eCommerce Allstars

Words on a wall. That’s all a mission statement is to people these days.

They walk into their office, see the mission of the business, and nobody gives a damn. I’m sorry, but that’s why I call mission statements horsesh*t.

Here’s the thing: I don't care what you write on your wall. As a customer or advisor, it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is you, the owner, founder, leader, living the mission. That mission has to come from deep within you and become an integral piece of your business.

If your mission is to be better for the environment, but you’re not recycling or producing your product sustainably, you’re not living your mission. It has to be real, a part of you, driving your actions every day.

This authenticity will attract the right people, those who buy into your mission and will help drive your business to the next level.

Live your mission, don't just write it. 

My absolute favorite thing is when I call customer service and get the "your business is important to us" message while waiting for 30 minutes or even two hours. 🎶

Can you sense the sarcasm?

People started moving away from this by using online chats, but now those chats have become just as frustrating. They're often just glorified phone queues, and if not done properly, they become a source of irritation rather than help. 😤

If you're going to implement a chatbot, don't treat it like a glorified form or a typed version of a phone message.

Treat your customers like gold because they are your pot of gold. 🌟 Happy customers lead to happier businesses.

If you can't properly support a chat function, be upfront about it. Let customers know your availability clearly, rather than relying on a bot to do everything.

Over-automation is a whole other issue, which we'll dive into on the next episode.

Alright folks, let's talk about another "magic bean" that's got everyone buzzing: AI strategy. 🧠✨

It's not really new—artificial intelligence and machine learning have been around for a while. Sure, new interfaces like ChatGPT have made them more accessible, but here's the thing: don’t fall into the FOMO trap. 🚫

Fear of missing out shouldn't drive your decisions.

Instead, think about the challenges you need to solve and find the right solutions.

Maybe AI fits the bill, maybe it doesn't. I use AI regularly, and it can be incredibly powerful, especially in e-commerce and DTC. But remember, it's not about what your competitors are doing.

Focus on your needs, and see if AI can help solve your specific problems. Don’t jump at every shiny object—stay grounded and focused. 💡

I recently came across a quote that really stuck with me: "We all have a good wolf and a bad wolf inside us. The wolf you feed wins." 🐺

It reminded me of an old audio recording by Earl Nightingale called The Strangest Secret. I highly recommend giving it a listen—it’s all about positivity, gratitude, mindset, and success. 🌟

In it, Nightingale likens the mind to a field where you can plant poison on one side and crops on the other. If you nurture both, they’ll grow equally. This analogy highlights how the thoughts we feed—positive or negative—will flourish.

This ties into something I always emphasize: focusing on your areas of genius. When you and your team work within your key strengths, you stay energized and positive. It's not about dwelling on weaknesses but leveraging your strengths.

So, let’s remember to feed the good wolf and cultivate a mindset that drives success. 💡

In a past episode I discussed the importance of having the right checks and balances in your business to ensure everything runs smoothly and you don't get taken advantage of. 🧐

In this episode, let's talk about a different angle—too many bodyguards. This time, it's about those people put in place to protect you: VAs, EAs, AI, anti-AI, agencies, business managers, PR managers...the list goes on. Each one of these roles adds another layer, building a bigger wall around you. 🧱

Don't get me wrong, you need these filters. We all do in today's world. However, you must keep two things in mind:

First, you need to have a means to keep your eye on your business, ensuring everything is on track before you step back. 🚁

Second, you need to ensure these filters don't block valuable opportunities. Each person in these roles might unintentionally filter out potential golden nuggets that seem like threats to their position.

It's all about balance. You don't want to become Fort Knox and miss out on valuable opportunities. Instead, create a process that allows the good to come through while keeping the bad out. 🌟

So I was talking to a friend the other day. He's an Inc. 500 top fastest-growing companies founder and a Forbes top 30 under 30 leader. The guy is brilliant—smart and knows his stuff. It was kind of funny because, during our conversation, he mentioned hiring agencies as one of his biggest downfalls early on. A bit ironic, right? But early on in his company, he said, "If your interests and goals aren't completely aligned, it doesn't work. They obviously wanted us to be successful, but they weren't as reliant on that success as we were."

This reminded me of a book I read over 20 years ago, "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli. The wisdom in it is timeless. Machiavelli warned that "mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous." Back then, he cautioned against hiring external forces because they lacked a vested interest in your success.

Fast forward to today, and leaders echo the same sentiment. Before you hire an agency to handle a core piece of your business or buy into a magic bean of a strategy, remember: if your interests and goals aren't completely aligned, it won't work.

Agencies work for you, not with you. They move on to the next client without a vested interest in your success. It's that deep commitment that drives true excellence.

As a business owner, do you ever find yourself thinking, "Why do I need to know? I've got people for that"?

It's time to shift that mindset.

Maybe your business is running like a well-oiled machine, allowing you to step away when needed—and that's amazing.

BUT to keep your business thriving and growing in the direction you want, it's crucial to be able to helicopter in at any time and know where and what to look for to keep your business on the path to success. 💼🚀

Let's Decode Success! 🚀

Success isn't just about having the best strategy; sure, it helps, but it's NOT the KEY. It's about understanding the essence of your STORY, YOUR MISSION. Then aligning that with your systems. The Triple Threat - People, Process, and Tech/Tools.

#FckStrategy prompts a shift FROM a strategy-centric mindset to one that prioritizes these foundational elements. People, Process, Tech/Tools. These are what drive your success. And it's not about having more or less; it's about balance.

I've got a secret! 🤫 There's only one person who knows this and it's my beautiful wife. If I were to want a gravestone it's the single word I would want on it. It's going to surprise you because, it's not in line with any of my other favorites like, gratitude, honestly, and authentic. Those are certainly in the top 5 but this one stands alone and is reserved for those rare times when I am truly annoyed, pissed or beyond agitated with something.

If you're arguing with an umpire in baseball you are more than welcome to say it, but call him it and you will be tossed immediately. 🎾

It's how I feel when I see people saying things like single strategy is all you need. These 5 strategies will boost sales, and other BS slinging to get you to pay into a program, a book or whatever they are pedaling. It's this exact type of thing that causes those with great intentions to get misdirected and veer off course, why because it's that shiny object. 💰

FckStrategy. Sorry I digressed but until you have a system as simple or complex as it need be, strategy is your enemy, it's the dangling carrot, the flashy object, that freaking squirrel you just need to chase because he won't leave you alone and teases and temps you until you give chase only to stub your toe, or trip on your face because someone had that perfect freaking strategy to take you and your business to the moon. 🌙

Simply put it's HORSESHIT! 💩

Yes that's the word I would opt for on my gravestone, yes the word you can say to an umpire but not call him, yes my favorite word, and precisely why I started the FckStrategy revolution, because the way people sling this word around is pure Horseshit! 🚀

I’ve got three game-changing tech tips for your e-commerce business. Let’s dive in:

1️⃣ Communication Tools: Simplify and unify team communication. Whether you’re a $5M or $50M company, break down silos and ensure everyone’s on the same page. 🗣️💡

2️⃣ Smart Sales Strategies: Forget the magic beans! 🫘 Avoid generic sales widgets and find tech that fits your unique needs to boost sales effectively. 📈

3️⃣ Backend Efficiency: Streamline your workflows to remove bottlenecks. I’ve seen a company grow 284% in just 8 months by automating processes! 🔄✨

Remember, it’s all about improving your front-end, back-end, and team communication to keep things flowing smoothly and driving growth. 🌟