Today we talk about ADHD in entrepreneurship and other neurospicyness. We also discuss everything we learned in season one of The Checkout.
Zoe and John close out Season 1 with a chaotic, thoughtful, and very human conversation on where eCom is headed, what it takes to build a resonant brand today, and why everyone on the internet is a little bit NeuroSpicy.
This Episode:
In our final episode of the season, it’s just Zoe and John—and somehow they cover everything:
What brands got right (and wrong) about the tariff panic
When to prep for disaster vs. stay the course
How founders use luck, instinct, and hindsight to survive
Talking to your customers (for real, on the phone)
The new blueprint for brands: act like a creator, feel like a friend
Rethinking influencer deals and creator monetization
ADHD, medication, and creativity
The Jackie origin story
Why John talks so damn much
Season reflections + what's coming next
→ Drop a comment: What made The Checkout feel different from every other eCom podcast? We’re reading them all—and building Season 2 around what you say.
Sponsors:
Marpipe – https://www.marpipe.com/
Heatmap.com – https://www.heatmap.com/
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & why it's just John and Zoe
05:00 – Big takeaways from the year in eCom
11:00 – Preparing vs. reacting: smart founder strategy
18:00 – Tariff fallout and brand-level decision-making
25:00 – Customer calls, brand resonance, and content as connection
33:00 – Brands acting like creators & building vibe-based community
41:00 – Influencer monetization & new deal structures
49:00 – Listener comments, ADHD, and creative trade-offs
1:04:00 – Jackie lore, internal ops, and life structure
1:12:00 – Season reflections, muskrat jokes & what’s next
Follow Our Hosts:
John Coyle
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnjhcoyle
Twitter/X: https://x.com/johnjhcoyle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnjhcoyle/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coyle-1bb231120/
Nick Shackelford
Twitter/X: https://x.com/iamshackelford
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickshackelford/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnickshackelford/
Zoe Kahn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_zoekahn_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoekahn/
Bart Szaniewski
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theszef/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-szaniewski-374b1141/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/TheSzef
