eCommerce Profits Podcast

Spencer Jan is the Co-founder of Solo Stove, an ecommerce brand that designs outdoor products. In 2021, he grew the company into Solo Brands and raised $219 million through an IPO, giving the brand a valuation of over $2 billion before exiting. As an entrepreneur experienced in ecommerce, digital marketing, and bootstrapping businesses, Spencer focuses on providing inspiration and advice to other entrepreneurs.

What if you could exit your business and live the life you want? How can you scale your business, increase its worth, and sell it for more money?

As an entrepreneur who sold his business twice for nine figures, Spencer Jan doesn’t sugarcoat the process. He started his company with one goal in mind: to regain control of his time and life. Yet, this requires patience as it takes most entrepreneurs 10 years to build and scale a company. If you launch a business in hopes of exiting, Spencer says to remain determined and stick to your strengths since it’s easy to get sidetracked by other entrepreneurs’ success stories. By forging your own path, you can develop an exit strategy that maximizes your earnings.

In today’s episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin invites Spencer Jan, Co-founder of Solo Stove, to talk about how he built and sold his company for $2 billion. Spencer shares advice for maintaining an adequate work-life balance and achieving long-term business success, key factors influencing business growth, and how he prepared his business for the sellers’ market. 

Raúl Galera is the Partnerships and Business Development Lead at ReferralCandy, an app that helps online and offline businesses acquire new customers and retain existing ones through incentivized referrals. ReferralCandy is the leading platform in referral marketing, helping over 30,000 ecommerce brands leverage word-of-mouth marketing. Raúl joined the company in 2016 and built a partnership program that adds value to marketing agencies, affiliates, media outlets, and other tech companies in the ecommerce industry.

Referrals are a great way to maximize revenue. When executed correctly, you can utilize your customer base to drive sales. So, how can you optimize referral programs to acquire new customers and increase your retention rate?

According to Raúl Galera, the average referral rate for any company is 2-2.5%. To leverage the full potential of referrals and improve this statistic, he recommends implementing an open referral program to convert website traffic into new customers. This requires placing incentives such as discounts and codes on your landing page. It’s also essential to inform existing customers of your programs to ensure optimal results.

In today’s episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin interviews Raúl Galera, Partnerships and Business Development Lead at ReferralCandy, about creating profitable referral programs. Raúl shares tips for creating innovative referral programs, how to maximize referral rates, and the difference between public and private referral programs.

Blake Van Putten is the CEO, Founder, and Business Developer at CISE, a black-owned fashion house focused on giving back and building community. As a skilled business developer, he has experience in operations, project management, and public speaking. Blake has been featured in major publications, including Time Magazine. Before founding CISE, Blake was the Senior Project Manager at Moody’s Investors Service and the CEO of Base: Buy and Sell Everything.

The ecommerce industry is dynamic, with diverse brands capitalizing on new technology and creating innovative ways to connect with their audience. So, how can you contribute to this ingenuity and drive growth in the ecommerce space?

According to Blake Van Putten, brands can leverage NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to generate loyalty points for their customers and build a robust community. To take it a step further, retailers can collaborate with each other to unify their respective communities for a lasting impact. By promoting inclusivity, you can create meaningful change and growth for your business and the industry.

In today’s episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin speaks with Blake Van Putten, CEO, Founder, and Business Developer at CISE, about encouraging community and collaboration in the ecommerce space. Blake shares CISE’s mission and the inspiration behind it, how he designed and executed his mobile storefront, and the importance of collaborating and building relationships in the ecommerce industry.

Kent Yoshimura is the Co-founder and CEO of Neuro, a health and wellness company that creates gum and mints. With over 25 million products sold, Neuro has been featured in Time Magazine, Dr. Oz, Forbes 30 Under 30, Buzzfeed, Shark Tank, and other notable publications and media sources.

As a multimedia artist, creative director, and entrepreneur, Kent has created content for global brands, including McDonald’s and Lego, created the visual direction for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s children’s line, and co-designed immersive retail experiences. He has been featured on NBC, the New York Times for his mural work, and in Time Magazine, Slash Films, Huffington Post, and others for his films.

Entrepreneurship requires a delicate work/life balance. With so many paths to a successful and enjoyable lifestyle, how can you determine the best one to follow?

