“Where did the SEO hide the dead body? On page two of Google.” Yes - SEO in 2022 will still play a huge role in eComm success. With ad costs going up it’s a great time to learn how to drive quality organic traffic with smart SEO tactics. 

John Murphy is the CEO of Ebike Generation and an eCommerce SEO expert. 

In this episode, we talk about John’s journey, and how he went from being an executive at GE to starting his own eCommerce company. John’s eComm success has largely come from SEO after he was banned from Google Ads and Facebook ads in the early days of his business. 

He shares his tips on how he drives $2 million a year from just SEO and what SEO in 2022 will look like (yes - free traffic still exists). 

Note: John is offering his course How I Generate $2M+ Per Year in Sales from Organic Traffic in the membership in March. If you’re a member you can register here. Or if you’d like to join to take the course you can find more information here. 

Episode Highlights:

• 5:47 How John started selling online 
• 8:09 Finding the right product 
• 12:03 Getting the first sale 
• 13:58 Supply chain issues & COVID 
• 16:20 Finding the right niche and not being scared to narrow down 
• 22:28 Getting banned from Google and Facebook ads 
• 24:49 Shifting to SEO for a majority of traffic 
• 29:09 SEO in 2022 
• 31:24 How much content do you actually need to be successful in SEO
• 36:58 External linking & its relevance today 
• 39:46 What’s working now in SEO backlinks 
• 45:27 Getting organic traffic when you’re too reliant on paid traffic 

Resources:

• EcomSEOFormula.com
• ebikegeneration.com
• The Brand Growth Membership
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

The path to massive success is often through failure. This episode's guest went from Forbes 30 under 30 to bankruptcy in the same year and reflects on lessons learned. 

Josh Durham co-founded Weighted Comforts, one of the first weighted blanket brands, with his mom in 2015. They took off like a rocket, hitting 8-figures in 4 years. 

But - they hit some snags, the market shifted and at age 24 Josh went from almost $10 million in sales to bankruptcy in a period of less than a year. 

In this episode, he goes through what it was like to grow, how they did it, and then what it was like when it all unraveled. Josh is very transparent in his experience of where and how things went wrong in a way you’re not going to hear in many places. There’s a lot to learn here. 

Josh has gone on to have success with another brand and now his own agency, Aligned Growth, and he shares a bunch of learnings from having worked with a lot of different brands now. 

Episode Highlights:

• 3:56 How Josh got involved with eCommerce growth marketing 
• 5:44 Josh’s first Shopify store in 2015 and how it came to be
• 7:53 The downfall of Josh’s business 
• 10:39 Dealing with limited cash and coping with the stress of a business in trouble 
• 11:47 What the strategy and business looked like in the end 
• 14:01 Closing out in an asset sale 
• 16:28 Filing for bankruptcy at 24 years old 
• 18:10 Biggest takeaways from a failing business
• 21:58 The dangers of scaling a single product business 
• 26:54 Josh’s next venture & hitting 35 million
• 28:51 Starting marketing at product development
• 30:24 How to stand out after competitors come it 
• 34:22 Starting an agency 
• 36:16 The importance of creative refresh on brand growth 
• 38:01 Managing creative at an agency 
• 43:09 Current eCommerce requires a higher level of execution on creative 

Resources:

• Aligned Growth 
• @JoshJDurham on Twitter
• Book: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree
• Book: The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss 
• The Brand Growth Membership
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

“Systems run your business, people run your systems.” Learn how to grow your business and unlock hidden profit using virtual assistants. 

Barbara Turley is the founder of The Virtual Hub, an agency that pairs businesses with virtual assistants, and she's an expert at delegation. Barbara has paired over 500 virtual assistants with companies and her team is over 240+ in the Philippines. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on how it's worked for her, and how it might work for you in your own business.

This episode is very helpful if you are building a remote company, are thinking about using virtual assistants, or have tried and failed to use VA’s in the past. 

Episode Highlights:

• 8:38 How Barbara started her virtual assistants business 
• 11:38 Roles for VAs that often get overlooked 
• 13:10 Managing teams in different time zones 
• 16:12 Where to start when hiring virtual assistants
• 19:20 Tools used to manage communication 
• 20:32 The importance of having a process before hiring 
• 22:07 Becoming a good delegator 
• 26:55 Barbara’s team structure 
• 27:19 Is there importance in connecting with a remote team in person?
• 28:46 Building culture for a remote virtual assistant team
• 31:40 How to not get burned from a VA experience 
• 34:24 Paying virtual assistants and economic considerations 
• 39:30 Where people get burned when building a company 
• 42:34 Why you need an operating system
• 44:25 Hiring virtual assistants through word of mouth vs hiring process 

Resources:

• thevirtualhub.com
• The Brand Growth Membership
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

This Is A Special Episode – The Recording Of A Live 'Ask Me Anything' With Joe Valley On How To Sell Your Online Business, Recently Offered Inside The Brand Growth Membership.

Joe is the author of The EXITPreneur's Playbook. He's a buyer and seller of many online businesses and the president of Quiet Light Brokerage. He’s an expert on how to sell for max profit. 

If you listened to my earlier episode with Joe this AMA session takes those concepts and goes deeper, which is what we do in the Membership. The podcast is just a glimpse into what we cover in the Brand Growth Membership.

We’re giving you a sneak peek inside the Brand Growth Membership with access to this Ask Me Anything session because we just launched a brand new version of our membership and it’s KILLER - check it out here. 

I hope you enjoy this session and if you want to check out more of the Ask Me Anything sessions and trainings we have in the membership...

we’re offering a 21 day trial for just $1.  Go here to sign up. (only available until Dec 12, 2021)

Episode Highlights:

• 3:37 Introduction to Joe Valley 
• 5:19 The valuation formula
• 8:33 What multiple ranges to expect for valuations
• 8:49 The different types of add-backs and examples of how they are applied
• 10:08 The 4 things buyers are looking for (and the surprising 5th)
• 38:34 Q&A – Is there anything different about a sale of a minority stake?
• 40:53 Q&A – Should we build a brand that is targeting a different demographic as a separate brand or sub-brand?
• 45:09 Q&A – What are the differences in this process for Canadian companies?
• 46:17 Q&A – How long does it take for a deal to close?
• 48:18 Q&A – Are there any hidden fees to be aware of?
• 51:01 Q&A – How are multiples different between different types of businesses?
• 54:47 Q&A – What is the smallest SDE that a private equity firm will look at?
• 56:39 Q&A – Is there a different approach to building a business for sale to a strategic acquirer vs a typical buyer?
• 58:16 Q&A – Can agency marketing spend that has been replaced by in-house work be considered an add-back?
• 59:40 Q&A – What kind of multiples are there for wholesale businesses?
• 01:07:22 Q&A – What are the options to sell for a Shopify site vs. an FBA?

Resources:

• The Brand Growth Membership
• Podcast 322: Building To Sell: How To Get The Maximum Value For Your Online Business
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Launching a first-of-its-kind product comes with challenges, but Pela has always been a creative first-mover. They’ve had massive success and fun educating consumers and keeping their mission to combat climate change positive. 

This episode’s guest is Pela CEO Matthew Bertulli. Pela makes compostable phone cases and they just launched a new product called Lomi that went viral on Kickstarter. 

Matt and his team at Pela are forward thinkers and Matt share’s how that’s led them to success, what it was like to go from bootstrapped to venture-backed, as well as what he’s excited about for the future of eCommerce and environmental products.  

This is an excellent episode with somebody who is in the arena building things and very passionate about his work. 

Episode Highlights:

• 3:56 How the Lomi Kickstarter went viral 
• 5:15 What exactly Lomi is 
• 10:17 Educating consumers about environmental products & the problems with Facebook 
• 14:52 Using storytelling to build word of mouth momentum 
• 15:28 What Lomi stands for as a product and way of life 
• 19:36 Is pollution a personal or corporation problem & the mission to combat climate change
• 22:01 Consumer demand for better companies 
• 25:59 Better packaging options for brands 
• 28:45 The power of education: from $5k to $85k in 3 months
• 29:40 Raising money and becoming venture-backed 
• 31:16 Early success and first-mover advantage
• 35:39 The difference between running a bootstrapped brand and a venture-backed brand
• 38:12 Challenges of running an agency in comparison to a D2C
• 40:46 The benefits of launching a new product on top of an established company (even if they’re not directly related) 
• 41:57 Competition when you’re a first of its kind product 
• 43:45 Building a product for the future & being a visionary brand with the mission to combat climate change
• 46:29 Resources that have been helpful to Matt on his journey 
• 48:06 Best in class marketing & messaging tactics 
• 50:30 Identifying what’s wrong with current stories in your niche and changing the narrative for your product 
• 54:30 The intersection of blockchain and climate 
• 58:55 The powerful culture of being a mission-driven company

Resources:

• Pela
• Lomi
• @mbertulli on Twitter
• The Brand Growth Membership
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

We’re looking out to the (near) future at some very creative opportunities for eCommerce in NFTs. These ideas could help circumvent some of the margin pressure and economic challenges brands are facing today. 

