Today we talk about ADHD in entrepreneurship and other neurospicyness. We also discuss everything we learned in season one of The Checkout.

Zoe and John close out Season 1 with a chaotic, thoughtful, and very human conversation on where eCom is headed, what it takes to build a resonant brand today, and why everyone on the internet is a little bit NeuroSpicy.

This Episode:

In our final episode of the season, it’s just Zoe and John—and somehow they cover everything:

What brands got right (and wrong) about the tariff panic

When to prep for disaster vs. stay the course

How founders use luck, instinct, and hindsight to survive

Talking to your customers (for real, on the phone)

The new blueprint for brands: act like a creator, feel like a friend

Rethinking influencer deals and creator monetization

ADHD, medication, and creativity

The Jackie origin story

Why John talks so damn much

Season reflections + what's coming next

→ Drop a comment: What made The Checkout feel different from every other eCom podcast? We’re reading them all—and building Season 2 around what you say.

Sponsors:

Marpipe – https://www.marpipe.com/

Heatmap.com – https://www.heatmap.com/

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro & why it's just John and Zoe

05:00 – Big takeaways from the year in eCom

11:00 – Preparing vs. reacting: smart founder strategy

18:00 – Tariff fallout and brand-level decision-making

25:00 – Customer calls, brand resonance, and content as connection

33:00 – Brands acting like creators & building vibe-based community

41:00 – Influencer monetization & new deal structures

49:00 – Listener comments, ADHD, and creative trade-offs

1:04:00 – Jackie lore, internal ops, and life structure

1:12:00 – Season reflections, muskrat jokes & what’s next

Follow Our Hosts:

John Coyle

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnjhcoyle

Twitter/X: https://x.com/johnjhcoyle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnjhcoyle/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coyle-1bb231120/

Nick Shackelford

Twitter/X: https://x.com/iamshackelford

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickshackelford/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnickshackelford/

Zoe Kahn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_zoekahn_/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoekahn/

Bart Szaniewski

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theszef/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-szaniewski-374b1141/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TheSzef