The Ecommerce Influence Podcast

If you took a month off from your business would it thrive or struggle to survive? 

Nat Eliason is three-time Ecommerce Influence guest who built a business that runs itself and he's here to tell you how he did it.

Nat founded an Ecommerce company called Cup and Leaf (now Sencha Tea Bar) which he sold last year. More recently, he built an agency called Growth Machine that continues to flourish without him being in the day-to-day operations.

Tune into this episode to learn how to build a system that prevents things from piling onto your plate, the roles you should absolutely hire for in your business, and the advice Nat has followed to allow for this growth.

Episode Highlights

  • 4:59 Nat and Austin’s elk hunt
  • 12:08 The biggest thing Nat learned in 2020
  • 15:49 Three reasons Nat is able to consistently put out new content
  • 20:39 How to ship high-quality creative work
  • 27:57 Nat’s system to avoid piling things onto his plate
  • 33:29 Advice Nat received that helped him build a business that runs itself
  • 38:12 The roles Nat hired for to build and scale his agency
  • 43:50 Three types of workstyles you should know about before hiring 
  • 48:59 The type of people you need to hire if you want to build a business that runs itself
  • 52:00 The business model the most successful companies follow
  • 56:42 How to get yourself out of the day-to-day aspect of your business
  • 1:02:05 Getting trapped in a company you created
  • 1:11:17 Using resistance as a tool for growth
  • 1:15:25 Is your productivity destroying your health? 
  • 1:24:21 What Nat’s most excited about right now

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_284_NatEliason.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Is your business taking you on a roller coaster ride? If so, being a conscious leader can mean the difference between your business making you happy or running you into the ground.

Are the business decisions you’re making leading to more satisfaction in life? Or do you find yourself running in circles and in a constant state of reaction? These are challenges entrepreneurs have historically struggled with and 2020 was no exception. However, there’s a way to start turning things around and it starts with you. 

Stay tuned for a crash course in being a conscious leader. We’ll go over the essential things every entrepreneur needs clarity on, how to level up as a leader and how to break through roadblocks we see so many founders struggling with. 

If you’re ready to start taking radical responsibility for the state of your business, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights

  • 4:50 What being a more conscious leader means 
  • 5:48 The number one thing every leader needs to get clear on
  • 8:31 The biggest challenge holding leaders back
  • 9:48 Breaking a common addiction in entrepreneurship
  • 13:37 Leveraging radical responsibility to grow your business
  • 17:37 Three ways to better respect your time and everyone else’s 
  • 21:01 Questions the best leaders are always asking

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_283__A_More_Concious_Leader.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Have you ever wanted marketing advice from some of the best eCommerce marketers in the business?

I reached out to seven of my friends in the eCommerce space and asked them: What’s the single best piece of marketing advice you’ve ever been given?

From words by Mark Zuckerberg all the way to legendary writer Gary Bencivenga, we’re packing in 8 evergreen pieces of marketing advice that every marketer and entrepreneur needs to have in their arsenal.

Episode Guests

Episode Highlights

  • 3:56 Steve Chou: Avoiding shiny object syndrome 
  • 5:43 Peep Laja: The number 1 thing to look into if you’re not making traction
  • 8:15 Noah Kagan: What to remain focused on at all times
  • 10:58 Kurt Elster: What it takes to be a true expert
  • 14:26 Ezra Firestone: Are you quitting too soon?
  • 17:00 Chris Orzechowski: How to never have a customer retention problem
  • 20:19 Andrew Youderian: Doubling down on what works 
  • 23:35 Austin Brawner: Pressure over time

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_282_OneQuestion_KlaviyoFirst.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Do you think that agencies are a waste of money? Not sure if an independent freelancer can keep up? We’re tackling the freelancer vs agency debate once and for all. 

Choosing where to spend your advertising dollars is important, but deciding who to spend it on is the other piece of the puzzle. Once you decide to start pulling the levers of paid search and paid social, the question you’re left with is: Who is going to pull those levers? This is where the freelancer vs agency debate comes in and the decision is crucial.

Tune into this episode to learn what conditions make the most sense for a freelancer or an agency, the pros and cons of each, questions you should ask before choosing to make a hire, and the one trap you need to avoid.

Episode Highlights

  • 3:48 The freelancer vs agency debate
  • 5:42 Why an agency could be the better option for you
  • 7:06 Understanding the true cost of working with an agency
  • 9:37 The right questions to ask an agency before hiring them
  • 13:56 Why a freelancer might be the best choice for you 
  • 15:47 Challenges to look out for when hiring a freelancer 
  • 18:10 The benefits of choosing to hire in house
  • 22:52 A dangerous trap to avoid

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_281_AgencyVsFreelancer_KlaviyoFirst.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Are you ready to improve your email marketing and stop leaving money on the table? Today I'll show you how.

Last year one of my clients had a brand new Klaviyo account -- zero emails sent. Over two days we set up the account, created a system for capturing leads, and built email flows focused on generating revenue. 7 days later, they generated $10,000 in revenue from email.

Inspired by this experience, I hosted a live training in The Coalition on how to improve your email marketing, and today I'm sharing that training with you. We cover common mistakes people make when setting up their Klaviyo account, how to increase your email lead flow, building and optimizing your email templates, the most important emails to send, and what’s working right now to generate more revenue from email.

If you want some quick, actionable wins you can implement in your email marketing today -- don't miss this episode.

Episode Highlights

  • 8:20 Improving your email marketing and generating $10k in revenue in 7 days
  • 10:11 How to ensure Klaviyo is properly connected to your site
  • 14:02 Creating an on-brand email template 
  • 16:22 How to increase your lead flow
  • 18:35 Choosing the right email pop-up provider
  • 21:03 The two biggest revenue-generating email flows to focus on
  • 23:56 How to set up email marketing tests to determine what works
  • 27:16 What’s working with email marketing today
  • 30:26 Our formula to make more money from email marketing
  • 32:55 Why you should start sending more emails (and why you can't send too many

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_280_Email_Marketing_Tips.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Thinking about starting a software company? This week’s guest is giving you a behind-the-scenes look at exactly what to expect.

Michael Facchin is the ultimate bootstrapper. His digital marketing career started in freelance, then he built an agency, Search Scientists, but soon came to a daunting realization: His business wasn’t future proof.

With the rise of AI and Facebook Ads becoming more intuitive, he knew manually pulling the levers for his clients’ ad spend wasn’t going to last forever. Thus, Ad Badger - a software tool designed to optimize Amazon PPC - was born. 

It’s been over two years since Michael was last on the show and I’m so excited to have him back. Not only is Michael one of my closest friends, but he’s an expert at PPC and in today’s episode he’s sharing the ins and outs of starting a software company, the pros & cons of bootstrapping vs joining an accelerator, having VC funding, and a few key insights he’s learned on his entrepreneurial journey.

If you’ve ever considered starting a software company, this episode is for you.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 5:38 Mike’s journey from biology teacher to ads agency owner
  • 8:03 Growing a business as a result of the rise of AI
  • 12:11 Why Amazon has the best ad platform for direct response marketing
  • 15:12 A bootstrappers mentality vs the accelerator mentality 
  • 18:45 How to determine if an accelerator is a good idea for you
  • 21:05 The metrics Michael focuses on most to move his business forward
  • 23:23 Mike’s unique perspective on retirement
  • 26:19 How Michael is evolving his workhorse mentality and detangling himself from entrepreneurship
  • 31:27 The motivation behind diving into entrepreneurship
  • 34:55 The hardest part about starting a software company
  • 41:01 How Michael and his team use the scrum methodology and why they are moving away from Slack
  • 46:27 What Michael wishes he could tell his younger self
  • 48:28 The number 1 thing every entrepreneur should have on their entrepreneurial journey
  • 50:54 Michael's favorite book on entrepreneurship that changed his leadership style for the better
  • 53:14 Is Ad Badger right for you?

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_279_MikeFaccin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

If you primarily rely on pixels or cookies for conversion tracking, you need to know about Facebook's new Conversions API, or else you'll be facing some serious data tracking challenges every soon.

With the increasing pressure to provide more privacy to consumers, businesses like Apple are making strides to limit consumer information and Google has announced they'll be removing the ability to use 3rd party browser cookies by 2022.  This means that eCommerce business owners who rely on pixels for conversion tracking are going to need to find new ways to stay ahead.  

In today's episode, Andrew Foxwell and I talk about Facebook's new Conversions API, why you need to install it on your site, how it's been shown to increase conversion reporting by 30% and what you can do with that new information. 

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 3:09 Why you need to install Facebook's Conversions API on your Shopify site
  • 6:23 Common mistakes that prevent pixels from properly tracking
  • 7:32 The impact of tracking all conversion events 
  • 10:39 What a 30% increase in conversion reporting can do for your business
  • 13:49 The direction of conversion tracking and customer information
  • 17:15 How to implement Facebook’s Conversion API onto your site

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_278_ConversionsAPI.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Feeling discouraged by a slow start to your business? Mister Jones Health was in the same boat until they unlocked explosive growth that grew the business by 800% in one year.

