Shows
The Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE600: Mike Left E-Commerce for This - Part 2Mike is back on the podcast to finally reveal what he's been up to in the past year. He shares his journey from e-commerce to going full-time content creation on launching a YouTube channel while also talking about the importance of video content in promoting e-commerce brands and the potential for YouTube as a business opportunity. Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let's talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1...
2025-05-1948 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE599: Why Mike Left E-Commerce - Part 1If you've been listening to the podcast recently, you must have asked yourself, "where did Mike Jackness go?". Today, he's on the podcast to talk about his journey from running multiple e-commerce brands to transitioning out of the industry. Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let's talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business. Timestamps 00:00 - The Journey of Mike...
2025-05-1231 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE595: The Real Cost of Entrepreneurial SuccessMike Jackness and Aymeric catch up on their e-commerce journey as friends and talk about how timing and luck are so important in entrepreneurial success. Success is always a mix of luck, tenacity, and grit. It takes a bit of luck to be in the right place at the right time and some grit to keep going when things aren't as profitable as they used to. At the same time, success also involves balancing between trying new things and focusing on what works. Knowing when to zone in on the one thing or wh...
2025-04-1439 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE577: What The Next 10 Years of Amazon FBA Will Look Like Mike is joined by Bill D'Alessandro in today's episode where they reflect on their decade-long journey in e-commerce, discussing where ecommerce was, where the industry currently is, and the scary direction that it's moving forward on. They also talk about the big picture, and how to succeed in the next decade if you're choosing to stay in the industry. Today's episode is sponsored by Autron. Maximize your ROI with Autron's real-time algorithmic bidding, optimizing every ad dollar for smarter spending and higher returns. Start optimizing today and get 30% off for 3 months! This Black Friday, we'll be having the bigge...
2024-11-1832 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE571: Why I Sold Icewraps - Part 2Today's episode is part 2 of last week's podcast, where Mike goes into the details of Icewraps' sale, how he built up profitability from being in a loss at the start of the year, and the mindset he had during negotiations. Today's episode is sponsored by Autron. Maximize your ROI with Autron's real-time algorithmic bidding, optimizing every ad dollar for smarter spending and higher returns. Start optimizing today and get 30% off for 3 months! It's been nearly 10 years since I first bought IceWraps. After a long journey of facing Amazon's sudden fee increases, COVID and logis...
2024-10-0737 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE570: Selling My Brand After 10 Years - Part 1Mike is back on the podcast to look back on IceWraps' journey, from facing burnout to regrets from running more than one brand at a time. Today's episode is sponsored by Autron. Maximize your ROI with Autron's real-time algorithmic bidding, optimizing every ad dollar for smarter spending and higher returns. Start optimizing today and get 30% off for 3 months! Takeaways Selling at the peak of your business can mean sacrificing future cash flows. Focusing on one business can lead to greater success. Running multiple brands at a time can dilute your effectiveness. Timestamps 00:00...
2024-10-0123 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE567: Using Lifetime Warranties To Contact Your Amazon CustomersIn this episode, Mike Jackness interviews Michael Kaufman – the CEO of ProTuff Products. We talk about Kaufman's journey in the e-commerce industry, how he differentiates his products by offering an extended warranty and how lifetime warranties guarantees 5 star reviews. How to Find a Profitable Product Course Open Now Still struggling to find your next great product? The EcomCrew How to Find a Profitable Course is open now and is just $499 for one week only. We'll cover everything from using the 'Cockroach approach' to developing large and bulky products, avoiding placement fees, and more. Check it out now....
2024-09-0932 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE565: Did Google & Reddit Kill Blog Marketing?In this episode, Mike and Dave evaluate the impact of Google's September 2023 Update on EcomCrew's and other websites, and talk about the new challenges that have popped up because of this update. Ever since September 2023, ranking on Google as an affiliate site has been harder than ever. We've seen websites (including ours) decline in organic views from 20% to 80%, while Reddit has started to rank for every keyword. If Google continue towards this trend of giving big websites all the ranking juice, what happens to affiliate websites? And by extension, what does that mean for...
2024-08-2624 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE563: Optimizing Inventory Management in E-commerceMike interviews Ajoy Krishnamoorthy, the CEO of Cin7, about the importance of software in e-commerce businesses, the challenges of managing inventory across multiple channels, and the benefits of using AI to forecast inventory for your business. Today's episode is sponsored by Clearco, a company that provides ecommerce businesses with working capital to fund inventory, marketing, shipping and logistics, and more! Check them out today! Branching out into another marketplace can make things more complicated than you think, inventory and accounting wise. Having an inventory management software can make t...
2024-08-1229 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE560: Was This The Worst Prime Day Ever?Dave joins the podcast today to talk about Prime Day 2024; what their early sales look like, whether Chinese Marketplaces are going to start more shopping holidays, and why this might be the worst Prime Day so far. Today's episode is sponsored by Clearco, a company that provides ecommerce businesses with working capital to fund inventory, marketing, shipping and logistics, and more! Check them out today! Prime Day 2024 has been nowhere close to what we've seen in sales the year before. Now these might be niche and brand specif...
2024-07-2221 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE559: Is It Better to Sell or Hold Onto Your E-Commerce Business in 2024?Dave and I discuss the reasons why e-commerce valuations have significantly decreased this year, Mike's run at the World Series of Poker event, and the potential valuation of content websites. Today's episode is sponsored by Clearco, a company that provides ecommerce businesses with working capital to fund inventory, marketing, shipping and logistics, and more! Check them out today! It's been almost a year since I last sold off one of my e-commerce businesses. Since then, a lot has changed. Amazon's new fees were implemented, interest rates have skyrocketed, and FBA Aggregators are...
2024-07-1535 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE556: Why You Should Be Using TikTok ShopAaron Hughes makes his second appearance on the Ecomcrew Podcast to talk about all things Tiktok Shop, and why people should start leveraging the platform for their ecommerce businesses. Today's episode is sponsored by Clearco, a company that provides ecommerce businesses with working capital to fund inventory, marketing, shipping and logistics, and more! Check them out today! During my last eCommerceFuel Live Trip, the one common topic that frequently came up was about was how good Tiktok Shop was for their businesses. Unfortunately, ice packs don't really have a passionate audience, so I broug...
