Future Commerce

We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business.We talk with Jonathan Paquin, the founder of Nine Months Sober, about his experience in selling his business, and how he was able to keep it lean throughout the process. He explains that having greater control over the customer experience and doing it in a thoughtful way was key to his success. In addition, he talks about minimizing staff and overhead, as well as investing in technology in order to deliver a great product to customers. Jonathan's story is a great example of how to architect a business for a dream exit.In this episode:00:04:24 - Building an eCommerce Business and Scaling Current Ones00:07:39 - Finding a Niche in the eCommerce World00:09:08 - The Transition from Dropshipping to 3PL00:16:17 - The Importance of Networking and Communication with Peers00:26:05 - Maximizing Valuation Through Effective Facebook Advertising Strategies00:29:51 - Exploring Strategies for Scaling a Direct Response Business00:34:35 - Advice on Putting Yourself in the Shoes of the BuyersAssociated LinksWant to learn more? Read more about how to architect a dreamy eCommerce exit on our Insiders blog here!Learn more about OpenStore Here.Listen to more Step by Step episodes.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Get your copy of Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business.We talk with Brendan Brosnan and Chris Heckman, co-founders of Yogaste about their experience co-founding Yogaste and how their shared passion and ability to communicate well led them to a successful exit. Brendan and Chris weren't initially interested in selling their business, but they realized it was the best option to take their business to the next level. They share their experience with vetting owners to sell to.In this Episode:00:06:14- How They Founded Their E-Commerce Brand00:13:14 - What it’s like building with a short-term focus00:15:09 - The Power of Consistent Progress00:19:34 - Leveraging a Network and a Lean Team to Test and Grow a Business00:22:11 - The Benefits of Remote Talent00:30:07 - Their experience of Selling a Business to OpenStore00:38:38 - Advice for Entrepreneurs Looking to Build a Profitable Business on ShopifyAssociated LinksWant to learn more? Read more about how to architect a dreamy eCommerce exit on our Insiders blog here!Learn more about OpenStore Here.Listen to more Step by Step episodes.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Get your copy of Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