Jason Daemar spent ten years climbing the corporate ladder only to realize one day that he had enough. Since then, Jason and his wife created Mister Jones Health - an ecommerce brand that has hit an astonishing inflection point over the last year even after having a not-so-glamorous start.

In this episode, Jason talks about finding their first 1,000 customers, a few marketing and Facebook advertising secrets you should know about, being a customer-centric business, and building a team.

If you’re an ecommerce business owner or work in the marketing space, you are going to get a lot out of this episode.

Enjoy! 

Episode Highlights

  • 6:08 The idea behind Mister Jones Health
  • 12:32 Experimenting with marketing channels to find their first 1,000 customers
  • 14:28 The #1 overlooked thing by Facebook advertisers 
  • 16:29 Mindsets for having a customer-centric business and building empathy
  • 20:28 The insight Jason unlocked to grow Mister Jones Health by 800% in one year
  • 24:49 Two mindset shifts for continued growth and a strong culture
  • 26:27 Why you should spend time learning the language of your industry
  • 30:02 The problem with a founder being in the present
  • 31:22 Jason’s resources for becoming a leader in your organization
  • 33:29 Mister Jones Health is hiring!
  • 37:00 One thing Jason wishes he knew prior to starting his business and his advice to new entrepreneurs

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_277_Jase.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

The reality is most entrepreneurs won't reach the singular exit that retires them for life. So why is their strategy to build wealth rooted 100% in their business?

It's common for entrepreneurs to feel the urge to go all in and invest 100% in their business. But spoiler alert: Running a business is hard and selling your business for enough to spend your retirement at the Four Seasons with a pina colada in hand is even harder.

In today's episode, Andrew Foxwell and I talk about how entrepreneurs can build wealth outside of their business by focusing on three different buckets of investments, why a diversification strategy is something to consider, and how we are preparing for looming financial issues that are on many people's minds. 

Episode Highlights

  • 6:27 Establishing what financial freedom looks like for you
  • 9:27 The three buckets of investments
  • 10:38 How Austin and his wife got into real estate investing
  • 16:08 Austin and Andrew's stock market strategy to build wealth
  • 19:18 Protecting yourself from an inflation event
  • 22:09 Views on cryptocurrency and how to create a hedge for yourself
  • 24:12 Austin's business strategy to build wealth
  • 2840 How to build a $100M asset without having a $100M business
  • 30:48 Leveraging the skills you have to create outsized returns
  • 34:04 The importance of having a net worth progress tracking system

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_276_BuildingWealth_Postscript.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Who is truly at the center of your business, your customers or your profits?

Tim O'Brien's supplement company, Find Your Healthy Place, is relentless in its pursuit of customer-centricity. After in-store sales started to tank during the onset of COVID-19, Tim knew that making their customer's online experience just as personalized and memorable as the one they had in store would be critical to their survival. Today, Tim's online sales are up from 3% to 26%, and the pivots they continue to make are remarkable. 

Tune into this episode to learn why Tim feels a customer first strategy works best for his business, how to create personalized experiences online and the key metrics he focuses on as his business continues to grow.

Episode Highlights

  • 5:07 How Tim got started in the wellness industry
  • 10:00 The effects COVID has had on Tim’s brick-and-mortar and Ecommerce sales
  • 14:19 How Tim is applying his customer first strategy online
  • 18:55 Building your competitive advantage into your onboarding process
  • 21:59 Choosing to double down on what works
  • 23:31 The most powerful metric Tim’s team focuses on 
  • 25:44 Hard lessons Tim has learned about himself in his entrepreneurial journey
  • 28:47 A perspective on what to do when you make the wrong hire
  • 30:36 Tim’s approach on local and digital advertising
  • 35:31 The email marketing strategy that is generating thousands of dollars in sales every week
  • 38:32 What Tim is most excited about in business right now
  • 40:01 How you can get in touch with Tim

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_275_TimObrien.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Many Ecommerce business owners are wondering how to reclaim their Facebook ad performance to finish on top.

Ecommerce entrepreneurs saw some of their best months this spring with consumer’s response to the onset of COVID-19. However, as buying patterns started to shift, summer and fall have been incredibly challenging.

In this episode, Andrew Foxwell gives us some insight into what he's learned working with a variety of clients. We dive into how user behavior has changed, what businesses across the globe are experiencing, and leave you with several tactics you can use to increase your Facebook ad performance this year. 

Episode Highlights

  • 6:27 How user behavior is impacting the current state of Facebook
  • 10:36 A global overview of Facebook ad performance
  • 13:59 What the Shaq Stack is and how to use it
  • 17:12 Using bid overrides to manage volatile Facebook ad performance
  • 19:35 User-generated content and dynamic creative testing
  • 22:49 The All-In-One Campaign Budget Optimization when nothing else is working
  • 24:48 Finding your unique performance formula
  • 27:36 How long you need to run campaigns to maximize Facebook ad performance
  • 30:30 When to ramp up your Facebook ad budget
  • 33:13 The top 3 things working for US-based advertisers 
  • 35:23 Andrew’s Q4 prediction on Facebook ad performance

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_274_SinceThe_Spring.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Ever Feel Like A Million Bucks After A $20 Haircut? Today’s Guest Knew That Feeling, And It Led Him To Create A Product That Hit More Than $1MM In Sales In Just 12 Months. 

Calvin Quallis is the Founder of Scotch Porter – a 7-figure New Jersey-based men’s grooming brand now on the shelves of major retailers like Walmart and Target. 

The brand’s early beginnings trace back to his mom’s barbershop where Calvin noticed men couldn’t help but walk out with an entirely new pep in their step. Since then, Calvin has been on a mission to help men feel their best.

Calvin joins us on this episode to talk about what building Scotch Porter has been like, the struggles and challenges they’ve faced, marketing strategies that have worked for them, and so much more. 

If you’re an ecommerce entrepreneur interested in going into retail, this episode is for you.

Enjoy! 

Episode Highlights

  • 6:34 The power of a $20 haircut: What inspired the Scotch Porter brand
  • 10:19 Creating a mission you can get behind
  • 12:17 Laying the groundwork for Scotch Porter
  • 15:29 The key characteristic you need to solve your startup problems 
  • 17:27 What Calvin wishes he knew before signing major retail contracts
  • 21:29 Two things Calvin would approach differently if given another chance
  • 23:15 The lengthy process of landing inside Playboy magazine
  • 25:35 Scotch Porter’s marketing strategies to gain traction
  • 27:55 How Calvin would launch a second brand with what he knows now
  • 30:23 4 invaluable resources Calvin recommends for your entrepreneurial journey
  • 32:26 Why Calvin will hop on a call with any entrepreneur
    34:39 The benefits of bootstrapping vs being funded
  • 36:29 How you can get in touch with Calvin and learn more about Scotch Porter

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_273_Calvin_Updated_Klaviyo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

If you’re one of the few people who hasn’t been impacted by the recent turmoil around Facebook ads, consider yourself lucky. For everyone else, this episode is for you. 

If you're an ecommerce business owner or agency who primarily drives traffic through Facebook advertising, you’re aware of the recent challenges. Between price increases, instability on the platform, and movies like The Social Dilemma that are going to bring even more transparency and scrutiny on advertising through Facebook, it’s a difficult time to grow your business using paid social. 

Andrew Foxwell and I recorded two episodes back in February of 2019 where Andrew talks about 20 questions he likes to ask clients that are feeling stuck with their Facebook ads. It's still unbelievably relevant today. If you’re having challenges or are seeing a performance drop, these are the questions and strategies that you can revisit to bring new life to your ads.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 7:29 Integrating user-generated content into your creative
  • 8:43 Leveraging reviews and social proof in ad copy
  • 10:16 Using square video link posts
  • 11:56 Performance differences between lifestyle photos vs product images
  • 13:50 The problem with unanswered comments on your paid social ad
  • 17:50 How to give first-time customers a reason to try your product
  • 19:19 Bringing new life to an old ad set
  • 20:36 Utilizing dynamic pixel actions to introduce new prospecting audiences
  • 22:29 Testing broad match dynamic product ads layered with interests
  • 23:26 Splitting dynamic product ad time windows to give your customers the best treatment
  • 24:24 Analyzing your audience overlap to help scale your ads
  • 27:16 Using value bidding to increase your average order value
  • 30:23 Bid overrides, the bully method and getting exposure in a competitive space
  • 34:58 The importance of advertising to previous customers
  • 37:32 Trying product bundling to bring up your AOV
  • 42:02 Remarketing to engaged users
  • 43:24 Reading your age report breakdown and how to find it
  • 46:22 What your Add to Cart to Purchase ratio can tell you
  • 48:08 How to try campaign budget optimization
  • 49:45 The importance of getting a naming convention installed

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_272_20_things_relaunch.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Building an offshore business is often thought to be risky, or even illegal. However, it's now becoming a very common, and legal way, to lower your global tax rate -- as much as 42%.

