The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

The desire to be successful is a commonality that all ecommerce entrepreneurs share. However, people's definition of success varies.

Personally, I don't define success as amassing more money. But money is a way to keep score. I'm a competitive person with an 'all in' approach to business. It's this potent combination that has led me to suffer recurring episodes of burnout.

Steve Chou of My Wife Quit Her Job is a good friend of mine and while discussing the effects of burnout, he introduced me to the 4 Burners Theory.

The 4 burners represent the four life quadrants - work, health, family, and friends. If you want to run a successful business you have to turn off one of these four burners. In order to run a REALLY successful business, you have to turn two off.

In this episode, I relate this theory with my own personal experience and which "burners" I had unknowingly turned off to be able to grow my business to the scale it is today.

Today's episode is brought to you by Brex. Brex is a corporate credit card built specifically with the needs of ecommerce business in mind. Net 60 float, with no personal guarantee. Your card limit's based on your monthly sales, not your credit score. Sign up today and use the code ecomcrew to get 50,000 signup bonus points. Available to listeners in the USA only.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes. And use the comment section on the bottom of the page to ask us a question.

Till next time, happy selling!

Mike gives us an update on his progress for his goals of 2019 and how they're coming along as the year slowly comes to an end.

November's a busy month for many ecommerce sellers, myself included. But between selling ColorIt and putting our remaining brands into their own LLCs, everything somehow feels more serene...more organized.

Putting in the work all those months ago has certainly paid off as I now find myself in a great position business-wise and in my personal life. There were definitely a handful of struggles along the way but it has so far been worth it.

If there's anything you can take away from this episode, its to strive for balance. The pull of entrepreneurship might be strong but you also need to practice self-care and be with people you value the most.

And so here's an update on my 19 goals for 2019; where I've traveled to, where I'm speaking next and the other things going on in my life.

1. Sell a brand. (3:39)
2. Position another brand for sale in late 2020. (5:30)
3. Getting back to location independence. (6:24)
4. Reducing debt to zero dollars. (8:44)
5. Hike the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. (10:29)
6. Take at least 10 weeks of personal travel. (11:24)
7. Record 6 or more episodes of the Roadshow. (11:47)
8. Invest in at least 1 ecommerce business. (12:53)
9. Lose 10 more pounds. (14:22)
10. Visit the Philippines office in 2019. (15:45)
11. Start selling our services for EcomCrew. (16:41)
12. Significantly improve the quality of the podcast. (18:33)
13. Film season 2 of the 5 Minute Pitch. (19:52)
14. Break each of our brands out into different companies. (21:19)
15. Start hosting personal events for EcomCrew. (22:00)
16. Speak at 6 industry events. (22:58)
17. Shift to doing things that only bring me immense personal fulfillment. (23:58)
18. Do intermittent fasting for all of 2019 and eat less meat. (26:33)
19. Not to drink the rest of 2019. (29:36)

Learn about our tried-and-tested strategy for launching new products on Amazon. Order your copy now!

Want to be part of the second season of 5 Minute Pitch? Send us an application!

Previous goals episodes:

• E227: 19 Goals for 2019
• E243: 2019 Goals – Q1 Recap
• E279: 2019 Goals – Month 8 Update

EcomCrew Roadshow episodes:

• E282: The EcomCrew Roadshow – Focusing on Your Why
• E288: Getting a High-Touch Business Back on the Growth Train

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the podcast. As always, feel free to leave a comment below. If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

When you've achieved success as an online entrepreneur, it can be tempting to sit back and take your foot off the pedal.

In an industry as dynamic as ecommerce, that isn't really an option. You need to constantly think of ways for your brand to grow and evolve.

But what to do when you slip up and lose that top 1 first-page ranking on Google?

My friend JP is facing the conundrum of getting a high-touch business out of coasting mode and back into full-on growth mode. He owns and runs Pro Teeth Guard, a 7-figure business that creates custom-fitted professional-quality dental mouth guards for people who have bruxism (teeth grinding).

Before going into actual problem-solving mode, here's how JP started with the business (3:58) and how those mouth guards are actually made (5:28).

He also shed light on what led to the business's downward curve (9:09) and what his goal is for the business moving forward (11:51).

In this episode, we identify key areas he can explore and work on to achieve the goals he has for Pro Teeth Guard.

• Diversifying into Amazon (13:41)
• Working on that SEO (17:58)
• Getting a brand expert onboard (24:12)
• Leveraging longevity through email (26:13)
• Increasing average order value (34:02)
• Retargeting Facebook ads (37:23)

Other Resources Mentioned:

E159: 3 Key Email Marketing Sequences for Your Ecommerce Business

Order a copy of our Amazon book today!

Thanks for listening to this episode of the EcomCrew Podcast. I hope you've gleaned insights that you could implement on your own business.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes. And use the comment section on the bottom of the page to ask us a question.

Till next time, happy selling!

I've been a closet domain collector for over a decade and some of my "purchases" have turned into ecommerce properties - treadmill.com.,colorit.com, survivalfood.com, and tactical.com. In this episode, my co-captain Dave Bryant joins me in this discussion that centers around domain flipping.

Today we're going over strategies, thought processes, as well as the dos and don'ts of shopping for domains.

In this episode, we specifically cover the following:

• Mike and his impressive portfolio of domain names
• Why investing in domain names can help you become successful in ecommerce
• Appraising the value of a domain name
• Finding domain names
• A word of caution of using GoDaddy
• The negotiation process
• Domain value predictions

We hope this episode has inspired you to try your hand at purchasing domain names. If you have any questions, leave us a comment and we'll get right back to you.

Want a physical copy of our tried-and-tested Amazon launch strategy complete with examples and screenshots? Get your free book here.

