Ecommerce Conversations, By Practical Ecommerce

Resilience comes to mind when describing Hunter Durham. In eight years, he went from a college graduate to a Facebook employee to a company owner to bankruptcy.Fortunately, he’s willing to share his experience in this episode. It’s a helpful case study on borrowing money, riding an ecommerce boom, and relying on a single client.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6taNFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Nathan Chan seemingly had it all. His business, Foundr, is hugely successful, combining media with entrepreneurship training. He interacts with prominent global founders. Then came burnout. "I experienced burnout earlier this year for the first time ever," he told me. "It wasn't good. I realized I had just ground myself out."For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?4nn3For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Lauren Johnson says high-performing entrepreneurs have similar characteristics as professional athletes. Both have mental traits that lead to inevitable success. She first observed those qualities when working for the New York Yankees, teaching mental performance to accomplished baseball players.For an edited and condensed transcript of this episode with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?4OlJFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Katrina McKinnon owns CopySmiths, a global blog-writing agency for ecommerce companies. Once wary of artificial intelligence-powered writing tools, she now embraces them. Moreover, she sees a coming sea change where storytellers — liberal arts folks — are the AI "prompt engineers" that drive much of marketing.She discusses the evolution of her business, working with Kenya-based writers, and the benefits and opportunities of AI tools.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nbiFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts***The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Mike Tecku first appeared on this podcast in 2019 as an Amazon marketplace seller. He then sold that business, a maker of floormats, shortly afterward. He retired, became bored, and in 2022 launched Momentum, a direct-to-consumer nutritional shake producer. He and I discussed that venture last year in his second appearance.He's back. Momentum Shake is flourishing, as is Tecku. He's evolved from the nuts and bolts of making money to achieving a purpose, building a team, and self-improvement. "If I'm not growing, I'm dying," he told me.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qReFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants

Eric Bandholz hosts "Ecommerce Conversations" while running Beardbrand, his direct-to-consumer provider of men's grooming supplies. Periodically he diverts an episode to share the details of his business, hoping it helps others. He's done that three times in the last year, a challenging period for many ecommerce companies, including his own. He's addressed Beardbrand's initial sales decline, plans for recovery, and, most recently, a year-end recap.In this episode, he shares Beardbrand's recent changes to persevere for better times.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sOCFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their business

Braxton Manley first appeared on the podcast in 2021. As a college student, he had launched Braxley Bands, a maker of Apple Watch bands. Last year he returned with an update on that business after operational and sales challenges.He's back, having launched his latest company, Mystic, a direct-to-consumer maker of health-focused chewing gum. In this episode, he shares the origins of Mystic, marketing plans, early successes, and more.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sJyFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffilia

The reality of post-pandemic ecommerce has been tough for many direct-to-consumer merchants. Take Molson Hart. His company, Viahart, makes innovative educational toys and sells them on Amazon, Walmart, and other marketplaces.The last two years have been challenging for Viahart. What worked before and during Covid doesn't apply now, Hart says.Host Eric Bandholz shares those sentiments, as Beardbrand, his firm, has similar struggles.This is Hart's second appearance on the podcast. In this episode, he addresses surviving the downtimes, TikTok successes, and the importance of persistence and optimism.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sDJFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to he

Barry Hott is a longtime Facebook advertising consultant. He says first reactions to an ad largely determine its performance. He advises merchants to create ugly ads, those that people won't skip over."I'm the Ugly Ads Guy," he stated.In this episode, Hott addresses key Facebook ad metrics, budgeting, testing, and, yes, ugly creative. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sy2For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com 

Lukas Tanasiuk once paid a firm to redesign his Shopify site, a seller of electric scooters. The result was slow page loads and his efforts to improve them. What he found, he says, was a lot of false claims."I discovered corruption among folks who say they are page-speed optimizers," he says.Page-speed optimization became Tanasiuk's next opportunity. In 2023 he launched The Nice Agency, focusing on Shopify page loads.In this episode, he shares his journey from merchant to agency owner, slow Shopify sites, and more. He addresses:His firsthand experiences with slow page speeds.The root causes of slow Shopify sites.The downsides of adding third-party Shopify apps.His efforts to out a company making false page-speed claims.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6ssXFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the les