We’re in Season 11 of Step by Step and this season, we’re focusing on architecting your business for a dream exit. We’ve partnered with OpenStore to bring you stories from real founders who have successfully built and sold their businesses and will equip you with the tools you need to confidently sell your own business. In this episode, we welcome Jeremy Wood, Co-Founder of OpenStore to discuss OpenStore’s approach to negotiating and buying businesses and what entrepreneurs need to know when thinking through an exit. Listen now!In this episode:0:07:38 - How to explore objective metrics for business valuation0:10:12 - Discussion on the commonalities of profitable eCommerce businesses0:13:48 - How to build Shopify stores and build for an exit0:19:09 - eCommerce, drop shipping, and OpenStore's differentiators0:23:29 - The importance of simplicity and transparency in eCommerce transactions0:25:17 - The role of timing an eCommerce business exit0:34:11 - Explore the OpenStore acquisition process0:38:05 - How to maximize the valuation for your dream exitAssociated Links:Want to learn more? Read more about how to architect a dreamy eCommerce exit on our Insiders blog here!Learn more about OpenStore Here.Listen to more Step by Step episodes.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Get your copy of Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Is the current shift to more machines reminiscent of the eCommerce movement, where ease of use and fewer middlemen were promised but where actually more middlemen are created? What is ChatGPT leading to already, how will that continue to influence the future, and what did Norbert Wiener say back in 1964 that was chillingly accurate? There is a lot to discuss, so listen now! Say That, But Shorter“Layoffs are refocusing where the priorities are in one part of the business to futureproof itself for the next generation.” - PhillipA lot of what was predicted by analysts as being the next generation-defining commerce experiences are going to prove to be wrong because it’s about what the consumer wants, and they aren’t wanting any of those thingsPhillip apologizes to Brian for not getting his Quantum Yeet piece right away, and really if you haven’t been reading Future Commerce Insiders and The Senses, subscribe and see what you’ve been missing“We as humans have been trying to accomplish jobs that are better done by machines. All the jobs that are best done by machines should be pursued as jobs that are done by machines.” - BrianDifferent jobs will be created as current jobs are replaced by machines, and the output can actually be better“There will always be a middle layer of infrastructure that's required and a middle layer of management to manage that infrastructure that's required.” - PhillipWe can continue down this path of just human interface connections and quantum computing becomes a problem for a future generationBrian ends by reading a quote from 1964 by Norbert Wiener that will blow your mind and will likely lead to more interesting discussions on future episodesAssociated Links:Episode 19 and Episode 20 from way back when the guys sat for three plus hours with Brian RoemmeleCheck out The Human Use of Human Beings by Norbert WienerHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Get your copy of Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Even in the aftermath of difficulties within the retail and commerce world, there is a relentless positivity and excitement shared among those living and working in it. This was evident at The NRF Big Show this year. Have a listen as Phillip and Brian share more about their perspective on this and what this could mean for the very near future!Aggressive OptimismThe NRF Big Show was great, and everyone was enthusiastic about being there, back at the Big Show like old timesWalmart Technologies and the strides they are making is impressive and really overtaking Amazon when it comes to eCommerce experience and customer expectationsShopify, coming in with a booth at NRF, with their Commerce Components roll out made quite the splash“Regardless of whether you think you already provide a lot of these products and services, the ecosystem needs you to just say it in their language.” - Phillip“People look for creative ways to use tools they're familiar with.” - BrianDespite fake news about a downturn in sales, inflation is slowing, and that techno-optimism can’t be turned down or slowed down right nowBrian and Phillip share some of their favorite parts of the NRF Big Show and why they were impactfulThe world in which we live is one where it takes a whole lot for people to go deepThere were a lot of robotics at The Big Show this year, and interestingly also a lot of ChadsAs we walk through a season where cost management is high, companies may want to forego cloud prices and find other solutionsAssociated Links:Check out Retail Remix by Alicia Esposito here.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Get your copy of Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Some Bold PredictionsWho are The Biggest Retail Winners of 2022? What about The Biggest Retail Losers of 2022? Are these surprises? Who will it be for 2023?“If there is digital business to be won, Walmart can win it and they'll win it away from Amazon.” - Phillip“The call to work back in the office again is going to spur a set of entrepreneurs from big and small brands alike,” leading to growth in the maker economyThe Biggest DTC Winner prediction for 2022 was so so right and was basically a no-look half-court swish, but will this be the case for our prediction for 2023’s Biggest DTC Winner?“There is a small group of people that are realizing that physical media has a place in the world because the things they love are being taken away from them and they're no longer available on streaming services. When that happens, it changes the way people find safety and security in the things they find entertaining and important in their lives.” - PhillipBrian has some bold and exciting predictions for the tech world for 2023, and it will be interesting to see how close he will get to being on the mark with these“The tools that are about to be unleashed into the world are going to be absolutely the most interesting trends of 2023.” - PhillipHave you heard of Media Chic? Phillip explains what it is and why he thinks we will see more of it in 2023“People are going to revolt. There's going to be a genuine trend of people quitting to start their own businesses and really doubling down on what their home working situation looks like.” - BrianAssociated Links:Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?RSVP to our Archetypes Pop Up X Industry West here!Get ready for Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

What a year 2022 was. Let’s recap it together, shall we? Phillip and Brian look back on the most popular episodes, articles, and happenings at Future Commerce and tease a lot about what is coming in 2023 and why they are excited about what’s ahead. Listen now!“You Had Me at Beowulf”The most listened-to-episode of 2022 was Episode 240 featuring Magdalena Kala, in which she dropped lots of great insights that became even more profound as the year unfoldedAs technology like blockchain and other protocols advance, we have to stop using industry lingo because people don’t buy protocols, they buy productsIt’s the creative jobs that AI is coming after, not the lower-end jobs that we all thought would be in danger, but the world always finds a way to succeed in middle-management right?Unfortunately, ChatGPT wouldn’t do what Phillip asked when he asked for a bullet-point version of Beowulf in Gen Z slang“It used to be if you understood Booleans, you could be good at Google. If you understand gaslighting, you can be great at GPT.” - PhillipLike Kris Gösser says, “The shipping experience is half the shopping experience.”Guests like Miki Agrawal, Neil Shakar, and Seyi Taylor provided interesting perspectives that we couldn’t have done without in 2022You have to build something worth protecting before you build the moat to protect itWe believe commerce is personal, and that makes it very important to all of us, so we continue to embrace the stories of people and brands, and sharing these will be an emphasis in 2023Thank you to all of you for joining us throughout 2022 and coming with us into 2023!Associated Links:Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?RSVP to our Archetypes Pop Up X Industry West here!Get ready for Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