This episode features Taylor Holiday, the founder of Common Thread Collective. Before running an eCommerce agency he had his own D2C brand so he brings a ton of knowledge from being on both the brand and the agency side of eComm business. Taylor is an NFT enthusiast and has some brilliant ideas about NFTs and their place in the changing sphere of eCommerce. 

In this fascinating conversation, you’ll learn a ton about NFTs -- what they are and how you might be able to use them to combat margin pressure in your eCommerce brand. 

Episode Highlights:

• 4:37 Taylors large business vision 
• 6:23 The difference between running a brand and running an agency 
• 7:30 Complexities around cash flow management & human relational problems
• 9:40 The importance of your product to the success of your brand 
• 11:20 What the hell is going on with Facebook 
• 14:33 Quantifying what other brands are seeing in metrics right now
• 15:19 The primary metric to care about post iOS launch 
• 16:56 aMER (acquisition marketing efficiency rating): why it’s critical 
• 20:07 Diversification is not primarily an advertising strategy 
• 23:39 Where to start if you’re moving out of Facebook 
• 25:05 Why Web3 is so exciting & what it means for current margin pressure 
• 26:31 Margin innovation and opportunities in the metaverse
• 32:04 Why you shouldn’t blow off investing in cryptocurrency 
• 33:19 Examples of creativity with eCommerce in NFTs used to bring in fast cash
• 36:16 Why NFTs are a better version of Kickstarter 
• 37:35 Creating built-in affiliates with NFT holders
• 38:44 The NFT as a community access token as well as an asset
• 43:13 How to continue to add value associated with holding your NFTs
• 47:34 Shopify beta opportunity for eCommerce in NFTs sold like a SKU 
• 48:37 Using NFTs for access to special content or promotions 
• 52:28 What’s just interesting and what’s actually important in the future of eCommerce in NFTs
• 56:51 What % of Shopify stores might invest in NFTs next year? 
• 57:56 Raising funds & engaging a target market with NFTs
• 1:02:42 The calendar cleanse process that has helped Taylor manage his many priorities 

Resources:

• @TaylorHoliday on Twitter
• Common Thread Collective.
• RTFKT
• The Hundreds, Adam Bomb Squad
• Mintgate.io
• Crypto Dads
• The Brand Growth Membership
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Was Facebook ever really performing as well as we thought - or was our attribution model just wrong? A post-purchase survey will tell you where people are actually hearing about your brand. 

If you're spending money on Facebook you know it's incredibly hard to figure out where your customers are coming from. Matt Bahr, CEO of Enquire Labs, has a way to help you better track attribution with a post-purchase survey. 

I stumbled across Enquire a couple of years ago and thought they were super interesting because their simple survey really helped us figure out what was effective marketing and what was not. In this episode, we talk all about what they're doing and how they’ve helped brands figure out attribution in the midst of the chaos of iOS changes. 

It's an excellent episode and you’ll get a lot of interesting tips for running successful marketing. 

Episode Highlights:

• 3:58 Matt’s timing of building a post-purchase survey app 
• 6:31 How Enquire came to be 
• 10:22 Where brand’s think sales are coming from vs where the sales are actually coming from
• 12:50 The power of word of mouth 
• 14:51 Thinking about attribution using post-purchase surveys 
• 18:00 A better way to get questions answered by customers 
• 21:10 Comparing quantitative and qualitative data 
• 21:38 What smaller brands can learn from the bigger brands 
• 24:57 Higher AOV: is it harder to track? 

Resources:

• Enquire Labs
• @mattrbahr on Twitter
• Enquire Post Purchase Survey App on Shopify 
• Brand Growth Membership 
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Cryptocurrency is the financial system of the future. Ready or not it’s coming and as an eCommerce founder, there are opportunities you could be taking advantage of now. 

This episode is part of a series on cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFI). My guest, Nat Eliason, has been a guest before as an SEO expert but in the last year he’s made a trajectory shift and moved into the space of web3, and specifically DeFi. 

Nat talks about why he made the shift, what he’s so excited about and why, as a business owner, you should care. We go into the basics of DeFi and how people are getting hedge fund style returns. 

If you know nothing about cryptocurrency, this episode is for you - Nat has some simple ways you can start earning money today. 

Episode Highlights:

• 5:04 Nat’s shift from SEO to DeFi
• 6:28 What is DeFi and why is it important
• 9:22 How DeFi levels the playing field and gives individuals with small capital access to high returns
• 12:34 Examples of high returns 
• 14:49 What a stablecoin is 
• 16:05 The risks with stablecoins
• 20:14 Metamask and seed phrase: what are they and how do they provide security
• 25:02 How long you have to “park” your stablecoins to see returns
• 27:36 The range of interest returns historically seen
• 29:48 Ways to profit that haven’t traditionally been available to average people
• 31:48 The difference between a fiat-collateralized coin and a crypto-collateralized coin
• 34:48 Wrapped Bitcoin: what is it
• 38:08 Minimum collateralization ratios 
• 40:26 How debt protocols work in DeFi & what happens in a market crash 
• 46:26 Yield farming: what is it 
• 50:26 How network security works 
• 52:24 “Staking your Eth” - how and what that means 
• 55:57 What is impermanent loss and why do you want to avoid it? 
• 1:02:01 Biggest hurdles to DeFi being widely adopted right now 
• 1:05:03 As an eCommerce owner - what should you be thinking about
• 1:09.50 What Nat’s excited about right now 

Resources:

• Nat’s Course: DeFi Orientation
• @nateliason on Twitter 
• Podcast 129: Content Marketing – What You Need To Know With Nat Eliason
• Podcast 284: How To Build A Business That Runs Itself With Nat Eliason
• Yearn
• Oasis
• Badger.finance
• Alchemix
• Convex 
• Tokamak
• Klima DAO
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

You might be surprised how lessons learned from over a decade on a SWAT team apply to building a highly successful lifestyle brand. 

Todd Lamb, CEO of PureLife Organics, was a police officer for 17 years, as a SWAT team leader and then canine officer. When his wife started having health issues he turned to natural remedies and found an incredibly successful protocol that helped her heal. He wanted to share this protocol with others and thus, Pure Life Organics was born. 

Today, the business Todd built from the ground up is well on it’s way to 9-figures. In this episode - Todd shares his wisdom about paid traffic and expertise in creating offers. He talks about how his team systematically worked to make native ads work and how they're testing at a budget of $10k to $15k a week to get results.

There are some great nuggets here about native ads, copywriting, and creative strategizing. Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

• 4:29 Lessons from working as a canine officer 
• 7:31 The idea behind Pure Life Organics 
• 12:47 Todd’s protocol and ingredients 
• 14:40 Looking at growth in the business
• 16:28 Developing a sales funnel 
• 17:37 Selling the first million dollars of product with native ads and cross-promotions 
• 19:34 Testing with big spend 
• 21:12 Finding success with Native Ads and the difference from Facebook ads
• 26:09 Long-form copy & writing offers that convert 
• 29:07 Impacts from current eCommerce challenges like iOS 14 & supply chain 
• 34:54 Exploring NFTs with a tree-planting program
• 37:27 Enhancing the experience and getting people excited 
• 40:20 Prioritizing the routine & how Todd does it all 

Resources:

• Purelifeorganics.com
• @purelife.organics on Instagram 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Would you quit your day job and move to Miami to sell your new product while playing on the beach? Sounds like a dream and this founder made it a reality, with a lot of hard work, motivation and talent. 

This episode’s guest is Chris Meade, the founder of Crossnet, one of the fastest-growing games in the US. 

Chris has been on an incredible journey from quitting his job at Uber to moving to Miami to sell his dream game on the beaches. Crossnet has grown incredibly fast due to an organic viral video and word-of-mouth marketing with live events and influencers. In just a few years they’ve gone from selling 2-5 nets a month to an 8-figure business. 

Crossnet started as DTC and has expanded into big-box retail and Chris shares some of the opportunities and challenges that came with that shift. 

This is a great founder's story and an inspiration if you have a product idea. I hope you enjoy it! 

Episode Highlights:

• 4:21 What exactly is Crossnet
• 5:09 How the idea of Crossnet was born 
• 7:36 Getting people to care about a brand at the start 
• 10:09 The catalyst & viral video that started the growth
• 13:02 Being frugal and why Crossnet has been successful 
• 13:50 Initial marketing wins 
• 15:17 Talking to customers and adjusting marketing to speak to them 
• 16:50 The role of founder and changes from 2 sales a day to 8-figures 
• 18:11 Going from eCommerce DTC to big box retail 
• 20:54 iOS 14: its impact and how Crossnet is measuring metrics now 
• 23:43 Tips for success with influencers 
• 25:47 Structuring retainer deals with influencers
• 27:24 Supply chain issues and manufacturing in China 
• 32:03 Advertising: agencies or in-house?
• 33:55 Lessons from running a seasonal business 
• 36:21 Chris’s favorite marketing resources 
• 37:47 Content marketing on LinkedIn
• 39:40 Keeping a team engaged and excited about the product 

Resources:

• Crossnetgame.com
• @Cjmeade on LinkedIn 
• @chrismeadej on Twitter 
• Book: Double Your Profits by Bob Fifer
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

How is your pop-up game? Email capture strategies to increase conversion are one of the single most important things you can do to grow your eCommerce business and if you’re using the same old “discount for email” strategy you’re missing out on potential customers. 

