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 PodcastE557: 10 Strategies for Reducing Stupid PPC SpendIn this episode, Dave shows 10 ways you can reduce stupid PPC Spend and maximise efficiency just in time for Prime Day. 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 2023 saw people spend up to $12.9bn alone. Obviously, everyone wants a piece of the pie. You can expect competitors to increase their ad spend 2x or even 3x more just for the possibility of more sales. To prepare for this year's Prime Day...
2024-07-0118 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 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 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 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 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 PodcastE486: How Ecommerce Sellers Can Visit China Post-COVIDMike and longtime China-based seller Cameron talk about the reality of the pandemic situation in China and how ecommerce sellers can plan their trips back to the factory of the world this year. Whether you're only just starting out or are running an established ecommerce brand, there's a good chance that your business is tied to China one way or another. I myself visit Hong Kong and China to attend trade shows, speak at seller conferences, and get some facetime with my factories every year—at least before the pandemic hit. Fast...
2023-01-3045 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE471: Breaking Down eCommerceFuel's 2022 eCommerce Trends ReportMike and eCommerceFuel founder Andrew Youderian break down the biggest takeaways from this year's eCommerce Trends Report and discuss what they mean to online sellers. eCommerceFuel's eCommerce Trends Report is an annual survey of 7-8 figure store owners that provides a unique and detailed look into which trends are shaping the ecommerce landscape year over year. Joining me for this episode is none other than eCommerceFuel founder Andrew Youderian. We'll be breaking down the four biggest takeaways from the 2022 edition of the eCommerce Trends Report to paint you a clear picture of...
2022-10-1035 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE468: The Perks and Challenges of Running Multiple Ecommerce BrandsMike and longtime friend Cole South talk about why ecommerce sellers can learn a thing or two from poker pros, the challenges of running a lot of brands, and some awesome new ecommerce tools. As I've mentioned dozens of times in this podcast, I was into poker and affiliate marketing before ultimately starting my first ecommerce brand. While some people may find this to be a strange transition, there's actually quite a few of us who went the same route. Joining me for this episode is Cole South, a longtime friend fr...
2022-09-1928 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE461: Reaching The Five-Year Mark (Annual Brand Update by Dave Bryant)In this yearly review episode, Dave gives an update on how his brand's been doing the past year, from feeling the fallout of a post-pandemic market to increased competition in the niche. I did the first one of these annual reviews on July 17, 2017. It's kind of surreal how fast time flies. I've always enjoyed these because it makes me take an objective look at my brand. Businesses in certain niches certainly benefited from the lockdown, us included. With people choosing to do more outdoor activities then, we saw a spike in ou...
2022-08-0126 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE452: Running an Ecommerce Agency in Ukraine Amid The InvasionMike talks to Paul Okhrem, the co-founder of a global ecommerce consultancy company in Ukraine, on what it's like to maintain operations even amid the escalating conflict. What's happening in Ukraine is heartbreaking. Who would've thought that an invasion could happen even in the 21st century? I figured the least we can do is provide a platform to shed some light on the situation there from a local's perspective, which is why we have Paul Okhrem on the podcast. Paul is the COO and co-founder of Elogic Comm...
2022-06-0626 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE449: The Intricacies of DSP Advertising with Martin ZerrudoMike talks to Seller Universe Ecommerce Group CEO Martin Zerrudo about Amazon DSP and how brands can successfully leverage ads with it. A relatively new system, Amazon's demand-side platform (DSP) analyzes consumer data and finds the right customers to target ads with. Unlike Facebook or Google ads, DSP gives you access to a wider network of third-party sites and reach people both on and off Amazon, albeit a pricier option. A fair warning: doing ads with DSP can get very granular and specific, which can be intimidating to t...
2022-05-1636 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE446: The Importance of Innovation in Ecommerce with Spencer JanIn this episode, Mike is joined by Spencer Jan of Solo Stove to talk about the evolution of ecommerce through the years and how innovation drives it forward. After hearing him speak at eCommerceFuel Live last March, I invited Spencer Jan to be on the podcast to expound on a particular point in his presentation that struck me the most: innovation. Spencer is the co-founder of Solo Stove, a company he started way back in 2010 in a garage. After exiting the business, he is now focused on helping other entrepreneurs build th...
2022-05-0229 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE436: Different Ways to Secure Funding For Your Ecommerce BusinessContrary to the expression "Money is no obstacle," for many start-up entrepreneurs, it's actually the biggest hump to overcome when getting started. So many great ideas and brands fail to come to fruition mainly because of one factor: funding, or the lack thereof. In this episode, we have Asher Ismail of Uncapped to share with us what the company he co-founded does, how ecommerce entrepreneurs can get capital for their businesses and what important factors come into play during the process. Audio Timestamps: Introduction - 0:00 Background of Asher and Uncapped - 5...
