The Buy Box Experts Podcast

Vivek Rastogi is the Director of Ecommerce at Colgate-Palmolive, the firm that sells household brands like Colgate, Speed Stick, Irish Spring, Softsoap, Tom's of Maine, and others. Vivek held numerous leadership roles over the past 15 years, spanning across different geographies and countries,.including being responsible for the Amazon Channel for more than three years. He holds an MBA from S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research and a degree from St. Stephen's College.

Over the last several years, he has climbed up the ladder at Colgate-Palmolive. In 2014, he became the National Key Account Manager in India, and within a year became their Customer Development Manager in the UK. In 2016, he held the Head of the Customer Marketing/Retail Marketing position in India. A year and a half later, he earned the Associate Director for the Amazon at Colgate-Palmolive in the US position before taking on his current role.

Amazon provides an open marketplace where anyone can create a listing and start selling their products without a lot of hassle. This is because Amazon has removed many barriers to entry commonly faced when starting a brick-and-mortar store, which has led to the entry of many private label brands and poses a threat to big national brands.

So what can these large brands do to protect themselves and stay competitive in this marketplace? Vivek Rastogi advises them to embrace this reality and not challenge it. In addition to promoting their brand's equity, such brands should adapt and improve their marketing strategies, supply chain management, and communication strategies to cater to changing market needs. They should go back to focusing on their brand's equity which can play a significant role in making the brand competitive.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts Podcast, Vivek Rastogi, the Director of Ecommerce at Colgate-Palmolive, joins James Thomson to talk about the strategies Colgate-Palmolive uses to stay competitive on and off Amazon. Vivek talks about the tools Amazon provides brands to help them monitor and protect their listings, the importance of brand equity, and the challenges brought about by Amazon's supply chain system. Stay tuned to hear all about it.

Claus Rosenberg is the Founder and CEO of multiple firms that simplify the journey for entrepreneurs building their businesses. He has built 12 companies, had over 1,000 employees, and raised over € 20 million (over $23 million) in funding. He has also worked as an advisor to several companies and was Madrid’s Chapter Director for Startup Grind.

Being an entrepreneur or business owner does not mean that you have to know everything. There are many aspects involved in successfully running a business while paying attention to your health and family at the same time. Asking for help or guidance should never be seen as a sign of weakness but of strength and courage.

As an executive coach, Claus Rosenberg recommends finding someone who has been in your shoes to work with and guide you on your journey. His advice is to find an executive coach who connects with you. Through his coaching, Claus helps entrepreneurs realize there is strength in vulnerability and being authentic and open in their communication with employees. 

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts Podcast, James Thomson is joined by Claus Rosenberg, an Executive Coach and entrepreneur, to talk about Claus' role in coaching and guiding entrepreneurs. They discuss the various challenges entrepreneurs face, the benefits of working with a coach, tips for finding the right executive coach, and hiring and managing employees. Stay tuned.

Scott Letourneau is the CEO of Nevada Corporate Planners, a company that helps e-commerce sellers launch their US businesses and address issues with entity formations, sales tax compliance, banking, and more. Scott is also the CEO of Sales Tax System, a firm that works with startup e-commerce sellers and retailers worldwide to help them effectively register for sales tax in the US.

Matt Lovell is a Founding Partner of Well Insurance, a full-service e-commerce insurance agency. Well Insurance specializes in helping Amazon sellers stay compliant. Matt is also a Partner at Vaughn, Geiger & Associates, a firm that delivers quality insurance solutions to individuals in Kentucky. He has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University.

Running any type of business involves some level of risk. This risk could be related to customers, suppliers, products, or the e-commerce marketplace. Additionally, different online sellers face different types of risks based on the products they sell.

So, what do Amazon sellers, both domestic and foreign, need to know about product liability requirements, purchasing insurance, and becoming Amazon compliant? According to Matt Lovell and Scott Letourneau, there are many factors that impact an e-commerce seller’s business risks — and they’re here to share their top tips for protecting your Amazon business today.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by Scott Letourneau from Sales Tax System and Matt Lovell from Well Insurance to discuss the recent product liability requirements being enforced by Amazon. Together, they talk about the factors that affect the cost of product liability insurance coverage, what third-party sellers need to know about staying compliant on Amazon, and their advice for reducing your e-commerce business risks. Stay tuned.

Liz Adamson is the VP of Advertising at Buy Box Experts. She has been working in e-commerce for over a decade, including founding her firm, Egility, which merged a couple of years ago with Buy Box Experts. Liz specializes in helping brands develop marketing and advertising strategies for e-commerce growth. Over the years, she has worked with brands that leverage the Amazon channel by guiding their executives through all aspects of marketing beyond just PPC.