“Go where you’re treated best,” is Andrew Henderson’s famous tagline.

A US ex-pat and founder of Nomad Capitalist, Andrew has legally lowered his global tax rate from 43% to 1%. Now he helps entrepreneurs keep more of their own money, live freely around the world, and create wealth faster through offshore strategies.  

I found Andrew when searching for a way to diversify my citizenship. I quickly discovered that he's a wealth of knowledge on ways to reduce your tax burden and I’m excited for you to listen to the show. 

In this episode, we talk about common misconceptions about building an offshore business, what it’s really like living a nomadic lifestyle, and the benefits it can offer to both you and your family.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:47 Andrew’s philosophy of viewing the world as your buffet 
  • 6:57 The history behind flag theory
  • 9:48 Why you should be harnessing difficult countries for different benefits
  • 13:02 The biggest misconceptions about offshore business
  • 19:26 A case for investing in international real estate
  • 22:46 Challenges associated with frontier markets
  • 26:05 How families are taking advantage of global citizenship
  • 30:21 The differences between a tax-friendly state and a tax-friendly country
  • 33:51 What it’s like living a nomadic lifestyle
  • 37:35 Andrew’s hypothesis on the future state of taxes
  • 42:02 How to approach getting a second passport
  • 47:42 Questions to ask yourself when deciding if an offshore business is right for you
  • 52:03 Where you can get in touch with Andrew

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_271_AndrewHenderson_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

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 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 retail is a last resort. We also discuss his experience of burnout and how entrepreneurs can best avoid it.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:58 The problem with copying someone else’s formula for success
  • 7:15 Starting a multimillion-dollar company by accident
  • 12:52 What it’s like riding the wave of one of the largest diet crazes
  • 16:02 How to solve nearly all of the problems in your business
  • 20:00 Perfect Keto’s science experiment approach to business
  • 22:03 Anthony’s experience with burnout
  • 28:31 What Anthony wishes he knew before launching Perfect Keto
  • 32:00 Anthony’s new approach to building teams and building a solid business foundation
  • 34:02 The next health problem Anthony is looking to solve 
  • 36:42 What business owner’s need to know about entering retail
  • 39:25 Advice for entrepreneurs working long hours and going off the grid
  • 44:41 A mindset shift for entrepreneurs to start enjoying the process
  • 50:17 How you can connect with Anthony

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_270_AnthonyGustin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Do you have a dream of building a 9-figure business? We’ve worked with Ecommerce entrepreneurs who have and here’s what they have in common.

Today I’m taking you behind the scenes into the Coalition, my Ecommerce coaching community for Ecommerce entrepreneurs. Every month we have a live training that dives into one aspect of growing your Ecommerce business. In this training, we are talking about the mindset shifts needed to reach 9-figure growth.

Drew Sanocki, CEO of AutoAnything and former CMO KarmaLoop,  joins us and shares his experience running multiple 9-figure businesses. If you own or work with an established Ecommerce business and want to reach for that same success, this is for you.

Episode Highlights

  • 8:31 The #1 prerequisite for building a 9-figure business
  • 11:37 A key team characteristic at fast-growing companies
  • 15:24 An unexpected truth about reinvention and the willingness to pivot
  • 18:35 How to be laser-focused on your brand 
  • 20:10 Changing your philosophy around hiring and how to attract top talent
  • 23:03 What your role as the founder actually evolves into
  • 25:58 This is the #1 way to not get what you want
  • 28:11 A founder’s trade-off between growth and time
  • 30:57 Drew Sanocki’s background in Ecommerce
  • 32:30 The biggest differences between a 7-figure and 9-figure company
  • 34:48 When to introduce middle management to your team
  • 37:27 What Drew spends the most time doing in his business today
  • 44:30 Drew’s philosophy on hiring and the power of networking
  • 46:57 What successful founders have in common
  • 50:52 The difference between being a single founder and having a co-founder
  • 52:59 Putting together a board for your business
  • 54:08 How to build the most wealth as an entrepreneur
  • 59:02 Auditions vs Hiring: How to ensure you’ve found the right fit
  • 1:01:16 Deciding to keep your role as the CEO in a growing company
  • 1:05:43 The difference between running a software company and Ecommerce business
  • 1:13:08 Believing that an exit is possible
  • 1:15:07 Why we are in the Golden Age of Ecommerce

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_269_100M_Mindset.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

COVID-19 Is Presenting Opportunities For Ecommerce And For This Brand, They've Contributed To 100% Year-Over-Year Growth. 

Kevin Chen is the Co-Founder and President of iRestore, a company that sells laser hair growth systems. Kevin is a long time client of the Brand Guild and when I last had him on the podcast, iRestore cracked the code on paid social and turned into an 8-figure business. Since then, Kevin's role has changed dramatically within the business, and it has continued to grow, despite unforeseen COVID-19 challenges. 

In this episode, Kevin talks about creating a tight-knit organization that works remotely, increasing productivity, building company culture, team transparency, and the opportunities COVID-19 is presenting for eCommerce.

Episode Highlights

  • 6:58 What iRestore’s 100% year-over-year growth has looked like
  • 7:36 The product launch that changed the economics of Kevin’s business
  • 12:33 The only two skills Kevin realized he needs to help the business succeed
  • 15:18 Lessons from COVID-19 on how to future-proof your business
  • 18:53 Creating an optimal work environment and strong company culture 
  • 21:38 The impact of working remotely on productivity
  • 24:08 What Kevin’s team looks like today
  • 26:19 Four things to consider when hiring an agency 
  • 29:17 How iRestore manages their paid advertising efforts
  • 31:30 The unexpected source of fulfillment for Kevin in his business
  • 33:55 How iRestore is creating a better employee experience
  • 36:28 The most challenging yet critical piece to your business success 
  • 38:50 Kevin’s struggle with transparency with his team
  • 41:02 Fortunate opportunities in an unfortunate time: What iRestore is doubling down on
  • 44:10 The freedom COVID-19 has given iRestore
  • 46:09 What Kevin attributes the businesses’ largest inflection points to
  • 48:38 iRestore is hiring!

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_268_KevinChen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:40am CDT

This week we're bringing you throwback that is all about the difference between brands that scale and those that don’t.

Kurt Elster interviewed me on the Unofficial Shopify Podcast and after re-listening to the episode, I wanted to share it with you. Kurt asks great questions and I outline my entire philosophy on growth.

In this episode, we talk about defining a growth strategy, scaling your advertising, and how to hire the team necessary to get to the next level. I also share what I’ve learned from working with some of the fastest-growing brands in the country.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:30 How Austin has helped many brands scale from $500k to $1MM.
  • 7:00 Why it's so important to do almost every job in your business before turning it over to someone else.
  • 8:27 The big differences between the Shopify brands that scale up and those that don't.
  • 12:00 How to remove tasks from your plate so your business can scale.
  • 14:20 The core KPI's Austin uses to understand his client's scalability.
  • 15:56 Understanding what your net promoter score is and why it is so valuable to ecommerce brands.
  • 23:00 The point at which Austin regularly sees businesses die out and how you can overcome it.
  • 30:17 Everyone wants to scale their business but it does come with a few downsides.
  • 33:45 How PR has helped many ecommerce brands become successful.
  • 39:34 The questions you should be asking yourself to help you define your success.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_267_KurtElster160Replay_BGEIncrease.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Beardbrand’s approach to content marketing has resulted in 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube.

On today’s episode, I am bringing back my good friend Eric Bandholz. I first met Eric in 2014 at an Ecommerce Fuel event and he was one of our early Ecommerce Influence podcast guests. Since then, he’s been continuing to build an incredible business called Beardbrand.

In this episode, we talk about being on Shark Tank, what it’s like being the face of your brand as a founder, content marketing that creates superfans and so much more.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 5:11 The stressful, year-long experience of being on Shark Tank
  • 12:23 The difference between having business partners and owning 100% of your business
  • 14:53 How Eric has created freedom in his life and business over the last 8 years
  • 19:44 The pros and cons of being the face of your brand
  • 22:27 How Beardbrand showcases different facets of their brand through multiple social media channels
  • 25:27 Beardbrand’s approach to dealing with online haters
  • 27:55 What Beardbrand focuses on to stay ahead of their competition
  • 29:48 An approach to content marketing that creates superfans
  • 31:57 The lesson COVID-19 has taught businesses
  • 34:49 What Eric wishes he had known when he first started his business
  • 35:27 The system Eric uses to hire top-notch employees 
  • 37:29 Key roles Eric plays in the business today
  • 39:16 Using agencies to grow your business and when to transition to in-house
  • 43:50 Beard Brand’s approach to paid advertising
  • 46:05 What Eric is curious about right now
  • 48:52 The hidden world of infertility and the journey Eric and his wife have been on

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_266_EricBandholdz_Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

What if you could find the marketing formula that would double your business, and then double it again?

