Ecomm Breakthrough

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley reframes friction in business as a catalyst for growth rather than an obstacle to avoid. Drawing from his e-commerce experience, Josh contrasts entrepreneurs who flee challenges with those who embrace them, arguing that leaning into difficulty builds judgment, leadership, and resilience. Using analogies like video game levels and weightlifting, he illustrates how overcoming friction unlocks new capabilities at each business stage. Josh encourages listeners to identify their biggest constraints, focus their energy accordingly, and view every challenge as an opportunity for personal and professional transformation.

Bullet Points:

• The concept of friction in business as a catalyst for growth.
• The distinction between founders who avoid friction and those who embrace it.
• The importance of perseverance, patience, and embracing uncertainty in entrepreneurship.
• Personal transformation through overcoming challenges in business.
• The analogy of video game levels to illustrate growth through overcoming obstacles.
• The evolution of challenges as a business scales, from product-market fit to leadership development.
• The necessity of discerning beneficial friction from detrimental friction.
• The significance of focusing on the biggest constraints in business for effective problem-solving.
• The idea of "growing grace for grace" in relation to personal and business development.
• The overarching message that business success is intertwined with personal growth and development.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction to Friction
Friction in business is not an obstacle but a necessary component for developing judgment, capacity, and leadership skills.

00:01:00 The Nature of Friction and Uncertainty
Business owners must learn to be comfortable with uncertainty and friction, which are constant and unavoidable parts of entrepreneurship.

00:03:23 Leaning Into Friction
Instead of avoiding friction, entrepreneurs should lean into it, as overcoming these challenges often leads to massive new opportunities.

00:04:30 Two Types of Founders
A comparison between a founder who avoids friction and one who embraces it, highlighting how the latter grows personally.

00:07:02 The Second Founder's Growth
The founder who leans into friction develops superior judgment and becomes a different person, ensuring long-term success over two decades.

00:09:25 Friction as a Growth Point
Friction indicates you've reached your current capability limit, presenting an opportunity to grow "grace for grace" and level up.

00:11:33 Business as a Video Game
Each level of business presents a new "boss" or challenge, requiring new skills and judgment to overcome and advance.

00:12:47 The Curriculum of Friction
Friction is the curriculum needed for the next level, forcing you to develop capabilities like judgment, patience, and courage.

00:13:55 The Weightlifting Analogy
Like lifting weights, business growth happens by encountering resistance. Removing discomfort also removes the stimulus for growth and adaptation.

00:15:55 The Purpose of Business Friction
The business is not just something you build; it is a tool that is being used to build you.

00:18:14 Focus on the Biggest Constraint
The speaker shares a personal story about focusing his team on the single biggest constraint to overcome friction effectively.

Links and Mentions:

E-commerce Platforms
"Amazon": "00:00:00"
"TikTok": "00:00:00"
"Shopify": "00:00:00"

Tools
"Weight Lifting Machine": "00:15:00"

Concepts
"Friction in Business": "00:01:00"
"Feedback Loops": "00:05:42"
"Grace for Grace": "00:09:25"

Podcast References
"Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast": "00:00:00"

Personal Experiences
"Amazon Accelerate": "00:18:14"

Encouragement and Mindset
"Prioritizing Constraints": "00:19:25"

Transcript:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  What if the friction that you're trying to eliminate in your business is actually preparing the judgment, the capacity, and the leadership skills that you need to have your next breakthrough in your business? Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast. I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own e-commerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I'm a man of faith. I'm a husband to a beautiful wife and a father of four children. I've been selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade, doing over $20 million in annual revenue and doing multi-million on channels such as Amazon, TikTok, Shop and Shopify. And I am also the host of the number one business strategy podcast for ecommerce entrepreneurs called Ecomm Breakthrough. Today, I want to dive into those moments where we experience friction in the business.

Josh Hadley 00:01:00  a few podcast episodes ago, I talked about why perseverance is so important in a business. We also talked about Jensen, Huang, and Nvidia, and we talked about why uncertainty never really goes away in business. And so one of the key principles that you need to be able to learn and understand as a business owner is like you're always going to feel uncertainty. And so being comfortable sitting inside of that uncertainty is actually one of the skills that you have to develop. And then likewise when your business meets friction, because most certainly it will. It may be a hiring problem, a people problem that you're having to deal with. It could be a channel level problem, it could be a sales and marketing problem. You name it. The list goes on and on and on and on. You will constantly experience friction in the business. But hear me out. Most people in this world are trying to avoid any friction at all. In fact, most of society is kind of. We're all pleasure seekers, so to speak.

Josh Hadley 00:02:11  We want to find in our brain tends to do this. What's the least path of resistance? Because like, ideally, we would all just love to be, you know, hanging out at the beach, chilling and having no responsibilities. Now, some of us that are high strung and higher wired, like about ten minutes into that, I'm going to be like, okay, so what can I go do next? But for most people, they're trying to look for the easy way out, like going and doing the hard thing and rubbing up against friction is not a pleasurable activity. In fact, it's very hard and oftentimes it can feel very defeating. And I've shared this, like I'm going through a season where I'm experien...

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Carlos Alvarez, CEO of Wizards of Ecom, the largest Amazon meetup group in the world. Carlos shares his journey as a nine-figure Amazon seller, discussing the importance of community building, both online and in-person, for e-commerce success. He reveals insights from launching and exiting 17 brands, managing 50+ businesses, and leading a team of 242 virtual assistants. Key takeaways include prioritizing profit over revenue, establishing clear partnership roles, and leveraging local communities to drive brand growth.

Timestamps:

Introduction to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast (00:00:00)
Host Josh Hadley introduces the podcast, his consulting service, and today's guest, Carlos Alvarez, founder of Wizards of Ecom.

Carlos Alvarez's Introduction (00:01:59)
Carlos Alvarez joins the show, expressing his excitement to be featured alongside previous guests like Michael E. Gerber and Kevin King.

The Passion for Community Building (00:03:29)
Carlos explains his contrarian approach to business and how building in-real-life communities provides invaluable feedback and a competitive advantage.

Carlos's Diverse Business Ventures (00:06:18)
Carlos details his portfolio of over 50 businesses, including 17 exited e-commerce brands and his current live insects brand.

Using Community to Enter Retail (00:09:09)
Carlos shares a story about leveraging his local community to get his candied bacon product into brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Three Actionable Takeaways (00:11:44)
Josh summarizes three key lessons: prioritize profit over revenue, clarify partner roles early, and build a local, in-person community.

Most Influential Book (00:14:42)
Carlos names "Blue Ocean Strategy" as his most influential book for its approach to finding uncontested market space for products.

Favorite Productivity Tool (00:15:03)
Carlos recommends the Headspace app, which helps him transition between his professional and personal life as a father and husband.

Most Respected Person in E-commerce (00:15:55)
Carlos names Jeff Cohen, formerly of Seller Labs, as a person he highly admires for his wealth of knowledge.

