The Ecommerce Influence Podcast

We start a business because we want more freedom...but we often find ourselves with quite the opposite.

There are a lot of easier ways to make money than starting a business, but we don't typically start a business for the money. We start them for the freedom a successful business can bring.

Yet we often find ourselves just trying to make it through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the slow times and the overwhelming times, all of which make it feel like we're always in that dreaded "survival mode".

In this episode we're going to discuss when we, personally, are stuck in survival mode, what it feels like for us, and how to get out of it, including our best tips, tricks, and habits for maximizing your mindset so you can better handle your business, your family, and other personal obligations.

Having the right entrepreneurial mindset is what keeps us going forward, but sometimes it's easier said than done. We can help.

If you don't change your mindset...don't expect to see different results.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• Where we're at with Ecommerce Influence.
• Why mindset has such a critical role in the entrepreneurial journey.
• The most important piece of advice that Richard Branson gives and what that means for you.
• What you should eliminate from your life and why.

Links / Resources

• Article by Taylor Pearson that we mention

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

The "Tim Ferriss Effect" is REAL according to Mizzen+Main's founder Kevin Lavelle. So real in fact, that sponsoring Tim's podcast has been the single greatest decision he's ever made to grow the company.

Kevin Lavelle is the founder of Mizzen+Main, which manufactures American made, moisture wicking, wrinkle free dress shirts.

Happy customers include pro athletes, successful CEO's, and notable celebrities such as Tim Ferriss.

Mizzen and Main received $1.2 million in funding last August and Kevin says he plans to use the new funding to raise brand awareness and grow sales of Mizzen+Main clothing online, via select retail relationships and creative pop-up shops and trade shows, amongst other things.

Kevin's joined us to tell his story and teach us what he's learned from his experiences buying ads in Esquire, getting $1.2 million in funding, and sponsoring The Tim Ferriss show.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• What to do if you're considering raising money for your ecommerce company.
• Why the "Tim Ferriss Effect" is real and how to test the waters of podcast sponsorship to see if it makes sense for you.
• What he's doing to grow his ecommerce business to $10mil+

Links / Resources

Mizzen and Main website Kevin on Twitter Kevin's Articles on Medium Tim Ferriss Podcast

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

The impending death of traditional retail has been predicted numerous times in recent past, but in 20 years of ecommerce in the US only two ecommerce companies of meaningful value have been created: Amazon and Ebay.

Ecommerce is no longer about throwing up a quick store and sourcing from Alibaba, hoping to ride the "ecommerce gravy train" to riches.

It's about building a real business, a brand, that is going to last through the turbulence of an ever-changing internet and retail world and takes you into the next ecommerce world we're heading into.

The problem is, "ECommerce Is A Bear"...a big gnarly one. One that can crush you.

Today's episode is a reading of an article by one of the smartest, most successful ecommerce brand owners, Andy Dunn of Bonobos.

In this episode he talks about four specific strategies to help you build a brand that can "fend off" the grizzly (a few of which we've been talking about a lot lately). It's really a culmination, a summary, of what we've been teaching you over the past 70+ episodes of Ecommerce Influence.

"In two decades of e-commerce in the US, we have produced only two standalone e-commerce companies of meaningful enterprise value: Amazon and eBay. One went public in 1997, the other in 1998. We haven't had an IPO of an e-commerce company that has gotten to a two billion of market cap in fifteen years, let alone double digit billions." Links / Resources

• Sam Mallikarjunan, Hubspot – Why The Ecommerce "Gravy Train" Is Coming To An End, And How To Keep Riding It With Inbound Marketing
• The article we read in this show

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

We all understand that hiring great people is critical to your ecommerce success, yet too many businesses have a revolving door of unreliable and subpar freelancers. You can stop that revolving door today because we're going to teach you how to hire fantastic and reliable freelancers for your ecommerce company in only 4 simple steps.

An essential part of any business is the team that you surround yourself with. In the world of online business, specifically ecommerce, we're seeing too many companies taking shortcuts and not creating a team that will last.