This is the kind of growth Oral Essentials is currently experiencing as they’ve dialed in and refined their approach to marketing and paid advertising. 

On today’s episode, I’ve invited Justin Madahhi, Co-founder and Head of Online Sales and Marketing at Lumineux Oral Essentials, back on the show. Justin and his team were already experiencing fast-paced growth when we started working together two years ago, and since he was on the show last fall, their growth has continued to skyrocket.

In this episode, Justin talks about dialing in your messaging, the marketing formula they’ve created to drive consistent sales, how to drive subscription revenue and how to get your team into alignment during high-growth times.

Episode Highlights

  • 7:32 What Justin learned is critical for rapid, successful growth 
  • 9:43  A sophisticated approach to Facebook marketing
  • 13:00 Expectation vs Reality: What startling fast growth actually looks like
  • 15:51 Justin’s three main roles in the company today and how his team has grown over the last year
  • 19:34 Shifting focus to a long-term brand vision
  • 21:13 How to get your team into alignment, set realistic expectations and maintain a high work ethic
  • 24:20 The sales channel Justin believes is going to take the company to the next level
  • 26:03 Factors to consider when crafting paid ad content
  • 28:00 The one thing you need to ask yourself before deploying a new marketing strategy
  • 32:22 Why disruption is a double-edged sword and the impact it has on your marketing
  • 35:27 Oral Essential’s approach to email marketing and the changes they made over the eight months that have had drastic results 
  • 38:15 Three steps to successfully drive subscription revenue
  • 40:55 Key metrics that will increase the valuation of and stabilize your business
  • 43:43 How failure helped Justin get more perspective and learn to set an example for his team
  • 45:34 Justin’s advice for entrepreneurs trying to build 9-figure businesses
  • 47:47 The most helpful resources Justin has found on his journey, including his recommended Twitter follows
  • 50:37 What freedom means to Justin and how it shows up in his business
  • 52:13 Analyzing the long term effects of COVID-19 on consumer psychology 
  • 57:41 Oral Essentials is hiring!

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_265_JustinMaddahi.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

When I met Greg Williams in the Coalition, he told me he wanted to sell his business and be a millionaire by age 40. A year later, he’s done just that.

Greg started Autoimmune Institute in 2017 with the intention to sell, and in just three years, he went from $50,000 to $2,000,000 in sales. In this episode of the Ecommerce Influence podcast, Greg shares the levers he pulled to fast-track business growth, what it actually looks like to sell a 7-figure business, and how to maximize your business’ valuation.

If you’re interested in building a business with the intention to sell, this episode is a must-listen.

Enjoy!

Direct download: EI_264_GregWilliams.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

The “crush-it” culture of entrepreneurship almost led to me giving up the business I have today.

After two years at a fast-growing startup, I was pushed to the edge mentally and physically. I knew I had to walk away and form a vision for what I wanted my future to look like. It took eight years for me to go from burnout to freedom by building my business into what it is today, and creating that vision involved a lot of trial and error and reinvention.

In this episode I talk about some of the lowest points I’ve experienced as an entrepreneur, what it was like to close down a successful marketing agency, the trials of breaking up with a business partner, and the importance of defining success so you know what you’re actually working towards. 

Episode Highlights

  • 5:22 The early foundation of Austin’s journey as an entrepreneur
  • 8:17 Invaluable experience gained from startup life and lessons learned from burnout
  • 10:58 Making sales while you sleep: Austin’s introduction to ecommerce and email marketing
  • 12:49 How the Ecommerce Influence podcast was born
  • 14:04 The unexpected rise and intentional fall of Austin’s marketing agency
  • 18:30 The most important thing to consider when forming a business partnership
  • 20:32 Austin’s lowest point in his entrepreneurship journey
  • 22:38 The lightbulb moment at a mastermind that led to the creation of a new business model
  • 24:47 Crush it culture resurfaces: how a second round of burn out changed the direction of Austin’s business
  • 28:50 Hiring a business coach and building a membership site
  • 31:23 The three current revenue-drivers for Austin’s business
  • 32:42 Austin’s huge mindset shift that led to steady and consistent growth
  • 36:07 How to create more freedom in your life as an entrepreneur
  • 40:20 Austin’s definition of success in business and life today
  • 44:22 An unpopular opinion Austin has about business that many other entrepreneurs won’t agree with

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_263B_AustinandCarly_Finalv2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Growing a team is challenging for any company. But going from two people to 90 in just 10 years with a non-traditional business model? That’s an almost unbelievable feat.  

Connie Matisse, cofounder and CMO of East Fork, joins us today to talk about how she built a successful business with a 90+ person team without following the path of many traditional businesses. 

Tune in to learn how East Fork created a memorable marketing engine with a self-described “laughable” budget, what they’ve found to be one of the most critical business functions that’s often ignored, and how they’ve kept their store running through the challenges of COVID-19. 

Episode Highlights

  • 4:44 How the 2008 economic recession introduced Connie to the world of craft pottery
  • 7:00 Reinventing pottery to reach the modern household
  • 11:16 Connie’s organic approach to content marketing and building a holistic brand
  • 13:35 The challenge of being the voice of the brand for a fast-growing business
  • 16:41 What East Fork leadership spends 90% of their time on to ensure successful growth
  • 19:23 Moving from WordPress to Shopify and the effect it had on demand
  • 21:27 How East Fork is managing production and customer expectations in a COVID-19 world
  • 23:36 Analyzing profitability and venture capital funding for a capital intensive business 
  • 26:21 How East Fork’s leadership style has evolved during COVID-19
  • 27:59 The many hats Connie wears as a cofounder
  • 30:30 Connie’s process for creating honest and authentic brand collaborations
  • 33:05 How to stop following the herd and create space for radical thinking
Direct download: EI_263_Connie.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

There are only 130 days until Black Friday. With the global economy in so much flux because of COVID-19, what are your Q4 predictions? 

Are you preparing for a massive Q4 or wondering if your business is going to just get by? 

In this episode, I go over a few Q4 predictions with cases in favor of and against Q4 being a thriving quarter for ecommerce, factors to consider that are in and out of your control, and most importantly, how you can prepare.

Episode Highlights

  • 3:39 Why the ecommerce industry is primed to have a massive Q4
  • 5:59 COVID-19 effects on spending and your consumer’s potential psychological shift during Q4
  • 8:01 How to manage your ecommerce inventory to get a leg up against your competition
  • 9:12 If your target audience includes these people you might have a difficult Q4
  • 10:39 The biggest case against a successful Q4
  • 13:17 Large corporations marketing budgets and how they could impact small business’ ability to compete
  • 14:27 Austin’s Q4 predictions and his 3 step plan for preparing for the type of quarter in store

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_261B_q4Predictions.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

With Facebook boycotts, changing advertising policies, and channel unpredictability, it’s more important now than ever to invest in what you can control

The approach to search engine optimization (SEO) has changed over the last several years, but it still remains an incredibly important component of your marketing strategy.

This week’s guest is SEO consultant and expert Dan Shure. Dan’s been working in SEO for more than 12 years, and he joins us to talk about what’s changed over time when it comes to SEO strategy, the two different types of core content to focus on, what’s working in ecommerce SEO in 2020 and the tools you should be using to be successful.

This episode has some great actionable tips you can start using today, and I hope you enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 5:16 How Dan fell into SEO while working as a professional musician
  • 7:50 What is SEO really? Is it a channel, a traffic source, links, or something else?
  • 13:30 The #1 thing business owners need to think about when it comes to ecommerce SEO in 2020
  • 15:49 Informational intent vs. purchase intent content and how you should be using each in your SEO strategy
  • 18:53 Letting the keywords be your guide as you’re thinking about creating content with informational or purchase intent content
  • 22:40 Breaking down seed keywords and how to identify them for your brand
  • 26:04 Why Dan shifted from an agency business model to a consulting and training model
  • 31:35 The technical pieces of SEO you need to watch out for in ecommerce
  • 33:55 Should you have a developer on your team to help you with technical SEO?
  • 35:34 Shopify blog or Wordpress blog: which is better for SEO?
  • 37:20 What’s working right now with content: remember the keywords are king.
  • 42:56 Backlinks: do you need them and how to build them proactively
  • 46:30 Must-have tools for ecommerce SEO in 2020

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_260_DanShure_Widen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Holistic marketing can make your brand more consistent and unified across all your marketing channels so that it stands out from the competition. 

Jesse Semchuck, Director of Acquisition for Traeger Grills, joins us to share what he has learned from viewing channels holistically. He shares what the makeup of his marketing team looks like, 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. 