How to Connect with Carlos (00:16:45)
Carlos shares his social media handle, a link to his Telegram chat, and his personal phone number for listeners.

Links and Mentions:

Tools and Websites
"Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting": "00:00:52"
"Wizards of Ecom": "00:01:59"
"Telegram Chat for Wizards of Ecom": "00:16:45"

Books
"The E-Myth Revisited": "00:02:10"
"The Founder's Dilemma": "00:13:05"
"Slicing Pie": "00:13:05"
"Blue Ocean Strategy": "00:14:42"

Productivity Tool
"Headspace": "00:15:03"

Influential Person
"Jeff Cohen": "00:15:55"

Contact Information
"Carlos Alvarez's Phone Number": "00:16:45"

Transcripts:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Hadley, where I interview the top business leaders in e-commerce. Past guests include Kevin King, Michael E Gerber, author of the E! Myth, and Howard Ty. Today, I'm speaking with Carlos Alvarez, the CEO and founder of Wizards of Ecom, and we are going to be talking a lot about building a community and a real brand. This episode is brought to you by Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting, where I help seven figure companies grow to eight figures and beyond. Listen, Carlos, I started my business back in 2015 and grew it to an eight figure brand in seven years, but I made a lot of mistakes along the way. That made the path of getting to eight figures take a lot longer than it needed to. There were times where I had a lot of self-doubt, whether I could lead a team of people, or whether my brand could actually survive in the marketplace, or if I could have the cash flow to continue to reinvest in new products.

Josh Hadley 00:00:52  I wish I would have had a guide or a mentor along the way that would have helped me overcome a lot of those stumbling blocks. And so to our listeners, those of you who who have hit similar plateaus and are looking for the next steps to take your brand to the next level, then go to E-comm Breakthrough Comm to learn more. And as a special bonus to my podcast listeners, this month I'm giving away one $10,000 comprehensive business strategy audit session at no cost. All you need to do is email me at Josh at Ecomm Breakthrough Comm and in your subject line say strategy audit and then plead your case as to why I should choose you and your business to work with this month. Today I am super excited to introduce you all to Carlos Alvarez. Carlos is the founder of the Wizards of Ecom, the largest Amazon meetup group in the world. He is a nine figure Amazon e-commerce seller who teaches business, teaches businesses and entrepreneurs like you how to leverage the power of Amazon for financial freedom through free to attend meetup events.

Josh Hadley 00:01:56  With that introduction. Welcome to the show, Carlos.

Carlos Alvarez 00:01:59  Absolutely. That's an amazing introduction. Also to be part of the intro with Kevin King, Howard Tie, Michael Gerber, we're talking about the Michael Gerber like is an e myth revisited Michael E Gerber.

Josh Hadley 00:02:10  Yes, sir.

Carlos Alvarez 00:02:11  I didn't know that episode existed. I'm going to go back and listen to it. I also didn't know I can plead my case or a strategic business audit. Like, surprise, surprise. I'm looking forward to pleading my case there.

Josh Hadley 00:02:22  There you go. So we're going to this conversation is going to go on for a while. and Carlos, I mean, we've we've chatted for a while now. I think we first we've met I, I originally met you at prosper back in 2021, attended one year workshops that you were presenting on and heard, like, I have 200 Vas and I was like blown away. I was like, how in the world is this guy doing it? and learned a lot from, you know, that class that you taught.

Josh Hadley 00:02:52  And then I had been following your podcast, since then. And it was a pleasure, you know, coming on your podcast earlier this year and since then we've been, in touch and, you know, developing a good relationship. But, Carlos, I admire everything that you've been able to do in the Amazon space and everything that you offer to the community as a whole. And, you know, I mean, that's going to be the topic of our conversation today. And I'm just curious, Carlos, why are you so passionate about, like, building this community of not only Amazon sellers and e-com sellers, but like, where did that stem from?

Carlos Alvarez 00:03:29  I feel like it stems from the exact answer, I don't know. I want to say it had to do with trying. I'm very contrarian. So people around me, competitors, colleagues, I'd see them doing it one way and I, I felt like there was an easier way to go about it. And an example would be a friend of mine was, this was a bazillion years ago, it feels was launching a mat, and I feel like a yoga mat should be same breadth as garlic.

Carlos Alvarez 00:03:58  Garlic press, real gloves. Like the thing that everyone kind of uses an example that you shouldn't launch and was struggling with it really bad. I was like, why don't you just open? And they were into yoga, by the way. And I was like, why don't yo...

Chris Rawlings is the Founder and CEO of Sophie Society, an Amazon PPC expert, entrepreneur, and 7-figure seller who has helped brands navigate the complexities of Amazon advertising and scale their businesses. He’s also known for bringing a scientific, experimentation-first approach to PPC rather than simply following conventional Amazon advice.

Highlight Bullets

> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn…. 

• Building sustainable and scalable e-commerce brands on platforms like Amazon and Shopify.
• The distinction between having a trademark or website and genuinely building a brand.
• Challenges faced by private label arbitrage sellers on Amazon and the importance of customer retention.
• Understanding the customer journey and maximizing customer lifetime value (LTV).
• The significance of choosing the right market and vehicle for business growth.
• The difference between a brand and a private label arbitrage model.
• Strategies for creating effective offers and customer ascension paths.
• The importance of direct customer engagement and feedback for product and marketing improvement.
• The value of focusing on one business model and compounding expertise over time.
• Viewing business as a means for personal growth and service to others.

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, Chris Rawlings from Sophie Society shares his entrepreneurial journey, from a custom wedding invitation business to building a multi-channel e-commerce brand portfolio. He highlights the critical difference between true brand building and private label arbitrage, emphasizing the importance of customer lifetime value, strategic offer design, and compounding customer growth. Chris advocates for leveraging Amazon, TikTok Shop, and Shopify together to maximize reach and profitability, while stressing that direct customer engagement and foundational work remain essential for sustainable, long-term success.

Here are the a few action items that Josh identified from this episode:

1. Be Adaptable
   • Don’t get stuck on one product or channel. Pivot quickly based on data and customer needs.
2. Choose Your Market Wisely
   • Prioritize large, growing markets with recurring revenue potential.
3. Build a Real Brand
   • Focus on customer retention, not just acquisition. Create compounding growth.
4. Map and Optimize the Customer Journey
   • Design every touchpoint to maximize LTV and customer satisfaction.
5. Craft Offers and Ascension Paths
   • Use bundles, subscriptions, and ups

Timestamps:

00:00:00 The Problem with Private Label Arbitrage
Many Amazon sellers think they have a brand but are just doing arbitrage without compounding customer growth, facing margin compression.

00:00:55 Introduction to the Episode
An overview of the episode's key topics, including building a real brand, increasing customer value, and avoiding entrepreneurial mistakes.

00:01:52 The Entrepreneurial Beginning
Chris Rawlings shares how he and his wife started a custom wedding invitation business after graduating from college.

00:04:10 Scaling the First Business
The wedding invitation business grew to a six-figure income with a six-month waitlist, but it wasn't scalable.

