Firing The Man

If Amazon ads now feel like a maze of rising CPCs, endless keywords, and dashboards that never sleep, you’re not imagining it. The platform has shifted from organic-first to pay to play—and the only sustainable response is smarter execution that blends learning systems with human strategy.We sit down with the CEO of Ava Commerce to unpack what “AI-driven” should actually mean for Amazon and D2C brands. Instead of black-box promises, we explore a configurable approach: let AI learn from your data across campaign creation, bid optimization, dayparting, and keyword negation, but keep owners and PPC leads in control with rules at the store, product, and campaign levels. You’ll hear how to tag products into portfolios with different TACOS goals, automate keyword isolation, and sunset underperformers quickly—freeing 65% of the grunt work so humans can focus on decisions that move margin.Context still wins. We break down when to push for top-of-search visibility over strict ACOS, how to pair ads with pricing and promotions to lift conversion, and why creative and SEO matter more than ever for CTR and CVR. We also dig into audience strategy for DSP, where human insight crafts timing and intent—like targeting competitor buyers when they are most likely to repurchase—while AI handles the execution. Beyond ads, we touch on cash discipline through FBA reimbursements and vendor funds recovery, and why unlimited strategic support helps teams turn software into outcomes.If you’re ready to scale profit, not just spend, this conversation offers a clear playbook: align creative with conversion, reclaim lost dollars, and deploy configurable AI that learns while you lead. Subscribe, share with a fellow seller who needs a smarter PPC plan, and leave a review with the one lever you’re automating first.Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

What happens when you sell your company, then buy it back to take it private again? We sit down with John Roman, CEO of Battle Brands, to unpack the bold moves behind Battle Box’s rise—from a Facebook-fueled launch to an eight-figure portfolio, a high-profile acquisition, and a decisive buyback that reset the roadmap on his terms.John walks us through the early grind, the moment he left a comfortable corporate path, and the hard choices that unlocked growth: firing a non-performing partner, recruiting a top creator in-house, and making content the engine rather than a side project. We dig into why human storytelling beats hard selling, how raw behind-the-scenes moments build trust, and why community is the most defensible moat in e-commerce. If you’re aiming to reduce churn and raise LTV, you’ll hear how reframing “subscription” as “membership” unlocks recurring revenue with real perks, belonging, and out-of-box value that customers actually feel.Then we go deep on live shopping. After years of hype, John explains why the U.S. market is finally ready, how Whatnot differs from doomscrolling on TikTok, and what it takes to scale from a 10-hour test to 45 hours of weekly programming with multiple hosts and show runners. The playbook is fast, vertical, and emotionally driven—short attention spans, quick decisions, and high intent. We connect the dots between creator-led content, membership benefits, retention strategy, and live shopping as an always-on touchpoint that turns fans into customers and customers into advocates.If you’re building an e-commerce brand, this conversation delivers practical ideas on content strategy, community building, membership design, retention levers, and the live commerce stack. Subscribe, share this with a founder who needs a push, and leave a review with the one tactic you’ll test next.Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Cash flow should never hinge on a silent algorithm. We sit down with Lissa Fryxell from Easy Pay Direct to unpack the decision most founders make by default—aggregator versus dedicated merchant accounts—and why that single choice can determine whether your payouts keep flowing during spikes, launches, and headline shocks. Lissa shares the jaw-dropping story of a small business owner who ran one legitimate high-ticket transaction and lost access to $93,000 for more than a year, then breaks down how to prevent that scenario with smarter underwriting and proactive risk design.We get practical about building a checkout that actually grows revenue. From one-click upsells and cross-sells to subscriptions and wallets, Lissa explains how to increase conversion and average order value without adding friction. She also weighs the tradeoffs of Buy Now, Pay Later and shows where it lifts sales versus where it can siphon off valuable upsell moments. If you run on Shopify, you’ll hear the real limits of aggregator-based payments during product launches and seasonal surges—and the alternative integrations that preserve control, support high-risk categories, and keep you as the merchant of record.Chargebacks, holds, and mystery fees don’t have to be a cost of doing business. Learn the simple fixes that reduce disputes—clear statement descriptors, accessible support, and visible refund policies—plus how to use alerts and response windows to win more cases. We even share a quick way to calculate your true effective rate and decide when it’s time to negotiate or switch. If e-commerce growth is your aim, treat payments as a revenue system, not just a cost center.Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share this episode with a founder who needs a payments tune-up, and leave a quick review to help more builders find us.Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazonTired of guessing your way through stockouts, overstock, and Amazon’s ever-shifting fees? We sat down with Randy Thebeau—programmer, analyst, Amazon seller, and former 3PL owner—who turned years of warehouse chaos into SKU Compass, a practical system for sellers who want clarity, not dashboards for show. Randy shares how he set a hard revenue target and deadline to quit his bank job, then learned the hard way why spreadsheets crumble under daily sales swings, multi-channel expansion, and the hidden math of bundles and kits.We unpack the habits that protect margins: treating safety stock as non-negotiable insurance, measuring coverage in days (not just units), and setting channel-specific thresholds so FBA stays lean while sales stay steady. Randy breaks down a hybrid approach to AWD and 3PL that speeds replenishment without surrendering your P&L to auto systems, plus a simple rule to cut long-term storage by taking manual control when FBA dips below a 30-day window. We also get tactical on returns triage for higher-ticket products, supplier standards that prevent rework (barcode at the factory or walk away), and why two manufacturers per SKU can save a launch when quality slips.If multi-channel sales have turned your inventory into a guessing game, you’ll hear how bundling can push up average order value while SKU Compass handles the tricky component math across Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, WooCommerce, and ShipStation-powered channels. The throughline is simple: right-size your stock, protect cash flow, and make fewer—but sharper—decisions that compound over time. Subscribe, share with a seller who’s stuck in spreadsheet hell, and leave a review with your biggest inventory headache—we’ll queue it up for a future deep dive.Randy Social Media:https://www.facebook.com/randy.thebeauhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-thebeau/SKU Compass Social Media:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566592928758https://www.youtube.com/@SKUCompasshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/sku-compass/https://skucompass.com/Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazonTired of hearing that Amazon FBA is “over”? We unpack why the opportunity didn’t die—it evolved—and how smart operators are winning by pairing founder-led insight with ruthless execution. Our guest, veteran seller and agency founder Andy Isom, takes us from his first experiments in the Jungle Scout era to the playbooks he uses today across dozens of live accounts. The big ideas: pick products you actually understand, design for shareability so people want to post what they buy, and respect logistics as a profit lever, not a back-office chore.We break down the product criteria that still hold up—small, lightweight, and simple for beginners—and when to flip the script with oversized or “boring” items that live in quieter niches. Andy explains how Amazon’s algorithm increasingly rewards external traffic and brand search, why “me too” listings bleed on PPC, and how to choose between rank-first or profit-first ad frameworks. If you’ve ever felt stuck at break-even ACOS, you’ll hear clear ways to test, segment, and scale without gambling the whole account.Looking for immediate upside? Build a seasonal portfolio. Seasonal SKUs consistently convert harder, advertise cheaper, and generate fast turns when timed well. We map how to stagger products across the calendar, forecast inventory to avoid painful fees, and use ocean freight, 3PL staging, and smarter placement settings to keep logistics costs in check. Along the way, Andy shares why he launched a boutique agency, the advantages of cross-account pattern recognition, and the mindset shifts that separate resilient brand builders from the crowd.If you’re serious about Amazon in 2025—new seller or seven-figure operator—this conversation offers practical steps to protect margin, spark demand, and scale with precision. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a better game plan, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.Website: https://andyisom.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.comPodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-by-business-amazon-fba-e-commerce-brand-building/id1497465347YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJx5K6buMEtislBGkLl4PcwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyisom100k/?utm_source=chatgpt.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theandyisom/?hl=enTwitter: https://x.com/amzwithandyisom?utm_source=chatgpt.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/52L8k1GbdWb4mngZNp92b7Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Behind every successful e-commerce business lies a crucial truth that most founders miss: profit matters more than revenue. Taylor Holiday, CEO of Common Thread Collective, knows this firsthand. After transitioning from professional baseball with the New York Yankees to the world of e-commerce, he discovered that building sustainable online businesses requires a fundamentally different approach than what most marketers preach.The harsh reality? The median eight-figure e-commerce business operates on razor-thin 6.5% profit margins. This creates a brutal catch-22: growing businesses need capital for inventory, but their margins often don't generate enough cash to fund that growth. As Taylor explains, this is why so many