eComFuel Podcast

Giving my team a month off every summer has become one of the most valuable things I do for the business. After around seven years of running our summer sabbatical, I'm sharing why I introduced it, how we structure the four weeks off, and the biggest lessons I've learned along the way. From helping the team recharge and improving retention to giving me space to audit the business and plan for the year ahead, there are some significant benefits… but it's not without its downsides.

Listen in as I break down the practical challenges, including the cost, interrupted projects, and managing customer expectations while the team is offline. I also reflect on why I'm increasingly drawn to working in seasons, and how committing fully to a period of focused work or time away can help create a better balance between business growth, family, and adventure.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/jcubf2mj

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What happens when your ecommerce business is growing quickly, but the cash to keep it running starts to dry up? Will Roman, Founder and Chief Texan at Chisos, joins us to share how a period of more than 65% growth turned into a cash flow crunch when inventory shortages left the company unable to fulfil demand. He explains how extended manufacturing lead times, rising purchase orders and stock availability falling to just 31% forced the business to rethink its approach, cut advertising spend by 90% and introduce pre-orders to bring cash forward.

Will also shares how AI is changing the way he runs Chisos, from modelling cash flow and organising decisions to improving operational workflows and creating email campaigns. He explains how AI tools have helped him dramatically increase his capacity, why human judgement still matters, and how the experience challenged him to rethink his relationship with work and business. Whether you're navigating a difficult period or looking for practical ways to use AI in your own operations, this conversation offers valuable lessons in cash flow management, resilience and running a growing ecommerce business.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/572s84av

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Building an AI-powered brain for your business doesn't have to take weeks of planning or complicated development. In this episode, I share how I built a system in less than a day that gives my team access to company knowledge, helps run weekly meetings, prioritizes tasks, finds relevant files, and keeps projects aligned with our long-term goals. I explain how to organize your business information, create instructions that help AI find what it needs, and connect tools like Google Drive, email, Slack, and Shopify to make everyday workflows more efficient.

I also explore why keeping your AI's information up to date matters, how to separate shared company knowledge from private information, and what the future of coordinated AI agents could look like. In the second half, I share two personal finance mistakes involving my children's college savings and charitable stock donations, including lessons I learned about investment decisions and potential tax benefits.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/28fbacp9

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Drawing on lessons shared by more than 1,000 seven- and eight-figure store owners inside the eCommerceFuel community, this episode explores why smaller brands may want to think twice before outsourcing their paid marketing. You'll learn how several store owners discovered that bringing advertising in-house improved profitability, why ad spend can be an important factor when deciding whether an agency makes financial sense, and how AI tools are making it easier for ecommerce operators to manage more of their marketing themselves.

The episode also looks at a less obvious impact of AI on ecommerce teams. Rather than replacing large numbers of in-house employees, the examples shared from the community suggest that AI is often being used to make existing teams more productive, reduce software costs and rethink the role of agencies and consultants. You'll also hear about the AI tools being used to improve productivity, an ambitious redesign underway inside the eCommerceFuel community, and a surprising connection between financial knowledge and business margins.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/3dajud3u

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Being wrong can be just as useful as being right, especially when you have a decade of predictions, opinions, and business lessons to look back on. In this episode, I revisit more than a decade of my own thinking to explore where I got things wrong, what changed my mind, and which ideas have held up over time.

Listen in as I look back at why I underestimated paid traffic, expected more sellers to leave Amazon, and overestimated the potential of ChatGPT advertising. I also revisit the ideas I believe I got right, including the value of building smaller, trusted communities and creating a business that doesn't require the founder to be a superhero. You'll hear what these lessons have taught me about sustainable growth, long-term business ownership, and building a business you actually want to run for years to come.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/yc5cd2m2

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

Building a great business and building a great life don't have to be competing goals, but keeping both on track for the long term takes more than simply working harder. As your business grows, the decisions that help you scale can also create new demands on your time, money, and attention. In this episode, I'm sharing the lessons I wish I could have given my younger self about building a business that supports the life you actually want to live.