This is a tactical episode with how-to steps you can use to improve your email capture strategies to increase conversion right now. 

John Ozuysal is the Head of Growth at Optimonk, a platform where you can create unique, interesting pop-ups and overlays to drive more sales and capture more emails. As we all have holiday marketing top of mind, I thought it would be a great time to bring John in to share what they’re seeing success with right now and provide some inspiration as you determine how to integrate pop-ups and overlays into your Q4 strategy. 

One of the things that they've been experimenting with is conversational pop-ups and John shares how they tripled signups and boosted revenue by 25% using this method. We also cover customer value optimization and opportunities to learn more about buying behavior with qualitative pop-ups. 

If you're interested in quick, easy tweaks to your website that will make you more money… this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights:

• 4:14 Why most eCommerce stores are using pop-ups and overlays the wrong way 
• 5:14 How to 3X your email sign up rate with conversational pop-ups 
• 8:02 What a conversational pop-up is and how to implement email capture strategies to increase conversion
• 9:40 Optimizing engagement for brands with a lot of product categories 
• 11:27 Collecting emails and phone numbers effectively and without drop off 
• 12:02 Using curiosity and mystery instead of discount to drive sign up 
• 13:35 John’s favorite non-monetary incentives to test 
• 16:52 Best tips on how to increase your cart value and AOV 
• 18:19 Using content to convert 
• 19:30 Strategies from B2B that DTC brands should learn from including qualitative feedback
• 22:31 The benefits of qualitative feedback when your inventory is low
• 24:31 How qualitative feedback can decrease abandonment rates
• 26:05 What is customer value optimization and how you should be using it 
• 28:29 Step by step guide for using conversational pop-ups in your Black Friday marketing 

Resources:

• Optimonk: Free Templates To Use (and get 50% off the first 3 month for any paid plan)
• Optimonk: Black Friday Webinar 
• Book: They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

If you hate what you’re doing - can you stop doing it? How can you stay engaged and keep your business ventures fun? Plus, using video sales letters for viral launches.

Andrew Drish is a good friend and we have spent countless hours talking about business, life, and relationships. So - I'm excited to bring him on the show and share one of these conversations with you. 

Andrew was behind The Foundation, which was a very successful accelerator for developers building software companies. In this episode he shares the story of how he pulled off its 7-figure launch, completely automated, with a video sales letter that went viral.

From there - Andrew shares the story of how he completely burnt out and then came back to entrepreneurship with a whole new approach.

Over the years, Andrew has extensively studied top-performing video ads (Purple Mattress, Squatty Potty, etc) and he shares his winning formula that you can apply directly to your own video creative (hint: it’s more about the script than the visuals).

This is a great interview - Andrew has a ton of insight on life and business and I’m always inspired after talking to him. I hope you are too.

Episode Highlights:

• 4:34 The impact The Artist’s Way has had on running a business
• 5:47 Learnings to make life and running a business more fun and playful
• 8:44 Why heartbreak is the best medicine
• 10:29 The power of the question “what would I do differently?”
• 13:11 The wild story of launching The Foundation while at Burning Man
• 15:26 Why Andy is now dark online and how his entrepreneurial journey has changed after burning out
• 20:16 The key priciples of Andy’s new venture
• 21:48 The nature of entrepreneurs and what a good operator is
• 22:44 How to hire and build a team based on people’s nature
• 23:35 Going from determining principles to starting a business
• 26:00 The art and science of compelling video sales letters
• 31:07 Using humor to get a sale 
• 34:42 Why text should be your priority over imagery when creating a video sales letter
• 38:08 Working with a team to create viral videos 
• 43:47 Crypto currency and it’s potential impact on societal challenges
• 48:48 Resources that have helped Andy on his “DeFi” journey 

Resources:

• Andy’s Website
• TheArtOfLove.com
• @andydrish on Twitter 
• Book: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• Book: Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin
• Book: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller 
• klima.com
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

We’ve all been saying it - the world is crazy right now. So - I’m sharing what’s top of mind for me going into Q4 and 2022 including the very real energy crisis in China, opportunities to make 6+ figures flipping NFTs, and what the heck to do with paid social in Q4. 

This episode is a solo cast. I wanted to check in and talk about what's been on my mind as we prepare for Q4 and ultimately start to make our 2022 business plans. 

I’m thinking about how to optimize Facebook and Instagram for Q4 (after a crazy year). I’ve been doing daily journaling and it’s given me a great perspective on where I’m at in my business and life. I’m also talking about how the energy crisis in China will likely impact business and why you should be paying attention now. Plus, I’ll share some new exciting things to come on the podcast with an NFT series. 

I'd love to hear from you on Twitter. What are you thinking about? What's exciting to you right now? Let me know what you’d like to hear more about on the podcast. 

I hope you enjoy this solo episode - I always enjoy talking with you. 

Episode Highlights:

• 2:30 Facebook and Instagram training for Q4
• 3:33 The Artists Way and the profound impact it’s had on me 
• 6:08 My predictions around the current energy crisis in China causing rolling blackouts 
• 8:20 Managing the winter risk in the U.S. 
• 9:18 What I’m doing to prepare 
• 11:17 Flipping NFT’s for over 6 figures
• 12:10 Opportunities for young people to acquire property from NFT sale profits 

Resources:

• Coal Shortages Force Blackouts Across China: The Diplomat
• Don’t Rule Out An Energy Crisis - Goldman Sachs: Yahoo 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

What could you do to make your website better, your ads stronger, and ultimately increase sales? Try one of these expert tips from an agency owner who’s interviewed over 150 eCommerce founders and marketers.

Chase Clymer is the host of the Honest Ecommerce podcast and also co-founder of the Electric Eye Agency. In this episode, we’re talking about mistakes that eCommerce owners make with their website and advertising and how to make simple improvements to avoid them. 

Chase and I also discuss ideas for Black Friday/Cyber Monday marketing, user testing your website, and how to actually run A/B tests. 

Lastly, Chase shares his Brand Scaling Framework philosophy and the 3 KPI’s he bases everything on.  

This is a great practical episode with expert tips and takeaways to implement today. 

Episode Highlights:

• 3:28 Why Chase started the Honest Ecommerce Podcast 
• 4:53 Expert tips from 168 interviews with founders & marketers 
• 10:02 How Chase went from punk rock band to eCommerce
• 11:44 The Brand Scaling Framework and how it works
• 14:27 3 KPIs the Brand Scaling Framework tracks
• 18:33 Simple, consistent improvements that lead to big improvements over time
• 19:23 Mistakes you’re probably making on your website and expert tips on how to fix them 
• 23:34 Why you need to be user testing your site 
• 27:54 Reasonable testing windows for eComm brands based on volume 
• 29:13 Exciting things that are working right now
• 29:52 Best features of Shopify online store 2.0 
• 34:31 How to audit your Shopify apps purpose 
• 37:19 Black Friday/ Cyber Monday expert tips  

Resources:

• Honest Ecommerce Podcast 
• Electric Eye Agency
• Riverside Podcast Recording 
• User Testing
• Conversion Crimes 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

The pandemic forced many owners to shift from brick and mortar to eCommerce. Some succeeded, and some did not. 

Today’s guest was one of the successful -- she doubled her brick and mortar business revenue in 2020 by implementing Shopify, Klaviyo, and a seamless in-store and online rewards program. 

Mandy Buterra began her journey as an entrepreneur at age 50 when she started Wren and Wild a brick and mortar business featuring clean beauty and aerial yoga, in Bend, Oregon. Her business evolved and she was building a good customer base, then COVID hit.  

Instead of panicking, Mandy taught herself eCommerce and joined our Coalition membership. Listen to this episode to learn how she’s now hitting sales highs and doubled her revenue in the last year by transitioning her brick and mortar to eCommerce. 

If you’re in the transition or considering turning your brick and mortar into an online store this episode is filled with good tips about how to integrate the two business models. If you’re already running an eCommerce business Mandy also has tons of tips around how to build a rewards program and smart email marketing to build customer loyalty. 

This is a well-rounded conversation and I know you’ll walk away with at least one tip to implement in your business.

