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

If you’re in the eCommerce world and have any kind of inventory-based business, you know how growth can be a double-edged sword: the faster you grow, the larger the POs that you have to place and the more likely you are to slip into a negative cash flow. Ben Tregoe is the CEO and Co-Founder at BainbridgeGrowth.com, a company that helps eCommerce businesses with advanced financial modelling and evaluating different options for financing their growth. He joins me today to talk through some of the options and the pitfalls that eComm businesses can face as they grow. Listen in as Ben shares some of the biggest mistakes that brands make when it comes to financing, as well as the importance of thinking well into the future when looking at all the options available. We also discuss the best financing options for every stage of the eCommerce business (including PO factoring, mezzanine debt, and the Kickfurther model) and the one area where many don’t focus enough when it comes to financing options. You can find show

We've all heard the phrase “work on it, not in it” in relation to business—otherwise known as “the owner’s trap.” But what if I could make the case for why there actually is a time and a place to get back to working in the trenches, talking to your customers, and diving right into the nitty-gritty of your business? In this mini solo episode, I share the top reasons why you should consider periodically diving back into the details of your business, including how you can get some really valuable feedback from not only your customers, but also your team members. Then tune in to the end for a bonus mini-episode with Allan Fisch of Moonshot Brands, an organization that buys Amazon and Shopify businesses and gives eCommerce founders financial freedom, as we discuss what’s happening right now in the eCommerce landscape and how A2X plays into Allan’s acquisition process. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3PQmpgA Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?

So how are entrepreneurs doing lately? Dr. Sherry Walling joins the show for the second time around to give some insight into the state of entrepreneurship today, including whether entrepreneurs are re-evaluating their lives and businesses as the world emerges from the pandemic. As a Clinical Psychologist that specializes in helping entrepreneurs with their mental health, and the founder of the ZenFounder.com podcast, she has a unique finger on the pulse of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in the world today. Listen in as we talk about some of the most common myths that entrepreneurs tell themselves, what it can look like to balance work and personal life successfully as an entrepreneur, and whether it is actually more stressful to be an entrepreneur today than at any other time. We also explore grief and psychedelics, including the strategies that Sherry personally used to grieve and how she uses psychedelics therapeutically in her practice. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:

It’s been a wild few years in eCommerce, so I was super excited to sit down and go over the results of our fourth-ever eCommerce Trends Report for 2022. The results were eye-opening, and there were some pretty interesting takeaways about what is working in eCommerce, what’s not working, what trends are emerging, and what the general lay of the eCommerce land looks like. In this episode, I’m going over four of the most surprising takeaways, including the best model when it comes to having a strong competitive advantage, pricing tactics that almost always work, and why ROAS is less important than we think. I also discuss something that we saw for the first time ever with Amazon and how really effective branding and marketing played out in the numbers. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3uyQCbX 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.

A lot has happened in the last 24 months when it comes to shipping and logistics due to the pandemic, and you might be wondering what the immediate future holds. Here to give us his take is Dhruv Saxena, Co-Founder and CEO of ShipBob.com, one of the largest global 3PL providers that is trusted by over 7,000 brands and fulfills orders all around the world. We’re deep-diving into all things logistics, warehousing, and international shipping as Dhruv shares his perspective on the status of international logistics and what you can expect if you’re trying to move goods from one point to another. We’re also talking about the biggest changes he’s seen on the fulfillment side, where popular freight carriers stand after COVID, and what the availability of warehouse space looks like across the U.S. You'll learn some of the best and worst logistics stories Dhruv has ever heard and get the low-down on the demand for same-day shipping for anyone whose name is not “Amazon.” You can find show notes and more information by c

There’s no doubt that one of the areas that COVID impacted the most was in the way we work, and specifically, in how the pandemic pushed remote work into the mainstream. Dan Andrews is the Co-Founder of Tropical MBA and Dynamite Jobs, and he’s been beating the remote work drum for over a decade. He joins the show today to talk all things remote work, including whether it’s here to stay. Listen in as we dive into how the narrative of remote work has changed over the past few years, what the optimal structure for organizations going forward will likely be, and whether offering the option to work remotely is still considered a perk for most employees. We also discuss when you should—and shouldn’t—post a salary in your job description, what you can do instead to manage expectations and maintain interest, and how to find and vet great remote team members.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3y6kdvf Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more

What does the future of eCommerce look like? Fan Bi is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of TheHedgeHogCompany.com, an eCommerce holding company that acquires and grows brands, and he has a really unique perspective on some of the trends happening in the eCommerce marketplace today—which is what we’re geeking out on in this episode. Listen in to find out whether the M&A party is coming to an end, what Fan is seeing in his portfolio when it comes to eCommerce, and why it might be another rough year for eCommerce store owners. We also talk about why now is the best time for getting lean and focusing on your branding and story-telling, and Fan shares the mindset shift that allowed him to sleep at night during the rough ride that COVID brought many in eCommerce. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/39F7mXD 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.

