Up Arrow Podcast

Andrew Heddle is the Head of New Business Development at Colaboratory, a SaaS company that uses data, science, and software to boost brand collaborations. As an entrepreneurial business leader, he has a track record of scaling e-commerce, D2C, and retail businesses. Andrew is also the author of D2C DNA, which examines in-depth case studies of the world's most innovative D2C brands. Before Colaboratory, Andrew was the Managing Director of D2C Commerce at VMLY&R and has held executive positions at top brands like Best Buy and Vista Outdoor Inc. In this episode… While companies might reach primary targets independently, combining marketing resources and creating joint campaigns with other non-competing brands could help reach new audiences. Brand collaborations create new and exciting reasons for consumers to shop, enabling businesses to develop credibility and authority. However, brands encounter challenges acquiring suitable partners and establishing and launching campaigns. Business strategy guru Andrew Heddle emphasizes the value of leveraging data and software to identify potential brand partnerships. He describes a successful brand collaboration as two businesses leveraging each other's strengths to offer value. But to have a successful campaign, a brand must remain authentic and create a strategy that connects with the audience organically. Is your partnership giving consumers value? In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Andrew Heddle, the Head of New Business Development at Colaboratory, to discuss the elements of effective brand collaboration. Andrew shares tips for creating a campaign that cuts through the noise, the importance of synergy in a partnership, and the potential pitfalls of brand collaborations. He also highlights the inspiration behind Colaboratory, the firm's services, and case studies of successful partnerships. Tune in!

Chad Rubin is the Founder and CEO of Profasee, a pricing platform enabling Amazon brands to predict product pricing. Chad began his career in the e-commerce industry in 2008 and has since founded six companies, including Deep and Sassy, Think Crucial, and Skubana. As a speaker and Amazon expert, he speaks about e-commerce, Amazon, and SaaS at global conferences and webinars. Chad is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Cheaper, Easier, Direct, which guides readers on uncovering success by disrupting industries. In this episode... Amazon has become one of the largest e-commerce platforms for brands large and small. Consumers prefer shopping on the platform for its reasonable prices and convenience. However, to offer competitive pricing, Amazon brands have sacrificed profitability by focusing on achieving ACOS and ROAS targets. What can you implement immediately to improve your profitability on Amazon? Many e-commerce professionals encourage you to spend your valuable time on keyword research and ad spending. Chad Rubin, an e-commerce business owner, refers to the phenomenon as the ROAS illusion — capable of plummeting your business' success and profitability. A Harvard Business Review study determined a 1% price increase can improve your EBITA by 14%. If product pricing has a direct effect on profitability, why wouldn't you reconsider your pricing strategy? Chad implores business owners to revisit profitability fundamentals. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Chad Rubin, Founder and CEO of Profasee, to discuss how e-commerce brands can increase their profitability on Amazon. Chad shares how to structure your pricing on Amazon and the risk of focusing on ACOS and ROAS strategies. He also discusses the reliability of AI resources and how it contributes to business development.

Kurt Elster is the Co-founder and CEO of Ethercycle, an agency with a proven track record of creating web-optimization strategies for top brands like Jay Leno's Garage and HOONIGAN. As a senior e-commerce consultant and Shopify expert, Kurt helps merchants boost website sales. Kurt is also the host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, which explores tales of e-commerce entrepreneurship with a focus on Shopify. The show has over two million plays and features industry experts like Shopify's President, Harley Finkelstein. In this episode… In today's online shopping landscape, a user-friendly website is an integral factor of an e-commerce business' chances of success. An appealing, well-optimized, and functional website attracts more visitors – and, ultimately, more sales. How can you improve your site's user experience, navigation, and interactivity to boost traffic? eCommerce expert Kurt Elster emphasizes the importance of an intuitive website design. Removing any roadblocks from your prospects' paths through split testing, web optimization, and other advanced marketing tactics can maximize conversion rates. In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Kurt Elster, Founder of Ethercycle and host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, to explore trends in e-commerce website design. Kurt shares his journey from a WordPress developer to an e-commerce consultant and how he started Ethercycle. He also identifies common design mistakes and provides tips for website optimization.