Episode Highlights: 

  • 5:59 Jesse Semchuck’s role at Traeger Grills and what he’s been excited to build over the last year
  • 7:55 The difference between selling mattresses and selling smoker grills
  • 9:18 What’s working well for Traeger Grills right now
  • 11:14 The makeup of Jesse’s marketing team 
  • 12:37 Questions Jesse asks when thinking about strategic scaling and how he decides which marketing channels to focus on
  • 17:06 Why low ROAS isn’t always a bad thing and the importance of understanding how different channels impact one another
  • 20:13 When is the right time to invest in a full funnel holistic approach to your marketing
  • 22:42 What most people do wrong when hiring an agency, and a better way to approach it
  • 26:58 How internal team interaction with agencies is structured at Traeger Grills
  • 29:00 Questions to ask a potential agency partner
  • 30:57 When to outsource to an agency versus keeping things in house 
  • 32:31 Agency red flags to watch out for

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_259_Jesse_JustUnoUpdated.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

This Week We’re Bringing You A Throwback To One Of Our Most Popular Episodes Of All Time.

In May 2018 we interviewed Jake Kassan about what it really takes to build a $100 million business. This episode has been incredibly popular, and it still extremely relevant today.

Jake Kassan, founder and CEO of MVMT Watches, was one of my first clients when he was just launching the brand back in 2013. He talks about how things have changed since then, and how MVMT has grown to what it is today.

MVMT strives to be a best in class brand and best in class in all-around marketing, and Jake shares the strategic approach to marketing MVMT uses to achieve those goals. He also talks about how having a strong team is essential to scaling your business and shares his experience hiring a CMO and supporting team, and what you need to know to do it.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 9:05 How building relationships with customers through direct sales online helped MVMT scale.
  • 12:04 The best success comes in stages and this is what each stage of growth has looked like for MVMT over the last 5 years.
  • 13:12 Jake’s #1 tip for successfully scaling a business (hint: it’s not email or Facebook ads).
  • 15:07 What MVMT would do differently if they had to do it all over again.
  • 19:05 As an entrepreneur, Jake believes it’s important to always be testing and working through those results to find success.
  • 21:13 The basic math MVMT used to scale in the beginning and how they look at “spending-money-to-make-money” now.
  • 24:18 Where MVMT is testing for acquisition and where they’re seeing success.
  • 28:28 What you need to know when growing your team so you can successfully scale your business.
  • 32:15 How MVMT solidified their appeal with customers through user-generated content.
  • 35:09 What Jake loves most about building a lifestyle brand.
  • 38:11 Every business goes through low times, here’s a few MVMT went through in order to grow.
  • 43:09 Why Jake feels it’s so important to network with and learn from other founders.

Links And Resources:

Direct download: EI_258_TBT_Jake_Kassan.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Most companies add a second product line when they want to grow. This week’s guest decided to build a second brand instead.

Ashley Merrill founded women’s sleepwear line Lunya in 2014 because she was tired of wearing her husband’s clothes around the house. Five years later, she decided to expand into menswear, but just adding a men’s line didn’t sit right with her.

Tune in to find out why Ashley decided to start a second brand, how she grew her company from a startup to an established business, and lessons she’s learned about building a team.

Episode Highlights: 

  • 5:16 How an ambition to solve a problem resulted in launching Lunya
  • 8:00 How business has evolved since its unconventional 2014 launch
  • 10:42 Why having major funding in the beginning isn’t always best, and the spending that eventually moved the needle for Lunya
  • 13:05 The value of identifying your brand muse.
  • 15:28 One company value that’s contributed to Lunya’s success
  • 16:30 Hiring lessons learned growing from a start-up into an established business
  • 21:00 How Lahgo started and why Ashley built a second brand, rather than simply adding the men’s line to Lunya
  • 25:44 The biggest trap entrepreneurs can get stuck in
  • 28:48 The High 5 Test and the lessons Ashley learned from getting her MBA
  • 33:20 How non-traditional methods of getting in front of people help the brand
  • 39:36 Ashley’s key piece of advice for business owners

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_257_AshleyMerrill.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

One of the most challenging parts of growing a business is acquiring valuable customers who will purchase from you regularly. 

Part 3 of our Profit Series gets into the nitty-gritty details of how to increase customer lifetime value. We dive straight into customer-centric versus product-centric businesses and talk about different ways to acquire more high-value customers and share proven tactics that will help you increase customer lifetime value.

Episode Highlights: 

  • 3:36 The first strategic decision you must make when thinking about customer lifetime value
  • 6:38 The best lever to focus on to increase customer lifetime value
  • 8:03 The revolutionary changes with Facebook advertising that help you reach your best customers
  • 10:05 The importance of product and service offerings that tailor to high-value customers 
  • 11:49 Are loyalty programs a good way to increase customer lifetime value?
  • 13:20 The strategy that led Best Buy to boom while their competitors got wiped out
  • 15:15 The value of subscriptions and talking to your best customers
  • 17:58 How to build a solid referral strategy
  • 20:10 Additional tactics to increase customer lifetime value

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_256_Profit_Series_Part_3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Is it possible to build 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: 

  • 5:54 Nate’s involvement in the cannabis and hemp industries via multiple different businesses
  • 9:44 Fixing a gap in the cannabis industry: the creation of the Grower’s Network
  • 12:18 The YouTube channel that lifted the veil on growing operations
  • 16:37 How Nate got started in ecommerce and his number one piece of advice for beginners 
  • 20:28 What Nate would do differently if he were building his website today
  • 22:31 The future role of video in ecommerce and common YouTube misconceptions
  • 24:58 Using video to provide clarity around what a product actually does
  • 30:42 One factor that will help you win more customers in the long term
  • 32:37 How connecting with your competitors and being radically transparent can benefit your business in a major way
  • 35:40 Other non-traditional advertising channels that Nate’s using that have resulted in zero customer acquisition costs
  • 41:05 The questions you need to ask yourself to reframe your approach to acquiring customers
  • 45:37 What you can do right now to increase your revenue

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_255_Nate.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

One of the top ways to accelerate your growth on the path to profitability is to increase average order value.

In Part 2 of our Profit Series, we’re diving into successful strategies and tactics you can use to increase your average order value. 

From simple changes with pricing to on-site additions to optimizing your Facebook targeting, we share the exact tactics our top clients are using to increase average order value and how these tactics support the big picture strategy toward profitable growth.

Episode Highlights: 

  • 4:27 The 80/20 Rule and how it should impact your overall business strategy
  • 8:41 The first thing to do if you want to increase average order value
  • 10:30 Successful approaches to bundling products
  • 13:02 How to use dynamic product ads to increase average order value
  • 16:28 A tactic Kettle & Fire is using on their website collections page to boost sales
  • 18:10 Why your best type of customers are the key for increasing average order value 
  • 20:34 The difference between upsells and cross-sells and how to determine which is best for your brand
  • 23:57 The value of delivering relevant products at the point of checkout
  • 26:19 How upsells can have a huge impact on average order value and why you don’t have to overcomplicate the offer
  • 29:00 A few additional unique ways to increase average order value

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_254_Profit_Part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

TikTok is all the rage right now. Even with fewer people creating content, there are more people consuming. But what makes this platform so viral?

August Noble went from leading acquisition at SnackNation to helping his clients optimize TikTok’s acquisition channel -- influencers. He is now using key learnings from other social media platforms to ramp up influencer marketing strategies to promote brands. 

Tune in and find out what TikTok is all about and how it’s generating more buzz in the social media world.

Episode Highlights: 

  • 3:17 How August Noble shares a similar start with our co-host, Austin
  • 4:10 The successes at SnackNation that led August to paid media consulting
  • 6:47 Lessons learned from Linkedin for B2B and B2C
  • 8:32 How Linkedin helped targeting strategy
  • 10:08 The tweet about TikTok that landed August on our podcast 
  • 14:29 What makes TikTok more viral than Instagram or Twitter
  • 17:26 Building relationships with influencers 
  • 21:42 The products that do well on the TikTok platform
  • 24:18 What August is prioritizing over tracking
  • 26:44 Where TikTok is headed and what the most effective content is
  • 30:56 Key learnings from scaling on Facebook and Instagram
  • 33:53 What’s the difference between $15K a day and $1k a day ad spend?
  • 35:52 Targeting strategies: Specific versus Broad
  • 42:48 Tools and resources August recommends 

Links and Resources:

Direct download: EI_253_AugustNoble_Thesis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Do you know what you should be focusing on to make your business more profitable?

We’ve had conversations with many clients during these challenging times. While some businesses are booming, others are taking a hit in sales. But the one thing that seems to be on everyone’s mind is profitability.  

In this episode, we set the framework for our entire Profit Series. Whether or not your business is thriving during this time, we share the five-step process of creating the roadmap you can use for profitable growth. 

