Ecommerce Wizards Podcast

Matt Putra is an experienced financial executive with a long career spent with small businesses and conducting long-term forecasting for ecommerce brands. He is a Fractional CFO for EightX, a company specializing in predicting the pattern, future, and profit for businesses in any industry. 

Matt has worked with many businesses, including Tru Earth, The Tumeric Co., Lusomé, Community Forward Fund, and New Market Funds. Additionally, he works closely with entrepreneurs to help them establish new businesses.

The Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) is a metric that many businesses don’t consider enough. How many days does your ecommerce business take to convert sales into cash? 

Cash is everything for ecommerce businesses. Sales are essential, but cash management is even more important for long-term health. Many young companies neglect this aspect and suffer in the long run, leaving potential growth on the table or burning out. A handful of incredible tips can help online brands shorten their CCC. Guillaume Le Tual again joins Matt Putra, a Fractional CFO at EightX, to discuss CCC in-depth and what ecommerce businesses should improve about their process. They dive into the four steps Matt suggests for brands, why the subject matters so much, and how even small changes can make massive differences. They also go through inventory pricing and adding more value on the back end.

Matt Putra is an experienced financial executive with a long career spent with small businesses and conducting long-term forecasting for ecommerce brands. He is a Fractional CFO for EightX, a company specializing in predicting the pattern, future, and profit for businesses in any industry. 

Matt has worked with many businesses, including Tru Earth, The Tumeric Co., Lusomé, Community Forward Fund, and New Market Funds. Additionally, he works closely with entrepreneurs to help them establish new businesses.

Are you an ecommerce entrepreneur struggling to get a handle on your finances?

When starting a business, getting a foothold on your finances is one of the most complex and vital aspects of your endeavor. You may face a myriad of financial hiccups, strains, and issues. You can get advice on improving logistics, but that doesn’t address your financial structure or the effects of inventory levels on cash flow. Should you take out a loan or secure a line of credit? Entrepreneurs need sound financial advice and long-term solutions so they can concentrate on growing a thriving business.

In this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual speaks with Matt Putra, a Fractional CFO at EightX, about properly structuring your finances as an ecommerce company. They discuss the best loans, properly using a line of credit, how to handle inventory spikes, and keeping money for continual growth. Matt also talks about how to handle yourself when approaching lenders. 

Paul Rafelson is a Partner at Rafelson Law Firm, which focuses exclusively on ecommerce business concerns. With over 15 years of experience, he has in-depth knowledge of tax, litigation, and M&A legal matters and is regularly cited by the press when it comes to Amazon and ecommerce. The House Antitrust Committee used him as a primary resource in its report on Amazon’s business practices.

Before his private practice, Paul worked as an in-house attorney at Microsoft, Walmart, and General Electric. He is also a professor at Pace University School of Law in New York, where he teaches constitutional law on state taxation.

Most of the advice available for ecommerce businesses centers around building and growing the company. However, questions for entrepreneurs interested in selling and exiting remain, including what’s a fair price and what issues deserve special attention.

As an experienced ecommerce attorney, Paul Rafelson has extensive knowledge in the complex world of mergers and acquisitions. With many moving parts, the process of selling your business and having a successful exit needs special attention. Paul knows that having someone to help you navigate these matters is essential, especially for Amazon sellers. Having legal counsel at your side will help prevent a deal from going sideways and ensure you get the best return possible.

In this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual sits down with Paul Rafelson, Partner at Rafelson Law, to talk about selling an ecommerce or Amazon seller business. They go through the entire process, including appropriate expectations, how much you should receive upfront, considering economies of scale, and the legalities involved in selling your business.

Brent O’Brien is the Senior Ecommerce Manager at Pactimo, a cycling clothing and custom team apparel store. As a dynamic and motivated ecommerce manager, he brings 10-plus years of experience to the table. He has developed marketing and sales strategies at companies such as Yeti and Truewerk. Before his ecommerce career, Brent worked in the football programs at several universities.

Every ecommerce store is looking for simple ways to drive traffic and increase sales. Unfortunately, it can be complex to decipher what may be the best plan of attack and often requires someone with experience to map it out. To learn the most effective strategies, you should learn from those with a proven track record.

With a wealth of experience as an ecommerce manager and marketing leader, Brent O’Brien knows the tricks of the trade. At Pactimo, he has propelled the company toward furthering its success by growing its ecommerce DTC clothing line. When you know how to use the strategic intricacies of directing, attracting, and retaining customers using exemplary methods, you will boost your bottom line. So what are Brent’s secrets? 

In this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual talks with Brent O’Brien, Senior Ecommerce Manager at Pactimo, to discuss his approach to acquiring customers and improving sales. They touch on the company’s best strategies, average order value, maximizing the checkout process, and how to use free trials of apps to your advantage. 

Tom Kulzer is the CEO and Founder of AWeber, a company he started in 1998 to guide small businesses in fostering more engaging customer relationships and designing effective email marketing. Tom grew the company from zero to 300,000 clients through his unique take on market strategy and team building. Due to his dedication to building a thriving and unique workplace culture, AWeber has been voted one of Pennsylvania's Best Places to Work 10 years in a row.

Bootstrapping can be a formidable method of financing a startup. There are many unknowns and hurdles to overcome, especially when it’s your first venture. For SaaS companies, getting your name out there and establishing a demand for your offering is also necessary. Tom Kulzer started AWeber 25 years ago and turned a startup into a reliable software company. His email marketing strategies are already respected, but now he explains how he grew his business from the ground up. In this episode of Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual invites Tom Kulzer, the Founder and CEO of AWeber, back onto the show to talk about how he nurtured his startup. They touch on the early days, how Tom cultivated his initial audience, and how he established customers. The two also discuss the potential pitfalls of a budding business and finding people to grow with the company.