We've spent years making mistakes when hiring freelancers on Elance and Odesk, but along the way we've developed a system that has helped us hire ONLY 'A' players...and it has made all the difference.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• The 4 steps to hiring 'A' players on Elance.
• The issues that commonly show up when hiring off of Elance.
• Why this is so important for ecommerce companies.
• We'll cover the exact strategy we use to write an effective job description.
• The results we're seeing from implementing this system in our business.

Links / Resources

• Top Grading
• Hiring A Players Article
• Example Google Survey
• Elance - The job hiring site we're focused on.

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe by clicking on either one of the subscribe buttons below:

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

Does confidence actually mean you're reaching a plateau? Is that uncomfortable feeling really the best place to be in your life and in your business? In this conversation we talk about the difference between confidence and courage why you need one over the other to get you where you're trying to go.

We've come to a place in our business where we've had to make some tough decisions, decisions that can take us from a place we're very comfortable with to a place of discomfort but has the potential for massive growth.

We want to share with you the mindset shifts we've been going through and hopefully you'll come away with some ideas for you, personally, and your business.

If you like this new kind of episode make sure to let us know on Twitter or email us at chad [at] ecommerceinfluence.com

Key Takeaways from the Show

• The shift we're going through in our business and how it applies to yours.
• What it takes to avoid creating another job for yourself.
• The issues that lead us to realize we had to change, the same issues you could be going through.
• The difference between confidence and courage and why one can stall your business and the other won't.
• The 3 step formula for avoiding setbacks and taking your business to the next level.

Links / Resources

10x Talk Podcast - Entrepreneurial Addiction

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

Every single day 40 Super Bowls happen on YouTube, yet only 1% of companies know the formula to success with TrueView ads. Video is the closest thing to having a face to face conversation with your potential buyer without being there, and this interaction is your ticket to free traffic, higher conversions, and increased value per conversion...oh, and to stealing customers from your competitors.

Jake Larsen's passion for video-making lead him to TV Advertising in LA, where he worked behind the scenes with FOX Entertainment on TV shows like 24, American Idol and House.

It was here that he started to notice a massive change happening in video advertising.

People's eyes and ears weren't where they used to be, they were shifting from TV to Online Video.

Jake started Video Power Marketing, a video production / advertising agency that helps people capture attention, drive traffic and increase sales using YouTube Advertising.

He has played with millions of dollars of ad spend figuring out the formula that makes getting an ROI on your ad spend possible, and he's been able to create automated money-making machines where $1 of ad spend goes in, and $7 in sales come out.

With all of his success Google asked him to be a YouTube Marketing Ambassador, which is awarded to only 10 companies in the world.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• The 2 types of TrueView ads, their differences, and which one is best
• How to steal leads from your top competitors
• The formula for getting free leads using TrueView ads
• Why ultra competitive niches are where companies find the most success
• The one question you need to ask when building your first ad

Links / Resources

VideoPower.org

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

Have you ever wanted to take a just a week off from running your business? But you never take the time off because you're worried that you'll come back to a business ablaze with fires that stall your growth. Worry no more. Tim Francis is going to teach you how to develop systems that allow you to leave your business, sometimes completely detached, and come back to a company fully intact...and still growing strong.

Tim is an expert at developing systems that actually work.

In 2013, he began systemizing his main business, Tim Francis Marketing, and revenue grew by a staggering 50% in just 3 months, AND he cut his workload by about 20 – 25%...starting an incredible journey into mastering the art and science of building systems for businesses.

Realizing there was a huge need to help small business owners systemize their businesses, Tim decided to launch ProfitFactory.com in Fall 2014 to help other business owners create systems in their business to help them make more money while doing less.

We'll walk through how to get started and how to decide which tasks to start eliminating, delegating, and automating...and why Tim says "You need to completely give up your email inbox!"

Key Takeaways from the Show

• How to develop systems that start eliminating, delegating, and automating your business.
• How to hire the right assistant you can trust.
• The process to hire and onboard new team members.
• Common problems with system sheets and process documents.
• Understanding SRT and SCRUM for small businesses.