00:04:53 Pivoting to Amazon
They transitioned from custom invitations to selling physical products like recipe cards on Amazon, hitting $1 million in their first year.

00:06:43 Surviving the Pandemic
When COVID-19 hit, their party supply business dropped 90%, forcing them to innovate with educational posters for kids at home.

00:08:18 The Power of an Unscalable Process
The host compares Chris's journey to Alex Hormozi's, highlighting the value of starting with an intimate, unscalable customer experience.

00:10:02 Choosing the Right Business Vehicle
Chris discusses how the market you enter determines your potential scale and his goal of building a billion-dollar brand portfolio.

00:16:20 The Importance of Talking to Customers
The host shares an experience from 500 Startups, emphasizing that founders must talk directly to customers to find true insights.

00:18:48 The Customer Journey Mistake
Chris explains that many Amazon sellers fail because they don't understand the customer journey or focus on compounding customer growth.

00:22:02 A Framework for Understanding Customers
Chris recommends using TikTok Shop to understand customer pain points and hooks, which can then inform Shopify and ad strategies.

00:25:48 The Unsexy Work Unlocks Growth
The discussion centers on how fundamental, "unsexy" strategies like understanding customer LTV and creating strong offers are key to scaling.

00:28:49 Applying Service-Based Models to E-commerce
Chris explains how he's applying principles from service industries to physical products by testing various offers and upsells on Shopify.

00:31:41 Knowing Your Numbers is Key
The host shares how understanding their own business's LTV and acquisition costs allowed them to scale their agency aggressively.

00:34:38 The Power of a Great Offer
The conversation shifts to how a compelling offer is more important than ad creative for acquiring customers profitably.

00:37:51 Building a Business with Integrity
Chris shares his philosophy of building a sustainable business that could be passed down, focusing on providing real value.

00:39:42 The Long Game of Business
Unlike athletes, entrepreneurs can peak late in life, allowing time to compound lessons and master all aspects of business.

00:44:07 The Danger of Chasing Shiny Objects
Chris warns entrepreneurs against constantly jumping to new business ideas, emphasizing the power of compounding lessons in one vehicle.

00:48:42 Final Thoughts on Life and Business
Chris reflects on his long-term goals, faith, and how business serves as a tool for personal growth and service.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Josh Hadley on LinkedIn
• eComm Breakthrough Consulting
• eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• Email Josh Hadley: [email protected]

Tools and Websites 
"Amazon": "00:00:00" 
"TikTok Shop": "00:23:24" 
"Shopify": "00:21:49" 
"500 Startups": "00:17:17" 
"Sophie Society": "00:15:27" 

Books 
"$100 Million Offers by Alex Hormozi": "00:35:48" 
"Money Models by Alex Hormozi": "00:35:48" 

Videos 
"YouTube Videos on Graphic Design (self-taught)": "00:02:12" 

Notable Mentions 
"Alex Hormozi": "00:09:54", "00:35:48" 
"Grüns (company that exited for $1 billion)": "0...

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley discusses why judgment is the most valuable skill he looks for when hiring. Drawing from his experience scaling an ecommerce brand to eight figures, Josh explains that while AI can efficiently handle repetitive tasks, human judgment remains irreplaceable for making sound decisions with incomplete information. He outlines four key indicators of good judgment, shares a Steve Jobs story about ruthless prioritization, and warns against over-relying on AI for strategic thinking, emphasizing that wrestling with difficult decisions is what sharpens judgment over time.

Bullet Points:

• Importance of judgment as a key skill in hiring team members.
• Distinction between judgment and execution in business success.
• Role of AI in handling repetitive tasks and its limitations in decision-making.
• Characteristics of good judgment, including decision-making with incomplete information.
• Indicators of individuals with good judgment, such as driving results and identifying constraints.
• The significance of focus and prioritization in achieving impactful outcomes.
• Learning from experience and feedback to develop judgment within a team.
• The necessity of saying no to less important tasks to maintain focus.
• The example of Steve Jobs simplifying Apple's product line to illustrate effective judgment.
• Caution against over-reliance on AI for strategic thinking and decision-making.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 The Most Valuable Skill in Hiring
The host introduces judgment as the single most valuable skill he looks for when hiring new team members.

00:00:58 Execution vs. Judgment
Business success shifts from execution to judgment, which involves making critical decisions on pricing, products, data, and team management.

00:02:09 AI's Role in Execution
AI is excellent at executing repetitive, process-driven tasks, making human executors less necessary in modern business operations.

00:04:21 The Value of Human Experience
Hiring smart individuals brings valuable experience, including lessons learned from past failures, which builds strong judgment for the team.

00:06:57 Defining Judgment
Judgment is making solid decisions with incomplete information, unlike intelligence. It's about knowing what to do and what to ignore.

00:09:13 How to Identify Good Judgment
Key indicators of good judgment include a track record of results, identifying constraints, focusing on impactful tasks, and acting decisively.

00:13:02 Developing Judgment in Your Team
Develop team judgment through experience, creating feedback loops for learning from wins and losses, and teaching them to say no.

00:15:23 The Importance of Learning from Experience
Team members must have a feedback loop to articulate why something worked or didn't, and then refine systems accordingly.

00:17:26 The Power of Saying No
Good judgment involves prioritizing the few key tasks that drive results and saying no to less important initiatives.

00:18:30 The Steve Jobs and Apple Story
Steve Jobs simplified Apple's complex product line to just four core products, demonstrating judgment by focusing on what truly mattered.

00:21:59 Busyness Doesn't Equal Results
Activity and being busy do not guarantee success. The focus must be on whether the work is producing meaningful business results.

00:26:09 The Leader's Role in Judgment
A leader's job is to ensure the team works on what matters, not just completing tasks, and to stop unproductive projects.

00:29:39 A Warning: AI Can Weaken Your Judgment
Over-relying on AI for strategic thinking and communication can weaken a leader's own judgment by removing necessary mental friction.

Links and Mentions:

Tools and Technologies 
"Claude": "00:03:12"

Concepts and Ideas 
"SOPs": "00:02:09" 
"AI as an executor": "00:03:12" 
"Feedback loop": "00:15:23" 
"411 meetings": "00:16:28"

Examples and Anecdotes 
"Steve Jobs and Apple": "00:20:54"

Key Takeaways 
"Judgment vs. Execution": "00:06:57" 
"Identifying constraints": "00:10:21"

Recommendations 
"Hiring for judgment": "00:13:02"

Transcript:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  I'm going to share the single most valuable skill that I look for when I hire someone today, and more importantly, how you can develop more of it within the team that you already have. Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own ecommerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I'm a man of faith. I'm a husband to a beautiful wife and the father of four children. I've been selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade now, doing over $20 million in annual revenue in multi-million on channels such as Amazon, TikTok, Shop and Shopify. And I am also the host of the number one business strategy podcast for ecommerce entrepreneurs, Ecomm Breakthrough. Today, I'm going to share why judgment is the number one skill that you should be looking for whenever you hire someone.