2022-02-2845 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 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 PodcastE426: Applying the 4-Burner Theory for Ecommerce Sellers with Greg HowlettMike and Greg have a fireside chat about how they are applying the 4-burner theory as ecommerce sellers to not lose sight of other meaningful things in life. Being an ecommerce entrepreneur means wearing many hats and oftentimes being so busy that you tend to lose track of other meaningful things in life. Today, Greg Howlett and I will be talking about the 4-burner theory and how we are applying it to balance our priorities in business and in life. This theory helped me out a lot in my journey towards a b...
2021-12-1333 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE419: Finding Growth Opportunities for an Ecommerce Business [Under The Hood with Michael Simpson]Mike looks under the hood of Michael Simpson's niche ecommerce business to determine his biggest growth opportunities. Growing an ecommerce business can be daunting, especially when you're looking at a number of angles to grow, but you have limited physical and financial capacities. In this edition of our Under The Hood series, Michael Simpson picks my brain about how he can grow his thriving ecommerce business despite the limited bandwidth. Some of the opportunities we look at are transporting his website into Shopify and expanding into Amazon FBA...
2021-11-111h 14The Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE408: Succeeding as a Grandma of Ecommerce [Under the Hood with Cherie Drennan]Doing ecommerce as a parent and as a grandparent can be challenging, but our guest today has done just that. For this Under the Hood episode, I'll be talking to Cherie Drennan, who we consider in our community as one of the Grandmas of Ecommerce and just a delight to sit down and have a chat with. In this episode, we'll be talking about how she started out as an Amazon seller, what her pain points are, and how she can grow her business further. Some of the i...
2021-09-1349 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE407: The Year of Uncontrollable Circumstances in EcommerceWe've made the jump to video podcasts! You can now not only listen, but watch full episodes on the EcomCrew Podcast YouTube channel. Today, Dave and I are excited to catch-up and talk about our businesses, and how 2021 has been for us so far. In my opinion, it's been the hardest year in ecommerce ever since I started 8 years ago, and that's because of the uncontrollable circumstances that have been plaguing the industry. But Dave seems to disagree. We explore Dave's side of the story, why stress is at...
2021-09-0944 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE406: How Aggregators Acquire Ecommerce Brands with Jake Wolpert of AcqucoEcommerce aggregators have been all the rage this past year. We decided to kick off a podcast series with some of the biggest names in the aggregator space to help sellers understand the acquisition process and get that graceful exit. Today's guest is Jake Wolpert. He's the Head of Sales at Acquco, a relatively young ecommerce aggregator that's made a name for itself rather quickly. We'll talk about what Acquco and other aggregators look for when acquiring ecommerce businesses, what kinds of deals you can expect when selling, and the most imp...
2021-09-0638 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE400: The 3 Biggest Throttles In Scaling Your Ecommerce BusinessWe've finally come to the big 4-0-0! 400 podcast episodes is a lot of podcasting, and it's certainly a huge milestone for us here on EcomCrew. Joining me for this special episode is none other than Dave. We'll be taking a quick trip down memory lane and look back at the podcast's early days as well as how we managed the challenges that came our way as we got more listeners and created more content. Speaking of growth, our main topic for this episo...
2021-08-0247 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE397: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Ecommerce Lessons with Tal MooreBeing an ecommerce seller, it's always nice to hear success stories from fellow entrepreneurs. But sometimes, the stories can feel quite distant and unrelatable, and while it's nice hearing about the good stuff, it's also important to listen to stories about losses and failures. Our guest today is my good friend, Tal Moore. Tal is well-known in our community as a successful ecommerce entrepreneur who is comfortable sharing all the bad things that he's overcome in his journey. In this episode, we'll be talking about how he got into ecommerce with his...
2021-07-191h 09The Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE395: Rebuilding A $1M Brand - Dave's Year 4 UpdateGoing from 0 to $1M is no small feat, but Dave has done exactly that, and then some. For this episode, he'll be talking about all his wins, losses, and future outlook four years after he started a new ecommerce brand from scratch after selling his previous business for top dollar. If you haven't already, be sure to check out all the previous updates from years 1 through 3: Million Dollar Update - 12 Month Update E278: Dave's Year 2 Update on His Off-Roading Gear Business E325: Rebuilding a 1M Brand - Dave's 3 Year...
2021-07-1233 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE392: What Ecommerce Rollups Look for in a BrandFBA rollups and acquisition companies have been all the rage in 2021, but we don't often hear about the buying side of an ecommerce brand acquisition. In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Dajani of Boosted Commerce to talk about the operational side of buying ecommerce brands. Boosted Commerce is an acquisition company that focuses on buying category leaders with a strong Amazon presence. Some of the good stuff we talk about include Boosted's core investment thesis and what acquisition companies really look at when considering which bra...