Kent Yoshimura says to establish compelling motivations for each accomplishment. He pursues multiple opportunities and is involved in many personal and professional ventures that surpass the boundaries of limitations. By engaging in content creation, illustration, and other art forms, Kent can build capital to expand his business while maintaining stability in his personal and professional life.

In today’s episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin joins Kent Yoshimura, Co-founder and CEO of Neuro, to talk about the many opportunities in entrepreneurship. Kent shares how he integrates creativity with entrepreneurship, his motivations for high-level success, and balancing independence with collaboration in the workplace.

Csaba Zajdó is the CMO and Founder of OptiMonk, a software company that helps ecommerce businesses increase sales and drive conversions. OptiMonk offers companies customer-specific laser-targeted messaging aimed directly at existing and new customer acquisitions delivered at just the right moment. As a serial entrepreneur, he spent his entire career building and optimizing ecommerce sites to drive conversions. Csaba is also the CEO and Founder of Innonic and the Founder of Shoprenter. He’s helped launch thousands of online stores, is a regular speaker at ecommerce conferences, and is the author of numerous articles and studies.

As an ecommerce brand, it’s crucial to personalize the customer experience. Yet, businesses often disregard their landing pages or on-site ads and lose potential customers, leaving money on the table. So, how can you optimize your website to drive conversions and increase sales?

To start, Csaba Zajdó recommends implementing a strategy for lead captures. This involves personalizing your site’s pop-up ads to solve individual problems. Next, incentivize the click by offering a discount or reward to gain specific knowledge about the customer. With personalization as an alternative to generic pop-up ads, you can effectively upsell, convert, and engage with your users.

In this episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin interviews Csaba Zajdó, CMO and Founder of OptiMonk, about personalizing the customer experience to drive conversions and leads. Csaba explains the impact of website personalization strategies, his three-step process for personalizing the user experience, and advice for entrepreneurs launching startups.

Vance Lee is the Co-founder of Playground Theory, an agency that provides a product launch system for brands looking to scale. He is an ecommerce entrepreneur with 13 years of experience as a brand growth and marketing strategist. Since starting with Amazon FBA in 2015, Vance has mastered crowdfunding and the preorder launch strategy to launch products and grow brands. He has raised over $7M in successful launches and broken records with two of his launches — both classified #1 most-funded in their niches and ranking in the top 1% of crowdfunding projects.

When launching a campaign, many brands lack an effective strategy and fail to plan accordingly. So, what are some strategies you can leverage to launch your products and scale your brand?

Vance Lee recommends leveraging Kickstarter to generate a launch campaign. To maximize the platform’s effectiveness, it’s essential to develop a unique brand story that captivates your target audience. Next, utilize your campaign to build a community among your audience and involve them in the product launch. With Kickstarter, you don’t need to order inventory before developing a campaign. The platform’s crowdfunding model allows you to scale your brand instantly.

In today’s episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin talks with Vance Lee, Co-founder of Playground Theory, about launching a profitable brand. Vance shares how to launch a product and scale your brand on Kickstarter, common mistakes brands make when launching their products, and crowdfunding strategies for developing customer relationships.

Andy Hooper is the CEO of Global E-commerce Experts, which provides end-to-end solutions for ecommerce brands expanding to Europe. He has been growing organizations in business development, consultancy, sponsorship, and coaching since 2006 across a range of industries and global locations. With a key focus on data, coaching conversations, and strategy, Andy is a dynamic leader who encourages teams and individuals to reach their full potential.

Global market expansion is a profitable method for scaling your ecommerce brand, yet many entrepreneurs lack the strategies to launch their products into a new market. So, how can you extend your brand internationally?

Andy Hooper advises businesses to establish a framework for successful expansion. This includes researching your ideal market, demonstrating product and brand compliance, developing a launch strategy, navigating warehousing and logistics, promoting your products, and creating a website. It’s also necessary to translate your products and pricing to leverage your marketplace effectively. By implementing a multi-tiered strategy, you can generate traffic from a range of audiences.

Tune in to this episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast as Joshua Chin sits down with Andy Hooper, CEO of Global E-commerce Experts, to discuss preparing your brand for international expansion. Andy explains the mistakes brands make when expanding to a new market, the benefits of international expansion, and how to translate products during the expansion process.

