Ecommerce Conversations

Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in September 2023.

Andrew Faris is the former CEO of 4x400, an ecommerce aggregator. He left that job in 2021 and now consults with merchants and manages their advertising campaigns, mostly on Meta. I asked him for his keys to successful Meta ads, having spent nine years on that platform.

"The best ad managers are writers," he told me. And "there's no reason a brand under $50 million in revenue needs an attribution tool."

Faris first appeared on this podcast in early 2022. In our recent discussion, he addressed the joys of solo freelancing, working with entrepreneurs, and, yes, how to run high-performing Meta ads.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6p2Q

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com 

On-again, off-again tariffs have not lessened the opportunities for cross-border expansion. Global consumers still seek quality goods from trusted merchants.

Yet success in international selling requires careful attention to fulfillment, customs, duties, and more. That's the role of Passport, the provider of cross-border logistics, localization, and support for ecommerce sellers.

In this episode, Alex Yancher, Passport's founder and CEO, shares tactics for profitable global ecommerce sales.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/smarter-paths-to-global-sales

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others learn from the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

We've all heard the buzz surrounding agentic AI agents. What's missing for many of us is how they can help our business. What is an AI agent? Can it really perform tasks and get things done?

In this episode, host Eric Bandholz asks those questions and more to Anthony DelPizzo. He is the head of product marketing with Triple Whale, the Shopify-backed ecommerce analytics platform that has launched its own AI agent called Moby. It responds to ChatGPT-like prompts, suggests marketing channels, and even composes emails.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/triple-whales-moby-ai-gets-things-done

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Throughout 2025, host Eric Bandholz has occasionally shared his experiences owning and operating Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer brand he launched in 2014. He has addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, exiting, and overcoming a million-dollar loss.

In this episode, he shares what he believes is the best bootstrapped ecommerce model and why others should consider it.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-best-ecommerce-business-model

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Customer acquisition costs can ruin a business. Some merchants limit acquisition spend to the gross margin of the first sale. Others look to customers' lifetime value.

Yet Taylor Holiday, CEO of the agency Common Thread Collective, profits from acquisition marketing. He calls it "negative CAC."

Taylor first appeared on the podcast in 2020. In this episode, he explains his acquisition strategy, experiences with employee ownership, and more.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-to-achieve-negative-cac

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

John Melizanis believes third-party logistics fees often produce surprise charges. Per-item pricing for picks, packs, and receiving can turn an anticipated $1 per order fee into $2.50 or more, he says.

John is the co-founder of ShipDudes, a New Jersey-based 3PL launched in 2020. His company uses flat-rate pricing for pick-and-pack and warehousing, and no markup for shipping. "Brands appreciate knowing their exact costs," he told me.

In this episode, John addressed the origins of ShipDudes, in-store retail, warehouse automation, and more.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-no-surprise-3pl-pricing-model

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

******
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Nate Lagos is vice president of marketing for Original Grain, a direct-to-consumer seller of luxury watches. He relies on Facebook advertising, but not for immediate customer acquisition.

“Platforms such as Facebook are megaphones, not salespeople,” he says.

In this episode, Nate shares his marketing origins, advertising tactics, influencer management, and more.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/facebook-megaphone-powers-d2c-watch-brand

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

******
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Ray Reddy is a two-time mobile commerce entrepreneur, a Google veteran, and, now, the head of Shopify POS, the company's in-store platform. He says the future of retail is location-agnostic, where shoppers can easily move from online to brick-and-mortar without losing account details, order history, and shipping info.

That, he says, is the path of Shopify POS.

In this episode, he addresses Shopify's physical-store penetration, the needs of modern shoppers, backend complexities, and more.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/shopify-pos-exec-on-future-of-retail

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

******
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

This year host Eric Bandholz has sprinkled occasional episodes with real-life master classes from Beardbrand, his company. To date he's addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, and exiting.

For this installment, he shares Beardbrand’s experience of losing nearly $1 million across 2023 and 2024. It got bad. Cash levels dropped to where they were in year one, 2014. The business was hemorrhaging money.

But it survived. It made it through without outside funding. Eric and his company are now growing and building, eager for the future.

He recaps the journey in this incredible, transparent episode.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-to-survive-a-million-dollar-loss

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Next-gen health and wellness is an apt description of MNLY. Luke Hartelust launched the platform in 2021, pronouncing it “Manly,” and then pivoted twice while remaining focused on modern care for men.

The current version combines AI with home-based testing, diagnoses, and nutrition. Customers pay an upfront fee and a monthly subscription afterward.

In this episode, Luke shared the company’s origins, growth, mistakes, and more.

For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/mnlys-at-home-ai-powers-mens-health

For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts

Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others learn from the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   

******
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com