eComFuel Podcast

Nike Pulling Its Products From Amazon, Alibaba Has a Record-Breaking Singles Day, Facebook Launches Facebook Pay, TikTok Tests an eCommerce Feature, Tidying Guru Marie Kondo Launches eCommerce Site, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/november-21-2019/ . The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today Drew Sanocki of NerdMarketing.com is back on the show, this time to discuss a company he has recently become the owner of called PostPilot. Designed to help eCommerce businesses sell more products through post card marketing, PostPilot helps users create automated post card campaigns to build up loyalty and sales. Listen in as Drew explains how to leverage post cards in your business, how his companies are gearing up for Black Friday, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/33EqU6k Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Penalty Box is a private Facebook group that was created completely from word of mouth, with no paid advertisements or paid marketing. Here to discuss the fascinating story of how this community came to be is founder Drew Laine. Listen in as he shares interesting aspects of the business, including the metrics they track, how they are successfully using SMS-based marketing, and the tactics they used to grow to where they are today. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/33pow30 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Google's BERT Update Improves Search Results, Impacts 10% of Rankings, Shopify Announces "Shopify Email", Seller Labs Acquires X-Cart, Amazon Adds New Pickup Locations and Makes Grocery Delivery Free With Prime, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/november-6-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today I am going to be talking about something I have been trying to grow in recently: leadership. Over time, I have realized that if you want to do anything meaningful, you really have to invest in and lead a team well. So in this episode, I will be sharing four books on the topic that stood out to me and explaining some of the key concepts I was able to incorporate into my company and culture. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/36j2W1V Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

What's the difference between a $5 mug and a $15 mug? Generally, it's all about the branding and packaging. Today Miriam Brafman, founder and CEO of Packlane.com, joins the show to give us a crash course on custom packaging and how it impacts customer experience. Listen in as she explains how her company customizes packaging for ecommerce sellers and how you can get started on improving your own packaging. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2pOMBBq Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Hackers Breach Volusion and Start Collecting Card Details From Thousands of Sites, UPS Partners With Stamps.com, Snapchat Introduces Dynamic Ads, Walmart Spending at a Loss to Buy Grocery, e-Commerce Market Share, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/october-23-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today I've got our community manager, Padraic Ryan, back on the show to talk about everything we learned while at the Klaviyo:BOS event. We discuss how switching out imagery and text can make a massive difference in the number of people that buy from your site and all kinds of other good stuff. Listen in to hear our key takeaways, from the importance of getting to know your customers to what you should not do at a conference. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2OFNJ4F Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today our not-so-new community manager, Patrick Ryan, joins me at the Klaviyo:BOS event to give us an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of our private online community. He explains what it was like going from a community member to joining the team and what surprised him most about the transition. Listen in as he shares why we have an 'online community guide', how we choose who is right for our online community, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/320nSbs Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

U.S. Avoids Postal 'Brexit' as Universal Postal Union Reaches a Deal, Supreme Court Rejects Domino's Bid to Avoid Disabilities Lawsuit, Amazon Rolls Out A/B Testing Tool to Some Sellers, Toys R Us Relaunches Website, Powered by Target, Walmart Sells ModCloth, Bonobos Trims Job in Effort to Cut E-commerce Losses, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/october-9-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today I am going to be talking about phone calls—specifically how phone calls are one of the most misused forms of business communication known to mankind. So what is the appropriate way to approach telephone calls as an entrepreneur in 2019? In this episode, I share my ground rules for scheduling a call, the importance of deciding what you're trying to accomplish before making a call, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2nLX0Ng Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