Stormy Simon is the Co-founder and CEO of Mother Ruggers, a new line of washable, affordable, and quality rugs. She also serves as Executive Director of the Board for Mission Green, a nonprofit organization that works to free non-violent cannabis offenders from federal prison. Before starting Mother Ruggers, Stormy surpassed business school and college to destroy the glass ceiling in the corporate world. As a temp at Overstock.com, she charged through leadership roles until she became a Board Member and President. 

A sought-after speaker and panelist, Stormy delivered the keynote address at the Aspen YPO Conference in 2019 and debuted an inspirational TedTalk in 2018. She has been featured in outlets such as Inc., The Washington Post, Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle, MSN, Cheddar, Yahoo!, Entrepreneur, PopSugar, CNBC, and Fox Business. Known to march to the beat of her own drum, one of Stormy’s guiding mantras is “Sometimes you don’t know what the next step is but you still have to take it.”

Are you a burgeoning entrepreneur? Are you a female in tech searching for inspiration? If so, this episode is for you!

Top-notch female leader in business and tech, Stormy Simon, is here to share her experience as an unconventional leader. Through hard work, showing up every day, and raising her hand, Stormy was able to build a career in areas where all odds were stacked against her. Now, she continues to destroy glass ceilings and uplift other entrepreneurs.  

In this episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin speaks with the Co-founder and CEO of Mother Ruggers, Stormy Simon. They discuss Stormy’s career beginning as a temp at Overstock.com and rising through the ranks as a woman. She divulges her deep knowledge of the cannabis industry and her passion for advocacy. Stay tuned as Stormy gives her best advice to budding entrepreneurs in the ecommerce industry. Packed with insight, activism, and advice, you don’t want to miss it.

Kara Goldin is the Founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., best known for Hint water, the leading unsweetened flavored water. She has been named Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, Fortune’s Most Innovative Women in Food & Drink, and EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California, among many other accolades. 

Kara has experience running large companies and startups in many industries including media, tech, and consumer products. As an active speaker and writer, Kara hosts the podcast The Kara Goldin Show, where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and other business people across various industries. Her first book, Undaunted, was published in October 2020 and is now a Wall Street Journal and Amazon best-seller. 

Entrepreneurs are faced with many hardships and challenges, and success often appears unattainable. So, how can you overcome doubts about your progress and work toward your goals?

Accomplished entrepreneur Kara Goldin affirms that persistence and perseverance will help you overcome pitfalls and maintain a positive mindset. Instead of focusing solely on each long-term goal, entrepreneurs should shift their attention to the progress made and lessons learned along the way. And with a team of determined people, you can develop a method for accomplishing your goals.

In this episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin has a conversation with Kara Goldin, Founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., about acquiring the skills to excel in entrepreneurship. Kara shares what she learned about business from her first job at a toy store, her advice for entrepreneurial success, and how to find knowledgeable influences.

Andrew Sabbatino works with PowerHouse, a company that helps entrepreneurs, businesses, and brand owners build, scale, and exit their companies. At the age of 11, Andrew got his start selling physical products by consigning his craft arrows to touristy gift shops in his area. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, he has been instrumental in building brands and has a long history in the ecommerce space.

Creating marketing campaigns for growing DTC ecommerce brands, he is head of the email and SMS division at PowerHouse Mastermind. Andrew is also the COO of Safe Life Defense, where he helped build the company from out of a garage to doing 50 million dollars a year over just five years.

Scaling your ecommerce brand can be overwhelming at any stage of the process. It requires implementing strategies such as marketing campaigns, content creation, promotions, and ensuring customer lifetime value with every new product or service. With so many factors involved in business growth, how can you determine the best approach?

Consider joining an ecommerce mastermind. These peer facilitating groups offer advice and best practices for profitable growth. Learn from other ecommerce brand owners about how to enhance your strategies and even build productive partnerships to cross-promote content. And with an established mastermind like PowerHouse, you can acquire the knowledge to achieve optimal success.

In today’s episode of the eCommerce Profits Podcast, Joshua Chin sits down with Andrew Sabbatino to discuss the best methods for scaling an ecommerce business. Andrew talks about creating profitable ads and marketing campaigns to drive revenue, ensuring lifetime value when launching new products, and how ecommerce brands can join PowerHouse Mastermind.