Alexa Vogue is the SVP of Brand Partnerships at FamFluence Talent Management, an agency managing top-performing creators in the family space across social platforms. She is also the SVP of Brand Partnerships at Brilliant PR & Marketing, a PR and influencer marketing firm. In her roles, Alexa develops creative campaigns to help brands achieve their KPIs. With over 10 years of influencer marketing experience, she has worked with various partners, from small startups to global brands, including Amazon, Walmart, and Disney. In this episode… Social media platforms have evolved from promoting digital relationships to functioning as strategic marketing resources. Content creators have become a trusted source for social media users, and brands are capitalizing on their popularity. By partnering with influencers, brands gain exposure and boost their sales while offering consumers organic reviews. How can you ensure a brand deal is mutually beneficial for you and the influencer? When signing a deal with an influencer, determining your objective and expectations is crucial as these factors dictate the creators you select. As an expert in brand and creator management, Alexa Vogue helps brands leverage partnerships with influencers to maintain a working relationship, fair compensation, and freedom of creativity. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Alexa Vogue, SVP of Brand Partnerships at FamFluence Talent Management and Brilliant PR & Marketing, to discuss how brands can utilize content creators for marketing purposes. Alexa also shares the benefits of partnering with influencers, implementing strategies for optimal results, and negotiating compensation. She also divulges her experience as a news anchor and acknowledges the value of mental health.

Yarden Shaked is the Co-founder and CEO of Varos, a data-sharing platform helping companies compare KPIs with their competitors. Varos, a Y Combinator startup, provides performance marketing benchmarks to over 4,000 brands, agencies, and SaaS companies. Yarden is an active angel investor and was a Private Equity Investor at Apax. In this episode… An entrepreneur's role is to create innovative ideas that mature into functioning businesses. However, not all ideas come to fruition. Turning your vision into a business model takes sheer determination, hard work, and resources to solidify your mission and goal. What resources can you leverage to transform your idea into a thriving entity and prepare for execution? Sometimes entrepreneurs have difficulty navigating the process necessary to reach their end goals. Without proper guidance, they can feel discouraged and unmotivated. Yarden Shaked, an entrepreneur and founder, discovered accelerator programs are a strategic way to kickstart your business idea. Program mentors challenge you to focus on every facet of your business and alter it as needed. Obstacles are inevitable during the pre-launch phase, but accelerator programs can help you work through blindspots and launch quickly. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Yarden Shaked, Co-founder and CEO of Varos, to discuss how his experience with an accelerator program contributed to his business success. Yarden also shares the correlation between CPMs and CPAs on performance and how benchmarking services are progressing with AI integrations.

Sean Larkin is the Co-founder and CEO of Fueled, a first-party data management company providing client and server integrations for e-commerce businesses. Sean is a SaaS founder and veteran agency growth marketer. His experience as a technologist building, purchasing, and selling businesses has aided his ability to assist companies wrestling with complex data and integration challenges. In this episode… The use of third-party data has steadily decreased and is being replaced by democratized first-party data strategies — putting e-commerce businesses at risk of losing years of data. How can you keep your company from losing valuable consumer data? Democratizing allows e-commerce businesses to control their data rather than relying on external platforms to store gathered information. Implementing resources for data ownership protects your company from losing insight into website traffic and other consumer activity. Sean Larkin, an experienced technologist, recommends that e-commerce business owners install first-party tools to funnel information to a data warehouse where your collected material is stored safely. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Sean Larkin, Co-founder and CEO of Fueled, to discuss democratized data and its value to e-commerce business practices. Sean also shares the benefit of leveraging open-source tools and how merchants should prepare for the future of data management.

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.