The Ecommerce Influence Podcast

Does your business take all of your time or does it give you the freedom to do the things you love?

Jeff Vogl, president of Classic Car Stereos, has been intentional about creating that shift over the last couple of years and I've had the pleasure of seeing him do it. Jeff and I started working together in 2019. Since then, Jeff's business has grown tremendously and he's continued to add to his portfolio.

From mastering the art of creating packages his customers can't ignore, boosting his AOV, and spending more time on the golf course than in the weeds of his business, Jeff is a sharp entrepreneur and he's here to tell you how he made these big wins possible.

Tune in to learn how you can creatively increase your AOV, why Jeff believes a Google AdWords strategy is a must, the importance of bidding on your brand, and how a change in leadership style has unlocked the freedom Jeff always wanted.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

• 4:03 Learning how to create packages to boost your AOV
• 6:20 How Classic Car Stereos manages all of the moving parts in their business
• 8:18 Jeff's journey from spending time in the weeds of his business to spending time on the golf course
• 10:55 A mindset shift on inventory management and demand planning
• 16:19 Entrepreneurial finance 101: The numbers every entrepreneur should know
• 25:06 Using Google Adwords and why you should always be bidding on your brand
• 29:12 Evolving your leadership style to empower your team
• 34:35 The resources Jeff uses to grow Classic Car Stereos

Links and Resources:

• Classic Car Stereos
• Jeff Vogl on Twitter
• [email protected]
• RingCentral
• Ahrefs
• NetSuite
• Podcast 296: The Keys To A 9-Figure Exit: How Moiz Ali Sold Native For $100MM
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Holistic Habitat self-taught their way to Facebook Ads success. Here's why they doubled their ad budget in 2020.

Kristin Holler is the co-creator of Holistic Habitat, an eCommerce home decor company for the socially conscious. I met Kristin in 2019 and have worked with her inside the Coalition, and most recently, as a member of Intentional Wealth. Since we started working together, her business has grown tremendously and email marketing makes up 30% of her monthly sales. However, that's not the only lever Kristin has learned how to master.

With a roll-up-your-sleeves mentality, Kristin has led Holistic Habitat through the ever-changing landscape of Facebook ads, the COVID-19 pandemic, market shifts and so much more. She's here to share how they grew 500% in 2018, how she became a Facebook ads pro, and the secret behind creating ads that convert. We also dive into the biggest leadership takeaways of 2020 and how to get out of your own way.

Episode Highlights:

• 4:21 How Kristin started as an eCommerce entrepreneur
• 7:27 The moment Kristin realized Holistic Habitat had potential
• 9:55 How Holistic Habitat grew 500% in 2018
• 12:53 Why Kristin doubled her FB ads budget at the beginning of COVID-19
• 16:53 The biggest leadership takeaways from 2020
• 19:13 Working in the Coalition: How Kristin increased profits and got out of her own way
• 23:25 Becoming a Facebook ads pro
• 26:23 How to run Facebook ads that convert
• 28:32 Holistic Habitat's unforgettable marketing mishaps
• 31:10 Advice for purpose-driven brands trying to build customer loyalty
• 33:57 The #1 thing Kristin wishes she knew before starting her entrepreneurship journey
• 35:27 What's keeping Kristin up at night
• 37:16 Lessons from COVID-19 that keep moving the needle
• 38:43 How Holistic Habitat creatively increases their average order value
• 41:52 Get in touch with Kristin

Links and Resources:

• Holistic Habitat
• Holistic Habitat on Instagram
• Holistic Habitat Insiders Facebook group
• Foxwell Digital
• The Coalition
• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Today's guest turned her passion project into a global movement.

Chrissie Lam is the founder of Love Is Project, a thriving lifestyle brand that supports thousands of female artisans in developing countries around the world. I've known Chrissie for years and have had the pleasure of getting an up-front look into how her business has taken off. Between landing a spot on Shark Tank, multiple press hits, and being featured by Facebook during Women's History Month, Chrissie has so much insight to share on developing a lifestyle brand with a purpose.

In the episode, we talk about what it's like to launch a business while traveling the world, getting onto Shark Tank and how to leverage the press to grow your business. Chrissie also shares the ups and downs of working with freelancers and agencies, and how she's been using our Intentional Wealth program to keep her business and life in balance.

