more about her, what she’s up to in eCommerce, and her interesting journey to owning Sixty61.com. Listen in as Dalia shares how she first acquired the brand after coming from a background in tech, how that background has benefitted the business and growth, and how she has been able to leverage multiple platforms to sell her product. We also discuss the exclusive distributor agreement she has with an Italian exhaust company, how she went about securing that agreement, and whether it has lived up to the hype. If you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like selling on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, or how to get into an exclusive distributor agreement in your industry, this is an

I was recently looking through the new members to the eCommerce Fuel community and there was one company that caught my eye: Mountain Gazette. Mike Rogge, founder and owner, joins me today to talk about his journey re-launching and breathing new life into the beautiful oversized magazine that celebrates all things mountain sports, adventure sports, and the outdoors. Listen in as Mike shares what it’s like to buy something from the past and revive it, how he is marketing the magazine, and how he has built a team of in-house and freelance contributors. We also discuss the economics of print media and content, and geek out about all things sports and the outdoors in general. Mike has a truly interesting story and has built something super cool, so this is an episode you won’t want to miss! You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3EBEpYe Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-

If you’ve been out and about on a Sunday, you have probably come across the product created by today’s guest. Chris Ruder is the Founder of Spikeball.com and he has a really cool story about how he started the company and ran it as a side hustle for five years before taking it full-time and growing it to where it is today. Listen in as Chris shares what it was like raising the initial $100k he needed to launch the business from friends and family, why he never considered using third-party investors, and the lessons he learned mixing business and personal. We also dive into the marketing strategies that Chris has employed, why he has never relied on paid advertising, and how he has leveraged community, connection, and word of mouth to scale his business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3tp0WlK 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.

How do you build a great routine in your life as an entrepreneur? Is it possible to have a schedule that allows you to have flexibility, get things done, see your family—and is also efficient so that you’re not working 80 hours a week? This episode is for all the hyper-efficiency and optimization geeks out there because I'm answering these questions and more. I’ve experimented with a lot of different methods and hacks over the years to get the most out of my day, and today I’m talking through the things I have tried. Listen in to hear what has worked to optimize my routine, what has not worked for me, and a quick and dirty overview of my current daily schedule. I also share why I almost always push back on phone call requests, what I’m doing to optimize efficiency in the long term, and why I make deep work blocks a priority to really dig into meaningful work every week. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3UJ2kv3 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store

Even a decade into eCommerce, I am still often amazed by the variety of things that people make a living from selling online. From high-end toilet seats to live chickens, it never ceases to blow my mind, and it’s so cool to see people build really niche, and really interesting, businesses. In today’s episode, I’m flying solo and diving into the nitty-gritty of our Charlotte event. I'll be sharing some of the more interesting and unique takeaways that came out of the event and giving you a flavor of what you can expect at a regional event. Listen in as I go over interesting takeaways from not only a tactical perspective, but also from a fun and personal perspective. You'll hear examples of amazing brand and customer experiences, what it was like walking through a FedEx facility (I highly recommend everyone do this at some point in their life), and one of the most popular facets of the event. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3Nt9y3K Interested in our Private Communit

What is the future of Amazon? That’s what we’re diving into today with Bill D’Alessandro of ElementsBrands.com. Bill is a repeat guest on the show and someone who has very different views on the current—and future—state of Amazon. Listen in as we debate whether Amazon is dying like some believe, whether brands should be leaving the platform for greener pastures, and Amazon’s biggest weakness. Whether you sell on Amazon or not, the behemoth is hard to ignore if you’re in eCommerce, so this is an episode you won’t want to miss! You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3F8izgN 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.

It’s been a tough few years for many eCommerce brands, and in this episode, we’re chatting with Brenden Marquardt, owner of LoriBeds.com, a brand of really beautiful murphy beds that are functional, affordable, and made in the U.S. Brenden has built an amazing business that has also faced a pretty challenging period, over the last six months in particular, and we’re diving into some of the challenges they’ve faced, as well as what they’ve done to weather the storm. Listen in as Brenden shares how the brand came to be, how raising prices led to a rebrand, and the importance of finding the right value proposition. We also get into the supply chain challenges that Brenden has faced, what he’s done to overcome them, and how a website redesign turned out to be a game-changer. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3TgFBWT 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

We all know that great customer service is a cornerstone of any successful eCommerce business, but finding a truly great customer service hire is not always easy. Aaron Powell from BunchBikes.com joins me today to share how he was able to find and hire someone who is above and beyond your average run-of-the-mill team member and how that hire has revealed the true definition of what it means to be an “A-Player.” Listen in as Aaron discloses how he found his unicorn customer service hire, as well as how this hire has been a game-changer and pushed the business forward in unexpectedly positive ways. We also dive into some bike geekery and discuss the bike market, infrastructure building, and how Aaron has found a niche within a niche that has allowed him to build a really amazing business.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3Mn6fuA Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round

What does it take to build a brand in this day and age, and how has the branding experience changed from even a decade ago? David Segal is not only a tea veteran, having founded David’s Tea and now Owner and Co-Founder of FirebellyTea.com, but he also has a ton of branding experience that spans years. He joins the show today to talk all things branding and so much more. Listen in as we dive into David’s retail experience, what it’s like starting a brand today versus years ago, and how he is weaving really unique branding elements into his new website. We also discuss the investment that went into the current brand and find out what Firebelly Tea is looking for in their next eCommerce Marketing Manager. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3rrxQkt 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.