What do you do when you're audited by the IRS? Today, Alisha Navarro from 2HoundsDesign.com joins the show to share her recent experience with being audited and how she handled it. Listen in as she discusses what happened to her when she couldn't produce certain receipts for meals and smaller purchases, what she will be doing differently moving forward, and what to expect if you ever get that terrifying letter in the mail. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2kWi9TN Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Google Announces New 'Sponsored' and 'UGC' Links, Google Changes Algorithm to Highlight Original Reporting, Amazon Expands Attribution Beta Program, Microsoft's Launches Advanced New Ecommerce Tools, Shopify Opens Platform to CBD Retailers, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/september-25-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today Chris Nelson from MCARBO.com joins the show to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to manufacturing in the USA. Unlike most American businesses, almost everything MCARBO sells is manufactured here in the United States, so Chris has tons of insight to share on the subject. Listen in as he explains pricing differences, the number of suppliers he needs to keep things running smoothly, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2lZ2zH7 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today Kevin Stecko from 80sTees.com joins the show to discuss how he improved his business by making it smaller and taking a different approach to pricing. Kevin has undergone the evolution from having a massive warehouse with a huge amount of inventory to scaling back and pricing his products at a premium. Listen in as he shares how he managed that change and how downsizing can help save a business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2kvJITI Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Shopify Buys 6 River Systems for $450 Million, tripe Gets Into Lending and Launches Corporate Card, Apple Announces iPhone 11, Takes on Netflix, Hulu With Low Streaming Price, Senators Ask Jeff Bezos to Crack Down Unsafe Products on Amazon, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/september-11-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today Jason Feinberg, CEO and creative director at FCTRY.com, joins the show to discuss all things Kickstarter and crowdsourcing. Jason is an expert on this topic, and he opens up about how his business has evolved over the years from starting on Kickstarter until now. You'll learn how his team manages pre-sales, tips for building a self-sustaining brand out of crowdsourcing campaigns, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2ZCKHjM Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today Marshall Haas from NeedWant.com joins the show to share how he managed to free up an insane amount of time by hiring a personal assistant. Marshall is an incredibly interesting entrepreneur, and we discuss the difficulties of finding the right personal assistant for your business, as well as what drove him to want to work remotely. We also cover some of his other businesses and a few of his excellent articles. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2MrqlI5 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today Ilana Wechsler from TeachTraffic.com joins the show to give us a crash course on Google Display Network. This platform is a very important piece of the marketing pie that more people should utilize, and Ilana breaks down why we should all be paying attention to it. Listen in as we cover what you need to know about Google Display Network and tips for implementing it in your business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2TG2J2Z Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today Mark Thomas of WildhornOutfitters.com joins the show to help shed some light on profit sharing. Who is eligible? How much do people get? Does profit sharing truly work to motivate people to work harder? While implementing profit sharing into his business, Mark has found the answers to these questions and more. Listen in as he shares them in this episode. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/31u9MP0 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Trump Delays Some China Tariffs on Chinese Imports, FedEx Ends U.S. Ground-Delivery Contract With Amazon, Verizon to Sell Tumblr to Automattic, The Company Behind WordPress, Amazon Is Killing Off the Dash Button, Scout Delivery Robots Roll Into Southern California, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/august-14-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