2021-06-2840 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE387: Using Chatbots and Influencers to Grow Your Ecommerce BrandIt's five times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. So the saying goes. But as an ecommerce seller, there's a plethora of tools out there that you can leverage to engage your audience, expand your customer base, and make your brand more profitable. My guest for this episode is Paul Baron, who is a Chatbot Architect at The Chat Agency, a marketing solutions provider that helps brands rank, build lists, and boost conversion rates using chatbots and influencer marketing. ...
2021-06-0332 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE384: Here's a Fresh Way to Get Some FundingWhether you're just starting out or are looking to scale your business, capital is a problem. Things change fast in ecommerce and getting your hands on cash can be difficult. My guest today is Don Henig, a tried-and-true finance guy who has found a rather fresh way of financing Amazon businesses through his company, AccrueMe. AccrueMe is an investment company that offers funding to Amazon private labels and wholesalers in return for a small temporary share in profits. Its goal is to help Amazon sellers grow without worrying about the usual burd...
2021-05-2141 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE382: This Book Will Help You Gain Traction in EcommerceMike and Dave break down how Gino Wickman's best-selling book, Traction, helped them grow their ecommerce companies. They also announce the giveaway winners of Gino's new book, Entrepreneurial Leap. Ever struggled as an entrepreneur but can't quite put your finger on what the problem is? I know I have. One of the biggest things that helped me get past that and level up my entrepreneurial game is Gino Wickman's best-seller, Traction. Matter of fact, I did an entire podcast series on how I used his practical methods with...
2021-05-1054 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE381: How Mike is Growing His New Ecommerce BusinessI bought an exciting new ecommerce business last year! I've talked about how that opportunity came about with my business partners, Andrew and Bill, back in Episode 366. Now, several months into this venture, there's a bunch of new questions to be answered and a lot more stuff to be explored, all of which I'm happy to share with you guys. In today's episode, Dave is back on the show to ask me some of those burning questions: Was it wise to have bought the compa...
2021-05-0653 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE379: Amplifying Your Growth in Ecommerce (Under the Hood Part 2 with Dave Alexander) Episode 301 with Dave Alexander was a memorable one. We talked about his failures in venturing into the world of ecommerce (including his hilarious first ecommerce idea) and how perseverance eventually got the ball rolling for him. Since then, Dave has found success with his brands, Bushy Box and Lazy Leash. Hungry for more growth, Dave is back for a second Under the Hood session where I answer his biggest questions on how to level-up his ecommerce game. Some of the things we talk about in this episode incl...
2021-04-2636 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE374: From Professional Psychologist to 7-Figure Ecommerce Entrepreneur with Kata PhippsWe're inching our way to four hundred episodes, but this might be the first time I've talked to someone who got into ecommerce out of desperation—and grew to seven figures at that! Kata Phipps is a clinical psychologist by trade. She's married to a military guy, which meant, for years, having to constantly move from one place to another and not being able to settle in and practice her craft. Out of a mix of chance and desperation, Kata dabbled in ecommerce. She eventually found out that she had a knack...
2021-04-0546 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE373: The Challenges of Building and Selling a 7-Figure Ecommerce Brand with Ben LeonardEcommerce is a fast-changing industry, and people rarely ever get that holy grail experience that our guest today has. Ben Leonard is the founder of Beast Gear, a fitness equipment brand born out of this personal interest in physical activities like crossfit and boxing. In just a span of 3 years, he grew the company to a whopping 7-figure brand and has since sold his business. He eventually co-founded Ecom Brokers, which is an ecommerce brokerage tailored to helping other sellers follow in his footsteps and get successful exits of their own. ...
2021-03-3036 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE372 - Taking a Chance on Yourself and Building a 10M+ Ecommerce CompanyAs someone who's immigrated to another country for a few years myself, I know how tough it is to navigate, much less succeed in unfamiliar territory. Today's guest did just that. Ronnie Teja traveled from Mumbai to Vancouver and to so many other places across the globe during his long tenure in digital marketing. He realized he was making a lot of money for a lot of people and eventually decided to bet on himself and dive right into ecommerce. In this episode, we learn about his long journey, the inspiration behind his wa...
2021-03-2242 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE366: Mike's Exciting New BusinessI'm back in the trenches! We sold one of our ecommerce brands back in 2019, and I've been itching to get involved in something again for quite some time. Today, I'm excited to share with you my recent experience in buying a new ecommerce company. Joining me for this episode are my good friends and business partners, Andrew Youderian and Bill D'Alessandro, whose insights are valuable to ecommerce newbies and experienced business owners alike. Andrew is the Managing Partner of ECF Capital, which is tailored to helping small e-commerce businesses grow. He a...