There are many paid and unpaid techniques that brands can use to market themselves on the Amazon channel. Most brands use paid advertising techniques which often require significant monetary investments. These brands don’t know that they can leverage unpaid advertising techniques to increase awareness for their product listings, drive traffic, and convert leads into returning customers.

To do this, brands have to be very creative. They have to identify and understand their customers, target them in their marketing, and show them how they stand to benefit from purchasing the brand's products. Liz Adamson, an advertising expert, advises brands to make good use of social media, live video marketing, work with influencers, and optimize their product listings and storefronts. It is also essential to leverage their product packaging to create great customer experiences and increase engagement.

Liz Adamson, the VP of Advertising at Buy Box Experts, is James Thomson's guest in this episode of the Buy Box Experts Podcast, where they talk about building an Amazon brand through marketing beyond PPC. Liz shares her strategies for optimizing and creating high-quality Amazon product listings, building great storefronts, and discusses the different marketing methods Amazon provides brands to help them with advertising. Stay tuned.

Kelly Stojka is an Account Executive with TaxJar, a sales tax software company that helps businesses of all sizes automate and manage their sales tax lifecycle across multiple channels. TaxJar’s cloud-based platform simplifies sales tax compliance to remove barriers for growth for businesses. Prior to TaxJar, Kelly held Account Executive roles at a number of software and service firms, including Flock and Lokion. She holds a bachelor's degree in cognitive science from the University of California, Berkeley.

The 2018 Wayfair Supreme Court ruling had a huge impact on the way sales tax was collected and filed in the US. This affected not only sellers with physical stores, but also e-commerce sellers who sell their products across state lines. So, what do these sellers need to know about sales tax compliance?

Unknown to many businesses, several states use information taken from Amazon to go after non-compliant e-commerce sellers. According to Kelly Stojka, this is why it’s crucial for sellers to keep good records of their returns. As a sales tax compliance expert, Kelly is here to share her advice to Amazon sellers looking to avoid the costs of non-compliance and better manage their sales tax lifecycle.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by Kelly Stojka, an Account Executive with TaxJar, to discuss how the 2018 Wayfair ruling impacted sales tax compliance for e-commerce sellers. Kelly explains what Amazon sellers need to do to remain compliant, how to navigate compliance across different states, and the valuable services TaxJar provides for e-commerce entrepreneurs.

Yadin Shemmer is the Founder and CEO of Intrinsic, a company that acquires and accelerates digital-first health and wellness brands. Before that, Yadin served as the CEO and President of three pharmaceutical and health-related businesses, all of which had successful exits. Yadin holds an MBA from the London Business School and a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Starting and successfully scaling an e-commerce brand in the health and wellness sector can be challenging. There are many regulatory and packaging requirements that brands have to meet before they can start selling to consumers, and this often creates barriers to entry on Amazon.

As an investor in private label health and wellness brands, Yadin Shemmer has some tried-and-true methods for finding, evaluating, and selecting brands with growth potential. And, once he’s acquired a brand, Yadin and his team work to improve the brand's content, pricing, and advertising strategies, all with the goal of expanding and scaling the business. So, what is Yadin’s advice to brand owners and investors hoping to succeed in the health and wellness space on Amazon?

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson interviews Yadin Shemmer, the Founder and CEO of Intrinsic, about how Yadin's company evaluates and invests in health and wellness e-commerce brands. They discuss the common concerns brand owners have when selling on Amazon and share some practical strategies these sellers can use to make their businesses more attractive to investors. Stay tuned.

Jack Bijou is the Head of Growth at Riverbend Consulting, a consulting company that helps Amazon sellers with account reinstatements and protection, FBA reimbursements, and editorial reviews.

Prior to joining Riverbend Consulting, Jack was the Head of Sales at PRIMEXCHANGE and the Head of Growth at Project Retail. He studied Business Management and Marketing at the City University of New York’s Brooklyn College.

As an Amazon seller, do you know how Amazon's editorial review program works? Is your e-commerce brand eligible to join the program, and if so, what are the benefits of having your products reviewed on the platform?

In his role at Riverbend Consulting, Jack Bijou has been working with e-commerce brands to help them drive traffic and increase conversions on Amazon through editorial review articles. He has seen the impact these articles have on generating sales and revenue for brands. Now he’s here to share how you can start taking advantage of this great marketing initiative today.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson interviews Jack Bijou, the Head of Growth at Riverbend Consulting, about Amazon's editorial review program. They discuss how the program works, talk about its requirements for brands, and explain how it benefits Amazon sellers. Stay tuned.