Launching in the turbulent time that was February 2020, Leah McHenry, Founder & CEO of Mythologie Candles, has successfully grown her business to over $6 million in sales in just 24 months. Today Leah joins the show to describe her “secret sauce” to successful marketing—including her advice for anyone just starting their business from the ground up—and how she uses influencers to not only cut down on marketing costs, but also create more content for the brand. Listen in as she shares how the positioning and branding of her products have been so critical to the growth of her business, as well as why she believes it is essential to have your audience dialed in before you create your product. You’ll learn the role her Facebook community has played in her business, how much paid traffic her company uses, and her tips for market research. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3QoKNqP  Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want

One of the core values of the eCommerceFuel community is reciprocity: members giving as much as they are taking. With that, we ask that all new members share a case study with the community, and new member Sarah Douglass, Founder of WiseOwlOutfitters.com, recently shared one of the best case studies on buying and selling a business. It was super detailed, really thoughtful, and offered a ton of insight—so of course, I had to have her on the show to share it. Listen in as Sarah shares the backstory to Wise Owl Outfitters, including the very honest reason why she decided to sell it, even though she loved the brand and the business that she had built. We also dive into what the selling process was like, the lessons Sarah learned along the way (including the big mistake she made with her CPA), and the importance of doing thorough due diligence on your buyer. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3GDNeRG Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn m

How does your investment portfolio look these days? I’ve been doing some investing over the past couple of years, running a very small investment syndicate that has taught me a ton, and I’m excited to have someone on the show who has been doing similar things. Andrew Gluck is the Founder of Irrvrnt.com, an investment fund that invests in DTC operations companies and emerging eCommerce tech (among other things), and we’re going to be geeking out on all things investing—and so much more. Tune in as we share the lessons we’ve learned, as well as the mistakes we’ve made in our respective investment journeys. You'll hear us deep dive into angel investing, including what to consider before becoming an angel yourself. We also talk about rolling funds, the current investment landscape, and whether having a solid network to tap into is an important pillar of successful investing. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3yXLv86 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store

If you are running events in the eCommerce space, you know what a lonely world it can be. Today, I’m excited to be joined by Nick Shackelford, Co-Founder of GeekOut Events, which puts on high-intentional no-fluff events all over the world. In this episode, we’re talking event planning, but we’re also talking about so much more related to eCommerce, including marketing, branding, and even copywriting. Listen in as we dive into the reasons behind why Nick (or anyone, really) puts on events (hint: it’s definitely not for the money), how he leverages a built-in FOMO effect with his pricing strategy, and his hack for getting critical information to his customers without relying on email or SMS. We also talk about the current digital marketing landscape, why Nick is not going all-in with TikTok (yet), and the core philosophies that he sticks to when it comes to creating a killer brand presence. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3sYnWbj  Interested in our Private Community

Kurt Elster is the man behind Ethercycle.com, a Shopify agency that specializes exclusively—and very successfully—in helping Shopify store owners generate massive revenue growth. Not only does he put out some really amazing websites on Shopify, but he also hosts The Unofficial Shopify Podcast and has a bunch of really cool apps that we talk about in this episode. Listen in as we dive into all things Shopify, including what store owners need to stop asking for on their sites, the one thing that Kurt has done that has really moved the needle for his clients, and the must-haves on any Shopify site that increase conversion and engagement. Kurt also shares the top three apps that get put on every site he builds to reduce friction for consumers, and in turn, increase revenue for store owners. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3NnObQ6 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-

Most eCommerce owners struggle with hiring, let alone trying to hire when they’re scaling at a rapid pace. Roc Pilon is a successful entrepreneur in business, real estate, and the fitness industry. He has a really interesting story coming from a trailer in Boise, Idaho dealing with the effects of the 2008 recession and going all in with $5,000 and an idea to innovate better powerlifting gear.  Listen in as we dive into how Roc managed to successfully hire 30 people over the span of two years using LinkedIn as his hiring tool and how he has approached compensation with the team members he has hired, including how he handles performance incentives. Roc also shares how to best get your team to model the core values of your business, what the downsides are to having a remote team, and how hiring an Operations Manager has been a game changer for him. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3LU3EY9 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.