2021-02-2241 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE362: Running an Ecommerce Business as a Side HustleAs ecommerce sellers, we want nothing more than to grow our business and maximize our profits, but sometimes, the opposite can also be true. David Wilson, who was a previous guest in our Under the Hood segment, is trying to downshift his business and transition it into a stable side hustle to support his personal hobbies. In this episode, I give David some valuable advice on how to keep his business chugging along as a lifestyle business. We talk about why it's still important to seek new opportunities and to streamline your ecommerce business, even th...
2021-02-0446 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE360: How Content Can Give You A Leg Up In EcommerceEcommerce today is hardly the same as it was ten years ago. The competition has gotten much stiffer, black hat sellers are all over the place, and simply writing cheap blurbs just to get clicks no longer cuts it. That said, there's one surefire way to grow your business and gain an unfair advantage over much bigger ecommerce brands without resorting to cheap tactics—creating valuable content. In this solo episode, I will be talking about why content matters in ecommerce, how much it helped our own brands grow in the past year, and...
2021-01-2535 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE346: How to Overcome the Challenges of Running and Growing an Ecommerce BusinessMany people who have not been in the ecommerce business themselves have these expectations about the industry that are almost instantly shattered once they try it out themselves. One of the biggest myths in running an ecommerce business is that it's an easy thing to do because you have the potential to earn while you sleep. What they don't know is that unless you learn to manage your processes and to let go some of the responsibilities to concentrate on what matters most, you might not even get enough sleep in the first place. In...
2020-11-2346 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE342: Mike and Dave's Biggest Business MistakesWelcome to Episode 342 of the EcomCrew podcast! Dave and I sit down to reminisce about our biggest business mistakes and what we did to remedy them. This episode is not exactly fun for us, but we did learn our lessons from the mistakes that we made, and we hope you will too. Timestamps: Why we're doing this podcast - 3:40 Mistake #1: My hiring dilemma - 4:09 Mistake #2: Dave hires too quickly - 7:55 Mistake #3: Translating my site into multiple languages - 9:12 Mistake #4: My attempt at creating a Grammarly-like website - 14:30 Mistake #5: Dave's auxiliary sites -15:40 Mistake #6: Dave...
2020-11-0252 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 PodcastE335: How to Pick the Right Niche and Platform for Your Ecommerce BusinessWelcome to E335 of the EcomCrew podcast! This is a special episode because it's the first time that we have a returning guest from our Under the Hood segment. We started doing Under the Hood back in 2018 to give free hour-long advice to other ecommerce sellers and feature them on our podcast. This year, we're touching base with our past guests to see how they're doing and how our advice impacted their business. When our guest, Richard Phillips, was here 2 years ago, he had recently made the transition from affiliate marketing to actually selling physical...
2020-09-2854 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 PodcastE328: The Unfair Advantage You Create When Investing in Blog Content for Your Ecommerce BusinessYou're in for a treat because I finally have Dave back on the podcast with me! Today, we talk about how your business can benefit greatly from external organic traffic that comes from having great blog content. The ecommerce game has significantly changed over the years. That's why in today's episode, we share with you an effective white hat technique to keep your products and sites ranking high on any platform, resulting in higher revenues for your business. In this episode, we talk about: How blogging is essential for ecommerce sites - 7:09 W...
2020-08-1743 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE327: 10 Lessons in Running a Successful Ecommerce Business from 7-Figure SellersGet to know the mistakes the giants made and the best practices they recommend to sustain a successful ecommerce business. In the course of building a business, it is fairly common for entrepreneurs to make mistakes along the way. If you learn from them, it can still be considered a win, but you don't always have to make the mistakes yourself to be able to learn from them. In this episode, our returning guest Gary Huang shares the 10 things he learned after interviewing more than a dozen 7-figure sellers. Gary has w...
2020-08-1051 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE325: Rebuilding a 1M Brand - Dave's 3 Year UpdateHey guys, long time no see! It's time again for another update on my Off Roading business, after a year since my last episode. After three years of running my Off Roading Business, another update is certainly due. If you're new to the podcast or need a refresher, here are quick links to previous episodes in this series. Part 1: Rebuilding a $1million Ecommerce and Importing Business from Scratch Part 2: Rebuilding a $1M Ecommerce Business – Finding Products and Suppliers Part 3: Rebuilding a $1M Ecommerce Business – First 60 Day Results Part 4: Rebuilding a $1M Ecommerce Business – 6 Month Results Million Dollar...
2020-07-2727 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE318: The Effects Of A Mastermind On Your Ecommerce BusinessWelcome to Episode 318 of the EcomCrew Podcast, and greetings from Wichita, Kansas! It feels great to finally be out of the house for awhile, especially after being cooped up in the house for a few months now. Leave a comment down below on where your first destination will be after this lockdown, we'd love to read your answers. Today on the podcast, we're doing something we've never really done before because we've got more than 2 guests on the same episode! Today, we're joined by Michelle, Zeb and Dan, the 3 members of Team Pomona which is one of...