Episode Highlights:

• 4:54 How Mandy started as an entrepreneur
• 8:30 Taking time for clarity before launching a business 
• 9:14 Restarting, again, after losing a lease 
• 11:11 Mandy’s brick and mortar and how COVID impacted it 
• 13:57 How launching a Shopify site doubled business 
• 15:28 Brick and mortar to eCommerce: the differences and advice for people transitioning
• 17:04 The importance of data and capturing email in store 
• 18:13 Transitioning a rewards program from brick and mortar to eCommerce
• 19:38 Rewards program recommendations
• 20:20 What makes a good rewards program
• 23:04 Things that have moved the needle in Mandy’s business 
• 27:29 SKU management and how to narrow and focus offerings 
• 30:30: Planning for Q4 and holiday 
• 31:41 The importance of a network when you’re growing a business 
• 33:50 What brought Mandy’s site from a 1.9% conversion rate to 3.9%
• 35:54 Advice for people growing and building a business

Resources:

• Wrenandwild.com
• @wrenandwild on Instagram 
• Smile.io Rewards Program 
• Klaviyo.com Email Marketing 
• Conversion Crimes Website Testing 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Are you building to sell? You should be. Even if selling isn’t your main priority it will make you a better business owner and it will make the value of your business higher. This episode has the details of how to do it. 

Joe Valley is the author of The Exitpreneur’s Playbook and a buyer and seller of many online businesses, both on his own and now as a broker with Quietlight.com. 

Joe’s book is designed to help you get maximum value for your online business and in this episode we go deep into his vast knowledge of building to sell. He answers a ton of questions you should be asking when you’re thinking about selling your business, what multiples to look at for eCommerce, plus he shares mistakes you might be making now and how to prevent those BEFORE you’re getting ready to sell. 

It's an excellent interview and Joe is truly an expert in building to sell. If you’re ever going to want to sell your business or have thought about buying a business in the future you’re going to get a ton of value in this episode. 

Episode Highlights:

• 4:03 Why Joe wrote his book
• 6:14 Who an Exitpreneur is and building to sell
• 7:11 The argument for building and selling a business
• 10:17 How Joe sets tangible goals with real data
• 11:41 Where to start when determining the value of your business 
• 17:09 How to find a good bookkeeper 
• 18:47 The multiple you should be looking for in eCommerce
• 22:13 Why you should separate inventory when looking at the value of a business 
• 24:19 Joe’s take on aggregators and the roll-ups of FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) and Shopify stores
• 29:50 Things to look out for in deal terms and the “stability payment” 
• 32:19 Do roll-ups blow up or end up incredibly successful?
• 34:36 When you should start planning if you’re building to sell your business 
• 36:46 How to “exit without exiting” 
• 39:06 Is there a sweet spot for time to sell a business?
• 42:09 Joe’s first 3 actions to have success with your first acquisition
• 46:31 How deals are financed on Joe’s site
• 50:32 What Joe’s excited about right now

Resources:

• Quietlight.com
• Exitpreneur.io
• Book: The Exitpreneur’s Playbook by Joe Valley
• Book: Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel
• Centurica.com Market Watch 
• Boopos.fund
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Building a business is filled with amazing highs and big lows. Despite some tough blows in the early days, one eCommerce founder kept his commitment to his personal health and family and found success on the other side.

Jay Campbell is the owner of Aseir Custom, and in this episode he shares his wild journey of building a business. We go deep into what he's learned through major manufacturing issues and how he managed customer experience after that. We discuss how he unlocked massive growth working with influencers. We also talk about Jay’s commitments to his family and personal health and how for the last 5 years he has taken a trip with his wife every 8 weeks. 

Aseir Custom went from about $16k / month in sales in February 2021 to hitting $250k in August 2021. The journey has been anything but linear and there’s a lot to learn from this story. Jay has a great mindset and he shares the raw truth of his experience going through incredibly challenging times while seeing rapid growth in the business simultaneously. 

If you are an operator in the weeds, building a business, or experiencing rapid growth you will get a lot out of this discussion.

Episode Highlights

• 5:16 How Jay and his wife plan their “every eight weeks” travel adventures 
• 8:01 Jay’s transition to eCommerce 
• 11:09 The beginning of Jay’s hair regrowth business 
• 17:07 Managing Black Friday with major manufacturing issues 
• 19:54 How Jay and his business partner recovered their business from almost shutting down
• 25:47 The realities of running an eCommerce business and trying to scale 
• 28:30 The benefits of getting help in the early stages of building a business 
• 33:53 Learning from the first year and a half of Jay’s business 
• 39:43 How Jay manages work while he’s traveling 

Links And Resources

• Jay’s Website 
• Aseir Custom
• @jaycampbell333 on Twitter 
• Jay’s Podcast 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Is TikTok the new frontier for social advertising? How to get reliable Facebook ad performance data post iOS 14? These are some of the questions The Social Savannah is answering for us today.

This episode features Savannah Sanchez a media buyer and owner of The Social Savannah. Savannah started her advertising career at large agencies working on Facebook ad accounts.  In 2019 she left to create her own boutique agency helping eCommerce brands with their paid social advertising.  

She is a prolific creator of ads and creative as well as an optimization expert. She has cracked the code of TikTok ads and continues to be a top creator of winning Facebook creative.  

In this episode Savannah and I discuss how to get started with TikTok ads, the key metrics to be tracking on Facebook post iOS 14, how creative strategies should vary between social channels, and some of the tools Savannah uses to track metrics across channels. Savannah also shares her vast knowledge working with TikTok influencers and what you can do to see success there. 

If you are running a brand or doing digital marketing, you're gonna get a lot out of this episode!

Plus: if you’re a member of the Coalition check out Savannah's recent training: Demystifying TikTok.

Episode Highlights

• 4:40 Savannah’s community of media buyers 
• 7:26 How Savannah got started in advertising 
• 12:05 Takeaways from running media budgets of $100k+
• 15:03 The biggest difference between Facebook and TikTok ad account strategies 
• 18:04 How to start from zero with TikTok advertising 
• 21:05 Finding TikTok content creators 
• 22:26 Going viral on TikTok 
• 23:22 What a good hit rate is for TikTok 
• 24:37 How KPI’s differ by social channel 
• 28:53 The biggest changes on post iOS 14 Facebook 
• 32:31 MER (marketing efficiency ratio): Savannahs favorite KPI 
• 35:35 How long does it take to set up cross channel reporting for a simple channel strategy 
• 38:26 The technical set up for TikTok 
• 39:14 Using TikTok influencers to run ads
• 42:06 What Savannah’s daily life looks like 
• 44:03 Savannahs favorite tools
• 1:01:52 Tips for success when breaking out on your own 

Links And Resources

• Savannah's Website
• Ad Creatives Only Facebook Group
• Supermetrics 
• @social_savannah on Twitter 
• Savannah Sanchez on YouTube
• Superhuman for email 
• Calendly
• Sunsama
• Monday 
• Uber Conference 
• Book: A World Without Email by Cal Newport 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

In this Greatest Hits episode we're revisiting a conversation about market disruption and big goals. JT Marino shares the story of his dream to build a company that would disrupt the mattress industry.

JT Marino was the co-founder of Tuft & Needle, and this is his story of bootstrapping his way from nothing to the largest online mattress retailer in the world.

JT, who is now the Chief Strategy Officer for SSB Phoenix, joins us to share his incredible story.

We talk about why customer-centricity was one of Tuft & Needle’s core principles from the beginning, and the role it played in their eventual merger with Serta Simmons. JT shares his thoughts on the importance, as a founder, of having an intimate understanding of how every aspect of your business works, and why they decided not to take any outside investments when they first started out.

This is one of my favorite founder interviews we’ve done and I hope you enjoy it!

Episode Highlights

• 4:58 Introducing JT Marino
• 6:47 How the friendship and partnership started between the founders of Turf & Needle, JT and Daehee
• 11:13 How the Tuft & Needle co-founders maintain a strong friendship while running a business together
• 12:51 How JT’s prior experience with heavily-funded, but unsuccessful, Silicon Valley start-ups influenced Tuft & Needle’s decision to not take outside investments.
• 17:21 The importance of identifying “the problem” when you’re building a business, and how this led to the creation of Tuft & Needle
• 19:28 Some of the other principles the Tuft & Needle founders committed to before starting their business
• 22:11 How JT and Daehee used a problem-solution approach to determine whether they had a product-market fit for Tuft & Needle
• 27:59 The benefits of being highly involved with and having an intimate understanding of every aspect of the business, from manufacturing to supply chain to marketing
• 31:30 How Tuft & Needle moved through the pit of sorrow and started to scale
• 35:12 How a Hacker News blog post contributed to explosive growth of Tuft & Needle
• 37:51 The importance of customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth to Tuft & Needle’s success, especially when they had a limited advertising budget
• 39:40 The various channels that helped grow the business over time
• 42:45 JT's approach to tracking attribution across a variety of channels
• 45:55 How Tuft & Needle developed advertising techniques and targeting that span across digital and non-digital
• 50:34 The unconventional reason Tuft & Needle started selling on Amazon
• 53:39 The Net Promoter Score target T&F set before making the decision to list on Amazon
• 56:10 JT’s advice if you’re considering selling on Amazon and the importance of looking at the market picture as you start to grow
• 59:35 The role customer-centricity played in Tuft & Needle’s decision to merge with Serta
• 1:06:46 The future of the mattress industry
• 1:09:48 JT shares his hobbies and what’s in store for him in the next year
•  

Links And Resources

• Tuft & Needle
• How to Get Startup Ideas by Paul Graham
• Blog: How we bootstrapped to the #1 rated mattress on Amazon.com
• Meet the Warby Parker of Mattresses
• JT on Twitter: @johnmarino
• JT@tn.com
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

We’re bringing back this Greatest Hit with 6 quick wins you can execute today to grow your business immediately. 