2024-06-2429 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE555: The 5 Biggest SEO Mistakes That Are Killing Your Organic RevenueIn today's episode, Joshua George shares the 5 biggest SEO-related mistakes that he's noticed after countless discovery calls with ecommerce entrepreneurs made through his agency, ClickSlice. Mike and Joshua also talk about the many SEO challenges that business owners have been facing from recent Google updates. Joshua George is the founder of ClickSlice, an award-winning SEO agency based in London. He's also a regular speaker who focuses on spreading SEO education. I've invited him over to the podcast to pick his brain about what the current SEO landscape is shaping up to be, and whether the ch...
2024-06-1731 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE554: The 5 Top Trending Products on Amazon TodayIn this episode, Mike and Dave discuss Ecomcrew's new feature, the trending products tab on Amazon. They list out some of the top opportunities found, and why they may or may not be a very good idea. The conversation covers a wide range of trending products and niche opportunities, including the impact of the pandemic on consumer behavior, the rise of hyper-seasonal trends, and the potential for creating brands around products you wouldn't normally think of.
2024-06-1036 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE553: How Your Past Can Affect Decision-MakingAdam Craft, founder of Elevated Craft, joins Mike Jackness on the EcomCrew podcast to discuss his personal journey in building a brand. Adam shares his approach to product differentiation in a saturated market, and how building a strong brand was the first priority for Adam. This meant that learning the basics of Amazon wasn't his priority. It was all in the hands of agencies. Eventually, Adam learned about the challenges of relying on agencies and how much better it would be to learn and implement marketing strategies yourself. Adam also shares his experience with using K...
2024-06-0336 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE551: Your Returns Are About to Kill Your ProfitsIn this episode, Mike and Dave dissect Amazon's latest announcement regarding Return Fees, how this will affect sellers starting on June 1st, and a possible option to combat these fees. Another day, another fee gets announced. It seems like third-party sellers are getting hit left and right lately with new fees, the latest one being Return Fees. In this episode, Dave and I are going to dive into the latest announcement regarding Return Fees, what this means for sellers, and how you can possibly combat these fees. The Big Takeaways If you're in a h...
2024-05-2024 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE550: How This Shark Tank Almuna Went From E-Commerce to AIKevin Williams is on the podcast today to talk about his entrepreneurial journey. From founding brands like Brush Hero to appearing on Shark Tank and finally, to diving deep into AI, we cover the lessons that he's learned through each brand and venture. Kevin Williams is the founder of MadBrains AI, a company that specializes in AI literacy and training. With an extensive background in ecommerce, Kevin consistently provides practical tips to digital marketers on how to leverage AI for their brands. Kevin and I met quite a while back in 2015, where Kevin held a...
2024-05-1332 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE549: How To Get Started in Building Your SEO in 2024 with Jeff OxfordJeff Oxford joins us on the podcast today to talk about the most recent Google Update, who the winners were, and how search is going to look like with AI in the horizon. Jeff Oxford is the Founder and SEO Director of 180 Marketing, a marketing agency that specialises in SEO strategies which cover everything from keyword research to webpage optimization. Today, he's on the podcast to talk about the most recent Google update that happened in March. Specifically, we'll dive into the criteria that Google uses to rank websites, the winners of...
2024-05-0634 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE543: 4 Lessons from EcommerceFuel Live 2024Steve Chou makes an appearance on today's episode to discuss some key takeaways he and Mike learned while attending EcommerceFuel Live 2024. It's conference season for eCommerce! I just got back from ECF Live 2024, which was a great experience where I got to meet old friends and discuss a few of the issues that's been going on in the industry like Amazon's new fees, the recent Google update, and the ever-eroding margins. As always, I like to get someone who was at the conference with me to discuss some o...
2024-03-2531 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE542: How to Avoid Amazon's Newest Inventory FeesWith Amazon's most complex fee increase ever going live, Mike and Dave talk about what this means for sellers, the pros and cons for each change, and how you can avoid the most detrimental fees to your bottom line. Amazon today announced its biggest fee increase ever, and more aggravatingly, the most complex fee increase ever. Dave and I will try to walk you through exactly what fees are changing and how it affects you. Warning—it's complex (probably deliberately by Amazon) and there's a lot to absorb. If any...
2024-03-1840 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE539: How Leslie Pierson Built A Shark Tank Winning BusinessLeslie Pierson, Shark Tank Winner and founder of GoodHangUps, joins Mike on the podcast to talk about how she got started in eCommerce, how one unexpected night eventually lead her to appear on Shark Tank, and how she is technically her son's employee. Shark Tank is one of the biggest reality TV shows that almost every business owner knows about. It's not everyday that we get to interview a winner on the podcast. But Leslie Pierson isn't just a typical business owner: she's an Ecomcrew Premium member. In thi...
2024-02-2643 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE538: If You Were to Start All Over Again, What Would You Do Differently?Mike Beckham, a 9 Figure Business Owner, is on the podcast with Mike today to talk about what he'd do differently if he were to start building a 9 figure business all over again. We dive into how and why brand story is so important, and the uncommon mindset Mike Bekham uses to perpetuate business growth. Its hard enough trying to start an ecommerce business. Being a solopreneur means you'll have to be on top of your inventory levels, your PPC Campaigns, while also writing blog articles, making Youtube videos about your product an...
2024-02-1934 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE537: How Going Into Retail Killed John Terry's BusinessJohn Terry joins Mike in today's episode as a follow up from his Under the Hood Episode 417 where he talks about how COVID & the political climate affected his business, and how going into retail ultimately killed his consumer packaged goods (CPG) business. Today's episode is one that left me absolutely speechless during recording. It's a hard topic to talk about when listing down a bunch of mistakes, but it's infinitely more difficult to talk about when the list of mistakes eventually lead to the death of your business. Nev...
2024-02-1241 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE536: The 10 Types of Add Backs You Need To Know When Selling Your Ecommerce BusinessChris Duty is back on the podcast as a special guest to talk about all the types of add backs you need to know when selling your ecommerce business. The inspiration for today came from a listener submitted question, which asked "what type of add backs can I negotiate when selling my ecommerce business?" When selling an ecommerce business, its important for owners to be compensated for the stressful one-time events that was experienced in the last 12 months when going to sell. These are called "Add Backs", but what are they exa...
2024-02-0549 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE535: Will E-commerce Ever Get Easier?Mike discusses some hard hitting points of e-commerce with long-time friend John Canetta, including whether e-commerce will ever get easier, the hidden stresses of running an ecommerce business, and how John was able to recover from losing 80% of his business during quarantine. With a new year coming around, it looks like the ecommerce landscape only gets more and more difficult. Amazon introduces more changes to storage fees, the number of competitors increase day by day, along with all the other stresses of a growing e-commerce business. In fact, the last time I've experienced an "easy" ec...