2020-06-0838 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE308: Dealing with the Coronavirus as an Ecommerce SellerThe Coronavirus is probably one of the biggest topics that everyone's talking about right now, and for good reason. It's affecting everyone's mentality, health, and for us e-commerce sellers, it's attacking our own livelihood. Supply chains in China have been disrupted, Amazon has paused its fulfilment services, slowing down delivery times to a crawl for customers. It's a frustrating time for all, but know that you are not alone. In this episode, Dave and I will be talking about how the Coronavirus has affected us personally and we'll be giving out a few tips on how to k...
2020-03-3038 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE301: Why Perseverance is so Important in Ecommerce with Dave AlexanderWelcome to the Ecomcrew podcast! It's been a month-long trip overseas. We visited several countries in South East Asia and even stopped by Australia to catch the Australian Open. This particular episode was recorded while we were still in the Land Down Under. But now we're back in America, ready to jump into the year with a refreshed mind and a hunger for growth. In this episode, I sit down with Dave Alexander to talk about his ecommerce journey, how his first ecommerce business failed and how he persevered through it all by making his third product...
2020-02-1031 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastBonus Episode: The Struggles of an Ecommerce Seller in China Right NowHi, Dave here. The spread of the 2019 Novel-coronavirus (2019-nCov) has been sowing fear and panic in people throughout the world for weeks now. The latest statistics from the WHO have recorded 14,557 cases of the disease, with an overwhelming 14,411 originating from China. The Chinese government enforced lockdown on the city of Wuhan, the outbreak's epicenter, and also in other cities in the Hubei province, including Xiangyang where ecommerce entrepreneur Cameron Walker is quarantined with this family. In this episode, we get a firsthand account of what daily life is like in a city forced into isolation...
2020-02-0331 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 PodcastE286: Yes, A Successful Dropshipping Business is STILL Possible in 2019In the ecommerce realm, opinions on starting a dropshipping business really differ. Some people say it's dead, others insist that its the only way to go. Well, dropshipping is still very much around. But as Amazon moved into a position of dominance, its appeal has waned. The fact that some so-called "gurus" who sell dropshipping as an "easy" way to earn millions hasn't helped either. However, there are those who own sustainable dropshipping businesses. Dave Couillard, our resident design expert, is one of them. I've asked Dave to join me in t...
2019-10-141h 08The 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 PodcastE278: Dave's Year 2 Update on His Offroading Gear BusinessIt's Dave doing a solo podcast today. I've been giving periodic updates on how my current ecommerce business has been doing so far. Having recently marked two years of owning and running OffRoadingGear.com, another update is due. If you're new to the podcast or need a refresher, here are quick links to previous episodes in this series. Part 1: Rebuilding a $1million Ecommerce and Importing Business from Scratch Part 2: Rebuilding a $1M Ecommerce Business – Finding Products and Suppliers Part 3: Rebuilding a $1M Ecommerce Business – First 60 Day Results Part 4: Rebuilding a $1M Ecommerce Business – 6 Month Results Million Dollar...
2019-08-2629 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE270: How to Make More Money Out of Existing Ecommerce SalesIt's almost the end of July and we're down to the last episode of Women's Month. I've had a great time chatting and learning from all these incredible women. Today's guest is a returnee to the EcomCrew Podcast. Dana Jaunzemis is the founder of HomeHealthtesting.com. She has a solid accounting background. She and I have been friends for years and was in one of my earliest podcast episodes where we talked about ecommerce growth and profitability. In this episode, she and I discuss the importance of ecommerce accounting and how to make more money...
2019-07-3048 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE265: Getting Into an Ecommerce Business Later in LifeIf you've been to a handful of ecommerce live events, chances are you've met Carole Rains. She's a regular at these functions and always has a ready smile for anyone. Carole Rains didn't become a solopreneur until later in life. She started her career in the pharmaceutical industry and then transitioned to becoming a chef. The years and monotonous pace led her to an interest in ecommerce. Today, she's the proud owner of two stores, Rustic Artistry and Emu Joy. In this episode, you'll learn: Carole's thoughts about getting more women in ecommerce (3:57) Carole's...
2019-07-1134 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE260: Ecommerce Accounting Essentials for Online SellersTen episodes ago, I talked about some of the math involved in running an ecommerce business. Episode 250 ended up being one of our most impactful episodes to date. So I thought it would be a good idea to do a deep dive on all the essentials of ecommerce accounting. To do this effectively, I needed to have an expert on board to break down all these things with me. Luckily, I sat next to Scott Scharf and his wife at a dinner during this year's Ecommerce Fuel Live and he agreed to come on the...