Episode Highlights

• 2:57 Chrissie's passion for travel
• 5:11 Launching Love Is Project in Bali
• 9:43 The process of getting onto Shark Tank
• 12:55 Chrissie's mindset heading into Shark Tank and how it panned out
• 14:57 How the power of the press for Love Is Project
• 17:07 The trial and error of hiring freelancers and agencies
• 20:10 How Chrissie is able to work anywhere in the world
• 21:33 What Chrissie wishes she knew before launching Love Is Project
• 21:53 How Chrissie is leveraging the Intentional Wealth program
• 24:20 Chrissie's advice for people building a lifestyle brand
• 26:20 What Chrissie is most excited about going forward
• 27:35 Helpful resources for entrepreneurs

Links and Resources:

• Love Is Project
• Love Is Project on Instagram
• Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Chrissie Lam
• How I Built This Podcast
• Klaviyo
• Shopify
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• Intentional Wealth
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Our most highly requested guest, Moiz Ali, is here to tell you how he made a 9-figure exit in just over 2 years.

Moiz is the Founder of Native, the fastest growing CPG company in the US. Two and a half years after its inception, the company was acquired by Procter & Gamble for $100MM and Moiz is here to tell us how he made that happen.

We talk about what made Native so successful early on, how he prepared to sell the company and what life was like at Procter & Gamble after the sale. Moiz also dispels a few eCommerce myths and lets you know what he'd do differently if he could hit the reset button.

Episode Highlights

• 3:30 How Moiz Ali's family encouraged him to lean into entrepreneurship
• 5:01 What drove Moiz away from law school
• 6:13 How life is like at Proctor & Gamble
• 11:18 A/B testing deodorant: Native vs P&G
• 16:00 Why Native was successful so quickly
• 20:53 Navigating eCommerce upsells
• 23:43 The team members and agencies Native leveraged to grow
• 28:18 What Moiz would do differently if he could hit the reset button
• 31:06 Raising money: Should you or shouldn't you?
• 35:55 Prepping to sell your company
• 39:45 What Moiz's schedule was like leading up to the sell
• 43:22 Moiz's advice on whether you should go all-in on your business
• 45:56 eCommerce myths Moiz wants to dispel
• 48:21 The best eCommerce platform to use
• 50:09 How Ali Capital chooses which companies to invest in
• 53:46 What's exciting Moiz Ali about eCommerce right now
• 55:40 The three main keys to Native's early success

Links and Resources:

• Moiz Ali's Website
• Exit Strategy Podcast
• Ali Capital
• Native
• Moiz on Instagram
• Moiz on Twitter
• Email Moiz
• PostScript (use this link for a 30-day free trial)
• Gorgias (use this link to get your second month free)
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

There isn't a rulebook for building a $100MM brand. This serial entrepreneur is here to tell you how he did it.

Josh Snow taught himself how to build websites at 12 years old. His early venture sparked a full-fledged passion for marketing and branding which led Josh to where he is today, the founder and CEO of Snow - a fast-growing D2C brand and leader in premium oral care.

Josh is a true operator and in this episode, we dive deep into how he's grown Snow to over $100MM in revenue. We talk about the differences between running a $1MM company and a $100MM company, how his leadership has needed to evolve in the process, and his thoughts on hiring the right people. Josh also shares how leveraging influencer marketing was a game-changer and where he plans on taking the company next.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 4:02 Josh's pre-teen start to entrepreneurship
• 8:36 Snow's defining moment of growth
• 13:55 Josh's take on paid acquisition
• 16:45 How Snow strategically diversified their marketing channels
• 21:34 The biggest differences between running a $1MM and a $100MM company
• 27:07 How Josh has learned how to ask for help as a leader
• 32:20 The difference between "hunting elephants" and "hunting rabbits"
• 39:26 How Snow leverages influencer marketing and a celebrity's social capital
• 45:00 Common misconceptions about running an eCommerce business
• 52:29 Where Snow is going and the challenges Josh sees on the horizon
• 56:01 Josh's words of wisdom for eCommerce entrepreneurs

Links and Resources:

• Snow
• Josh Snow on Instagram
• Powerhouse Mastermind
• Josh Snow's Interviews on YouTube
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Losing half a million dollars in one year can be a devastating blow. Find out how this company turned things around to become the 20th fastest growing company in the US.