Corey Wilks is a clinical psychologist turned business coach. He helps entrepreneurs and creators improve their mindset and overcome self-imposed obstacles. He says a common obstacle is overthinking a problem. Others involve perfectionism, doubt, and even fear. In this episode, he addresses those mental hurdles and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6smDFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com

Natalie Mounter is a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur. Her company, Totally Dazzled, sells craft supplies for weddings and creative projects. She says the business has prospered due to other stay-at-home moms — her employees and affiliates."Being a stay-at-home mom and hiring other stay-at-home moms has been key to our success," she stated.In this episode, she shared Totally Dazzled's origins, its affiliate marketing success, and the value of smart, hardworking moms.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6shrFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent pu

Bill D'Alessandro is a 14-year ecommerce owner. Natural Dog Company, an omnichannel seller of canine health products, is his eighth brand. "My niche is acquisition entrepreneurship," he stated. 'll buy a small brand, grow it, improve it, and eventually sell it."Along the way, he's learned lessons such as focus, industry selection, and product pricing. He shares those experiences and more in this episode.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6scyFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated

Shahzad Chagani runs operations for PE Energy, a Houston, Texas-based supplier of industrial equipment and supplies. The company collects leads online from worldwide B2B buyers and relies on its Colombia-based sales team to convert them into sales."Colombia is pretty Westernized," Chagani stated. "We find a lot of college-educated talent there."In this episode, Chagani addresses his company's backend setup for 100,000 SKUs, the benefits of an offshore sales staff, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6s96For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are

For years Brandon Eley's online shoe company, 2BigFeet, prospered by reselling prominent brands. But the profit margins slowly narrowed as did the sources for large footwear sizes, Eley's niche.The solution is Michael Ellis Footwear, Eley's direct-to-consumer brand, launched in 2021. "We finally decided to take matters into our own hands," he said.In this second appearance on the podcast, Eley shares the evolution of 2BigFeet, the launch of Michael Ellis, custom manufacturing, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6s2HFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webi

Mickey Friedman co-launched Flair.ai in 2022, a year after graduating from the University of Chicago. The company, which has raised $5 million in seed funding, deploys artificial intelligence to perfect product photos, providing entire virtual scenes and setups.The process, Friedman says, dramatically lowers the cost of photo shoots while improving quality.In this episode, she addresses the rise of visual AI, the necessity of human intervention, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rYbFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in

Matt Ragland is a 10-year email marketer, first at ConvertKit and now at Good People Digital, the Nashville-based agency he launched in early 2023. His approach to superior email performance is storytelling.He says, "Brands that excel at email marketing frequently tell a story to their ideal audience."In this episode, he addresses storytelling tactics, email design, automation strategies, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rUbFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platfo

In 1962 Arto Alajian arrived in the U.S., having fled Egypt and his shoe-manufacturing business. He became a milkman in Los Angeles, and then a ceramic tile installer, and then a tile maker. That was 1966.Fast forward to 2024, and ARTO, the company, is a global supplier of handcrafted ceramic, porcelain, and concrete products. Armen Alagian, the founder's son, now co-owns the business.In this episode, he addresses the challenges and rewards of generational, family-owned companies. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rNNFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independen

Before Shopify, YouTube, and Facebook, there was OverstockArt. David Sasson launched the company on the Yahoo Store platform in 2002 in Wichita, Kansas. It sells original, hand-painted reproductions of works by Van Gogh, Monet, and more.Much has changed since 2002, but not Sasson's passion and resilience. He has faced legal crises, replatforms, and competitors. Yet OverstockArt thrives.In this episode, he shares his journey, outlook, and advice for budding entrepreneurs.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rITFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishin

No one can accuse ecommerce copywriter Chris Orzechowski of mimicking others. In an era of image-heavy emails, he prefers plain text. Amid the Facebook-Google advertising juggernaut, he likes X.Orzechowski is an 11-year writer and marketer, first as a freelancer and then, in 2020, at Orzy, the agency he founded. In this episode, he addresses his keys to successful product copy, frustration with Meta, and migration to X Ads.For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rAxFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcastsListener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.   ******The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any e