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Leaving corporate America after 16 years taught me a big lesson: having an existing network and diverse income streams is essential. With so many professionals navigating career changes, layoffs, or launching their own consulting gigs, finding proven ways to grow without blowing a massive ad budget is critical.

To help break this down, I sat down with Stephen Somers, founder of Marketplace Superheroes. Stephen has spent 16 years in e-commerce, building companies that have generated over $50 million in sales and helping more than 10,000 students get started. In this conversation, we talk about the massive shift happening in online selling, how to tap into audiences that already exist, and why real business success comes down to simple consistency.

The Explosion of Live Stream Commerce on Whatnot

While Amazon and eBay remain foundational platforms, live stream commerce is rapidly changing how consumers interact with sellers. Stephen shared how his business jumped onto Whatnot, a platform that hit $11 billion in gross merchandise volume in 2025. By hosting live streams and auctioning items directly to viewers, his team produced over $247,000 in sales within their first 100 days.

The key to Whatnot is not being a slick salesperson. It comes down to presenting products people already want, bringing high energy, and creating an engaging, fun atmosphere. While static marketplaces like eBay still serve a purpose for vintage or searchable inventory, live streaming allows sellers to build immediate relationships and community with buyers.

Tapping into Other People’s Audiences (OPAs)

When you are starting out or launching a new service, you rarely have a massive email list or audience. Stephen explained how he generated his first sales by hanging out in communities where his ideal clients already gathered. By sharing his actual journey, offering free value, and building relationships, clients started approaching him directly.

This model applies to both product sellers and service providers. Instead of relying entirely on paid ads, which carry high acquisition costs, identify the events, groups, and platforms where your audience spends time. When you build real goodwill and solve problems without immediate expectations, you position yourself as the authority.

The True ROI of Networks and Strategic Partnerships

A personal brand and a trusted network will always outperform short-term tactics. Stephen noted that out of his career revenue, tens of millions of dollars originated directly from attending events and building a strong network. When I transitioned out of full-time employment, almost every consulting client I picked up came directly from referrals and connections I spent years building on LinkedIn.

Stephen also broke down the economics of strategic partnerships and the Dream 100 framework. Paying to acquire individual customers through ads is expensive and slow. In contrast, building a relationship with one key partner can place your offer in front of an entire established audience, creating a win-win scenario that yields long-term dividends.

Embracing Routine, Focus, and the Daily Grind

Real success in business is often surprisingly repetitive. It requires doing the foundational tasks day in and day out, even when the excitement fades. Stephen discussed how embracing business meditations, such as booking a hotel room with just a notebook and pen to think strategically, helps you step back from the day-to-day rush.

We also touched on navigating neurodiversity, including harnessing ADHD as a superpower to channel creativity, find leverage, and structure daily work for sustained progress. Consistency wins the race every single time.

Key Takeaways:

Conclusion

Building a sustainable business takes grit, patience, and a willingness to stay the course when things get tough. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review on your favorite podcast app, and share this conversation with a friend who is looking to start or scale their business!

If you’re looking for a cost-effective transactional and broadcast email platform, check out Anypost.

For ongoing business growth discussions, join our community at SMB Marketing and Business Tips on Skool.

Connect with Stephen:

Website: marketplacesuperheroes.com/start
Free Go Live Get Paid Training: which teaches people how to build a side income through live-stream selling on Whatnot: https://vimeo.com/1182911149?fl=ls&fe=ec
Free Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JdaKCq3m1Jx9JNalhUZUys1_pnxF9AAb/view?usp=drive_link

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Former “Kickboxer” Jack Wrigley joined me on this episode to talk about staying focused and developing real relationships. I’ve always admired Jack’s blend of sharp business insight and genuine relationship-building skills. He’s currently the President of Omnivery, a secure, high-deliverability transactional email platform, and in this episode, we tackled something a lot of people are thinking about right now: how to stay focused and thrive in a noisy, uncertain business climate.