2024-01-2931 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE533: Mike's Wins and Fails of 2023Mike and Dave review their biggest accomplishments and their deepest pitfalls in the past year. In this episode, Mike and Dave are back to discuss the year in review, and the eventful things that happened in the past year, like traveling to China again after 3 years, visiting Hong Kong and India and the stark differences between the two, and how Mike's experiences of loss and burnout affected him. I want to thank everyone for supporting the EcomCrew Podcast. Whether you've been with us from the start or are just tuning in, I ap...
2024-01-1537 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE532: The Ecomcrew Podcast is Back! | Dave's Wins and Fails of 2023Mike and Dave reflect on 2023 and discuss the various wins and fails that Dave experienced this year, including traveling to China, Hong Kong, and India, the impact of COVID on business growth 3 years in, and how Dave lobbied to change policies around government taxation on digital advertising. The Ecomcrew Podcast is back after the holidays! In this episode, Mike and Dave are back to discuss the year in review, and the eventful things that happened in the past year, like traveling to China again after 3 years, visiting Hong Kong and India and...
2024-01-0842 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE531: The Top 10 Podcast Episodes of 2023Mike Jackness and Ecomcrew's brand manager, Ben Iballa, review the episodes that made the top 10 list of the year and share their thoughts on each one. 2023 was a wild ride. I let go of most of his brands, while costs on Amazon increased by a LOT. Here's a roundup of the top 10 episodes of the year. Some of the best of the year includes when I sold most of his e-commerce business, the rising costs of selling on Amazon, and my perspective on retiring. Here's some timestamps to help you along: 0:00 - Intr...
2023-12-1837 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE530: The Ecomcrew Software Poll is OPEN!In this episode, Mike and Dave talk about our upcoming Software Poll, and the evolution of software tools in the ecommerce space. They highlight the changes that they've personally seen in the Amazon software space over the past 4 years, including big valuations and the increase in competition. They also show how projects like these can give credibility to you and your niche and improve SEO rankings. They discuss the categories of software tools, such as keyword and product research, PPC management, and reimbursement services. If you want to participate, go ahead to...
2023-12-1125 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE529: What Is Mike Looking For In His Next Business?After dropping a few hints here and there, Dave finally asks Mike the big question: what are you looking for in your next business? After getting into the mindset of selling all of my brands and getting back to the part of Amazon FBA that I really enjoy, I realized that it's not as fun as it used to be with my current business. I am trying to build it for the eventual sale, and after start a new business that's still within e-commerce. As most of you have probably noticed, I've dropped a few...
2023-12-0440 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE528: Running an Ecommerce Business from IndiaMike catches up with Aaron Hughes from Ecommerce Wala after the visit to India to talk about Aaron's background, how he got started in Ecommerce, and the differences between working with a team vs. online. Today, we're joined by Aaron Hughes from Ecommerce Wala. Aaron and I met during the India Sourcing Trip, and he was by far, one of the most different while still being from the US. I wanted to invite Aaron over to the podcast today to talk about how his ecommerce journey ended up in I...
2023-11-2733 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE527: The Pros and Cons of Building A Community and Content SiteEcomcrew Premium is finally opening in the next few days! Join the waitlist to get a discount for Black Friday, and get access to a community of like-minded e-commerce sellers. Dave joins Mike in this episode to talk about the Pros and Cons of building a community and content site through affiliate marketing in comparison to a product-based business. With Ecomcrew being open, Dave and I thought it'd be a good time to reflect and compare the differences between a content site and product site. We talk about the pros and cons of bu...
2023-11-2042 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE526: Everything You Need To Do for Amazon PPC in 2024Mike speaks to PPC Expert Lucas Kwiatkowski from Nomadz about the things you need to do to improve your Amazon PPC, where you can find long tail keywords, and how to lower your ACoS. Over the past 6 months, I've been diving back into the weeds of the business. So far, one of the biggest "weeds" would be optimizing my PPC spend and overhauling it to be as efficient as possible, without costing me a fortune. And so, the research started. One of the biggest resources that I've learned from is Nomadz, and...
2023-11-1338 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE525: Employees vs. No Employees - Pros and Cons4 months after Mike scaled down his team, Dave checks in with him and how it feels like to get back in the weeds of his ecommerce business. Growing a team is second nature when revenue grows. It's a natural by-product of success, to help the business grow even more in the next year. But what is it like to maintain a $5M ecommerce business when you only have 1-2 employees? Dave is on the podcast today to check in on Mike 4 months after scaling down from a 20+ perso...
2023-11-0642 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE518: How To Get Amazon To Reimburse You For Losing InventoryDid you know that you're entitled to reimbursements from Amazon for lost / damaged inventory within Amazon FBA? Mike and Yoni, the CGO of GETIDA, discuss everything you need to know about reimbursements and auditing. Check out GETIDA with our affiliate link! According to last year's Software Poll, a whopping 37% of sellers are NOT using a reimbursement service of any kind. As Yoni mentions in today's episode, that is not only a significant loss in cost, but also a loss in potential profit margins that you could have gained. Yoni...
2023-09-1831 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE517: How Mike Is Squeezing Out As Much Profitability As Possible Before SellingMike and Dave discuss the strategies that Mike's put in place to squeeze as much profitability as possible to gain maximum value out of his business when he goes to sale. Back in July, I announced on the podcast recently where my headspace has been at and the events that lead to the possible reasons why. At the start of August, the wheels were set in motion and I ended up selling 2 more ecommerce brands. Dave and I ended on a cliffhanger on that episode, and this is the official Part 2 where Dave and...
2023-09-1156 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE512: Life Update – Selling 2 More Ecommerce BrandsMike and Dave talk about the crazy sale that Mike's been working on for the past few months, the details of each sale, and what's next for him. Back in July, I announced on the podcast recently where my headspace has been at and the events that lead to the possible reasons why. The future however, had other plans. Things have progressed faster than I've come to expect, and that's what Dave and I discuss on today's episode. Dave and I recount what's been happening in the past fe...