entrepreneurs find themselves with impressive revenue figures but empty bank accounts.What separates thriving e-commerce brands from struggling ones? Taylor identifies three key leverage points that the most successful companies exploit: organic audience reach that reduces customer acquisition costs, exceptional lifetime customer value that justifies higher initial marketing spend, or supply chain advantages that enable nimble inventory management. Without at least one of these advantages, businesses inevitably face commoditization as competition drives margins toward zero.Taylor's "four-quarter accounting" framework offers a practical solution for e-commerce operators. By dividing the P&L into cost of delivery, customer acquisition, operating expenses, and profit—and aiming for roughly 25% in each category—founders can quickly identify and address imbalances. Most importantly, he advocates tracking contribution margin (gross margin minus ad spend) as the north star metric for evaluating marketing performance.Whether you're struggling with cash flow despite growing sales, wondering why your marketing efforts aren't translating to actual profit, or simply looking to build a more sustainable e-commerce operation, Taylor's insights challenge conventional wisdom and provide a roadmap for building businesses that don't just generate impressive revenue but actually put money in your pocket. Isn't that the whole point?How to connect with Taylor?Website: https://commonthreadco.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.comTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@commonthreadcoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjtbFqsqVORPBJMein0zLWQFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/commonthreadco/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-thread-collective/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorholiday/?hl=enTwitter: https://x.com/taylorholiday?lang=enReady to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

What if everything you know about SEO is becoming obsolete? Dale Bertrand, founder of Fire and Spark, brings a refreshingly technical yet human-centered perspective to digital growth strategy—a perspective forged through his journey from building government supercomputers to revolutionizing how businesses approach organic traffic."Rankings and traffic that don't convert are worthless," Dale asserts, challenging the vanity metrics that have dominated digital marketing for years. His "SEO for Revenue" methodology cuts through the clutter, focusing on customer acquisition rather than keyword rankings. This approach has yielded remarkable results, including helping GrabCAD achieve 30x growth in organic traffic that ultimately led to a successful acquisition.As artificial intelligence reshapes search, Dale identifies three critical shifts: the tools marketers use, the algorithms powering results, and how customers seek information. This trifecta demands new strategies where content must be "semantically dense" and "snackable" for AI training. The counterintuitive outcome? Less traffic but more revenue—a concept many marketers struggle to embrace.Perhaps most surprising is Dale's deceptively simple advice for understanding customer behavior: just ask them. "We've gotten used to hiding behind analytics," he notes, advocating instead for direct conversations that yield insights no dashboard can provide. This human connection extends to his recommendations for product selection, where he encourages entrepreneurs to find the sweet spot between passion for a customer community, viable sales channels, and healthy unit economics.For those building online businesses in 2023 and beyond, Dale offers a roadmap for navigating the transition from traditional SEO to what he calls "Generative Engine Optimization" (GEO). Early adopters who master these dynamics stand to benefit significantly, just as early SEO practitioners did years ago.Connect with Dale at fireandspark.com or reach him directly at dale@fireandspark.com to learn how your business can thrive in the age of AI-powered search.Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazonDylan Jahraus transformed from corporate e-commerce strategist to Etsy powerhouse, landing her shop in the top 0.1% worldwide and hitting $1 million in sales in just a few years. Now coaching over 4,500 Etsy sellers across 30+ countries, Dylan returns to share her expertise on the platform that changed her life.This conversation dives deep into what makes Etsy different from Amazon and Shopify - from customer expectations to policy control. Dylan reveals that Etsy customers aren't expecting free returns and sellers maintain complete control over their policies, creating a fundamentally different selling environment. She shares how the platform's built-in trust eliminates the friction often associated with independent Shopify stores that might initially appear less trustworthy.Perhaps most valuable is Dylan's contrarian take on Etsy ads. While many sellers pour money into advertising, Dylan built her million-dollar business primarily through organic growth. "I'm very passionate about exhausting your organic potential first," she explains, noting that in her experience, paid ads have only proven worthwhile for less than 20 people she's worked with. Instead, she recommends free marketing channels like Pinterest, which for one student generated over 1.1 million monthly impressions without spending a dime on ads.The episode covers practical strategies for international expansion, personalization best practices, and the free shipping debate. Dylan suggests a hybrid shipping model where you might charge a nominal amount when shipping costs are higher while building the remainder into the product price. She also shares her testing methodology to determine what works best for your specific shop.Whether you're considering Etsy as a new sales channel or looking to optimize your existing shop, this episode provides actionable insights from someone who's mastered the platform. Book a free call with Dylan to chat about your Etsy shop and see if her coaching program might be the right fit for your business goals.How to connect with Dylan?Website: https://dylanjahraus.