Ecommerce Conversations

Phillip Jackson's media company, Future Commerce, focuses on trends and developments in business.The company surveyed U.S. shoppers during the 2025 holiday season. He says one insight stood out: when AI recommends a product, 77% of respondents leave the platform to buy on the brand's site.Phillip first appeared on the podcast in early 2024. In this, his latest episode, he addresses the downsides of optimized ecommerce sites, the outlook of traditional search, and, yes, the rise of autonomous shopping agents.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ai-product-discovery-drives-brand-trafficFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Frank Kosarek, co-founder of BizPort and former head of M&A at an ecommerce aggregator, talks valuations for Shopify brands and deal structures. He breaks down seller's discretionary earnings and why recurring revenue like subscriptions boosts value. He covers market multiples, inventory and working-capital risks, earnouts and seller notes, and when sellers should consider exiting.

Chris Harrison says it all started with a single pot on a stove. He and two high school buddies launched Liber & Co., a manufacturer of premium cocktail syrups, with that tiny test batch in 2011 in Austin, Texas.Fast forward to 2026, and batches are now in 1,500-gallon tanks and sold worldwide to restaurants, bars, and consumers. But the culture remains hands-on, do-it-yourself, and learn-by-doing.Chris first appeared on the podcast in 2022. In this latest episode, he shares the company's origins, sourcing tactics, growth plans, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/diy-approach-fuels-craft-cocktail-brandFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Jai Dolwani, founder of The Starters and former CMO, shares his remarkable journey from startup failures to creating a successful marketplace for fractional ecommerce talent. He discusses the rising demand for freelancing in ecommerce and offers insightful hiring tips for brands. Jai emphasizes the importance of a robust vetting process for freelancers and how fractional talent can enhance business flexibility. He also highlights plans to upscale talent offerings and the balance between execution and strategic coaching in today's market.

Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in January 24, 2025.According to Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR, success in a competitive market requires finding its uncompetitive niches. He did that with his flagship protein bar, which is plant-based, low-sugar, and plainly labeled.That was seven years ago when he launched the company with a $75,000 Kickstarter campaign.Fast forward to 2025, and IQBAR also makes IQMIX (hydration) and IQJOE (coffee). All promote brain health without competing against each other.Will shares his journey in this episode — from his initial capital raise to scaling revenue, adding products, and managing wholesale channels.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/protein-bar-founder-thrives-in-a-crowded-fieldFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com

Reflecting on the ups and downs of 2025, a business owner shares his company's financial recovery and strategies that revived profitability. He highlights a significant boost in subscription growth and the shift to lean inventory for better efficiency. Amid challenges like market stagnation and tough staffing decisions, he embraces customer-driven product launches. Personal insights reveal a touching father-daughter trip and the closure of a long infertility journey, emphasizing the importance of aligning business goals with life priorities.

In "How to Leave the U.S.A.," the venerable New Yorker magazine recently addressed what many residents have apparently considered.Yet Mikkel Thorup has lived outside of his native Canada for 25 years. He's visited 120 countries and resided in nine of them. His business, Expat Money, helps others do the same while protecting assets and lifestyle.Why relocate overseas? What are the risks and the rewards? Mikkel addressed those questions and more in this episode.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/expat-money-ceo-on-moving-abroadFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Abir Syed is an accountant turned marketer turned chief financial officer. He says ecommerce marketing success largely depends on creative volume, and few merchants have exhausted any channel, much less Meta.Abir is co-founder of UpCounting, an accounting and fractional CFO firm in Montréal, Canada. In this episode, he shares common financial mistakes of merchants, key metrics to monitor, and, yes, how to grow ecommerce ad revenue on Meta.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/cfo-brands-rarely-max-out-meta-adsFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Jeff Oxford is our go-to interview for ecommerce SEO. The founder of Oregon-based 180 Marketing, an agency, Jeff first appeared on the podcast in 2022 when he addressed SEO's "four buckets." We invited him back late last year to explain AI's impact on search traffic and how merchants can adapt.In this our latest interview, he shared optimization tactics for ChatGPT, with a caveat: Google's AI Mode could eventually dominate.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/will-googles-ai-mode-dominate-chatgptFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com

Chris Elrod is a renewable power entrepreneur. His company, Treaty Oak Clean Energy, builds massive solar projects that provide electricity for large corporations and utility firms.It's boom times for electricity generators as the likes of Google, ChatGPT, and Amazon scramble for reliable sources.How, exactly, does a company build a solar-generating plant and then sell the electricity to end users? Eric asked Chris those questions and more in this conversation.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/solar-power-developer-on-fueling-the-gridFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com