2023-08-0745 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE509: Life Update – Mike Jackness' Plans for the Next YearWith the recent sale in the rear view mirror, Mike talks about the plans he has for the future and what business he's thinking of getting into next to focus 100% of his attention on. Today, Dave and I are diving into some events this year that have led to me ultimately choosing to let go of all my brands. We discussed a little bit on the last podcast episode, but Dave and I also discuss the rest of my plans for the future and moving towards embodying The One Thing. Here's a f...
2023-07-1745 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE508: Selling My E-commerce Business After 3 YearsMike Jackness talks to Chris Duty of Quiet Light Brokerage to dive into the challenges that they faced when trying to sell one of Mike's most recent business acquisitions, and the string of bad luck that Mike faced along the way. After 3 years, I'm glad to announce that I've sold one of my businesses. Joining me today is the broker that helped me with the transition, Chris Duty from Quiet Light Brokerage. Chris and I explore the process of selling a business that I, alongside investors from ECF Capital, acquired in lat...
2023-07-1046 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE502: The Power of Conversion Rate Optimization with Nirav ShethNirav Sheth and Mike Jackness dive into Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) strategies. Our guest, the founder and CEO of Anata, sheds light on the significance of CRO and its optimal timing for business enhancement. We focus on often overlooked aspects of e-commerce management, highlighting the importance of a user-friendly checkout experience, the influence of distractions on mobile users, and the role of data-driven decision-making in e-commerce. Additionally, the episode uncovers the power of influencer-led channels, effective landing page optimization, and the psychology behind podcast advertising. Nirav provides his exp...
2023-05-2935 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE500: The Power of TimeMike reflects on the podcast as we hit our 500th milestone episode by exploring the profound power of time. In this special solo episode, Mike delves into the importance of time in various aspects of life, including investment, business, and personal growth. Welcome to this special milestone episode of the EcomCrew Podcast as we celebrate our 500th airing. Today, I'm putting on my philosophical hat to look back on the podcast and to guide you through my podcasting journey since the show started back in November 2015. In this solo episode, I delv...
2023-05-1522 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE495: How Masterminds Have Changed Mike Jackness' and Steve Chou's LivesWith Seller Summit 2023 coming up in May, Mike and Steve Chou reflect on the value of events, revisit some of their favorite memories, and how its impacted their lives in more ways than one. Masterminds are one of my favorite segments of a live event. Whether it be EcommerceFuel, Seller Summit, or whatever event that takes place, Masterminds give everyone an opportunity to voice out their problems and get actionable advice from a like-minded group of people. Steve and I first met during Andrew Youderian's event, at a Mastermind where Steve aske...
2023-04-1039 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE491: Strategic Goal-Setting for Your Ecommerce BusinessMike and Dave discuss the thought processes and nuances of their business goals for 2023 and beyond. Setting a trajectory and an overarching vision for your ecommerce business is not as simple as it sounds. There are myriad factors that can influence how and why you set your goals and, more importantly, whether they are realistic and achievable for your company. In this episode, Dave and I will not only be talking about what our goals are, but we'll be talking in-depth about the thought process behind those goals and the various nua...
2023-03-131h 01The Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE490: How to Amplify Your Time as an Ecommerce Influencer with Kevin KingMike and Kevin talk about the value of your time and setting priorities as an ecommerce influencer, the reward of being able to help other people out, and what the endgame is for recognized personalities in this space. Being a recognized personality in ecommerce takes a toll, whether it be on your time, your energy, or even just struggling to manage your relationships with people. In this episode, we'll talk all about the value of amplifying your time as an ecommerce influencer, why we do what we do, and where this niche industry is heading—join...
2023-03-0643 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE489: Wins and Fails – Mike and Dave Reflect on 2022Mike and Dave reflect on 2022 as ecommerce entrepreneurs, including their biggest wins, failures, and general outlook moving forward. 2022 was a year of successes and challenges for ecommerce sellers—the industry is literally shifting right beneath our feet! In this episode, Dave and I will take a closer look at how 2022 has been for us as ecommerce sellers, what with all that's going on between the market coming out of the pandemic, changing administrations, and Amazon's constantly changing policies. We'll be breaking down some of our biggest wins, inclu...
2023-02-2754 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE488: The Top 10 EcomCrew Podcast Episodes of 2022Mike and Ben do a rundown of EcomCrew's top podcast episodes of 2022, which includes a couple of pleasantly surprising entries this time around. Last year was another one filled with insightful conversations with people from within (and some outside of) the ecommerce ecosystem. In this episode, our podcast editor Ben will join me for a rundown of EcomCrew's Best Podcast Episodes of 2022 where we'll explore which episodes really resonated with our listeners this past year. Timestamps: How we find out our top podcast episodes every year – 2:50 #10 E438: Trekk...
2023-02-2034 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE470: The Brutal Truth About Success In Business with Steve ChouMike and Steve talk about the brutal truth behind success stories in business and how they manage to keep track of the more important things in life as entrepreneurs. Hey, it's Mike and Steve here coming at you with a podcast before we go on stage at the Sell + Scale Summit. In this episode, we give you a sneak peek into our topic of discussion at the event—brutal truths about success in business. We chose this topic not only to deviate from the usual seller conference topics, but also to bring...
2022-10-0346 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE466: Society Brands' "Founder to President" Approach in Aggregating Ecommerce BusinessesSociety Brands CEO Michael Sirpilla explains why the company's founder-centric approach to aggregating is a more lucrative and fairer offer to online entrepreneurs. Being the sentimental guy that I am, I've always found it a little disheartening how swift it is for entrepreneurs to sell and turn over their businesses to aggregators. However, Society Brands strategy is more of a collaborative effort than a one-and-done business transaction. It's a concept I can definitely get behind. Unlike many roll-ups where the seller relinquishes full control of the company aft...
2022-09-0531 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE456: Back to Basics - Costs and Profitability Q&A (With EcomCrew's Ben)Mike is back with EcomCrew's podcast manager Ben for a light yet informative Q&A session on keeping profits high and costs low amid inflation. After recording this episode, I thought it would be nice to have Ben be in front of the camera more often and be a regular on the podcast. In this new Q&A series, Ben will be asking me a bunch of questions on how to run a successful ecommerce business and I will do my best to answer them as exhaustively as I can. ...
2022-07-0435 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE454: What We Learned from Visiting Our Team in the PhilippinesFresh (yet possibly still jet lagged) from their trip to the Philippines, Mike and Dave unpack their takeaways after reuniting with the team. It finally happened–we made it to Cebu! Dave and I aligned our travel dates so that we'd have a few days to spend with the EcomCrew team while we were there. It's been three years since I last saw some of them (most I haven't met in person at all), and it was Dave's first time in Cebu, so we were pretty excited to say the least.