How do you invest in innovation to stay relevant in the marketplace without starving the products that are the bread and butter of your business? Joel Heath is the co-founder of FluidStance.com and he joins me to talk all about innovation - how to think about it in a way that can keep your business relevant without sacrificing what made it successful to begin with. Tune in as we explore Joel’s experience with innovating to the point of alienation and the lessons he learned through that process, what the golden ratio for innovation is, and the importance of taking care of the base first. We also discuss the challenges of selling your business and watching somebody else run and raise it and what the three boxes to check are when you’re thinking of selling your business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3KnSzwV 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

Adam Craft is the founder of ElevatedCraft.com, a mixology and drink product brand that is focused on designing bar tools that improve the home bar experience. He has built a pretty cool business and community on Facebook, and in this episode, we’re diving into the role that community has played in growing the brand and exploring where Adam intends to take his community in the future. Tune in as we geek out about the strategy that comes into play with growing and maintaining a really great community, including when to consider hiring a full-time community manager and whether to stay on Facebook or move to another platform. Adam also shares how instrumental his Facebook group has been to growing his brand, how Kickstarter helped with his initial launch, and all the things to consider when you’re thinking through how to brand your community. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3LmAGzE Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Wan

You know him as the founder of SmartMarketer.com and the co-founder and CEO of BOOM!, but Ezra Firestone recently added another brand to his portfolio: oVertone Haircare. In this episode, we talk about how he took an established but struggling brand and turned it around in only 90 days.  Listen in as we discuss the details of Ezra’s oVertone takeover and optimization, which included massive cost-cutting, team re-structuring, and overhauling the marketing strategy to really focus on upsells and great content. You'll hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to subscriptions, as well as how Ezra sets boundaries in his business and schedules his days to make life enjoyment a priority. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3vsg7uR 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.

Many of us have been in the position where we have an interesting opportunity in front of us to purchase another eCommerce business - maybe it has a complementary product line or it would make a good strategic addition to your existing business - and we’re on the fence about whether we should actually pull the trigger. In this solo episode, I’m sharing the top things you should consider before committing the time, effort, and money that it takes to follow through on such a huge decision, all based on my own experience closing deals. Listen in as I dive into what you need to consider before buying that shiny new object, including whether you have the skills to diligence the deal well and the time to follow through on the deal. (Spoiler alert: It will take longer to close than you think it will!) I also discuss the financial aspects to consider, how to identify the micro and macro leverage you might have to move the deal in your favor, and why sometimes the better decision is to put a little TLC into your exist

We were thrilled to hold eCommerceFuel Live at Chesapeake Bay, a place rich in history and great food. This year was especially unique, as it was the first large live event we have held since the beginning of the pandemic, and coming back together as a community was very rewarding. In this episode, we will be reviewing everything that happened during eCF Live. To help us discuss this is Bill D’Alessandro, CEO of Elements Brands. Listen in as Bill and I share how this year’s event was different from the eCF Live events we have had in the past, as well as the importance of making time to do the things that make you happy. You will learn where growing companies often fail, how to build a rich company culture, and how to effectively sort your social media accounts by engagement levels to create a sales funnel. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3xckqx1  Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and

Are you wondering where to put your money this year when it comes to paid traffic? Jesse Pujji is the founder of Gateway X, a holding company that invests in DTC brands, and the co-founder of Ampush, a growth marketing company that connects the right consumers with the right brands, and he knows his stuff when it comes to the growth space and running a business. In this episode, we get right into why Facebook might not be the devil that it is often made out to be, why TikTok might actually be the second coming of Facebook, and all the weird and wonderful ways that businesses can leverage the platform to grow their business. We also talk about why Jesse is a huge fan of affiliate marketing, how he manages his affiliates, and the details of hiring and balancing being in the business with leading the business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3NvPeib Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and

Charles Burdett is the founder of PipDecks.com, a suite of card decks that helps people do anything from brainstorming creative workshop ideas and telling better stories to designing more innovative products. It's an amazing case study on how to sell the value and the transformation as opposed to the physical product, and I’m super excited to sit down with Charles today to talk about how he scaled to a 7-figure card deck business. Tune in as we dive into the unintentional birth of PipDecks.com, as well as Charles’ secret to selling his decks based on their value rather than their physical worth. You'll learn the question we should all be asking our customers to understand why they buy, what it means to have freedom, how to not lose sight of what is most important in life, and 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/3tWT5vr Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more h