Josh Hadley 00:00:58  Look, at the end of the day, you can have all the SOPs, the dashboards, the data and the right team, but still make the wrong call because at a certain level of business, business stops being about execution and it starts being about judgment. Knowing when to raise prices, knowing when to kill a product, when to trust data or not, when to ignore it, and when to coach someone versus when to you need to replace them. That is where the real money is made or lost in business. So today we're going to dive into like what this skill of judgment is and why I am so adamant about hiring for this and why it's the number one skill that I am looking for in any of my team members today. The reason why I am so adamant that judgment is one of the most important skills that you should be looking for and developing in your team is because with the advent of AI, I think that execution layer in any business is almost becoming extinct. And if you are employing people that need to just go execute tasks for you, I would say you've got it completely backwards.

Josh Hadley 00:02:09  And honestly, if that's the reason why you're hiring a lot of people is just because you have so many tasks and they just need to be handed off to someone else, maybe it's a virtual assistant or something like that. That can be good. Yes. I'm very proud of you for getting things off of your plate. However, with AI, that's what it's so good at. AI is a great executor. If you have a process that is always follow x, y, then z. And by the way, don't ever deviate from that. Always make sure you do x, then y, then z. I would give that to AI all day long. And honestly, that's how I started my business. The first people that I were was hiring in the business was just to go follow a very repeatable process, because that's what I needed. I needed people to take things off of my plate. And so, yes, if that's what you're used to hiring for is getting things off your plate, creating a whole bunch of SOPs and giving it to other team members, I would say yes, that's a step in the ri...

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Michael Maher, founder of Cartology, an Amazon brand management agency. Michael shares his journey from managing a Starbucks to becoming an Amazon seller and agency owner. They discuss key strategies for scaling on Amazon, including the importance of product reviews, compelling visual content, and diversifying product offerings. Michael also recommends Gap Selling and My Utmost for His Highest, highlights Zapier as a productivity tool, and praises Brett Bohannon as a respected Amazon expert. The episode offers practical, actionable advice for e-commerce sellers looking to grow their brands.

Timestamps:

Introduction to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast (00:00:00)
Host Josh Hadley introduces the podcast, his consulting service, and today's guest, Michael Maher from the agency Cartology.

Michael Maher's E-commerce Journey (00:03:07)
Michael shares his story of hating his job, starting with reselling on eBay, and eventually launching on Amazon.

Early Challenges and Lessons on Amazon (00:06:11)
Michael discusses his initial struggles on Amazon, including a near-suspension, dealing with inaccurate negative reviews, and learning by doing.

Impact of Chinese Sellers and Business Failure (00:08:18)
Michael explains how Chinese manufacturers entering the market led to the downfall of his first Amazon business due to competition.

Actionable Takeaway 1: Product Reviews (00:09:03)
Dissect customer reviews to improve your product. Fixing defective inventory is more important than short-term cash flow for long-term success.

Actionable Takeaway 2: Creative Content (00:10:58)
Use images to visually convey the solution your product provides. Add keyword-rich text to images for better organic ranking.

Actionable Takeaway 3: Product Diversification (00:13:09)
Focus on bringing new products to market to avoid dependency on a few items and ensure long-term business growth.

Final Thoughts on Actionable Takeaways (00:14:28)
Michael adds the importance of cutting losing products to free up cash and mental energy, and embracing controlled experimentation.

Most Influential Book (00:16:10)
Michael recommends "My Utmost for His Highest" for personal challenges and "Gap Selling" for improving his business sales process.

Productivity Tool Recommendation (00:17:44)
Michael highlights Zapier for automating tasks between different software, saving significant time on administrative work like scheduling and lead management.

Respected Figure in E-commerce (00:19:37)
Michael recommends following Brett Bohanon ("The Amazon Cowboy") for his practical knowledge and live learning cohort, "Amazon with Brett."

How to Connect with Michael Maher (00:21:18)
Michael shares the best ways to contact him, including his email, LinkedIn, and the Cartology agency website for more information.

Links and Mentions:

"Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting": "00:01:00" 
"Ecom Balance": "00:02:00" 
"Outsource School": "00:02:00" 
"TierPeak": "00:05:00" 
"Zapier": "00:17:54" 
"ClickUp": "00:17:54" 
"Calendly": "00:18:50" 
"SquadCast": "00:18:50" 
"Make (formerly Integromat)": "00:19:32" 
"Amazon with Brett": "00:20:52" 

Books 
"My Utmost for His Highest": "00:16:21" 
"Gap Selling": "00:16:21" 

Additional Mentions 
"The Longer Game Podcast": "00:02:00"

Transcripts:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Hadley, where I interview the top business leaders in e-commerce. Past guests include Kevin King, Michael E Gerber, author of the Emmett and Howard Ty. Today I'm speaking with Michael Maher, the owner and visionary for Cartology, a custom done for you services agency that provides full spectrum management for brands on Amazon. And we're going to be talking a lot about the experience he has in seeing what is actually working today to help scale brands on Amazon, and we're going to dive into those specific strategies. This episode is brought to you by Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting, where I help seven figure companies grow to eight figures and beyond. Listen, Michael, I started my business back in 2015 and I grew it to an eight figure brand in seven years, but I made a lot of mistakes along the way. That made the path of getting to eight figures take a lot longer than it needed to. There were times where I had self-doubt in myself as a leader, where whether I could actually run and lead a team of people, or whether my business could actually survive on the Amazon Marketplace, or if we would have the cash flow to be able to purchase new products in order to continue to grow.

Josh Hadley 00:01:11  I wish I would have had a guide along the way that would have made getting there a lot quicker and easier to help me navigate around those stumbling blocks I ran into. So to our listeners, those of you who are running into similar obstacles or you're hitting plateaus and you want to know the next steps to t...

Today, we’re joined by Kai Luttrell of Kreator.ai, an entrepreneur and innovator who has built experience at the intersection of e-commerce, subscription businesses, AI-powered marketing, and creator-driven growth.

Kai has a unique perspective on what it takes to identify the right market, build a compelling brand, leverage influencers and creators, and use AI to move faster and create more effective marketing content.

Highlight Bullets

> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn…. 

• Entrepreneurial journey of starting a loose leaf tea subscription box brand
• Growth strategies using Facebook ads and influencer marketing
• Impact of BuzzFeed coverage on brand visibility and sales
• Challenges and economics of running a subscription box business
• Customer acquisition costs, churn rates, and lifetime value considerations
• Importance of product selection and market fit for subscription models
• Role of PR and networking in business growth
• Fulfillment and packaging management in e-commerce
• Insights on personalization and customer retention strategies
• Development of an AI tool for content creation in e-commerce marketing

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, recorded live at Kevin King's Market Masters event, host Josh interviews Kai, founder of a loose leaf tea subscription box brand launched in 2017. Kai shares how her passion project scaled rapidly through Facebook ads, BuzzFeed features, and organic buzz. They discuss subscription business economics, including customer acquisition costs, churn rates, lifetime value, and the importance of choosing the right product and market. Kai also reveals how personalization unexpectedly increased churn and shares networking insights. She concludes by introducing her new AI content creation platform, Creator, designed to streamline marketing for e-commerce brands.