2019-06-2453 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE257: What does the latest tariff increase mean for your ecommerce business?Dave's back on the podcast with me to talk about one of our favorite topic - tariffs (insert sarcasm). As anyone caught in this plight will know, the US and Chinese governments have reached another impasse in the ongoing trade talks. This resulted in the Trump administration raising tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of goods imported from China effective this month. Here are some key points from our discussion. How are things looking? Both sides of the fence are playing it tough in this trade war for distinctly different reasons. Trump believes...
2019-06-1349 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE255: The Secret to Building a Long-Term, Sustainable Ecommerce Business with Scott Voelker of The Amazing SellerToday we're joined by Scott Voelker of The Amazing Seller podcast. Scotty's not just a personal friend but a comrade-in-arms in a number of ecommerce projects, the most recent being season one of the 5 Minute Pitch along with Steve Chou and Greg Mercer. Scott and I have many similarities when it comes to our background and how we've grown our respective ecommerce businesses. So, after hearing his presentation on ecommerce business sustainability at this year's Sellers Summit, I got him on the show solo. Not everything works forever Ecommerce is a dynamic industry...
2019-06-0751 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE252: How Out-of-the-Box Branding Can Help Launch an Ecommerce BusinessI was in Miami for a couple of days last week for Sellers Summit and the finals of 5 Minute Pitch. Without putting out any spoilers, we've already picked a winner this season. I'm excited to meet with this person again to fulfill that mentoring session that comes as part of the prize. For a show that's on its initial run, we've had many interesting business ideas go through. One of which was from Jon Ford. A Relaxing Hobby Turned Profitable Business A firefighter by trade, Jon's quest for a relaxing hobby has turned...
2019-05-2757 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE239: 6 Actionable Ecommerce SEO Strategies with Brian Dean of Backlinko If you ask us to pick one episode from the EcomCrew Podcast that we think every ecommerce store owner should listen to, today's episode would be a clear winner. We're very excited to have Brian Dean on today's episode. If you've been living under a rock, Brian is an SEO expert and the founder of the Backlinko blog. He has been called an "SEO genius" and is one of the people I follow closely, and whose courses have helped propel my ecommerce store to new Google search heights. In...
2019-04-1149 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE228: How Our New Ecommerce Brand Hit $1 Million in Yearly Run RateAround mid-2017 Dave embarked on a journey to build another million dollar brand after he sold his first one in 2016. He originally planned to reach a $1 million revenue run rate in 12 months, but certain things happening in 2018--including a legal dispute, among others--contributed to a slow growth throughout the year. 21 months later, Dave finally hit his $1 million revenue goal. In this podcast episode he discusses the things that lengthened the process so that you can avoid it in your own business. He also shares tips and hints for increasing the profitability of your brand, along w...
2019-03-0427 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE226: Convenient Financing Solutions for Ecommerce SellersHey there! We've had 5 Minute Pitch videos available online for a few weeks now. The entire process has been tiring yet fulfilling and we couldn't have done it without the help of great companies. One of which is Payability, a financing company exclusive for ecommerce sellers. On today's show, we have Vicky Sullivan to talk more about their products - Instant Access and Instant Advance. Here are some specifics that we covered in this interview. The high cost of a missed opportunity in ecommerce Why banks don't understand the needs of ecommerce s...
2019-02-2528 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE219: 2018 Recap - Highs and Lows of Running an Ecommerce BusinessEcomCrew Premium is open for a limited time EcomCrew Premium is now accepting new members from January 28 - February 3. We only open registrations a few times a year with the next reopening probably in April, so if you're ready to take your business to the next level, join us and get the following benefits: 1-on-1 unlimited email coaching Access to 4 full length courses (Importing from China, Launch an Amazon New Best Seller, Build a 7-Figure Product Brand, Facebook Messenger) Access to future courses Private monthly Q&A webinar Private Secret Sauce webinar where we...
2019-01-3148 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE213: FBA Fees, Product Targeting and PPC Updates, Amazon Photography Service and Dave on The VergeIt's the start of a new month and a whole new year, so Dave and I bring you some of the latest from the marketplace we all know and 'love'. The title is a good indicator of what we're covering in today's show. But there are some, like Amazon Product Targeting, that we introduced in the previous updates. You can listen to them by clicking on the links below. E185: Amazon News, Updated Review Policy, Minimum Wage Hike, Increase in Storage Fees, etc. E201: Amazon Update – Black Friday, Review Throttling, PPC ...
2019-01-1042 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE210: Top 10 Podcast Episodes of 2018Time flies so fast and before you know it, another year gone! As 2018 comes to an end, we decided to look back into the year and round up our 10 most downloaded podcast episodes: 10. E169: Building Your Facebook Audience with Dave Huss 9. E158: Using Amazon PPC and Giveaways to Create an Effective Launch Strategy 8. E198: The First Steps in Ecommerce Marketing (Under the Hood with Colin Grice) 7. E159: 3 Key Email Marketing Sequences for Your Ecommerce Business 6. E205: Advanced Amazon PPC Strategies with Dave Bryant 5. E155: Where to Start with Building a...