Garret Ackerson is the cofounder of Kindred Bravely - a privately held company that has experienced the highs and lows associated with rocketship growth. Garret did a live training for Coalition members last fall, and I'm sharing it with you now because it's truly a transparent and sobering look into the ups and downs of a fast-growing company.

Garret dives into the importance of knowing your numbers, making KPIs a team event, and why founders should carve out time and space to think. He also shares why he's never scared to invest in learning, how to build a flywheel, and find the right partners for your business.

If you're a founder or someone who helps eCommerce businesses grow, this episode is a must-listen.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 4:02 How Kindred Bravely first started in 2015
• 7:02 The KPI system Kindred Bravely uses that promotes ownership
• 14:42 Why you should always schedule time to think
• 16:53 Why you should never be afraid to pay for learning
• 19:39 How to debrief and implement your learnings
• 22:26 The only two functions of your enterprise
• 27:30 How to start thinking and dominos and why you want should
• 28:46 Why you need to create a flywheel
• 34:52 What Garret's thinking routine looks like and the questions he asks himself
• 36:19 The first hire that Kindred Bravely made and why
• 38:37 How to create a flywheel in Shopify
• 43:17 The most important part of capital management
• 47:00 Kindred Bravely's financial reporting rhythm
• 51:18 The best way to have successful relationships with agencies
• 53:35 How Garret structures business goals and sprints

Links and Resources:

• Kindred Bravely
• The 4 Day MBA
• Vistage
• Dan Sullivan's Impact Filter
• Kolbe Index
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Buying an ecommerce business can be a brilliant move to build wealth, or have costly unintended consequences.

Between finding the right business, knowing what to look for when going through due diligence, and avoiding misinformation - buying an eCommerce business can be a lot to handle. We're giving you a crash course on how to do it.

Today's show is a mashup of three episodes I've done with expert eCommerce entrepreneurs in this space - David Newell, Shakil Prasla, and Drew Sanocki. We talk about how to determine if you are the type of person who should buy or build, what a thorough due diligence process looks like, and the things to always investigate within a prospective company. We also breakdown the common pitfalls first-time buyers tend to experience and how to avoid them.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 4:30 How to determine if you should buy or build an eCommerce site
• 7:27 Buying a business to cross-sell
• 9:29 The 6 key tenets to robust due diligence when buying a business
• 13:12 How to assess the quality of a business' backlinks
• 16:23 Financials you should always assess as a buyer
• 19:23 Problem areas to investigate before buying a business
• 23:15 Technical and legal checklist items you shouldn't forget
• 25:38 The biggest mistakes most first-time buyers make and how to avoid them
• 27:34 Leveraging SEO and content for growth
• 30:53 Income and age: Two essential criteria for evaluating a company
• 32:49 Buying a business on a bank loan
• 35:48 Five things to always look for when buying
• 39:04 The advice Shakil would have given himself when he was starting out
• 41:30 Shakil's process for reviewing prospecting companies and getting them through due diligence
• 43:30 What Drew is most excited about when buying
• 46:15 Merger and acquisition opportunities that can help your brand
• 50:45 Uncovering your blind spots within the acquisition process
• 52:26 Boostrapping vs acquisition: Which is right for you and which comes first?

Links and Resources:

• Podcast: 095: 4 Reasons Why You Should Buy An Ecommerce Business & The 6 Key Tenets To Proper Due Diligence
• Podcast: 195: Austin Ecommerce Investor Reveals His Short-Cut To Scaling
• Podcast: 241: Evolutions In Lifecycle Marketing & New Approaches To Creating Wealth
• Websites: FE International, Pro Click Ventures, Nerd Marketing, AutoAnything
• Social Media: David Newell on Twitter, Drew on Instagram
• The San Francisco Fallacy: The Ten Fallacies That Make Founders Fail
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• Foxwell Digital
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Apple's recent championing of consumer privacy means your ad data is never going to be the same.

If you're an eCommerce business owner, you've likely been swept up in the confusion around iOS 14 and Facebook ads. Andrew Foxwell from Foxwell Digital is back on today's show to unpack what this means for you and your business.