Here are 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:

1. Explore AI tools for content, analytics, and customer service to streamline operations.
2. Integrate AI with your ad platforms and e-commerce tools for maximum efficiency.
3. Stay ahead of the curve by adopting new technologies early.

Timestamps:

00:00:37 Podcast Introduction
The host introduces the podcast, recorded on-the-fly at an event, and welcomes his guest, Kai, an entrepreneur.

00:01:23 Kai's Entrepreneurial Journey
Kai shares how she started her loose leaf tea subscription box as a passion project that scaled rapidly after BuzzFeed coverage.

00:02:42 The Subscription Box Money Model
Discussion on the importance of lifetime value in subscription businesses versus front-end acquisition models common on Amazon.

00:03:17 Challenges of Subscription Boxes
Kai explains the initial financial challenges, like not being profitable on the first few boxes, and the importance of shipping costs.

00:04:45 Understanding Customer Churn
Kai discusses typical churn rates for subscription boxes and how adjusting the amount of product sent can increase customer retention.

00:05:49 The Personalization Paradox
Kai shares surprising results from an A/B test, revealing that non-personalized boxes led to longer subscriber retention than personalized ones.

00:06:53 Customer Acquisition Strategies
Kai details her initial customer acquisition methods, including Facebook ads, blogs, influencer marketing, and promoting within Facebook groups.

00:09:32 Packaging and Fulfillment Evolution
Kai explains how unique packaging helped her brand stand out and how she scaled fulfillment from her garage to a warehouse.

00:11:39 The Economics of the Tea Box
A breakdown of the subscription box pricing, cost of goods, shipping costs, and overall profit margins for Kai's business.

00:14:59 The BuzzFeed Effect
Kai explains how a Cratejoy marketplace feature led to BuzzFeed coverage and how she nurtured that relationship for continued exposure.

00:16:46 Experiences with PR Firms
Kai reflects on her mixed results with hiring PR firms and what she would do differently if starting over.

00:19:20 The Power of Networking
Kai discusses the importance of finding a network of fellow entrepreneurs for support, connection, and learning.

00:20:50 Advice for E-commerce Entrepreneurs
Kai offers advice on choosing the right product for a subscription model and selecting a market with a large audience.

00:24:54 Staying in the Game
The host and Kai discuss the importance of persistence in entrepreneurship, as big breaks can happen unexpectedly.

00:28:17 What Kai is Working on Now
Kai introduces her new venture, Creator.ai, an AI platform that generates content for Amazon, Shopify, and Meta ads.

00:32:39 Three Actionable Takeaways
The host summarizes the key lessons from the conversation, focusing on business models, market selection, and life-goal alignment.

00:36:32 Final Questions
Kai shares her most influential book, favorite AI tools, and the e-commerce entrepreneur she admires most.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Josh Hadley on LinkedIn
• eComm Breakthrough Consulting
• eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• Email Josh Hadley: [email protected]

Tools and Websites
"BuzzFeed": "00:00:02"
"Shopify": "00:02:13"
"Facebook Ads": "00:07:49"
"Cratejoy": "00:15:06"
"kreator.ai": "00:28:17"
"Helium 10": "00:29:35"

Books
"They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan": "00:36:42"

Influencers and Personalities
"Alex Hormozi": "00:38:50"

Key Concepts
"Lifetime Value": "00:03:15"
"Customer Acquisition Cost": "00:11:12"
"Total Addressable Market (TAM)": "00:22:04"

Episode Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by eComm Breakthrough Consulting where I help seven-figure e-commerce owners grow to eight figures. 

I started my business in 2015 and grew it to an eight-figure brand in seven years.

I made mistakes along the way that made the path to eight figures longer. At times I doubted whether our business could even survive and become a real brand. I wish I would have had a guide to help me grow faster and avoid the stumbling blocks.

If you’ve hit a plateau and want to know the next steps to take your business to the next level, then email me at [email protected] and in your subject line say “strategy audit” for the chance to win a $10,000 comprehensive business strategy audit at no cost!

Transcript:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  How did you know you were onto something?

Kai Luttrell 00:00:02  Oh, that's a good question. I feel like I knew I was on to something when people were posting about it, without me soliciting them. Does that make sense? So people would. And then Buz...

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, host Josh Hadley explores the unavoidable reality of uncertainty in entrepreneurship. Drawing from his own experiences, including a 90% revenue drop during COVID-19 and pricing pressures in 2024, Josh emphasizes that fear and uncertainty never disappear, even for industry giants like Nvidia. He shares key lessons from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's leadership through near-bankruptcy moments and offers eight practical strategies for managing uncertainty, including shrinking fears into specific problems, protecting personal well-being, and leaning on faith as a foundation for resilience and continued growth.

Bullet Points:

• The challenge of dealing with uncertainty in business.
• Personal experiences of significant revenue drops and cash flow issues.
• The misconception that success eliminates business risks.
• Lessons learned from Nvidia's early struggles and resilience.
• The importance of calculated risk-taking and thorough preparation.
• Strategies for managing uncertainty in entrepreneurship.
• The necessity of perseverance through business highs and lows.
• Practical action items for entrepreneurs to handle uncertainty.
• The role of personal balance and identity outside of business.
• Embracing discomfort as a fundamental aspect of entrepreneurship.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction to Uncertainty
Even Nvidia's CEO feels his business is 30 days from failure, so uncertainty is normal for all entrepreneurs.

00:01:11 The Host's Personal Struggles
Josh shares his own experiences with near-business collapse, including a 90% revenue drop during Covid and recent cash constraints.

00:03:37 The Feeling Never Goes Away
Despite massive growth, the fear of business failure persists, which can be a powerful motivator and prevent complacency.

00:05:53 The Role of Faith
The speaker discusses how his faith in God has been his anchor through every business downturn and period of uncertainty.

00:07:14 Lessons from Nvidia's CEO
Introducing stories from Nvidia's history to show how even massive companies overcome extreme obstacles and constant fear of failure.

00:08:49 Nvidia Story 1: The Wrong Strategy
Nvidia's first product failed, their architecture was wrong, and they had to ask a partner to pay them anyway.

00:12:19 Nvidia Story 2: One Shot at Success
Lacking funds for multiple attempts, Nvidia had to bet the entire company on a single, successful chip design.

00:16:48 Nvidia Story 3: A New Existential Threat
Immediately after a major success, Nvidia faced a new threat when industry giant Intel entered their market.

00:21:32 Action Item 1: Get Specific
Turn vague fears like "the business could fail" into specific, measurable problems you can actually start to solve.

00:22:39 Action Item 2: Control the Downside
Build cash reserves, insurance, and contingency plans so that one bad event doesn't completely destroy your business.

