eComFuel Podcast

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably noticed that it's been a rough year for eCommerce. After the debacle that was the Apple and Facebook divorce, you are definitely not alone if you found the ax being taken to your ad account ROI. Joining me today are Austin Harrison and Grant Margerum, founders of Northbeam.io, the new standard for eCommerce intelligence and attribution. Listen in as we talk all about data, tracking, and what the heck happened between Apple and Facebook. You'll learn what you need to know about the different types of data, what the future of tracking looks like, and how Northbeam.io helps clients grow their revenue by an average of 44%—and allows them to make smarter, faster decisions. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3zZxJQU 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.

Spencer Jan is the co-founder of Solo Stove, along with his brother, Jeff, and they have a phenomenal story of bootstrapping their way to a $2-billion valuation in only 8 years. Within the last 24 months alone, they've had two private equity deals and three major 8-figure acquisitions! Spencer joins me today to talk all about that and so much more. Listen in as he shares Solo Stove's journey from being a side hustle to a highly profitable and valuable company. You'll hear why they obsessed over margins from the very beginning, as well as the painful reality they faced when they first went to sell. We also discuss the importance of profitable margins, how to stay lean as a company, and why it's important to get out of the default mode of working more and instead spend more time on what matters most. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3tood8J 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.

Ramon van Meer is the owner of AlphaPaw.com, an entrepreneur, and a self-described bootstrap founder of numerous businesses. He has a really cool story of immigrating from the Netherlands 12 years ago and pivoting to the internet marketing space, where he has self-financed his ventures and built some really amazing communities. We dive into so much in this episode, including how Ramon has been so successful doing something that very few have done in the eCommerce space: buying and selling websites. We also talk about how he has built communities (and then monetized those communities), how he is pivoting to overcome the challenges the pandemic has thrown his way, and what he would do differently if he ever decides to acquire another community. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3mczp3B 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.

As entrepreneurs, we often have busy and packed lives—and as a result, friendships often get pushed to the side. Cultivating friendships is something that I think is really important, especially as we go into the new year and start to think about how we're going to invest our time in 2022. That's why I'm bringing back one of my favorite episodes all about friendships and entrepreneurship, where I talked about the importance of friendship not only on our mental health, but also on our physical well-being. I also shared why I'm so intentional with my own friendships and have been able to nurture them, despite the busyness that tends to come with entrepreneurial life. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3qjeBbY 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.

One of my favorite episodes from the past year is one I did with my accountant, Mario Lucibello, and I'm excited to share it with you again as we head into the ever-so-fun tax season. Now, I know what you're probably thinking: accounting doesn't sound very festive. But what if I told you that Mario has some tips for how to give yourself a last-minute bonus before we get to the end of the year? Not only does he give insights into entrepreneurship, taxes, and finances in this episode, but he also has a really unique perspective on happiness and wealth that I think everyone should keep in mind as we go through the holiday season. Mario has been fortunate to see the finances of hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years, which has helped to shape his perspective on money and wealth. So kick back and enjoy this interesting and refreshing replay. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3J1UEiq 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.

Josh Cauley is the owner of ShipHaven.com and a long-time ECF member who I just recently had the opportunity to meet in person. Josh currently resides in Puerto Rico, and he joins me today to talk about how living there benefits him financially, how he has built a true adventure business, and how he utilizes headhunters to help him grow and scale. Listen in as we talk about the difference between a headhunter and a recruiter, how Josh has used both to earn a 95% staff retention rate, and the questions he uses during the hiring process to vet candidates. You'll learn why he moved to Puerto Rico, how he manages to stay productive while also traveling, and key insight into why he doesn't believe that selling on Amazon is sustainable long-term for most eCommerce businesses. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3058ejo 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.

Thanks to the pandemic, the last two years have seen incredible growth and change for the eCommerce space. Some of which we predicted, and some things seem to have come completely out of nowhere. As we near the end of the year, it's always fun to look back at the predictions we made, as well as what we believe we can expect to see in the coming year. To help us reflect on these predictions is Bill D'Alessandro, CEO of ElementsBrands.com. Will Facebook advertising be fixed by the end of next year? Will there be a new web browser on the horizon? Could this be the largest year we have ever seen for eCommerce M&A? Tune in as we share our thoughts on these questions and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3y29nF9 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.

I'm excited to have my good friend and returning guest Mr. Eric Bandholz joining me on the show today. Eric is the man behind Beardbrand.com, an eCommerce store that is dedicated to building a community of like-minded beardsmen. We caught up to talk about so many things, including his new project, the reason behind it, why he is choosing to stay away from Facebook and Google tracking, and what he is doing instead to create brand awareness and buzz. Listen in to hear Eric's philosophy around freedom, why he chooses to live a debt-free life, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3G8dSAz 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.

Darnell Jackson is the Chief Operations Officer at VIPHaircare.com, a 100% black-owned luxury beauty brand that focuses on the growth and maintenance of strong, healthy hair. Darnell has a really interesting story, having grown up without access to a lot of resources and overcoming all of that to build a successful beauty brand with his wife. Listen in as Darnell shares his journey as a young entrepreneur, how he pivoted from illicit pursuits to business pursuits, and what it's like bootstrapping your way to the top without a safety net to fall back on. We also discuss why his next focus is on growing a personal brand instead of a business, and how he and his wife are approaching influencer marketing to make that happen. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3x09aBU 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.

Sean Frank is the COO at Ridge Wallets, an everyday essentials brand that started on Kickstarter in 2013 and blew well past its goals in the first and second campaigns. Since then, they have bootstrapped their way to $100 million in sales without any investors or credit (until recently!). In this episode, we're diving into how Ridge Wallets grew to the size they are today in an industry that is notorious for sucking up cash, as well as the unique influencer strategy that helps Sean get the most exposure for the brand with the least amount of work. Sean also shares the one key metric that he uses to dial in his headcount to keep the business lean without overloading his team, and we talk about why the next two years may be the hardest for those in the eCommerce game. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3qORDvg 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.