B2B Breakthrough Podcast

In this episode of the B2B Breakthrough Podcast, host Sharon Gai is joined by Matt Jones, Founder of Crease Beast.

Join them as they discuss:

• Reviving 90s hip-hop and sneaker culture for today's enthusiasts
• Building strong relationships with your manufacturers
• How Matt's bold innovations found success in Alibaba.com's Ecosystem
• And more
  
  

Matt is a seasoned business manager with a proven track record in the retail industry. He was a 2021 Alibaba.com Manifest Grant recipient, success story featured during Alibaba.com’s inaugural CoCreate event last September, and was recently announced as one of 2023’s Southern California Job Creators Grant Finalists.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of B2B Breakthrough Podcast, host Sharon Gai is joined by Kia-Shun Voltz, CEO and Founder of ShampooTime.
Join them as they:

• Talk about Kia-Shun’s entrepreneurial journey
• Shine a light on the power of identifying a problem and creating a unique solution
• Explore the challenges of scaling a business
• And much more!

Kia-Shun Voltz is the CEO and Founder of ShampooTime, an innovative product designed to make wash days easier for parents and children. With a background in supply chain management and a passion for solving everyday problems, Kia has successfully built ShampooTime into a thriving business.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of the B2B Breakthrough Podcast, host Sharon Gai is joined by Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine and author of "Build for Tomorrow”.
Join them as they:

• Shine a light on the value of vertical thinking
• Discuss the importance of understanding your core transferable value 
• Unpack fear and how it can impact your response to change
• And much more!

Jason Feifer is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, but more importantly, tells stories in his own voice. He’s an influential figure in the world of business and e-commerce, and has excelled in various facets of the media industry, having worked at multiple magazines before climbing the ladder to his current position. Aside from his editorial expertise, Jason is also renowned for his roles as a podcast host, book author, keynote speaker, and startup advisor. He often refers to himself as a “nonstop optimism machine” as proven by his commitment to guiding others toward resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing business landscape has made him a cherished mentor for many aspiring entrepreneurs.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode of the B2B Breakthrough Podcast, host Sharon Gai is joined by Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com, an online education platform that offers training and resources for entrepreneurs looking to build their own e-commerce businesses.
Join them as they:

• Delve into Mike’s journey from a corporate job to successful entrepreneur
• Explain why understanding customer needs is key to building a successful brand
• Shine a light on the importance of product differentiation in a competitive industry
• Discuss how to achieve growth, scale, and profitability for your brand
• Explore the growing importance of AI in e-commerce
• Talk about the need for entrepreneurs to invest in social media advertising strategies
• And much more!

Mike McClary is the CEO of Amazing.com, the President of Zoof Seller Software, and the President and Founder of Intervene Consulting. He is an entrepreneurial mentor and coach who has helped businesses succeed in the e-commerce industry. With his expertise in product development, business management, and brand building, Mike has guided numerous entrepreneurs to achieve breakthroughs in the online retail marketplace.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, instructions on how to do this are here.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Perhaps there's no more important aspect of sourcing than communication with your suppliers. Good or even great communication can not only lead to great opportunities but also increase the efficiency of your sourcing process. 

 

On this episode, host Mike Jackness speaks with Jordan West, CEO at Keep Nature Wild, Founder and CEO of upGrowth Commerce, and Co-Owner of Little and Lively Clothing.

 

They discuss:
- 3:27 Why high customer lifetime value matters.
- 6:54 Why sourcing from Alibaba.com is safe.
- 12:21 Why you should always consider communicating with suppliers on the Alibaba.com platform.
- 16:24 Why it’s important to always have a backup plan.

 

You’ll also hear Jordan share the particular challenges of sourcing for his business in Canada.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information visit Alibaba.com buyer central at https://buyer.alibaba.com/ 

 

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

The new world of post-pandemic work offers businesses all sorts of options to expand and grow.

 

On this episode, host Mike Jackness speaks with Dave Kerpen, Serial Entrepreneur.

 

They discuss:


- 8:55 Values and skills of great employees.
- 17:39 How the new world of work is shaping up.
- 28:13  The role of courage in innovating.
- 32:57  The competitive advantage of mastering fear when it comes to embracing change.
- 34:34 Why you shouldn’t only choose price when picking a supplier.

 

You’ll also hear Mike jump in and share his perspective on the pricing question.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information visit Alibaba.com buyer central at https://buyer.alibaba.com/ 

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

The pandemic accelerated changes that were already happening across buying channels and supply chains. More and more buyers are expecting a seamless experience when dealing with suppliers and, increasingly, companies are taking a customer-centric approach to their ecommerce strategy.