00:25:12 Action Item 3: Focus Your Attention
Instead of monitoring everything, identify the one or two problems that truly matter right now and go all-in.

00:26:12 Action Item 4: Schedule Time to Worry
Create a dedicated time to review financials and problems, preventing them from invading every moment of your life.

00:27:17 Action Item 5: Build Confidence in Response
Your confidence should come from your ability to respond to problems, not from trying to predict the future.

00:28:31 Action Item 6: Protect Your Identity
Develop meaningful things outside of your business so your entire self-worth isn't attached to its performance.

00:29:39 Action Item 7: Accept Discomfort
Understand that feeling uncertain is the price of admission for building something ambitious; learn to operate within it.

00:30:58 Bonus Action Item 8: Find Your Foundation
The speaker shares how his faith in God provides a rock and foundation to stay confident during uncertain times.

Links and Mentions:

Tools, Websites, and Links
"Amazon": "00:01:11"
"TikTok Shop": "00:03:37"
"Shopify": "00:03:37"
"Nvidia": "00:07:14"

Books
"Profit First by Mike Michalowicz": "00:24:03"

Videos and Podcasts
"Joe Rogan's Podcast": "00:07:14"

Key Concepts and Action Items
"Shrink the uncertainty into specific problems": "00:21:32"
"Control the downside, then stop obsessing over it": "00:24:03"
"Decide what deserves your attention now": "00:25:12"
"Create a regular time for worrying": "00:26:12"
"Build confidence in response, not in prediction": "00:27:17"
"Protect the parts of life that remind you that the business is not your entire identity": "00:28:31"
"Accept that some discomfort is the price of admission": "00:30:58"
"Faith in God": "00:32:17"

Transcript:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  If you're waiting for your business to get big enough that you can finally stop worrying about it so that you can go sail off into the sunset so that you can go retire or go chill out at the beach. Well guess what? Jensen Huang has some bad news for you. Nvidia is one of the largest companies in the world, and yet Jensen still talks about operating in massive uncertainty with the mindset that they are 30 days away from just going out of business. Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own ecommerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I am a man of faith. I am a husband to a beautiful wife and a father of four children. I've been selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade, doing over $20 million in annual revenue and multi-millionaire on channels such as Amazon, TikTok, Shop and Shopify, and I am also the host of the number one business strategy podcast for ecommerce entrepreneurs called Ecomm Breakthrough.

Josh Hadley 00:01:11  Today, I want to talk about how to deal with uncertainty in the business world because, frankly speaking, this is something that I have had to personally deal with time and time and time again, there have been multiple instances where I genuinely felt like my business was on the brink of collapse, where we were truly going to go out of business, that the business model that we originally started was going away, and it was completely breaking, and I would have to pivot and go do something completely brand new. I shared a lot of those experiences on this podcast before back in 2020, when Covid hit, we we were in the party goods and supply space. And so when Covid hit, we watched our business decrease in revenue over 90% overnight like that was brutal. Whereas in all of the other e-commerce groups and masterminds, that was a part of everybody's biggest issue was, oh, I can't get enough inventory. I'm 300%, 500% up year over year. So number one comparison is the thief of joy. That was not my circumstance.

Josh Hadley 00:02:23  And honestly, I literally was counting the number of days until we were going to go...

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Leo Sgovio, CEO of Convomat, an influencer and affiliate marketing software for Amazon sellers. Leo shares insights from his research on Amazon's A9 algorithm, emphasizing semantic relevance in product listings and competitor-based keyword strategies. Josh highlights actionable takeaways, including competitor targeting campaigns, keyword optimization in product images, and leveraging Amazon's search query performance data. Leo also discusses his productivity tool, Be Focused, recommends Rich Dad Poor Dad and Think and Grow Rich, and encourages listeners to follow industry leaders for continued learning.

Timestamps:

Introduction to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast (00:00:00)
Host Josh Hadley introduces the podcast, guest Leo Sgovio, and the episode's topics: the A9 algorithm and influencer campaigns.

Sponsor Message: Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting (00:00:44)
Josh Hadley discusses his consulting services, helping seven-figure brands grow to eight figures, and offers a free strategy audit session.

Introducing Leo Leo Sgovio (00:02:00)
Josh provides a detailed introduction to Leo Sgovio, highlighting his extensive experience in e-commerce, SEO, and influencer marketing.

Researching Amazon's A9 Algorithm (00:04:17)
Leo discusses his research into Amazon's A9 patents, focusing on the "cold start" problem for new product launches.

The Importance of Semantic Relevance (00:07:26)
Leo explains why creating a semantically relevant listing, similar to top competitors, is crucial for ranking on Amazon.

Actionable Takeaways Summary (00:09:27)
Josh summarizes the episode's key takeaways, including competitor targeting, adding keywords to images, and using search query performance data.

Favorite and Most Influential Books (00:12:51)
Leo shares his most influential books, citing "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and "Think and Grow Rich" as life-changing reads.

Favorite Productivity Tool (00:13:19)
Leo recommends the "Be Focused" app, a timer-based tool that helps him complete daily tasks without getting distracted.

Admired E-commerce Leaders (00:14:45)
Leo suggests listeners follow host Josh Hadley and also mentions Ezra Firestone as a humble and relevant industry leader.

How to Connect with Leo Sgovio (00:16:12)
Leo shares the best ways to connect with him, recommending LinkedIn, Facebook, and his personal website for contact.

Links and Mentions:

Tools and Websites 
"Unified Patent Scheme": "00:05:28" 
"Jungle Scout": "00:12:04" 
"Convomat Connect": "00:12:24" 
"Be Focused": "00:13:29" 

Books 
"Rich Dad Poor Dad": "00:13:03" 
"Think and Grow Rich": "00:13:11" 

Notable Mentions 
"Ezra Firestone": "00:15:01" 

Additional Notes 
"ChatGPT Prompts": "00:16:47"

Transcripts:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Hadley, where I interview the top business leaders in e-commerce. Past guests include Kevin King, Michael E Gerber, the author of the E! Myth, and Steven Pope. Today, I'm speaking with Leo Sgovio, CEO and founder of Convomat, an influencer and affiliate marketing software for Amazon sellers. And we're going to be talking a lot about the A9 algorithm, finding hidden keywords on Amazon and how to increase your ranking and sales with influencer campaigns. This episode is brought to you by Ecom Breakthrough Consulting, where I help seven figure companies grow to eight figures and beyond. Listen, Leo, I started my business back in 2015 and grew it to an eight figure brand in seven years, but there were a lot of mistakes I made along the way that made the path of getting to eight figures take a lot longer than it really needed to. There were times where I doubted my abilities as a leader, whether I could actually manage a team of people and become a CEO.