In this episode, we’re deep diving into all things leadership with Jesse Pujji, whose name you might be familiar with as a second-time guest on the show. He’s an entrepreneur and investor who is also the Founder of Gateway X, Executive Chairman of Ampush and GrowthAssistant, and more recently, CEO and Founder of Kahani, a software that transforms eCommerce stores from boring websites into engaging mobile experiences. Listen in as we talk about a bunch of different stuff, including what it means to be a leader, what it’s like working with an Executive Coach, and how Jesse balances family and kids with a very ambitious work schedule. We’re also discussing how the online shopping experience today is, in a lot of ways, identical to a decade ago, and whether or not people are really buying off of social platforms. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3dYU8Hf Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes an

By far, the thing that has made the biggest impact in terms of financial results in my own business—while doing the least amount of work—has been pricing, and it’s something that I’ve always wished I had done so much sooner. Joining me on the show today is Drew Marconi, co-founder of Intelligems.io, which helps eCommerce brands scientifically test their pricing to find the right one for their brand, and we’re geeking out together on all things pricing. Take a listen as we discuss the current pricing landscape and find out what Drew learned during their recent Shopify pricing experiments. We also discuss whether it’s better to include shipping in your pricing, whether you should let your customer base know if you’re raising your prices before you pull the lever, and what to expect in the near future when it comes to pricing trends. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3xpei3H Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear

What do you get when you take a discontinued National Geographic catalogue and 12 years of experience in the print catalogue sector? If your name is Allan Shiffrin, you may just get an 8-figure business. If you’re an eCommerce brand, you’re definitely going to want to listen to this episode to find out how you can make direct mail a major source of sales for your brand. Listen in as we geek out about catalogs, direct mail, and how to be able to make what is equivalent to a Facebook lookalike audience for direct mail contacts. Allan also shares some of the tools and co-ops that you can use to get started, how to lay out a great catalog, and the magic number of products to include in a direct mail catalog. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3BaxlQn 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.

Search for “side hustle ideas” in Google and you’ll get a million and one results. In fact, side hustles have trended upward over the last couple years as people worked them to supplement their income during the pandemic—and many even used their side hustle as an exit path during the “Great Resignation.” Spencer Jan is the co-founder of SoloStove.com, and he is one of the side hustle success stories, having bootstrapped his way to a $2-billion valuation in only 8 years while working a full-time job for much of that time. Listen in as he shares Solo Stove’s journey from being a side hustle to a highly profitable and valuable company. You’ll hear why he and his co-founder and brother, Jeff, obsessed over margins from the very beginning, as well as the painful reality they faced when they first went to sell. We also discuss the importance of profitable margins, how to stay lean as a company, and why it’s important to get out of the default mode of working more and instead spend more time on what matters most. Yo

Do you understand why your customers buy? This week, we’re running a replay of one of the more interesting episodes from the last year with Charles Burdett of PipDecks.com, which is a suite of card decks that helps people do anything from brainstorming creative workshop ideas and improving their storytelling to designing more innovative products. What makes PipDecks.com particularly interesting is how Charles was able to take a product that has a very low cost of goods and sell it at incredibly high prices. You’ll learn how his positioning and his branding have been the secret to selling the decks based on their value rather than on their physical worth. He also shares the one question we should all be asking our customers to understand why they buy, as well as how to overcome the mindset block that most entrepreneurs will grapple with at some point. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3QVnnce Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more

Email has to be one of the biggest pain points that entrepreneurs face, and it’s also something that is an inevitability in today’s world if you’re in eCommerce. I’m happy to say that I finally feel like I’ve gotten to a good place when it comes to my inbox—I no longer feel a sense of chaos when I open my email, and what used to take me over 2 hours now takes me half the time it used to.  In this last solo episode of the summer, I’m discussing how I managed to wrangle my email and cleared out most of the junk, made the important stuff easy to spot, and overall made it possible for me to move through my inbox quickly and efficiently. I’ll also be sharing the game-changer that helped me control the chaos much more easily and why I let go of a lot of hangups I had when it came to email (that you may also have and not even be aware of!). You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3ADmpf4 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to h

Welcome to another episode in the summer mini-series where we're diving into topics related to creating an amazing life—something that I know applies to all the entrepreneurs listening. Today we're jumping into something that all the finance geeks will love: tracking your net worth and spending. I'm sharing not only why you should be doing it, but also the best ways I’ve found to pull the info together in a way that makes sense and doesn’t have you sharing your financial info with third-party apps. Listen in as I break down the high-level reasons why you absolutely should be tracking your net worth and your household spending, the method I love for tracking spending, and what I include (and exclude) when looking at my net worth. I also discuss my 4% rule, benchmarking, and the cool freedom chart that tracks your monthly burn rate against your earnings and shows you real-life progress over time. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3QgSPkR Interested in our Private Comm

If you’ve noticed recently that your emails are not being read or clicked through as often as usual, you are not alone. Today on the show I have Daniel Reifenberger, our resident ECF email marketing expert and the Founder and Chief Strategist at YourLoyalTribe.com, to walk us through what has been going on in the world of email marketing—and of course, how you can improve your email deliverability metrics. Listen in as Daniel breaks down the audit he did on eCommerceFuel’s email deliverability, and hear my raw, unscripted reaction to the data as I hear it for the first time. We also discuss what the auditing process was like, what the overall email marketing landscape looks like today, and tips for improving your email deliverability. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3oXDOsi 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.