On this episode, host Mike Jackness speaks with Brian Beck, B2B Ecommerce Expert Advisor & Author at Beck Ecommerce. Brian has been in ecommerce since 1999, both as a business owner and executive. He has also gone on to be an influential thought leader and author in the space.


Mike and Brian discuss some interesting topics on the subject, including:

- 5:02 Why a B2C experience is now expected even in B2B situations
- 7:57 Are physical sales relationships dead?
- 17:58 Why 65% of consumers trust a marketplace enough to buy from an unknown brand
- 20:14 How efficiency is most important for B2B buying 


You’ll also hear Brian talk about why it’s important for companies to use digital tools to streamline their workflow.


If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-Star review. For more information visit Alibaba.com buyer central at https://buyer.alibaba.com/ 

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

You are listening to the Alibaba.com Ecommerce Academy podcast. The official podcast from the team at Alibaba.com.

Each week on the show, we bring you conversations with industry leading experts who are using Alibaba.com to build and scale their businesses.

These conversations help you understand the state of the global trade industry, the challenges we face today, and how to thrive amidst changing times.

Subscribe and be sure to check out our website for more resources at Alibaba.com

This episode is brought to you by Alibaba.com, the B2B global sourcing marketplace that aims to make it easy to do business anywhere. Alibaba.com’s services cover all aspects of commerce, including helping buyers discover products, find suppliers, and place orders online fast and efficiently. Try our platform out today at Alibaba.com

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

The global supply chain model has increased the affordability and accessibility of products manufactured all over the world. Sourcing products in this environment has become a much more complex task than before, and having a handle on the logistics of international trade has never been more vital.

On this episode of the Alibaba.com Sourcing Insights podcast, host Kunle Campbell, Co-Founder of Octillion Capital Partners, speaks with Mike Jackness, President and CEO at Terran LLC, about some tips and tools for staying on top of increasing supply chain complexity.

Some valuable insights from their conversation include:

- 7:15 Coordinating logistics to make the most of suppliers’ geographical locations
- 17:26 Ways to secure lasting relationships with suppliers through clear communication
- 26:15 Coordinating pricing to maximize profit, despite global market volatility
- 29:10 Diversifying sourcing to create built-in resiliency
- 32:33 Ensuring quality control at the supplier level

Beyond managing complex logistics, there are other important takeaways, such as:

- 5:41 The ways that perceived value can impact manufacturing decisions
- 14:15 How to protect intellectual property from competitors seeking to copy design concept
- 31:15 Taking the time to create quality products with noticeable market differentiation
- 32:24 Taking advantage of Alibaba.com’s RFQ feature for pro buyers

Coordinating international complexity is key to maximizing profit and creating a sustainable sourcing model.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

To attract repeat customers, businesses should source their products according to changing trends. 

Tom Samiljan, Editor in Chief of Dealerscope, joined host Mike Jackness, President and CEO of Terran.com, on Alibaba.com Sourcing Insights. They discuss some of the trending electronics products Tom has written about, and how important it is for ecommerce businesses to pay attention to these trends.

A few products gaining popularity, and sourceable through Alibaba.com, include:

- 3:04 - The increasing affordability of true wireless earbuds
- 6:01 - Ebikes and escooters, which are becoming far more accessible and available in urban areas
- 11:39 - Outdoor appliances and tech, as hosting and entertaining outside is gaining popularity
- 15:18 - Wearable tech, whose uses are expanding for both health and entertainment purposes
- 19:12 - HDMI 2.1 cables, keeping in step with better high fidelity TVs and game consoles
- 22:47 - Cell phones, with ever-expanding options and better affordability
- 29:16 - Virtual Reality systems, which have gained immense popularity in the last year

Tom also explains some ways business can take advantage of the latest technology:
- 37:55 - Website optimization and making use of digital optimization tools
- 41:59 - Sourcing the latest tech through Alibaba.com
- 43:27 - Attending consumer technology trade shows, such as the Alibaba.com’s Online Trade Shows

By sourcing the most popular new tech, businesses can turn one-time purchases into repeat business.

 

Note: All mentions of ‘CTA’ in the episode refer to the Consumer Technology Association

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• How to Simplify your Sourcing on Alibaba.com: Insights from Ciara Cristo
• Kickstarter Confidential: Insider Tips from the CEO - Live at CoCreate
• Crowdfunding Success Secrets: LaunchBoom's Strategies for Product Ideation and Marketing with Will Ford

 Previous guests include Rudy Mawer, CEO of Mawer Capital; Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion and Founder and President of Infinity Nine Group; Mike McClary, CEO of Amazing.com; Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Media; Kia-Shun Voltz, Chief Executive Officer of ShampooTime; Matt Jones, Founder of The Crease Beast; and Julianna Dahbura, Founder of Deco Beauty. 

B2B Breakthrough Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so