Josh Hadley 00:01:00  I doubted whether our brand could actually survive and thrive on the Amazon platform. And I also had concerns whether we would have the cash flow to be able to continue to grow the business. And so to all of our listeners, I wish I would have had a guide along the way. And if you're in that same boat and you want to know the next steps to take your business to the next level, then go to Ecom Breakthrough Comm, that's ecom with two M's to learn more. And as a special bonus to my podcast. Podcast listeners. This month I'm giving away one over $10,000, a comprehensive business strategy audit session at no cost. All you need to do is email me at Josh at Ecom breakthrough. Com and in your subject line say strategy audit and then plead your case as to why I should choose you and your brand to work with for this month. And if you don't win this month, don't worry, you'll be entered to win for future months to come. But today I am super excited to introduce you all to Leo Scorpio.

Josh Hadley 00:02:00  Leo is an entrepreneur with a strong passion for digital marketing and technology. With over 15 years of experience in the e-commerce space. Leo has started his career as an SEO and pay per click advertising specialist. Throughout his career, Leo worked with technology solutions from companies such as Google and Adobe and developed automated marketing software for e-commerce sellers, leveraging chat bots to launch and scale private label brands on Amazon. After exiting one of his brands, he founded Convomat Connect, an influencer and affiliate marketing platform for Amazon sellers, and he continues to launch new products on Amazon. So with that warm introduction, welcome to the show, Leo.

Leo Sgovio 00:02:45  Hey, Josh, thank you for having me. I appreciate it, Leo.

Josh Hadley 00:02:48  I am super excited to have you on. We met originally at the Billion Dollar Seller Summit and that was back in 2022. And I've been following you since we've we've stayed in contact. And man, every time I hear you, whether it be on a podcast or on a stage like you just have a brilliant mind and you know, I always come away with a lot of value.

Josh Hadley 00:03:11  So I personally am really excited to hear some of the new things you're going to be talking about on the podcast today, and I'm sure our listeners are going to appreciate that as well.

Leo Sgovio 00:03:22  Well, that's flattering. And, you know, I have to say you were the winner last year of the the contest, the best hack contest. So I also learned something from you, which is, which was very impressive. And, so I'm really excited to be here as your guest, but also, you know, like, learn from you as well. So thanks for having me again.

Josh Hadley 00:03:42  Awesome. Well, Leah, we've got a lot to dive into today. And so what I want to do, obviously, as you know, many of our listeners are seven figure sellers and they are trying to grow to that eight figures and beyond. And so we want to share with them all the actionable strategies that they can implement that is going to help them grow their brand. And what I think before we hit record here today, we talked about some of the things you have been doing recently, and you had talked about some of the research that you had been doing on the A9 algorithm that I think not many people have been talking about.

Josh Hadley 00:04:17  You know, some of the things that you discovered during your re...

Today's guest is Jason Termechi. He is a former TikTok employee as a live account manager. He was in the world of all things live selling on TikTok, and he helped generate over $14 million of revenue through those live strategies. Now, he's working with other brands as a consultant to help them formulate their own live selling strategy and implement the playbook that he's seen work.

Highlight Bullets

> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn…. 

• Importance of live selling on TikTok for brand awareness and customer engagement.
• The concept of a "cold start" period specific to live selling and its implications.
• Strategies for effective product selection and pricing in live selling.
• The role and qualities of a successful live host.
• The significance of scripting and structured presentations during live sessions.
• The impact of auctions on live selling dynamics and brand growth.
• Techniques for driving traffic and awareness to live selling events.
• The balance between traditional selling methods and gamified approaches like auctions.
• Success stories and case studies of brands that excelled in TikTok live selling.
• Recommendations for brands to build in-house live selling teams for sustainable growth.

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, host Josh Hadley speaks with Jason Termechi, a former TikTok live account manager who helped generate over $14 million in revenue. Jason shares his expertise on TikTok Shop live selling, covering key topics such as navigating the platform's "cold start" period, selecting the right host, product assortment, pricing strategies, and scripting techniques. He also discusses driving traffic to live sessions, balancing auctions with traditional flash sales, and building sustainable brand growth through consistency and engagement.

Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:

1. Choose Your Growth Strategy Early
   Decide whether you’ll prioritize aggressive growth (even at lower margins) or profitable customer acquisition from day one. You can’t do both—pick one strategy and track your numbers closely.
2. Take a Clear, Polarizing Brand Stand
   Define the “hill you’re willing to die on.” Stand firmly for a specific belief or value so your brand resonates emotionally and your ad creative doesn’t try to appeal to everyone.
3. Focus on Retention, Not Just Acquisition
   Build a real brand by creating repeat customer experiences across multiple products. The goal is to deepen trust and increase lifetime value—not just drive one-time sales.

Timestamps:

00:01:03 Introduction to Jason Termechi
Host Josh Hadley introduces guest Jason Termechi, a former TikTok live account manager and now a consultant for live selling.

00:02:18 Why Brands Should Use TikTok Live
Jason explains that live selling is a great discovery tool for brands to reach new audiences and deepen customer relationships.

00:04:32 The "Cold Start" Period
A discussion on the initial period where brands must build momentum, regardless of their follower count, to succeed on live.

00:06:33 Brand vs. Creator Live Selling
Jason clarifies his focus is on helping brands go live on their own accounts, rather than using affiliate creator strategies.

00:08:55 Case Study: Noel Farha
Jason shares a success story of a shapewear brand that grew from $10k to over $400k per live session.

00:12:06 The TikTok Live Playbook
An overview of the essential components for a successful live selling strategy, starting with commitment and having the right resources.

00:14:15 Choosing the Right Host
The importance of the host, discussing the pros and cons of using a founder, employee, or a paid spokesperson.

00:18:28 Product Selection and Pricing
How to select products for your live, including best-sellers and new arrivals, and pricing strategies to attract initial buyers.

00:22:25 The Importance of Scripting
Jason details his eight-part scripting system designed to educate, build trust, and create urgency to drive sales during a live.

00:28:14 Gamifying Your Live Session
Strategies to make live sessions more engaging and entertaining through interaction, giveaways, and creating a fun, dynamic atmosphere.

00:30:06 Flash Sales vs. Auctions
A comparison between using flash sales and the current trend of auctions, and the potential pitfalls of gimmicky auction tactics.

00:34:15 Raising Awareness for Your Live
Tips on how to promote your live sessions using in-app scheduling, pre-promotion content, and TikTok's CRM tool.

00:37:23 Final Advice and Getting Started
Jason's final tips emphasize consistency, practice, and clearly communicating value to convince viewers to make a purchase.

00:39:36 Three Actionable Takeaways
The host summarizes the key action items: identify your host, perfect your script, and raise awareness for your live sessions.

00:42:53 Most Influential Book
Jason shares the story and lessons from a book by Bobby Hundreds, founder of the streetwear brand The Hundreds.

00:45:17 Favorite AI Tool
Jason explains how he uses ChatGPT for data analysis, client pitches, and improving his scripting for live sessions.