Where are people shopping and how is that affecting how people are launching brands today? The guys sit down with Calvin Lammers to hear what he is seeing as an emerging CPG leader to get his take on the opportunity available to brands today.Rare Eye for the CPG GuyHow brands launch has now significantly changed. Before, brands could decide to avoid Amazon but now, it’s an imperative part of their early business strategy.Amazon is a true platform now and has become more competitive, so differentiation at the start is very important for a brand to be set up well for success and scaleWhen it comes to emerging brands, Instacart is better at helping those brands be discovered and scale than Walmart+, especially if it’s in the grocery categoryThe path forward for a lot of brands could be taking advantage of the opportunity to grow quickly and then moving to an aggregator or portfolioWe may still see a lot of brands, but we likely won’t see them scale like Venture wanted them to scale“If it's hard that means not everybody's doing it and there's a reason why. But that also means there's an opportunity to succeed.” - CalvinGood partnerships are key, and they have to cut through the clutter and build your audience authentically to make senseYou have to learn to anticipate what the next thing is going to be so you’re not late for this momentAssociated Links:Learn more about Calvin Lammers and Rare Eye.Get ready for Archetypes, our newly published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Download VISIONS 2022 NOW!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

If only there was a directory where we can find out concise information about CPG and also a directory of agencies for brands to find. Well, there is! Listen in as Phillip and Brian discuss the CPG world with Andrea Popova and also find out what some of their favorite product placements in films are and why the future of feature is different.McCallister MoneyCPGD is a wealth of information for leaders in the CPG world and a great resource for connections and was a huge lucky moment for AndreaTikTok is just not the same as it was in the beginning of its reign, and it’s a lot harder to go viral there nowThere are some really interesting product placements in films that actually lead to the product being more like a side-character, and there are some brilliant examplesBack when Phillip was 14, the Tampa Bay Times wrote an article about a specific product placement that actually made a lasting impression on him that still impacts him today“The whole premise behind celebrity back brands and how this is becoming more of a thing is because now the power has shifted towards the brand actually needing the financial support of the celebrities to grow.” - AndreaWhy have some celebrities starting brands gotten backlash and others have been accepted?If Brian ever gets famous, look for his sweater brandThere's some regionality and the awareness of the allure of such a thing based on where you happen to be and the feasibility to get it that can effect the way product placement in a film makes an impactWhen you populate the world of a film or show with consumer brands that are vestiges of certain eras, it gives it some authenticity, so how can that translate to now with the explosion of DTC brands and what does the future of features look like for them?Associated Links:Learn more about Andrea Popova and Consumer Packaged Good Directory (CPGD).Episode 3 of Visions: RomanticismGet ready for Archetypes, our soon-to-be-published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Download VISIONS 2022 NOW!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

AI advancements are changing the landscape of product photography in many industries, including eCommerce. There are many exciting use cases and possibilities and also some snags that the AI world is trying to untangle, such as rights to content, proper execution of image generation, and other issues that could be figured out by the time 2023 rolls around. Seriously? Listen now to hear Sofiia Shvets’ take on this and more!Have Your Robots Call My Robots The power of AI technology is not only about saving time and money but streamlining efficiency, so that teams are more connected and more able to operate at a higher scaleHaving more tooling that allows a still very small team to be able to operate efficiently with competitive margins is the biggest challenge that we face in eCommerce todayWe are at the beginning of phase 2 of generative AI where we can actually create content from scratch for multiple industries, including eCommerceAI tech is iterating so fast that within the next month or month and a half, Sofiia predicts we won’t be able to pick out the photos on a website that are AI generated“There will be a future use case that we can't even be able to dream of that is more likely the outcome than not.” - Phillip“There is a study that I read recently that currently around 1% of the content and the Internet is AI-generated. In the next 6-10 years, the prediction is up to 50%.” - SofiiaAI changes the way we think about how consumers are going to interact with content in the futureAssociated Links:Learn more about Sofiia Shvets and Claid AI.Get ready for Archetypes, our soon-to-be-published 240-page journal! Check it out at ArchetypesJournal.comSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Download VISIONS 2022 NOW!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!