Episode Highlights: 

  • 4:52 The decision you have to make about the metrics you keep in focus
  • 6:19 How do you define profit?
  • 9:12 What it means to set a profitability goal and how it differs in different industries
  • 14:53 How to set a capitalization goal
  • 17:55 What is a salary cap?
  • 21:25 How to manage salary caps
  • 25:03 The three levers to drive profitable growth

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_252_Profit_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

They’ve won the Shopify Build a Bigger Business Competition, hit number 20 on the INC 5000 list, and now they’re on the podcast to talk about turning a personal need into a successful business venture.

Garret and Deanne Akerson of Kindred Bravely share how they’ve navigated running a business together as a couple -- from initial startup to hiring over 50 remote employees and all the challenges and milestones in between.

Tune in and enjoy!

Episode Highlights: 

  • 4:59 How Garett and Deanne started Kindred Bravely
  • 9:01 The lessons learned transitioning from Amazon to Shopify 
  • 12:07 How the Amazon ecosystem has evolved and how to approach it now
  • 14:47 How to navigate running a business as married entrepreneurs
  • 18:17 What trading flexibility for structure looked like for Garret and Deanne
  • 21:55 The things that make a large, remote company successful
  • 26:36 Milestones and challenges during the hiring process
  • 30:53 How to know when it’s time to hire executive-level positions
  • 36:47 Group Zoom calls during the interview process -- is there an advantage?
  • 42:36 What questions and themes Garett and Deanne like to bring up during interviews

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_251-Garett26Deanne.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

If you are advertising on Facebook and Instagram, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

As we see an increase in Facebook and Instagram usage due to COVID-19, many of our clients are scaling up their advertising. Today’s episode will cover what’s working right now in paid social and how our clients and partners are scaling up!

Episode Highlights

  • 6:37 The specific audiences working right now for top of the funnel advertising
  • 9:57 User-generated content that’s providing additional scale 
  • 11:30 What’s working right now to scale up middle of the funnel advertising
  • 12:22 The audience advertisers should be targeting
  • 13:23 Bid strategy - are cost caps working?
  • 15:35 How to acknowledge the challenging times on the website and product
  • 19:14 Optimizing dynamic creative within campaigns
  • 20:58 What optimization is working in low funnel
  • 21:33 How to address shipping concerns
  • 22:44 Other messaging opportunities to address delivery concerns

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_250_Whats20Working.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

The daily habits you or your team have can either hinder your growth or facilitate it. But what should we focus on to build good habits while breaking the bad ones?  

Our guest is James Clear, New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits and writer on the James Clear Blog. 

James has spent years researching, writing and talking about the topic of habits. He’ll share his insights on what you can do to grow your business, market better, and rethink your habits.

If you want to create a better system of habits that will improve yourself and your business, this is an episode you’ll want to tune into!

Episode Highlights: 

  • 4:58 Why we struggle to develop and maintain the good habits
  • 8:14 The principles of habits are the same in various areas of life and work but applied uniquely.
  • 10:15 Three big ideas Atomic Habits centers around
  • 16:22 What to ask to reinforce your desired identity as an individual or as a company.
  • 18:35 Changing environments can be framed as a positive time to form habits
  • 21:23 The personal changes James has made during the Coronavirus pandemic to foster better habits
  • 25:10 What to focus on first to help your businesses grow
  • 28:56 The transition James made from being a blogger to a business owner and how experimentation made it clear what he was actually trying to build
  • 33:20 Three things that make a product remarkable enough to buy
  • 38:40 Marketing a product to elicit someone’s desire to make the purchase
  • 42:14 The habits James no longer values 
  • 44:59 Small town influence on James’ family values and love for exploration and travel

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_249_JamesClear.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Have you ever felt that in order to grow your business, you just need to work harder?

We’re here to tell you that you’re wrong. 

In today’s episode, we’re busting the five myths of ecommerce. From diversifying traffic to always doing the next big thing, we’ll share the realities that will actually help you scale profitably, without burning yourself out.

If you own an ecommerce business or you're intimately involved with one, this episode's for you.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights: 

  • 4:54 Myth #1: All I need to do to grow is work harder.
  • 6:06 Reality: Do less, but do it better.
  • 7:45 Myth #2: To grow you need to diversify traffic.
  • 8:03 Reality: Be an expert on one channel, and don’t diversify until you have to.
  • 11:59 Myth #3: You need to always be doing what’s new.
  • 13:12 Reality: Do the right things at the right time (even if it’s just one thing).
  • 17:19 Myth #4: If I follow big brands, I’ll learn what works.
  • 20:58 Reality: Here’s what actually works, no matter your size.
  • 22:15 Myth #5: Top founders have a clear vision and know what they’re doing from the beginning.
  • 23:19 Reality: Find a mentor you can rely on and build your strategy as you grow.

Links and Resources: 

Direct download: EI_248_5_Myths.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Being in charge of the global marketing strategy for a 9-figure business is no simple feat.

Our guest today is Andrew Rosch, Director of Channel Marketing Strategy for Trek Bicycle.

He joins us to talk about what it looks like to manage a global strategy team for a huge global organization, the importance of only focusing on a few key metrics, why email is still his favorite marketing channel, organic content strategies that are working for Trek, and much more.

If you’re growing a large business, or you have aspirations to grow into a large business, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 6:19 What it means to be the Director of Channel Marketing Strategy.
  • 7:44 Finding harmony between brick and mortar and ecommerce.
  • 9:27 The Trek customer journey both on and offline and how it overlaps.
  • 13:02 How Trek avoids alienating its broad-range of customers with its organic content.
  • 15:22 The first test influencers have to pass before working with Trek.
  • 16:12 How Trek approaches the seasonality of the bike business.
  • 18:49 Andrew’s philosophy on measurement and why Trek’s global digital marketers are only responsible for 5 key KPIs.
  • 21:23 What the Channel Marketing team at Trek looks like.
  • 23:58 How Andrew empowers his global team to share new ideas.
  • 25:27 This Director of Channel Marketing Strategy’s favorite marketing channel.
  • 27:01 Andrew’s email marketing tech stack and team.
  • 29:16 Balancing experimentation and systemization.
  • 31:14 Three things Andrew’s learned in his career that have contributed to his success.
  • 35:05 In ecommerce, what you see is rarely the whole picture.
  • 40:02 The importance of going down the rabbit hole and finding out the larger context of what we see online.
  • 43:17 When you create content, assume that whoever is going to see it has never seen anything from your brand before.
  • 46:23 Having a brand is key when you’re thinking about business longevity.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_247_AndrewRosch-JustUno_Covid19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

This is the final part in our Scaling Series and we’re talking about some hugely successful brands.

In our previous episodes, we covered zero to launch, launch to traction, traction to scaling, and growth mode, which will take you from the stages of just starting out to making somewhere between $12 and $15 million.

In this episode, we’re diving into specific case studies of brands you’ve probably heard of, like MVMT Watches and Native Deodorant, and talking about why we think they were successful and why they were able to grow and scale up.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this series, whether you’re just starting out or close to making an exit.

Episode Highlights

  • 4:07 What MVMT, Pura Vida, and Blenders did that made them special. 
  • 6:23 The huge significance of the first-mover advantage.
  • 9:12 Taking advantage of upselling and cross-selling. 
  • 10:28 The overnight success of Native Deodorant.
  • 11:22 Native’s checkout process and what makes it so great.
  • 13:27 The power of subscription at scale.
  • 16:43 How Tuft & Needle scaled to over $100 MM in mattress sales.
  • 18:02 Why being a copycat business really doesn’t pay off.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_246_Scaling_Series_E5__Just_Uno_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Every business has its unique set of growth challenges.

Zach Stuck spent several years working for a digital agency before deciding to go out and start an agency of his own, Homestead Studio.

Now he’s in the process of building his agency business. He’s on the front lines of trying to help clients grow their ecommerce brands.

Today we’re covering a range of topics with Zach. We dive into some specific paid social tactics and what’s working right now for Zach’s clients, and we talk about the onboarding process Zach uses for his clients to ensure both his clients, and his agency, can be successful.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 5:58 How Zach went from working at an agency to starting his own.
  • 8:07 Changes in Zach’s role from agency employee to agency owner.
  • 9:52 Resources Zach used to help a client grow from zero to a million in their first year.
  • 11:26 Common paid social misconceptions Zach hears from his clients.
  • 14:33 What’s working in paid social right now and how to successfully approach dynamic creative testing.
  • 17:33 Value-based lookalike audiences and how to easily start using them.
  • 19:07 The state of social proof in 2020 - does it really matter?
  • 23:37 If you don’t have a large customer audience to run social proofing to, what can you do?
  • 24:31 A little known fact about 1% lookalike audiences.
  • 27:07 Crucial steps for successfully onboarding new clients and building a strong ongoing relationship.
  • 32:00 What’s keeping Zach up at night.
  • 34:20 You can’t outsource your growth.
  • 37:16 The challenges with growing an agency and how finding clients who are the right fit is key to success.
  • 43:20 How Zach’s avoiding the churn and burn that happens so often to agencies.
  • 44:57 What Zach’s eating, is he working out, and what his daily life looks like.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_245_ZachStuck_JustUnoUpdate_Covid19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

We're in the midst of an unprecedented global crisis and a time of much uncertainty.  