I get asked for my growth checklist for eCommerce businesses all the time so I'm bringing back this episode with Andrew Foxwell on how to grow your business with 6 tactical and quick wins you can implement today.

We're sharing the tried and true things we know work from Facebook ad set up to email segmentation, and website optimization to customer acquisition. I guarantee these tips will help you generate sales and you'll see results immediately.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 3:59 Quick Win #1: 4-6% Lookalikes based off pixel value.
• 5:21 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.
• 6:57 Quick Win #3: Integrate your Klaviyo audiences with Facebook.
• 8:08 Quick Win #4: Turn great text reviews into video reviews.
• 10:48 Quick Win #5: Use bid caps to ensure your Facebook ads are being shown.
• 12:39 Quick Win #6: Get a fresh perspective on your website.

Links And Resources

• Klaviyo
• UserTesting
• Profit Summit
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Positioning your brand correctly is the most powerful thing you can do to attract and retain customers. Effective copywriting is how you do it. 

My guest on this episode is none other than The Email Copywriter, Chris Orzechowski, and he’s here to deliver massive value about copywriting, positioning, and marketing strategy. 

We talk about how to think about copywriting, ways to improve your emails, and different styles of email campaigns and flows. We go deep into positioning and ways to unlock advertising angles for your brand that are probably already inside your own head if you’re passionate about your business and products. 

Chris is a member of the Coalition, our community of 250+ eComm founders, and recently did a training on How to Make Your Emails Irresistible. It’s one of our most popular trainings so definitely check it out. If you’re interested in joining the Coalition to access this training and more like it, sign up here. 

Episode Highlights:

• 4:08 How Chris became The Email Copywriter 
• 4:54 Why Chris chose to focus on eCommerce copywriting
• 9:01 Where Chris’s advertising inspiration comes from
• 11:36 Debunking the biggest misconception about email marketing - sending too many emails 
• 15:18 Long form copy - why you should test it 
• 19:28 Writing about your product with dimensionalized benefits 
• 21:07 Levels of market sophistication and how to position yourself in your industry
• 24:21 Appealing to your market identity 
• 26:26 Chris’s favorite email testing opportunities
• 28:15 The process Chris uses to test copy 
• 32:08 Copywriting that shifts people’s mindset 
• 33:17 Using your product knowledge to write inspiring copy 
• 39:09 How to talk to your customers to inform your copywriting
• 40:49 The future of email marketing - what you should be thinking about
• 46:11 What’s working right now in email marketing - things to test today
• 52:28 The new marketing copy opportunity - SMS 
• 58:59 How to hire a copywriter 

Resources:

• Chris’s Website 
• Make Your Marketing Emails Irresistible Training
• Copychief.com
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

I have worked with hundreds of different companies at various stages of growth, from pre-launch to multi-million dollar acquisitions. In this Greatest Hits episode we're talking about scaling a brand and what it takes. 

This is the first episode in 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.

In this “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.

If you enjoy this episode be sure to go back and check out the other core episodes in our Scaling Series that will give you value whether you're at the beginning, already making 7-figures, or somewhere in the middle.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 5:04 Why we decided to do a scaling series.
• 9:12 The most important thing when you’re just starting out? Feedback.
• 10:29 Knowing what your community looks like is critical for scaling.
• 13:45 Once you know your community, identify their buying power and your market potential.
• 15:43 A zero to launch case study.
• 18:21 Common missteps at this stage.
• 19:45 Creating a “talk trigger” product.

Links And Resources

• Launch To Traction: The Scaling Series, Part 2
• Traction to Scaling: The Scaling Series, Part 3
• Growth Mode: The Scaling Series, Part 4
• Case Studies: The Scaling Series, Part 5
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

In this episode we have a handful of quick and easy wins that have been tested and proven to increase revenue. If you’re looking for a win that also saves you time - it’s in here. 

Lisa Byrnes is a marketing and business coach. She's also a member of the Coalition, our community of 250+ eCommerce business owners and experts. 

After 17 years managing multi-million dollar brands, Lisa left her corporate job and started her own marketing business to support emerging eCommerce business owners (specifically women) build their marketing strategy and fulfill their own dreams. 

We’re talking tactical easy wins for emerging brands ($10k - $50k) and this episode is filled with great action items that won’t take much time but could have a big impact on your business. 

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

• 4:47 Why Lisa started her coaching business and her focus on female entrepreneurs
• 7:33 The biggest mistakes emerging brands make
• 10:10 Strategy: marketing towards a persona instead of a demographic
• 13:17 Common website mistakes that are easy to fix 
• 16:00 How to tell your authentic brand story & and the marketing power of a founders face
• 18:50 Brands who successfully showcase the founder as the face of the brand 
• 22:12 Easy things to do to engage with customers 
• 25:26 How to focus and not immediately dive into the next new and exciting marketing idea 
• 29:09 How the Coalition has helped Lisa grow her business 
• 29:57 Voice of customer copywriting technique 
• 31:36 One thing to take away from this episode and implement this week 

Resources:

• Lisa’s Website
• @lisabyrnemarketing on Instagram
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

There Are 2 Directions Your Ecomm Brand Can Go - You Can Be A Brand That Scales Up, Or You Can Flop. In This Greatest Hits Episode We Share the Secrets We've Seen Behind The Brands That Make it Big. 

Some eCommerce brands make it big while others stall out, it’s a fact. But there’s really no big mystery behind why this happens.

Today we're revisiting an interview I gave on the Ecommerce Evolution Podcast by my good friend Brett Curry. We break down what separates eCommerce brands that scale up versus those that plateau.

Brett and I talk about a variety of things, including average order value and lifetime value, and how that directly impacts your ability to scale up. We talk about demand generation versus demand capture: which is "better" and which lends itself to being able to scale. We talk about the roadmap to building a team and scaling up your business, how your role as a CEO changes as you grow, and much, much more.

This is a great conversation with a lot of tips from Brett and me. I hope you enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 5:54 Why I’m so passionate about dissecting why some brands scale and others don’t.
• 7:25 The KPIs that separate the businesses that can scale from those that can't.
• 8:47 Demand capture vs. demand generation and which one will allow you to scale.
• 12:20 Factors I look for when evaluating a product’s potential for growth.
• 14:22 How a passionate market can contribute to success.
• 18:32 Why having competitors in your market is a good thing.
• 19:13 Average order value and lifetime value: why they’re important and what to look for if you want to scale.
• 22:17 How to evaluate CPA across different channels and the other metric I recommend examining.
• 24:59 It’s OK if your business doesn’t scale -- and this is why.
• 27:57 Growing your business by expanding your product line.
• 31:49 A true entrepreneur falls in love with their customers, not their product.
• 33:16 Great founders know when to ask for help.
• 34:46 Why business founders need to become experts at their marketing channels before handing over the reins.
• 38:52 How a CEO’s role shifts as the company grows.

Links And Resources

• ECommerce Evolution Podcast
• Business Lunch Podcast
• 2PM
• Episode 189: What’s Actually Working In SEM And On YouTube In 2019 (with Brett Curry)
• Profit Summit Intensive Workshop
• The Ecommerce Coalition
• Training: What's Working With Google Ads Right Now
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Raising capital can go two ways - it can help you reach your goals faster or be disastrous and destroy your business. 

Karen Howland is the managing director at Circle Up, an investment platform that uses technology to invest in early-stage businesses (mostly health and wellness CPG companies). She’s been investing in companies for the last eight years, and in this conversation, we go deep into early-stage investing, what entrepreneurs need to know about raising capital, and the mistakes she sees entrepreneurs make along the way.

Karen also shares what opportunities are out there right now and what she's most excited about. 

If you’re considering raising capital for your business or are interested in investing this episode will give you the tips and tricks to get started. 

Episode Highlights

• 4:12 How Karen first got excited about investing 
• 5:35 The mission of Circle Up and what makes them different from other investment firms
• 8:32 What’s hot right now in the health and wellness space 
• 12:47 Why it’s so hard for large CPG companies to incubate and develop their own new products 
• 15:21 How Covid may have created the opportunity for CPG companies to innovate right now
• 17:43 The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when raising capital
• 24:14 Investing in CPG companies vs. investing in tech companies 
• 28:10 Patterns in companies that have massive success 
• 30:24 How Amazon, retail, and DTC companies can exist together 
• 36:05 What the future of protecting your brand on Amazon will look like
• 40:44 From raising capital to strategic exit - where entrepreneurs have the most challenges
• 43:55 Areas that Karen is excited about investing in

Resources:

• Circle Up Website
• Email Karen: khowland@circleup.com 
• Karen’s LinkedIn 
• @karenhowland2 on Twitter 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Buffy was one of the first brands to crack paid social. As today's Facebook advertisers scramble to adjust to changes on the platform we revisit this Greatest Hits episode to learn from one of the best. 