2022-06-2038 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE453: Looking Back on Mike's Trip to the Philippines with EcomCrewMike sits down with EcomCrew's Podcast Producer, Ben, to talk about his recent trip back to the Philippines, the value of facetime with your employees, and our big plans for the company moving forward. I'm in Cebu for a couple of weeks! Over this short but fun period, I saw old friends again after the pandemic and got to meet new ones whom I've only ever spoken to on Zoom. I had a genuinely fun time being back to the Philippines after several years. Joining me for thi...
2022-06-1329 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE440: Our First (and Probably Only) Episode on CryptocurrencyMike and Dave discuss quite the polarizing topic: cryptocurrency – and how it might revolutionize the financial industry in the future. Our topic for today is not totally in line with ecommerce, but a bunch of you guys requested it so here we are: Ecomcrew's one and only episode on cryptocurrency. The subject is especially interesting since Dave and I aren't exactly on the same team when it comes to this one, even though we both have experience investing in it. For this episode, we break down some of the ambiguities surrounding cryptocurrency, how we think it...
2022-03-1746 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE437: Making Sure Your Price is Right with Drew MarconiMike sits down with the co-founder of Intelligems, Drew Marconi, to discuss a subject many entrepreneurs find quite personal: pricing. Pricing is a tricky aspect to navigate when running a business. Set it too high, you'll turn away potential customers. Set it too low and you'll run the risk of struggling to keep your business afloat. So, how do you balance the scales in a mutually beneficial way? This week on the show, Drew Marconi of Intelligems talks to us about the company he co-founded, the impact of price on conversion, th...
2022-03-0339 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE434: Using Post Cards to Touch Base with Customers in a Touchless WorldMike catches up with PostPilot's Drew Sanocki to talk about spotting opportunities in business, the bullishness of SaaS, and the efficacy of real mail in today's environment. Ever since I attended eCommerceFuel Live five or six years ago, I've always admired Drew Sanocki for his knowledge and experience in the business. Drew is the founder and executive chairman of PostPilot, a service that aims to help businesses grow through direct mail by creating personalized postcard campaigns. In this episode, Drew and I discuss some of the milestones in...
2022-02-1741 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE432: Mike and Dave's Business Review 2021As the pandemic continues to drag on, running a successful ecommerce business is not without its challenges. 2021 may not have been the COVID-free year Dave and I wanted for our businesses, but that's not to say it was all bad. It wasn't an easy year, but looking back, there were plenty of reasons to celebrate too, which we will talk about in this episode – and we may or may not discuss a little bit about our new but still secret new business. Timestamps: Was 2021 a good year? - 1:47 The year in num...
2022-02-0750 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE430: Dirty Tricks Amazon Aggregators Might Try When Buying Your BusinessElements Brands CEO Bill D'Alessandro returns to chat with Mike about his recent (and unfortunate) experience with an Amazon aggregator who bought his business. For many entrepreneurs, selling a business can be an even bigger achievement than starting one. While some luck out with finding honest-to-goodness buyers of their business, others get caught up in less favorable situations. Bill D'Alessandro, founder and CEO of Elements Brands, is no amateur when it comes to selling businesses with 10 years of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions. But even a man of experience like him is...
2022-01-2745 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE428: Ecomcrew's Most Popular Ecommerce Software of 2021Mike and Dave discuss the most popular ecommerce tools out there, giving their two cents on which seller software are better than others. Last month, we ran our yearly community poll to find out which among the myriad of seller software our EcomCrew community predominantly uses. The poll was aimed at determining the most popular Amazon software in 5 categories: Product Launches and Giveaways Keyword and Product Research PPC Management Reimbursement Management, and Pricing Management THE RESULTS ARE IN! We'll be discussing the winning software for each of the...
2022-01-1738 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE401: Why Pacing Matters In Growing Your BusinessIt's been seven full months since we closed the deal on an exciting new ecommerce business. Be sure to check out these episodes to learn how we closed the deal on this new venture: Episode 366: Mike's Exciting New Business Episode 381: How Mike Is Growing His New Business Today, I thought I'd give you guys a little sneak peek on how things are going, and why success in ecommerce rarely ever happens overnight. Joining me for this episode is none other than one of my partners in thi...
2021-08-0946 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE396: Instagram DM Automation is Here!Today on the show, we have CEO and Co-Founder of Manychat, Mike Yan. He has some exciting news to share about some new features that Instagram is rolling out, and why you should take advantage of them as an ecommerce seller. Now, if you're new to the show and are just starting off, you might not know it but ManyChat is one of the biggest SaaS (software as a service) in the industry. Before I sold ColorIt back in 2019, I used ManyChat to grow the brand, and it turned out extremely successful for me.
2021-07-1539 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE345: Three Years Later: Under the Hood Updates with Brad BernhartWelcome to the EcomCrew Podcast, and we have a special episode for you today! Brad Bernhart, our first Under the Hood guest, is back to give us updates on how his business is doing. We get to revisit my advice to him, whether or not he was able to implement them, and how it turned out. We started this segment in January 2018, hoping to help out our fellow entrepreneurs improve their businesses while also getting great content for the podcast. Almost three years later, we're still doing it, and we want to know how my...
2020-11-1651 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE343: The Other Side of the Coin: How the Pandemic Helped Some Ecommerce Businesses GrowWhile COVID-19 has caused some serious drawbacks to a lot of businesses all around the world, there are some lucky business owners out there who, instead of experiencing loss, have seen their revenues rise instead. Chris Cage's company, Greenbelly, is one such business. It seems like so long ago when Chris and I saw each other, and with all the things going on, I felt like we needed to catch up to see how his business is affected by the pandemic. In this episode, we'll take a look at how COVID affected the...
2020-11-0945 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE338: Mike and Dave's Favorite Business BooksWelcome to Episode 338 of the EcomCrew podcast! Today, Dave and I are doing something new. We're not just gonna be talking about ecommerce. We're also gonna dive into the business books that shaped us into the people we are today. These books were highly influential especially as to how we handle our teams and operate our businesses in general. We talk about some highlights of the books and how we implemented what we learned into running our brands. Timestamps: Mike's new reading routine - 3:15 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - 7:00 Book No. 1:The 7 H...
