Ecommerce Conversations
Practical Ecommerce
Ecommerce Conversations is the long-running weekly podcast from Practical Ecommerce, hosted by ecommerce entrepreneur Eric Bandholz. •• Listen in as Eric interviews in-the-trenches founders and executives who address the essentials of launching, growing, and sustaining an online business. Hear their successes, mistakes, and plans — addressing customer acquisition, web traffic, marketing tactics, on-site conversion, shipping, favorite tools, funding, obstacles, and much more. •• New episodes every Friday. Subscribe to the podcast here, and then read a condensed transcript at https://www.PracticalEcommerce.com/tag/podcasts.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 19, 2021 • 29min
Drop Party Thrives with Turnkey Product Design, Testing
Marco Marandiz is a musician turned software engineer turned product designer. He's worked for Capital One, HomeAway, and a failed startup. But it was his ecommerce consulting work for companies with unproven inventory that sparked the idea for Drop Party.
Mar 12, 2021 • 28min
Show-stopper Wedding Rings Drive Manly Bands
Johnathan Ruggiero and his wife Michelle founded Manly Bands, a direct-to-consumer online men's wedding-ring company, in 2016. To compete, their rings had to be unique — really unique. "We try to develop what we call show-stopper products," Johnathan told me. "People might say, 'You have dinosaur bones? That's crazy. You have meteorite? That's nuts.'"
Mar 5, 2021 • 31min
Hollywood Actor, Director Finds Success on Amazon
Judson Morgan is a Los Angeles-based actor and director. He owns an agency that creates films and other visual content. He's also a successful ecommerce entrepreneur — with a purpose. He told me, "I have zero interest in making money off of a random product. I wanted to build a real brand that people could resonate with." That brand is Benevolence Los Angeles, an Amazon-focused gift boutique.
Feb 26, 2021 • 26min
Tomlinson's Feed: Fresh and Relevant after 75 Years
Kate Knecht is the fourth-generation owner-operator of Tomlinson's Feed, a family-owned retail business with 16 brick-and-mortar locations in Central Texas. The company is 75 years old. Amid the pandemic and the onslaught of online behemoths, can such a business transition to 2021 consumers? I asked Knecht that question and more.
Feb 19, 2021 • 30min
DTC Seller of Apple Watch Bands Soars from College Project
Braxton Manley was a sophomore at Texas Tech University in 2017 when he attended a workshop on entrepreneurship. The purpose was to conceive a product based on market research. "My idea was cool Apple Watch bands," Manley told me. Fast forward to 2021 and his company, Braxley Bands, is a direct-to-consumer seller of elastic, colorful bands.
Feb 12, 2021 • 31min
Ridge Wallet Hits $50 Million with Influencer Marketing
Ridge wallets launched via a Kickstarter campaign in 2014. Sean Frank is the company's chief operating officer. Ultra-thin, metal-clad, with RFID protection, the wallets are enormously popular in the U.S., with $50 million in sales in 2020 alone. Influencer marketing has driven much of the growth.
Feb 5, 2021 • 34min
Lessons from a Friendly Bet: Beardbrand vs. Supply.co
Patrick Coddou's company, Supply.co, sells razors and shaving accessories. My company, Beardbrand, sells beard products. He wants men to shave. I want them to grow a beard. We're both direct-to-consumer ecommerce merchants selling premium grooming products to males. We're direct competitors, in other words.
Jan 29, 2021 • 28min
DecksDirect, a Pure Retailer, Thrives
Industry pundits might say the future of retail is brands, manufacturers, and marketplaces. But don't tell that to Blair Budlong. His company, DecksDirect, doesn't own a brand, manufacture a product, or sell on marketplaces. And it thrives.
Jan 22, 2021 • 32min
Dr. Squatch Scales to $100 Million with Natural Soaps for Men
Jack Haldrup, the founder of Dr. Squatch, has transformed his men’s grooming brand from $5 million to $100 million in just 18 months. He discusses the challenges of breaking into the crowded natural soap market and the importance of educating men on personal care. Jack shares insights on leveraging viral marketing and subscription models to enhance customer engagement. He highlights key lessons from door-to-door sales and the adaptability required in today’s changing business landscape, emphasizing the significance of creative video advertising.
Jan 15, 2021 • 34min
Elements Brands Founder on Moving from Doer to Manager
The required skills to launch a business are typically much different from managing it for the long term. Bill D'Alessandro has done both. He launched a single ecommerce business in 2010 and then transformed the company into an operator of multiple online brands. He has evolved from performing most every task to focusing on a few.