After running businesses in multiple countries, Joonas Gebhard of Blippo.com has settled in Hong Kong. Today he joins the show to discuss why he thinks HK is the best place to start a business, as well as all the logistics of setting up shop there. Listen in as he shares his knowledge about selling products from all over the world, including how taxes work and what it's like working with suppliers and dealing with shipping. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2YC829H Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today I am talking to Alex La-Do and May-Tab Bogel of the micro private equity firm KartaVentures.com. Alex and May-Tab have a fascinating story, and both of them are entrepreneurs turned investors with a lot to share. Listen in as we talk about the sweet spot to maximize returns, how not to be taken advantage of by P.E. firms, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2K6a5Zq Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Facebook Fined $5B for Privacy Violations, DOJ Opens Antitrust Investigation Into Big Tech,eBay to Offer Amazon Shipping Competitor Next Year, Walmart E-commerce Is Losing $1B as It Tries to Catch Amazon, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/july-31-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Bill D'Alessandro of ElementsBrands is back on the show today to discuss all the ins and outs of due diligence. Due diligence is the process that you go through when you are purchasing a company, from sending an LOI (letter of intent) to signing the closing paperwork. Bill has bought many companies and knows this topic well, so listen in if you're looking to buy or sell a company and want to make sure your money is safe. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2SqxtEJ Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Drew Sanocki from Nerd Marketing joined the show nine months ago when he was involved in the purchase of three companies over the course of a month. Today he joins us again to share how things are going with these companies and what he has learned over that time. Listen in to hear Drew's tips on leadership and how to track your company's success. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2YU81Ki Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Prime Day Boosts Sales for Retail Rivals, Early Data Show, Amazon Can Be Held Liable for Faulty Third-Party Products, Court Rules, Shopify Increasing Its Card-Processing Rates, Big Tech Execs in Antitrust Hot Seat, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/july-17-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Today Lianna Patch of Punchline Copy joins the show to discuss how not to be boring with your website and how to sell through humor. It's hard to do well—which is why not many people do it—but if you can pull it off, you have a huge advantage in the marketplace. Listen in to hear Lianna give her best tips on writing hilarious copy, ideas for sprucing things up on your website, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Xqmc8d Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Good hiring takes a lot of time and effort. You want to be sure you find someone who is going to ease your workload, not make it more complicated. I recently went through the hiring process myself, and today I'm sharing the important lessons I learned from my most recent hire. Listen in to hear how I narrowed down 300 applicants to one new superstar employee. You can find show notes and more by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2LwY6q7 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Shopify Unite 2019: Multisite, Smart Shipping Rules, Fulfillment Network & More, Amazon, the New King of Shipping, FedEx Lures Online Sellers With Two-Day Air Shipping at Ground Rates, Cloudflare Update Causes a Number of Sites to Go Down, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/july-3-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Aaron Orendorff, founder of iconiContent, joins the show to school us—myself included—on all things content marketing. We dissect the process of researching, writing, and optimizing Aaron's article "What Is the Future of Ecommerce?", and he shares his tips on how I can revamp my 2019 State of the Merchant Report. Listen in as Aaron explains how to save your business and your audience from terrible content. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2ZDObTk Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today, we're jumping into a very important (albeit not too fun) topic: sales tax. Michael Fleming has over a decade of experience in this area, specializing in state sales tax related issues, and he joins the show to discuss what kind of enforcement abilities states actually have to come after you and how to stay out of audits. If you are living or selling in the United States, make sure to tune in. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2WPpS86 Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Facebook Unveils Ambitious New Cryptocurrency, Libra, Former Snap and Quidsi Execs Launch E-Commerce Startup to Rival Amazon, FedEx Ends Express Delivery Contract With Amazon, Walmart to Launch InHome Grocery Delivery in 3 Cities, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/june-19-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Austin Brawner is the host of the Ecommerce Influence Podcast and Chief Fixer at Brand Growth Experts. After working with multiple companies that have approached 9 figures, Austin knows a lot about how to grow businesses at a rapid rate, and he joins the show today to discuss his thoughts on how to scale your business in 2019. He sheds light on why the old formula may not be as relevant now, when the right time to hire an agency is (and their role in scaling a business), and lots more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2F2yL3l Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Ben Parr is an entrepreneur, investor, journalist, and the author of Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention, and he joins the show today to discuss all things press. We dive into where he thinks the future of communication is headed and why he started his own company in the field, as well as his thoughts on PR firms and if he thinks they are truly effective. After years in the business, Ben has a lot of knowledge on how to get your business noticed online and how to market like a pro. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2QwzPAR Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Antitrust Troubles Snowball for Tech Giants, PayPal Expands Access to E-commerce Platform to Small Businesses, Shopify Down: Google Cloud Out(r)age, E-commerce Groups Sound Alarm Over EU Security Rules, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/june-5-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Codie Sanchez, a former journalist who is currently a managing director at Cresco Capital Partners, joins the show today to discuss all things investing. We discuss her drive to make a big impact and why she thinks money is the best way to create change. Codie also shares her experience with angel investments and the process her team undergoes when making investments in companies. Listen in to find out her best and worst investments, her thoughts on the legalized cannabis space, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2JxohfX Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Today Chris Lema, vice president of LiquidWeb, joins the show to discuss all things Wordpress and WooCommerce. With 20 years of consistent success, Chris has a lot of information to share with us about how to successfully set up an event. We'll talk about public speaking and how people can improve their ability to effectively hold a room. Listen in to find out if it's worth spending the extra money on premium plug-ins for your website and Chris' tips for using your insecurities to propel you forward instead of holding you back. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2W4XwWg Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Adobe Partnering With Amazon to Build "Branded Stores for Sellers", Mailchimp Expands From Email to Full Marketing Platform, Walmart Enters High-Stakes Next-Day Delivery Game, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/may-23-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