2018-12-3127 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE205: Advanced Amazon PPC Strategies with Dave BryantHey, Dave here. Today's podcast will once again be about PPC. But, we'll be going into the more advanced strategies that Mike did not cover in his popular podcast on the same topic. So, what can you expect from this particular episode? A refresher on the main types of Amazon advertising A look at Amazon Bit+ New product targeting that was recently rolled out Headline search ads Listen until the end for more information on these. If you're looking to really dig deep into these new concepts and strategies, I've written a blog post that...
2018-12-1324 minThe 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 PodcastE192: Our Stress Points in Running an Ecommerce BusinessStress is perhaps one of the many constants in running an ecommerce business. Whether you're a starting entrepreneur or someone looking to scale that business, stress is always bound to creep up. Dave and I have both been in business for some time now. Over the years we've encountered situations that resulted in much worrying and a number of sleepless nights. Unfortunately, stress in relation to developing and growing an ecommerce business isn't something many entrepreneurs talk about. This episode aims to initiate that very conversation. Unsurprisingly, we share quite a few stress points. Here...
2018-10-2943 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 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 PodcastE169: Building Your Facebook Audience with Dave HussIn this episode, I sat down with "Paid Traffic Guy" himself - Dave Huss. Dave helps online entrepreneurs bring in new customers by leveraging paid traffic and using retargeting to recover lost sales through Growth Scout. He's also an ecommerce entrepreneur with brands in the arts and crafts niche that have a massive following on their respective Facebook business pages. And this was the focal point of our conversation. Dave gamely shared how he was able to leverage Facebook as a marketing platform for his products. His brands' business pages have 150,000 and 90,000 fans respectively. Here...
2018-08-0640 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE156: Diversifying Ecommerce Businesses Beyond Amazon US"...I think under a million dollars, personally. I don't think that you should be trying to 'squeeze that lemon' much harder until you've re ally optimized Amazon. I think once you get beyond a million dollars, give or take, in sales that's when you really need to start looking at other sales channels, whether its outside of Amazon.com and other marketplaces within Amazon or other sales channels totally outside of Amazon."- Dave Bryant on evaluating when an ecommerce business should diversify and get sales off of Amazon US Amazon US is widely regarded as the e...
2018-06-2139 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE151: SEO Tactics for eCommerce with Katrina McKinnonGetting into ecommerce is tough--it's a low margin business and it's saturated with competition from big and small names alike. In order to break into the game you need to have a lot of resources, with cash being one of the most important. But when Katrina McKinnon started her ecommerce business 10 years ago, she didn't have a lot of money. There were already big names operating in her niche and not having money for paid traffic is a huge disadvantage. So she did what she knew she can do well--attract organic traffic using excellent content. ...
2018-06-0436 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE148: EcomCrew Premium and How Digital Products Can Bolster Your Ecommerce BusinessMany of us starting on the ecommerce entrepreneur route debate between selling two types of products: physical or digital. It's relatively easy to demonstrate the value of a physical product, and it tends to evoke the feeling that you're running a real business. Physical products however require higher overhead, as you need ample amounts of inventory and money on shipping operations to keep the business running. On the other hand, digital products require almost no overhead and creating them doesn't tie up any money. On the downside, digital products are far more difficult to create and creation...
2018-05-2446 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE141: Get to Know Abby, EcomCrew's Filipino VAEcomCrew has gone through a big transformation ever since the site merged with Dave Bryant's site ChineseImporting.com. In less than a year we've accomplished so much--we've launched new courses, upped the podcast to two episodes per week, and revamped the entire EcomCrew site. Dave and I are tremendously happy with what EcomCrew has become and we are gearing to do even more, but we would not have gone to this point if not for the people helping us behind the scenes. If you've been listening to the podcast recently or reached out to us at some...
2018-04-3034 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastE122: EcomCrew Treat! Launching Two Courses and Catching Up with Dave BryantOur months of hard work have finally paid off! We are happy to announce that the following courses are open for registration: Build a 7-Figure Product Brand Import From China Like a Pro And to kick things off, we have Dave Bryant from literally the other side of the world on the podcast to talk about the course and the carefully curated content that's waiting for you on the other side. And if that's not a treat in itself (you guys know how hard it is to get Dave on the podcast...
2018-02-2241 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 PodcastE107: 2018 eCommerce PredictionsAs 2017 comes to a close, it's only fitting to devote our last episode of the year to 2018 ecommerce predictions. Dave and I listed what we think will happen in the ecommerce world next year, from sales tax to Bitcoin. It's always fun to make these predictions and then revisit them by the end of 2018 to see how many of them actually happened. It would've been great to have Dave on the episode as well, but he is still in China as of recording this, so I will just cover his predictions here. This will also be our l...