Some of my clients are businesses are experiencing growth, and others are down by 50% or more.

Even if this crisis leads to an economic recession, you get to choose whether or not you want to take part in it.

Today I'm sharing a special recording of one of my recent members-only webinars where I talk about how to lead your ecommerce business during uncertain times, and how to transform this uncertainty into a time of abundance and opportunity for your business (without exploiting anyone).

In this episode we'll talk about:

  • The three things business owners should be focused on right now.
  • How to think about cash management during a crisis and why you must use this as an opportunity to build a rock-solid financial future.
  • Why playing offense is going to become more important than playing defense in the coming months.
  • How to lead (not manage) your way through this crisis and come out stronger on the other side.
  • How to bring your team together during uncertain times and to build a resilient remote culture.
  • How to react if your business HASN’T been impacted by COVID-19 and how you can ethically use this to your advantage.

We will get through this together.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_BonusEpisode_Thriving_In_Chaos.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

In part 4 of our Scaling Series we’re talking about Growth Mode.

You’ve made your first seven figures and now you’re scaling up to eight figures. You’ve figured out something that works and you might be starting to feel overworked and overwhelmed.

Now is the time to make those key hires and/or outsource channels you feel like you’ve maximized. It’s time to go from the day-to-day manager of your business and grow into the true role of CEO.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to start getting things off your plate, managing inventory issues, and how to determine whether it’s time to focus on a new marketing channel.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 5:38 One of the biggest issues in Growth Mode: Superhero Syndrome.
  • 7:57 Implement systems to help you get more off your plate.
  • 11:10 Why inventory issues often arise at this stage of growth.
  • 13:20 How to solve your inventory issues.
  • 16:01 Challenges you might face as you’re trying to hire, and what not to do.
  • 18:32 Strategic issues that arise during Growth Mode.
  • 20:54 Things to look at to determine how much more room there is for growth with a specific marketing channel.
  • 22:06 How to successfully onboard an agency or a new in-house hire.
  • 24:33 Businesses that take it to the next level offload successful channels and dive into learning the next one.
  • 26:44 Slow down to grow faster.
  • 28:14 Remember why you started your business in the first place.
  • 29:17 Your transformation from day-to-day business manager to CEO.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_244_Scaling_Series_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

If you're struggling to make SEO work for your business, this episode is for you.

Our guest today is a dual-threat. He’s building an ecommerce brand while also running a digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO. Not only does he get to see what’s working for his clients, but he’s learning from what’s working in his own business.

Eagan Heath is the owner of The Splendid Beast and Founder of Get Found Madison. Today he’s doing a deep dive into ecommerce SEO and talking about how to avoid keyword cannibalization, how to get started with SEO (and if it’s even a good idea for your business), and tips for better tracking attribution.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 6:11 The dual-threat that is Eagan Heath.
  • 9:20 What it takes to grow your skills as an agency and the currency you should be selling in.
  • 11:21 The different approach to capturing leads as an agency vs as an ecommerce business.
  • 13:16 The complex order process for Splendid Beast and the advantages of a highly custom business.
  • 16:21 The strategy Eagan used to double his business over the last four years.
  • 18:09 How to avoid keyword cannibalization and appear higher in search results.
  • 20:05 When you should start thinking about SEO (and whether you should be thinking about it at all).
  • 23:43 How to get started with a very small budget.
  • 27:34 Why it’s critical to remember that you are not your customer.
  • 32:45 The huge value of having a business coach.
  • 35:14 What gives Splendid Beast longevity as a business and differentiates it from competitors.
  • 38:01 The issue with attribution on Google Analytics and the solution Eagan is using to work around it.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_243_EaganHeath.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

In part 3 of our Scaling Series, we’re talking about traction to scaling, the period after making your initial $100K to surpassing the million-dollar mark.

There are a number of challenges you’ll face at this stage, including becoming overwhelmed with possibilities, losing strategic focus, wearing too many hats within the business, and more.

Today we walk you through how to tackle these challenges and the things the most successful businesses do at this stage to continue growing to 8-figures and beyond.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:41 The first problem we see at this stage? Mindset and losing focus.
  • 7:53 Why most business owners lose strategic focus at this stage.
  • 8:53 If you’re overwhelmed and losing focus, it’s time to hire.
  • 10:05 The critical role you have to hire for if you want to continue to grow.
  • 10:42 The second problem business owners run into at this stage? The year-over-year mentality, and why you have to get out of it.
  • 13:40 It’s time to get serious about email marketing.
  • 15:10 Other things you can do to increase average order value and lifetime value.
  • 16:30 The companies growing fastest at this stage all have this in common.
  • 17:38 Why connecting with other successful business owners is critical to your success.
  • 19:51 Challenges with cash flow at this stage, and how you can alleviate cash-related issues.
  • 22:31 More commonalities between companies succeeding at this stage of growth.
  • 25:56 If you’re ready to take it to the next level, it’s time to get some outside help.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_242_ScalingSeries_P3_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

There is more than one way to create wealth in ecommerce.

While many entrepreneurs follow the path of bootstrapping a business and hoping to one day be acquired, another option is to start on the acquisition side, and grow a portfolio of successful companies.

Our guest today has done both. Drew Sanocki is CEO of AutoAnything, owner of PostPilot, and an expert at lifecycle marketing.

He joins us to talk about the evolution of lifecycle marketing and the big role direct mail is playing in brand loyalty and repeat purchase rate, as well as how mergers and acquisitions can help your brand, and why M&A are his big focus for the upcoming year.

I always learn a lot when we chat with Drew and I hope you enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 9:05 Why Drew is so excited about direct mail marketing.
  • 12:08 The role of direct mail for Drew's 9-figure dropshipping company.
  • 14:54 Bringing direct mail into traditional lifecycle marketing and how it enhances your brand.
  • 18:55 Exploring brand partnerships in the direct mail space.
  • 19:46 Prospecting with direct mail.
  • 21:56 Syncing direct mail with Klaviyo and segments that are working particularly well.
  • 27:48 The shifting customer journey and how Drew sees it evolving in the near future.
  • 32:49 Why merchandising can be the best kind of marketing.
  • 36:11 What Drew’s excited about in this new decade and what he sees as the quickest way to grow a company.
  • 39:13 Merger and acquisition opportunities that can help your brand.
  • 42:38 Why most business owners have a blind spot to the acquisition process and how Drew would get started building a portfolio.
  • 46:15 Bootstrapping vs acquisition -- does it matter which comes first?

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_241_DrewSanocki.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

We’re on to part 2 of our scaling series, where we talk about the stage from launch to traction, when you’re on track for, or surpassed, the $100K mark.

At this stage in the business, you’re moving from selling something to having consistent sales. Today we’ll talk about some of the common problems people run into during this stage, critical questions to answer before you can start scaling up, and where to seek out support.

We’re bringing you our knowledge and experience from working with brands that have successfully scaled up, and seeing others that haven’t.

In part three, we're going to be talking about traction to scaling. So enjoy this week and stay tuned!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:42 How to know when you’re in the traction stage of your business growth.
  • 7:59 Your goal during this stage of scaling up your business.
  • 8:45 Places you can turn to when you’re looking for guidance.
  • 10:31 Focus on customer acquisition in the early stages of growth.
  • 11:26 Why you have to distinguish between signal vs. noise and listen to a diverse set of sources.
  • 13:06 One question you have to ask yourself before you continue to scale up.
  • 14:48 You must become a channel expert before you outsource.
  • 17:13 The minimum AOV you need if you want to acquire new customers via paid ads.
  • 20:33 Great opportunities for you if you’re in this stage of growth.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_240_ScalingSeries_P2_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

If you want to run your business successfully, you need to have a deep understanding of how everything works.

Today we’re talking with Helen Guo, co-founder of The Cereal School about how she took her business from zero to well over 7 figures in just eight months.

One of the key components of the business’ success is that Helen and her co-founder, Dylan, started by learning and running every aspect of the business themselves, before hiring agencies to take things over.

They also put a lot of initial time into building the brand organically, which made it easier to amplify with paid efforts as they’re scaling up.