Sanjay Chandiram is the Co-founder and CEO of Kaliber Global, a premier brand collective and top 100 private label toy seller on Amazon. He also founded ProMark, a leading Amazon brand management agency, in 2018. Previously, Sanjay worked at companies including PwC, Kaiser Permanente, and Infosys BPM, where he gained diverse management consulting, process optimization, and project management experience. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

Chuck Gregorich is the Co-founder of Net Health Shops LLC and Net Pet Shops LLC, multi-channel home decor and pet product e-commerce companies that import from several countries and sell on over 20 marketplaces in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Before this, Chuck was the CEO of Lorman Education Services, a national leader of continuing education seminars in North America. He holds a degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Rick Fung is the CEO of MotoShield Pro, a company that offers revolutionary nano coating protection for your entire car, inside and out. For over six years, MotoShield Pro has been achieving its mission of bringing customers the most advanced formulations in ceramic coatings. As CEO, Rick is skilled in project management, strategic planning, sales, and more.

Amazon FBA sellers that regularly source their inventory from overseas know the adverse effects that shipping delays and increased shipping costs can have on a business. They can lead to high unit costs, which may mean higher selling prices and, therefore, reduced sales.

These are the challenges most US-based e-commerce sellers have been facing since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. For over a year, there have been shortages and delays in getting containers — and even when available, the shipping charges have more than tripled.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson is joined by e-commerce sellers Sanjay Chandiram, Chuck Gregorich, and Rick Fung to discuss how shipping delays and increased shipping costs have impacted Amazon brands. The sellers talk about the changes they’ve made to reduce overall business costs, the lessons they’ve learned over the last year, and their thoughts on the future of the e-commerce market.

Yoni Kozminski is the Founder and CEO of Escala, a low-cost, boutique process improvement and digital transformation consultancy for Amazon and e-commerce businesses. Escala reinforces sellers' abilities to scale their businesses to multimillion-dollar status and beyond.

As a serial entrepreneur, Yoni is also the Founder and CEO of MultiplyMii, an offshore staffing solution for global Amazon and e-commerce businesses. He also hosts the Successful Scales podcast, where he speaks to business owners and early startup employees about their roads to success.

Documenting standard operating procedures (SOPs) is one of the best things an e-commerce brand can do to grow efficiently and scale. However, most Amazon-centric brand owners don't document their SOPs as they build their businesses. This ends up posing a great challenge later on when they hope to transfer knowledge to new hires or exit their brands.

With the increased demand for investments in FBA brands, it is becoming more and more important for brand owners to think about growing a business that is both scalable and sellable. That’s where Yoni Kozminski comes in. Yoni and his team at Escala help business owners analyze, build, and document their SOPs to effectively prepare for a future exit.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, James Thomson interviews Yoni Kozminski, the Founder and CEO of Escala, about his best practices for documenting SOPs for e-commerce brands. Yoni explains how he helps business owners increase revenue, scale effectively, and prepare for a successful exit. He also shares the common mistakes businesses make when documenting SOPs. Stay tuned.

Carlos Alvarez is the Founder and CMO of Wizards of Ecom, an in-person and online e-commerce school that is taught by sellers for sellers. As an Amazon white hat marketer and consultant, Carlos also leads Wizards of Amazon, the world’s largest Meetup group for Amazon sellers. His goal is to help brands take advantage of selling on Amazon and encourage entrepreneurs to gain financial independence through e-commerce and digital marketing.

Carlos has over 20 years of e-commerce experience and has built his own Amazon brands into multimillion-dollar businesses. He is also the Founder and CEO of Blue Bird Marketing Solutions, a company that helps brand owners grow their brands both on and off of Amazon.

Are you considering selling your private label brand on Amazon? Have you been wondering if now is the right time? If not now, when?

According to Amazon marketer and consultant Carlos Alvarez, it’s important to make your brand as attractive as possible when preparing for an exit. As he says, you have to leverage all the digital marketing tools and strategies available, including ranking for keywords and building an online community. Today, he’s here to discuss his decades of e-commerce expertise and share his sage advice for current Amazon sellers.

In this episode of the Buy Box Experts podcast, Carlos Alvarez, the Founder and CMO of Wizards of Ecom, joins James Thomson to share his tips for boosting your sales and successfully exiting your Amazon brand. Carlos talks about the important considerations that go into making your brand as attractive as possible, the biggest concerns he hears about from private label sellers, and his tips for determining when to sell your business. Stay tuned.