We started by talking about how businesses can get pulled in a million directions with AI, remote work, shifting budgets, and all the other distractions out there. Jack emphasized the need to double down on your core values and mission, not just writing them out, but making sure they’re baked into how everyone shows up to work every day. I added a few tips on how to keep those values top-of-mind, like automating monthly Slack reminders, adding them to your workspace, or even incorporating them into your custom GPTs if you’re using AI tools.

One thing I loved about our conversation is that we both believe good leadership doesn’t just flow top-down. Jack pointed out how powerful it is when people are empowered to articulate how their work contributes to the company’s mission. I completely agree, leadership happens at every level. Whether you’re a founder or an entry-level team member, your ideas matter.

We also got into the nitty-gritty of email marketing and cold outreach. Jack didn’t hold back, he’s not a fan of cold email, and I get it. Deliverability is harder than ever, inboxes are tighter, and honestly, most cold emails just don’t land. Instead, he encourages brands to build trust through content, storytelling, and relationships. I shared some of my thoughts too, if you’re going to do cold email, make it thoughtful, personal, and extremely targeted. But more importantly, find ways to make people come to you.

And we couldn’t have an episode without touching on networking, one of Jack’s superpowers. He broke down his no-pressure approach to connecting with people: walk into a room, be curious, and lead with genuine interest rather than an agenda. It’s a refreshing reminder that real relationships still matter more than flashy pitches.

 Stick to your mission and values
Don’t just write them—live them. Print them out, set up reminders, and make sure they guide every decision.

 Leadership isn’t just top-down
Empower your team to connect their work to the bigger mission. That kind of buy-in is how great cultures are built.

 Cold email is getting harder to do well
Focus more on building relationships through valuable content and let potential customers come to you.

 Storytelling still works (and always will)
People connect with stories, not features. Make storytelling a consistent part of your brand voice.

 Great networking isn’t about angles
Approach every interaction without expecting something in return. Ask questions. Be interested, not just interesting.

 Email with purpose
Whether it’s for marketing or transactional, make sure your email strategy is secure, relevant, and aligned with your brand.

Connect with Jack on Linkedin.

Make sure to check out Omnivery for your transactional email needs!

Get 5,000 free Kickbox credits with the code HMBT

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In this episode, I speak with Adam Tsang, a serial entrepreneur with various business ventures including restaurants, a media production company, a PR firm, and an e-commerce product. Adam discusses his journey from owning a single restaurant to managing multiple businesses, emphasizing the importance of people and processes. He shares insights on identifying entrepreneurial talent, the necessity of having a clear problem-solving approach, and the benefits of e-commerce.

Website: https://adamtsang.com

X: https://twitter.com/adamtsang

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAheIUJLk47iW_lueDVNN7A

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uknowadamtsang/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Z4FPVzEh3M9dBQ5YWMhAH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uknowadamtsang/

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Scott Cox of STX Consulting joins the show to talk about about strategies for being productive and successful in the current economic climate of 2024.

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Scott discusses his experience living as a digital nomad in Southeast Asia and the benefits of a lower cost of living. He shares how he structures his time, relies on remote workers, and designs his business to align with his desired lifestyle.

Website: https://www.stxconsulting.co/

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In this episode I speak with Mike Maynard on how to outsmart the big guys with ABM.

Mike is the CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency that helps tech companies sell more to other businesses.

ABM (Account-Based Marketing) is about identifying the most likely customers for your product and focusing marketing activities and budget on them. It involves understanding the target market and creating personalized content for specific companies.

Highlights:

It is important to understand the market and identify the companies most likely to buy from you.

AI tools, like chatbots, can be used to enrich data and help identify the target market.

ABM involves understanding the buying process and the decision-making unit within the target companies.

Building personas and understanding the pain points and motivations of potential customers can help create effective ABM campaigns.

Personalized content and targeting specific companies can lead to better results in ABM.

In larger organizations, it is important to identify the influencers and decision-makers to get them on board with your solution.

Napier Website

Mike on LinkedIn

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