Drawing on a talk I recently gave to a group of young founders, I break down eight lessons for building a successful business without letting it consume everything else. Listen in to learn why mastering your finances should come first, how raising your prices can create significant leverage, why a small strike team can be more effective than a large organization, and why you still need trusted humans on your team. I also explain when to start taking money out of the business, how to stop comparing your path to other entrepreneurs, and how to stop moving the goalposts once you've reached enough.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/2up69kab

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What's the point of building significant wealth if you don't know how to enjoy it? In this episode, Thomas Kopelman, founder of AllStreet Wealth, shares what he sees behind the scenes of successful entrepreneurs' financial lives. You'll learn why a scarcity mindset can make even very wealthy people afraid to spend, how to think about money as a tool for creating freedom and why building wealth shouldn't come at the expense of the life you want to live.

Listen in to hear practical investing and wealth-building strategies for business owners, as well as why diversification and liquidity matter when your business is already your biggest asset. We also dive into how to think about debt and why sophisticated investments aren't always better. From exploring the idea of "enough" to how entrepreneurs can continue growing without sacrificing what matters most, this conversation breaks down how to make financial decisions that support both your net worth and your peace of mind.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/4s8w5afr

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What happens when you finally reach the point where you don't have to work for money anymore? In this episode, Danny Rhodehamel shares his journey from building a $20 million swimming pool business over more than 20 years to selling it to private equity—and discovering that financial freedom changed the way he thought about entrepreneurship. You'll learn how Dan and his business partner built wealth, why they prioritized profitability alongside revenue, and how they approached building financial security without taking on significant debt.

Listen in to hear how Dan transitioned from a large, stressful business into smaller eCommerce ventures that allow him to focus on what he actually enjoys. He also shares how a trip to Bali sparked the creation of Two Feather Plugs, why passion became a bigger motivator after his exit, the challenges of selling to private equity, and why focusing on one business can be so difficult for entrepreneurs with constant new ideas. Most importantly, Dan explores the question many successful entrepreneurs eventually face: if you've already made enough money, what motivates you to keep building?

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/6yu4xyz9

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What does it take to keep a brand alive when you're just weeks away from running out of cash? In this episode, Tal Moore, co-founder of Popsmith, shares the lessons he's learned from more than 25 years in eCommerce. You'll learn why he and his co-founder decided to sell their other businesses to go all-in on one brand and what helped land Popsmith in Oprah's Favorite Things.

Listen in to hear how equity crowdfunding can open investment opportunities to a broader audience, as well as why building genuine relationships and giving back to your community can pay dividends years later. Tal also shares why he believes entrepreneurs should deeply understand any marketing channel consuming a significant portion of their revenue before handing it to an agency, why running multiple businesses can dilute your attention and what has given Popsmith a much stronger path forward.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/ms9heh5c

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What can eCommerce founders learn from lead generation, direct response marketing, and managing more than 1,000 people? In this episode, I sit down with Sean McGinnis, Co-Founder of The Manager Vault, to explore the very different worlds of outbound lead generation and direct response marketing. You'll hear why cold calling can work despite brutal rejection rates, how speed-to-lead can dramatically impact conversions, and how direct response funnels take customers from unaware to ready to buy.

Listen in to learn about one of the biggest challenges facing growing businesses: hiring and managing great people. Sean breaks down his approach to defining a role before hiring, creating effective scorecards, focusing employees on outcomes rather than prescribed activities, and avoiding overly complicated "unicorn" job descriptions. He also shares his thoughts on giving talented people autonomy, aligning roles with the organization's needs, and building hiring systems that consistently produce better results.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/3tsweumv

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What happens when an eCommerce owner stops asking, "How can I get more people to do this work?" and starts asking, "How can I redesign the work entirely?" In this episode, I'm joined by Eli Zauner, co-founder of Universal Yums, who is using AI, software, and automation to tackle the complexity of an eight-figure consumer business. Whether you're an eCommerce founder looking to automate repetitive work, a business owner trying to scale without constantly adding headcount, or simply curious about what AI can actually do inside a real operating business, this conversation offers a highly tactical look at what comes next.