00:47:04 Who to Follow in E-commerce
Jason recommends following Alex Hormozi for his ability to simplify complex business challenges and provide clear, focused advice.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Josh Hadley on LinkedIn
• eComm Breakthrough Consulting
• eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• Email Josh Hadley: [email protected]

Tools and Websites 
"TikTok Shop": "00:01:44" 
"CRM System": "00:35:22" 
"ChatGPT": "00:45:17" 
"Perplexity": "00:46:42" 

Books 
"How to Start a T-Shirt by Bobby Hundreds": "00:42:57" 

People Mentioned 
"Ezra Firestone": "00:01:03" 
"Kevin King": "00:01:03" 
"Michael Gerber": "00:01:03" 
"Brandon Young": "00:01:03" 
"Alex Hormozi": "00:47:13" 

Case Studies 
"Noel Farha (Shapewear Seller)": "00:09:43" 

Key Concepts 
"Three E's of Live Selling: Entertainment, Engagement, Education": "00:28:32" 
"Cold Start Period": "00:39:03"

Episode Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by eComm Breakthrough Consulting where I help seven-figure e-commerce owners grow to eight figures. 

I started my business in 2015 and grew it to an eight-figure brand in seven years.

I made mistakes along the way that made the path to eight figures longer. At times I doubted whether our business could even survive and become a real brand. I wish I would have had a guide to help me grow faster and avoid the stumbling blocks.

If ...

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley draws from his decade-long ecommerce experience to explore the critical role of perseverance in entrepreneurial success. Using relatable analogies like video game bosses and concrete walls, Josh candidly shares his own struggles with business growth while emphasizing that persistent challenges signal worthwhile problems, not failure. He encourages entrepreneurs to combine patience with strategic focus, make incremental daily improvements, and resist the temptation to abandon their current business when growth stalls. Ultimately, Josh frames long-term success as the result of consistent effort, smart decision-making, and unwavering faith in the process.

Bullet Points:

• Importance of perseverance in entrepreneurship, particularly in ecommerce.
• Challenges and constraints faced by entrepreneurs during business growth.
• Comparison of entrepreneurial challenges to "boss levels" in video games.
• Value of slow, steady growth over quick success.
• Misconceptions about rapid, overnight success in business.
• Concept of "intelligent perseverance" and flexible goal achievement.
• Need for a clear business strategy focusing on impactful constraints.
• Balancing business growth with personal life and relationships.
• The significance of incremental improvements and resilience during tough times.
• Encouragement to persist through challenges and maintain consistent effort.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction to Perseverance
The host introduces himself and the episode's theme: why perseverance is a crucial trait for entrepreneurial success in ecommerce.

00:01:04 The Power of a Daily Message
The host shares how a short inspirational video on perseverance helped him overcome a personal funk and business-related frustrations.

00:02:07 Defining Perseverance
The host defines perseverance as the steady effort to achieve a goal, even when it's hard or takes a long time.

00:03:13 The Video Game Analogy
Business growth is compared to a video game, where entrepreneurs must defeat progressively harder "bosses" or constraints to level up.

00:06:32 The Challenge of Omnichannel
Transitioning from an Amazon-only brand to an omnichannel presence is presented as a massive, multi-year challenge, like a thick concrete wall.

00:08:43 The Reality of Success
The host reassures listeners that slow, steady growth is more common than the overnight success stories often seen on social media.

00:11:13 The 40-Year "Overnight" Success
The story of Portillo's is used as an example of a business that took 40 years to become a major success.

00:12:28 Balancing Growth and Lifestyle
The host discusses sacrificing rapid growth for a more sustainable pace that allows for family time and a balanced lifestyle.

00:15:15 Intelligent Perseverance and Strategy
Perseverance must be paired with a good strategy, which involves recognizing patterns and focusing limited resources on the right opportunities.

00:17:49 The Uncomfortable Middle
The host describes the challenging phase after hiring new talent, where progress isn't immediately visible and patience is required.

00:20:20 The Real Test of an Entrepreneur
True perseverance is tested not when things are going well, but when facing negative feedback, missed targets, and setbacks.

00:22:36 The Danger of Diversifying Too Soon
Entrepreneurs often jump to new ventures when they hit a constraint, instead of persevering through the challenges of their current business.

00:24:50 The Breakthrough is a Process, Not an Event
Success is not one giant breakthrough but the result of making slightly better decisions consistently over a long period of time.

00:27:09 The Goal is to Handle Hardship
The ultimate goal isn't to eliminate challenges, but to become someone who can operate effectively and move forward when things are hard.

Links and Mentions:

Business Examples:
"Portillo's": "00:12:28"

Books/Concepts:
"Intelligent Perseverance": "00:15:12"

Quotes:
"Intelligent perseverance is remaining committed to the destination while being unattached to the route that gets you there.": "00:15:12"

Transcript:

Josh Hadley 00:00:00  What if the reason why you're still struggling with the same problem in your business isn't because you're failing, but it's actually because the problem you are facing is actually worth solving? Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own ecommerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I'm a man of faith. I'm a husband to a beautiful wife and the father of four children. I've been selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade, doing over $20 million in annual revenue and doing multi-millionaires on channels such as Amazon, TikTok, shop and Shopify. And I am also the host of the number one business strategy podcast for ecommerce entrepreneurs. And that is E-com breakthrough. Today, I want to share with you why perseverance is one of the most important traits that you can acquire as an entrepreneur to set yourself up for success in the future.

Josh Hadley 00:01:04  And the reason why I'm talking about this today is because, to be honest with you, I'm going through hard stuff in the business right now. And, you know, I always start my day with kind of a daily meditation or a devotional with God. Whenever I drop off the kids from school, I'm always turning on a podcast or an inspirational message. And today, as I was driving back home from dropping the kids off from school, a YouTube video started playing after I listened to another podcast, and it was a two minute video, and it was from Jeffrey R Holland. And it was all about why perseverance is such a vital trait that we could acquire in this life. And it touched me right to the core, and honestly kind of helped pull me out of a little funk that I've been in over the last couple days of just, you know, feeling like I'm running on this hamster wheel, trying to defeat some of the top constraints in the business, but also feeling like I'm not going anywhere at the exact same time.

Josh Hadley 00:02:07  And so that's the message that I want to share with you today, because it inspired me. It reinvigorated me, and it lit that fire underneath me to help lead the business to that next step. And that's what my hope is for you today is as you listen to this, you know, wherever you are in your season of business, you will continue to face hard things. And it is through facing those hard things that you as a person, your character is going to be refined, but more importantly, you develop that grit and that perseverance that will allow you to succeed. So let's talk about what perseverance actually is. I love the definition of perseverance. Just coming straight from the dictionary, which is perseverance, is keeping a steady effort to achieve a goal even when things are hard, frustrating, or take a very long time. Let's talk about that very long time. Because in the intro I said, what if the reason why you're still facing the exact same problem today isn't because you're actually failing as an entrepreneur? Maybe it's because the problem is actually worth solving.

Josh Hadley 00:03:13  And I'll tell you this much if you are selling in the e-commerce space, welcome to one of the most competitive busin...