Antony “Tony” Kattukaran is an entrepreneur, ecommerce veteran, and skilled technology partner. He is the Founder and CEO of Tagalys, a company that reimagines visual product merchandising for other businesses. He has founded three companies and has served trusted companies such as Deloitte and Johnson Controls AG. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Tony invests time listening to his customers to understand their needs.

Merchandising and ecommerce go hand in hand, yet many stores neglect to give it the attention it deserves. The details of optimal merchandising can be highly variable and difficult to nail down. When handled properly, the improvement to a company’s presence and sales can be immense. 

Antony “Tony” Kattukaran is an entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in merchandising and ecommerce. His company, Tagalys, focuses on the visual and sales components of merchandising, working with brands such as Speck and Fila. His insights can make a massive difference in your online business. In this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual talks with Tony Kattukaran, the Founder and CEO of Tagalys, about how to improve your merchandising, touching on the importance of the process and what should be prioritized for ecommerce storefronts. They also give practical advice on when to recommend products, show out-of-stock merchandise, and use AI technology.

Tyler Sperry is an experienced e-commerce specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the retail and publishing industries. As the Director of E-commerce and Affiliates at America’s Test Kitchen, he oversees the presentation of products across e-commerce, physical retail, and third-party distribution.

Tyler is skilled in procurement, merchandising, social media, online marketing, and project management. He previously worked as a Buyer for BJ’s Wholesale Club and as a Sales and Events Manager at KarmaLoop.

Are you an e-commerce company considering a change to your commerce platform? It’s essential to weigh your options and pick one that fits your needs.

Selecting the right e-commerce platform can be tricky. Not only is it difficult to know which is best, but it is hard to know if it will stay that way. Companies change over time, and some platforms lack the flexibility to adapt alongside your business. Adobe Commerce is a popular option, but it may not be perfect for every shop. So what are some of the key advantages and limitations of the platform?

On this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual talks with Tyler Sperry, the Director of E-commerce and Affiliates for America’s Test Kitchen, to discuss his experience with Adobe Commerce. Tyler touches on the company’s first platform, why they changed to Adobe, and some of their experiences with it. They also offer advice to those considering making a transition. 

Reinis Krumins is the Co-founder of AgencyJR, helping e-commerce businesses scale quickly through their unique product launch formula. They specialize in email marketing for seven and eight-figure brands. AgencyJR is the second marketing service he founded; his first was Sprelf Media in 2018. Reinis is also the Product Director for Frozen Ventures, LLC and has a background in social media graphic design.

In a previous episode, Guillaume and Reinis spoke about the viability of email marketing and how it can increase revenue. Yet there are many mistakes that companies make when starting out. There are a lot of minute details that can hold back the potential of the model. It is important to not only be aware of them but know how to solve any missteps.

In this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Reinis Krumins returns to talk about the five biggest email marketing mistakes companies make. He and Guillaume discuss the importance of email structuring, segmentation, using TikTok, and getting more out of repeat customers. They also touch on brand consistency and how it applies to emails.

Reinis Krumins is the Co-founder of AgencyJR, helping e-commerce businesses scale quickly through their unique product launch formula. They specialize in email marketing for seven and eight-figure brands. AgencyJR is the second marketing service he founded; his first was Sprelf Media in 2018. Reinis is also the Product Director for Frozen Ventures, LLC and has a background in social media graphic design.

Email marketing can be an afterthought for many online businesses. Most people are familiar with the constant barrage of meaningless emails that wind up costing more than they generate revenue. However, there is a better way to use emails that can lead to significant increases in sales. Reinis Krumins co-founded AgencyJR in 2019 to help other businesses use emails that actually convert. Its process has been refined over the years, with clients seeing an average boost of $127,000 in monthly email sales. So what do you need to know about the system for your own business?

Guillaume Le Tual interviews Reinis Krumins, the Co-founder of AgencyJR, to discuss a better way of using email marketing. They talk about how to bring in and keep customers, Black Friday emails, and product launches. The two also talk over the experience you can only get when working with established brands. Hear the rest on this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast.

As President of Insogna CPA, Chase Insogna is passionate about helping small businesses and their owners with accounting, tax strategy, and wealth building. Since its inception in 2011, Chase has grown the business to include a team of highly-trained professionals that use tech-savvy solutions to create efficiencies and provide expertly designed and transparent advisory, coaching, planning, and strategy.

Are you a small business owner who’s focused on growing your business? That’s one crucial aspect of running a business, but how much planning have you put into your long-term goals?

For many business owners, much of their focus is absorbed in growing the business. Although that’s essential for success, it doesn’t take wealth-building into account. You don’t want to spend your whole life growing and reinvesting profits back into the business and have little to show for it at retirement. That’s where a trusted advisor comes in to help prepare you with long-term planning, including where to invest, how to build wealth, and how to get the most out of tax-saving strategies. In this episode of the Ecommerce Wizards Podcast, Guillaume Le Tual has an informative conversation with Chase Insogna, the President of Insogna CPA, about wealth management and tax-saving strategies. They talk about various topics such as C Corps versus S Corps, forecasting and planning cash flow, and forming a financial safety net. The two also talk about personal finance tips for business owners at each stage of growth.