Listen in as Eli shares how he evolved from a bootstrapped subscription snack box startup into building sophisticated systems for supply planning, product development, advertising, and operations—and why AI has fundamentally changed the way he thinks about scaling. You'll hear how he structures his AI and software stack, why he believes the terminal can be a more powerful interface for business owners, and how shared skills, structured data, and software can create the foundation for AI agents. Eli also talks about his thinking around AI-driven job displacement, the future of "outcome ownership," and why businesses should identify processes where more output directly creates more revenue.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/537srzjh

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What if the goal of entrepreneurship wasn't to build the biggest business possible, but to build a business and a life you genuinely don't want to escape from? In this episode, I sit down with Evan Bryce Riddle, co-founder of Art of Mondays, a community for "lifestyle founders" who want to pursue entrepreneurship alongside health, wellness, travel, relationships, and personal growth. Evan shares how he and his co-founder built the community around their own values, why they reject traditional hustle culture, and how they think about creating a business that provides freedom of time, location, and choice.

Listen in to learn how Art of Mondays builds and protects its community culture through careful member selection, why connection comes before business conversations at their events, and how they created a highly engaging event experience for more than 100 founders. Evan also talks about the marketing strategy behind their growth, content production, and why surrounding yourself with the right people can dramatically change how you approach business and life.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/3cjyytta

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What makes a marketing campaign so unforgettable that you'll go out of your way to visit the business behind it? In this episode, you'll hear the story of an unexpected roadside advertising campaign that transformed a long drive through rural Colorado into a masterclass in customer psychology. What began as a series of mysterious vintage-looking signs became a powerful lesson in how great marketing creates curiosity, builds anticipation, and earns attention rather than demanding it.

Listen in to learn why repetition works when it's done well, how subtle messaging can outperform aggressive sales tactics, and why the strongest brands play the long game instead of chasing quick wins. You'll hear about the power of context, brand association, offline marketing, and planting seeds today that continue generating results for decades. Whether you run an eCommerce business or any customer-focused brand, these timeless marketing lessons can help you create campaigns people actually remember.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/35fj3upz

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What happens when a successful eCommerce entrepreneur decides to walk away from it all? After spending more than a decade building eCommerce brands and co-founding one of the industry's best-known communities, Mike Jackness made the surprising decision to leave it all behind and start again from scratch. In this episode, he shares why he stepped away, the personal and professional factors behind his decision, and what he learned from building an entirely new business around YouTube.

Listen in to learn how Mike transformed a passion for Las Vegas into a thriving content business, what has been the biggest driver of YouTube growth, and the lessons eCommerce owners can apply to their own brands. You'll hear about the realities of running an Amazon business with shrinking margins, how audience feedback shaped his content strategy, the importance of building a personality-led brand, and why YouTube presents one of the biggest untapped opportunities for eCommerce businesses today.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/4ktujvur

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What if getting stronger had less to do with motivation and more to do with building a routine that actually fits your life? In this episode, I'm sharing the practical lessons I have learned after nearly three years of consistent strength training. You'll discover why chasing the "perfect" workout is often the biggest obstacle to long-term success, how to create a sustainable routine around your schedule, and why small changes can lead to better consistency, productivity, and overall wellbeing.