2020-10-1552 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE334: 5 Reasons Why Videos Are Essential for Growing Your BusinessHello and welcome to E334 of the EcomCrew podcast! Today, I am joined by Judson Morgan, who is an actor, entrepreneur, and more importantly, the founder of Butter, a video ad agency that helps ecommerce businesses tell their brand and product stories through high-quality videos. In this episode, Judson and I talk about What a video is worth - 4:18 How other platforms adapted to the rise of video marketing - 5:50 How Judson started with Butter - 7:15 The challenges of making video content - 9:43 How much videos increase conversion rate - 11:37 How to make good v...
2020-09-2136 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE333: The Present and Future of Ecommerce Amidst the PandemicWhen we first heard of the existence of COVID-19 earlier this year, most of us didn't think that we would still need to be at home past the middle of 2020. Aside from our ability to be outside and be with people, the pandemic has also impacted the economy significantly. Many businesses had to declare bankruptcy, and millions of people around the world were laid off. In this episode, Mike sits down with Brian Miller, the CEO of Easy China Warehouse, to discuss the effects of COVID to ecommerce businesses and where he thinks ecommerce is...
2020-09-1440 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE329: How to Develop Content and Find the Best WritersHello, everyone! Welcome to E329 of the Ecomcrew Podcast, and part 2 of our content-development topic. Dave and I delve deeper into the hows of creating great content that bring in the much-needed organic traffic for your ecommerce site. Relying solely on paid advertisements isn't a good tactic for any business. A collection of helpful content in your site not only brings leads in but also helps you develop a more meaningful relationship with them. In this episode, we talk about How to get started - 5:30 How much you should spend on content...
2020-08-2447 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE323: The Dangers of Reinvesting 100% of Your Profits Back Into Your Business & The Benefits of The Profit First SystemEntrepreneurs don't start an ecommerce business with accounting as their first priority. Unless they're an accountant, or if they're really into numbers, there's simply just more exciting things to look forward to in ecommerce, whether it's launching a new product or brainstorming launch strategies to get more and more sales. It's only human to go after the more exciting things in business. However, we can't ignore the numbers forever. At some point, we'll be looking at our sales reports for the quarter and worrying about whether we paid that one SaaS program, or that trusty...
2020-07-1341 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE287: Landing on the Right Side When Flipping Domain NamesI've been a closet domain collector for over a decade and some of my "purchases" have turned into ecommerce properties - treadmill.com.,colorit.com, survivalfood.com, and tactical.com. In this episode, my co-captain Dave Bryant joins me in this discussion that centers around domain flipping. Today we're going over strategies, thought processes, as well as the dos and don'ts of shopping for domains. In this episode, we specifically cover the following: Mike and his impressive portfolio of domain names Why investing in domain names can help you become successful in ecommerce Appraising t...
2019-10-2143 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE281: Mike and Dave Break Down Their NumbersDave's joining me on the podcast today as we drill down on our business numbers. In this episode, I'll be breaking down the trailing 30-day figures for my biggest brand, IceWraps. Meanwhile, Dave will talk about the latest statistics for his current business, Offroading Gear. We cover Amazon sales and the big-ticket items on our COGS. You'll want to skip the part where I slipped on one of the boardwalks while doing the West Coast Trail (boring story) and dive right into the good parts of this today's episode. Here are th...
2019-09-0937 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE258: What It's Like to Work for Mike and DaveOver the past couple of weeks, you've heard a handful of podcasts recorded in the Philippines. You've heard from Mia and all our employees, including Abby and Muffins. If you've listened to episode 256, these ladies talked a little bit about their specific responsibilities for EcomCrew. But what distinguishes them from the rest is the fact that they work directly for Dave and me. So, I wanted to get them back on the podcast and hear their perspective on what it's like to work on the brand and for the 'EcomCrew Guys'. Mia didn't leave the...
2019-06-1746 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE233: 3 Things to Consider Before Shifting From Affiliate Marketing to Selling Physical ProductsWhen we made the move from affiliate marketing to selling our own physical products years ago, we realized in a kind of baptism-by-fire way how starkly different the two business models are. Mike Higman, owner of HuntingGearDeals.com, is trying to make the same shift. In this episode, he and I talk about the 3 things he needs to carefully consider to make sure he is prepared to take his business to the next level: cash flow, products to sell, and content strategy. You'll learn: Why cash flow is the enemy of a physical products...
2019-03-211h 12The Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE195: Road to 1M - Dave's 18th Month Update on His New Ecommerce BusinessIt's Dave here. I've taken the reigns from Mr. Jackness in order to bring you an update on the status of my second ecommerce venture. Regular listeners to this podcast will know that I sold my first company two years ago. After going on a hiatus for a couple of months, the call to entrepreneurship became too strong to ignore. So in June of last year, I started another business with the intention of generating a million dollars in revenue by March 2018. It's been 8 months now and I still haven't broken through the 1M mark...
2018-11-0827 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE188: Launching Products for a New Ecommerce Business (Under the Hood with Wilson Lee)A brick and mortar business can be vastly different to owning an ecommerce one. Each offers a unique selling experience and would require different kinds of resources. Having said that,it can be challenging for traditional entrepreneurs to make the transition. Today's guest is poised to make that very transition. Wilson Lee has been a traditional entrepreneur for 10 years. He'd previously dipped a toe at an ecommerce venture or two but is now ready to get both of his feet wet. Initial Plan Wilson is looking at two potential brands to sell online...
2018-10-1643 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE176: Updated Amazon Launch ChecklistGreetings from Montreal! In the midst of shooting course videos and planning new content, we sat down to record this podcast. Both of us have considerable experience selling on Amazon and over time we have refined our strategies to be able to derive the best possible revenue potential from the products that we sell. This episode centers around a checklist of what Mike and his staff do in the days leading up to a product launch and immediately after that. Dave rounds up the discussion and adds his own inputs at the end. To make...
2018-08-3045 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE175: An Interview with Mike JacknessHello everyone! It's Dave again bringing you what is perhaps our most special episode yet. Today we have Michael Jackness on the other end of the microphone. In these podcasts, we often hear Mike talk about his real-life experiences in running an ecommerce business. What many don't know is that he got his start in digital marketing as an online poker affiliate business back in the early 2000s. On this particular podcast, Mike shares what it was like to start this kind of business and scale it to become a highly profitable company. Aside from the highs, he'll also...