We'll be diving into the iOS 14 release and the implications it'll have on Facebook advertising. We'll also discuss the tools you'll need in place for this shift and how you can optimize your ads for this new normal. If your business relies heavily on Facebook advertising, you can't miss this episode.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 5:21 The current state of Facebook advertising and what you need to know about iOS 14
• 7:47 Apple's new positioning around consumer privacy and how it will affect your advertising
• 9:56 How Apple will control the floodgates of information
• 12:52 What we know is changing between iOS 14 and Facebook ads
• 16:05 The upside to these changes within Facebook
• 18:24 What the upcoming data delay will mean for you
• 21:42 8 must-have events to set up to prepare for the new normal
• 25:40 How to set up and customize your new events
• 28:58 Don't get taken advantage of: A word of caution when searching for help
• 32:05 Who is going to be most affected by these changes
• 37:57 The tools Facebook and Apple are working on to help you

Links and Resources:

• Foxwell Digital Blog: Facebook's Conversions API (CAPI) and How to implement it with your Shopify site
• Foxwell Digital Blog: What's Working (and what's not) in a Post-iOS14 World
• Foxwell Digital Blog: Facebook Advertising FAQs
• Podcast 278: Facebook's New Conversions API & Why You Need To Install It Before The New Year
• Brand Growth Experts
• The Coalition
• Foxwell Digital
• [email protected]
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

If you're trying to stretch your marketing dollars as far as you can there's one piece of low-hanging fruit you shouldn't ignore.

If you cringe when you think about pop-ups, you're missing out on huge wins including more revenue, more email captures, and a higher AOV. Take it from Erik Christiansen, eCommerce CRO expert and the CEO of Justuno. I've known Erik for a long time and his company has helped thousands of businesses with conversion rate optimization. He's joining us today to talk about the future of eCommerce CRO and how you can leverage it in your business.

Outside of Erik's knowledge of eCommerce CRO, what I've continued to admire about him over the years is his ability to not only grow a team but retain his team members too. We'll also cover how he's built a team of 60+ people, how he thinks about hiring and retention.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights

• 5:11 How Justuno has evolved over the years
• 6:52 The business basics Erik has been on top of for the last 10 years
• 11:44 Stretching your marketing dollars as far as you can
• 14:20 What Erik has learned about leading a remote team
• 17:51 The two things Erik tells every single one of his employees
• 21:35 What Erik is most excited about in Justuno's future
• 26:10 How to optimize your landing pages
• 29:45 What Justuno has on the 2021 roadmap you should know about
• 32:05 How to get 30 days of free access to the Coalition

Links and Resources:

• Justuno
• Erik on LinkedIn
• Podcast: 154: How We Got A 10% Win With Simple "DIY" Conversion Rate Optimization
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

Society Has Brainwashed Entrepreneurs To Believe They Have To Sacrifice Everything To Be Successful.

"Crush it" culture convinces us that sacrificing our health, personal life, and family is a part of the game and if you're not making those sacrifices, you can only get so far.

It's time to crush this false narrative and make a paradigm shift.

In today's episode, I'm introducing the Brand Acceleration Formula. It's a five-step process designed to help entrepreneurs grow their business from $500K to $5MM without sacrificing what matters most to them. We dive into the biggest causes for slow business growth, how to stay focused on the metrics that move the needle, and our best advice on bringing your best ideas to life.

I'm going to help 20 entrepreneurs apply this formula and have the best 90 days of their business life. Will you be one of them? Get the details here.

Episode Highlights

• 6:28 How society has entrepreneurs brainwashed
• 8:29 Are you playing a status game or a wealth game?
• 12:11 The Brand Acceleration Formula
• 15:03 The biggest cause for slow business growth
• 17:15 How to avoid shiny object syndrome
• 20:05 What our most successful clients have in common
• 22:03 The best way to start bringing your big ideas to reality
• 24:21 Our new Intentional Wealth Program

Links And Resources:

• Intentional Wealth
• Podcast 289: How To Grow The Long Term Value Of Your Business, Whether You Want To Sell Or Not
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @brandgrowthx on Twitter
• Review or subscribe on iTunes