I'll also break down the workout structure that's worked best for me, explain how to balance variety with measurable progress, and share simple strategies for staying on track while travelling or juggling a busy family life. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking to improve your energy, or simply trying to build healthier habits that stick, this episode offers realistic advice for creating a fitness routine you can maintain for years—not just weeks.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/532p222w

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

How can you build an eCommerce business that lasts for decades, not just the next algorithm update? In this episode, Edward Wimmer IV, co-founder of ROAD iD, shares how a near-fatal accident inspired a business that's now helped save lives while growing into a thriving eight-figure brand. You'll hear how he and his father started the company from a basement with two credit cards, why purpose has been the foundation of every decision they've made, and how staying focused on serving customers has created a business built for the long term.

Edward also breaks down why word-of-mouth remains the most powerful marketing strategy in eCommerce, what drives repeat purchases, and why building genuine human connections beats relying solely on paid advertising. From creative packaging and storytelling to brand building, category creation, and scaling profitably with a low average order value, this episode is packed with practical lessons for entrepreneurs who want to build businesses that customers genuinely love.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/4zj7zfu9

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

How do you operate a business when things start to get tough? In this episode, Matt Snow, co-founder of Boredwalk.com, shares two hard-earned lessons from running a fast-growing eCommerce business with his wife. If you've struggled to delegate, scale operations, or find an integrator who can truly own the day-to-day, listen in to hear what worked, what didn't, and why relying on "good vibes" alone can be a costly mistake.

Matt also opens up about the six-year journey to finally hiring the right operations leader after multiple failed attempts (including the exact hiring framework that changed everything) and the challenges his business faced after major Meta platform changes disrupted performance during an otherwise explosive growth period. You'll hear what happened behind the scenes, how attribution changes affected eCommerce brands, why advertisers became frustrated with Meta's lack of transparency, and how Matt is responding. Don't miss this candid look at the emotional side of entrepreneurship, including the stress, uncertainty, and loss of control that many founders experience but rarely discuss openly.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/5n8yeuz6

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What really separates eight- and nine-figure eCommerce businesses from everyone else? Today, we are revisiting one of my favorite episodes from earlier this year, where I unpack the biggest takeaways from eComm Camp, our annual gathering of founders running 8-figure businesses. Looking back, these lessons feel just as relevant today, and I wanted to bring them back for anyone who missed them the first time around.

Listen in to learn why I don't believe there are secret tactics behind eight- and nine-figure success, why the best founders stay closely connected to their businesses, and how long-term commitment creates a powerful competitive advantage. You'll also hear my thoughts on why community is becoming a genuine business asset, why getting into the right market early matters, and what is becoming one of the biggest drivers of sustainable growth.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/3pt479ks

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

If your eCommerce store shut down tomorrow, how long could you survive on everything else you've built? In this episode, Michael Jelliff, owner of Geekstands.com, reveals how he built one of the leanest, most profitable eCommerce operations around (an intentionally small, three-person team that throws off serious cash) and then did something most founders don't: pulled nearly all of it out and invested it elsewhere.

Listen in as Mike shares the experience that shaped his entire financial philosophy, how he thinks about diversifying profits into both public and private markets, and why his passive investments now generate more income than his eCommerce business. You'll also hear his 12-year-old pricing formula that keeps him at a 99% in-stock rate, how he manages pricing across 11 marketplaces, and what he's weighing as he considers whether to sell the business entirely.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/mru8e8em

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.

What does it take to build a manufacturing brand from scratch with your own machines, your own team, and your own two hands? In this episode, Liz Hilton, inventor, founder, and owner of Swaddelini, shares how she turned a sleepless night as a new mom into a US-made baby swaddle brand powered by 3D knit technology.

Listen in as Liz shares the wild ride of going viral on TikTok, doubling capacity at the wrong time, and watching sales drop by nearly 50% before bouncing back stronger than ever. She unpacks eight months of traditional PR, firing her marketing agency over a disconnected Google Tag, and partnering with a programmer who now runs her paid ads with a custom attribution model she actually trusts. Plus, you'll get the story behind Holding Mother, her long-form documentary reframing the postpartum experience, and why she believes the best marketing is simply showing up for moms.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/n2yww3xr

Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.