What started as an idea to disrupt the bedding industry has grown into a multi-million dollar business.

This summer we’re re-releasing some of our top episodes of all time, and this week we’re bringing back this incredibly relevant show with Buffy co-founder Shoaib Kabani.

We talk about everything from product development, to the importance of testing, how landing pages can improve your funnel, and what performance KPIs you have to be thinking about as you scale on paid social.

Whether you’re a business owner or an ecommerce marketer, you’re going to get a lot out of this episode.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 5:55 How a desire to change the bedding industry led to the creation of Buffy.
• 7:27 The training Shoaib got from his start in consulting that’s helped him as an entrepreneur.
• 8:41Developing the initial idea and concept for Buffy: providing value and values.
• 10:35 The process of validating the concept online, on social, and in person before going all in.
• 13:33 How do I make this a no brainer for the consumer?
• 15:20 What’s worked for Buffy from a creative perspective and changes they’ve made as they’ve scaled.
• 19:42 Some of the unintended consequences of having a free trial offer.
• 21:01 Unique KPIs Shoaib looks at on a daily basis.
• 23:03 A funnel analysis tool that’s been a game changer as Buffy’s scaled up.
• 24:16 The materials and brand values that make Buffy stand out in the bedding industry.
• 26:27 How Buffy uses landing pages to enhance its sales funnel.
• 29:11 Addressing customer lifetime value when you have a limited number of products.
• 33:15 Shoaib’s approach to launching into new ad channels, specifically with affiliates and podcasts.
• 37:59 How the Buffy founders set their budget for testing new channels and concepts.
• 40:13 What you, the ecommerce business owner, need to be thinking about to be successful.
• 42:48 Exciting insight into what’s next for Buffy.

Links And Resources

• Buffy
• Heap
• Shoaib on Instagram: @ShoaibKabani
• Foxwell Digital
• Brand Growth Expert
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

When someone asks about eCommerce best practices, we always hear, “well, what’s Pura Vida doing?” and in this episode we’re talking with Pura Vida CEO, Griffin Thall, to get an inside look at their 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.  Get a behind-the-scenes look at Pura Vida's exit strategy.

Interested in the Coalition training with Griffin? You can join the Coalition membership here for access to this and many other great trainings and resources.

Episode Highlights:

• 4:13 The meaning of 4x400 and how it relates to business growth.
• 6:11 Andrew's beginnings in the eCommerce world.
• 10:20 The challenges of operating multiple eCommerce businesses at once and the depth of learning that comes with it.
• 15:57 What Andrew's team at 4x400 looks like.
• 19:03 Metrics Andrew regularly looks at to track brands' success.
• 21:34 Impacts of the iOS 14 update across five different brands. 
• 24:57 Channels Andrew is investing in as a result of Facebook's volatility.
• 29:45 The mindset shift entrepreneurs need to make around attribution.
• 32:37 Why you should take a cautious approach to your 2021 projections, especially if you crushed it in 2020.
• 33:59 How Andrew measures success and the difference between his free cash flow and EBITA goals. 
• 37:15 Recommended resources for eCommerce entrepreneurs.
• 40:10 Lessons Andrew's learned as he's grown into a leader in his business.
• 45:25 Things that are making Andrew's life better right now.

Links and Resources:

• 4x400
  • Bambu Earth
  • Slick Products
  • 31 Bits
  • Genuine Canine
  • Modern Fuel
• QALO
• Agency Partners
  • Kynship
  • CTC
• Community Resources
  • eCommerce Fuel
  • ADmission 
• Podcasts
  • Ecommerce Playbook
  • eCommerce Fuel
  • Generous Giving
  • Planet Money
  • Freakonomics
• Klaviyo
• Twitter
  • Andrew Faris
  • Taylor Holiday
  • Web Smith
• Related Episodes
  • 211: From Seminary To Shopify Plus: A Conversation About Brands with Aaron Orendorff
  • 306: What’s Next In Ecommerce: The Future Of Amazon, Facebook Sustainability, And Emerging Channels With Andrew Youderian
• Intentional Wealth
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 3:37 A coaching community with tools to help you scale up
• 6:41 Building connections with established eCommerce entrepreneurs
• 10:02 Accelerating your growth without adding more to your plate
• 12:03 Expanding your network and keeping yourself accountable
• 14:21 Where to go if you're ready to level up in your business

Links and Resources:

• Coalition
• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 3:05 Step #1 for building a self-managing company: Change your mindset about what's possible.
• 5:07 Step #2: Understand what you're really selling.
• 7:11 Step #3: Start thinking like a general manager, not a coach.
• 9:37 Step #4 for building a self-managing company: Share your intent, not your outline.
• 12:21 Step #5: Narrow down your metrics and give your team autonomy.
• 14:43 Step #6: Embrace delegation as a competitive advantage.
• 17:01 Step #7 for building a self-managing company: Find your mentors.

Links and Resources:

• Intentional Wealth
• Strategic Coach
• Book: The Art of Selling Your Business
• Book: Traction
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 4:26 The Bernie Singles Case Study
• 8:10 Common misconceptions about email marketing
• 10:05 Chase’s early career in email marketing
• 14:02 How Chase took complete ownership of his marketing funnel
• 17:54 The easiest ways to increase your eCommerce revenue with email marketing
• 20:09 How to maximize your email opt-ins 
• 22:31 Does gamification work for opt-ins?
• 23:36 Chase’s email diagnostic checklist
• 27:27 What types of products should be invested in email marketing
• 32:09 The future of SMS marketing and what is overhyped
• 36:41 How to find talented copywriters and designers
• 39:53 Resources that helped Chase build Boundless Labs
• 42:47 What motivates Chase to stay committed to email marketing

Links and Resources:

• Chase Dimond’s Website
• Chase Dimond on Twitter
• Boundless Labs
• Ecommerce Email Marketing Course by Chase Dimond
• Pura Vida Bracelets
• Privy
• Klaviyo
• PostScript
• Seth Godin
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Do you want to unlock massive growth or stay small? If you're unsure why your eCommerce business isn't growing, this episode is for you.

Over the last five years, I've worked with businesses that have grown from $100K per month to $1MM per month, and I've worked with businesses that have continued to stay small, despite their desire for growth.

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing the 9 reasons why your eCommerce business isn't growing, and how you can change that.

If you're ready to unlock growth in your business, without sacrificing your health, personal life, or family, you need to check out Intentional Wealth. It's an 8-week accelerator for eCommerce business owners that kicks off July 7. The enrollment period is open now, and the program is filling up quickly. Get the details here.

Episode Highlights:

• 2:51 Reason #1 why your eCommerce business isn't growing: You're scarcity focused
• 4:12 Reason #2: You aren't keeping up when the game changes
• 5:24 Reason #3: Superhero Syndrome
• 7:23 Reason #4 why your eCommerce business isn't growing: You aren't managing your cash
• 8:35 Reason #5: You're transaction-focused instead of transformation-focused
• 11:20 Reason #6: You're focused on tactics instead of strategy
• 12:46: Reason #7: You don't know what you want or what your business is
• 16:31 Reason #8 why your eCommerce business isn't growing: You think in terms of cost, not investment
• 18:12 Reason #9: You're trying to do it all alone.

Links and Resources:

• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 5:39 Fast-paced growth and what’s next in eCommerce
• 8:39 The state of Amazon for eCommerce sellers
• 13:00 Is Facebook advertising going to be a thing of the future or the past?
• 18:46 Why Andrew Youderian doesn’t think Facebook is the path to sustainable growth
• 23:40 Strategies for owning your relationship with your community
• 28:10 Are you still experiencing asymmetric returns?
• 32:42 How to take advantage of emerging channels to grow your audience
• 35:49 Why Andrew closed the eCommerce Fuel job board
• 40:04 Exciting new tools and the future of Facebook groups
• 45:47 Why social trust is critical to the success of businesses

Links and Resources:

• eCommerce Fuel
• eCommerce Fuel Podcast
• Andrew Youderian on Twitter
• eCommerce Fuel Podcast with Kevin Stecko: Shrinking a Business to Save It
• The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast with Steve Chou
• Reddit
• Circle
• Podcast 106: Building a Business with Andrew Youderian
• Podcast 006: From The Corporate World To Selling His First ECommerce Store And Much More – Andrew Youderian, ECommerce Fuel
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes
•  

Episode Highlights:

• 4:18 The easiest way to write copy that converts
• 8:27 How to conduct meaningful customer research
• 12:16 Val's new role at Klaviyo
• 21:40 The emails you absolutely need to do customer research for
• 26:13 Val’s approach to balancing qualitative and quantitative data
• 32:06 Klaviyo’s SMS product update 
• 36:54 How do upgrade your flows with SMS
• 41:31 Ways you can optimize your abandoned cart
• 47:31 The power of marketing automation
• 52:00 How to design your customer acquisition flywheel
• 55:29 Val’s Email Marketing Hall of Fame

Links and Resources:

• Val Geisler’s Website
• Klaviyo
• Rev.com
• Otter.ai
• Enjoy HQ
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 6:49 The secret to having a successful exit
• 12:04 How much you should get for your business
• 19:26 The number one job you have as a business owner
• 23:58 Why so few entrepreneurs turn pro
• 28:49 Tactical ways you can increase the long term value of your business
• 36:20 The power of taking a pause in entrepreneurship
• 43:54 The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when selling their business
• 49:49 What to do if you are forced to take an earnout 

Links and Resources:

• John Warrilow’s Website (Click “Free Gifts” for bonuses from John)
• Built to Sell Radio
• Built to Sell
• The Automatic Customer
• The Art of Selling Your Business
• The Membership Economy
• Podcast 235: A Behind The Scenes Look At Pura Vida’s Multi-Million Dollar Exit
• Podcast 296: The Keys To A 9-Figure Exit: How Moiz Ali Sold Native For $100MM
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 4:44 The future of eCommerce: A return to the renaissance
• 8:26 Google’s changes to audience targeting and attribution
• 11:29 Why agencies and freelancers should be weary of privacy changes
• 19:12 The formula for consistently creating high-converting content
• 28:02 Why subscription models aren't going away anytime soon
• 31:13 How to make a subscription model work for your business
• 35:51 Three types of subscription models to consider
• 42:31 How to keep up with the speed of change in business
• 44:32 What being a basketball coach and CEO have in common
• 48:10 Austin’s perspective shift on his role in business
• 53:43 Check out the eCommerce Evolution Podcast

Links and Resources:

• OMG Commerce
• eCommerce Evolution Podcast
• Brett Curry on Twitter
• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath
• The Automatic Customer by John Warrillow
• The Art of Selling Your Business by John Warrillow
• The Membership Economy by John Warrillow
• Podcast 295: Building A $100MM Brand: The Story Behind Snow Teeth Whitening
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 4:23 Why Sean D'Souza created "psychotactics"
• 6:41 What stops people from taking a 3-month vacation
• 10:57 The best way to stop losing customers
• 19:30 Why your business needs to have a uniqueness factor
• 25:12 How to come up with your uniqueness factor
• 32:15 Unpacking the misconception around sales
• 37:07 Tiger Woods' iconic shot and what it has to do with your customers
• 40:58 How to start understanding your customer in a deeper way
• 45:04 Learn more about Sean D'Souza
• 47:08 Sean’s top recommendation for a vacation destination

Links and Resources:

• Sean D’Souza’s Website
• The Three Month Vacation Podcast
• The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (And Why They Don't)
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 4:10 Automation #1: Your hiring process
• 10:18 Automation #2: Your social media production
• 15:07 Automation #3: Your inbox
• 18:17 Automation #4: Your project management
• 24:15 Automation #5: Your email marketing
• 29:40 How to combine SMS and email
• 34:04 What Steve is most excited about
• 38:14 Check out Steve’s podcast

Links and Resources:

• My Wife Quit Her Job Website
• My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast
• Airtable
• HelpScout
• Gorgias
• Planoly
• Electric SMS
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 3:51 How Pokoloko was first created
• 6:23 How Pokoloko generated their first $100,000
• 9:19 The biggest difference between running wholesale vs direct to consumer
• 11:02 Three major initiatives that moved the needle when switching to online sales
• 13:32 Critical hires when growing a B2C business 
• 15:28 Marketing initiatives with a high ROI
• 19:01 How transitioning to B2C affects wholesale 
• 20:28 Leaderships lessons Case wishes he knew years ago
• 24:20 What Case is most excited about

Links and Resources:

• Pokoloko
• Pokoloko on Instagram
• Case Bakker on LinkedIn
• Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
• The Coalition
• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 5:28 Myth #1: You need to diversify your traffic
• 8:38 Myth #2: Google PageSpeed is crucial to getting more sales
• 14:00 Myth #3: You have to be the first to do everything 
• 18:49 Myth #4: If a “big” business is doing it, it must be right
• 23:10 Myth #5: Hustle and grind is the key to business success
• 27:57 Myth #6: People don’t read on the internet 
• 35:40 Check out the Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Links and Resources:

• Kurt Elster
• The Unofficial Shopify Podcast
• Ethercycle
• Podcast 193: “Must Know” Elements Of Successful Ecom Design Most Business Forget
• Podcast 282: 8 Ecommerce All Stars Share Their Best Marketing Advice
• Intentional Wealth
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 4:03 Learning how to create packages to boost your AOV
• 6:20 How Classic Car Stereos manages all of the moving parts in their business
• 8:18 Jeff’s journey from spending time in the weeds of his business to spending time on the golf course
• 10:55 A mindset shift on inventory management and demand planning
• 16:19 Entrepreneurial finance 101: The numbers every entrepreneur should know
• 25:06 Using Google Adwords and why you should always be bidding on your brand
• 29:12 Evolving your leadership style to empower your team
• 34:35 The resources Jeff uses to grow Classic Car Stereos

Links and Resources:

• Classic Car Stereos
• Jeff Vogl on Twitter 
• Jeffv@classiccarstereos.com
• RingCentral
• Ahrefs
• NetSuite
• Podcast 296: The Keys To A 9-Figure Exit: How Moiz Ali Sold Native For $100MM
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights:

• 4:21 How Kristin started as an eCommerce entrepreneur
• 7:27 The moment Kristin realized Holistic Habitat had potential
• 9:55 How Holistic Habitat grew 500% in 2018
• 12:53 Why Kristin doubled her FB ads budget at the beginning of COVID-19
• 16:53 The biggest leadership takeaways from 2020
• 19:13 Working in the Coalition: How Kristin increased profits and got out of her own way
• 23:25 Becoming a Facebook ads pro
• 26:23 How to run Facebook ads that convert
• 28:32 Holistic Habitat’s unforgettable marketing mishaps 
• 31:10 Advice for purpose-driven brands trying to build customer loyalty 
• 33:57 The #1 thing Kristin wishes she knew before starting her entrepreneurship journey
• 35:27 What’s keeping Kristin up at night
• 37:16 Lessons from COVID-19 that keep moving the needle
• 38:43 How Holistic Habitat creatively increases their average order value
• 41:52 Get in touch with Kristin

Links and Resources:

• Holistic Habitat
• Holistic Habitat on Instagram
• Holistic Habitat Insiders Facebook group
• Foxwell Digital
• The Coalition
• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 2:57 Chrissie’s passion for travel
• 5:11 Launching Love Is Project in Bali
• 9:43 The process of getting onto Shark Tank
• 12:55 Chrissie’s mindset heading into Shark Tank and how it panned out
• 14:57 How the power of the press for Love Is Project
• 17:07 The trial and error of hiring freelancers and agencies
• 20:10 How Chrissie is able to work anywhere in the world
•  21:33 What Chrissie wishes she knew before launching Love Is Project
• 21:53 How Chrissie is leveraging the Intentional Wealth program 
• 24:20 Chrissie’s advice for people building a lifestyle brand
• 26:20 What Chrissie is most excited about going forward
• 27:35 Helpful resources for entrepreneurs

Links and Resources:

• Love Is Project
• Love Is Project on Instagram
• Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Chrissie Lam
• How I Built This Podcast
• Klaviyo
• Shopify
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 3:30 How Moiz Ali’s family encouraged him to lean into entrepreneurship
• 5:01 What drove Moiz away from law school
• 6:13 How life is like at Proctor & Gamble
• 11:18 A/B testing deodorant: Native vs P&G
• 16:00 Why Native was successful so quickly
• 20:53 Navigating eCommerce upsells
• 23:43 The team members and agencies Native leveraged to grow
• 28:18 What Moiz would do differently if he could hit the reset button
• 31:06 Raising money: Should you or shouldn't you?
• 35:55 Prepping to sell your company
• 39:45 What Moiz’s schedule was like leading up to the sell
• 43:22 Moiz’s advice on whether you should go all-in on your business
• 45:56 eCommerce myths Moiz wants to dispel
• 48:21 The best eCommerce platform to use
• 50:09 How Ali Capital chooses which companies to invest in
• 53:46 What’s exciting Moiz Ali about eCommerce right now
• 55:40 The three main keys to Native’s early success

Links and Resources:

• Moiz Ali's Website
• Exit Strategy Podcast
• Ali Capital
• Native
• Moiz on Instagram
• Moiz on Twitter
• Email Moiz
• PostScript (use this link for a 30-day free trial)
• Gorgias (use this link to get your second month free)
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 4:02 Josh’s pre-teen start to entrepreneurship
• 8:36 Snow’s defining moment of growth
• 13:55 Josh’s take on paid acquisition
• 16:45 How Snow strategically diversified their marketing channels
• 21:34 The biggest differences between running a $1MM and a $100MM company
• 27:07 How Josh has learned how to ask for help as a leader
• 32:20 The difference between “hunting elephants” and “hunting rabbits”
• 39:26 How Snow leverages influencer marketing and a celebrity’s social capital
• 45:00 Common misconceptions about running an eCommerce business
• 52:29 Where Snow is going and the challenges Josh sees on the horizon
• 56:01 Josh’s words of wisdom for eCommerce entrepreneurs

Links and Resources:

• Snow
• Josh Snow on Instagram
• Powerhouse Mastermind
• Josh Snow’s Interviews on YouTube
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 4:02 How Kindred Bravely first started in 2015
• 7:02 The KPI system Kindred Bravely uses that promotes ownership
• 14:42 Why you should always schedule time to think
• 16:53 Why you should never be afraid to pay for learning
• 19:39 How to debrief and implement your learnings
• 22:26 The only two functions of your enterprise
• 27:30 How to start thinking and dominos and why you want should
• 28:46 Why you need to create a flywheel
• 34:52 What Garret’s thinking routine looks like and the questions he asks himself
• 36:19 The first hire that Kindred Bravely made and why
• 38:37 How to create a flywheel in Shopify
• 43:17 The most important part of capital management
• 47:00 Kindred Bravely’s financial reporting rhythm
• 51:18 The best way to have successful relationships with agencies
• 53:35 How Garret structures business goals and sprints

Links and Resources:

• Kindred Bravely
• The 4 Day MBA
• Vistage
• Dan Sullivan’s Impact Filter
• Kolbe Index
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 4:30 How to determine if you should buy or build an eCommerce site
• 7:27 Buying a business to cross-sell
• 9:29 The 6 key tenets to robust due diligence when buying a business
• 13:12 How to assess the quality of a business’ backlinks
• 16:23 Financials you should always assess as a buyer
• 19:23 Problem areas to investigate before buying a business
• 23:15 Technical and legal checklist items you shouldn’t forget
• 25:38 The biggest mistakes most first-time buyers make and how to avoid them
• 27:34 Leveraging SEO and content for growth
• 30:53 Income and age: Two essential criteria for evaluating a company
• 32:49 Buying a business on a bank loan
• 35:48 Five things to always look for when buying
• 39:04 The advice Shakil would have given himself when he was starting out
• 41:30 Shakil’s process for reviewing prospecting companies and getting them through due diligence
• 43:30 What Drew is most excited about when buying
• 46:15 Merger and acquisition opportunities that can help your brand
• 50:45 Uncovering your blind spots within the acquisition process
• 52:26 Boostrapping vs acquisition: Which is right for you and which comes first?

Links and Resources:

• Podcast: 095: 4 Reasons Why You Should Buy An Ecommerce Business & The 6 Key Tenets To Proper Due Diligence
• Podcast: 195: Austin Ecommerce Investor Reveals His Short-Cut To Scaling
• Podcast: 241: Evolutions In Lifecycle Marketing & New Approaches To Creating Wealth
• Websites: FE International, Pro Click Ventures, Nerd Marketing, AutoAnything
• Social Media: David Newell on Twitter, Drew on Instagram
• The San Francisco Fallacy: The Ten Fallacies That Make Founders Fail
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• Foxwell Digital
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 5:21 The current state of Facebook advertising and what you need to know about iOS 14
• 7:47 Apple’s new positioning around consumer privacy and how it will affect your advertising
• 9:56 How Apple will control the floodgates of information
• 12:52 What we know is changing between iOS 14 and Facebook ads
• 16:05 The upside to these changes within Facebook 
• 18:24 What the upcoming data delay will mean for you 
• 21:42 8 must-have events to set up to prepare for the new normal
• 25:40 How to set up and customize your new events
• 28:58 Don’t get taken advantage of: A word of caution when searching for help
• 32:05 Who is going to be most affected by these changes 
• 37:57 The tools Facebook and Apple are working on to help you

Links and Resources:

• Foxwell Digital Blog: Facebook’s Conversions API (CAPI) and How to implement it with your Shopify site
• Foxwell Digital Blog: What's Working (and what's not) in a Post-iOS14 World
• Foxwell Digital Blog: Facebook Advertising FAQs
• Podcast 278: Facebook’s New Conversions API & Why You Need To Install It Before The New Year
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• Foxwell Digital
• andrew@foxwelldigital.com
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 5:11 How Justuno has evolved over the years
• 6:52 The business basics Erik has been on top of for the last 10 years
• 11:44 Stretching your marketing dollars as far as you can
• 14:20 What Erik has learned about leading a remote team
• 17:51 The two things Erik tells every single one of his employees
• 21:35 What Erik is most excited about in Justuno’s future
• 26:10 How to optimize your landing pages
• 29:45 What Justuno has on the 2021 roadmap you should know about 
• 32:05 How to get 30 days of free access to the Coalition

Links and Resources:

• Justuno
• Erik on LinkedIn
• Podcast: 154: How We Got A 10% Win With Simple “DIY” Conversion Rate Optimization
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 6:28 How society has entrepreneurs brainwashed
• 8:29 Are you playing a status game or a wealth game?
• 12:11 The Brand Acceleration Formula
• 15:03 The biggest cause for slow business growth
• 17:15 How to avoid shiny object syndrome 
• 20:05 What our most successful clients have in common
• 22:03 The best way to start bringing your big ideas to reality 
• 24:21 Our new Intentional Wealth Program

Links And Resources:

• Intentional Wealth
• Podcast 289: How To Grow The Long Term Value Of Your Business, Whether You Want To Sell Or Not
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 4:49 Why Ryan is passionate about helping entrepreneurs create long term value
• 8:04 The right time for a business to think about its direction
• 11:16 Annual income vs long term value: Which is better?
• 13:51 How investing in your business could be more valuable than cash
• 18:00 Tracking the value of your company even if you don’t want to sell
• 19:30 What a “good valuation” really means
• 22:28 Things professional buyers are looking for when evaluating your company 
• 25:47 Understanding the J curve and the opportunities you may be missing in your business
• 30:33 When it’s time to find a new CEO
• 35:37 Why you should focus on long term value even if you don’t plan to sell
• 41:16 What business owners should know about the exit process
• 44:21 The things entrepreneurs actually have control over 
• 46:01 What you’ll learn in Ryan’s upcoming Coalition training

Links and Resources:

• Ryan on LinkedIn
• Arkona.io
• Intentional Growth Podcast
• Value Builder System
• Value Opportunity Profile
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 4:50 Life before finding Traction
• 6:53 The best part about using the EOS process and how it changed the game for us
• 8:05 What “rocks” are and how they address the biggest struggles I see entrepreneurs facing today
• 10:27 The feedback from my team that I didn’t see coming
• 11:51 How we work around the biggest con of using EOS 
• 15:07 Who EOS works best for
• 16:10 Why I think solopreneurs will struggle implementing EOS 
• 18:59 How to get free 30-day access to the Coalition

Links and Resources:

• Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman
• Traction Implementation Tools
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 6:36 Creating your accountability chart
• 9:39 How to attract the right candidates
• 14:24 Promoting your job with advertising
• 16:52 The number one mistake I see companies make when hiring 
• 19:22 Mapping out your hiring process 
• 22:20 How to hire using AirTable
• 24:06 Are you valuing your own opportunity?

Links and Resources:

• Traction Accountability Chart
• AirTable
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Episode Highlights

• 6:45 How Casely leverages the subscription model 
• 10:33 Why Mark dropped out of college after one year
• 12:14 Diving into an Instagram rabbit hole to understand your audience
• 16:08 What the first six months of paid advertising looked like for Casely
• 18:31 The content strategy that’s taking the business to the next level
• 22:29 Building and scaling the Casely team
• 27:22 The two biggest obstacles when using FB ads
• 29:37 How Mark spends time in the business
• 31:12 Common misconceptions people have about spending a lot on Facebook
• 31:45 The top metrics Mark closely monitors 
• 35:01 Mark’s biggest learning experience over 2020
• 38:51 The hardest part about building Casely
• 40:05 The secret sauce for hiring and company culture
• 43:26 What Mark is most curious about today
• 45:00 Two things every ecommerce company should focus on
• 47:15 Mark’s resources and strategies for growing your business

Links and Resources:

• Casely
• The Exit Strategy by Moiz Ali 
• David Hermann on Twitter
• Foxwell Digital
• mark@getcasely.com 
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 3:55 The number one question I’m asking myself about 2020
• 7:45 How hiring has been a game-changer for our business
• 10:07 What having a local community has done for me
• 11:25 The COVID-19 impact on our business 
• 17:09 My biggest takeaways from 2020
• 18:44 Do you own your marketing channels?
• 20:09 How having multiple streams of income can help prepare for 2021
• 22:29 Industries that are going to continue to thrive
• 23:27 Why awareness might not be your marketing problem

Links and Resources:

• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes