INspired INsider Podcast

Wes Grudzien (GRUD ZEE AN) knows what it takes to be successful at selling on Amazon. Wes is cofounder of Lullaby Lane. He helped grow the company's Amazon sales to over 7 million dollars annually in less than 3 years. He is also the founder of Ezonomy where he teaches the exact methods used to grow a 7 figure business and consults with large scale sellers. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:15] Jeremy's introduction of Wes Grudzien. [1:31] The reasons Lullaby Lane was able to grow so quickly: access to suppliers. [2:53] What separates the LL approach from others who sell the same things? [8:31] The thought process behind coming up with new product ideas. [10:22] The things Amazon private label sellers are doing well and the mistakes they are making. [21:14] The type of things that make a good product bundle on Amazon. [24:45] How Wes gets customers to his own site rather than buying through Amazon. [28:23] Focusing on the things you can control - like inventory control, etc. [32:35] Resources Wes recommends. [46:59] The kind of things Wes used to do for his father's company. [53:22] When Wes originally got started in ecommerce business. [1:03:00] How Wes helps new sellers to get past the barrier to entry. [1:05:39] The first milestone Lullaby Lane hit online. [1:14:02] The metrics to watch: inventory turnover rate / profit margin. [1:19:38] Why Wes doesn't use traditional ecommerce software like Skubana. [1:30:04] What terms should Amazon sales businesses seek from manufacturers. [1:32:15] At what point should an ecommerce seller consider raising capital? [1:37:40] The lowest moment Wes experienced in his ecommerce journey. [1:39:48] The highest moment Wes has experienced. [1:41:45] The kind of work Wes does consulting with brands (a story). [1:46:52] Tips for brands selling on Amazon. In this episode… The Amazon marketplace is a very popular starting place for many people who want to enter the ecommerce realm. Selling on Amazon is still a very realistic way to begin making a living online but it's not without its pitfalls. Wes Grudzien has not only become very successful selling products on the Amazon platform - he's also built a business that consults with brands and individuals to help them get a start on Amazon as well. Selling on Amazon can work in a number of ways. The two most popular are through retail arbitrage (buying wholesale or at a discount and reselling at retail or above on Amazon) or through what is known as private label sales. Private label sales is the process of sourcing products through a supplier, branding them as your own, and selling on Amazon. Wes Grudzien has done both and is a pro at helping others learn how to create their own online revenue using those models. Wes attributes his company's success at selling on Amazon to their commitment to follow typical business practices. It may sound simplistic but many who sell on Amazon don't do adequate product research, don't work to optimize their processes or listings, and miss many of the little things that can make for a successful sales channel. If you are interested in selling on Amazon you'll enjoy this conversation with Wes Grudzien. He's got lots of insights into the way things work on Amazon and what it takes to be successful on the world's largest retail platform. Make sure you take some time to listen to this one. On this episode Wes Grudzien not only shares his journey as an Amazon private label seller but also the way he's gotten involved with the Muscular Dystrophy Association as a result. He's got some moving stories to tell about the difference he's been able to make in the lives of some very special people. Be sure to listen. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.Skubana.com www.LullabyLane.com www.ezonomy.com/ BOOK: Good to Great BOOK: Great By Choice BOOK: Zero To One BOOK: The Lean Startup Ryan Deiss

Business Partnerships can be painful and on this episode Ryan Lee ( I consider one of my early internet mentors) and founder of Freedym.com (the Netflix for lifestyle entrepreneurship) shares about one of his. Ryan is a former Recreational Therapist, Gym Teacher and Personal Trainer. In 1999 he started an online fitness business while living in his parents basement and grew it into an empire that did 7-figures per month. More importantly many of the people he has mentored have gone on to do big things. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:25] Jeremy's introduction of Ryan Lee of Freedym.com [1:19] Ryan's lowest point business wise. [3:53] One of Ryan's proudest business moments. [7:32] What went through Ryan's head when he made 7 figures in one month. [13:28] The best things that came out of a $25 mastermind group. [14:00] Where you can find Ryan. [14:36] Ideas Ryan wants to give away that he'll never work on. In this episode… There is a stigma attached to business partnerships. Many people have had difficult or painful experiences trying to make a partnership work. On this episode Ryan Lee tells the story of a partnership he entered into that was painful on a number of levels - but he doesn't blame the partnership itself. Instead he blames himself for stepping outside his primary areas of strength. If you're going to entertain the idea of a partnership you need to make sure that the thing you're doing is well within your core competencies. That's the lesson Ryan Lee learned as he was trying to make a fitness product into the next big thing. In the end he felt that he let everyone down because he overextended himself into areas that weren't his strengths. Even though he's incredibly successful, Ryan Lee is a pretty low key, no nonsense guy. On this episode he talks about what it was like to bring in 7 figures in one month, why he'd never spend $25,000 on a mastermind group, and why he has gotten incredible value from a $25 mastermind group and has become good friends with all of the participants in the group. Ryan's got a cool story so be sure you take some time to listen. Ryan Lee believes that if you're going to do something you should enjoy it. He made that statement during this conversation on Inspired Insider when he was talking about a company he built that makes up to 7 figures per month - and yet he's going to step out of it. He doesn't feel like it's the best fit for who he is and who he wants to be. You can hear Ryan's story about that decision on this episode. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.Freedym.com www.RyanLee.com Brian Kurtz Michael Fishman Joe Polish

Gary Nealon is the founder of RTA Cabinet Store and has built an 8-figure eCommerce business. Gary is also the owner of the Rox Group, a collection of eCommerce sites in the home improvement niche. Rox Group includes one of the largest online distributors and importers of kitchen cabinets in the United States. They have been featured one over 80 shows on popular networks like HGTV, A&E, and many others. Gary has been featured on the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 as well as being listed as one of Philly's 100 fastest-growing companies in the past 3 years. Gary also runs WineTrailAdventures.com and Nealon Solutions, which is a marketing company. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:37] Jeremy's introduction of Gary Nealon, founder of RTA Cabinet Store and The Rox Group. [1:44] What's a must for sellers to boost sales? [3:39] When did you first consider direct marketing? [5:49] How do you get 78k people on a Facebook page about cooking? [7:43] How does the messaging differ when the customer is a contractor versus a homeowner. [10:25] How did you end up being featured on TV? [18:24] What's the process like for the business? [21:02] The biggest mistakes people make on eCommerce. [23:41] How did you diversify? [28:39] What kind of follow up do you recommend? [35:08] Some of the tools Gary has created via his marketing company. [42:00] The trials and tribulations of a software company. [45:59] How to find the programs they've created. [46:47] The reality of hiring. [54:15] How do you know when to hire? [1:02:47] Adding personality to email campaigns and marketing. [1:04:44] The biggest challenge in the beginning compared to now. [1:07:35] How do you segment your day or your week? [1:09:07] What software is essential to your business? [1:12:06] Gary's lead in story before he started RTA Cabinet Store. [1:15:05] What's been the lowest and proudest eCommerce points? [1:17:22] The lesson you want to leave us with today? In this episode… After facing his share of struggles, Gary has built a hugely successful eCommerce business and is seen as a leader in the industry. From bankruptcy to 8-figure business, it's clear Gary has been through many obstacles to grow his businesses to the level they are today. Throughout today's chat, Gary shares the highs and lows, as well as the tactics that help him stand out from the competition. Gary talks about the number one strategy that helped him take his businesses to the next level: getting to know the customer. He discusses why it's essential to market directly to the avatar of the ideal customer, and how it made a huge difference in his business. Gary shares why direct marketing helped him turn the corner and truly begin to reach the customer, and how the strategy differs from homeowners to contractors to house flippers. Gary goes on to discuss more about his marketing strategy and why it's important to offer high quality free content in order to engage the community. He shares the mindset behind sharing free recipes on the Facebook page in order to target home owners and why he rarely posts an ad for the business. Gary also offers insight into the focus when dealing with contractors and house flippers, and how they connect with them. In closing, Gary talks about his marketing company and how they came to create automation tools, software and apps for the business. He discusses the biggest challenges he's faced throughout the growth of the businesses, and why today it's all about staying ahead of the competition. In closing, Gary shares his high and low point, and a final thought for eCommerce businesses. Resources Mentioned on this episode RTA Cabinet Store Wine Trail Adventures Data Feed Automation Viral Content System Olark Hootsuite MailChimp

Greg Mercer is the founder of the software Jungle Scout which allows you to quickly and easily perform product research on Amazon. And Review Kick which helps people quickly and easily get reviews for their amazon products. In addition, Greg generates revenues in excess of $400K per month by selling products on Amazon. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:01] Greg Mercer's travels over the past years. [1:16] The hardest part about running a business virtually while on the road. [3:09] How Greg runs his Amazon business. [4:56] Jeremy's introduction of Jeremy. [5:38] The lowest points Greg has had (mentally). [7:14] One of Greg's proudest moments. [8:00] Greg's favorite success story of a Jungle Scout user. [9:37] How to connect with Greg. In this episode… For anyone who is involved in the e commerce space on the Amazon sales platform, Jungle Scout has become almost a household name. It's creator, Greg Mercer, is a very successful Amazon Private Label business owner himself, so his insights into the kind of functionality and features that the software package needs comes from his personal experience. The incredible success of Jungle Scout is a testament to the success of the Amazon sales platform and the many people who are working to create their own e commerce business using its tools and advantages. Greg is like most ultra successful entrepreneurs: he saw the demand, found a very legitimate need, then figured out how to meet it in a way that provides great value to customers and a good return to him as the creator. Be sure you listen to this great episode. Greg shares his lowest moment on his entrepreneurial journey as well as his highest or most encouraging moment. He also talks about the struggles and difficulties of working and living on the road as he travels the world. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.JungleScout.com www.ReviewKick.com Catch Greg on Twitter: #Mercer_Greg www.Slack.com

Amine Khechfe (AMINE KESHVE) understands the power of customer complains. He cofounded Endicia with Dr. Harry Whitehouse in the 1980's. Endicia is a leading provider of eCommerce shipping technologies with more than $12 billion in postage printed. They help send over 500 million parcels of mail per year and account for over 60% of all online postage printed in the US. They help businesses run their shipping operations by printing shipping labels or online postage right from your desk. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:15] Jeremy's introduction to this episode's guest Amine Khechfe. [1:40] The issue of integration: Getting it right for software tools. [5:16] The first integration partners for Endicia. [11:47] How Endicia's business goes up in times of recession. [13:54] The trends Amine sees in the ecommerce space because of his work with so many sellers. [20:51] How many of Endicia's features or services came from customer feedback. [25:21] Making decisions about which ideas to implement into the product, when. [27:30] The business models Endicia works with and how they cater to their needs. [31:05] Exciting new features Endicia is working on now. [36:39] College student partnership at Endicia. [41:11] The common issues customers experience that Endicia tries to solve. [46:50] The trade shows and conferences ecommerce business leaders should attend. [51:30] The creation of the Best Holiday Shipping Bootcamp video. [55:32] How Amazon has impacted the Endicia model (Endicia started around the same time). [57:49] Fun facts about Amine. [1:03:21] Lessons Amine has learned from his co-founder, Dr. Harry Whitehouse. [1:06:06] The challenges of having such a huge customer base. [1:13:37] What Endicia learns from its competition and customers over the years. [1:15:51] How to connect with Endicia and Amine. [1:17:23] The lowest and highest moments of the journey. In this episode… Nobody in business likes to get customer complaints, but Amine Khechfe sees them as a blessing in disguise. That's because when a customer is willing to express what they don't like about your product or service, they are helping you to make it better - if you'll take the initiative to do so. On this episode of Inspired Insider Amine Khechfe of Endicia shares how the company and its leadership have learned over their years of shipping experience to listen to customer complaints with an eye not only toward improvement but also toward gaining insight. Customer complaints tell them exactly what the customer's needs are so the company can up its game and create better products. If you don't know how to listen and learn when it comes to customer feedback you'll wind up becoming cynical and resentful that those using your products appear not to appreciate it… And that's the entirely wrong approach. The feedback customers provide is a gift to you as a business leader. It's your window into their souls, into their pain points and needs, which in turn opens the door to the opportunity to increased service and more revenue. On this episode Amine Khechfe also shares the challenges that come with having such a huge number of customers and how the company has learned to address those challenges as they come up and even predict some of them before they happen. It's a great episode with tons of insight for ecommerce businesses. And don't miss the "Best Holiday Shipping Bootcamp" video the Endicia team has created. In Jeremy's words, "The video is funny and engaging. It actually makes shipping sexy." If you can make shipping sexy, you can make anything sexy. Check out the link shared on this episode to see the video for yourself. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.Skubana.com www.Endicia.com www.eBay.com www.Zoovy.com Best Holiday Shipping Bootcamp Video www.Stamps.com

Dealing with difficult team members is the first thing Omar Sayyed (SIGHYEED) mentioned when asked about his lowest point in business. Omar is the Co-founder and CEO of Ties.com | Scarves.com | and Alynn.com (ALAN) that started in 2000. The company started off literally fulfilling orders out of a co-founder's living room. They have managed to grow into the world's largest online men's and women's accessories retailer. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:09] Jeremy's introduction of Omar Sayyed. [1:04] Why looking at Omar makes Jeremy want to up his game. [1:48] Omar's lowest professional moment: Dealing with difficult people. [9:50] The proudest business moments Omar has experienced. [16:16] The timeline for acquiring Allyn.com - beginning to end. [22:55] How to connect with Omar. [24:40[ The story behind Sock Genius. [27:54] A business idea Omar has that someone else is invited to steal: An app that allows you to insert memes. In this episode… One of the most difficult parts of leading any business is the task of dealing with difficult people that inevitably wind up on the team. For Omar Sayyed, he inherited some key team members when he moved into a leadership position and quickly became aware of areas where he and the team member were not in alignment. It was an issue he knew he had to deal with immediately. What does it look like to deal with a difficult team member? Much of how to approach it has to do with the personalities involved and the issues that are revealing the need for a chat. Omar Sayyed believes that alignment is vital to a smooth working team and on this episode he tells the story of how he addressed some alignment issues with a team member early on in his leadership of his company. The savvy and wisdom you need to broach a difficult subject with an important team member is not something you are able to learn quickly - it takes a lot of understanding of human nature and the dynamics of relationships. But one thing is certain, the longer you delay the more needful that conversation will become. Don't wait until it's too late. On this episode of Inspired Insider Omar Sayyed is going to share his lowest moment in business and it had to do with how he dealt with difficult people on his team. You'll learn a lot from this revealing peek into the inner workings of the leadership of a successful online ecommerce company. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.Ties.com www.Scarves.com www.Alynn.com www.iawareables.com Angela Duckworth TED talk about Grit BOOK: Grit www.Volusion.com www.Shopify.com www.BigCommerce.com

Company culture is a vital part of the way Travis Romine build his companies. Travis is the Founder of Sharp Commerce. His company is a group of e commerce ninja's helping with customer engagement, retention and advanced marketing. He Took sales from $100/day to $15,000+/day over 10 year period at Paradise Fibers that he cofounded which grew to one of the top performing businesses in the needlecraft industry. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:15] Jeremy's introduction to Travis Romine, today's guest. [9:01] How Travis got started in ecommerce alongside his Dad. [14:11] Why Travis moved to Magento. [17:00] People want deals but they also want entertainment, a careful balance. [21:00] Using software properly so you get the biggest use of it. [37:57] Staff growth over the years: how it happened and why. [50:10] How the company had an $80K day of sales. [53:20] Failures along the way. [58:31] The decisions Travis and company had to make about phone systems. [1:07:03] The support and skill of Travis' wife in the growth of the businesses. [1:13:23] The big mistakes ecommerce businesses are making. [1:18:12] What you can do when your sales plateau. [1:21:21] The types of clients Travis works with. [1:30:25] Software that Travis finds essential for his e commerce businesses. [1:32:40] The things Travis looks for in his software decisions. [1:38:21] Why employees make your business. [1:39:15] How Travis gives ownership of the business to employees. [1:45:40] The software showdown: Travis' comparisons of major platforms. In this episode… There has been a lot written and said in recent years about the importance of building a healthy company culture. And the larger the company gets the more difficult it is to establish and maintain. One of the most obvious takeaways from this conversation with Travis Romine is the huge success he's had building successful companies that scale while at the same time keeping the company culture not only healthy, but incredibly strong. All you need to see to believe it is to take a look employee and customer comments from the time frame when Travis was in charge of things. His name is mentioned repeatedly in glowing terms and the way people felt about working for him is obviously positive. Travis prefers not to think that employees are working for him, but alongside him - and that's a huge reason why the culture of the companies he's run has been so outstanding. But company culture is not the only thing you'll hear on this episode. Travis has so much experience and skill in the e commerce space that the interview would be incomplete without tapping into his know-how. Travis generously shares a significant amount of wisdom about what it takes to not only build a strong company culture but to also grow and e commerce business successfully, including the software and packages that make the most sense to keep an e commerce business profitable and running smoothly. The conversation wraps up with what Jeremy calls "The Software Showdown" where he asks Travis to give his opinion about the big players in the e commerce software space, including their strong and weak points, areas where improvement is needed, and how each works in a practical, function way in real life scenarios. If you've been looking for the right e commerce solution and haven't made up your mind yet, you need to listen to this conversation before you do. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.Skubana.com www.SharpCommerce.com www.ParadiseFibers.com www.Volusion.com www.Magento.com www.Bronto.com www.DotMailer.com www.Kayako.com www.Shopify.com www.Asana.com www.ListTrack.com www.SweetTooth.com www.ZenDesk.com BOOK: Drive www.BigCommerce.com

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:24] Jeremy's introduction of Colt Cabana and his podcast. [1:33] Colt's lowest moment in his career: being fired from WWE. [3:05] How the lowest point brought Colt to his highest point. [4:08] The reasons given for being fired. [5:23] What it was like to be in the "big league" of the WWE. [6:10] How everything great blends together over the years. [7:14] Where you can find Colt online. In this episode… Colt Cabana is one of those people who attained his dream only to find out that it wasn't all that he thought it would be. So much so that he wound up being fired from his role in the WWE. Looking back, Colt says that was the lowest point of his career and on this episode he shares what it meant to him to attain that level of success only to lose it. Being at the height of your profession after many years of hard work is a wonderful feeling. When it's a high profile position like being a star in the WWE, it's even more exciting. Colt Cabana shares what it was like to be at the top and how he regrouped to build a new life after losing it all, on this episode. Starting over is difficult for anyone, especially after you've already been to the top. Colt Cabana didn't let the disappointment of losing his dream job slow him down. He took the experience he had as a WWE wrestler into a new realm - online entertainment via podcasting and Youtube and built a new life for himself that some would argue is far more successful. Few people have the talent and appeal to make it as an internet personality, but Colt Cabana pulls it off. If you're curious what is meant by that, check out his Youtube video series, "Worst Promo Ever." You'll get the idea of the kind of sharp mind and talent Colt has to make something incredibly funny out of nothing more than an idea. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.ColtCabana.com Creative Has Nothing For You Colt Cabana on Twitter Colt Cabana on Instagram Worst Promo Ever

Jordan Gal is founder of Carthook, a cart abandonment software solution that recovers lost revenue by following up with potential customers who don't complete the checkout process. Jordan previously ran a successful ecommerce business that was acquired. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:15] Jeremy's introduction of Jordan Gal, ecommerce software developer. [1:28] The most important thing Jordan did: found a good Volusion developer. [6:03] Mistakes made on the checkout page. [7:25] The most common reasons people abandon a cart. [9:06] The power of a live chat functionality that tracks user activity on the site. [12:19] Why people abandon SaaS purchases. [14:28] Observations from working with ecommerce vendors. [20:05] A story that illustrates the importance of phone contact with prospects and customers. [24:50] The good and difficult parts of scaling an ecommerce business. [28:34] Mistakes ecommerce builders should avoid. [31:37] The major skillsets Jordan had that he would never pass to someone else. [37:00] Mistakes Jordan made building an ecommerce business. [42:01] Platforms Jordan recommends - and know that no platform is perfect. [44:38] The power of reviews on your ecommerce site. [46:00] The type of software you must have for effective ecommerce. [55:49] Best time frames for follow up of abandoned carts. [58:00] Email sequence recommendations. [1:03:51] Things Jordan has implemented because of customer feedback. [1:10:04] Things ecommerce people need to check in their business. [1:14:23] Jordan's typical schedule to balance work and life. [1:17:30] Jordan's journey from Israel to the U.S. and his family life. [1:25:27] Things Jordan learned from his Dad's direct response business. [1:33:28] The highest priority step ecommerce owners should do now. In this episode… Cart abandonment is a big issue in the ecommerce space. If you can close that loop you'll significantly increase your revenue and build a more effective follow up sequence with your customers. This episode is about helping you make cart abandonment a thing of the past. Instead of hitting on the generalities of ecommerce, this episode drills down into some of the most important aspects of how you can optimize your process to convert more shoppers on your website into paying customers. Today's guest, Jordan Gal has a wealth of experience in direct response sales, the creation and operation of his own successful ecommerce business, and now as a software entrepreneur for Carthook, one of the best shopping cart abandonment solutions in existence. If you want to increase your revenue through capitalizing on the customers that are already visiting your ecommerce site, this episode is for you. Jordan Gal shares best practices for on page optimization, checkout page improvements, and follow up sequences for those who have abandoned the cart on your site. If you're ready to make cart abandonment a thing of the past on your ecommerce site, this episode with Jordan Gal can move you a long way toward making sure it's a reality. Don't miss this one. Resources Mentioned on this episode www.Skubana.com Carthook Jordan on Twitter: @JordanGal Jordan's blog post: The 10 Foot Test Good Morning America: How to Find and Use Online Coupon Codes GetDrip Grasshopper SiteTuners Google Docs www.GardenGnomes.com Shopify LemonStand WooCommerce Yotpo review software HelpScout Groove AdWords AutoResponder Max Magento BOOK: Startup Nation

Tom Bilyeu is Co-Founder of Quest Nutrition which was named the 2nd fastest growing private company in America with over 1400 employees and 57,000% growth. Tom's mission is to end metabolic disease… He also hosts a thought leadership show called Inside Quest where he features people like Tim Ferris, Russell Simmons and many more. If you want to get out of the matrix then listen to Tom and his youtube channel. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [0:24] Dr. Jeremy's introduction of Tom Bilyeu, his guest. [1:19] The lowest point in Tom's journey: quitting Awareness Technologies. [3:40] The biggest and worst sacrifices Tom made when working for Awareness Technologies. [4:16] Tom's proudest moments. [8:00] Why ketogenics may be the best fight against cancer we have. [11:05] How to connect with Tom. In this episode… Nobody has been more successful in business than Tom Bilyeu. His company, QuestNutrition is one of the fastest growing businesses out there. But he's had his share of low points on his journey toward success, and none of them were more difficult than the moment he came to realize that money doesn't buy happiness. On this episode you'll hear it from Tom's own mouth and discover what drives him not that his pursuit of money for the sake of money is gone. "The only thing money is good for is facilitating something else." That's what Tom says during this conversation - and what he means is that naturally, money can provide a lot of good things for your life and for others - but if you don't put your focus on the value the money will allow you to provide to the lives of others, you'll be miserable as you chase it. We've all heard that "the love of money is the root of all evil," and it's easy to see why. Greed, extortion, manipulation, and all kinds of other vices have been known to flow out of people who only care about money. But What Tom has to teach us on this episode, a life lesson that he learned the hard way, is that the purpose of building a huge business that generates lots of revenue is to serve others. That's a purpose that fuels generosity, not greed. Find out more of the hard lessons' Tom has learned on this episode. Resources Mentioned on this episode Inside Quest Show Awareness Technologies Quest Nutrition www.YouTube.com/InsideQuest