Up Arrow Podcast

Jonathan Beskin is the Founder and CEO of SinglesSwag, a subscription service designed to empower single women. In less than five years, Jonathan’s startup has accumulated $60 million in revenue. He has been featured twice in the Inc. 5000 list. Jonathan is also a digital advertising and e-commerce expert and speaker. In this episode… Can you recall a time when you had an innovative idea that was immediately dismissed by your mentor? Chances are you’ve encountered rejection at some point in time. This experience can suppress your passion, leading you to neglect your idea entirely — but only if you let it. When faced with opposition from your peers, how do you respond?  The natural response is to accept rejection and wait for your next million-dollar idea to strike. Jonathan Beskin knew he stumbled upon a worthwhile business idea marketing for single women. His mentor advised him to reconsider, worried a single male was ineligible to market to the female population. Confident in his abilities, he discarded his mentor's advice and pursued his business by himself — which paid off gratuitously. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Jonathan Beskin, Founder and CEO of SinglesSwag, to discuss how he grew a prosperous business marketed to single women and the research he conducted to choose his sole demographic. Jonathan shares how he channels his anxiety into a healthy obsession, how his childhood has influenced his business mindset, and the challenges he’s faced as an entrepreneur.

Chase Zieman is the Co-founder, Chief Data Officer, and General Manager of Data Products at Cart.com, an e-commerce software and service provider helping brands scale and streamline delivery processes. Chase is an expert in the data sciences industry and has experience leading high-performance teams for growth. He began his career in AI within Deloitte’s counter-terrorism and fraud detection spaces before leading data science at companies, including Home Depot and Vail. In this episode... Tracking attribution helps you understand your customers’ online habits and the marketing strategies influencing their purchases. While the benefits of attribution are invaluable, the model is not perfect — and it may create more questions than answers. What are the practical methods for resolving frequent attribution issues?  As data analytics rapidly evolves, traditional attribution models are being discontinued. With rumors of third-party cookies dissolving, your company must adapt to these new developments to continue tracking your customers’ digital behavior. Recognizing the future of data analytics, Chase Zieman found a solution that doesn’t rely on third-party cookies.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Chase Zieman, Co-founder, Chief Data Officer, and General Manager of Data Products for Cart.com, to discuss how to solve issues associated with attribution tools. Chase also shares the limits placed around attribution models, how limited attribution will affect the marketing industry, the value of campaigns, and how utilizing the fourth dimension will impact our world.

Robert Gilbreath is a strategic advisor and the previous Vice President and General Manager of ShipStation, a web-based order management and shipping software designed to increase efficiency for e-commerce companies. In his role, he managed a nine-figure P&L statement and an eight-figure marketing budget, led a team of 175 employees, and directed shared resources. Robert’s background as an entrepreneur and strategic advisor includes SaaS advising, brand building, business development, user experience, marketing, and recruiting. In this episode… CEOs are often isolated from others. Even when standing at the center of your own company, it can feel like you’re floating on an island by yourself without anyone guiding you. Being without support for too long can hinder your productivity and cause burnout. How can you stay connected and manage stress in your personal and professional life? You must maintain a level of professionalism when leading an organization — but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it fun. Robert Gilbreath, an experienced CEO, understands the pressure C-suite executives face in their roles. When feeling lonely in his position, he identifies practical ways to alleviate stress. Whether you feel most supported talking with a psychologist, joining a peer group, or incorporating fun activities into your work environment, it’s critical to your health and the company’s well-being to take care of yourself first. In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Robert Gilbreath, a strategic advisor and the previous Vice President and General Manager of ShipStation, to discuss the reality of being a CEO. Robert shares practical tips for managing stress levels, the value of staying connected to your peers, and his philosophy on incorporating fun in the workplace.

Mark Friedman is the Vice President of Digital at Eddie Bauer, a retail brand for outdoorsmen and adventure enthusiasts. As a collaborative leader with various specialties in the e-commerce industry and knowledge of driving website traffic, Mark has helped business owners scale their companies with digital marketing techniques and strategies. In addition to his expertise in e-commerce and brand marketing, Mark’s knowledge extends to various facets of business management, including development, project, financial, and marketplace. In this episode… A strategic way to increase your brand's lifetime value is to establish a multichannel marketing approach. Although our culture favors the digital marketplace, allocating your sales strategies through brick-and-mortar and product catalogs is still viable for business growth. How can you expand your e-commerce brand to incorporate an omnichannel approach?  As an experienced brand and marketing consultant, Mark Friedman has helped e-commerce companies understand the value of enhancing the customer experience with omnichannel marketing strategies. To reap the benefits of a multichannel approach, you must evaluate your finances to determine the marketing channels to invest in for maximum ROI. As you diversify your marketing channels, your lifetime value will increase.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Mark Friedman, VP of Digital Marketing at Eddie Bauer, to discuss utilizing omnichannel marketing strategies to leverage lifetime value and ROI. Mark shares how e-commerce has evolved in our culture, the common obstacles e-commerce brands experience, and the value of knowing how to spend your marketing budget.

Valentin Radu is the Founder and CEO of Omniconvert, a technology company helping D2C e-commerce and retail companies scale their businesses. Upon realizing his passion for creating systems to improve business processes, Valentin launched his first startup. Understanding the principles of conversion rate optimization and recognizing the value of lifetime customers has led him to craft a new e-commerce category: customer value optimization (CVO). Valentin also founded Omniconvert’s CVO Academy to educate e-commerce professionals on improving the customer lifetime experience. In this episode… Without recurring customers purchasing your company’s product, your business would lose profit. Scaling your business requires optimizing the customer experience and maintaining those customers over time. In the e-commerce industry, understanding what your customer values is pivotal to your bottom line.  Valentin Radu recognizes companies are missing the opportunity to leverage the customer experience and increase their profit margin. While acquisition and retention rates are valuable, these metrics are void if your customer lifetime value (CLV) is not a priority. With his experience in the e-commerce industry, Valentin believes customer value optimization offers insight into repeat purchases.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Valentin Radu, Founder and CEO of Omniconvert, to discuss why businesses should prioritize CLV. Valentin also shares the CLV formula, offers solutions to frequent customer experience issues, and explains how acquisition and retention rates maintain CVO.

Matt Bahr is the Co-founder and CEO of Fairing, which helps e-commerce brands build sustainable customer relationships and growth models. Matt has spent the last decade helping brands with attribution and analytics. He also advises and consults various businesses, from direct-to-consumer brands to public companies. Matt specializes in e-commerce, D2C startups, SEO, web development, and CR optimization. In this episode… No matter your company’s industry or market, your product sustains your business. Understanding your customers and their shopping habits provides insight into online marketing strategies. What attribution tools are available to leverage the post-purchase customer relationship? Traditional post-purchase surveys are designed to serve future customers, but to market your product effectively, you must also track your current customers. Fairing, co-founded by Matt Bahr, utilizes individually targeted questions to gather data from customers instantly — allowing you to understand their purchasing intent and how they found your product. In this episode of The Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Matt Bahr, Co-founder and CEO of Fairing, to discuss how his company solves attribution challenges in the marketplace. Matt also shares how he builds and empowers his team, the challenges he faced in his entrepreneurial journey, how to identify successful marketing strategies, and his perspective on the future of customer data.