Ecommerce Conversations

Jon Shanahan destroys the myth that founders make lousy employees. He co-founded Stryx, a men's cosmetics provider, in 2017 and is now the marketing head at TRX, the storied exercise equipment company. He has thrived in both roles.He joined TRX in late 2022 amid a post-Covid hangover and a stale legacy brand. Fast forward to late 2025, and TRX is refreshed and flourishing, thanks in part to Jon's entrepreneurial mindset.While at Stryx, Jon appeared on the podcast twice, in 2020 and 2022. In this latest conversation, he shares transitioning to a large corporation, the challenges of reviving a brand, and more.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/startup-vet-revives-legacy-fitness-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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

In 2020, Karim Abed was the chief financial officer for a Texas-based home builder. The job paid well, he says, but he yearned to launch his own business and reconnect with his Egyptian heritage.Fast forward to 2025, and that business is WYR, a men's apparel brand utilizing Giza cotton, the storied fabric, and small Egypt-based factories. The company is thriving.Karim shares his story with host Eric Bandholz, addressing WYR's initial struggles, subsequent growth, and, yes, the benefits of Egyptian cotton and craftspeople.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/cfo-shifts-to-menswear-egyptian-rootsFor 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

Ecommerce marketers know the challenge of delivering relevant promotions to prospects without violating privacy rules and norms. Yet many providers now offer solutions that do both — personalize offers and respect privacy — for much greater performance.Two of those providers are guests in this week's episode. Sean Larkin is CEO of Fueled, a customer data platform for merchants. Francesco Gatti is CEO of Opensend, a repository of consumer demographic and behavior data.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-brands-boost-roi-with-smart-dataFor 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

Host Eric Bandholz occasionally departs from interviews to share his experiences owning and operating Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer brand he launched a decade ago. To date, he has addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, exiting, overcoming setbacks, and top business models.This too is a solo episode, addressing entrepreneurial doldrums, when a business is seemingly stuck in no growth or worse. That's been the case with Beardbrand over the past couple of years, as Eric explains.In this episode, he shares 36 ideas to jolt a company forward. It's a checklist for tackling new projects, cutting costs, or simply resetting your focus.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/36-ways-to-revive-an-ecommerce-businessFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate its 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in September 2023.Andrew Faris is the former CEO of 4x400, an ecommerce aggregator. He left that job in 2021 and now consults with merchants and manages their advertising campaigns, mostly on Meta. I asked him for his keys to successful Meta ads, having spent nine years on that platform."The best ad managers are writers," he told me. And "there's no reason a brand under $50 million in revenue needs an attribution tool."Faris first appeared on this podcast in early 2022. In our recent discussion, he addressed the joys of solo freelancing, working with entrepreneurs, and, yes, how to run high-performing Meta ads.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6p2QFor 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. http://www.practicalecommerce.com This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

On-again, off-again tariffs have not lessened the opportunities for cross-border expansion. Global consumers still seek quality goods from trusted merchants.Yet success in international selling requires careful attention to fulfillment, customs, duties, and more. That's the role of Passport, the provider of cross-border logistics, localization, and support for ecommerce sellers.In this episode, Alex Yancher, Passport's founder and CEO, shares tactics for profitable global ecommerce sales.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/smarter-paths-to-global-salesFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others learn from 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

We've all heard the buzz surrounding agentic AI agents. What's missing for many of us is how they can help our business. What is an AI agent? Can it really perform tasks and get things done?In this episode, host Eric Bandholz asks those questions and more to Anthony DelPizzo. He is the head of product marketing with Triple Whale, the Shopify-backed ecommerce analytics platform that has launched its own AI agent called Moby. It responds to ChatGPT-like prompts, suggests marketing channels, and even composes emails.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/triple-whales-moby-ai-gets-things-doneFor 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

Dive into the essentials of starting a bootstrapped e-commerce business, perfect for new entrepreneurs. Learn about overcoming challenges like tariffs and pricing complexities. Discover effective strategies for managing product-based businesses, from marketing to supply chain management. Explore how to tap into niche markets targeting upscale consumers and the importance of innovative differentiation. Building strong customer relationships is key to sustaining profitability in a competitive landscape.

Customer acquisition costs can ruin a business. Some merchants limit acquisition spend to the gross margin of the first sale. Others look to customers' lifetime value.Yet Taylor Holiday, CEO of the agency Common Thread Collective, profits from acquisition marketing. He calls it "negative CAC."Taylor first appeared on the podcast in 2020. In this episode, he explains his acquisition strategy, experiences with employee ownership, and more.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-to-achieve-negative-cacFor 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

John Melizanis believes third-party logistics fees often produce surprise charges. Per-item pricing for picks, packs, and receiving can turn an anticipated $1 per order fee into $2.50 or more, he says.John is the co-founder of ShipDudes, a New Jersey-based 3PL launched in 2020. His company uses flat-rate pricing for pick-and-pack and warehousing, and no markup for shipping. "Brands appreciate knowing their exact costs," he told me.In this episode, John addressed the origins of ShipDudes, in-store retail, warehouse automation, and more.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-no-surprise-3pl-pricing-modelFor 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 This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.