Helen shares her amazing journey with us, as well as her tips for finding the right agency, and how to build a partnership that will last.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 6:06 Helen’s entrance into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • 9:06 The Cereal School’s insanely rapid growth.
  • 10:06 Pre-launch efforts to build an audience before the product was ready to officially launch. 
  • 13:25 How Helen built a 20,000+ person email list without running paid ads.
  • 15:29 Helen’s philosophical approach to Facebook ads and scaling up.
  • 18:58 Lessons learned from working with different advertising agencies.
  • 23:10 The importance of actually learning how to run your own marketing, and the creative approach that sets the Cereal School apart.
  • 27:57 How Helen successfully onboarded an ad agency to take over for her.
  • 31:33 Questions to ask your agency upfront to build a better relationship.
  • 32:41 Where Helen goes for new ideas and advice.
  • 34:29 How implementing email marketing helped the Cereal School go from 0% to over 25% of revenue from email.
  • 36:56 What Helen’s looking at to the future to stay ahead of the game.
  • 38:49 Apps that Helen is excited about right now.
  • 41:57 The thing about the Cereal School’s business that can’t be easily replicated.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_239_HelenGuo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

On today's special BONUS episode we're talking about CBO.

That's Campaign Budget Optimization. Andrew sat down with expert digital advertisers Molly Pittman and Depesh Mandalia to talk about what's happening with CBO, how it's working, why it's working the way that it is, and some tips to improve your campaigns.

They discuss:

  • Why you can't treat CBO campaigns the same way as you were treating ABO campaigns
  • CBO misconceptions
  • When CBO works best
  • How to think about your budget when setting up CBO
  • CBO and Dynamic Creative
  • CBO best practices

Enjoy!

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_Bonus_CBO_Depesh_Pittman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Andrew and I have worked with hundreds of different companies at various stages of growth, from pre-launch to multi-million dollar acquisition.

Today we’re kicking off our scaling series, where we’ll talk about each stage of growth and the challenges you're going to face as you scale up your business from zero to 8-figures.

We’re starting off with a “zero to launch” episode where we’ll address some of the questions you’ll face when you’re determining how to launch and going from an idea for a product to actually getting sales.

We’ll be sharing core lessons through each of these episodes that will give you value whether you're at the beginning, already making 7-figures, or somewhere in the middle.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:30 Why we decided to do a scaling series.
  • 9:07 The most important thing when you’re just starting out? Feedback.
  • 10:24 Knowing what your community looks like is critical for scaling.
  • 13:40 Once you know your community, identify their buying power and your market potential.
  • 15:38 A zero to launch case study.
  • 18:16 Common missteps at this stage.
  • 19:40 Creating a “talk trigger” product.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_238_ScaleSeries_1_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

One of the keys to successful growth is hiring a team that keeps the business running, whether the founder is there or not.

Over the last 14 years, Cory Bower, founder of Aviator Gear, has built a multi-million dollar business with a team of 48 full-time employees.

When Cory was in the Air Force, he saw a need, launched a company, and to this day uses some of his military systems and structure to keep things running smoothly.

It’s always a pleasure to chat with Cory, and I hope you enjoy our conversation about growth, hiring, and critical tools for success.

Episode Highlights

  • 5:55 Introducing Cory Bower and the birth of Aviator Gear.
  • 8:12 The unique custom nature of Cory’s products.
  • 10:20 Cory’s journey to becoming a fighter pilot.
  • 13:53 Transitioning from fighter jets to ecommerce.
  • 16:05 How Cory applies lessons learned in the military to his business.
  • 18:42 The team structure Cory’s built that lets his business run even when he’s not around.
  • 23:55 Engines for Aviator Gear’s growth over the last year and how they communicate about the custom nature of their products through different parts of the funnel.
  • 26:43 The role Cory wishes he would have gotten off his own plate sooner, but why you have to have balance as you grow so the wheels don’t fall off.
  • 29:18 Tools Aviator Gear uses to keep things running smoothly.
  • 35:07 What it looks like to hire and manage a 50-person team.
  • 39:29 Cory’s learning process and how he finds useful information to help his growth.
  • 42:07 Do this simple thing right now to be more productive.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_237_CoryBower.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

We’re getting tactical today and bringing you 6 quick wins you can execute today to grow your business.

From Facebook, to email, to website optimization, these quick wins will help you generate sales and get results.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 4:25 Quick Win #1: 4-6% Lookalikes based off pixel value.
  • 5:47 Quick Win #2: Identify previous customers who are likely to spend again, but who are no longer on your email list, and hit them with remarketing.
  • 7:23 Quick Win #3: Integrate your Klaviyo audiences with Facebook.
  • 8:34 Quick Win #4: Turn great text reviews into video reviews.
  • 11:14 Quick Win #5: Use bid caps to ensure your Facebook ads are being shown.
  • 13:05 Quick Win #6: Get a fresh perspective on your website.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_236_6ThingsYouCanDo_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

When someone asks about eCommerce best practices, we always hear, “well, what’s Pura Vida doing?”

Today we’re talking with Pura Vida CEO, Griffin Thall, to get an inside look at their current strategies, how the company’s grown over the last several years, the way his role has evolved, and what it's actually like to prepare your company for a multi-million dollar sale.

Andrew and I both worked with Pura Vida at the very beginning, and we’re so excited to reconnect and bring this episode to you today.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 6:25 What got Griffin and Pura Vida to where they are today.
  • 7:28 How Griffin’s role has changed as the company’s grown.
  • 9:02 Pura Vida’s unique influencer strategy and how it started.
  • 12:45 Relentless innovation and how Pura Vida continues to increase customer lifetime value.
  • 15:18 The moment Griffin realized the brand was going to be a success.
  • 16:30 How Pura Vida’s growth strategy has changed over time.
  • 17:57 The challenges Griffin’s faced over the years as CEO.
  • 20:12 Where Griffin’s seen the most success in hiring.
  • 22:12 How Pura Vida’s ambassador program started, and where it’s at today.
  • 22:21 A day in the life of the Pura Vida CEO, and the value of growing a team.
  • 24:25 Why you’ve got to stop wearing all the hats in your business if you want it to scale up.
  • 28:14 What you should be focusing on as a founder, instead of getting enticed by the newest Shopify app.
  • 29:28 A key approach for brands launching today vs 6 years ago.
  • 31:53 Lessons learned about managing cash while scaling up.
  • 33:47 How Pura Vida ended up making a deal with Vera Bradley, and the process of finding and securing that kind of partnership.
  • 38:07 Griffin’s biggest takeaway from meeting with investors.
  • 39:34 The expansive value Pura Vida’s gained from their partnership with Vera Bradley.
  • 41:33 What Griffin’s excited about right now and some things in store for Pura Vida in 2020.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_235_GriffinThall.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Every year I grow more personally and professionally, and these weekly episodes are a big part of that.

We’ve had discussions about Facebook and email marketing, business processes, how to avoid burnout, and more.

Today Andrew and I are sharing the top things we’ve learned in 2019.

What were your big learnings over the last year?

Episode Highlights

  • 5:15 No one cares where you are as long as the work gets done.
  • 8:33 Be clear about what you want (because you’re going to get it).
  • 11:50 Listen, Help, Learn.
  • 14:21 Focus on generating profits so you can hire good people.
  • 17:52 Dive deeper into discomfort.
  • 21:50 Everything takes longer than you expect.
  • 24:02 Having a business partner with different perspectives than your own is a huge asset.
  • 28: 19 It’s still a great time to build an ecommerce brand.
  • 30:46 Play is important.
  • 31:48 You don’t need to learn everything yourself.
  • 32:40 Track your time.

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_234_Final_NoBrex.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

Digital agencies get a bad rap these days.

From providing inflated results to wasting time on dead-end tactics, many businesses have fired their agencies and moved things in-house.

However, agencies aren’t the enemy. You just have to understand how to build the right relationship with them, and truly integrate them with your team.

Our guest today is Susan Wenograd the CMO of digital agency Aimclear.

We talk with Susan about the shift she’s seeing in where brands are directing their paid ad spend, and the issues of attribution that are coming along with it. She talks about how to build a deeper relationship with your agency so they can bring you greater success, and her thoughts around navigating the digital landscape as things continue to change and evolve.

This episode is a must-listen whether you're a digital agency or doing digital marketing in-house for a brand.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

  • 8:01 What the role of CMO looks like at a digital agency.
  • 10:06 The changes in where brands are spending their paid media dollars.
  • 14:43 Today’s analytics are not the analytics of the future, and why attribution objectives may continue to get less defined.
  • 18:08 How to spot an agency that’s getting results that are too good to be true.
  • 21:26 If you want your agency to be a better partner, you need to more transparent.
  • 24:58 As an agency, it’s important to have the difficult conversations and be a leader.
  • 30:17 Global perspectives on digital marketing and where the US is falling behind.
  • 34:35 You cannot fix broken strategy by optimizing tactics.
  • 37:02 If you're entire marketing plan only consists of spending $300K/month on Facebook, you do not have a brand (and that’s a problem).
  • 41:06 Why fluidity and flexibility are the keys to long-term success.
  • 42:35 Is it time to hand bidding control over to Facebook?

Links And Resources

Direct download: EI_233-SusanWenogard_v2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am CDT

1