2017-12-2122 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 PodcastEpisode 100: A Special Q&A with Five Successful Entrepreneurs100 episodes! Can you believe it? Today marks a special moment in EcomCrew history. We've hit a very important milestone and we never would have done it without YOU. I had my struggles; I can't tell you how frustrating it is not knowing whether people truly enjoyed listening to the podcast or if they got any real value out of it or not. But then I go to these live events and people come up to me and tell me how the podcast helped them in their businesses, and I just feel stoked. It...
2017-11-2744 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 99: An 18-year Ecommerce Journey with Kevin Stecko of 80sTees.com "I think perpetual unhappiness with everything about an entrepreneur's business is probably the only way they're going to be successful, right? Always be thinking that something needs to be improved." - Kevin Stecko, 80sTees.com Our guest for the last episode before we hit the 100 mark is my good friend Kevin Stecko from 80sTees.com. We jokingly call Kevin as one of the "grandfathers of ecommerce", having started his business way back in 1999. He has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in the business, and has gone with the wave of changes of what made...
2017-11-2348 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 94: On the Road with David Couillard: How to Run an Ecommerce Business while Traveling with FamilyMany of you might have read or at least heard of Tim Ferriss' famous 4 Hour Workweek. It might seem like a crazy idea, but you've probably seen many people pull it off, quitting their day jobs and "living the dream" -- sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere in the Pacific while money continues to flow into their pockets. But for us running ecommerce businesses and probably with a family to take care of, is it even possible? In this episode Dave and I interview an ecommerce entrepreneur who was able to make such a lifestyle possible. David...
2017-11-0624 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 91 Ecommerce Growth and Profitability With Dana JaunzemisToday's episode is a pre-recorded episode. At the time of this podcast, Dave and I are attending Global Sources. These pre-recorded episodes are a great opportunity to interview some highly successful ecom business owners. My guest today is one of those highly successful ecommerce entrepreneurs. Dana Jaunzemis is the owner of Homehealthtesting.com. She purchased the business at a time when she saw the potential for profitability. That eye for good business decisions seems to be Dana's superpower. This is her seventh business she has purchased and she has owned it for seven years. On today's episode...
2017-10-1936 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 90: 10 Ways to Increase Profitability in Your Ecommerce BusinessToday, Dave and I talk about the tricks and tips we have found running our businesses that have helped our bottom lines. There are a total of ten tips and we share some personal insight with each tip. If you are running your own ecommerce business, then today's episode could be a helpful resource for you. Here's what we covered during this episode: Why you need to keep your accounting books current. How to trim your product catalog to save money. How to cut back your advertising budget effectively. Why you should consolidate shipments. How to...
2017-10-1235 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 76: Ecom Crew ChangesI'm sure our listeners have noticed that Grant hasn't been on the podcast lately. The reason for this is Grant has moved on to do other things. We agreed that he should follow his new direction, so he has left the podcast. Our friendship remains strong. However, I am happy to announce that Dave Bryant will be joining me on Ecom Crew! Dave is the founder of chineseimporting.com, a blog for newcomers to the importing business. His focus is, of course, China, but his business is starting to shift to e-commerce. This change is...
2017-07-0626 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 73: Should You Go All in on Amazon, or NotOn today's episode we welcome back Dave Bryant. Dave is here for a friendly little debate. We are going to trade views on Amazon. Dave tends to believe you should build your business completely on Amazon, and I disagree.This is a respectful discussion and we both make some really good points. If you are just starting out in ecommerce, then maybe this episode will help you balance out which approach is best for you. Are you more comfortable basing your sales on Amazon? Or do you want to hedge your bet? There really isn't a right o...
2017-06-1534 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 66: Importing Insights With Dave Bryant of ChineseImporting.comThe Ecom Crew Podcast welcomes guest Dave Bryant to this episode. Dave is an ecommerce veteran who shares his experience with us. Dave has been importing goods for 10 years now. He grew his business to 2 million and sold it. He tells us how he did it and why he began his blog Chinese Importing. Dave has been doing business in China during 2008. So, he has some really useful information for new e commerce sellers and sellers who want to expand. Here are today's points: How Dave got started in ecommerce. Why trade shows are...
2017-04-0639 minThe Ecomcrew Ecommerce PodcastEpisode 62: Brick and Mortar Meets EcommerceHi, Grant here. I am broadcasting solo today, but I have a great topic. I want to talk about brick and mortar business. I have been franchising for around 3 years now, so I have some experience with physical location selling. Most people consider brick and mortar "old fashioned," but if you couple brick and mortar with ecommerce something special can happen. Today I'm going to tell you how you can mesh these two business models together. Here are my points for today: Some of the challenges of doing business out of a brick and m...
2017-03-0945 min