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/etsy-seller-success-tips-for-starting-growing-and/id1647518076YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeO8Gmc2B-3G2fgcFnRR4XwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dylanjahrausofficialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanjahraus/Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazonThe screen time battle just got a revolutionary upgrade. Meet Britta Buchholz, the visionary entrepreneur who's flipping the script on how kids interact with technology through her groundbreaking app, Kidoo.After watching her young children memorize complex passcodes to access their iPads while homework sat untouched, Britta had her lightbulb moment. What if those same devices that captivated children's attention could become powerful educational tools? What if kids had to answer educational questions to unlock their entertainment apps?Drawing from her extensive experience running the Boomerang Group, a philanthropic consulting firm serving high-profile clients like Steve Aoki and Cesar Millan, Britta took the entrepreneurial leap. Despite having no background in tech development, she followed her instincts and pursued her vision with unwavering determination."I didn't even tell my husband for a few months later that I had started this company with this guy, that I had never met with this whimsical idea, that I had to invent an app which I had no clue about the technology industry," Britta shares with refreshing candor. Her journey wasn't without challenges – from facing critical feedback from early testers to navigating the technical complexities of app development and finding the courage to release a minimum viable product rather than waiting for perfection.The result? A transformative tool that parents everywhere have been waiting for. Kidoo seamlessly integrates learning into screen time by requiring children to complete educational challenges before accessing entertainment apps. Unlike traditional educational apps that require parental navigation, Kidoo makes learning the gateway to entertainment, leveraging children's natural motivation to use devices.Whether you're a parent struggling with screen time battles, an entrepreneur considering taking the leap, or simply fascinated by innovative solutions to modern challenges, this conversation offers valuable insights into both the practical aspects of startup development and the mindset required to bring transformative ideas to life. The future of family technology might just look brighter thanks to visionaries like Britta who dare to question the status quo.How to connect with Britta?Website: https://keydo.io/ Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazonThe difference between struggling to get responses and filling your calendar with qualified leads often comes down to one thing: how you structure your offer. Perrin Monker, Principal at RevAscension.io, reveals the counterintuitive psychology that drives successful cold outreach campaigns.Most entrepreneurs make a critical mistake when reaching out to prospects - they position themselves at the center of their messaging. "This is what I do and why I'm great" rarely moves the needle. What actually works is flipping the script to center everything around your prospect's desired business outcomes. As Perrin explains, "We want to be humble when we come up with go-to-market strategies...look at the competition, see what other sharks are in the water."Beyond crafting compelling offers, this episode dives deep into the technical aspects of cold email that most marketers get wrong. We debunk common myths (like the value of tracking open rates) and reveal why sending fewer emails from more accounts dramatically improves deliverability. You'll discover why asking for a prospect's time is fundamentally flawed compared to generating interest - a resource that, unlike time, is infinite and can be created through strategic messaging.Whether you're trying to reach e-commerce businesses, SaaS clients, or any B2B audience, Perrin shares the frameworks that have filled calendars for businesses across industries. From prospect list building techniques to the surprising truth about CTAs that actually work, this conversation will transform how you approach outreach.Ready to stop guessing what works in cold email? Visit RevAscension.io to see how data-driven frameworks can create predictable lead generation for your business. Your next client is just one strategic message away.How to connect with Perrin?Website: https://revascension.io/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrinmoncur/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@perrmoncurReady to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call.  https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show