2018-08-271h 09The Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE172: Selling on Amazon Canada with Dave BryantHi, it's Dave here. Mike is taking some much-needed time off at the moment so I'm taking the reins. Coincidentally, today's podcast topic is something that I'm in the best position to talk about - selling on Amazon Canada. If the accent isn't a giveaway already, I am Canadian myself and currently running my business out of Vancouver. So, let's start off with a question. Should you be selling in Canada? The answer to this is of course relative. But, if you are living in the United States, then Canada would technically be the "lowest hanging fruit"...
2018-08-1638 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE120: Getting Fired From My Own Company "The reality is that one day you wake up and you realize that you're the bottleneck in your own business, and it's time to be fired." - Mike Jackness on handing over the reins of the company to someone else Have you ever had that feeling when you just know you're about to get fired from your job? In 41 years I have never been fired--I worked hard enough to not be in that situation--and it's certainly uncomfortable dealing with this issue with a company I started. You might remember me doing an episode about my g...
2018-02-1219 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE105: My 7 Biggest Struggles in 2017 "In general, I think that people spend too much time talking about their wins, and gloating, and how well things are going and never talk about the disarray or things that are going on behind the scenes, or things that they're struggling with. I think it's important to talk about this stuff; I think everyone goes through these types of things." - Mike Jackness on the business and life struggles he faced this year This is that time of the year when people talk about "best-of", "top 10 of the year", and all those things that highlight the...
2017-12-1435 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE103: Buying a Business vs. Starting One From Scratch with Bill d'Alessandro of Elements Brands "If you're never been an entrepreneur before, I would suggest starting a business. If you have done it once, I would strongly advice buying a business. It's just a lot easier." - Bill D'Alessandro of Elements Brands If you've been listening to the podcast for a while now you might have noticed I that when I talk about my speaking engagements, I always give credit to someone who told me--back when I was unwilling to speak in front of a large crowd and would rather get a root canal--that I needed to do something that makes me...
2017-12-0742 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE102: Amazon Product Launch Strategy for 2018 "Seeing all these things that other people ... are doing, especially the black hat sellers, and not being able to beat them by using my white hat tactics--it's a very brutal position to be in. But the thing is, one day, I want to be left with a chair when the music stops and they won't." - Mike Jackness on his long-term Amazon launch strategy Earlier this year we came upon a chilling situation--more and more sellers are employing black hat tactics to try to win more sales on newly launched products. With so much competition on Amazon...
2017-12-0432 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 97: Asia Trip Review - Global Sources Summit, Canton Fair, and a Visit to our Philippines Team "Sometimes you have to do something that makes you uncomfortable to further your career and your life and I really believe that." - Mike Jackness on speaking at the Global Sources Summit This episode is a play-by-play report of my entire trip to Asia, covering the Global Sources Summit, the Canton Fair, meeting with our Philippines team -- basically everything my team and I did while we were in Asia from early October through early November. If you're like me who doesn't like following someone's life abroad on an hour-by-hour basis, then this episode probably...
2017-11-1632 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 96: Our Philippines Team - Hiring and Maintaining a Team of Rockstar VAs "I loved my job when I worked as a VA for Mike and he really made me feel like I was part of the company even though I was here in the Philippines. So I guess what I'm trying to say is to have a Mia and to have a team like what we have in Cebu, you need to be a Mike." - Mia Pamisa, Philippines Team Manager, Terran If you've been listening to our podcast for a while now you know that we run multiple brands simultaneously and it's no secret that a vital part...
2017-11-1335 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 79: Mike's Alaskan AdventureOn today's episode I want to tell you about the awesome time I had up in Alaska and just take a moment to really stress the importance of vacation time. My family and I went up to the Kesugi Ridge Trail and hiked 32 miles over the course of four days. During my time away there were some issues with the business, but I have built a self-sufficient team, so I was still able to enjoy my trip. Hiking that trail showed me some parallels to running an e-commerce business. If you are interested in seeing some of t...
2017-07-2719 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 67: Q1 ReviewWe are back together for a new episode of Ecom Crew podcast! Today we talk about the things we're gearing up to do. We have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline and we're happy to share them with you guys! We reflect back on our first quarters and what this quarter has told us about our businesses moving forward. Mike wants to remind you about his upcoming trip to China and the mastermind and meetups he wants to organize. He'll be gone for quite a long time, so the next few Ecom Crew episodes will b...
2017-04-1342 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 64: Preview of Mike's Upcoming China TripHey it's Mike here for Ecom Crew! I will be doing a solo podcast today. I'm going to talk about my plans for my upcoming trip to China. I will be attending the Global Sources Show and the Canton Fair. There will be some other visits I'm going to make this time around, but Hong Kong will be where I will spend the majority of my time. I also talk about our recent promotion on Colorit.com. It is working really well for us! We are offering 3 free markers to a selective group of customers. I discuss...
2017-03-2327 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 63: The Global Sources SummitOur guest today is the coordinator of the Global Sources Summit, Meghala Bhardwaj. We discuss the upcoming tradeshow in Hong Kong and what visitors can expect from this year's event. The summit will be held in 3 phases. Along with the phases, a conference will overlap with the second phase, the Mobile Electronic and Home & Gift show. The phases and dates for this summit are as follows: Phase 1 - Electronics: April 11-14 Phase 2 - Mobile Electronics and Home & Gifts: April 18-21 Phase 3 - Fashion: April 27-30 Global Sources Summit Conference: April 17-19 There will be a second summit i...
2017-03-1643 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 60: Growing Your Ecommerce BusinessHey it's Mike and Grant! Today we are going to talk about how you can grow your business when you have a "rocket ship" year. We are still making plans for 2017, but there are some plans already in the works. We discuss those plans as well as suggestions you can do when you are in our current situation. Here is what we cover in today's discussion: Grant's trip to Asia. Our growth in 2016. What to consider when you need to approach a bank. How the banks will work with you. The online lending option. W...
2017-02-2340 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 58: Answering Your QuestionsHey it's Mike and Grant here! Today's episode of the podcast is part 2 of a Q & A series we started last week. You guys send awesome questions and we love hearing from you. For those of you who watched us on the Facebook Live recording if you had any questions that you wanted to ask during the recording, we tried to answer those as well. Here are some questions we answered today: [In regards to drop-shipping] "I'm wondering if I'm simply in the wrong business model, what can I do to make it better?"...