John Chen, CEO of Ad Llama and owner of Blush and Bar, joins the show today to share the five lessons he learned from working at a hedge fund and why he says it was one of the best experiences of his life. We will discuss how to use market segmentation to expand your business and why we should be focusing on just a few specific KPIs and forgetting about the rest. Listen in to discover what John's advice is on beating the market and how he has managed to consistently grow his companies. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2LqYNTn Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

In today's episode, I am sharing the major takeaways from the 2019 State of the Merchant Report. It is a bit of a tradition for me to survey several hundred merchants to discover what is happening in the eCommerce realm, and this report reveals if ad costs are going up, the state of drop shipping, how much growth Amazon is seeing and much more. Listen in to find out the results! You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2JwJ5DR

Amazon to Offer Free One-Day Prime Shipping, Trump Threatens to Hike Tariffs on $200B of Chinese Goods, Amazon to Collect Calif. Sales Tax for Small Online Retailers, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/may-8-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Taylor Holiday is a managing partner at Common Thread Collective, which was rated the best place to work by Glassdoor. Taylor is well-versed on how to run a business and keep your employees and clients happy, and today he is going to share with us his tips and tricks. We talk about what TMYD stands for and how you can implement it into your business to ensure your clients' needs are aligned with your work. Listen in to discover how Common Thread Collective is growing so quickly and the steps you can take to help your business do the same. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2vqc0RA Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Two years ago, my family had three massive, life-changing decisions to make, and we didn't know which way to go on any of them. Thankfully, we were able to work through a framework that helped us make definitive choices that we're happy with today, and in this episode, I'm sharing the key steps that helped us get to the point where we felt comfortable and confident that we made the right call. Listen in to hear the strategy we used and how you can apply a similar process in your own life the next time you find yourself at a major crossroads. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2IP7IuX Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.

Amazon Is Shutting Down China Marketplace Business, Many States Moving Away from Transaction Thresholds for Sales Tax, Facebook Revamps Ads Manager and Business Manager, Amazon Opens Key Delivery to Garages, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/april-24-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Bryce Adams is the founder of Metorik, a company that is best described as the Swiss Army Knife of WooCommerce. Not only does Bryce know a ton about WooCommerce, but he also bootstrapped an extremely profitable business with himself as the only employee—and managed to do so in a way that didn't sacrifice customer service or the quality of the product. I brought him on the show today to ask him how he did it, what helped him decide where to put his time and money to make his company such a success, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2Z7MC0B

Today I'm bringing you a bit of a shorter episode between full-length shows to give you an update on the eCommerceFuel Job Boards. It's time to come full-circle on the series I began last summer when I started this project and keep my commitment to giving you a transparent, non-polished look at what it's like launching a new venture. In this episode, you'll hear the final update as I share the messy, slightly embarrassing story behind what's going on with our job boards. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2WTKXtC

Carson McComas of FuelMade.com knows Shopify better than just about anyone, and he joins me on the show today to do a deep dive into what's going on with this platform. We cover the recent features they've rolled out, how they're using augmented reality on their website, how things are going with their virtual employee, Kit, and more. Listen in to hear updates on Shopify today and what's coming in the future. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2D3MFkJ

Amazon Quietly Scales Back Promos for Private Brands, Before Shopify Breakup, Mailchimp Quietly 'Acqui-Hired' LemonStand, Klaviyo Raises $150M in Funding, Online Sales Beat Brick-and-Mortar for First Time, Adobe Launches Commerce Cloud, Built on Magento Acquisition, and more. You can see the full show notes for this episode at https://www.ecommercefuel.com/april-10-2019/ The News Cart features industry news, community discussions, compelling job opportunities and interesting content around the web from the previous two weeks.

Beardbrand had an amazing 2018. They're up over 50% and their founder, Eric Bandholz, won the ECF 5 award for the most upvoted thread of 2018. Today I've got Eric on the show to share what made last year such a great one for his company. He talks about what made them decide to leave Amazon, how they've changed up their strategy, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2OHbIPe