Get advice from Mike and have your business featured on the podcast. Sign up for the EcomCrew Roadshow today!

Finally, if you enjoyed listening and think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Happy selling!

In the ecommerce realm, opinions on starting a dropshipping business really differ. Some people say it's dead, others insist that its the only way to go.

Well, dropshipping is still very much around. But as Amazon moved into a position of dominance, its appeal has waned. The fact that some so-called "gurus" who sell dropshipping as an "easy" way to earn millions hasn't helped either.

However, there are those who own sustainable dropshipping businesses.

Dave Couillard, our resident design expert, is one of them.

I've asked Dave to join me in this podcast episode to talk in detail about his website, HardCases.ca. This will also serve as his formal introduction as a business partner on EcomCrew.

Here are some highlights from our discussion:

• Dave's ecommerce journey: from web design to dropshipping (12:59)
• What a typical day for him is like (19:13)
• Sourcing products and finding suppliers (23:10)
• Running a dropshipping store (44:40)
• Pros & cons of dropshipping (59:37)

I hope our discussion didn't only prove informative but encouraged you to look at dropshipping businesses in a different, albeit more positive light.

As always, drop any questions you may have in the comment section below. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Get a copy of our Amazon domination book and just pay for shipping. Order it here.

Until next time, happy selling!

Avid listeners to this podcast would know that the bulk of our team is based in Cebu City, Philippines. And I get asked a lot of questions about how we manage employees all the way on the other side of the world.

The quick answer is that I don't. We have a terrific manager in the Philippines, Mia. She takes care of everything down there. We're lucky to have such a great group of people working for us that, now, the process is locked down and the whole thing completely runs itself.

Today's guest has a slightly different approach to hiring and managing a remote team.

I'm joined by Dave Nevogt, CEO and co-founder of Hubstaff, a staff monitoring, and time tracking software.

We've been using Hubstaff for a while now and it has made managing our team in the Philippines so much easier. From payroll to managing productivity, the software has it all.

The company and its main product were born out of a pain point he experienced in a previous business. In this episode, Dave talks about software features and shares tips on how to find, hire, and manage awesome employees all around the globe.

As always, here are timestamps to make your podcast listening better.

• The inspiration behind Hubstaff and the problems that it solved (6:00)
• Hubstaff by the numbers (12:24)
• The pros and cons of having a remote team (16:33)
• How Dave found people and built a remote team (19:16)
• The techniques Dave uses to manage employees all over the globe (23:20)
• The link between time tracking and good team management (28:24)
• Useful tips for starting a remote team (45:31)

Give a Hubstaff a try! Sign up by clicking on our affiliate link and use the code ecomcrew50 for 50% off the first month.

Interested to learn more about sourcing from China? Join our free webinar on October 8, 10 AM PST. Reserve your spot now!

Greetings from scenic Lake Tahoe. I'm cranking out this Under the Hood episode before we head on down to Las Vegas, where the weather looks to be warmer this time of year.

I love niches and I love meeting entrepreneurs who are passionate about the things they are selling. Today's guest is a happy mix of both. Nic Dillon is a long-time musician and owner of Old Delhi Music, a website that specializes in high-quality musical instruments from India.

While you can expect to find sitars and drums on his store, he's famous for playing and selling harmoniums.

Sit back and listen as he shares a bit more about his business and gets advice on how to take it to the next level.

Here's a list of handy timestamps to get right into the meat and potatoes of our conversation.

• How Nic got his start as an online entrepreneur (4:11)
• From hobby business to full-time gig (8:29)
• What's the revenue been like? (9:48)
• The struggles of selling (13:20)
• Leveraging the workmanship & uniqueness of a product (18:30)
• Letting people know that it's a premium product (26:15)
• Is focusing on that one product we're known for a good idea? (35:42)
• Getting more people to be buy harmoniums (53:13)

Under the Hood is a segment where we do an hour-long coaching call with one of our listeners. We take a look at their businesses, provide honest feedback, offer our best business advice, and answer whatever questions they have. In exchange for the free coaching, we will turn the call into a podcast episode so that our community can benefit as well. It's a win-win!

Interested to learn more about sourcing from China? Join our free webinar on October 8, 10 AM PST. Reserve your spot now!

If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes.

Till the next one. Happy selling!

After a week of staying put, here I am back on the road and going through Reno on the way to Las Vegas. I was in Dallas for Scott Voelker's first-ever Brand Accelerator Live event. It was a slightly different crowd than what I was normally used to. But, I still got to hang out with some old friends and even some EcomCrew Premium members.

All our big podcast fans out there would know that I try to do my part and give back to the community by investing in up-and-coming ecommerce brands. And I do it on KickFuther.com. In fact, we did an entire episode on them a few weeks back.

And on today's podcast, I get to chat with the owner of one of those businesses I've helped out. John Castrano has had years of experience in the beauty and grooming industry before starting Tame the Beast, a men's grooming line. But getting the business to where it's at now has been quite the journey.

Listen as John recounts he got started in ecommerce and give a glimpse at how the business is doing some five years later.

As always, here's a list of timestamps so you can jump right into the good parts.

• How the Beast brand started (9:28)
• Early struggles to get the business up (15:43)
• Finding investors (18:11)
• Post-accelerator phase (22:58)
• Breaking down the numbers (32:31)

Take part in our free Importing from China webinar on October 8, 10 AM PST. Reserve your spot now!

And if you want to try out Kickfurther for yourself, head over to ecomcrew.com/kickfurther.

Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them below.

Finally, if you enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Until next time, happy selling!

We're releasing our first Roadshow episode! Listen how Cory Stout runs his 7-figure brand Woodies, the inspiration behind it, and his plans moving forward while keeping it as the lifestyle business that it really is.