2017-02-0244 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 53: How to Build Traffic Away From Amazon Part 3 - Facebook AdsGrant is back with us today and we are going to continue our series on How to Get Off Amazon. Today's episode is part 3. Part 1 was when we discussed PPC (pay per click) ads. Part 2 we discussed the role SEO (search engine optimization) in getting your own site noticed away from Amazon. Part 3 of this topic is how to use Facebook ads to build an audience. Today we're going to talk about why people don't use Facebook ads and how to find your audience in an ocean of Facebook users. Today's Topics: How Cyber...
2016-12-0140 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 51: How to Build Traffic Away From Amazon Part 2Today we discuss part 2 of how to move your traffic off Amazon. Last time we discussed the reasons why you should want to move off Amazon. Today's topic is SEO (Search Engine Optimization.) Now, SEO is tricky stuff and you can get in trouble really quick. We discuss our background in SEO and how to do everything "white hat." Topics we covered today: A recap of part 1 of this topic. Grant's business update. Mike's business update. Why leaving Amazon is difficult. The struggles of 3PLS and other shipping issues. Why you shouldn't "black hat"...
2016-11-1741 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 49: EntrepreneurshipThis episode marks Ecom Crew's one year anniversary on the podcast! We want to thank you for listening and supporting us over this past year. Today's episode we are going to talk about common questions we get asked about our business. This was our first Facebook Live episode, so if you want to interact with us during an episode, follow us on Facebook and watch us live on Mondays. We have learned a lot about entrepreneurship over the years. All we can say that the biggest lesson boils down to 3 little words, "just do it." We discuss h...
2016-11-0339 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 39: Doing Business with Chinese ManufacturersThis is Mike Jackness with Ecom Crew. On today's episode I'm going to tell you about my recent trip to China. I want to stress that these types of trips are essential if you are going to do business with Chinese manufacturers. My trip consisted of 3 places; Shanghai, Pon, and Na-Jing. At all these places I visited some of my suppliers. During this visit I made some notes for future visits. So I'm going to share some of the tips and observations I made during this last visit to China. The tips I cover today:
2016-08-0418 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 34: Updates and EventsOur episode today is going to be a general update and resources episode. Mike has been doing tons of traveling and he would like to discuss some of the places and conferences he will be attending. Grant is dealing with some shipping issues, and has some insights on networking and attending events, like conferences. The topics we covered today are: Mike's business update. Grant's business update. Upcoming Ecommerce Event: Sellers Summit Upcoming Ecommerce Event: Ecommerce All Stars Upcoming Ecommerce Event: Digital Marketing Guys Upcoming Ecommerce Event: Ecommercefuel Live Next week's special guest. Learning from the school...
2016-06-3025 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 33: Updates on our Businesses and Looking Ahead to the HolidaysToday we just give you an update episode on how our businesses are doing. Mike is dealing with quality issues with his Chinese manufacturers. Grant is working on sourcing for Cuttingboard.com. Along with these issues we also share some of the bright spots of the businesses. We discuss our plans for growing the businesses and what's in the pipeline for both of us. There are a few challenges facing each of our businesses today, but with the holiday season right around the corner for online stores, it's time to get everything in order for the biggest t...
2016-06-2343 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 20: Supercharge Your Email Marketing Part TwoToday’s episode is part 2 to our email marketing series. Mike explains the email flow he uses for his Colorit.com contests. This episode will focus on the promotional material that is sent out over the course of the month.
We discuss why we have the flow structured the way we do and Grant does some brainstorming to think outside the box. We toss ideas around and we talk about how successful Mike has been with this campaign.
Our conversation today includes:
The benefits of using Klaviyo.
How facebook is helping us build an em...
2016-03-2437 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 17: Executing a Website ContestToday Grant’s going to step out of the podcast. I'm Mike Jackness and I’m going to talk about my experience with running a contest for my site colorit.com.
On December 5, 2015 we launched colorit.com. We had tried our product out on Amazon and decided to make the move to our own site to build the brand.
Our first contest was January 1st. We offered a set of colored pencils every day for 30 days. At first I wasn't sure if this approach was going to work, but I have to say I have been...
2016-02-1819 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 11: Niching Down Your AudienceToday’s podcast focuses on niching down your audience, but first a listener question. Tyler asks, “If you can share experience with MAP pricing?” If you would like to ask Ecom Crew a question head over to our contact form or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.
Grant says MAP pricing was used on Treadmill.com. MAP pricing is the minimum advertised price, and it is an agreement between vendors and sellers stipulating the lowest price the item can be advertised at. Some even argue whether MAP pricing is legal or not. Our experience was that we abi...
2016-01-0725 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 9: Grant and Mike's Fireside ChatToday we are giving you the Grant and Mike fireside chat as we take a look at how things have been going for us for the past 30 days and talk about some of our goals for 2016. For both of us
sales have been going really well and we have some exciting things to look forward to as we head into the new year.
Grant explains that sales have exploded over the holiday buying period at CuttingBoard.com. Things are also going well at sister site ChoppingBlocks.com. He talks about other Amazon projects he has goi...
2015-12-2431 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 6: Investing and Growing Your BusinessToday Mike and Grant are going to give some guidelines on when to invest in your growing business. In any business there are aspects that are necessary to invest in and things that can be added as the business grows. This episode offers sound advice on when to recognize that need to grow and when your business has reached a peak.
Other bits of advice are:
Keep your costs as low as possible or your “burn rate.”
Know what items you need to spend money on how they will save you time.
2015-12-0337 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 5: ECF Live Trip ReportI’m casting solo today because Grant just had a baby! Congratulations! He’ll be back next week, but in the meantime, I’m going to talk about one of the best experiences I’ve had since becoming an online entrepreneur.
I recently joined a forum called eCommerceFuel, a private online community for business owners that’s secure enough for candid business discussion and social enough to connect you with some new and exciting people. I’ve been attending their live events since I joined a few months ago, and this past conference I just attended blew my mind. Bey...
2015-11-2623 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 1: Welcome to the Ecom Crew PodcastWelcome to the first ever episode of the E-Commerce Crew Podcast! Since this is the first episode, introductions are in order:
We are your hosts, Grant Yuan and Mike Jackness. Both of us have been involved with business for most of our professional lives, and we have a similar background in online marketing and the affiliate industry. Grant started working with affiliates in 2003, focusing on online gaming and a lot of poker sites. Mike is a lifelong entrepreneur who started running his own businesses at 18 with nothing but a pack of business cards and a pager. He...
2015-10-2050 min