Links / Resources

• profitfactory.com/
• timfrancismarketing.com/
• Perfect Job Posting
• The site Tim uses to find assistans http://hiremymom.com/

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

The newest online "Gold Rush" is happening right now, and it's picking up steam. Pinterest is mysterious to some, to others its marketing potential is still to be determined. When you listen to today's episode you will no longer have any questions about the power of Pinterest marketing to bring more free traffic, generate more sales, and connect better with customers.

Anna Bennett is the owner of White Glove Social Media, co-founder of True North Marketing, and is THE Pinterest marketing expert. Just type into Google "pinterest marketing expert" she's the top one that comes up...and google's never wrong.

Anna is the author of Pinterest Marketing For Business Master Online Course and has been featured in Forbes Magazine.

Her goal is to help you create, improve or integrate the power of Pinterest to grow your business bigger and faster and to have some fun along the way!

Oh, and Anna dazzled as an international beauty pageant winner a few years back, pretty sweet.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• How and why Pinterest marketing is more effective than any other social media channel for driving traffic and converting more visitors into customers.
• Why you need to incorporate Pinterest into your email marketing.
• How Pinterest ads work, and how to make them work for you.
• The types of brands that should be prioritizing Pinterest Marketing and why
• Why Pinterest users actually embrace branded content, unlike Facebook and Twitter users, and what that means for your ecommerce brand.
• How Pinterest earns an additional 30% in paid media for free

Links/Resources

• White Glove Social Media
• Anna's Twitter
• Pinterest Marketing for Business (Anna's Master Course)

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

Every entrepreneur goes through it. It could be because you're getting too many sales, or it's because you're not getting enough sales. It's that horrible feeling of being stuck, that you just can't get through the weeds and everywhere you turn it's another dead end and you're putting out fires. It's the wrath of entrepreneurial chaos.

This episode is a story from our past, but it's a problem we've seen so many companies experience, and it's a story that you can relate to.

The best part is, once you understand the problem and realize that there is a way out, you can begin to implement the systems your company needs to emerge from the entrepreneurial chaos.

By talking through this story we'll hit on several of the common problems and solutions that come along with starting, running, and growing an ecommerce business.

One of the biggest things we see ecommerce owners missing out on is setting up solid marketing automation from the very beginning.

It's the piece of your business that will help you finally get to the point where you really are "making money while you sleep".

We're going to run through an example of how we're doing this for a client of ours. It's a model that we think you can easily apply to your business no matter what industry you're in or the type of product you sell.

The Story We Told

#1 - A Passionate Beginning

#2 - An Overwhelming Growth

#3 - Staring Into The Eyes Of The Entrepreneurial Beast

#4 - Slaying The Beast

#5 - The New Normal

#6 - How You Can Too

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn

If you're looking for qualified customers who are ready to buy, but you're not yet using Google Shopping, then you might be missing out on untapped traffic and the hottest potential buyers on the interwebs.

Brett is an online marketer, eCommerce strategist, and speaker.

The majority of his time is spent running his agency, Online Marketing Giant, and leading an amazing team of talented marketers at Classy Llama that specialize in search engine marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), web development, marketing strategy, and branding.

He has a passion for helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses through creative marketing efforts. As a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and eCommerce marketing enthusiast Brett is a frequent speaker at business functions across the US.

"If your SEO company says they can't tell you what they're doing because it's proprietary stuff - fire them. Proprietary doesn't exist any more." - Brett Curry Key Takeaways from the Show

• Why SEO is not dead, it's just evolved
• Why Google shopping is the premier product advertising channel for merchants
• Tips, tricks, and hacks to optimizing products for Google Shopping Ads
• How to make sure your SEO foundation is set up properly
• When to know if it's time to fire your SEO company
• How to preserve your SEO during a platform/site migration.

Links / Resources

• Classy Llama
• Llama Commerce
• SEMRush
• Google.com/merchants

Subscribe & Review

To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe below.

Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we're very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we'll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Cheers,

Austin & Chad!

Follow on Twitter:

Follow @chadvanags

Follow @a_brawn